Page 55 of Temptation
Only he wasn’t, and the reason?
Sloane took Preston’s hand. He felt the impact of her touch surge through his entire body. He’d felt the same response to her in the coffin. The same response in his home. The same response here. He touched her, and he felt the connection in every cell of his body. He ached. He needed. He yearned.
Yet even as that happened, he could have sworn that some of the heavy tension left his shoulders. His body leaned toward her, as if he were physically pulled to her.
I will protect this woman. I will guard her.
And…
I will discover all of her secrets.
Because he knew that she held them. Just as he held tightly to his own secrets.
He parked the car out back, far enough away from the building that he knew no cameras would pick up the image of him jumping out of the red Honda.
He had to hurry. Had to be quick. No one could see him.
I caught their attention. Now they’ll come after me. That was exactly what he wanted. He wanted the attention of the sheriff. He wanted the attention of Preston Byron. He wanted Sloane Armstrong.
He wanted them all focused and hunting. They all needed to understand what he was doing. They needed to understand that he would not stop.
They needed to understand…
Before they all took their very last breaths.
Chapter Fourteen
A driver waited for them outside of the hospital. No reporters, so that was good. But a big, black Range Rover idled near the hospital’s rear exit. A Range Rover this time, not the sleek limo. The new vehicle made far more sense in the mountain town, so she was glad to see that particular ride. The driver stood at attention. A different driver this time. Big, wide, with buzzed hair and dark glasses. The man screamed bodyguard.
The bodyguard-slash-driver opened the back door for Sloane. She jumped in. Preston slid in beside her. While the driver headed for the front of the vehicle, Sloane turned her head toward Preston. “I need fresh clothes. I need makeup. I need a shower that is hot and long.” She probably should have reversed the order of that list. Started with the shower.
“I can make all of that happen.”
Excellent. Were they finally on the same page? “Then I want to go to the crime scene—the grave.” Because, technically, there were two crime scenes. The initial abduction site at his place and then the burial site in the woods. The site in the woods had been selected deliberately, and she wanted to have the chance to examine it fully, in the light. “You’ve got pull with the sheriff. You two go way back, so don’t BS with me about it. Tell her we want to look at the area. Closely.”
“Done.”
He was being way too agreeable. Should she be suspicious of the sudden turnaround? Yes, she should be. She was.
The driver was already back in the front seat.
“Get us to my home, Frankie,” Preston ordered.
“On it.” Frankie adjusted the rearview mirror. Seemed to study them for an instant. Then took off.
Preston opened the small box he held. A black box. “This is for you.”
Her head turned. He leaned close, and his fingers slid around her neck.
Sloane started to jerk back, but then she realized he was just fastening a necklace at the nape of her neck. His breath blew lightly against her cheek. His warm scent teased her nose. She almost turned toward him. Almost nuzzled the guy.
Then he pulled back. “Courtesy of your friend, Atlas.”
Her fingers traced the design of the lily. “This wasn’t meant for me.”
“No, but it will temporarily do the job until I can get you a new tracker.”
Interesting. “So you’re in the tracking business now, too?”
