“I’m sorry.” She gave a final tug on the knot, swallowing a groan of relief when she felt it at last give way. She brought her hands in front of her, lifting them in a gesture of apology. “If you’ll let Payton go we can discuss our future.”
The tension eased from his body, but there was a wariness that remained in his eyes.
“Come here.”
“Okay.”
She slowly rose to her feet, trusting that her sister had the intelligence to curl her body in a way that would hide the fact that her ropes were loosened.
Jaci’s feet felt like they were encased in cement as she forced them to take one step after another, crossing the short distance to stand directly in front of the maniac.
Nelson studied her with a brooding gaze. “You accept that we were meant to be together?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“And what about Rylan Cooper?”
She flinched. She hadn’t expected the question. “What about him?”
“I know he was your lover.”
She lowered her lashes to hide the sudden flood of tears. She fiercely clung to the belief that he was alive, but that didn’t ease her pain at the knowledge he might be critically injured.
“He’s dead,” she forced herself to say.
Nelson was reaching some critical point in his madness. It was obvious in his violent mood changes, and the twitching that had moved from his fingers to encompass his entire body.
Somehow she had to convince him that she was willing to go along with his plans.
“But you loved him?” he demanded.
She hesitated. “I cared about him,” she said, knowing he would never believe her if she said she felt nothing for Rylan.
“And yet you’re prepared to be with me?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“Hmm.” Without warning he reached to grab the short strands of her hair, yanking her head back so he could skim his gaze over her face. “I begin to doubt your sincerity, my love.”
She licked her dry lips. “Let Payton go and we’ll discuss our future.”
“She dies, Jaci. It has to be done,” he rasped, his voice vibrating with impatience. “Then we’ll leave this place and start our new lives together.”
He was increasingly anxious to kill Payton. As if he was being driven by something deep inside him.
And nothing was going to stop him.
Grasping the last of her shriveling courage, Jaci glanced over her shoulder.
“Go, Payton,” she yelled. “Run.”
With a speed that had to be fueled by sheer adrenaline, Payton was scrambling off the floor and charging toward the open door. At the same time Nelson cursed, lurching to follow behind Payton’s retreating form.
Jaci impulsively jumped in front of him, tangling their legs together. They went down in a snarled heap, with Jaci on the bottom and Nelson landing on top of her with enough force to blast the air from her lungs.
Glancing up, she met Nelson’s furious gaze. In that second she knew if Payton didn’t find help and send them to the cabin in the next few minutes, she was going to die.
Rylan had always been a thrill seeker. He’d jumped off the top of his father’s silo at the age of ten. He’d started dirt bike racing at the age of fourteen. And he’d been an avid surfer since he’d moved to California.
But as he paced from one end of Jaci’s living room to another, he silently swore he would never again seek out danger.
All he wanted was a long, peaceful life with Jaci. No drama. No surprises. Just one boring day after another.
Continuing his pacing, he watched as the sheriff stood by the front window, his phone pressed to his ear. Rylan didn’t have to ask if he’d found out where Nelson was hiding. The man’s face said it all.
Still, he couldn’t help but ask the question hovering on his lips as Mike shoved his phone in his pocket and turned to face Rylan.
“Well?”
“Nothing at his gallery or in his apartment.” Mike grimaced. “I have the clerk at the courthouse searching through the public deeds.”
Rylan stared at his phone, ignoring the dark wave of dread that threatened to drown him. He couldn’t be distracted with panic. He needed Griff to call with the information that he was so desperate for.
He had to focus his concentration on finding Jaci.
“We don’t have time for—” His words were cut short as he felt the phone he was holding in his hand abruptly begin to vibrate. He pressed the screen, holding it next to his ear. “Griff. Give me good news.”
He listened to his best friend, his spine stiffening in disbelief as Griff revealed what he’d discovered.
God. Damn.
Ending the connection, Rylan slid his phone into the pocket of his jeans and moved to the end table where he’d left his handgun. Making sure it was loaded and that the safety was off, he headed toward the front door.
Mike was swiftly at his side. “Did you get an address?”
“Yeah.” Rylan charged forward, prepared to bulldoze his way past Mike’s solid body if he dared to try and stop him again.
The truth was, he’d pick the man up and toss him aside if necessary.
Mike struggled to keep pace as they left the house and crossed the boggy yard.
“Give it to me.”
“Go to hell, O’Brien,” Rylan growled, angling straight toward the road that ran in front of the house. “I’m not going to hand over information that my partner uncovered and then be told that I have to sit here with my thumb up my ass.”
Clearly having assumed that Rylan would head toward his nearby truck, Mike was scrambling to catch up as Rylan leaped across the ditch that was filled with stagnant water. The rain had thankfully stopped, but it would take weeks for the earth to dry out.
“This is an official investigation,” the sheriff snapped.
“Yeah, well, it was my unofficial investigating that got an address.”
Rylan’s gaze scanned the trees that lined the opposite side of the road. There. He could see a small opening. Either a game trail or a pathway.
He jogged toward it.
