by Dover, L. P.
Reed smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “Take it for what it’s worth.” He winked at me the second she turned her back and I snickered.
Faith pursed her lips and then smiled, staring back and forth at us curiously. “You two seem to be getting along quite nicely.”
Groaning, Reed pulled a biscuit out of the basket. “On that note, I’m going downstairs.” He met my gaze and nodded toward the hallway. “When you’re ready, we’ll get to work. I was going to pull up the press conference so we can watch it.” John had already given the conference per Robyn so I was curious as to what was all said. Was I ready to see my life put on display? No. But I had to know what we were dealing with.
I nodded. “Be there in a minute.”
He walked back toward the hallway and held up the biscuit. “Thanks for breakfast, Faith.”
Faith waved. “Anytime.”
Once he was gone and the sound of the basement door shut, Faith’s grin widened. “Grace told me you like to cook.”
I shrugged. “I’m a soup and homemade bread kind of girl.”
Her eyes lit up. “Well … if you’d like to give up some of your recipes, I’d love to have them for my restaurant that’s opening up in a few months. You can name the dishes anything you want.”
“That sounds amazing,” I said, totally excited about the offer. “I’ll be happy to jot down some of my recipes, but I don’t plan on being here that long. Reed and I have to find the killer soon.”
Faith nodded in understanding. “I know, and I have no doubt that you will. Reed’s the best at everything he does. When he says he’s going to do something, he does it. If it wasn’t for his help, I wouldn’t be here and neither would Grace.”
I could see the truth in her eyes. Grace had told me all the gory details of both hers and Faith’s stories. Never in my life would I have thought I’d befriend people who’d been through hell just as I had. I wasn’t alone. And it gave me hope that my situation would come to an end and life would move on — I needed that more than ever.
Faith blew out a sigh and walked over to the kitchen table. “I know you have a lot to do so I won’t keep you.” She reached into the basket and pulled out a wrapped plate filled with scrambled eggs, a plate of bacon, and the biscuits. “Grace already told you this, but if you need someone to talk to or hang out with, I’m always here.”
She reminded me of Amy which made me miss my best friend even more. Amy knew I had to go into protective custody, and it killed me not being able to tell her everything. She had no clue I was in Wyoming. “Thanks. I appreciate that. And thank you for breakfast.”
“No problem,” she said, waving down at the food. “It gave me an excuse to come see you.” She backed up toward the door and stopped, her grin wide. “By the way, do you happen to be single?” There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
“Yeah, why?” I replied.
She waved me off. “No reason. Just thought I’d ask. Enjoy breakfast.” And just like that, she was out the door and in her truck.
I tried to get Buttercup to come inside, but she looked at me and went back to lounging on the front porch. She loved being outdoors. “All right, I tried. I’ll let you back in later.” Huffing, she laid her head back down as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
I loaded the eggs, bacon, and biscuits back into the basket and grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and a couple of forks out of the silverware drawer before taking it all downstairs. When I walked into the media room, all of the TV screens on the wall were set to the local news station from back home. Since we were two hours behind them, everything had already happened. There were reporters and multiple camera crews there waiting to hear the big news. John was off to the side talking to the mayor. I could tell he was stressed and on edge, just like everyone else around him.
Reed glanced back at me and got up to take the basket. “You ready for this?”
I helped him pull all the food out and set it on the desk. “I have to be,” I answered as I unwrapped the food.
“What all did Faith have to say when I left?”
I shrugged. “Nothing much really. Grace had told her about how I love to cook so Faith said I could add some of my dishes to her restaurant menu if I wanted to.”
Reed smiled. “Your homemade soup would be pretty epic on there.”
His smile had a way of making everything inside of me tremble. “Thanks. I told her I would.” We sat down at the desk and I ate a bite of the eggs. “She also asked if I was single,” I said, gauging his reaction. “She’s not wanting to set me up with someone is she?”
Reed ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed. “I should’ve known.”
“Known what?”
He looked over at me. “Faith has been trying to play matchmaker for a couple of months now.”
I grabbed a piece of bacon and lifted it to my lips. “You don’t strike me as the type to need help in that department.”
The way his lips tilted back was sinfully sexy, proving my point entirely. “I don’t,” he replied with a bit of humor to his tone. “But she’s determined for me to bring a real date to her wedding.”
“Shouldn’t be hard then,” I told him, even though I hated the thought of him being with another woman. “All you have to do is go out there and be yourself.”
His focus went back to the screens. “Easier said than done. Not everyone will understand what I do. Plus, it has to be someone I can trust with my family’s secrets.” He peered back over to me. “Trust isn’t easy to come by.”
“True,” I agreed, “but you can trust me.”
He stared at me and it was so hard not to get lost in his emerald gaze. However, the moment was lost when I heard John’s voice saying my mother’s name. I jerked my attention to the screen and there was a picture of my mom. Eyes burning from unshed tears, I froze and stared at her.
Reed draped his arm over my shoulders and his warmth comforted me. I listened to John talk about my mother’s death and how he thinks the other murders are related. At the end, they put up pictures of the latest two victims, both of which did look exactly like me.
