Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
There was evidence from rumpled sheets and towels on the bathroom floor that the bastard had stayed in his place for a while. Everything was pulled from the drawers and closet. Other things were shredded or broken as if in a fit of rage, but nothing looked to be left behind from the killer.
With the condo cleared, Kai hurried toward the living room, where he found Dev walking toward the front door. He was shaking while trying to suck in deep breaths of fresh air.
“Who?” he whispered in a choked voice as Kai got him into the car. He loaded their bags in the trunk again and shut the door. After a call to a cleaner with instructions to deal with the bodies, pictures, and all the broken furniture, Kai jumped behind the wheel and roared out of the neighborhood.
“Did-did you recognize him?”
“Christopher McDonald. He was an informant on the last contract I took prior to yours.”
“Why? Why me? This doesn’t make any sense.” The trembling had stopped in his voice and he sounded more like he was consumed with frustrated rage.
“I…I wonder if it’s because you survived,” Kai said softly.
“Survived? What do you mean?”
Kai’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel until they throbbed and ached. He shouldn’t have been driving, but he had to put some distance between them and that nightmare.
“Kai?” Dev prodded when he didn’t speak right away.
“This person knows me. Knows the contracts I’ve taken. My victims. In all the years I’ve been doing this, you’re the only one I’ve failed to kill. You’re the only one who has survived after I took the contract. I’ve never failed before. Except you.”
Kai’s stomach twisted into knots. It was like death was angry with his failure and was now hounding their steps, determined to steal Dev away from him.
“Maybe,” Dev whispered. “But that wall. It was angry. Obsessed. It feels very personal to me.”
Kai couldn’t argue with that.
They were silent the rest of the way to the hotel. Dev immediately went into the bathroom. Kai could hear him getting sick. A few minutes later, the water turned on for the shower. He was tempted to get in with him, but he figured that Dev likely needed a little space. Kai caught up with phone calls to Justin and Gabriel. He should have taken some pictures of the mess with his phone, but he hadn’t thought of it. His brain had been occupied with thoughts of getting Dev out of there as quickly as possible.
When Dev left the bathroom, he looked drained and dazed. Kai showered as well and carefully climbed into bed, not sure if Dev wanted him there. The relief was enormous when Dev slid close and wrapped around Kai’s longer frame like a koala bear clinging to a tree. Kai held him tight. No one could steal Dev from him if he held him tight.
Chapter 13
The romance of their excursion fizzled a hell of a lot faster than Dev had expected. Not that he’d expected romance. Nor had he expected them to continue in their romantic bubble after seeing that horrific scene.
They didn’t talk much during the three-hour drive from Portland to Seattle. Dev was lost in his own thoughts about the kind of person who would kill three people for what seemed like no reason while fixating on him.
When he’d first spotted the pictures on the wall, his mind had zipped straight to Jake. He’d almost immediately told Kai that he wanted to grab Jake and take him straight to Colorado along with every weapon they could lay their hands on.
But the message in spray paint had been obvious. This asshole was interested only in Dev. Jake was safe with Justin and Gabriel.
That meant they needed to have this person located and stopped well before Jake finished camp in a week. There was no way he wanted his son anywhere around him if he was going to be the target of a killer. As much as he hated to think it, sending Jake to Colorado with Justin and Gabriel was a good backup plan if he and Kai hadn’t stopped this madman by the time Jake returned home.
Kai’s thoughts must have been traveling along the same path since the first word out of his mouth when he announced that the house was safe for Dev to enter was, “Pack.”
“I think you’re mistaken. I’m unpacking.”
“Don’t,” Kai snapped. “Unless it’s to move your clothes to a bigger bag. While you’re packing, I’m going to call Justin and Gabriel. They’re going to grab Jake and they’ll take the next flight to Colorado. We’ll be right behind them.”
For a moment, Dev could only stand there, his mouth hanging open in a kind of dumbfounded shock. They’d had one bad scare—okay, a really bad scare—and now Kai thought he could just sweep into Dev’s life, issuing commands left and right.