Page 10 of Saved By the Lieutenant

“Do you want a shower?” I ask her. “I’ll make us some food. I doubt you’ve eaten much today. You need to keep your strength up.”

“I haven’t, my throat is sore, I doubt I’ll be able to swallow much.”

I nod in understanding. “I’ll make soup. Shower, change, get comfortable. If there’s anything you need, just let me know.”

“I’m fine,” she says, her voice harsher than it had been a moment ago. I know she's putting up walls to protect herself, but I can see the vulnerability in her eyes. I have to earn her trust back, step by step.

As she heads towards the bathroom to shower, I quickly make my way to the kitchen, my mind racing with thoughts of how to make things right with Amanda.

An hour later,I’m seething quietly as I watch her eat.

She's freshly showered, her makeup washed away, and she's dressed in comfortable pajamas. The bruises that cover her body are now exposed for me to see. Peter had not exaggerated when he described the severity of the damage. A dark circle blooms on her temple, surrounded by a sea of purplish-red bruising around her eyes and cheeks. But it's her neck that is most alarming, the deep finger-shaped marks standing out starkly against her pale skin.

I want to find the asshole that hurt her and kill them. I’ve never felt so much anger toward someone as I do right at this moment.

I push down the anger simmering inside me, knowing that now is not the time for my emotions to get the best of me. Amanda looks frail and tired, but there's a determination in her eyes that hasn't wavered despite everything she's been through. I have to admire her strength, even if it means facing the consequences of my past mistakes.

“Is the soup okay?” I ask, trying to keep my tone gentle. I don't want her to hear the anger that I’m feeling.

Amanda nods, her gaze fixed on the bowl in front of her. “It's good, thank you.”

We lapse into a tense silence, I know there's so much we need to address, so much history that needs to be unraveled and confronted. But for now, we focus on the case at hand, on keeping Amanda safe from the danger lurking in the shadows.

Once she’s finished eating, I clean up as she settles back into work. Once I’m finished, I sit down next to her, trying to keep my thoughts and emotions in check. “I need to ask you something, and I promise I'll do my best to answer every question you have for me. But first, I need to know if you trust me to keep you safe from this killer?”

Her eyes meet mine, and I can see the pain and mistrust there. “I need you to understand, Jake. I don't know if I cantrust you. You left me without a word, and now you're back, acting like nothing happened. But you know what happened. I can't forget.”

I nod. “I know,” I say quietly. “And I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness. But I promise you, I'm here now, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

She takes a deep breath and looks away, clearly weighing her words. “Okay,” she says finally. “For now, for the sake of catching this killer, we'll work together. But once this is over, you need to leave. I can't go back to where we were before. It's too painful.”

I try to keep the emotion I’m feeling from my face. Hearing her say that she wants me to leave hurts. “I understand,” I reply, my voice low and measured. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe, and to catch this killer. And I'll leave when you want me to, no questions asked. But right now, we need to focus on getting justice for the victims and making sure this monster doesn't hurt anyone else.”

Amanda nods, her eyes never leaving mine. “In the meantime, I need you to promise me one thing.”

“Anything, Amy,” I say, my heart thudding in my chest.

She takes a deep breath, her gaze intensifying. “I need you to be honest with me. To keep nothing from me, no matter how difficult or painful it may be. I won't forgive you for lying to me again.”

I can feel my throat tighten as I struggle to push down the lump that's forming. I know this is important to her.

“I promise,” I rasp. “Whatever I know, you will too.”

Her tense expression relaxes into one of relief and she lets out a deep sigh. She looks at me with gratitude in her eyes and gives a small smile. “Thank you,” she says softly.

“Tell me about the killings themselves. I know that he beats the women, strangles them, and murders them. Right?”

She nods. “Yes, he beats them. It’s a vicious assault. The women are beaten to an inch of their life.” She pauses, her throat tightening as she recalls the gruesome details. “He stabs them in their torso five times. All six victims have suffered the same fate— vicious beatings and severe strangulation, along with five stab wounds to their bodies.”

Christ, a monster doesn’t describe this animal enough. I don’t understand what spurs people to do things like that. What do they get out of hurting someone so deeply let alone killing them.

“All the victims have been women, all in their mid-twenties, green eyes, and brunette, all similar to you?”

“Yes,” Amanda whispers, her eyes darkening with horror. “What are you thinking, Jake?”

I take a deep breath and try to compose myself. “I'm not sure yet, but I know we need to catch him soon, before he strikes again.” I have no doubt in my mind that his next victim is Amanda, he has his sights set on her now and there’s no way in hell that he’ll let her slip through his fingers.

I’ll be damned if he gets her though. I’ll kill him before he gets close. This animal has already hurt her. I won’t allow him to kill her.

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