Fear For Me: A Novel of the Bayou Butcher(89)

Lauren was still staring up at him, and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

So he kept talking.

“The way I feel about you isn’t…gentle.” How could he make her understand? He was screwing this up, but he had to tell her. Before anything else happened. Before another monster was at the door. “The way I feel about you—it’s wild and it’s dark. I want you with me all the time. I want your body, your heart. I want you to need me as much as I need you.”

It f*cking sounded like obsession, and that wasn’t what he wanted. He was trying to explain that it was more than just a dark need. He’d discovered it was more.

Anthony sucked in a deep breath. “I want you happy.” That was love, right? Only…I’d kill to make her happy. “You’re the dream I’ve had every night for the last five years. You’re the first thing in my head each morning. When I think about my future, I want it with you.” Anything, as long as it was with her.

“Why are you telling me this now?”

The door banged a few feet away. “Ross!” It was Matt’s voice. “I got the tech on the phone! We’ve got a hit!”

Why now?

Because if something happened, and he didn’t manage to survive the killer’s attack, he wanted her to understand how he felt about her. That it wasn’t just sex, wasn’t just the lust that would never be slaked.

Matt’s fist hit the door again. “Ross!”

“Because you’re the person who matters to me. The only woman I’ve loved, and no matter what else happens, you need to know that.” He wasn’t asking her to love him back, but he wanted her to.

So badly.

He stepped away. Summoned his control once more.

And headed for the door.

“You won’t leave me behind.”

Never again.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw she’d grabbed the gun.

“I’m not afraid of what waits in that swamp.”

He knew she was, but she was still ready to face it anyway.

How could he not love her?

He yanked open the door. Matt was there, glaring at him. His fist was still up, probably because he’d been ready to pound through the wood.

“If you’re finished making out—”

Matt’s words ended in a gasp. Anthony had grabbed the guy and shoved him back. “I just crawled out of a f*cking fire, dodged bullets, and was left to die.” His breath was ragged. “Don’t push, not now, and sure as hell not about her.”

Matt’s eyes widened as he hurriedly straightened his shirt. “Ah, like that, is it?”

Anthony’s hands fisted. “Yeah, it’s like that.”

Lauren crept up behind him.

Matt gave what was as close to a smile as possible. “That would explain some things…”

Anthony growled.

The whisper of a smile faded. “We got two satellite hits on Hawthorne’s phone. His first call was made about two hours ago.” He cocked his head as he delivered his news. “From a location right outside of Lauren’s house.”

It was him.

“He turned the phone off after that, but it came back on again about five minutes ago, when he made a call to our friendly neighborhood detective.”

“Paul,” Lauren whispered.

“Where was Wesley when he made the call?”

A rough sigh slipped from Matt. “It’s hard as shit for the techs to get a location out in that swamp, right? It’s not exactly easy to—”

“Where?” Matt wouldn’t be talking to him unless he knew a pretty damn close approximation.

“From what the techs could tell it looked like the guy was calling from a spot near Judge Hamilton’s place. Figures that Hamilton’s family would have built the cabin in the one location where the cell service was pristine.”

Hamilton’s place.

“I tried to contact Voyt after we made the connections on the calls.” Matt’s stare dipped to Lauren. “But he isn’t answering his phone.”

What the hell?

Jim came out of his room, heading toward them with determined steps. The guy was armed. Ready to go.

They all were.

Three marshals. One DA.

One killer.

He’d take those odds.

But he’d also stack the deck. Lauren always has to be safe.

He yanked out his phone and had Cadence on the line within seconds. “I think you’re gonna want to take a little drive to the swamp.”



The noise from the police station almost drowned out Anthony’s words. Cadence turned away from the bull pen, putting her hand over her left ear so she could hear him better.

“We got a hit on Hawthorne…” Anthony was telling her. “He just used his cell phone out at Judge Hamilton’s cabin.”

Her heart was beating too fast. She caught Kyle’s stare and inclined her head. The police chief had gone into the captain’s office. They’d just spent ten minutes trying to tear apart her profile. When they hadn’t succeeded, they’d retreated for a little powwow. They could retreat and come back to attack all they wanted.

I know my job.

“He fits your profile,” Anthony said. “His vehicle was just spotted at Lauren’s house.”