Page 102 of The Girls in the Snow

Butterflies tore through Nikki. She raised her head and skimmed her lips along his sharp jawline. She couldn’t see his eyes, but she felt the heat of his stare before his lips touched her forehead, and then her nose.

“Rory.”

His lips found hers, and she sighed into his mouth, melting against his strong chest. He traced the lines of her back before lifting her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and the emotional defenses she’d spent a lifetime creating shattered.

Rory’s mouth moved to her neck and found the spot beneath her ear. Nikki gasped and threaded her hands through his silky hair. He moaned softly, and she tilted his head back for another kiss. She clutched his face, desperate for him to make her forget all of the bad things she’d endured and the mistakes she’d made.

He was gentler than she deserved, slowly stripping off her clothes and touching every part of her with his lips and his mouth until she was completely at his mercy.

Nikki’s hands tangled in his hair, her back arched as he carried her upstairs and into his bed and her mouth opened in a silent cry.

She gave herself to him completely, her fingernails digging into his shoulders, his name louder and louder on her lips. Had she ever felt this content? She couldn’t even remember the last time she and Tyler had been together, and after the divorce, she convinced herself she was too busy with work and Lacey to care about anything else.

Forty-Six

Nikki’s hair was still damp when she finally made it to the hospital the next day. Thankfully she kept a change of clothes and necessary toiletries in the jeep for the all-nighters that usually cropped up during a major investigation. She could still feel Rory’s body entwined with hers, and she’d hated to leave so early in the morning, but she needed to get back to work. A BOLO had gone out for John as soon as he took Bailey, and every law enforcement agency in the tri-state area was looking for him. Miller had set up various checkpoints around Stillwater, and the state police had been called in to handle searching the vast north woods area. Lake Mille Lacs was part of the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians, and the tribal police had been called in to search the twenty-thousand-acre reservation.

She checked her texts again. Thankfully, Liam hadn’t blown up her phone while she’d been with Rory. He’d only called once to make sure she was all right. His text an hour ago said he had a warrant for John’s financials and would check in later.

The deputy posted outside Amy’s room said her parents had taken Bailey to get some rest, but they planned to return today. Amy had been in and out of consciousness, refusing any pain medication for her jaw.

Her eyes flashed open as soon as Nikki touched her arm. “You look better than yesterday.”

Amy grabbed her hand and squeezed, tears building in her eyes.

“You’re welcome.” Nikki took the empty seat next to the bed. “He’s a good little boy. And John never intended to hurt him.”

Amy groaned and pointed to her mouth.

“Don’t try to talk.” Nikki opened the notes app on her phone and handed it to her. “I’ll ask questions, you type the answers, unless you can just nod or shake your head for no.” Amy nodded. “Mindy Vance said John used to co-own the cabin with his friends Robert and Larry. Is that true?”

Amy nodded.

“Madison and Kaylee were put in the freezer in the storage shed behind the cabin. We found the nail Madison used to scratch those letters into her arm.”

Tears streamed down Amy’s face.

“I know it’s awful, but she was telling us something important, and it doesn’t make sense for it to refer to the cabin, even if she didn’t know John had bought the other two out. If she was coherent enough to scratch them into her arm, then she knew where she was when she was put into the freezer. Can you think of anyone Madison knew with the initial ‘P’?” Nikki still had no idea what the second initial was meant to be, but she was fairly confident the first one had to be a ‘P.’

Amy shook her head.

“I need to know where the pictures are, Amy. They’re evidence now.”

Amy’s mouth twitched.Told him I burned. But they’re in my safety deposit box. Key code is 2-79-54.

“Madison obviously got her toughness from you.”

That other girl? From the park? John said she wasn’t his type. That he never touched her.

“Do you believe him?”

All girls in pictures were fair skin. White. Change type?

Just like me, Nikki thought. “That’s a good question. When it comes to serial predators, the answer is usually no.”

Forty-Seven

The houses around Liberty Newman Island were just as expensive as the Bankses’, and the land value probably even higher given the popularity of the island. In high school, Liberty Newman Island had been more than make-out central. Nikki had attended more than one party on the island, and she and Annmarie had nearly started a massive fire when they’d snuck out here to smoke pot the summer after sophomore year.

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