The woman didn’t act like a killer. There had been genuine shock and sorrow on her face when she’d learned of House’s death.
There were some reactions that couldn’t be faked, no matter how good the actress.
“I’ll go to Paradise Found and check her alibi,” Todd said, determination filling him. After he got a few hours of sleep, he’d head out and make absolutely certain her alibis held. But, right now, there wasn’t much time to spare. The uniforms had almost been salivating over Cara. If he didn’t hurry, she’d probably crook her finger and have one of them volunteering to give her a ride home.
And that outcome just wasn’t part of his plans for the few remaining hours before dawn.
“Uh, maybe you should let me check at Paradise,” Colin told him, and the hard edge had lessened in his voice. “You and Niol don’t exactly have a good track record.”
Niol was the annoying bastard who owned Paradise Found. The last time Todd had been near him, the guy had attacked him. Sort of. Todd still wasn’t exactly certain how he’d flown ten feet across the bar when he couldn’t actually remember Niol ever touching him.
No question, the man was weird as hell.
And he really was a bastard.
But Todd didn’t have time to waste talking about Niol then. “I’m going after her,” he muttered, and figured that was really all he needed to say to Colin.
His job was now very simple. Either he proved Cara’s innocence and got to looking for the real killer…or he proved the beautiful lady’s guilt.
He hurried from the station, her sweet scent still filling his nostrils and a helpless need tightening his gut.
Colin Gyth watched his partner disappear, shaking his head. This wasn’t going to end well. Not. At. All.
He thought about calling in the captain. Giving him a heads-up on the situation.
But then Colin dismissed the idea almost immediately. He didn’t know enough about Ms. Maloan to go to the captain, not yet.
And if her alibis checked out, well, then he might never have to tell Captain Danny McNeal that their suspect wasn’t human.
“Be careful,” he whispered the words too late, because Brooks was already gone. But his partner had no idea what hell a woman like Cara could wreak.
Luckily for Brooks, he did—and Colin wasn’t about to turn his back and let his partner go down in flames.
Todd caught Cara’s arm just as she started to climb down the narrow steps leading to the street.
She turned on him, her face furious, “Damn it, enough, just let—”
“I’m sorry.” The words seemed torn from him. Yet he was sorry. He’d been doing his job, but sometimes, well, sometimes he didn’t like the man he became when he was with suspects.
You have to be willing to fight dirty to take down the devil. His father’s words. He’d always hated the truth in those words.
“Ms. Maloan…” No, he didn’t like that. Too formal, and they weren’t going to be formal. No, they were going to be damn intimate. He knew it. “Cara, I was doing my job.”
The street in front of the precinct was deserted and slick from the light rain that had fallen during the night. The street-lights glared down on the area, sending pools of light shining onto the gleaming black surface of the road.
“You’re still doing your job,” she charged, pulling her arm free. Her hair was wild around her face and he wanted to touch it so badly that his fingers shook. “You’re just playing the good cop now, trying to gain my trust.”
She was right. He was still working the case, but there was more to it than that. More that he didn’t understand. “Let me take you home.”
Her glare would probably have frozen a lesser man. “I think I’d rather walk.”
Todd doubted that. “It’s at least twenty miles, Cara, and it’s not like you’d be going through the safest neighborhoods.”
She huffed out a breath. “Don’t expect me to believe you’re worried about me. I’m a killer, remember? I seduce men, then murder them. A walk on a seedy street should be nothing for me.”
Clamping down on his rising anger, Todd tightened his grip on her. “I was following the evidence,” he said, “and if I hadn’t brought you in for questioning, I wouldn’t be a good cop, now would I?”
Her jaw remained stubbornly set.
“Look, I understand that you’re angry—”
One golden brow lifted. “I don’t think ‘angry’ really covers my feelings here, Detective.”
“Fine. Furious. Pissed. Whatever. But the fact remains that you need a ride home”—he dug into his pocket with his left hand, pulled out his keys—“and I’ve got a car ready.”
Her gaze dropped to his keys. Her lips thinned. “Fine, but you’d better not ask me another damn question about the case during the ride, got it?”
Oh, yeah, he “got it.” Todd smiled. “Come on, my car’s around back.”
She stepped closer to him
He released his hold on her arm, and his hand rose, brushed lightly across her cheek. Damn, but the woman’s skin was soft.
Cara stilled.
“And my name’s Todd,” he said quietly because she hadn’t said his first name yet, and he wanted her to say it.
Wanted to hear the name fall from those kiss-me lips.
Her lips firmed. “Good for you, Todd.” Then she stepped around him and marched toward the parking lot, giving him one stellar view of her firm ass.
Todd swallowed, then sent up a fast and furious prayer that he wasn’t about to fall for a killer.
Because he had very definite plans to get close to Cara. He wanted her in his bed. Had from the beginning. But he wasn’t going to be stupid enough to let down his guard with her.
He’d get her to trust him, to reveal all her secrets.
And if he had to do so, he’d use those secrets.
He just hoped he wouldn’t have to hurt her.
Or that he wouldn’t find out that her perfect bedroom eyes belonged to a soulless killer.
The cops were letting her go.
From the shadows, the killer watched Cara climb into the black Vette. Saw the detective stare down at her a minute too long.
The bastard was already falling into her web. Just like all the other idiots.
The plan was working perfectly. The body count was growing and the cops were f**king clueless.
Humans were so blind. Never seeing the reality around them until it was too late.