Reed squeezed my shoulder. “We’re going to find him, Kennedy. I promise.”
Closing my eyes, I let the tears fall down my cheeks. “I’m ready.” He let me go and I turned my body to face him. “Just tell me the plan.”
With a heavy sigh, he glanced back up at the screen. “In the mornings, we’ll search the satellite feeds for the killer. We should focus on one victim at a time to see if we can find someone matching the killer’s description.”
I nodded. “I can do that.”
“Then,” he continued, “we’ll do the physical stuff in the afternoons. I’ll teach you everything you need to know.” Shivers ran down my arms. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to be the same after things were all said and done. Reed moved closer, his eyes boring into mine. “This isn’t going to be easy. I’ll be pushing you way past your limits.”
“I know,” I replied, “I’m ready.”
More than ready.
Chapter Twelve
Reed
TWO WEEKS LATER
When I told Kennedy I was going to push her, I meant it. For two weeks, we’d trained nonstop. I was amazed at how far she’d come. She was strong and fast, but her level of determination bordered on obsession. That was the one thing that concerned me. Even Buttercup could sense something was wrong. She followed Kennedy around nonstop.
My phone beeped with the familiar alarm that someone was on my property. I clicked on the alert icon and it sent me straight to my hidden camera footage. Ian got out of his truck and headed for the front door. I texted him so he’d know I was out back. Instead of going through the door, he backed up and disappeared around the side of the house.
After finishing off my beer, I spread out on my lounge chair and grabbed another one from the cooler. I’d put several in it, knowing very well I was going to need them tonight. I could hear Ian’s fo
otsteps coming closer. One thing I loved about summer nights in Wyoming was that the days were warm, and the nights were cool. The stars were out in full force.
“Star gazing?” Ian joked.
I kept my eyes on the sky. “Yep.”
Ian sat down in the chair beside me. “Everything okay? You’ve been quiet the past few days. Haven’t heard much from you.” Blowing out a heavy breath, I sat up and faced him. Ian’s smile faded the second he met my gaze. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Where’s Kennedy?”
I nodded toward the house. “Taking a shower. Figured I’d come out here and think.”
Ian’s brows furrowed. “About what? The case? How’s it going?”
“Well,” I began, “we haven’t found the killer. The towns where Jessica and Lindy were killed are small. I’ve watched the satellite footage the nights they were murdered and all I can see is the guy disappearing through the woods behind their houses. There’s no car, nothing. I even tried searching for business cameras around where they worked so I could hack into them. Still, nothing.”
Ian huffed. “Damn, that sucks. What are you going to do now?”
Reaching into the cooler, I grabbed a beer and handed it to him. “The only victim that’s left is Ashley Burns. She’s the most recent homicide, and the one who was killed in Kennedy’s hometown. She worked at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. I’m hoping to get a glimpse of this fucker somewhere. I did a quick once over to see if I could find anything, but nothing in depth yet. There’s just too much data to process.”
Ian opened his bottle. “You’ll find him, brother. I have no doubt.” He took a swig of his beer. “Something tells me that’s not the only problem here though.”
He was right. Intuition within my family was strong. That was what made us good at what we did. I opened up another beer. “I’m worried about Kennedy,” I confided. “I’ve seen what revenge can do to a person, and it’s sucking her in. I don’t want her to lose herself.” Even when she talked to John and his wife on the phone the other morning, she’d put up a front to make it sound like everything was okay. Then, around me I could see what the lack of sleep and exhaustion was doing to her.
Sighing, Ian hung his head. “Trust me, I know. I’ve lived it.”
So have I. Everyone in the Circle of Justice experienced the allure of revenge. I had my fair share of kills under my belt, but there were others who were addicted to it. One of my friends and fellow FBI agent, Preston Hale, had one of the highest kill counts in the group. His sister was raped and murdered along with his mother on the same night. Their case was what started the Circle of Justice in the first place. My father was tired of criminals running free so he put together the group and it got approved by the government. When Preston’s time came, he joined. I never saw anyone so eaten up with revenge as him. He killed and killed, but it was never enough. He wanted them all gone, all of the criminals and that would never happen. Luckily, he found a way through the darkness when the man who murdered his family was brought to justice. Preston was the one who’d found him … and ended it.
There was one thing that bothered me about Kennedy. She wanted me to show her all the video feeds of the days surrounding her mother’s death. I didn’t want to cause her anymore stress. She was already hanging on by a thread. I didn’t want to tell her that I’ve already looked at the videos and I can’t identify the killer through them.
“What is it?” Ian wondered.
Closing my eyes, I ran a hand over my face and groaned. “Kennedy wants me to dig deeper into her mother’s case. I’ve already done it and came up with nothing. I could see the killer going in and out of the house, but his face was hidden.”
“Ah, I see,” Ian replied. “And you don’t want to give her the bad news?”
I shook my head. “I told her I’m still working on it. She’s already obsessed; I can see it in her eyes. I need to separate her from this for a while.”
Ian slapped a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, brother. Grace and Faith will help us on this one.” I had no doubt they could. They were relentless.
“All I need is for them to distract her while I work. Maybe Faith can drag her to the restaurant.”
