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All right. He snapped the cuffs around Preston s wrists, but kept the majority of his weight on the
man as he finally looked up at Eva. She had a decent gash in the side of her neck. Wasn t deep enough
to be life-threatening, but she was bleeding down the front of her soaked T-shirt. Her chest heaved,
her entire body trembled, but she still managed to hold the gun steady.
She noticed him checking her over and her eyes softened. I m okay, Cam.
Yeah. His strong, capable Eva of course she was okay. Or at least she would be once she got that
wound treated. He drummed up a smile. Nice moves. Recognized that leg trick.
You should. I ve taken you down with it enough.
Got it figured out now. You won t get me next time.
As sirens drew closer outside, she grinned at him. Wanna bet?
Chapter Twenty-six
Lark s missing.
Eva released a pent up breath and wrapped her cold hands around the coffee Cam set on the desk in
front of her. After giving her statement, she d taken a hot shower in the police department s locker
room and changed into a fresh pair of clothes she kept in her locker, but she still couldn t shake the
cold numbing her to the center of her being. The news only deepened the icy feeling, making her
shiver even though it wasn t completely unexpected. She d sent officers to Lark s home as soon as
they had Preston in custody. I was afraid of that.
Cam propped a hip on the edge of the desk, just like the old days when they had discussed cases
late into the night. The going theory is Preston killed her when she rejected him for Vaughn, but
there s no sign of blood in her apartment. No body. He won t say what he did with her.
I saw her at the hospital yesterday afternoon. And suddenly, that encounter made a whole lot
more sense. She d gone to see Vaughn, which explained why she was so confused when Eva spoke
about him as if he was Cam. Does Vaughn know?
Yeah. He scrubbed his face with both hands. He didn t take it well. He cared about her, more
than I ve seen him care about any of the women he s dated.
I had no idea they were even together until Preston told me. Except, he thought Vaughn was you.
Nobody knew. They kept it secret, but it started in Key West.
She nodded, so weighted down by exhaustion even that small action was a chore. And Preston lost
his mind when she dumped him for another Wilde.
Cam hesitated. He tried to cover by taking a drink of his own coffee, but she knew him, inside and
out. She glared at him. What?
Sighing, he set his mug aside. Preston didn t lose his mind in Key West. That s just when he
fixated on killing me and started using his political affiliations to track down people I d arrested who
held grudges. Except he made a big mistake by approaching Soup. Yeah, I arrested Soup once, and
we had a rocky start to our acquaintance, but he liked me, considered me a friend. Friendship is
something beyond Preston s understanding.
Eva nodded, knowing he spoke the truth. But if he was aiming to comfort her, he failed. She didn t
feel any freaking better about the whole thing. You re stalling. How do you know Preston didn t
snap in Key West?
He s doing a lot of talking in there. With a tilt of his head, Cam indicated the interrogation room,
where Miguel and another detective were interviewing Preston. It all still has to be substantiated,
but he s confessed to killing at least three women, starting as far back as his first girlfriend in high
school. He doesn t take rejection well.
She shivered harder. Oh, God, how could she have known him for five years, dated him for two,
and not once suspected&
Dammit, she should have seen something. As a cop, her job was to protect the innocent, and
instead, she d literally been in bed with one of the bad guys. Sickness roiled in her stomach, and she
feared she might throw up the little bit of coffee she d drank. She clamped her jaw shut and fought to
rein in all of her bodily reactions. She had to maintain control. She was too close to an emotional
cliff, and if she let go of the reins on her emotions, she d tremble over the edge.
Cam growled and stood, pulling her to her feet and tucking her against his chest. Goddamn you,
Eva. You don t have to be strong right now. Nobody fucking expects that of you except yourself. Let
go. Break down. Get it out of your system.
She balled her fists in his shirt, but didn t lift her face from the crook of his neck. If I start, I won t
stop.
Then don t. His hand caressed the back of her head, tangled in the strands of her hair, and pulled
gently until she had to meet his gaze. I m here for you. I ll always be here for you.
As she stared up into the serious blue of his eyes, she saw the truth of his words. From that first day
when he leaned across this very aisle and offered her a carrot stick, he d had her back, saved her ass,
and had just been there for her.
She could let go because Cam would always be there to catch her and set her back on her feet, no
matter how far she fell.
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she leaned into his strength and let the tears come.
&
Eva s tears destroyed him, but he held her through it, wishing he could absorb her pain, until she
finally cried herself into exhaustion. Then he bundled her into the Hummer and drove her home his
home, where she belonged. She moved like a zombie, silent, unblinking, and unconcerned of her
surroundings as he led her up the steps to his condo. Fearing she might collapse, he scooped her into
his arms the moment the door shut out the cold behind them. The fact she allowed it without protest
worried the hell outta him, and he double-timed it to his bedroom.
He pulled back the sheets and gently laid her on the mattress, unsurprised to see her already out
cold. Couldn t blame her. The night had packed a huge wallop both physical and emotional. At very
least, she needed a solid night s sleep.
He stripped out of his clothes and slid into bed beside her, tucked her in against his chest. She
sighed and nuzzled closer in her sleep. His muscles loosened, his heart beat easier, his lungs
expanded for what felt like the first time since walking into her house and seeing that knife held to her
throat.
She was safe. In his arms and safe. And fuck their friends-with-benefits arrangement with all its
rules, he was never letting her go again.
&
Eva woke nestled in bed with Cam s even, sleeping breaths rustling her hair. For several
disorientated moments, she couldn t remember how she end up here, but didn t care all that much
because his arms were warm around her, his heartbeat comforting under her ear.
Then, as the fuzziness of sleep cleared, memories of last night seeped back. She reached up and
traced the edge of the bandage on her neck. Yes, the whole thing had been real. Damn. She kind of
hoped it had all been a terrifying dream.
The movement woke Cam, and his arms tightened around her. She smiled into his neck. Your
shoulder s gotta be asleep by now.
Yup, he agreed but made no move to release her.
Why don t you let me go?
In a surge of movement, he changed positions and tucked her underneath him, his thighs trapping
hers. Never, he said and dipped his head.
His lips, gentle on hers, stirred up a hot need low in her belly. She threaded her fingers through his
hair and tugged him down, demanding more. He indulged her, treating her to lingering kisses that
stoked the fire burning within her.
Christ, she d missed him.
His big hand traced the outline of her body, found the edge of her shirt, and pushed it up, exposing
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