Page 35

“Hudson always said you were better at the job than he was.That you blended better.That you could become anyone in the blink of an eye.He called you a chameleon.”
Blending was Eb’s specialty.
“I think that means you’re probably far better at lying than he ever was.”Now she backed up a step.“Do you know how much that terrifies me?Because he was very, very good.”
Time to recap.“You’re standing here, telling me that my partner was a serial killer.And I’m just supposed to buy this?”
Her lips curled in a humorless smile.“You sound like me, when I was talking with Memphis.”The smile vanished.“No bodies have ever been found.Those women just disappeared, seemingly without a trace.It’s hard to prove the crime without the victims.I told you, Memphis had no proof.Just his suspicions.He said he had to tell me before I went through with the ceremony…” Her words trailed away.
“You married Hudson anyway.”
“I had a chapel full of people waiting.A caterer who’d been paid.”The words were mocking.Her sad gaze was not.“And you, standing there and glaring at me the whole time.I have to know, curiosity compels me to ask, did you start disliking me from the first moment you saw me?Or was it before we ever met?”
“No, Iwantedyou from the first moment I saw you dancing in that fountain.Hate had nothing to do with it.”
Her lashes flickered.“What…fountain?”
“The one in Vegas.When you were wearing the pale blue dress and laughing after midnight.You looked carefree and so beautiful, and all I wanted to do was scoop you out of that water, pull you into my arms, and kiss you.”
She took three frantic steps back.
Henry let out a low whine.He stood at attention.
“No, no.I-I didn’t meet you in Vegas.”A frantic shake of her head.Her hand rose, and she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
His gaze sharpened.Were her fingers trembling?
“I met Hudson there, not you.You were not in Vegas.”
“I was there.Heard you laughing and headed for the fountain.Saw you.Wanted you.”
Another negative shake of her head.
“But I got called away.Family business.”What an understatement for the hell that had wrecked his family.“Before I left, I told Hudson that you were going to be mine.”Something broke inside of him.He surged toward her.Don’t touch.Don’t touch.She’d said she felt too out of control when they touched.
How the hell did she think he felt?Anger and need twisted and seethed inside of him.“Isaw you that night.”Such a long-ago night.Another lifetime, almost.Because when he’d gotten called away, that had just been the start of the battle he had to fight with Marley.He’d even wound up going undercover, living in hell for a time, because he’d wanted to eliminate the threat to her.All that time.All that effort.Only for Marley’s now husband to swoop in and steal Eb’s vengeance.
During all that time, when Eb had been distracted, when he’d had to become someone else, Hudson had been working to slowly seduce Naomi.To get her to fall for him.It hadn’t been some rushed, head-over-heels wedding.It had been a long time coming.When she’d said that Hudson had given her everything she’d wanted, the man had.Like a careful, strategized plan.A plan that never should have been put in motion because I wanted you first.“I said I wanted you.But he got you because I fucking wasn’t there.”Gone far too long.Living in a hell she would never understand.“He took you…and now you’re standing here, telling me some BS serial killer tale?You married him, and if you murdered him, justsayit!”
“I told him what Memphis said,” she blurted.Her hand flew out.Gestured wildly around the guesthouse.
Henry padded closer to her.
“Told him right here.He’d carried me over the th-threshold…” Her eyelashes flickered again.“Barely put me down.I-I don’t know why I…”
Henry bumped into her.
“Back away, Henry,” Eb growled.
Henry didn’t.He bumped into her again.His nose pressed to her, and he whined.Then barked.The dog seemed topushher.
“I…feel dizzy.”Her breath came in and out.“I should g-get to bed.”
Henry nudged her.Carefully.Gently?
“Henry?”What in the hell was the dog doing?“Henry, back off.”
But the dog ignored his command and pushed Naomi again.