“I understand why Nelson shot you,” Mike growled from behind, reaching out to grab Rylan’s arm to yank him to a halt. “Dammit, Cooper. Wait.”
Rylan resisted the urge to shove the man away. The urgency to reach Jaci was a violent force that pulsed through him. Still, he had enough sense to know that having backup would double his chances of rescuing her.
“Partners?” he demanded.
Mike clenched his teeth. The man no doubt was weighing the legal complications of allowing a civilian to be involved in the takedown of Nelson against the danger of allowing a serial killer to escape.
“I’ll allow you to come with me as long as you understand that I’m the sheriff, which means I’m the one in charge.” He at last gave in to the inevitable.
Rylan shrugged. He didn’t give a shit about his ego. Not when Jaci’s life hung in the balance.
“Whatever makes you happy.”
“Tell me where he is,” Mike ordered.
Rylan pointed across the road. “There.”
Mike scowled. “Don’t screw with me, Cooper.”
Rylan made a sound of impatience. “Nelson set up a corporation to purchase that land.” His waved his hand toward the trees. “He has two hundred acres and a cabin.”
“Shit.” Mike snatched his hat off his head and slapped it against his leg. “We’ve had a dozen different farms around here being sold to outsiders who rent out the land to hunters. I never thought to check out who was behind the investment.”
Rylan grimaced. He sympathized with the sheriff’s frustration. He was working through his own share of blame.
He’d known the bastard had to be keeping a close watch on Jaci. How else could Nelson have found out about the security cameras he’d installed? Hell, Rylan had even noticed shadows moving in the trees.
He should have listened to his instincts.
Maybe then Jaci would be home where she belonged and not in the hands of a madman.
“We both should have taken better care of Jaci,” he admitted, turning to head up the trail, his gun in his hand.
He’d gone only a few feet when Mike was once again reaching out to grab his arm.
“Look.”
It took a second for Rylan to spot the trail camera that was strapped to the tree. Mike reached out to grab the device, unstrapping it from the trunk. He turned it over to reveal the insides had been removed and replaced with high-tech equipment. This wasn’t designed to snap pictures of passing wildlife. Instead it was a camera designed to send wireless video of Jaci’s house.
Rylan cursed, pointing to the footprints. Nelson had not only been watching Jaci on video, but he’d been standing in the precise spot. God only knew what he’d been doing.
Mike easily followed his dark thoughts.
“He probably stood right here while we loaded Anne’s body into the hearse,” he rasped.
Rylan shook his head. Later they could beat themselves up for having missed the clues. Right now they needed to find the cabin.
“There’s a trail through here,” he said, already moving around the tree.
Mike hurried to jump in front of him as they followed the narrow path up the hill.
“Let me go first.”
“Fine.” Rylan clenched his teeth. “But if you don’t shoot the bastard I will.”
Chapter Thirty
Jaci was frozen in pure terror.
Nelson’s body continued to press heavily against her, grinding her spine against the hard floor. His hand moved to wrap around her throat.
But it was his eyes that made her heart screech to a petrified halt.
They were flat. Empty of all emotion.
“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised,” he at last said, his voice soft. Lethal. “Women always prove to be a disappointment.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. Would Payton have enough sense to go to the nearest house and use the phone to call the sheriff?
Or would she simply find someplace to hide, leaving Jaci to face Nelson on her own?
“I’m not going to disappoint you, Nelson.” She tried to force her still lips to curve into a smile. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
His thumb pressed against the frantic pulse at the base of her neck.
“I’d hoped we were.” His gaze lowered to the neckline of her shirt, which had been tugged down to reveal the upper curve of her breasts. “And so much more.”
Jaci struggled not to shudder as she felt the hard thrust of his arousal against her thigh.
Oh God. Was he planning to rape her?
“I’m not like you.” She lifted her hands, smoothing them over his chest. “As much as I hate Payton, I can’t bear the thought of violence.”
“Violence?” His lips twisted with annoyance. “Is it violent to shake the chaff from the wheat? How can the beauty in the world be exposed if I don’t get rid of the trash?”
She studied his lean face. Did he truly believe that he was doing the world a service? Or were these just words he used to excuse his evil?
Not that it mattered.
He killed without regret. He’d squash her like a bug if he decided she was unworthy of his respect.
“Tell me about your plans,” she desperately urged.
His hand swept downward, grabbing her breast in a rough grip.
“I wanted us to go away together,” he said, squeezing her flesh with enough pressure to make her wince. “To travel the world.”
She hid her grimace. “That sounds perfect.”
Anger flared through his eyes, his fingers deliberately digging into the softness of her breast. He wanted her to feel pain.
“Yes, it did.”
“Did?”
He glared down at her. “I can’t trust you, my love.”
Pretending to enjoy his disgusting touch, she ran her hands over his shoulders.
“Yes. Yes, you can,” she assured him. Inwardly she was wondering how long Payton had been gone. It felt like a lifetime, but it probably had been mere minutes. “Tell me where we’re going to travel first. Paris? I’ve always wanted to go there.”
He shook his head, heaving a sad sigh. “I put you on a pedestal, my love. My own private muse.”
