Page 73 of Unhinged

“I need to go.” Tears blurred her vision as she popped up from her seat. He would clearly never see her side of things.

Seething with a combination of anger and sadness, she stormed from the house and climbed into her car. She’d never been in love before, but she felt something for Luke. Whether it was lust or something more, she couldn’t quite be sure. When she was with Luke, she felt as if every nerve ending was on fire.

She was terrified to admit that she might actually be falling for him. She’d protected her heart for so long, hiding from reminders of her past. But Luke was different. It was amazing how well he understood her. He knew of her history, yet he didn’t pity her. Instead, he’d taken the bad memories and replaced them with something good. He’d shown her how to trust again, how to rely on someone other than herself.

Since their relationship had become physical, it had added a new dimension, a new depth. But that in itself raised the question, was he there for more than just the sex? Now that he’d gotten what he wanted, would he leave? Or worse, would he do as Andrew said and use that to control her? She didn’t think he would stoop to using her emotions against her, but then again, she’d never felt this way about anyone before. It worried her. Maybe it was too much, too soon.

She shook her head to clear the thought away. No, Luke had said he cared about her, and he would never lie about that...

Right?

CHAPTER

THIRTY-THREE

Luke scrubbed a hand over his face. He had been staring at the blueprints for so long that his eyes were starting to cross. He was missing something, and it was bothering him.

Maybe some fresh air and a change of scenery would do him good. He tended to think better as he moved anyway. He grabbed two manila folders from the corner of his desk and left the office, flicking the lights off as he went, then made his way down the hall to the bullpen. He tapped in the five-digit code, and the door beeped, granting him entrance.

Three heads swiveled his way, then just as quickly resumed what they were doing. He approached Taylor’s desk and propped a hip on the corner. “I need a favor.”

“What’s up?”

“I need you to run a couple names for me. See what you can pull on both. I want full history.” He turned to Aiden and handed him the dossiers on both Steve Iverson and Dr. Andrew Chandler.

“Anything in particular I need to look for?”

“That one”—he motioned to Iverson’s file—“is a disgruntled ex-patient of Hannah’s. See if there’s any history of violence, and put some priority on it if you don’t mind. When Hannah’s friend was killed years ago, the guy introduced himself as Tommy. See if there’s any possibility that Iverson could’ve been in the vicinity at the time of the murder.

“He may have used an alias, or he may have changed his name since then. Whoever broke into Hannah’s house left behind a hunting knife. Maybe you can do some checking to see if he’s purchased anything recently. According to the police report, the blade appears to be the same one used in the Henderson murder a couple weeks ago, too. There’s a good chance he may be tied into all this somehow.

“And him…” He flicked Chandler’s folder. “He’s an arrogant jerk who’s in love with my girlfriend. I need a reason to knock him down a couple pegs.”

Aiden nodded his understanding. “Fair enough.”

Luke couldn’t quite dispel his unease, and there was a heavy feeling in the air, almost tangible in its intensity. Something bad was going to happen—he could feel it. He had been at Vantage most of the day chasing leads, but he was still no closer to finding an answer. Hannah had called earlier to let him know she was going to see a friend, then would meet him back at her house.

With his stint at the health center almost complete, he wanted her to feel comfortable at both his place and hers in case he needed to be away from her. She had insisted she’d be fine staying home alone today, so he had reluctantly kissed her goodbye and come in to catch up on some work. Something had been nagging at him all day, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly was bothering him.

Hannah and he had discussed some of her concerns over the last few days, which seemed to have soothed some of her fears. He hesitated to come right out and tell her exactly how he felt—that she could be the one. His mom had called a few nights ago, and when he told her he was planning to bring his girlfriend home for a visit, the excitement in her voice had been palpable. There was only one reason he would bring a woman home.

He wasn’t quite sure Hannah was ready for so many Stones at once, but he had no doubt she’d pass any test they threw at her. She was naturally sweet and personable, and he knew his family would fall in love with her the second they met her.

As for him, well… he was almost there. He wanted to put all of this craziness behind them, toss the killer behind bars so they could move on with their lives in a more normal capacity. He could see himself beside her fifteen years down the road, a couple kids in tow, sipping coffee side-by-side each morning. Oh, he knew they’d have some ups and downs, but he was looking forward to every moment with her, good and bad.

Just the thought of being with her sent anticipation zinging through his veins. He glanced at Aiden. “I’m taking off. Shoot me what you find, if you would.”

“No problem.” Aiden didn’t bother to look away from the computer screen as his fingers flew across the keyboard.

Luke waved to Roman and Knox, who were reviewing something on the computer. He’d seen Jaxon around once or twice, but with everything going on with Hannah, he hadn’t had much of a chance to really talk with him. From what he’d heard, the other man had his hands full with a woman of his own.

Knox had been busy pulling strings and making connections, and inquiries and odd jobs were beginning to trickle in. Mason would be directing firearms qualifications for the local PD at the gun range downtown at the end of the month, and Roman had picked up the position working detail on the local singer Knox had originally offered Luke. He hadn’t asked how things were going, but from the perpetually agitated expression Roman wore, it probably wasn’t good.

Luke pushed open the door and squinted in the waning sunlight before slipping his sunglasses into place. He headed for his truck, then changed direction and strode to the corner market to grab a few things for dinner.

As he drove toward Hannah’s place, he contemplated the layout of her subdivision. It was well-designed, as far as security went, with an eight-foot metal fence surrounding the entire property. While the black metal was more decorative than daunting, it at least provided a sense of security. It would deter most people from trying to climb it, especially since the subdivision itself was surrounded on two sides by a natural preservation.

He turned onto the main thoroughfare and stopped at the gate—another added boon. The gates there were reinforced, and cameras were posted on each side to survey traffic. Although the gatehouse was patrolled, it would be easy enough for someone to slip by, especially in the dark. But they would have to either scale the fence or bypass the gate—or tag along on foot behind a vehicle entering the premises.