But Riley knew she had a point. Once she went into the station and told her story, everything would change. If the captain believed her, especially after the incident last night, then she would be put in protective custody. If the captain didn’t believe her, then she would be watched day and night. Either way, Riley was certain he wouldn’t be the one allowed near her. “All right,” he relented. “I’ll go in and see the captain alone.”
She blew out a sigh of relief, then smiled. “I knew I could trust you.”
“Really?” he asked amused. “When did you come to that realization?”
“Just now.”
He pulled her into his arms. “You better.” His lips brushed tenderly across hers, sparking something within him. He held her closer, his mouth moving hungrily over hers. She responded by clinging to him as if this were the last time they’d be together. A twinge of panic tightened his gut. “You’ll be here when I get back?” He pulled back so he could read the truth in her eyes.
She touched her swollen lips, tempting him to pull her into his arms once more, and stared up at him with melting blue eyes. “Yes, I’ll be here,” she said softly.
And he believed her. He didn’t know why, but they seemed to have crossed some line and he believed that she wouldn’t lie to him, that she’d trust him to help her. He relaxed and gave her a gentle smile. “Good, pack only what you need. No reason to let anyone think you fled town. We’ll take my car.”
She nodded. He left to face the captain, hoping it wouldn’t be for the last time. An hour later, he returned from the station. The captain had been tough, but Riley held his ground and got through their meeting with his job intact, and without bringing up Tommy Marshall. Hopefully, he’d even managed to buy them the few days they needed to uncover whatever secrets were buried in the small town of Rosemont, Washington, before anyone back at the station discovered he’d absconded with their number one suspect.
With Felix tucked in his carry cage and a couple overnight bags stowed in the back, they piled into Riley’s Expedition and drove out of the Garden District. Devra leaned her head against the window and sighed. “I hope I make it back here someday.”
“You will,” Riley assured her. But as New Orleans fell farther and farther behind them, he couldn’t help wondering if he’d made the right decision. Was he following his gut, or was something else driving him? He wasn’t sure, but somewhere along the way he’d begun to care about this lost woman. Worse, he felt a need to protect her. As the sun caught a golden curl, enticing him to touch it, he turned away and hoped he wasn’t making the biggest mistake of his life.
Chapter Eleven
They drove all day and most of the night, each taking turns while the other napped. Around three in the morning, Devra pulled into a rest stop and slept because her vision had become too blurry to continue driving safely. Three hours later, Riley woke and started them on their journey again. By the end of the second day, they couldn’t take the long hours in the car and pulled into a motel parking lot for a much needed night of sleep. As soon as her head hit the pillow, Devra was out.
SHE WAS RUNNING again. Dwarfed by the large trees, she ran, pushing her way through the green leaves, wincing as the branches whipped across her face. Somewhere in the darkness behind her, she could hear his breathing echoing through the trees. Footsteps thumped against the forest floor.
Riley, help me! She turned, looking behind her, searching for the handsome face with the dark brown, smiling eyes. But he wasn’t there. The river loomed ahead of her. Panic squeezed her throat shut and she couldn’t make a sound, couldn’t call for help, couldn’t scream. She pushed harder, afraid to look back. Bony fingertips reached, grasping, pulling.
Riley!
SHE WOKE CHOKING, her eyes flying open, his name still on her lips. She felt the bed move and suddenly he was next to her, staring down at her with those dark brown eyes, and she could hardly breathe.
“Devra? What is it?” Riley asked.
The warm timbre of his voice reached out to stroke her tattered nerves. As she stared at him, the air whooshed into her lungs. She tried to shake herself loose of fear’s grip, but the weight of impending doom lingered. “Nothing. Just another dream.”
“Not of our…” He didn’t complete the sentence, but she knew who he meant.
“No, just a plain old everyday normal nightmare,” she lied, not wanting to discuss it.
He smiled and brushed the hair back from her face. She pushed the last vestiges of her dream away and tried not to think about how they were changing, and how they seemed to come more often. She closed her eyes and let his soft touch soothe away the darkness and wrap her in languid warmth.
“Riley,” she whispered. She opened her eyes and her gaze met his. Something shifted in his eyes, his breathing quickened and suddenly she was aware of strong arms next to her. Her breathing went shallow and she couldn’t help staring at his lips, couldn’t help wondering if he’d kiss her again.
He leaned closer, lying on the bed next to her. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Promise?” she asked, but the word caught on the lump in her throat and came out a whisper.
He wanted to kiss her. She could read the desire in the dark smoky haze of his gaze, but still he hesitated. She lifted her hand to his cheek and guided his lips to hers. She kissed him, softly, tentatively, gently touching his tongue with hers, caressing back and forth, exploring, tasting. As the kiss deepened, she pulled him down closer to her, entwining her arms around his neck and letting herself fall into him.
She loved feeling this close to him, feeling as though for the first time in her life someone was there for her, someone believed in her. She rested her hand on his chest and ran her fingers lightly across his skin, grazing her nails across his collarbone, as her mouth moved longingly over his.