“I’m sorry,” she breathed. “I’m just a woman.”
“Yes.” Again his emotions did a quicksilver change. He pushed himself up until he was straddling her thighs. Grabbing his glasses, he tossed them aside. His hair was tangled and his face flushed with desire. “Just a woman. Maybe it’s better this way.” His hands traced down the curve of her waist, gripping the bottom of her shirt. “I can purge you from my system.”
Panic detonated inside her as he tried to yank her shirt up her body. No. She couldn’t lie there and let him rape her.
She had to fight.
Pounding her fists against his chest, she tried to wriggle from between his knees.
“Nelson, you promised you wouldn’t hurt me,” she gasped.
Excitement glowed in his eyes. Her struggles were only ramping up his lust.
“A little pain with the pleasure is a good thing.” He ripped off her shirt, his gaze latching onto her lacy bra. “Let me teach you.”
She continued to slam her fists against his chest, arching up in a desperate effort to get her knee in a position to hit him at his most vulnerable spot.
“No, please.”
He ignored her entreaty. Or perhaps he was just too far gone in his madness to hear her.
His hands cupped her breasts, his breath rasping between his parted lips.
“I wanted to take my time. I’ve dreamed of this moment for so long.” His expression twisted with a flare of fury. “But eventually that bitch will reach town and tell them we’re here.”
“Please, Nelson.” Her heels skidded against the slick floor as she continued to try and escape. “There’s still time for us to get away.”
“It’s too late. Too late.”
His head lowered and Jaci thought he intended to kiss her. She sharply turned her head to the side, feeling his lips brush the skin of her upper breast. Then, without warning, his teeth sank into her flesh.
Jaci screamed.
Charging up the hill at a speed that made his legs burn, Rylan nearly ran into the back of Mike as he came to a sharp halt.
“What the hell?” he snapped in frustration.
“I hear someone,” Mike whispered.
Together they moved off the path, silently hiding in the shadows as the sound of footsteps crashing through the undergrowth echoed through the air. Whoever was coming was making no attempt to sneak around.
Lifting his gun, Rylan pointed it in the direction of the noise, his finger on the trigger.
He was ready to shoot at the first sight of Nelson Bradley.
Then he caught the shimmer of blond hair just seconds before Payton burst out of the trees and onto the pathway.
The young woman was stark naked and clearly terrified as she ran for her life.
Rylan heard Mike suck in a shattered breath before he was rushing forward to wrap the woman in his arms.
“Payton,” the sheriff choked out, awkwardly shrugging out of his Windbreaker to wrap it around her shivering body.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God,” she repeated over and over, her teeth chattering.
Rylan cautiously moved out of the shadows, his gun still raised as he remained on full alert. For all they knew this could be a clever trap.
“Shh,” Mike was saying, his hands smoothing back Payton’s tangled hair. “You’re safe.”
“It’s Nelson,” she babbled, tears streaking down her face. “He’s crazy.”
“We know,” Mike said.
She struggled to speak through her sobs. “He has Jaci.”
Rylan sharply glanced in her direction. “Is she hurt?”
“Not yet.” She abruptly buried her f
ace against Mike’s chest, her words barely audible. “She sacrificed herself to save me. And I left her there.”
Rylan bit back a curse. It wasn’t Payton’s fault that Jaci had more courage than sense. But when he got his hands on the stubborn female, he fully intended to . . .
Well, he wasn’t sure what he intended to do beyond kissing her silly. But he wanted her to understand she wasn’t allowed to take any more risks with her life.
Not ever.
“It’s okay, Payton,” Mike said, his voice surprisingly tender. “We’re going to get her.”
Rylan wasn’t nearly so concerned with the young woman’s distress. She’d abandoned Jaci to save herself. Now she could damned well do whatever necessary to help rescue her sister.
“Is Nelson armed?”
His sharp tone had the desired effect, and with a last sniff Payton lifted her head and wiped away her tears.
“I didn’t see a gun.”
Rylan nodded. “Where is he holding Jaci?”
Payton squared her shoulders, pointing up the pathway. “He has her in the bedroom of a cabin at the top of the hill.”
“What side of the cabin?” Rylan demanded. “North? East?”
She grimaced, waving her hand toward the right side of the trees. “This side.”
Rylan exchanged a glance with Mike.
“North,” Rylan said.
Mike grabbed Payton’s shoulders and gave her a gentle push down the pathway.
“I want you to go down to the road and wait for my deputies,” he told her. “They’ll need directions to the cabin.”
Surprisingly Payton hesitated, her expression troubled as she glanced over her shoulder at Rylan.
“You’ll save her?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
With a nod she hurried down the pathway, not seeming to notice her bare feet slipping on the mud.
Crossing the pathway, Rylan entered the trees where Payton had appeared. She’d been in a frantic flight to escape her captor. Which meant she’d taken the most direct route from the cabin.
“Rylan, wait,” Mike growled.
“Screw that.” Rylan shoved aside branches and kicked aside small stones that blocked his path.
Within a few minutes he at last reached the edge of the clearing.
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