Dane actually smiled, and the sight chilled her to the bone. “Good. Let the bastard come.”
“I don’t want any more deaths on me!”
His gaze searched hers. “That’s what you need to stop believing. None of the deaths are on you. They are all on him. Every single one.”
But Katherine could only shake her head. “Tell that to Trent. If he’d never met me, he’d still be living.”
“Still think she’s working with Valentine?” the captain asked him.
Marcus Wayne didn’t take his gaze off the couple before him. There seemed to be genuine guilt in Katherine’s voice. Of course, sociopaths were often skilled at mimicking emotions.
Michael O’Rourke was certainly skilled in that area.
“Katherine Cole is a very complex woman.”
She’d pulled away from Dane. It was obvious from his expression that the detective hadn’t wanted to let her go.
Like Valentine, he seemed to be getting pulled in by Katherine. Valentine wanted to protect his Kat. It seemed the detective wanted the same thing.
“I’d like to see the detective’s personnel record,” Marcus said.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the captain stiffen. “Why the hell do you want that?”
“Because Katherine just told us that Valentine may target your detective. It only makes sense that I learn everything I can about him.” The words were partially true, but more, he wanted to understand why Katherine was drawn to Dane Black.
First Valentine, now Black. Both men were highly protective and, judging by what he was observing, possessive of her. Did the men share other traits?
Perhaps he could actually learn about Valentine by studying Black.
“Katherine, look, I need to—”
The door flew open. Mac stood there, his face tense. “Dane, I need you. Now.”
Katherine stepped forward immediately. “Has something happened?” Please, not another victim. Not another…
Mac’s gaze swept to her. He must have read her fear because he said, “It’s not another victim.”
Her shoulders sagged as relief hit her.
“Dane, now.”
Dane marched toward him. He bent his head near Mac’s, and Katherine strained to hear their whispers. She caught “…reporters…she’s talking to them now…”
Who was?
Dane swore and glanced back at Katherine. “Stay here, okay?”
She was tired of hiding. Hiding hadn’t done her any good. Valentine knew exactly where she was. “Who’s talking to the reporters?”
A muscle jerked along Dane’s jaw. “Please, stay here.”
Then he was gone. Leaving her, and no way was she just going to stand there. She couldn’t. Her body was vibrating with desperate energy, and every time she had even a second to think—
She saw Trent’s body.
Katherine hurried to the door, but Mac blocked her path. “You should stay here, ma’am.”
“Am I under arrest?”
Mac shook his head. “No.”
“Then I’m going with Dane.” She rushed past him and caught Dane just as he was leaving the bull pen. “Wait!” she called.
Dane turned and reached for her, but seemed to catch himself. His hands fisted. “I’ve got to go outside and do damage control. You need to stay in here. The vultures are circling, and I’m not giving them your blood.”
Everyone else had bled. Savannah. Amy. Trent.
Maybe it was her turn. “I’m coming with you, and unless you want to cuff me and toss me into a cell, then you can’t stop me.”
His jaw locked, but he turned and stormed away. No cuffs. No cell.
Every step she took after him made her feel stronger. The ice was falling away, crashing at her feet.
Valentine’s touch was still there, his whisper running through her ear.
But…
I won’t let you win.
Then Dane was heading outside. She could see the crowd of reporters. None of them were looking her way because they were too focused on someone else. Someone right in the middle of the throng.
Katherine hurried down the steps outside the PD, trying to catch up to Dane. Then she heard a familiar voice. A voice that halted her.
“I know I’ve put my professional career in jeopardy…”
The reporters shifted a bit, and Katherine was able to peer through the crowd. She could just see the top of Evelyn Knight’s blonde head, and she heard the woman say, “But I couldn’t stay quiet any longer. Sometimes there are things in this world—people—who are more important than a career.” She pulled in a breath and pointed at Katherine. “My colleague and friend, Dr. Trent Lancaster, was one of those people. Last night, he was brutally murdered by the Valentine Killer.”
The reporters began firing questions.
Raising her voice, Evelyn kept talking. “The police won’t tell you the truth. They don’t want you to know Valentine is here, killing in their city.”
“What. The. Fuck.” Dane’s snarl was lethal. Then he rushed toward Evelyn and the reporters.
Katherine didn’t move.
“Valentine is here because he followed the one woman he loves. Katelynn Crenshaw is living in New Orleans.”
“How do you know that?” A reporter’s yell carried over the frenzied questioning voices.
“I was treating her.” Evelyn’s stark confession.
“And this interview session is over.” Dane shoved away a handful of microphones. “Dr. Knight, you need to come with me now.”
“Detective Black knows the truth!” Evelyn yelled, her face flushing as she stared into the crowd of reporters. “He knows Katelynn is here. He knows—”
Dane caught her elbow in his hand. He ignored the reporters’ questions and began pushing Evelyn up the steps.
Evelyn’s gaze darted to the left and met Katherine’s.
“Where is Katelynn Crenshaw?” shouted a reporter.
A car braked near the front of the station. Katherine’s marshal jumped out, took in the scene in one wild glance, then started running toward her. Evelyn yanked her elbow from Dane’s grasp, turned back to face the reporters, and pointed at Katherine. “Katelynn Crenshaw is right here!”
At first there was only silence.
Then more questions erupted. Her instinct had always been to run. To hide. But now she had the perfect opportunity to say what she wanted to say. “Yes, I’m here.”
The reporters moved instantly, rushing to swarm around her. Their camera lenses locked on her. Their microphones were suddenly in her face.