She moaned softly as his lips moved down her neck to nibble at the base of her throat. “Riley,” she whispered and inhaled his scent—strong, masculine, protective. Would he protect her? Would he see her through this nightmare when the world began to darken? How far would he go?
Riley drew a quick breath as Devra brushed a soft touch across his chest. Her fingertips feathering his skin sent an electric jolt straight through him. She was beautiful with her long golden curls resting against her shoulders, her lips lush and sensuous, curved in a slight smile. He could see her passion, could feel it, and he had to have her.
He pulled her up against him, his lips falling hard across hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her breasts against his chest. He ran the tip of his tongue over the shell of her ear, then drew the little lobe into his mouth. She moaned. His breathing quickened at the deep throaty sound.
She was so sexy and vulnerable and…what? A mystery he couldn’t seem to wrap his mind around, a puzzle he just couldn’t solve. He lifted her hair and ran his tongue down the column of her throat to play in the grooves of her collarbone. She smelled faintly of vanilla with a touch of desire. She was sweet honey heaven and he couldn’t seem to get enough of her.
He lifted her nightshirt. She sat up, her eyes locking on his and helped him pull it over her head. His breath caught in his throat. She was so beautiful. She licked her lips with that sweet little tongue that sent his blood pressure skyrocketing, then moved her hands inside his waistband, undoing whatever control he had left of his senses. If he were making a mistake, it was one more in a long line of them he seemed to be making lately, but he just couldn’t help himself. He had to have her, and damn the consequences.
He yanked off his undershorts then pulled her close, loving the feel of her body, her skin against him. His hands moved freely, exploring every inch of her, loving all the little noises she made in response to his kisses, loving the way her body moved beneath his touch. He moved his hand over her most private place. She took a deep startled breath and clutched his shoulders, her nails scratching his slick skin.
“Riley,” she moaned.
“Are y
ou sure?” he asked.
She nodded and licked her lips. “Please?”
She didn’t need to ask him twice. As the heat within him approached the boiling point, he pulled her legs around his waist, buried his face in her neck, then eased himself inside her.
“Oh,” she gasped, then released a whimper of pleasure as he started to move.
Her warm velvety softness encased him. Nothing held him back. He plunged deep inside her. She hung tightly to his neck, pumping her hips, searching for that sweet release. “You feel so good,” he groaned. He felt his control slipping away. “Come on, darlin’. Take me home.”
He tilted his hips forward, trying to reach the spot that would send her over the edge. She was close; he could feel her teetering on the brink. He took a deep breath and hammered quick, hard thrusts. She stiffened, then cried out, her body shuddering beneath his grasp. Her muscles pulsating around him, she pulled him up, then plunged him down into his own release. When he resurfaced and regained his equilibrium, he took a deep breath, then let it out again. “Lord, have mercy.”
DEVRA HAD BEEN dreaming again, she could tell by her hammering heart and quickened breath, but this time she could remember none of it. She turned and watched Riley sleeping soundly. She felt special as the warmth of his touch still permeated her skin. For the first time in her life, she felt as though she wasn’t alone. And at the same time, she was never more afraid.
She closed her eyes and pushed back at the fear that her happiness was only temporary. That disaster was only a car ride away. Soon they’d be in Washington and everything would be different. She’d no longer be Devra Morgan. Instead she’d be Devra Miller—the crazy girl with a secret.
She couldn’t help wondering how her parents would react to their arrival. The last time she’d seen them, they’d left her at the institution. She’d been thirteen and so scared. They’d never sent for her. Not even during the long Christmas holidays. They’d just locked her up and forgotten her. How could she face them again after that?
She couldn’t. They didn’t deserve to see her happy, to know she’d gotten out of that horrible place and made a life for herself without them. Bitter tears filled her eyes. Who was she fooling? She missed them. She wanted them to accept her back into their lives, to be proud of her. But could she let them, even if they wanted to?
She climbed out of bed, entered the bathroom and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water rinse away the tears and ease the swelling in her eyes. It would be different this time. They wouldn’t reject her again, but even as she told herself the lie, she knew nothing had changed.
“Good morning, doll,” Riley said, and reached into the shower to give her a quick kiss.
Of course, things had changed, she thought as she looked into his handsome face. Now she had someone who believed in her, someone who was going to save her from the devil himself. “And that it is,” she said with a genuine smile.
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, feeling more contented than she’d ever thought possible, Devra went to the lobby to load up on muffins and fruit from the breakfast buffet for the drive. She’d left Riley singing in the shower and as happy as a lark. She knew she was setting herself up for a fall, but chose to ignore the warnings her subconscious kept sending her. She was determined to hang on to whatever happiness she could while she was still lucky enough to have it.
She took her time choosing from the substantial display of breakfast food and made herself a strong cup of tea. She wasn’t looking forward to another long day in the car, even if it was with Riley. With her hands full, she walked back toward the first-floor room, hoping Riley would open the door before she reached it.
