Page 101 of Temptation
It would be a cold day in hell before she told him everything.
Chapter Twenty-Four
He didn’t like the jerk.
Preston didn’t like the way the FBI agent smirked at Sloane. Even if she hadn’t already told him not to trust Gage Emerick, Preston would have been suspicious of the guy. There was just something about the other man that set off his inner alarm bells.
One predator often knew when he’d just spotted another.
“Nice windows you have.” Gage admired the mountain view. “Bet you love wide open spaces, don’t you?” A glance over his shoulder at Preston. “Bet you need them.”
“Stop trying to analyze Preston,” Sloane snapped. Annoyance filled her tone. “He likes windows. He likes light. So do I. No crime in that. How about we move on to the perpetrator that we’re all after?”
No one in the den was sitting. Sloane stood close to Preston, her body vibrating with tension.
Gage had positioned himself near the windows, and the man who’d identified himself as Dominic Rush ambled near the bookshelves on the right.
Sloane seemed to like Dominic. Or at least, she liked him more than she did Gage Emerick. Preston did not know if that liking was good or bad.
My jealousy tells me that it’s bad. Very bad.
But…
“I am focused on the perpetrator. I believe the way to find him is by analyzing his target.” Gage’s stare didn’t waver from Preston. “You know that, Sloane. You know that we learn a great deal about perps by studying their victims. So how about you don’t pretend that you haven’t been analyzing Preston Byron for weeks. I know all about your pet project, remember?” Now he turned fully and walked toward Preston. “But do you know that you’re her new pet?”
Preston couldn’t help it. He smiled. A slow, amused smile.
His smile seemed to catch Gage off guard. “What in the hell?” Gage stopped his stalking walk.
Preston rolled one shoulder. “I prefer to think of myself as her attack dog. Someone comes at Sloane, and I rip them apart.” He bared his teeth. Not really a smile this time. “Done.”
Gage swallowed. “Is that what you’re planning to do to this perp? Rip him apart?”
I’m planning to bury him in the ground. But not like he was going to confess his intentions to a Fed. You didn’t tell a Fed you were going to murder someone.
That was just poor planning.
“Stop this.” Sloane jumped in front of Preston.
But he was taller than her, so Preston could see over her head and keep his eyes on Gage.
“Why?” Gage asked with a slow, measured blink. “Because you don’t want him to know that he’s just another test subject for you?” An exhale. “Then again, Lily married her last test subject, so who the hell knows what you have planned for Preston?”
Her head turned toward a watchful Dominic. “Who did you piss off to get saddled with him?”
Dominic laughed. “The line of people I have pissed off in this world is long and twisting.”
“Come on.” Sloane took a few, impatient steps toward Dominic. “Save us all some frustration. How about you just take over the Q and A? It would be great if someone actually asked relevant questions.” She looked down at her bare wrist, as if checking a watch that wasn’t there. “Preston and I have a killer to hunt down. So…speed this along? Pretty please?”
He wanted to see Debra. She’d been attacked? Preston was still having trouble wrapping his mind around that event. The bold bastard targeted the sheriff. Who did that?
“You’re the only survivor of the Last Breath Killer.” From Gage. Also, not a question, so Preston didn’t reply.
Dominic had not taken over the Q and A. At least, he hadn’t, yet.
“You…” Gage pointed at Sloane. “Found remains in the California wilderness not too long ago. Remains that included a bone with a bullet lodged into it. A bullet that we matched to a very old case. Turned out that bullet was fired by a police officer who’d been chasing the man who abducted Preston back when he was a teen.” His fingers curled and shifted to his side. Near his holster. “Now here you are, with Preston Byron. Nestled in his house. Fun fact, Sloane. I know how DNA works, too. When I found out that you’d been pulling some strings with the body identification team, I got curious.” A pause. Then, as if dropping a bombshell, “Mitchell Donahue.”
The FBI agent appeared smug.
