by Mia Taylor
He could tell she wasn’t a bear—or if she was, she didn’t know it about herself. There was a timidity about her that bears didn’t possess, and try as he might, he couldn’t envision her shifting into anything remotely frightening, not when she was so frightened herself.
Jennica didn’t offer him much in the way of conversation but Magnus found himself talking to her easily, filling the lulls with his own words. There was something about her that made him want to protect and shelter her from whatever it was that so clearly plagued her.
“It’s not much,” he said lightly, flipping on the naked lamp on the coffee table. “But the neighbors mostly mind their own business and it has heat.”
It was the right thing to say, it seemed, and Jennica exhaled in a whoosh of breath like she’d been holding onto it from the moment they’d met.
“Hey,” Magnus said quietly. “You’re safe here. Whatever it is that’s got you so scared…”
He trailed off, unsure of what else to say.
Again, she gave him a tired smile and he cleared his throat.
“If you want to have a bath, I can get you a clean towel. I’m sure I can dig up something that might fit you around here. There’s laundry in the building—”
To his shock, she flung her arms around his neck and planted her full lips squarely on his, knocking his own breath from his windpipe. She tasted sweet but salty, as if there were dried tears on her mouth.
Unsure of how to react, he didn’t move, but Jennica snaked her arms around his waist, drawing him closer to her, eyes wide as she met his stunned gaze.
“Thank you,” she murmured, drawing herself back to stare at him with haunted chocolate eyes.
“F-for what?” Magnus stuttered, uncharacteristically bashful. He hadn’t been expecting the kiss, let alone an expression of gratitude, but he could read the plaintive appreciation in her eyes.
“For bringing me here.”
She stepped back and looked down.
“I think I will have that bath,” she told him, her voice almost shy.
“Of course. The bathroom’s this way.”
He gestured down the hall and Jennica moved toward it. For a long moment after she’d disappeared inside the bathroom, he found himself staring at the closed door, wondering if he hadn’t made a huge mistake bringing her home.
Too late now, he thought, but there wasn’t a modicum of regret inside him.
Fifteen minutes later, the bathroom door opened and Jennica poked her head out, her long, blonde tresses dripping water on the floor.
“Sorry,” she murmured. “But did you say something about a towel?”
“Oh gods, yes, sorry,” Magnus muttered, jumping up from the couch. He had barely realized how much time had gone by as he rushed to find her a towel.
But when he handed it her, her hand curled around his and she drew him into the bathroom, her lithe, naked frame damp and shivering.
Uncertainly, Magnus stared at her. His body responded to the bare neediness in her expression, the way her lower lip quivered as she tilted her chin back to look at him. She wanted to be kissed and he wanted to kiss her, but was this right?
“Don’t overthink it,” she breathed, taking a step toward him and again placing her lips against his. This time, the embrace was warm, soft, and slow. Magnus encircled his arms around her slender waist, pulling her near to relish the feel of her curves against his. She fit perfectly and whatever doubts Magnus had harbored dissipated when her tongue jutted out to play with his.
He sighed and scooped her up, wrapping the towel around her body as his lips grazed against the softness of her cheek. The need to explore her was overwhelming and when he laid her on the bare mattress on the floor, he understood why he had been so attracted to her.
She’s my mate, he thought, without an ounce of skepticism. And that’s why she was sent to me tonight, like this.
His head trailed lower to taste and sample every inch of skin on her body, his lips finding the heat between her thighs. There was no guilt as he brought her through rolling waves of pleasure, savoring the sounds of her cries as she pulled him back up.
“I need you inside me,” she whispered and Magnus wasted no time making that request a reality.
In moments, they were bound together, as close as two beings could possibly be. Through a sync of pleasure, they lost themselves in each other’s gazes, their heights rising and falling in unison until they were both spent in ways Magnus had never known.
Long after they had finished their lovemaking, Jennica fell into a deep slumber and Magnus remained awake, stroking the silken flesh of her body with his fingertips.
For the first time in as long as he could remember, he didn’t want the night to end.
Chapter Three
Haunted
“Jennica…”
Abruptly, she sat up, the whisper clear and present in her mind. For a long moment, she had no idea where she was and the realization only sent more fear flowing through her heart. Her chest was thumping with such ferocity, she could hear it like a drumbeat in her ears, and when she finally gathered her bearings, she was worried she might wake Magnus, who remained asleep at her side.
You’re safe. You’re fine here, she tried to tell herself, because before she’d fallen asleep in Magnus’ arms, she had believed that. She’d wanted to believe it, fleeting as it might have been, and for those treasured hours, she had allowed herself to escape the horrors that had followed her for a decade.
But now he was back. There would be no escape and she pitied herself for being so foolish as to believe there could be.
“You can’t escape me, Jennica…”
It’s in my head. He’s not here. He can’t be…
And yet he had found her before—many times. She wondered what she’d been thinking falling into Magnus’ arms, but in the moment, it had seemed like the safest place to be.
Now, she wasn’t so sure.
