Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
He lets out a heavy sigh.
“How about you go home and get some rest. We’re not doing ourselves any favors by both being here with this little sleep. I’ll take care of the paperwork and let you know if anything new comes across my desk.”
He seems reluctant to leave. I can’t blame him, as I’d be the same way.
“I just really want to put this fucker behind bars. We need justice,” Lucas says, surprising me when he begins to pack his things.
“We’ll get them. We always do.” I grab his shoulder and nod reassuringly. “Make sure you say Hi to Heidi on the way out.”
His cheeks pinken, and I try not to smirk at how awkward he is. But he’s right. With the boss breathing down our necks and the number of bodies, we need to start getting answers.
Perhaps I haven’t been smoking out my little vixen enough. I want her to expose herself and, in the process, her family. I want to see that beautiful neck on the chopping block and be the executioner above her to bring down the axe. I want her pulse beneath my fingers beating only because I allow it. I’m certain she shares the same sentiment. That makes me smirk.
She won’t admit it, but these glass statues she designs are precious to her. I’m certain she started them to spook me. To prove that she can get into my home and express herself in a way that she thinks is unrecognizable. Unfortunately for her, everything she is, touches, and breathes into existence has her dark touch. The moment I saw the first piece, I knew it was hers. Instinct defies what I can see in this world, but I came to depend on it even before I started my career.
So, I’ll use her little gifts as a way to coax her out. She thought we were playing a game, and we are, but now it’s time I kick it up a notch.
Time is ticking, and soon, I’ll have to strike.
When I return to my apartment that evening, I’m not surprised to see a black box on my bed. I grumble my complaint that she got in yet again. I even had extra security added to the building across from me, but that was wiped out, too. Everything within a block radius of me was wiped.
Whoever is behind it is clever. I immediately thought of Will Walker. But because he’s friends with Hope’s father, I didn’t entertain the idea for long. I’m certain Alek Ivanov would’ve come to hand me my ass by now if he knew.
I pull out the new sculpture and look at the immaculate detail of the man with a slit throat, red bleeding through the wound. I don’t even know how someone can be this fucking talented and is able to put in so much detail. I walk over to my crime board and notice the angle of the body in the statue is the exact same as the photo taken by our forensics staff.
She’s copying from the crime scene photos that hit my desk; there’s no denying it. But how in the fuck is she getting these photos in the first place?
No problem, I’ll figure it out, and if Hope Ivanov has an ego and quirky creative flare, which I’m certain she does, I know the one thing that will offend her the most is by sending the statues back.
I drag out the box where I’ve carefully collected her pieces. I wrap them, ensuring they don’t crack or break on the way, and stick a label on the box, ready to send to the rightful owner. She can claim all she likes that she doesn’t know who made these or what they are, but her reaction to this will tell me plenty.
Hope might want to spook me with these, but I’m certain there’s a part of her that wants to be seen. I’ve been studying her these past few months, and every hitched breath, small lingering look, and bitter word that comes out of her perfect fucking lips have been for me to figure out.
Now, I’ll start using that knowledge against her.
I could hand deliver them myself, but showing up to Alek Ivanov’s house without a warrant will probably get me killed.
I’m guilty of being many things, but stupid isn’t one of them.
Then again, this might be one of the most reckless things I’ve done—handing back evidence—but I’m certain she won’t be able to help herself from throwing the ball back.
CHAPTER 26
Hope
“Do you think when someone is bad, like really bad, that a good person can accept them the way they are? Like romantically?” I ask my father. He picked me up from the airport, which is nice. It’s been a while since he’s done that. I’m so used to the drivers coming to collect me that when I see a familiar face, especially my parents, I can’t help but smile and feel like a big child again.