Page 30 of Raven's Curse
Chase closed the distance by half. “I’m not trying to be…” He huffed out a rough breath. “I’ve lost two people in twenty-four hours on my watch. I can’t lose you to this asshole, too.”
“Dismissing the fact we don’t know for sure these two incidents are connected, yet, I’m not a regular civilian.”
“They’re connected. And there’s nothing regular about this bastard, either.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“I need you to be more than careful. I…” He fisted his hands, blew out another breath. “Go have your shower, just leave the door cracked open and lock the window. Just in case.”
“We’re on the fourth floor.”
“I could still access that window if I wanted to, as could my team.”
“Which suggests you’re the ones I should be more concerned about.” She turned and tossed, “I won’t be long,” over her shoulder.
She headed down the hall, opened her door and grabbed some clean clothes before heading for the bathroom. Water splashed in background as she readied the shower, then stepped inside, allowing the heat to ease the tension in her muscles. Calm the fluttering in her gut.
Talk about torture.
Looking back, she wasn’t sure how she’d lasted all this time without acting on her feelings. How she’d managed to focus on work and not how his voice sent shivers along her skin. Or how just standing in the same room with him affected her way of thinking. Bent it until she’d subconsciously aligned it with his.
He was right about one thing. The killings were connected. She just wasn’t sure whose attention the asshole wanted — hers or Chase’s. Maybe his entire team’s.
Answers she hoped to have today once she’d received more reports. Knew, for sure, what had killed Rhett.
Air ruffled the curtain, a cool swirl breezing over her skin. She frowned, inching toward the back when the curtain flung open partway, Chase’s arm stabbing into the open space, her phone grasped in his hand.
She screamed. Nearly tumbled onto her ass before she clutched the curtain and held it against her as she whipped her head out. “Jesus, Chase, what the hell?”
He furrowed his brow, glancing at the phone, then back to her. “Shirley keeps calling. I figured it was important.”
Greer allowed her head to tilt up. “Then, you could have just answered it and taken a message instead of scaring the crap out of me.”
He shifted his weight on his feet. “If you’d brought your damn gun into the bathroom with you, I wouldn’t have scared you.”
“If I’d brought my Glock, you’d have a gunshot wound instead of the welt I’m going to give you on the backside of your head once I’m out of here.”
“At least, you would’ve been able to defend yourself. What would you have done if I’d been our crazed killer?”
“I would have started with a kick to your nuts, followed by a few throat punches, which I’d be happy to demonstrate.” She glared when he arched an eyebrow. “Just call the station and put it on speaker.”
Shirley answered immediately. “Sheriff? Are you okay? I called three times.”
Greer stayed behind the curtain. “I was in the shower. What’s up, Shirley?”
The other woman sighed. “Sounds like you still are. And I’m sorry to call so early when I know you didn’t even get home until after four, but Dr. Pike called. He wants to talk to you, in person, at his office.”
Greer groaned. “By office I assume he means the autopsy room.”
“Afraid so. He says it can’t wait.”
“Right. Please call his office back and tell him I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“Will do. And Sheriff… try to remember to eat today.”
“Says the woman who should have gone home an hour ago.”
After she’d said goodbye, she nodded to Chase, and he ended the call, then crossed his arms. Looking at her as if he’d been vindicated.
