Until Death (9 page)

“So I think you know a pretty good bit about profiling killers.” The chief motioned to him. “Profile this one. Go—”

Bennett’s door flew open. Ivy stood there, chest heaving, her dark eyes blazing at him. “Three hours,” she snapped.

What was she doing there? She was—

“I’ve been back in holding for three hours.” She stalked toward him and jabbed her finger into his chest. “Like a common criminal! I’m all for protective custody. I mean, hell, do what you need to do, but you can’t just lock me up and forget about me!”

As if he could forget about her.

“You need to use me,” Ivy said flatly. “The killer is calling me. He’s hurting my friends—
use me.
”

The fuck he would.

“Ah, Ms. DuLane,” the chief murmured as he rose. “I was wondering when you’d be making an appearance.”

Ivy glanced over at him. “As exciting as I find your jail, Chief. I think my time can be better spent elsewhere.”

“Actually,” the chief drawled. “I think you might be here just in time. Detective Morgan was just about to tell me what sort of profile he had for the killer.”

“He was?” Ivy asked quickly.

“
Uh, chief, she’s a civilian. She—”

“Do you have any idea how many cold cases the woman has solved in the last year?” The chief marched toward Bennett. “I tried to draft her for my force, but she likes playing it independent. Just like her grandfather.”

And he suddenly wondered if—like Dr. Battiste—the chief had enjoyed fishing with Ivy’s grandfather back in the day.

“He would have been proud of you,” the chief murmured to Ivy.

“I don’t know about that,” she whispered, her voice so low that Bennett barely heard her words. But then Ivy straightened her shoulders. “Give us the profile, Bennett, and then let’s see what we can do to trap him.”

Trap him.

For an instant, Bennett remembered pain. Screams. Death.

“Bennett?” Ivy frowned at him. “Are you okay?”

No, he hadn’t been okay in a very long time.

When he’d been far too close to death, when his partner had been dead around him, the Greenville Trapper—a guy with the non-threatening name of Paul Friend—had tried to make Bennett beg. He’d tried to break him.

Bennett had screamed with his agony, but he hadn’t broken.

Because he’d been thinking…

Of her.

“He’s obsessed,” Bennett said flatly. “A woman…a woman he can’t let go. A woman he wants to own.”

Ivy stared up at him.

“Dark hair, mid-twenties…beautiful.”

You won’t touch her.

“He’s been killing a while. So confident. The first time he killed…it was
her.
” His obsession. “And he got high from the pleasure of taking her life. Of having the ultimate control. He liked that feeling. He liked having her…so he did it again and again…but he was smart. He picked two different towns. He killed when the crowds were at their full height. When the cops were so busy that they didn’t notice a woman missing. He did that, not too often, maybe once a year or once every two years, controlling himself as much as possible. Choosing his victims and hunting.”

Ivy licked her lower lip. “But he’s had more than one victim this year.”

Yes, he had. “Because something changed in his equation.
You
changed things.”

“Th-that’s why he called me. Why he’s targeting my friends. Because I saw him kill Evette.”

Yes. “Maybe he liked that you saw. Maybe it pissed him off. I don’t know yet—but you were a trigger for him. You broke his control. He’s acting on impulse now, with no cooling off period between his kills, and that makes him even more dangerous.”

The chief rubbed his chin. “Because that means we don’t know what he’ll do next?”

Bennett nodded. “We need to contact the FBI. They’ll send a team down here. He’s been crossing state lines, killing for years. He’s a serial they need to chase.”

Ivy grabbed his arm. “You
were
FBI! You can catch him. Bennett, come on, we can do this.”

“You’re out of your league, Ivy.” She didn’t understand. “What will you do if he gets you alone again? If you can’t get free? When he drives his knife into you…
what will you do?”

Die.

He couldn’t let that happen.

“If he’s focused on me, if I set him off, then we can use that,” she said desperately. “Bennett, we can—”

“He’ll kill you! He’ll stab you, carve you up until nothing is left!”
His fury and fear erupted. “Then what the fuck am
I
supposed to do?”

She sucked in a sharp breath and pulled her hand away from him.

Silence.

“Yeah…” The chief murmured. “I’ll let you two talk this out a bit more. I think I’ll head in there and see what her brother has to say…”

Ivy didn’t speak, not until the chief closed the door behind him.

