Deadly Heat (Deadly #2)(70)

“He’s losing his objectivity because of you.”

She didn’t look away from Kenton. His jaw was locked tight, and his eyes were on her. Narrowed and sharp.

You’ll be as dead as Carter.

“I’m not too happy with him right now.” Because he’d hit too deep with his words.

“He’s scared because with you… it’s personal.”

Kenton rose and headed toward her.

“It’s hard enough when you don’t know the victims.” A whisper of something came and went in Ramirez’s voice. Something that sounded like pain. Her stare slid to him, but nothing showed in his eyes. But then, she hadn’t seen any emotions show at all in the agent’s eyes. He could tease, he could play, he could rile Kenton, but it was like all that was surface. Just actions he was supposed to perform in order to fit in.

“When it’s someone you care about…” One of his shoulders lifted in a faint shrug. “All f*cking bets are off.”

She swallowed.

“We’re done.” Kenton’s arm brushed against hers. “Monica wants us to meet her at the police station. She’s got some info for us about the other victims.”

Ramirez nodded. “I’ll meet you there.” Then he was gone, moving quickly through the tangle of bodies in the newsroom.

Kenton caught her hand. “We need to talk.”

In less than a minute, he’d found an empty office—Tom’s office, because his name was spelled out in gleaming gold lettering on the door. Kenton pushed her inside, slammed the door, and glared.

She glared right back. No way would she back down.

“I—I’m sorry.” His words sounded gruff, awkward. “About Carter, I didn’t mean—” He stepped forward, raised his hands, as if he’d touch her, but seemed to freeze. “He’s not getting to you.”

But Phoenix had already come calling once. “What about the other guy? Ramirez told me the witness—”

“The witness is safe. We’ve got him protected in an undisclosed location.” The faint lines around his mouth tightened. “Phoenix won’t get him.” He wrapped his hands around her arms. “Or you.”

He kissed her, pressing his lips hard against hers.

Hunger. Need. Lust. All there, always there.

But, more…

His body shuddered against hers. Lora’s hands came up and wrapped around his shoulders.

His tongue drove into her mouth. Her lips curled around it, sucking lightly, and he growled.

His mouth rose, a breath of space. “I just found you, I won’t lose you.”


What the f*ck?

Witness in Phoenix Fires, Police Hopeful of Arrest.

He stared at the newspaper headline, his body trembling. No, no, there couldn’t be any witness. He’d been too careful…

But he’d been careful before, at the building on LeRoy. He’d thought the scene was clear, but Larry had been there getting high and watching.

He’d taken care of Larry. So easy.

There couldn’t be any loose ends. No tangles. No ties.

No witnesses.

He stared down at his fingers as they curled around the white edges of the paper. His eyes lingered on the black ash beneath his nails. She was calling again.

Burn.

She called to him, more and more now. The beast was out of the cage. The fire—oh, she liked to tempt.

Sweet, sweet fire.

No, there could be no witnesses.

His hand reached for the phone beside him. He cleared his throat and dialed his contact. He’d been in this business for so long. The SSD might think they could keep the witness safe, but some information—ah, some information was really too easy to get.

It was all about knowing who to ask.





CHAPTER Fourteen


She was in Interrogation. Again. Lora drummed her fingers on the table and tried not to shift in her very uncomfortable seat.

“I need to ask you some questions, Lora.” Monica Davenport sat across from her, looking perfect again, while Lora reeked of smoke and wrinkles covered her clothes. Figured. Oh, well. “I want to figure out why our perp seems to be drawn to you.”

“You mean you want to know why he decided to set my house on fire last night?” Lora gave her a tight smile. “Yeah, let’s figure out that one.”

Kenton yanked back the seat next to her, and the chair legs squeaked as they scraped across the floor.

She and Kenton hadn’t talked much after the kiss. He’d pulled away, stared at her with eyes too intense, then hauled her down to the station.

And that no-talking bit was a good thing. Truly. Because Lora wasn’t sure what to say to him.

She wasn’t real sure what was happening between them anymore.

Sex. Yes. God, yes. But… more.

Anger, hunger, need, fear—everything was so tangled up in her mind.

“We found a broken match at the edge of your property last night,” Kenton said.

She blinked. “What? And you’re telling me this now?” Christ, this was big! “You think Phoenix left it and—”

“No DNA was recovered from the match,” Monica said, interrupting Lora’s words.

Disappointment caused Lora’s shoulders to sag. She caught the clench of Kenton’s jaw and knew he felt the same way she did.