Page 15 of Losing Control

She shuddered as the memory swept over her. Not something she wanted to do every day. But she’d do whatever it took to get the answers in this particular case.

“Having second thoughts?” His voice was mocking.

Dana stiffened. “Not at all. I came here, hoping for some cooperation, but I can work without it. I have before.”

He studied her for a long moment. “Exactly what is it you want of us? Of me?”

“To start with, I’d like to look through the reports on each of the crimes. Make copies of them if you’ll let me. Talk to any of the deputies who were working then. See what they still remember.”

“And I suppose visiting the families and questioning them.” His voice was flat and a muscle twitched in his cheek as he studied her. Okay, so he didn’t like her or what she wanted to do. Well, too bad. She wasn’t here for a popularity contest.

When he leaned forward again, she felt the room shrinking and his presence growing and enveloping her. She’d been through this before. Men who tried to intimidate her. Make her back off. Who unknowingly lit a fire under the fear always lurking near the surface.

But there was something else in the room that unsettled her, an unfamiliar feeling of awareness. Something that skittered over the surface of her skin and made her pulse unexpectedly ramp up. Something that stunned her, that she couldn’t afford to acknowledge and didn’t want to. She swallowed a hysterical laugh. After all this time, sexual awareness of a man had decided to jump up and smack her at the most inopportune time?

She wet her lips, reaching for her usual and familiar control, unwilling to let him know he rattled her. “Sheriff, no one has ever complained that I acted insensitively or disrespectfully on my other projects. I can assure you it will be the same here.”

Their gazes locked for what seemed an interminable length of time. Dana was damn determined she wouldn’t break first, and she didn’t.

Cole leaned back in his chair, fighting a grin. “Feisty, aren’t you?” He held up a hand when she opened her mouth. “No offense. That’s a compliment, okay? I like feisty women.”

“I think whether you like me or not isn’t the question. What’s important to me is whether you decide to help me.”

His whiskey-colored eyes darkened. The hard look was back on his face, and every trace of humor disappeared. “I’m guessing it will save me a lot of trouble if I just give you what you want instead of hassling with a court order. Which I’m sure you’d get.” He stood up, his body ramrod stiff. “But you’ll have to work on the files here. They don’t leave my office. No copies.”

She swallowed a sigh of relief. At least she would get to see them. “I understand. And thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I’m not doing this because I want to. The files are so old we had them stored over in the archives. After I talked to John Garrett yesterday, I figured you’d be knocking at my door. To save us both some time, I had them lugged over here this morning and set up a place for you to work. Let’s go.”

Chapter Five

He sat in his den, pouring another shot of his favorite, aged whiskey, hoping it would calm his nerves. His hand trembled slightly as he lifted the glass to his lips again.

The whiskey burned as it slid down his throat, but it was a good sensation of heat. Comforting. Settling his jittery nerves. Last night’s littleadventurehad soothed him for a while, but seeing her this morning had jacked him up again. Brought all those tiny lovelies back.

She had returned, his elusive little flower. This morning, he’d seen her entering Cole Landry’s office. So sweet, just like he remembered.

He’d googled Dana Moretti last night, and the face looking back at him made his blood run hot again. He’d never forgotten his little Carrie. She’d been special. The only one who hadn’t cried out. The only one who’d struggled against him, turning him on with her odd sense of bravery. Now, she was back. After all these years. She wasn’t getting away from him. Not this time.

He leaned back in his comfortable chair and closed his eyes, letting the images from those first two years drift through his brain. His body jerked with pleasure as he remembered them one by one. So young. So sweet. Flesh barely touched. Like flowers not yet ready to bud.

But he’d opened those petals. Oh, yes. And those little flowers had been so sweetly delicious.

Until it was time to shut them up. The ultimate pleasure had been snapping their necks.

If only those fucking teenagers hadn’t stumbled onto his cozy little nest. He’d barely gotten away. Good thing he’d left his car where he could roll it to the road without headlights. God, he could still remember pulling into a grove of trees and sitting for hours, shaking and sweating at the close call. Of course, after that, everyone was on such high alert that he’d had to call a halt to his little hobby.

It was a damn good thing DNA testing hadn’t been around all those years ago. He’d covered his tracks easily enough over the two years, but DNA would have screwed him royally.

Then Fate visited him, and very quietly, he found another game to play. Oh, yes. This one wasn’t quite as delicious, but it was a lot less risky and still gave him pleasure. And again, no one suspected a thing.

She was meeting with the sheriff, his Carrie, probably hoping to twist his arm so she could see all the case reports. Good. Let her take all the time she needed to do her research. She wouldn’t find out a thing, and he’d have time to finesse his plan. Figure out a way to accomplish it that wouldn’t identify the girls he chose as anything more than random victims. Everyone would panic, thinking another predator had invaded their precious slice of heaven. For damn sure, it wouldn’t lead back to him.

He was smart. Oh, yes. He’d outfoxed everyone more than once. He could do it again.

He tossed back the last of his drink and poured another. Unzipping his pants, he pulled out his erection and thought of Carrie/Dana as he stroked himself, a satisfied smile on his face.

Chapter Six

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