Ian smiled. “Done. I’ll get Grace to tag along.” I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and I glanced over to see Kennedy in the living room, searching around the room while wrapping her wet hair into a bun, dressed in a pair of black gym shorts and an Appalachian State University sweatshirt. Buttercup stared at us through the patio door with her tongue hanging halfway out of her mouth.
“I think Kennedy’s looking for you,” Ian added.
I couldn’t help but stare at her. “One thing’s for sure, she’s definitely surprised me. Her shooting skills are impressive. Not to mention, she’s got a fierce right hook.” I rubbed my cheek and Ian burst out laughing, catching Kennedy’s attention. She looked over at Buttercup and then noticed us outside.
“Wish I could’ve seen that,” Ian said as he stood.
Kennedy walked out onto the patio, waving at Ian. “Hey,” she called out. Buttercup rushed out into the yard and ran around in circles like she always did when she got excited. I loved that dog.
Opening his arms, Ian pulled her into a hug. “Heard you beat up my brother. You deserve a hug.”
Kennedy giggled. “I didn’t mean to. I got a little carried away.”
Ian let her go, and then he focused on me. “Hate to run out so fast, but I gotta go. Keep me updated.”
“It was good seeing you,” Kennedy called out. Ian smiled at her once more before disappearing around the side of the house.
Peering up at the sky, Kennedy sat down on the lounge chair and leaned back. “The stars are amazing here. Don’t get me wrong, they were bright in Vermont, but not like this.”
Her mention of the stars shocked me. For the past two weeks, the only thing she wanted to talk about was the case. Guess I couldn’t blame her. I wanted to find the murderer just as much as she did.
“Want a beer?” I asked. I reached into the cooler and held one out to her.
Keeping her focus on the sky, she shook her head. “Not tonight. I want to stay focused.”
And there it was. I knew the talk about stars wasn’t going to last long. “So tell me,” I said, “besides soccer, tennis, and running, what all do you like to do? I don’t think we’ve talked much about ourselves the past two weeks.”
Brows furrowed, she turned her face my way. “I think you’re right. We haven’t, have we?” Her lips pursed. “I like to paint. I don’t think I told you that yet. At my house in Vermont, I painted a lot of the pictures, you might have seen them? The ones that were on the walls?”
I did notice them. They were mainly landscapes. My mom loved to paint, but I didn’t want to bring her up at the moment. “I saw,” I admitted. “The mountains here would make a nice picture. If you want to paint, I have plenty of supplies in the basement.” It was all my mother’s stuff. She was a big Bob Ross fan.
Kennedy shrugged. “If I had time, I would.”
“You do,” I told her.
Jaw clenched, she jerked her head my way. Her eyes blazed and I could hear the desperation in her voice. “No, I don’t. We have too much work to do. It’s been two weeks and we know nothing. The killer could be out there plotting his next attack.”
I knew that better than anyone. My job demanded patience. Without it, mistakes were inevitable. “I think it’s time you take a break, Kennedy. You’re letting the case consume you.”
She sat up, clenching her fists so tight her knuckles turned white. “What do you mean take a break? There’s no time for that.” Tears welled up in her eyes and I tried to reach for her, but she shot up out of the chair, crossing her arms over her chest.
Holding my hands in the air, I stood up slowly. “I’m still going to work on the case, Kennedy, but you need to slow down. I’ve seen this happen with others and I don’t want to see you go down that same destructive path. I’m sti
ll going to train you, but I think it’s time you leave the searching to me.”
She averted her gaze and I could feel the anger emanating from her. “Fine,” she snapped. “I’ll just do nothing.” Without another word, she stormed off with Buttercup charging up right behind her.
“That’s not what I’m saying,” I shouted after her.
The patio door slammed behind her and I watched her disappear down the hallway. If things continued the way they were, I’d have no choice but to make her stop completely. I just hope it wouldn’t come to that.
*
It was two in the morning when the sound of soft footsteps woke me from my sleep. Through the crack in my door, I watched Kennedy sneak out of her bedroom. Little did she know I was a light sleeper. After our argument, she stayed in her room for the rest of the night. I had a feeling things hadn’t hit rock bottom for her yet, but I knew it would come soon.
Slowly, I slid out of bed and moved over to the door to peek out. Kennedy crept down the hall, and quietly opened the basement door. I was impressed. Once the door shut behind her, I waited a few minutes before opening it back up. There was only one place she’d be going at this time of night. The media room.
Opening the door, it was pitch black in the basement. I made it down the stairs without a sound. The media room door was closed, but I could see the light from the screens reflecting off the floor. I stopped and listened to the sound of Kennedy typing away on one of my computers. There was no way she could get into the system without my passwords.
Carefully, I cracked the door so I could peek inside. However, I wasn’t expecting to see what I saw. Kennedy was in the system, typing a set of coordinates and a date into the search bars. Unfortunately, I recognized the coordinates, but not the date. All I knew was that she was going to look at her mother’s house. Mouth gaping, I stared at her in awe. How the hell did she get in? One thing was for certain … she was smart. The only thing I could figure was that she really paid attention to what I typed when I logged into the system every morning.