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The next evening…

Julie Mays grabbed the collar of her wool herringbone coat and clutched the two halves tightly beneath her chin. The night’s bone-chilling breeze wasn’t uncommon for Chicago. It was, after all, the Windy City.

She turned her head to shield her face from the frigid wind’s unfriendly bite. But her long, mahogany hair whipped around violently as its ends were lifted and thrown into the swirling air.

“Move to Chicago, they said,” she mumbled beneath her cloud-bearing breath. “It’ll be fun, they said.” Her steps quickened, the bottoms of her favorite black heels smacking loudly against the parking lot’s asphalt.

It had been nearly five years since she’d accepted the lucrative marketing job offer that had moved her here from Phoenix. Five years and she still hadn’t grown accustomed to the city’s brutal winters or its blistering cold, early spring nights.

Hawaii. One more week, and you’ll be on the beach in Hawaii.

Julie’s smile was hidden behind the fisted collar of her coat as her awaiting car came into view. In seven days, she and her sister would be headed for paradise.

No cold winds. No wool coats. No traffic jams or sirens galore…or crazy serial killers running amuck. Just two sisters, relaxing on the beach, sipping fruity, umbrella-wielding drinks while soaking in some much-needed rays.

Another big gust blew past, but she ignored it as best she could and pressed on. Her car was only a few yards away, and the faster she got to it, the faster she’d be?—

What the hell?

Her steps faltered when she realized her rear, driver’s side tire was flat. As in completely and utterly…flat.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Julie glanced back at the small office building she’d exited minutes before. Like most nights, she’d been the last employee to leave the building. She’d be alone, but warm while she waited for help to arrive.

Of course, that plan would entail a retracing of the steps she’d just taken. And then, once roadside service did finally show, Julie would have to make the frigid trek back across the parking lot…again.

“Car, it is,” she muttered, digging into her purse for her keys.

The vehicle beeped letting her know the locks had disengaged. More than ready to be out of the unforgiving wind, she reached for the handle and started to pull when a pair of shiny headlights appeared from her right.

She squinted and looked away, an automatic response to the intrusive beams. The damn wind was so loud she hadn’t even heard the car’s approach.

It pulled up beside her and stopped. A rush of shivers that had nothing to do with the wind went racing down her spine.

For an instant, she feared it was the maniac she’d been reading about in the news. The one who’d been kidnapping Chicago women, holding them hostage, and then cutting them up before dumping their bodies as if they were garbage.

Luckily Julie’s worries were put to rest when she realized who it was. Within seconds, all thoughts of serial killers and dead bodies vanished.

“Hey.” The man behind the wheel smiled through the partially opened passenger window. “Looks like you could use some help.”

Her shoulders fell, and she blew out a sigh of relief. “Oh, my gosh, I would love some help, actually.” She added a quick, “If you’re sure you don’t mind.”

“Don’t mind at all.” He put the car in park and stepped out into the night. Leaving the engine running, he shut the door behind him and walked around the vehicle’s front bumper. “You got a spare?”

She nodded. “In the trunk. I’m pretty sure there’s also a tire iron and jack in there, too.” A quick press of the button at the bottom of her key fob had the trunk popping open with ease. “Thank you so much. I was literally just about to get into the car and call roadside service when you pulled up.”

“No problem.” He talked while retrieving the tire iron and jack from their hidden compartment inside her trunk. “I was driving by when I saw you standing and staring at your car. From the look on your face, I knew something was wrong, and when I noticed the flat, I figured I’d offer to help.”

“I’m so glad you did. My insurance covers roadside service, but I have no idea how long it would’ve been before they got here.”

“Yeah, this is prime time for those roadside guys. Especially in this city.” He reached in and pulled the spare tire up and over her car’s back bumper, gently lowering it down to the pavement below.

Julie stood to the side and watched as the man worked. “I’d offer to help, but I’ve actually never changed a tire before, so I’d probably just be in the way.”

“It’s okay.” The man smiled as he squatted down to loosen the first lug nut. “I’ll have the new one on in just a few minutes, and then you can be on your way.”

