He chuckled and reached down. At least his hands were off of her.
When he came back, there was a small brush in his hand. It was pearl handled and had old-fashioned bristles. Laura felt every muscle in her body tense. She remembered what he could do with that feminine looking brush. He’d beaten her with something very similar. In between “sessions,” he had used it to brush her hair.
“You’ve made it impossible for me to continue, but I think you’ve freed me in some ways, too.” He reached over and started caressing her hair with the brush. His motions were languid as though he deeply enjoyed this part of his ritual. “My time with the FBI is done. I have a car waiting for me. I’ll make it to Mexico and on to some friends in South America. I have an appointment with a plastic surgeon. Thanks to my dearly departed wife, I have quite a bit saved up. She had a trust fund, you know.”
Just how long had Joe been killing? She’d written in her profile that there had to have been an inciting incident that started the killer on his path. “Your wife cheated on you.” Joe started. He stepped back, pulling the brush from her hair.
“Yes. I gave the bitch everything, and she preferred the gardener. She even got herself pregnant.”
That explained it.
“Marla was just like my mother. Dear mother left me with an alcoholic, abusive father because she needed to follow her heart. She also left me with my idiot brother. He came in handy, though.” He took a step back, the brush at his side. “Now, little rabbit, it’s time for some punishment. Do you know what the Marquis used to say? He said it is always by way of pain that we arrive at pleasure. He was right. Your pain is my pleasure.”
He snapped the brush back, and Laura cried out when she felt the sting along her skin.
She tugged at the ropes, but they wouldn’t come loose.
Another strike and she cried out again. Fire licked along her flesh.
“We’re going to have a fine time, you and I,” Joe said with a ghastly smile on his face. “And I have a note written out for those dolts you call lovers. They weren’t smart enough to find me, and now they’re going to lose you.”
“Think again.” Laura’s head came off the table at the sound of Rafe’s voice.
Rafe stood in the doorway that led from the kitchen to the dining room. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Her breath caught. There wasn’t a single thought that he could be hurt. He was here to save her. Everything would be fine now.
Joe shrank back. He dropped the brush, an almost bored look on his face. “I didn’t expect that.”
“I’m sure you didn’t. You never expected anyone to put it together,” Rafe replied.
A little smirk lit Joe’s face. “It took you long enough. Do you have any idea how much fun it’s been to watch you chase your tail?” Rafe ignored him. “Does he have a gun, bella?” Laura shook her head. “Not where he could get it before you could shoot.”
Joe shrugged as though he’d been caught in a little lie rather than exposed as a serial murderer. “Well, I suppose you’ll take me in now.”
Cam came in from the opposite direction, from the living room.
Both of her men carried guns leveled at Joe. “That would be the procedure.”
Cam looked down at her, his eyes seeming to take in every mark on her body.
“And you’re a good little boy, aren’t you? Both of you. I’m counting on that, you know. Let me tell you idiots how this is going to go. You’re going to take me in, but you’ll find most of the evidence is utterly tainted. Good luck pushing through a case where the lead investigator is also the suspect. You won’t have a shred of evidence that will hold up. I made sure of it. I’ll get out on a technicality, and you should know, I’ll come for her again.” He smiled. “Perhaps this will be a fun little game, too. I know I’m smarter than any judge.” Laura wanted to be sick. He really would. And he was right. All of the evidence was contaminated.
Joe reached a hand out for her. “You’re mine, little rabbit. Bars aren’t going to keep us apart. This game isn’t over until I hold your heart in my hands.”
“We’re not playing games, Joe,” Rafe said, his eyes cold.
He nodded at Cam and fired. Her men fired one shot a piece. Joe’s body staggered under the impact. Two holes opened up in his chest, bright red blood blooming through his clothes. His eyes flared, and he looked down at her. He reached a hand out toward her.
Rafe moved quickly, shoving the dying man away. “You don’t touch her. Not ever again.”
Cam’s face came into view. “Baby.” He put a hand on her hair, and she could hear the emotion choking his throat. “Baby, are you okay? God, he hurt you.”
She shook her head, wanting so much to get her arms around him.
“I need a knife!” Rafe called out.
Cam pulled off his own shirt and covered her with it. “Wolf and Logan are here, baby.”
Wolf entered the room, looking down at the body on the floor.
Logan followed after him. Wolf passed Rafe a knife, and he went to work on her bindings.
“I’ll have you out in a moment, bella,” he promised.
Logan was already on his radio. “Yeah, Sheriff, we’re going to need to call in some help. We found her. Laura’s fine, but Deputy Briggs and Special Agent Kincaid were forced to put the suspect down. He was going to kill her.”
Rafe turned back and sent the deputy a grateful smile. He passed the knife across to Cam who cut through the last of her bindings, and she was free. Rafe pulled her up and into his arms. She was deliciously crushed. Even the pain from the strikes she’d received now just reminded her that she was alive and they were here.
“Bella, I was so scared.” Rafe didn’t seem to care that her ass was hanging out, but Cam came around the other side and covered her with his body. His arms wound around her.
“I was terrified,” Cam admitted.
“I’m fine.” Laura sighed and let herself sink into their warmth. “I knew you would come for me.”
She felt a tremble go through Rafe’s body. “Always, bella. Never, ever doubt it.”
When they carried her out, she didn’t look back. That part of her life was done, and it couldn’t hurt her again.
Chapter Twenty
Laura watched as Stef and Jen Talbot had their first dance as husband and wife. They were wrapped up in each other like vines twining together, swaying to the music. The Bliss Reception Hall had been completely decked out to look like a romantic forest complete with greenery and trees along all the walls. Stef Talbot was a billionaire who could have bought his own private island to have a wedding, but he and his bride had insisted on the Feed Store Church and the Rec Center.
“They look good together,” Holly said, locking arms with Laura.
For days, Holly had tried to keep a hand on Laura. Laura hadn’t been able to miss the way her best friend refused to let her out of her sight.
Laura leaned over, brushing Holly’s head with her own. “Those two definitely belong together. Jen is the perfect woman to deal with King Stef. She makes him laugh.” And she put him in his place from time to time. Everyone needed that.
“Caleb never laughs,” Holly said with a sad sigh. “Why do I like him so much?”
Her poor friend. Caleb Burke was a puzzle and a half. He’d been all over Holly when there was a threat, but he’d backed off the instant the threat was gone. He was right back to sitting in Holly’s section at Stella’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and staring without ever asking her out. She didn’t envy Holly dealing with Caleb, but it was obvious her friend was totally into the doctor. “You just need to give him a little time. When is Nicky coming into town?” That was the way to get Holly’s mind off her heartache. She lit up at the mere mention of her son spending a week with her. It had been a long time since Holly had been able to spend time with her seventeen-year-old son. “He’ll be here in a couple of days. He’s got a tiny bit of time between his summer pre-college camp and football camp. I’m so excited. And now that the serial killer is gone, I don’t even have to worry about him being murdered.”