Without stirring the lightly snoring cop beside her, she untangled her legs and scurried to find her threadbare tracksuit. She loathed putting it on after her shower but she didn’t want to rouse Magnus by looking for something else. Quickly, she dressed haphazardly, not caring how well she was put together. Her looks were truly the least of her problems.
As she scooped her blonde tresses into a high bun, tucking the hoodie around her face, she paused, uncertain for a moment as she looked at the slumbering detective. The desire to wake him up and tell him everything overcame her in a sweeping wave, her legs planted on the floor as she stared at him.
Don’t be a fool, she snapped at herself. You know what will happen if you dare tell him anything. You were stupid enough to let things get this far. Don’t make matters worse for everyone by bringing him into this mess.
Still, it took her another full minute to get her legs in working order, her pulse rushing to create dizziness within her body. Shaking her head, she moved toward the door, swallowing the lump in her throat as she moved.
She needed to get out of there before she changed her mind and ran back into Magnus’ warm embrace.
If not for her own safety, then most certainly for Magnus’.
Chapter Four
A Hopeful Lead
For three days after his encounter with Jennica, Magnus moved in a trance. His body felt like lead weights, his mind somewhere above him, watching him as if he was not in control of himself.
He wasn’t sure what had overcome him since waking up alone the dawn after he’d brought Jennica home, but her absence had caused something deep and cutting inside him. He was filled with a longing for her that he’d never known for anyone else in his life. If he’d had any doubts about her being his mate before, they were gone now. He knew if he ever wanted to feel right again, he needed to find her.
He tried logically to understand what had happened. On one hand, he considered that she had regretted their night together, but he had been there. She had not feigned the feelings and he was sure he hadn’t misread th
em. Jennica hadn’t mentioned anything about leaving and although it wasn’t the most shocking revelation of his life to find himself alone, the disappointment that flowed through him was bitter and hard to swallow.
You should have known that wasn’t going to last. You’re a glutton for punishment, Galvin.
But the fact that Jennica had left didn’t sit well and not just because he felt slighted and scorned. She had been running from something, from someone. Why would she risk being found when she had been safe with him?
“Are you drunk, Galvin?” Sergeant Forester growled at him on the third day when he stumbled into the office after not sleeping a wink. Oddly, the answer was denial for the first time in as long as he could remember.
“No,” Magnus replied honestly. “I’m not.”
“Well, get your head in the game. You have a mound of DD5s on your desk and open cases like no one else in the department. You’re bringing down my closure rate in the unit.”
Magnus stared blankly at his boss, his mind whirling. Something was nagging him at the back of his mind but it was elusive and had disappeared before Magnus could capture it entirely.
“What?” Forester barked, his brow rising in annoyance. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Nothing,” Magnus mumbled, averting his gaze back toward the paperwork on his desk.
But it wasn’t nothing.
Magnus suddenly had an idea, one he wished he’d thought of three days ago when he’d woken up alone.
I’m going to find Jennica, he vowed silently. Just to put my mind at ease. If she doesn’t want to see me, I’ll leave her alone, but I need to know that she’s okay.
As if it could be that simple, but what else could he do? It wasn’t the first time he’d had the thought, but it was the first time he had an idea where to start.
He ambled to his feet, ignoring Forester’s questioning look as he grabbed his jacket and wallet before heading toward the door.
“Where the hell are you going now?” the sergeant yelled out after him. “What did I just say about your paperwork?”
Magnus paused and looked back at his boss, his mind whirling.
“Well?” Forester snapped. “What’s the issue?”
He wants to get rid of me. I just need to give him a reason.
But Jennica was out there somewhere and Magnus knew he wouldn’t rest until he found her again.
He made his decision, despite Forester’s intense scowl.
“I’m following a lead,” Magnus replied, spinning away and disappearing into the day outside.
Chapter Five
On the Run Again
A door closed and she was on her feet, hands trembling as she stared at the hallway, but there was no one there but her paranoia, the same feeling that had been following her for days.
I shouldn’t have come back here, she thought, gritting her teeth worriedly. Her heart pounding, she waited for the face that haunted her nightmares to appear, but as the minutes ticked by, she realized she was alone.
Will I ever stop looking over my shoulder?
She would be a fool to think so. She was even a bigger fool to have left Magnus Galvin without telling him the truth about herself. For three days, she had moved around, watching her own apartment building, gauging if it was safe to return—if only for the things she could carry. The notion of taking off again without a single personal item was unbearable. A dozen times, she’d thought to seek out Magnus again and ask him to escort her back to the unit, but she dismissed the idea as quickly as it had popped into her head. After all, she’d left for a reason, hadn’t she? She didn’t want to drag Magnus into this. She had to take care of this herself, without endangering anyone else.
I just need my laptop and some clothes, she reasoned, realizing how she must look still wearing the very same tracksuit she’d been wearing since fleeing the house. Maybe a toothbrush.
It wasn’t like she could afford to buy a new one, not with her life on the move.