She hugged herself tightly against the still-blowing breeze. For a moment, she considered asking for permission to sit in his car while she waited, but ultimately Julie decided against it.

The poor guy was probably freezing to death himself, and all because he’d been kind enough to stop and offer to help. The least she could do was keep him company until he was finished.

A phone began to ring from inside the man’s Dodge Charger, cutting through her wandering thoughts. Her tire-changing hero paused mid-turn of the iron bar and looked back at her from over his shoulder.

“Hey, would you mind bringing me my phone? I’m expecting a call that’s pretty important.”

“Of course.” Julie spun around and walked to the sporty-looking car. She’d always liked Chargers. Thought they were sexy.

Just like the man who’d selflessly come to her rescue.

“It should be right there, on the passenger seat.”

She opened the door and looked inside, but the seat was completely empty. “I don’t see it.” She glanced back to find him still focused on changing the tire.

“It probably slid under the seat when I turned into the lot.”

The phone rang again, the sound slightly muffled, so Julie ducked her head inside. With her left palm pressed against the seat’s warm leather, she bent her body down low to scan the shadowed area below.

“I can hear it, but I don’t see it.” The phone rang yet again, and this time, she thought maybe it had come from the other side. “I think it might have fallen under the driver’s seat, instead,” she told him.

She pushed herself back with the plan to keep looking when something sharp pierced the skin at the side of her neck.

Ouch!

Julie slapped a hand to the spot where it felt as if she’d just been bitten. She started to turn around but was stopped by a pair of strong, meaty hands gripping her shoulders in an almost painful hold.

“Hey!” She twisted against the unwanted contact. “What the hell are you?—”

“Shhh…” The man’s hot breath struck her ear as he held the back of her body flush with his front. “Don’t fight it, Julie. It won’t do you any good. I’m sure you’ve seen the news, so you know what has to happen. Just relax and let the drugs do their job.”

He’d done this to her? Why? He was supposed to be helping her, not…

Oh, my god! It’s him!

The phone stopped ringing as images and spoken words from the recent news footage she’d seen began filling her frantic mind…

Serial Killer’s Latest Victim Discovered Under Bridge.

Body Count Rises as Omega Killer Remains at Large.

M.E. Confirms Signs of Torture.

The serial killer stalking the streets of Chicago was responsible for every one of those horrifying headlines. And now…

Now he’s going to do all those things to me, too.

“Time of death, eighteen-twenty-two.”

Kerrigan blew out a breath of frustration and sadness as she stared at the teenage girl lying lifeless before her. Seventeen was far too young to die.

And yet?—

“I really thought I could save her.”

“You did everything you could, Kerr.” Dr. Brayden Walsh put a supportive hand onto her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. “I was watching from the door, and from what I observed, there wasn’t anything you or your team could’ve done.”

Kerr.

It’s what he used to call her back when they were dating. Before she caught him fucking another woman.

“Yeah, well…” Kerrigan shook her head and stepped away from his touch. “It obviously wasn’t enough.”

After a tense moment of silence, he and the others quietly left the room. But she remained in place, her eyes cemented on the patient she hadn’t been able to save.

According to what the police had shared with the medics on the scene, Marcy’s nineteen-year-old boyfriend had taken a curve too fast and lost control of his car. They hit a ditch, the car flipped multiple times, and they finally came to a stop several yards away.

Neither of the teens had been wearing their seatbelts, causing them both to be violently ejected.

When will these kids ever learn?

From what Kerrigan was told when the ambulance first brought Marcy in, the boyfriend was pronounced dead at the scene. But Marcy…

I really thought I could save her.

She’d worked like hell to keep the poor girl alive, but in the end, nothing she’d done had mattered. In addition to numerous broken bones, lacerations, and deep abrasions, Marcy had also suffered multiple catastrophic internal injuries, as well as an obvious head injury.

“If the internal bleeding hadn’t taken her, the brain damage would have.” Brayden reappeared by her side minutes later.

He was right, of course. When it came to medicine, the infuriating man usually was. And while her ex may be a proven liar and a cheat, Brayden was nothing if not an exceptional doctor.

No one could have saved her.

