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“To protect you.”

Encroaching on my space, her words are hushed. “I don’t need you to protect me.”Oh,I know.On the way home I called Carla, getting her to request a copy of the triple homicide case file for myself. Beforethe Johnson murders, she would’ve been immediately stone-walled, but after our agencies vowed to be more open with exchanging information, the file arrived in my e-mail within minutes. When I have a moment to myself, I’ll examine it more thoroughly, but what Jefferds relayed to me was accurate. Mal took out three men, and got creative with one of their bodies.

Mallory threads her fingers through my hair, and I lean into the touch. “I know, but I want to. I need to. That part of me can’t be stopped.”

“You’re going to be taken from me if you get caught.”

So will you. I want to say it, it’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her I know. However, I resist. I want her to tell me herself. She needs to trust me enough to reveal that darkness to me. “I won’t get caught.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“It’s not my first rodeo, probably won’t be my last.”

“Your hubris is astounding.”

“Thank you,” I reply as she rolls her eyes, trying to hide her little smile.

“So… How many?” she asks.

These are dangerous waters you’re venturing into, little siren. Should I ask you the same question?

“A few,” I reply.

“More than I know about?” I nod. “Wait? You didn’t kill those house fire victims, did you?”

There’s your first slip up, baby. Let the games begin.

Chuckling, I reply, “No, I didn’t kill them.”

The audacity of this woman.

Mal huffs out her fake relief, and I fight to smother the sick thrill thrumming through me. “Phew! That’sgood to know. Just the one murder this week to worry about then.”

Could she lay the diversion on any thicker?

“Yep,” I say, popping the ‘p’ just like she does. I take her hand in mine, interlocking our fingers so she can’t get away. She looks at me adoringly, scooting her body closer to mine. Her eyes twinkle, and there’s a gentle smile on her face, too bad it’s not going to last. I return the look, gazing down upon her face, knowing that if I counted there’d be two hundred and sixty-three freckles across her nose and cheeks. “I never said anything about there being a house fire.” Her smile slowly drops, and she tries to pull her hand from mine, but I hold tight.

“W-what?” Fear claws at her chest as the colour drains from her face.

“You heard me.”

“You had to have mentioned it,” she debates.

“No, I definitely didn’t.”

“Well then I must have read about it in the news…maybe on one of those true crime forums.”

“No, you didn’t. The city police aren’t linking the triple murder to the house fire in the media. They want any witnesses of the fire to come forward without fear of ratting out a murderer.”

“Well that’s fucking sneaky, someone could unknowingly be putting themselves in danger.”

“True, but it’s not my case to lead.” I also highly doubt Mallory is going to hunt some innocent person down, and kill them because they went to the police.

“Well maybe it should be. You have more tact than that fuckwit, Jefferds.”

“He’s dead, remember?”

“Good…and how did you manage that exactly?”