Page 40 of The Devoted Game

“What’re you doing, McBride?” Worth demanded.

“What I should have done already.” He wasn’t letting the son of a bitch continue to manipulate him. This had gone far enough!

“Wait,” Grace urged, “this could backfire. This guy could be hanging on by a thread. The truth could cause him to go completely over the edge.”

“Let’s hope so,” Ryan growled from between clenched teeth. “Maybe he’ll do the world a favor and off himself.”

“Damn it, McBride,” Worth warned. “You can’t—”

“My way,” he cut him off, “remember?”

Ryan typed the few, straightforward words.

“What if he already has the next victim?” Grace argued. “This could cause him to—”

Clicking send derailed whatever else she intended to say.

Ryan was finished. This guy needed to understand that his plan wasn’t going to change the facts. Ryan’s FBI career was over. End of story.

Devoted Fan,

I don’t work for the FBI anymore. Let’s leave it at that.

McBride

Before anyone could snap out of their shocked silence, the alert that he had new mail sounded.

Sending the unsub a kiss-off email suddenly didn’t feel like the right thing to do ... but it was too late to regret it now.

“Open it,” Worth ordered. “Let’s see how badly you screwed this one up.”

Ryan’s hands balled into fists on either side of the keyboard. The urge to pound this dickhead expanded, a palpable force inside him.

Grace placed her hand on his arm. He flinched at the touch. Wished he could trust what felt like a sign that she was on his side.

“Open it,” she urged quietly.

Ordering his fingers to relax, he went through the necessary steps. The box opened, revealing the new mail.

Special Agent McBride,

I sincerely regret any difficulty my actions are putting you through. But please understand that this is for your own good. The world needs you. I need you.

Respectfully,

Devoted Fan

PS. I am aware that they assuredly made you say such a thing. The rats.

Ryan pushed the chair back and stood. “I need a smoke.”

Silence swelled in the room, crowding out the door behind him.

He had a respite ... before it started again.

Between now and then, he had to find a way to end this before Devoted Fan discovered just how wrong he was.

Twelve