Page 20 of Marked

“If you can’t give me immunity, then trash my case. Whatever you’ve got on me, alter the evidence. Skew the search. I really don’t give a damn how you do it, but get the cops off my ass.”

Her eyes grew small. “I’d be aiding a criminal. Tampering with evidence. Several other crimes I can’t even think of right now.”

He lifted a shoulder. As much as he hated to see a child kidnapped or harmed, he wasn’t sticking his neck out for a cop who would turn him in when he was done helping her. If she had some dirt on her from helping him, odds were she’d be more inclined to turn a blind eye later.

She chewed her cheek, put down the cup, and got up to pace the room.

***

The guy was delusional. Possibly unglued.

She paced the concrete floor of the industrial-style condo. Once again, it struck her that Cole had the opportunity to harm her. Really, if he’d gone after Bella, why wouldn’t he admit it now? After all, she was here. Where he could get her. Which is what his goal would be. Kidnapping Bella and then offering to find her would be a waste of his energy... unless it was all a ploy to get her off his case.

She couldn’t possibly cover his tracks so he could continue his lucrative career of killing. But if she didn’t, she might never see Bella again.

There was only so much the police could do. And everything they’d attempt would be within working hours. That meant hours out of the day that Bella’s case would go untouched.

She stopped in her tracks and stared at him. The asshole still hadn’t put on a shirt. With him half-naked, she had a tantalizing view of his frame. Hard-earned muscle stacked his shoulders, chest, abdomen, and back. His upper body was adorned with more ink than she’d seen on three people put together.

She couldn’t ignore the fact that he might be telling the truth. A lot of criminals had an ax to grind with child harmers, hence why they often had to be protected in prison. So the fact that he was a murderer didn’t make him a child abuser, too.

“All right.” The concession made her throat clench.

What was she agreeing too? God.

She was doing everything in her power to find Bella, that’s what. And if that meant making a deal with Satan himself, so be it. “But I need you to work around the clock until she’s found.”

Cole stood. He towered over her—easily six foot three—but not a hint of a threat flashed in his eyes.

“I’ll start now. But you”—he nodded at the sofa—“sit. Eat. This probably won’t be easy, and you’ll need your strength.”

Her stomach revolted at the mention of food. She’d have more coffee.

“I need a picture of her.”

Nodding, she pulled up the photo Natalie had taken earlier that day.

He accepted her device and tapped the screen. “I’m putting in my phone number. Don’t bother trying to track it. It’s untraceable. And just so you know, any hint that you’ve crossed me and our deal is off.”

Her fingertips brushed his knuckles as she accepted her phone. “Okay.”

“No bullshit. No cops coming here. I’m invisible. Got it? If you so much as mention my name—”

“I got it,” she snapped.

He held out his hand. She stared at his large, waiting palm and slowly placed her hand inside. His fingers wrapped around her bones, gentle yet firm and oh, so warm.

“Deal?”

Her pulse kicked up. What was she doing?

She forced the little voice of reason out of her head and brought Bella’s face to the forefront of her mind. “Deal.”

CHAPTER 6

Last night, Cole had been ready to throttle the bitch in her own home just to keep her off his case. Now, he was helping her search for her missing kid.

That didn’t mean he could let his guard down. She was still a detective, had been gearing up for his arrest earlier that day. For all he knew she was sitting there collecting information, ready to put him behind bars as soon as she found her daughter.

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