Page 95 of Countdown

How to answer without setting him off? That one thought took her back to the days where that was the filter through which she lived her life. “You killed Mrs. Atwater, didn’t you? My parents’ housekeeper? And left the black roses as a warning to me?”

“I did. I was going to give you some time to heal, then come back for you, but you dropped off the planet. I searched all over the place for you.”

And he had no intention of letting her get away a second time. “Did you kill the others?” she asked.

He stilled. “Others?”

“Apparently, according to the research done by law enforcement, my case—being beaten within an inch of my life by an ex-boyfriend who no one ever met or could identify and disappears without a trace—was not an isolated incident.”

He sat a little straighter. “No kidding.”

“No kidding. Unfortunately, the other victims didn’t survive. Only I did. I’m guessing that was a mistake on your part?”

“I don’t make mistakes.” His hand tightened around the grip of the weapon. With her mind clearing as the minutes ticked past, she had one thought—escape.

But how?

At least it seemed like he wanted to keep talking a bit before he killed her. She shuddered, memories of her last encounter with him crowding her mind and wanting to paralyze her.

Focus. If she let her fear take control, she’d die.God, please, show me what to do.

“Well? Did you kill those other women?” she asked.

“They weren’t the right ones. They always wanted to leave me.”

Pointing out that he was the reason they wanted to leave—whyshewanted to leave—would do no good. “Why do you think that is?”

He drew in a deep breath and his eyes narrowed. “Because she couldn’t help it.”

“That’s confusing. Kevin—”

“Keith.”

She blinked. “What?”

“Keith. My name is Keith Baldridge. No sense in calling me Kevin anymore.”

“Okay.Keith.Can you please explain?”

Raina shifted as though to get more comfortable. In truth, she needed to see if her legs would hold her. Seemed they might.

Kevin—no, Keith—lifted the weapon, then lowered it when she did nothing else.

“My mother died when I was young,” he said. “My father was furious for her leaving us but kept saying she couldn’t help it. That she’d loved him so much, the only way she’d ever leave was if she was dead.”

It clicked. “So, when a woman decides to leave you, the only way you’ll let her go is if she’s dead?”

“It’s the only way she’sallowedto leave me.”

Trying to wrap her mind around his sick reasoning wasn’t going to work. It was what he believed no matter how twisted,and she was going to have to ignore that and figure out how to get away from him. “Why did you kill Mrs. Atwater?”

“She was in the way.”

Don’t throw up. Don’t throw up.“In the way?”

“She served her purpose. I went to her house and could tell she was baking something. Then I overheard her talking on the phone, telling someone she was going to take the cake to the house and wait for you to get home. That you would be there in just a few minutes. I decided to hitch a ride. I hid in the trunk. Then once she parked, I followed her inside. I let her put the cake on the island before I took her out because I wanted you to have the cake. I knew it was your favorite. And of course she would make your favorite. Because you were always everyone’s favorite. I’ve never been anyone’s favorite. Even when Christopher was helping me, he hated me. He didn’t help me because he loved me. He only helped me to keep his name clean. He wants to be governor, you know.”

Raina was doing her best to follow his ramblings. “I know. And you were keeping tabs on all of my family and friends, all these years,” she whispered, still shocked at the idea.

---