“It’s just a bouquet of these flowers.”

“What kind?” I heard his truck accelerate and wanted to know why flowers were so damn important right now when I couldn’t see what was happening to my family!

“Why does—”

“Just tell me!”

“They’re those—I can’t remember what they’re called. They’re white and reddish, pinkish . . .” Dear Lord, is this how people feel on Jeopardy!? “Oh! Carnations!”

“Son of a bitch. Rachel, get the fuck out of the house and run. Baby, do you hear me? Run! I will find you and I will make sure you’re safe. Just get out of the goddamn house!”

“But why?”

“I’ll tell you later, don’t grab anything, just go!”

The fear in his voice finally caught up to me and without another thought, I took off out of the room. The door was already open, and my feet had barely touched the grass outside when I was yanked back by my hair. A cry of pain clawed its way out of my throat and I landed hard on my hip. I searched for my phone in the grass around me but came up empty. I screamed for help as Blake began dragging me back into the house by my hair and prayed that Kash was close.

“I’m disappointed in you, sweetheart.”

“Please, let me go!” I grabbed on to the wrist of the hand that was holding my hair and tried to pull myself closer, but he yanked my hands off and continued dragging me toward the bed.

“You really think I would leave you alone and not be near the door? How stupid do you think I am?” He laughed softly. “I’m not an amateur.”

My mind raced. Amateur?

He tsked softly. “My mother will be so upset when she gets the news. I was this close to letting everyone live to see the morning. For a second there, you almost made me proud with your responses to your little friend.” He yanked harder when we got to the bed. “Get up.”

I did as I was told and the relief of his letting go of my hair was enough to make me sigh.

“Tell me something, sweetheart. Do you want your friends to live?”

“Yes!”

“And you’re willing to do . . . what? To have me call off my boys.”

“Anything! I told you, anything. Just please don’t hurt them, and I need to know before that they’re okay!”

He pulled a remote out of his pocket and instantly the dimly lit bouquet disappeared and the live feed was back on each screen. The one that had been in front of what I’d assumed was the police station was now sitting as a dash cam and the driver was weaving in and out of traffic on the highway.

“Now, lie down. Grab the center bar of the headboard.”

I whimpered as I crawled onto the middle of the bed. I can do this. I can do this. For Kash and the Jenkins family. I can do this.

As soon as I was lying down and holding on, Blake was grabbing handcuffs out of the nightstand and handcuffed my wrists to the wrought-iron headboard.

I can do this. I can do this.

Another set of cuffs went to my left ankle, securing it to the foot of the bed, and the last to my right.

I can’t do this. Holy shit, I can’t do this. My body was trembling by the time Blake stretched his fully clothed body on top of mine and pressed his mouth firmly to my own.

“I waited, Rachel. I waited until you were old enough. I wasted my time looking for girls who came even remotely close to looking like you.” His hand brushed through my hair as he studied it. “Long legs. Long, straight, near-black hair. Eyes the exact color of sapphires.” A heavy sigh left him and his forehead creased. “But none of them were you. None of them had your temper; none of them had your fire for life. So none of them deserved to have your beauty.”

“Like Jenn.” I realized it with dread and watched his face twist with a look of disgust.

“Everything I’ve done up until this point has been for you and our future together. I only wish,” he said against my lips, “that you would stop being so goddamn difficult.” Suddenly he was off me and the bed and rummaging through the nightstand drawer again.

He fastened a gag around my mouth and as soon as I began wondering what kind of sick things Blake really was into, he began pulling knives and different-looking blades out as well. Once everything was sitting on top of the nightstand, he grabbed a pair of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the cabinet door of the nightstand. Standing slowly, I saw the vase of carnations that had been on the screens and he smiled widely at me. Like he was proud of something.

“These are for you, sweetheart, as soon as I finish putting my claim on you and then making you mine. I’ve never forgotten the day you showed up at my door with these.”

My head shook back and forth as I searched every memory I had regarding carnations, but nothing stood out, and Blake roared in frustration as he pulled one flower out and threw the rest of the bouquet against the far wall. The sound of the glass vase shattering filled the open space and he flung the lone flower at my face.