“Riley,” she called softly as she approached. She glanced to her right into the parking lot to see if he’d started loading their bags into the car, then stopped, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Riley’s car…so much blood. Her breath caught in her throat, her legs weakened beneath her. The cardboard tray of tea, muffins and fruit slipped from her grasp and landed on the ground at her feet. A small sound escaped from her and grew in intensity.
Riley opened the motel door. She looked at him through tears swimming in her eyes, then looked back at his Expedition where something thick and red had been smeared all over his windshield. But as she looked again, she realized it wasn’t blood. It was berries…red raspberries.
“Devra, what is it?” Riley rushed toward her, then followed her gaze to the parking lot.
“He’s here, Riley. He’s found me again. How could he know we’re here?” She heard her voice rising with hysteria, but could do nothing to stop it.
“It’s okay,” Riley said softly and placed a gentle touch on her arm.
“No, it’s not okay. How can it be okay? He’s been watching us. Every step we’ve made, he’s been right there. He can’t be real, Riley. He can’t be human. He’s coming after me and there isn’t anything I can do about it.”
Riley seized her shoulders and shook her. “Stop it, Devra.”
“No. I can’t. I won’t. We have to get out of here, but there’s no where we can go.”
“You’re safe. You’re with me now. We’re going to stop him. Together.”
“Don’t you get it? We can’t stop him. He’s a phantom, a demon.”
He pulled her against him, holding her close. “Devra, he’s just a man.”
She buried her head in his chest. “There’s nowhere I can go, nowhere I can hide. He always finds me.”
“Exactly. And that’s why you’re not going to hide anymore.” He pulled her chin up until her eyes locked onto his. “Do you understand? You’re not running and you’re not hiding. You’re going to find out who he is and you’re going to take back the life that he stole from you. He’s not a devil or a demon. He’s just a man. A sick man. Get it?”
She nodded. But he was wrong. There was nothing they could do to stop him. She knew that deep down in her soul.
THE NEXT DAY, Devra sat quietly as they crossed the Columbia River into Washington State. Everything was damp and green, the air cool and crisp. She opened her window and breathed deep the pine-scented air as a flood of memories washed over her. Her heart ached as she thought about her parents and how much she missed them. Would they welcome her home?
She guided Riley off the main freeway and onto the back highways that meandered through the Cascade mountain range.
“Sure is beautiful up here,” Riley commented.
“When the sun shines, it’s the most beautiful spot on Earth.”
“Are you nervous about seeing your parents again?”
She wondered how much it showed. “A little, it’s been almost fifteen years.”
Confusion played across his face. “Don’t you mean ten? Fifteen would have made you too young.”
Devra stared out the window trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t have him asking more questions. But he was right, she’d been too young—too young to be forced out of her home. Even after everything they’d been through together, she wondered how he would feel about her once she’d finally worked up the nerve to tell him the truth. She had to. It was only a matter of time before he’d discover it on his own.
“What are your folks like?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Normal, small-town religious folks.”
“Who think their daughter is a killer?”
“Yeah,” she said sadly.
“Maybe they’ve gotten over it, changed their minds. Time does heal.” A dark shadow crossed his eyes.
Not always.
Two hours later, they pulled into a long gravel driveway sculpted out of the forest and curving around massive pines to end at the doorstep of a tiny clapboard house. Devra’s throat tightened as she stared at her childhood home. “It looks exactly the same.”
Her gaze followed the flight of a dragonfly as it flitted to and fro before disappearing within the green depths of the forest. She had forgotten how surreal and enchanted the forest was. How she’d loved to wande
r through it, following the fairy trails of butterflies as they zoomed through the thick green ferns.
Wild yellow daisies grew in abundance around the house. As she stared at them, her wonderment and excitement vanished under a heavy cloak of foreboding. He’d been here, her devil. He knew about her childhood field of daisies. Knew how she had liked to pick them to brighten the house. He wanted to remind her. “He wanted me to come home. That’s what the daisies were about. That’s why he didn’t kill me at your ranch.” The certain knowledge gripped her heart and squeezed. She’d played right into his deadly hands.
Riley looked confused. “But why?”
“Because it’s my turn,” she said softly. “The game is up.” Something nagged the back of her mind, something she couldn’t quite grasp.
“Devra?”
She turned to Riley, but he faded in and out of focus. Laughter rang in her mind—evil, tinny.
“Are you all right?”
The light pressure of his touch on her hand brought her back to the moment, back to him.
She nodded.
The screen door opened and her mother stepped onto the porch, her dark hair pulled severely back from her face, her dull gray dress accented by a frilly white apron. Devra sucked in a breath.
Her mother emitted a soft cry, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. Then she was running toward them. “Devy!” she called. “Papa, Devy’s home.”
Devra couldn’t move. She sat frozen, then the spell broke. Energy surged through her as she fumbled to open the door. She all but fell out of the truck and into her mother’s arms. “Mama!” she cried.
Her mother squeezed her tight, rocking her back and forth. “Here, let me have a look at you,” she said, drawing back. She smiled and patted down Devra’s hair. “Oh, this hair! It’s still as wild and troublesome as I remember.”
Devra smiled and hugged her mother again. “I’ve missed you, Mama.”
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