Keep Me Safe (Slow Burn #1)(36)

“I’ll be here, Ramie,” he murmured. “I’m not going anywhere. But I need you to promise me something.”

“What?” she asked, her eyes never leaving his face.

“I don’t really know how to say what I’m thinking because I don’t truly understand how your powers work, but if it gets bad, promise me you’ll pull back. Don’t stay there with him. Come back to me.”

She sucked in a breath. “I’ll try.”

He didn’t like how unconfident she sounded. How uncertain. And how afraid. Her voice trembled, her lips quivering slightly. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing nervously at the tender flesh.

He thumbed her lip from her teeth and soothed the ravaged skin. Then he leaned in and brushed a kiss over her mouth.

“I’ll be here the entire time.”

Ramie closed her eyes, relief settling over her features. She leaned toward him, resting her forehead against his. He framed her face with his palms and then moved his lips up to press another kiss over her brow.

For several minutes, they sat that way, their breaths mingling and mixing. He stroked a hand down her hair, soothing her or perhaps himself.

“What the hell is going on?”

Caleb turned to see Quinn standing in the doorway to the living room, Beau right behind, coming to stand next to him. They were both wearing frowns and Beau’s gaze darted between Caleb and Ramie. His frown deepened as though he sensed the heavy undercurrent in the room.

“Caleb?” Beau queried. “I just left Tori’s room. She’s upset. You should go up and talk to her.”

Caleb felt Ramie stiffen next to him, and he cursed under his breath. Beau and Quinn both didn’t want Ramie here. Not when it upset Tori so badly. But there was no way in hell he was leaving her to shoulder her burden alone. Especially not when she was going back into the mind of a victim and a killer.

Eliza stood, crossing her arms as she stepped between Ramie and Caleb’s brothers as if shielding her from their disapproval.

“HPD is coming in,” Dane interrupted as he glanced down at his phone. “You’ll need to let them past security.”

Ramie seemed to make herself even smaller next to Caleb.

“What the hell is the Houston police doing here?” Quinn asked. “We aren’t in the city limits here.”

“Ramie is helping them,” Caleb said evenly. “Let them through.”

Beau’s gaze narrowed and he studied Ramie in silence, finally allowing his gaze to drift back to Caleb. “If it’s so damn hard on her, then why is she agreeing to do it again?”

Caleb could see Ramie’s nostrils flare from the corner of his eye. Her fingers curled into tight fists and she stared down at the floor, so quiet he couldn’t even hear her breathe.

Finally she raised her head up and Eliza stepped to the side as Ramie stared his brothers down.

“I guess you’ll be the judge of how hard it is on me,” she said evenly.

“I’ll get the door,” Quinn said, stepping back.

“You need to back off, Beau. You and Quinn both,” Caleb said, anger bristling over him. “Tori isn’t the only victim here.”

“That’s strange. I’m pretty sure Ramie was nowhere near the place where Tori was held captive. Maybe you’ve forgotten your priorities but Quinn and I haven’t,” Beau said in an equally angry tone.

“Stop it, both of you,” Eliza snapped. “She’s not a piece of raw meat for two dogs to fight over. And Beau, Tori isn’t the only woman who’s suffered. There are a hell of a lot of others out there, and Ramie is seeking justice for all of them. Your sister included.”

Ramie sent Eliza a look of gratitude. Her jaw was clenched tightly, and she refused to even look at Caleb. Damn it. Before Caleb could respond or try to smooth things over with Ramie, Quinn returned to the living room, two men on his heels.

Ramie went pale, her eyes closing. Her hands trembled in her lap and Caleb slid his fingers down her wrist to curl around one fist.

“You aren’t alone this time, Ramie,” he assured her.

EIGHTEEN

RAMIE’S palms became damp, and sweat formed on her upper lip. She sucked air in like a guppy out of water, her chest tight, each breath like fire through her lungs.

She couldn’t believe she was willingly putting herself through this again. When she’d sworn not to. She felt like a circus freak show, put on display and expected to perform.

At the very least, it would go down her way. No one else was going to call the shots.

Her jaw was clenched so tightly that her teeth ached. She barely managed to nod as the two detectives introduced themselves. Caleb was impatient and in no mood to prolong the matter. He swiped at his hair and gripped the back of his neck as he listened to the men explain the phone call they’d received from the man stalking Ramie.

She tuned out the voices. Sinister laughter echoed through her mind and she wasn’t sure if she imagined it or if he was amusing himself at her expense.

When she realized that evidently everyone expected her to channel the killer right there in the living room while they watched, she shook her head. One of the detectives held out a small handbag, waiting for her to take it. She refused, staring at it like it was a snake. She knew the second she touched it, she’d be pulled into the abyss and this time she wasn’t sure if she’d return.