Page 12 of The Sinners Touch

He gave her that cocky grin she used to adore. “Well, that would have been an interesting conversation, don’t you think?”

Could she hit him? Would they arrest her? Maybe she could claim temporary insanity? Anything to wipe that smug look off his face.

“Now, before you go and get all indignant…”

“Indignant?” The word came out softly, and it made his expression morph into wariness. “I’m well past indignant, Kincaid. I’m so far gone, they won’t find all the pieces when I dispose of the body.”

“Now,moye sokrovishche, I think you need to calm down.”

“What the hell does that mean?” One would think she’d have picked up more Russian during her time with him. But she hadn’t. Only that one phrase. She remembered it because it had meant so much to her.

He smirked. “I’ll tell you one of these days.”

“You’re still the same smug bastard you always were.”

He only grinned wider and started walking toward her, which made her back up until she hit the chest of drawers on the opposite wall. He stopped barely an inch from her. The heat radiating off his body caused her pale skin to flush a deep pink, and her stomach fluttered.Traitor, she thought as her body began to respond to his nearness.

“Look at me, Angel.”

She shook her head and kept it down. He did not need to see the blush currently blistering her cheeks. His fingers found her chin and tipped it up. Those devil eyes of his were serious. There was no mirth left in them.

“I am still the same smug bastard I always was, but I’m the smug bastard who’s going to keep you safe.”

“I didn’t ask for your protection.”

“But you have it. I owe Peter that much.”

“Leave my brother out of this.”

He studied her silently but then said the one thing that truly shattered her. “Then I owe our son this much.”

A single tear leaked out at the words that tumbled from his lips, but before she could say anything, a loud knock sounded at the door. He bent and brushed his lips across her forehead before leaving her standing there, much as he left her sobbing in the hospital.

Kade opened the door to find Bailey and several members of the forensic department behind him. He stepped aside so they could enter then pointed them in the direction of the bedroom. They’d gotten here faster than he’d expected. “Where’s Miss Brown?”

“I have two uniforms sitting on her. They drove her home as I was leaving. I gave them specific instructions that one of them was to stay inside the apartment with her. Especially after this. Are you sure it’s him?”

“Who else could it be?” Kade looked around, trying to see anything out of place, but he didn’t know the apartment. Only Angel could tell them that.

“Ex-boyfriend? Stalker? Anyone except our serial killer. He couldn’t have had time to figure out where she lives and break in.”

“Angel?” Kade called, thinking Bailey had a point. It could be an ex of hers, or even a current boyfriend. Maybe she’d forgottena date they’d planned? Blind rage colored his vision. She’d better not have a current boyfriend. They were still married, dammit. Whether she wanted to be or not. Even if he’d forgotten.

When she walked into the living room, her spine was straight as a board, her head up, and her eyes spitting mad. Despite that, he saw the hurt underneath all that bravado. It was enough to temper his reaction to thoughts of any new man. He’d dealt her a low blow, and he knew it.

Bailey eyeballed him with open curiosity. He knew the detective had questions about the whole wife bombshell, but that would have to wait. “Bailey has some questions for you.”

“Let’s sit…”

“No.” Kade cut him off. “I want forensics to go over everything in case the bastard touched anything anywhere. No mucking up the crime scene more than we already have.”

“It might not be a crime scene.”

“What?” Angel looked from one to the other. “What do you mean? Someone was in here.”

“Yes, Miss Lemoraux…”

“Mrs. Kincaid,” Kade interjected just to rile Angel up.

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