Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
My phone rang, and since it was Tobin, I answered it immediately, putting it on speaker because I wanted her to hear what Tobin had to say.
Tobin started talking before even waiting for me to finish saying hello.
“Talked to the profiler,” Tobin said without pleasantries. “I’m going to start out with everything, wait for me to finish before you ask your questions.”
I rolled my eyes at Tobin’s lack of bending.
He’d always done that—given orders and expected them to be obeyed.
At least, he was like that with everyone but his wife.
“Sure.” I grinned at the brow that Ellodie rose at Tobin’s words.
“Okay, diving in,” he said. “It’s a lot so bear with me.”
I nodded, not saying a word, knowing it’d get him to his point faster.
If there was one person I could say ‘squirrel’ to and get him to look, it was definitely Tobin McGraw.
“Profiler says that our suspect is around thirty-five to forty. He’s probably socially awkward since all of these so-called dates originate from a dating app,” Tobin began. “From what the profiler could come up with, the suspect is also very well-off. Likely masters or higher in education. His target girl is in between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-two. Likely very independent, can and does take care of herself. From the information we’ve gathered through the dating app, it’s likely our suspect wants subservient women. He gets angry, or defensive, if you try to protect him from something he should be taking care of.”
I looked up at Ellodie to see her pinching her lips together.
The waitress came back with our drinks and some spring rolls, leaving us before I could tell Tobin to wait a minute.
“Suspect is likely in the medical field in some way. Or public servant,” Tobin continued. “Though he didn’t tell anyone what he was doing for a living, he’s alluded to helping people in multiple conversations with missing girls. And the public servant thing comes off as a little more unassuming when meeting girls where they’re uncomfortable.”
That made me irrationally angry. Some psycho serial killer was using his job as an ice breaker to get these girls comfortable with him just so he could off them in the woods.
“We’re thinking he’s living local,” Tobin finished off.
“That’s a lot of information,” I admitted. “Any ideas on what he looks like?”
“Over six feet.”
“Okay,” I said. “Build?”
“Suspected to be lean,” Tobin sounded distracted. “Any other questions?”
I heard the hesitation in his voice, and wondered if it was Crissa again.
Geez.
“Is the profiler worried that he’ll come back after the woman who said no?” I asked, keeping my gaze directed at Ellodie’s face.
It was with that question I knew she was scared of the same outcome.
“They’re thinking it’s a possibility. Though the profiler believes that the next time he asks, he’ll create a name and lie about his profession since it didn’t work the first time. He’ll also take her somewhere that’ll make her comfortable, not for a hike in the middle of the woods. He’ll have to work a little harder to get her comfortable with him before he’ll ask her to go for a hike where he can murder her,” he confirmed. “You’re going to watch the nurse?”
The nurse.
I grunted out a ‘yep’ before Tobin grumbled under his breath before saying, “Good. I have to go. Crissa won’t stop calling, and if I don’t answer soon, she’ll just get on a plane and head this way.”
With that, he hung up, leaving Ellodie staring at me uncomfortably.
“On a scale from one to ten, how bad should I be scared right now?”
An eleven.
“Oh, I don’t know,” I lied. “But I’m going to make sure you’re safe.”
I just had to convince her to let me move in, or her to move in with me, before that happened.
She looked at me with a narrow-eyed look before saying, “You can’t be with me twenty-four-seven.”
I couldn’t… but one of my family members could.
We had nine cops in my immediate family, then there was Ande who was trained almost as well as we were. Then there was Keene, who was so fucking intimidating that all they would need to do was look at him and they’d run away.
Then there was Tobin.
And hell, I’d even trust Assman to watch over her.
She’d be protected.
“Watch me,” I said.
I’ve accepted the fact that I’m getting older. But my body seems to be taking it badly.
—Ellodie to Quaid
ELLODIE
“Me first,” he growled as he pushed past me into my apartment.
I watched him go down the hallway, surprised as he stalked through the house with efficient, long strides.
My gaze went to his backside as he moved his way through my place, and I watched as those magnificent muscles pushed him through every single room until he was standing back in front of me.
Pulling me gently inside by my wrist, he closed the door and then stated, rather simply, “I’m staying here with you tonight.”