“Thank you, Brayden.” Kerrigan’s saddened gaze slid up to the man standing quietly next to her. “I appreciate the support.”

“I’ll always support you, Kerr.” His intense stare landed on hers. “Speaking of which, the girl’s parents are here.”

Damn.

Kerrigan closed her eyes, her chest growing tight with an aching heart. “I’ll go deliver the news.”

“It’s taken care of,” Brayden’s familiar deep rumble was low. “I had Dr. Taylor do the notification.”

“Dr. Taylor? Jesus, Brayden. What the hell were you thinking?”

She started to leave but was stopped short by a gentle but firm hand on her upper arm.

“I just thought you might appreciate not having to be the one to tell those poor people their daughter is dead.”

“Their daughter was my patient, not yours. Good intentions or not, that wasn’t your call to make. Not to mention Dr. Taylor is a brand-new resident who’s barely been on the job a week.”

“All the more reason for her to be the one to handle a case like this. Come on, Kerr. You know as well as I do that delivering this kind of news is a huge part of what we do. It’s unfortunate, and it sucks, but it comes with the job. The sooner the residents learn how to handle themselves in these situations, the better off they’ll be. Plus…”

“Plus what?” She glanced down at the hand still holding her in place.

“Look, I was just trying to protect you, okay?” He became noticeably defensive. “It’s not my problem if you can’t see that.”

Arrogant with a touch of subtle intimidation. So very Brayden.

He really hasn’t changed a bit.

“I can see just fine.” She yanked her arm free. “And I’m not yours to protect.”

Not anymore.

Not ever again.

“Fine.” He scowled back at her. “And to think I was about to offer to come over to your place after shift so you wouldn’t have be alone.”

Aaaand…there it is.

She stared up at him as if he were nuts. “Are you seriously trying to use that girl’s death to get into my pants?”

“Who said anything about your pants? I was just thinking we could order in some food and hang out.” But then, “I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed to comforting you some other w?—”

“Don’t even think about finishing that sentence.” Kerrigan raised a palm to cut off whatever crap he was about to spew. “And just in case I wasn’t clear the day I caught you literally with your pants down…or the dozens of times you’ve tried getting back with me since…if I did want someone to hang out with or talk to, it sure as hell wouldn’t be you.”

Kerrigan sidestepped the infuriating man, exiting the room without so much as a backward glance. Rather than go straight to the computer to finish her charting, as she would normally do, she went in search of her inexperienced intern.

As expected, she found the young doctor standing alone in the employee breakroom. Her face red and splotchy from crying. After a few minutes and some encouraging words, the two women left the locker-lined room and got back to work.

Hours later, while attempting to drown the day in a sea of bubbles, Kerrigan’s search for serenity was interrupted by the ringing of her phone. She reached over to the small table next to her freestanding soaking tub and grabbed her cell.

“Hey, Gemma,” she greeted her closest friend after seeing the name pop up on the small screen. The familiar sounds of the E.R. played clearly in the background. “You’re working? I thought you had tonight off.”

“Just for a couple of hours. Adam called in sick with that stomach crud that’s been going around, which was going to leave them short a nurse until Trina’s scheduled to be here. And you know me…I’m all about the overtime, so…”

Kerrigan smiled. “What’s up? You need a consult on a patient?”

“Nope. Just calling to check on you, actually.” There was a slight pause before her voice grew softer. “I heard you lost a teenager today.”

Good to know the hospital gossip chain is still alive and well.

“I’m fine, Gem. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve lost a patient.”

She was admittedly heartbroken for the young girl’s family, but death and loss came with the territory. It was hard, and it sucked, but that was the reality of her world.

“I know it isn’t your first time,” Gemma commented softly. “But I also know that you lose a tiny piece of that giant heart of yours every time it happens, especially when it’s a kid. So, I wanted to make sure you were doing okay, and to throw out an offer to come by and keep you company after I leave here. If you want, that is.”

The bubbles around her started to blur, but Kerrigan quickly blinked the unexpected tears away. “Thanks, Gemma. I really do appreciate the thought, but honestly…all I want to do is finish my bath, go to bed, and hope that tomorrow’s a better day.”