Then…

“What the fuck,” Ivy asked softly, “am
I
supposed to do if he targets someone else that I care about?”

He flexed his fingers. He wanted to touch her. Wanted to hold her tight.

“If he calls me again, if he contacts me…
we
bait the trap,” Ivy said as her dark gaze held his. “Stop looking at this from a personal angle. If you didn’t know me, if you’d never slept with me…wouldn’t you already be using me to catch him?”

His hand lifted and slid under her chin. “I do know you. I did sleep with you.” Too long ago. He needed her
now.
“And I will be lost if he hurts you.”

“Bennett?” She stared at him in confusion, as if she didn’t know him.

When she was the only one he’d ever let close. “How do you think I survived before? When that freak had me chained up in that cabin? When he took his time slicing the skin from my chest even as my partner’s dead body was just a few feet away?”

She backed up a step. “I didn’t…I didn’t know!”

She’d asked for the gritty details before.
Be careful what you wish for.
“That’s what you’re asking for, baby. You’re asking to become a serial killer’s toy. You’re asking me to stand back and let that shit happen to you.” He gave a grim shake of his head. “No, it won’t happen. It
can’t
happen.”

“Bennett…”

“That’s my worst fear,” he rasped. “For you to be hurt like that. For you to be trapped, to need me…”

“Protective custody,” she said softly. “Now I understand.” She threw her arms around him.

He bent, hugging her, holding her as tightly as he could.

He thought of the way Hugh had reacted when he’d seen Shelly’s body. The guy had been destroyed.

If Ivy had been on that floor…

“It can’t happen,” he said flatly. “It won’t.” Because he truly would go mad. She didn’t get it—Ivy thought he’d left town and never given her another thought.

But she’d been on his mind. Every day. The one thing that had been
his.

A knock sounded at his door. Hell, probably the chief, trying to get him moving.

He pulled away from Ivy, just a bit, and glanced at the door. Sure enough, the chief poked his head inside.

“Chief, I—” Bennett began.

“Call it a night,” the chief ordered. “Go take Ms. DuLane home. You both need to catch a few hours’ sleep. Then you can come back here. We’ll meet at 0700.”

Take her home? The hell,
no.
“But she’s in custody—”

“I didn’t say it had to be her home, now did I?” The chief turned away. “Priorities are important in this world, Bennett. Make sure yours are in place—and that they are the right ones.”

Ivy is my priority. Priority One.
Maybe it was time he proved that to her.

“Come on.” He grabbed his keys and looped his fingers with hers. They hurried into the hallway and turned toward the bullpen.

But Ivy stopped and glanced back toward interrogation. “My brother?”

And then Hugh appeared. Standing in the hallway, with his shoulders hunched, her brother seemed like a completely different man to Bennett.

Ivy pulled from Bennett and hurried to Hugh’s side. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. “I’m so sorry,” Ivy said.

Hugh didn’t hug her back. He stood there, stiff and seemingly lost, in her embrace.

Ivy eased back. “Hugh?”

He blinked and looked at her. Bennett didn’t even know if the guy was really seeing her or not. When he’d interrogated Hugh, he’d thought the other man might be in shock. “It’s my fault, isn’t it?” Hugh asked.

Bennett tensed.

“Payback. Fucking karma. Because I kept my damn mouth shut before, I’m being punished now.” Hugh’s gaze cut to Bennett. “He was my father, man. I…he said we’d lose everything.”

Bennett could barely breathe as he realized just
what
Hugh was talking about. Another time. Another murder.

“I tried to get her out of the fire.”

They weren’t talking about Shelly, not even close. But Shelly’s death had pushed Hugh over some sort of edge.

“That’s why I have the burns.” Hugh looked down at his palms, and, sure enough, there were old scars there. “I tried to get to her, but she wasn’t moving inside her car. He told me she was already dead.”

Bennett felt his cheeks ice.

“He pulled me back. He was on his phone, calling for help. The flames were rising.” Hugh closed his eyes. “Then I saw her move. Your aunt was still alive.”

No, shit, no. I can’t hear this now!

His aunt had been so close to him. His mother had usually been too busy with her lovers to give him much thought. But his aunt…she’d been everything.

