LOGIN"Not happening." His forehead pressed against hers, both of them breathing hard. "You're mine now. And I don't let go of what's mine.""Possessive bastard," she said, but there was no heat in it. Just relief and joy and love so overwhelming she didn't know what to do with it."Damn right I am." His mouth found hers again, softer this time but no less intense. "So I'm going to ask you again. Will you marry me? For real. We might catch a serial killer in the process, but that's not the reason. It's because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.""Yes." The word came out without hesitation. "Yes, I'll marry you.""Good." He kissed her again, deeper this time. "Now let's get you home so I can fuck my future wife properly... sorry, should have said make love to my future wife."They barely made it through her apartment door before Wyatt had her pressed against the wall, his mouth on hers, his hands everywhere."Bedroom," Lauren gasped between kisses. "Wyatt, the bedroom
"How?" She pulled back enough to look up at him, tears streaming down her face. The women Liam had killed and Michelle's father's death, all this had started because Michelle had said no. "How do we end it when he's killed six people and gotten away with it every time? When he's smart enough to have alibis and patient enough to wait for the perfect moment? When the police can't do anything until he actually hurts me, and the first time he hurts me will probably be the last time? Because his victims all seem to end up dead or missing. No one had connected the victims together before.""We don't be waiting for him to hurt you." Wyatt's voice went hard, that edge she'd heard when he talked about putting a bullet between Liam's eyes. "We make him come to us. Our terms and timeline. We control this, not him.""What does that mean?""It means we go on the offensive." His hands framed her face, forcing her to meet his eyes. "He kills women who reject him. Kills people who stop him from getti
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.Lauren felt the blood drain from her face. "What?""My guy pulled photos," Nate said quietly. "Michelle Matthews at sixteen. Before she had to leave New York. Before her father died. Lauren, you could be sisters. Same bone structure, same coloring, same... well, everything. The resemblance is uncanny.""Jesus Christ," Wyatt breathed, his arm tightening around Lauren's waist."I'm sending the photo with everything else," Nate continued. "But Lauren, I think you need to understand what this means. Liam's not just obsessed with you. You might be the woman he's been looking for his entire adult life. The one who got away, version 2.0."Lauren felt sick. Couldn't process. Michelle Matthews, the first girl Liam had stalked, the one whose father had died trying to protect her, looked like her?"That's why he won't let this go," Nate said. "That's why he is most likely stalking you if he has never done it before. We just don't know. You're not
Wyatt hit the button to answer, putting the phone on speaker as he set it on the shooting station counter. Lauren moved closer, her body still humming with adrenaline and arousal, but that faded quickly when she saw the grimness in Wyatt's expression."Talk to me," Wyatt said."Found it." Nate's voice was tight, controlled in that way that meant he was pissed off. "And it's worse than we thought."Lauren's stomach dropped. How could it be worse?"I'll start with what Officer Clark hinted at," Nate continued. "Michelle Matthews. Now Michelle Benson, married, living in San Diego. Works as a graphic designer. Hasn't been back to New York since 2016.""Clark mentioned looking at March or April 2016, what was that about did you find anything?" Wyatt said."Robert Matthews. Michelle's father. Single-vehicle collision, it was a wet night, went off a bridge six weeks after Michelle moved to California to live with her aunt." Nate paused. "Accident investigation found no evidence of tampering,
The photo shoot took exactly two hours, just as she was promised. Lauren moved through the different setups with the lead actor, moody lighting against exposed brick, softer shots with gauzy fabric, dramatic poses that the creative director guided her through with enthusiasm.She was good at this part. The performing. The becoming someone else for the camera. It was easier than being herself right now, easier than thinking about Liam sitting in that diner, planning God knew what.Wyatt never moved from his position against the wall. She could feel his eyes on her the entire time, tracking every movement, every person who came near her. When a male photographer's assistant got a little too close while adjusting a reflector, Wyatt shifted, and the guy immediately stepped back without even looking at him.It was like Wyatt radiated some kind of invisible warning that only other men could sense. Even the leading man had looked towards Wyatt a time or two."That's a wrap!" the creative dir
Lauren woke to find Wyatt already up, dressed in jeans and a black polo shirt, standing at her bedroom window with his phone pressed to his ear. He was listening, and he mustn't like what he was hearing because his body language screamed tension.She pushed herself upright, watching him. The early morning light filtering through the curtains caught the hard line of his jaw, the set of his shoulders, the way his hand rested near his hip where she was guessing his weapon was already holstered."Okay... got it." He ended the call, turned, and found her watching him. "Morning.""Morning." Her voice came out rough with sleep. "Everything okay?""Nate's team has eyes on Liam. He didn't go home last night. Stayed at some dive bar in Brooklyn until closing, then went to a twenty-four-hour diner. He's there now, just... sitting. Drinking coffee. Staring at his phone.""Planning something," Lauren said, ice sliding down her spine."Most likely." Wyatt crossed to the bed, sat on the edge. "But w
Honey arrived at the police station with Amanda. She took a deep breath, steadying herself for what lay ahead. The bruise on her face throbbed despite the medication she'd taken throughout the day."Before we go in," Amanda said, her voice uncharacteristically hesitant, "I need to tell you somethin
Thursday, 12th October, 7:32 AMHoney stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, carefully assessing her options. Last night, she'd slept restlessly despite the comfort of her friends' presence in the penthouse. The pain had kept her awake.The bruise on her cheek had darkened overnight, a vi
Friday, 13th October 8:25PMFriday had been mercifully uneventful for Honey. Somehow, she'd made it through the entire day without any encounters with Grayson. The only particularly interesting thing about her Friday was experiencing life without underwear, as Sir had commanded. She had complied, f
Honey sat in the back of the car as Amanda drove her back to the penthouse, she pulled out her new phone and stared at the screen, her. There was no point putting this off, she needed to know.The number she dialed wasn't saved. She'd memorized it from Riley's phone bill, when she'd been gathering







