Page 36 of Ruthless Possession
I step closer, studying the faces. They're all different, yet all similar enough that I can see the pattern. The realization hits me with sudden, devastating clarity.
"He didn't choose me specifically," I say, my voice stronger now. "He chooses a type."
Trenton's hand settles on my shoulder. "What does that mean?"
"It means this isn't my fault." The words come out almost as a gasp. "He didn't start killing because of me. He was already hunting women who look like… like us."
I gesture at the screen, at the faces of women whose lives were cut short because they fit a profile. Because they had dark hair and blue eyes and happened to cross paths with a monster.
"You understand what this means?" Matthew asks quietly.
I nod, feeling a shift inside me. "He's been doing this for years. Charlie's mother, if she looked like this too…"
"Techy's already on it," Greyson confirms. "We're pulling everything we can on Harris's ex-wife."
I stare at the faces on the screen, these women who share my fate but never escaped it. The guilt that had been building since this morning begins to dissolve, replaced by a cold, hard anger.
"Find him," I say, my voice low and steady. "Find him before he takes another one."
The clubhouse erupts into action. Phones are pulled out, calls are made, strategies are formed. I watch as these dangerous men I've known since childhood mobilize with deadly efficiency.
"I need to see my dad," I tell Trenton. "He should be here soon."
We move to the entrance, where my father's truck is just pulling into the lot. He climbs out, his face drawn with worry. Beside him is a man I recognize, Ethan, his friend from the police department.
"Morgan," Dad says, pulling me into a hug. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," I assure him, though the words feel hollow. "We found something you should see."
Inside, Ethan studies Techy's findings with professional interest. "This is good work," he admits. "Better than our system could do in twice the time."
"Can you use it?" I ask, needing to know that this information will help.
Ethan nods. "I'll make sure it gets to the right people. The department is taking this seriously now."
"What about his daughter, Charlie?" The question hangs in the air.
Ethan's expression tightens. "We have an Amber alert out. Every officer in the state is looking for her."
But I hear what he doesn't say, that they're looking for a body as much as a living child.
"I want to help," I tell them. "I know what he's looking for. I know the type."
"No." Trenton's voice is firm. "It's too dangerous."
"Morgan—" Matthew begins.
I hold up my hand, silencing them both. "This isn't just about me anymore. There are twelve women out there who never came home. There's a little girl who might still be alive."
I turn to Ethan. "I can help. Please, let me help." I feel absolutely useless at the moment.
Ethan considers me for a long moment. "She might be right," he admits. "Having someone who understands his type could help."
"Absolutely not," Dad says. "I won't put my daughter in danger."
"Dad—"
"Morgan's right," Greyson interjects, surprising everyone. "But she stays with us. The club protects its own."
