Fear For Me: A Novel of the Bayou Butcher(83)

She turned her head toward him. He couldn’t see her clearly in the dark so he reached out and trailed his fingers across her cheek, trying to feel her emotions.

Her cheek was wet with a teardrop. The brittle mask wasn’t holding.

“In my closet. In the bottom of my closet, there’s an old jewelry box. My cross is in there. The cross just like Jenny’s. It’s stupid, I know, but I want it. I have to have it.”

He brought his mouth to hers. Kissed her lightly. “It’s not stupid.” She was breaking his heart.

“It’s all I have left of my family. Everyone’s gone.” Her breath blew lightly over him as she gave a ragged sigh. “I knew she was dead, I told myself, for years…” Her head shook. “But when we found her body, it was real. It was finally real. Jenny won’t ever come home again. I’m alone. They’re all gone, and I’m—”

He curled his hand around her chin and forced her to stare into his eyes. “I will never let you be alone.”

“Your life isn’t here. Your job takes you all across the country, and we’re—I don’t even know what we are.”

He kissed her once more. Harder. Deeper. “I’ll tell you what we are. We’re just f*cking starting, got me? You’re not alone, I won’t let you be alone. You have me.” You always had me. Even when he’d been gone. Miles away. She’d been in his head.

In the shell that passed for his heart.

There would be no more miles between them. No more pain for her. Everything was changing for him.

He reached for his weapon. Handed it to her and curled her fingers around it.

“What are you doing? Why are you giving me this?”

“The last time I left you outside alone, a f*cking killer took you from me.”

Not happening again.

“You keep the doors locked. You keep that gun loaded. I’ll go into the house, I’ll get your cross, and I’ll be right back.” He just needed to get the house keys from her. He’d be in and out in a flash and— “I’m going in with you.”

“Dammit, why?”

“Because I won’t hide from my own life, no matter how horrible it is.” She handed the gun back to him. “I can’t hide from it. I can’t. I can’t let what’s happened break me.”

“You don’t have to see what’s inside—” He stopped because those were the same words he’d given to her when they’d been back in the swamp.

But she had seen.

Lauren didn’t shy away from the darkness in life. She faced it, let it hurt her, but kept going.

He wanted to protect her, but Lauren wasn’t the type to let others fight her battles.

“Let’s go,” he told her instead of arguing any more.

She turned away from him. Reached for her door.

He climbed out slowly, holstering his weapon. Lauren’s nearest neighbors were at least an acre away, judging by the distance between their yards. The night air was hot and heavy as it pressed down on him.

His body tensed as his gaze swept the area. The houses down the street were dark. It was nearing eleven o’clock, and Lauren’s neighbors had obviously turned in.

The shadows around her home seemed to stretch and twist. He hurried to her side, his body on alert.

Lauren used her key to cut the yellow police tape. It fell away, fluttering toward the window on the right. Lauren’s fingers were shaking as she shoved the key into the lock. When the door opened, the dark cavern of the house awaited them.

Lauren didn’t cross the threshold.

I can get the necklace for you. He locked his teeth to hold the words back. Lauren felt like this was something she had to do.

“It’s just a house,” she whispered and stepped into the darkness.

He followed right behind her.

Just a house.

One heavy with the memory of death and pain.



She’d gone back. He’d figured she would, sooner or later. After her sister’s remains had been found, he’d known Lauren wouldn’t be able to stay away from the house much longer.

She’d kept her own case files on Jenny over the years. Kept a memory box of her sister’s belongings. With today’s discovery, Lauren would want those items more than ever before. She’d had to go back.

So very predictable.

And the marshal was by her side. Where else would the man be?

They were the reason the investigation had continued. The reason the dead were being pulled from their sleep. If it hadn’t been for Lauren, Jenny would still be exactly where she belonged.

Pulling her from the ground had been a crime, and now he’d be sure to put Lauren in the ground.

Lauren. He’d always wanted to be close to her. Being close to Lauren, it was like being close to Jenny. They had the same eyes.

He hadn’t planned to kill Lauren. Not originally. It had been nice having her there. Seeing her—it always brought his best memories back. It had taken awhile to get close to Lauren, but he’d been patient.

Jon had been the one to want Lauren’s pain. Jon had been so angry, so determined to make her suffer.

After prison, he’d figured that Jon deserved to enjoy some vengeance. And the two of them killing Lauren—maybe it would have been as good as that first time.