“My Rachel wouldn’t forget that she brought my family a bouquet of carnations this exact color.”

Oh God, I did remember. That had been right after I’d thought I’d fallen in love with him and his grandma had passed. My mom had bought them, but I’d wanted to give them to Mrs. West. I’d completely forgotten about that and that’d been about a dozen years ago. How did he remember that?

Blake laughed sadly and grabbed the carnation that was lying haphazardly on my cheek before trailing it along my face and up my arms. “See, my Rachel wouldn’t have forgotten, but something happened and you changed. You’re no longer my Rachel. And like the other Rachel imposters, you don’t deserve the whole bouquet. You’ll only be needing one, sweetheart.”

What in the actual fuck is wrong with this man?


Kash

I HIT MASON’S name again on my screen and prayed he’d answer the phone this time. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon.”

Ever since I’d heard Rachel scream, and her phone had gone straight to voice mail when I called back, I’d been calling Mason over and over again. But he hadn’t once answered. I knew I shouldn’t have freaked out in the meeting room. But when you realize the serial killer you’ve been after has your girl with him, all rational thought goes out the window. But I still couldn’t believe Mason of all people had asked them to keep me at the damn station!

“What, Kash?”

“Why the hell haven’t you been answering your phone?”

“We were getting ready for the takedown.” He sounded defeated and after a few seconds he sighed into the phone. “She’s not here, man.”

My blood ran cold. “Yes she is, she has to be. I was just talking to her. Are we sure that’s the correct address?”

“Positive, this is definitely West’s place. But he isn’t here either; we checked all the rooms and there isn’t a sign of him. His Lexus is out front, so he must have another car we don’t know about, or that Explorer that man who was stalking Rachel for him drove is actually Blake’s. But it’s not here.”

“I don’t think it’s Blake’s, Rachel said he has men tailing all of us.”

“You serious?”

“Yeah, man. Even Candice’s family.”

He growled, “That sick fuck. Look, I know we were already pretty sure this would be the Carnation killer, but even if it’s not . . . he needs to go. Every room is full of pictures of Rachel, her schedule, and just random things about her.”

I flipped on my blinker and swerved across a couple lanes to take the exit I was about to miss, earning me a few horns. “You keep talking about multiple rooms. Rachel said where she’s at is practically one big room. Is there a shed or a guesthouse, anything?”

Mason started calling for Ryder away from the phone and after another few seconds, I heard him asking Ryder about other possibilities when something else he’d said occurred to me.

“Mase! Mase, can you hear me?”

“Yeah?”

“You said Blake’s Lexus is there, right?”

A pause and some shuffling. “Positive that’s his, there’s no way I’d forget that car. And it’s parked right out front.”

“Where’s Rachel’s Jeep?”

“I don’t know, man, why?”

“When he came by to get her today, they both took their cars. Find her Jeep, you find Rach.” I looked down at my GPS and let out a deep breath. “I’m not far out, I’ll be there soon.”

“No, Kash. You go back. You’re too close to this case.”

“And you’re not? She’s like your sister!”

“She’s your goddamn fiancée! Turn the fuck around!”

The tires of my truck squealed as I took a corner too quickly. I hoped like hell there were no cops running radar on this road right now—not like I’d stop for them anyway—because I was still ten minutes away if I went the speed limit. But no way was I gonna have the patience to go thirty-five miles per hour when my reason for breathing could have been taking her last. Once my truck straightened out again, I gunned it until I was going eighty-five down the narrow neighborhood roads. “If she dies, and I did nothing, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself, Mason. I’ll be there soon. Look for her Jeep or a guesthouse and call me back if you find them.” Before he could protest further, I hung up and looked wildly around at the thinning houses.

Just as I was coming up on the different squad cars and vans they’d all taken to get there, I caught a glimpse of white to my left and it took everything in me not to slam on my brakes in the middle of the road or turn and drive my truck into the small guesthouse. I’d never been so happy in my life to see a damn Jeep Liberty. I pulled up behind the end of the line of cars and started back down the long dirt driveway on foot as I called Mason again.