“The car exploded before I could get back to her. I’m so sorry.” Hugh raked his hands over his face. “It’s payback! I let her die, and now Shelly…Shelly is gone! I didn’t get to help her, either! I didn’t get to do a damn thing!”

Ivy hugged him again. “Hugh, this isn’t about you. It’s not your fault.”

He squeezed her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “No? Then whose fault is it, Ivy? Who the hell do I blame?” Over Ivy’s shoulder, Hugh met Bennett’s stare.

“You blame the killer,” Bennett told him. “When we catch him, when we lock that perp behind bars…
you blame him.”

“I’m sorry,” Hugh told him. “For so much…dammit, man,
I’m sorry.
”

Bennett inclined his head toward Hugh.

“Don’t you wish you could change the past? Past…” Hugh’s head sagged forward as he pressed closer to Ivy. “Present and future.” Then he whispered something to Ivy.

Bennett didn’t know what the guy had said, but Ivy jerked away from him. “No!”

Hugh smiled, a sad sight.

“No, don’t ever say that! You’re nothing like him! You never were!” She shook her brother, hard, and her voice rang out as she said, “You matter. You have always mattered, and I don’t care what crap he told you. Our father was one grade A bastard.” Then, softer, she said, “You know you matter to me.”

Hugh’s fingers slid under her chin. “Wait until Bennett tells you what I did. See if you still feel the same way.”

All the secrets are coming out.

Hugh exhaled and focused on the uniformed cop who waited a few feet behind him. “I get my own guard, Ivy. Good deal, right? Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll make certain I don’t do anything too crazy.” He turned and headed toward the cop.

“I’ll be pissed if you do!” Ivy threatened. “I know you’re hurting, Hugh, and I’m so sorry.”

He glanced back at her. “I loved her, Ives.”

Ives.
It had been so long since Bennett had heard that nickname.

“I didn’t even realize it,” Hugh said as he shuffled away. “Not until I saw her on that floor.”

“Hugh…” There was so much sorrow in Ivy’s voice. “Please, promise me…” Her words trailed away.

But Hugh had stopped.

“Promise me you won’t do anything to hurt yourself,” Ivy said, “Not like…not like our father.
Promise me.
”

Bennett hurt for them both.

Hugh slowly glanced at her.

“I’ll come with you,” Ivy said quickly. “I’ll stay with you tonight. I’ll—”

“No, not tonight.” Hugh’s voice was firm, his eyes grief-stricken. “Tonight, I want to think of her.” His jaw hardened. “And I give you my promise, Ives. I won’t be like him.”

Him. Their father…the all-powerful senator…a man who’d killed himself one hot southern night.

Ivy nodded. “I’ll…I’ll come to you tomorrow?”

Hugh nodded. Then the cop led him away.

Bennett put his hand on her shoulder.

She stiffened. “Let me guess. My brother is getting protective custody, too, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I want him safe.” She glanced back. “In case you didn’t realize it, our father spent most of his time making Hugh think he was worthless.” Her lips twisted. “Is it really such a surprise that when he was eighteen, Hugh caved to my dad’s pressure? That he lied at the scene of that terrible accident?”

It hadn’t been an accident.

The senator had truly gotten away with murder. But not forever…eventually, the guilt had set in, and then, one night, he’d put a gun in his mouth.

When Bennett had heard the news, he knew that he should have felt relief. His aunt had gotten justice. But he hadn’t felt relief. He’d just felt sadness. And he’d wanted to see Ivy.

But when I got down here, she wasn’t alone. She was with Cameron.

Now Cameron was missing.

***

Ivy hadn’t returned home.

He sat in her bedroom, waiting. He’d been waiting for the last few hours.

But she hadn’t come back home.

Her brother was a fool. The idiot had saved her security system’s passcode on his phone. It had been merely a matter of a little finger swiping, and he’d had perfect access to Ivy’s house.

He’d explored all the nooks and crannies.

He’d touched the silk of her underwear. He’d spread out in her bed. He’d imagined all of the wonderful things that he would do with the sensual Ivy.

Now, so much made sense to him. She’d been the piece of the puzzle that he hadn’t realized was missing. A puzzle piece that had been deliberately kept from him.

She was everything now.

Every single fucking thing.

She’d be home again. Sooner or later, and when she was…