Page 78 of Justice for Samara

She shrugged. “I have no idea. They’ll probably corner me and say the same kinds of things.”

“And what are you going to tell them?”

“I’m going to tell them that when I fell in love with you, I didn’t fall in love with your color. I just fell in love with the person you are.”

All of his anger dissipated, and Michael smiled. “And I feel the same way about you.”

* * *

By the timethey got back to her place, the wind had kicked up and it had started to sprinkle rain. Michael took one look at the radar and said, “Pack a bag. Bathroom door or no bathroom door, you’re coming to my house. We arenotstaying in this trailer.”

They lay there on their sides, arms and legs entwined as he rocked into her, and she met him with her own thrusts. He wasn’t sure their lips had parted a single time. All he wanted was to kiss her, hold her, and be the man inside her, holding her heart in his hands. The thunder and lightning outside only heightened the experience, and at least twice when the sky lit up, he could’ve sworn the air was filled with electricity. The pounding rain seemed to balance the fury of the storm, its steady roar soothing and calming.

The storm raged on when they were finished, and he pulled her close to him, their arms around each other. He didn’t care that he was going soft inside her. All he cared about was that she was there with him and they were safe. He dozed a little, but she roused him when she unwrapped herself from him and made a trip to the bathroom. She was back in under two minutes, and they cuddled up again, the deluge outside filling the air with white noise.

He had no idea what time it was when the phone rang, and it took him a few seconds to even figure out what was happening. He grabbed it and groaned: Carter. “Yeah, boss.”

“Is Samara with you?”

“Yep.”

“Can you put me on speaker?”

“Sure.” She’d sat up and was rubbing her eyes. “Okay. You’re on speaker.”

“We’ve got a situation here, and I’m more than a little worried. Samara, is MalloryBledsoe one of the women you just reinterviewed? Out on Valdemont Circle?”

“Yes, sir. She is.”

“She’s dead.”

He could feel Samara tense beside him. “What? Dead?”

“Yeah. Husband came home from his shift in the guardhouse at the HVAC factory in Clarksville and found her.”

“COD?” Samara asked, and Michael’s heart started to slam against his ribs.

“Shot through the back of the head execution-style, wrists and ankles bound, face down on the floor. I have a feeling if the slug made a through-and-through, it’ll be embedded in the floor.”

“Has she been moved?” Samara asked.

“No. I haven’t let anybody touch anything. They’ve been making pictures, and I called the coroner. He’s going to want you here before he moves her.”

“I would hope so.”

“And we need to talk about this. I don’t see this as random, although it might be.”

Michael shook his head even though Carter couldn’t see him. “I don’t see it as random either.”

“Okay. We’re on the same page. Hustle up and get here. We’ve already sent the husband to the hospital because he was having chest pains. You’ll want to talk to him too.”

Samara was already up and rummaging around for her clothes. “Roger that, sir. I’ll be in the car and on the road as fast as I can get dressed.”

“Okay. And Michael?”

“Yes, sir?”

“I don’t want her alone.”

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