As she sat inside the apartment, quickly scanning for the things she could grab, she began to question her own sanity.
What had really made her run this time? A sense? The feeling that he was on her tail again?
It’s more than just a sense. He’s never been off my tail. He’s only let me believe that he has.
Just because he hadn’t shown his face for over a year didn’t mean that he wasn’t nearby.
He wasn’t going to just let me go. Or maybe that’s just what he wanted me to think?
A familiar dizziness overcame her and she grabbed the overnight bag at her side, hurrying toward the door. There was no way to be sure and for that reason, she needed to run.
Again.
Chapter Six
Chasing Demons
Madison eyed him warily from her spot behind the counter. Magnus could see that she wanted to do what he was asking, but her “play by the rules” attitude was toying with her conscience.
“I don’t know, Mag. We’re not supposed to do things like that without a case number.”
She wasn’t telling him something he didn’t already know, but he had been prepared for the reluctance. Magnus stifled a grunt of annoyance and instead produced his most charming smile, leaning across the desk conspiratorially.
“The truth is, I think my niece broke into my house,” he confessed, his mind working furiously to concoct a story the forensics tech would believe. “I know whoever it was touched this glass, but if it is my niece, I don’t want to press charges, you know? I mean, she’s already got issues and my sister doesn’t need the stress…”
He trailed off and looked at her meaningfully. Madison sighed and snorted.
“Yeah. I’ve got a nephew like that too. My brother coddles the hell out of him but ever since he could walk, I knew he was a sociopath in the making.”
“Then you know what I mean,” Magnus rushed on, hoping that Maddy would never learn he was an only child. Madison sighed.
“If it is her, you should have her thrown in lock-up, if even for a night. That will teach her a thing or two.”
“You’re absolutely right,” he agreed. “Maybe I will, but let’s hope I’m wrong. I wouldn’t want to accuse her of something and find out I was misinformed, you know?”
Madison was quiet for a moment but she eventually nodded, causing Magnus’ body to flood with relief.
“All right, Mag, but don’t tell anyone I’m doing this.”
“Mum’s the word,” he promised, pretending to zip his lips with his fingers. Madison immediately removed the drinking glass from the Ziplock bag Magnus had provided with gloved hands. Carefully, she picked up a brush and dabbed it in black magnetic powder before applying it to the glass that Magnus had supplied. Trying not to seem overeager, the detective watched, his pulse quickening.
She’s got to be in the system for something.
He tried not to feel bad about the thought. It was simply a statistical probability, given how he’d found her.
You better hope she’s in the system for something. This is your only lead on her.
Madison scanned the lifted prints into the computer and Magnus leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest to wait for the results.
“This might take a minute,” Maddy warned. “You know how these things go.”
“With the Minot technology, yeah, I know,” Magnus chuckled but his mind was already on what would happen if he didn’t find Jennica this way.
If she’s not in the system, I’ll work with a sketch artist to see if I can ask around Roosevelt Park if anyone’s seen her. I could probably draw her face myself.
It was a long shot but Magnus was sure he’d find her. Fate had not thrown them together only to keep them apart. That he was sure of.
He realized that a heavy silence had fallen in the lab and for some reason, he felt the need to fill it.
“Her name is Jennica—” he started to say but the computer chimed as a face appeared on the screen. Slowly, Magnus f
elt the blood drain out of his face.
“Holy sh…” Both the tech and detective inhaled in unison, staring at the alert.
That can’t be right, Magnus thought, shaking his head dubiously. There must be a mistake.
“A-are you sure about this?” Madison stuttered, her face paling beneath her owl-like glasses. “Are you sure that glass was in your apartment?”
Magnus swallowed the lump in his throat, unsure what to believe as he gaped at the photo on the screen. It was unmistakably her—Jennica.
Except that’s not Jennica at all, is it?
“That’s not your niece, Mags,” Madison breathed, ever the master of stating the obvious.
“I can see that,” Magnus growled but Maddy wasn’t finished, determined to spell it all out in case he missed something.
“That’s Rochelle Hepburn and she’s been missing for a decade.”
True, the poster was ten years old and the status was listed as “presumed dead” but the picture was undeniably that of the woman with whom he’d spent the unforgettable night earlier that week.
“Do you think this missing girl broke into your apartment?” Madison pressed on. “Wow, we need to notify brass and the family that she might still be alive!”
“No!”
Madison stared at him in surprise.
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean,” Magnus said quickly, forcing his voice to be light, “not yet. Let’s not jump to any conclusions, right?”
Madison’s brow furrowed.
“Mags, this girl has been missing for ten years. Her family has probably had a memorial for her and—”
“I’m not saying stay quiet forever,” Magnus interjected. “I’m just saying you should let me investigate more before giving the family false hope.”
Madison seemed to accept his words but even then, Magnus could read the uncertainty in her eyes.
“Just give me a day or two,” he insisted. “If I don’t find out anything, we’ll bring in the big guns, but really, we don’t have the manpower to be chasing false leads, right?”