Page 70 of Deathtoll

Instant relief filled Kate. Emma wasn’t hurt, in a hospital somewhere. But that small burst of relief disappeared way too fast.

Joe’s news didn’t rule out her worst fear.

* * *

Murph

Murph was ready to grab Kate and get on the road with her, drag her back to Ohio even to keep her safe, but she would have none of it.

“Please,” she begged him. “If you care about me at all, look for Emma.”

He hated seeing her scared. If she was scared, if she was in danger, then he had failed. In every way.

He squared off with her. “Youare Asael’s main target.”

“Joe will protect me.”

Joe Kessler was watching the hallway, while Chase Merritt monitored the lobby. Two outstanding policemen. Yet not enough for Murph.

Kate stood behind her desk, wearing the turquoise sweater Emma had knitted for her this past Christmas, with bells and ribbons, and the words Jingle Bells under them, except the “e” in bells was crooked and could be mistaken for an “a,” which Murph was pretty sure had been deliberate on Emma’s part.

Kate kept the sweater in her desk drawer for when she got cold. Murph thought the office was plenty warm, but she’d pulled it out and put it on regardless. Maybe just to feel her sister with her.

“I’m not leaving you.” His protective instincts raged at the thought. “The whole PD is looking for her. Everyone who’s not here with you, is out looking.”

“I wantyouto look.” She dropped her voice and held his gaze. “If you ever loved me…”

In his imagination, he already had her over his shoulder and halfway to his truck. “I still love you.”

For a moment, everything went still. Tears glistened in her eyes. She wouldn’t blink, wouldn’t let them fall.

“Please find Emma.” Desperation thickened her voice. “Please.”

He hated the living shit out of the idea of walking away from Kate. He wanted to murder the thought with his bare hands.

“Murph?”

He was flayed by the fear and worry that clouded her blue eyes. He clenched his jaw as he silently swore. “All right. But I take you home. Joe will be inside the house with you. We’ll have two men outside, one watching the front of the house and one in the back. And you’ll have a loaded gun in your hand at all times.” He fixed her with his serious-as-the-apocalypse look. “Even when you’re in the bathroom.”

Some of the tension on her face eased. She nodded. But before he could relax even a shade, she came up with her next brilliant idea. “Or I could come with you to look for Emma.”

“No,” he said as firmly as he could without shouting. First of all, she’d be going into danger over his dead body. And also… “If Bing lets me assist, he’ll be doing me a huge favor. I can’t bring along another civilian.”

She looked like she might cry. She didn’t. Once again, she steeled herself, would not allow herself to fall apart. She gave a small nod as she accepted his logic. “Okay.”

The few sentences they’d spoken to each other amounted to the longest conversation they’d had in weeks. He missed her—in his heart, in his guts, in the endless, sleepless hours of the night. Something was broken between them, and damn if Murph knew how to fix it, and that helplessness didn’t sit well with him. Now more than ever. He wanted to draw her into his arms, hold her, and never let her go. But it wasn’t what she wanted, so he stepped back.

“Let’s go. Grab your bag.”

At least she had still come to him when she needed help with something truly important to her. That was something. It spoke of trust. If they still had trust, maybe, when Emma was home safe and sound, they could rebuild from there.

“Taking Kate home,” he told Joe in the hallway. “Can you follow us?”

“No problem.”

The three of them walked out to the lobby together, where Murph asked Chase to join them as well.

Kate rode with Murph. He wouldn’t let her out of his sight until he absolutely had to.