Page 8 of Only in the Dark (Bound By Darkness Duet #1)

I hated the idea of hurting her, but she needed to see my brother as he was.

I’d be the one to put the pieces back together after.

I wasn’t sure what she’d be walking into beyond him cheating, but I hoped it wasn’t too bad.

I wished it would be sufficient to convince her to leave him, but that the girl wasn’t at risk.

My work phone started to ring, and I picked it up, refusing to look away from the motel room door.

“Harlowe,” I answered. The caller ID said it was a buddy of mine in Texas.

“It’s Woodson,” he said, also referring to his last name. “Remember the serial killer I told you about last year who targeted men who had gone free after a run-in with the judicial system?”

Of course. They believed she was a woman because of the method of killing.

Most female serial killers avoided things like blood and gore, opting instead to poison them.

Like how women who killed their spouses would sometimes make them sick over time to make it less suspicious.

When I had heard this, I wished it were my case.

She was my equivalent, and I knew we’d get along great.

I refused to call her a serial killer since we had similar extracurricular activities—not that I could tell Woodson that.

“Yeah, but what’s this got to do with me?” I was across the States and would be of no help.

“We have an image of her leaving a hotel after a witness came forward. A victim, actually, who survived and was too ashamed to speak to us. I’m going to send a picture.

Keep an eye out and tell me if you see her.

I’m sure we’ll be looping the FBI in soon, and they’ll take up shop in Chicago. I wanted to give you a head start.”

I had Olivia to obsess over now, so tracking down a serial killer and falling in love with her was out of the question, but I could bring her onto my team if I got to her first. I was sure I could protect her, whoever she was. If she were as smart as I thought she was, she’d be in disguise.

“Send it over through email. I’ll take a look and call you if I have any further details. How’d the guy survive?” I questioned. There were several deaths, and no other known survivors at the time. But maybe more would come out.

“His case is a little different. Says she physically attacked him unprovoked. She dropped a vial of her poison of choice at the scene when fleeing—thallium.” It made perfect sense.

Victims would feel ill but slowly die over the next few days.

She’s a genius, and I knew this alleged victim was lying about her attacking him unprovoked. It wasn’t what she did.

“Smart. Hey, I’ll look at that photo when you send it, but I’m working right now. Staking out a place,” I partially lied. It wasn’t work, but I was creepily sitting in a dark corner of a motel parking lot and watching someone.

“Sure. I get it. We’ll talk later,” he said before hanging up.

He hung up just in time for me to watch a confused Olivia pull up to the motel and approach the room.

She took the quiet path instead of making noise, opting to lean against the door while trying to listen to what was happening inside.

I gave her nothing but an address and room number; she had no idea what was happening beyond that door or even what to expect.

I’d kill to know what was going on in my little serpent’s mind.

I rolled down my window a tad so I could potentially hear the potential argument when that door busted open.

Olivia surprised me by heading down into the office and returning with a key. I wondered how she hustled that out of the front desk clerk, but he was probably easily convinced by her beauty and sweet talk. I would be.

Olivia’s calmness frightened me. Momma taught me to fear a silent woman, not an angry one. If she wasn’t angry, she didn’t care. The fact that she kept calm while walking in on her boyfriend with a young girl told me everything I needed to know about their relationship.

“Christ, Matthew. What the fuck? This girl can’t be older than sixteen!

” What. The. Fuck. Olivia had a better look at her than I did.

I had no idea my brother was worse than I thought he was.

Not only did he commit one inexcusable crime against women, but now he was adding more counts on. I killed men like him.

A half-naked brother of mine appeared on the sidewalk, with the girl in view behind him.

“Baby, wait, please. It’s not what it looks like,” he argued, his head shifting between the girl and Olivia, but he couldn’t explain it away and remained silent.

“You, young girl, come with me. I’m taking you home and away from him. How old are you?”

The girl stepped forward. I saw now that she was holding herself as if she were scared, her shirt off and her shorts unbuttoned. There was no lying about what happened in that room. Her hair was disheveled, and she looked confused.

“I—I’m sixteen. What’s happening?” she questioned, frantically looking around. Her eyes widened, and her breath quickened, cheeks flushing as her hands trembled, betraying the panic that had seized her.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m taking you home. Get in the backseat of my car right behind us, okay?” she sent the girl off, and Matthew took a step closer.

“What the fuck did you give her? And don’t lie to me, Matthew, or I’ll ruin you,” she threatened.

“Just…just a little something to calm down. A few Xanax, okay? She’s fine,” Matthew argued.

It was bad enough he was cheating on her, and with a minor, but drugging said minor was worse. I couldn’t protect him anymore. I couldn’t wait longer to make my move. Everything would have to come together this weekend.

“She’s a kid, Matthew! You’re an adult! I swear to God, if you ever contact me or go near a minor again, I’ll kill you myself,” she promised, just before my little fighter punched him in his right cheek, sending blood flying. I was proud.

He clutched his face and reared back. “You fucking bitch. You’ll regret this if you leave me, Olivia.” I doubted she’d regret it at all.

I watched as Olivia angrily stormed off in the car, thrown off guard by the events that transpired. I meant for her to catch him cheating, but I had no idea a minor was in that room with him. I was a cop. I should’ve arrested him on the spot, but I had more sinister plans for my dear brother.

After he had kicked the door, grabbed his stuff, and sped away from the motel, I opened my email to find the email sent from Detective Woodson.

And nothing could’ve prepared me for the shock of my life.