“You’re on tomorrow, right? Because if not, that means I’ll be stuck dealing with Brayden, and you know he’s a huge fan of mine.”

Kerrigan chuckled at her friend’s obvious sarcasm. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there. But I’m off the next day, so you’ve been warned.”

“The next day, huh?” There was a pause. “I am on the schedule, but you know, I think I might be coming down with something.”

Gemma’s pretend cough made them both laugh.

“Just make sure you’re there tomorrow.” Kerrigan smiled. “And…thanks again. For calling, and for the offer to keep me company. You’re a really good friend, Gemma.”

“Good? Girl, I’m so much better than good.”

She laughed again, thankful beyond words for the friendship she and Gemma had forged. “You’re right. You’re the best.”

“That’s better,” the other woman teased. “’Night, sweetie. Call me if you need me. Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See ya.”

Kerrigan ended the call and returned the phone to the table on her left. Resting her head back onto the tub’s curved edge, she’d only just closed her eyes when the phone started to ring again.

Assuming it was Gemma calling back, she blindly reached for the device once more. Without looking at the screen, she answered with a sardonic, “Miss me already?”

“As a matter of fact…” Cade’s deep, male voice filled the phone’s speaker.

Her eyes flew open, and she straightened her spine, the water and bubbles sloshing in waves around her naked form.

“Cade.” The surprise in her voice was obvious, even to her.

“I take it you were expecting it to be someone else.”

Was that a hint of disappointment in his tone?

“Gemma,” she blurted a smidge too loudly. “I, uh…I just got off the phone with Gemma, and I thought maybe she’d forgotten to tell me something.”

“Gemma. That was the nurse with the short, dark hair, right?”

“That’s her.”

“I remember you saying you two were close.”

Technically, what she’d told him was…

This is Gemma Marino. Not only is she the best nurse in Chicago, she’s also my closest friend.

But he was close enough.

“How’s the arm?”

“Good. Sore, but good.”

“Glad to hear it.” She smiled, her mind racing to come up with something else to say. “How was your day?”

“Boring.” He huffed out a chuckle. “Hunt put me on desk duty for the next two weeks, so when I’m not in meetings with new clients, I’ve been helping with the phones and answering emails.”

“Christian was right to bench you from fieldwork until that wound is properly healed,” she pointed out.

“Hey, now. Whose side are you on?”

Kerrigan’s bare shoulders shook with soft laughter. “I’m just trying to look out for my patient’s wellbeing, that’s all.”

“Not your patient anymore, Doc. Remember? Which, by the way, brings me to why I called. I was looking at the schedule you sent, and I noticed you’re off in a couple of days. I’m off that day, too, so I was thinking maybe you and I could hang out. We could grab some lunch and then go from there?”

A sudden rush of nerves fired to life as a thousand tiny butterflies began dancing in her belly. It had been two full days since he’d promised to call, and she’d begun to wonder if maybe he’d changed his mind. But now…

“Lunch sounds perfect,” she smiled, hoping she hadn’t come across as too eager at the thought.

“Eleven-thirty okay? I can pick you up at your place, or we can meet somewhere public if you aren’t comfortable with?—”

“You and your team saved my life, Cade.” She quickly put his mind at ease. “I’m pretty sure I can trust you to know where I live.”

“You can trust me with anything, Kerr,” he promised.

Kerr.

Unlike with her ex, Kerrigan found she rather liked hearing the shortened version of her name when it fell from Cade’s lips.

“I guess I’ll see you in a couple of days, then,” she told him with a smile.

“Looking forward to it.”

Me, too.

“Goodnight, Cade.”

“’Night, Doc.”

She ended the call before pushing herself up out of the water. With careful movements, she stepped out of the bath and onto the plush mat below.

Minutes later, when she was dried off, lotioned up, and dressed in her favorite PJs, Kerrigan crawled beneath the covers of her queen-sized bed. When she laid her head down on her satin-covered pillow, she couldn’t help but notice the heaviness from before was gone.

And as she drifted off to sleep, she wondered how a single conversation with a man she barely knew could somehow make everything better.