Page 36 of Raven's Curse
“Besides the fact I don’t believe in them, between the dog tags, the military-style attacks and the way the vics were posed, I?—”
“Posed?” Foster stepped closer. “What do you mean, posed?”
Greer glanced at Chase, arching a brow.
Chase blew out a harsh breath. “Rhett had IV tubing wrapped around him reminiscent of a rescue harness. And Stacey had the same kind of tubing wrapped around her neck, just like the mannequin in the utility room.”
Foster’s eyes widened. “There was a mannequin?”
Chase crossed his arms. “I wasn’t sure how much Greer wanted me to say.”
“Or maybe you didn’t want us to conclude that you were this asshole’s ultimate target?”
Greer stepped between them. “Easy. All we know for sure is that these two crimes are likely linked, and I’ve got a ton of work to do if I’m going to catch whoever’s behind this. You four focus on those missions. I’ve already got a call into my friend Nick Colter. He’s agreed to dig through the old JSOC files — see if anything pops up that gives him serious pause. But I think it’s safe to say, none of your crew goes anywhere alone. And that’s no longer a request.”
Foster turned to face her. “Which means you, too.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She twisted to tape the photos back on the board when the room swam for a moment, tilting beneath her feet. Chase grabbed her before she tripped into the wall, tugging her against his chest. Holding her tight as one hand slipped around her back, the other cupping her head.
Citrus and evergreen.
Just like in her Bronco that first night. The unmistakable aroma soothed her nerves. Quieted the voices she hadn’t been able to muzzle since they’d found Rhett.
Since everything had gone sideways.
He tsked, pulling her tighter when she thought about easing back. “When’s the last time you ate?”
She melted into his embrace, granting herself one moment before she finally pushed away, tucking some hair behind her ear. “This morning.”
Chase scoffed. “You mean that half-eaten bagel on your desk?”
“I ate…” She let the words fade when he motioned to the stale bagel peeking out from a piece of twisted brown paper.
“That’s what I thought.” He stared down at her, a hint of a genuine smile lifting his lips. “C’mon. We’ll head over to the café. Grab some soup or something before they close.”
She looked at him. “You’re not going to insist I go home? Sleep?”
“I know better. Though, we’ll have that discussion later. Food, first.”
A creak, followed by traffic noises in the distance. “Typical. Looks like we missed the good stuff.”
Greer chuckled as Jordan’s voice carried from the doorway, her amused tone impossible to miss. Greer glanced over her shoulder, putting a bit of space between her and Chase before shaking her head. “You’re late. I expected you both back ten minutes ago.”
Jordan shrugged. “Eli drives like an old man.”
Eli rolled his eyes. “Just because I didn’t tip the cruiser onto two wheels and manhandle it across some rickety old bridge doesn’t mean I drive slow.” Eli moved over to Bodie. “She’s nuts.”
“It wasn’t that old.” Jordan glanced at Kash, then back to her, and Greer knew there was more to the story.
Greer crossed her arms. “That’s not really why you were late, was it.”
Jordan shook her head. “We might have a problem. We stopped at the Lighthouse Café to get some coffee, and the owner, Josh Walton, came out and said that Anna Delgado didn’t show up for work today, and he’s concerned.”
Greer frowned. “Anna. She’s been working there about a year. Left an abusive relationship. Started fresh. Her ex is doing a dime in the state pen. Does she often blow off work?”
“Josh said she hasn’t missed a shift since she started.”
