Page 1 of Risk Assessment
PROLOGUE
The house in Sunnyside Gardens looked jaunty compared to its attached twin. The flower boxes on the front windows and the potted plants on the front step made him smile as he walked by. She always took such good care of her little house.
He nodded to a jogger and her designer dog—a labradoodle he thought—as he rounded the corner. Such a delightful evening. The scent of late-season summer roses filled the air. He walked down until he was parallel with the lane that ran the along back of her house. He glanced around but the jogger was long gone. The sidewalk and the neighborhood had gone quiet.
He hurried up the lane and through her back fence, careful to close the gate quietly so the miniature schnauzer that lived next door wouldn’t bark. He moved swiftly across her little patch of grass and climbed the stairs. Within seconds the security system light turned green the way he knew it would. The system was perfect. The day was perfect.
He slid inside and closed the door. Breathing in her scent; something citrus with a hint of wildflowers, filled him with hope. Soon she would be his. He allowed himself a moment of triumph as he leaned on the inside of the back door.
He’d done it again.
He smiled as he crept soundlessly into the kitchen. The small light that came on as he opened the fridge didn’t bother him. He frowned at the way the contents were arranged. The yogurt was out of order; something that would normally annoy him, but today, he wouldn’t get upset. There was no point. If he was a patient teacher, she would learn eventually. He rearranged it in alphabetical order, the banana on top.
Satisfied, he closed the fridge door and scanned his surroundings. He could picture her here in this small kitchen, cooking meals for one, dicing vegetables, making her salad. He ran his hand lovingly along the counter.
Soon, he promised himself. Soon he would be able to watch her as she cooked for both of them. He moved a dirty knife from the left side of the sink to the right, careful to avoid slicing his glove.
His excitement grew as he made his way to her bedroom. His palms were damp with anticipation. He entered and walked directly over to her dresser, eased open one drawer. The smell of lavender wafted up from the sachet she kept with her underwear.
He ran the lacy bits of fabric through his fingers. He desperately wanted to take off his gloves, but he made do by rubbing a pink thong across his cheek. The satiny feel of lace and silk affected his body, his cock twitching and swelling. His breath quickened. He buried his nose in the bit of cotton that went between her legs, thinking he could smell her there.
The bulge strained against his pants. He jerked the panties away from his face. He had to stop. Making a mess here wouldn’t be prudent. Reluctantly he arranged the panties back in the drawer exactly as he’d found them. Then he stepped over to the bed.
He put his backpack on the floor and lay down, placing his head dead center in the pillow. Looking up at the ceiling, he smiled again. She would be thinking of him tonight when she crawled into this bed.
She would know he was with her, thinking of her, too.
Leaving the bedroom, he went to the living room where he stopped in front of a vase filled with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. She bought a fresh one every week. He picked up his backpack and withdrew the rose he’d brought, unwrapped it, and added it to her arrangement before smelling the flowers. No bouquet was complete without a red rose. He’d come to think of it as one of their little games. Surely, she’d bought these in anticipation of him adding his flower.
He checked the picture on the mantel. Yes, still there in a place of honor. His heart soared every time he saw the picture. It was their crowning achievement as a couple.So far, he reminded himself. There was so much for to come for them. With her by his side, he was unstoppable.
He blew a kiss at the picture and then went to check the bathroom. He made atskingsound when he saw the toilet paper roll. She always had it turned the wrong way. The flap should be over, not under. His chest tightened, making it hard for him to breathe. She needed to try harder. His hands shook slightly as he changed it.
And then it dawned on him. Maybe this was another attempt to tease him. He laughed out loud.
She was a minx. His minx.
Good humor restored, he started humming as he removed a spray bottle from his backpack and spritzed the towels with a dash of his signature rose scent. Much better. These were little things, but they were important. He would teach her the right way—the proper way to do everything, once they were together.
He walked to the back door and stepped outside. After closing the door, he turned the key in the lock behind him. Before he walked away, he looked up at the video camera she’d hung in the corner and winked. Not that she would see it. He’d erase the feed as soon as he was back in the car, but it was his little joke. His special gift to himself.
He reached out and stroked her door. "Soon, my love," he murmured. "Soon we'll be together. It's almost time." He slipped off the back porch and crossed the little backyard. He checked the coast was clear and slid through the back gate, disappearing down the alley.
CHAPTER ONE
Raleigh Ross mumbled a string of curses as she juggled the bags of groceries, shifting them from one hip to the other. She fumbled with her keys and then turned the knob. The door gave and she jolted into her kitchen, catching her shoulder painfully on the doorjamb and then bouncing off the fridge.
She set her groceries on the counter next to the sink. Shaking out her aching arms, she chastised herself for being so silly. It was broad daylight. Nothing was going to happen to her now. She could have made two trips and been perfectly safe.
Glancing down at the counter, her heart stopped.
The knife.
This couldnotbe happening again.
She tried to take a deep breath, but her lungs refused to cooperate. They were as frozen as the rest of her. She bit her lip. Was this a nightmare? It had to be. She’d been so damn careful.
She couldn’t stop staring at her favorite knife. It had a black handle and a long, sharp blade. She’d used it this morning to cut up some vegetables for lunch. But now it was… She bit her cheek and tasted blood. No dream. This was reality, and the knife wason the wrong side of the sink. The blade was hanging over the edge. On the right. She always put her dirty dishes on the left.
