His hand lifted and he brushed back the hair that had fallen over her cheek. “Yes.” He seemed sad. “I do.”
“Y-you worked Violent Crimes.” She had a few federal connections—courtesy of her father—that she’d used to dig into his past.
Bennett gave a low whistle. “You have been busy today. I should have known you weren’t just walking away to spend a lazy Saturday someplace.”
She never spent lazy Saturdays anywhere. “How many killers did you take down?”
“Ivy…” Now a warning edge entered his voice.
She wasn’t backing off. “Tell me about your last case.” Because that was the one that mattered. The one that had changed everything for him. And, try as she might, that case had remained classified.
She had uncovered only the barest of facts. Bennett and his partner had been working a case, tracking a suspected serial killer. The suspect had been killed. Bennett’s partner had been killed. And Bennett had spent a week in the hospital.
After he was released, he’d taken a month leave from the Bureau. Then, abruptly, he’d quit and headed back to Alabama.
He’d almost died, and I didn’t even know it.
Strange…to think of how much his death would have hurt her, when they’d been apart for so long.
“You don’t want to hear about that case.”
“Actually, I do. I want to hear everything about you.”
He eased down a step. “I have some photos at the station that I want you to come and take a look at. Pictures that were snapped by people at the ball. The press was filming the scene when everyone left, and it’s possible we have our perp on camera.”
Was that his way of saying he wasn’t about to tell her about that last case or why he’d suddenly left the FBI? Did he think she was just going to drop it? No, she’d get her answers, sooner or later. She always did. “Let’s go,” Ivy said. It wasn’t as if she had any other thrilling plans for the night. She could hear voices drifting to her—soon the parades would be in full force.
She didn’t want to be alone that night. Better to go with Bennett and see those photos.
Better to be with him.
She locked her house. Set the new alarm. Then they walked together over to the street. Bennett opened the passenger door. She slid inside, and his rich, masculine scent seemed to follow her. He shut the passenger door behind her and walked around the vehicle. Her gaze darted down her street, one of those historic streets lined with oaks that were at least a hundred years old. Spanish moss hung from the oaks, drifting lightly in the breeze. The trees were gorgeous. She’d always loved them but…
But they sent dark shadows sweeping through the neighborhood. They provided so many hiding spaces.
Bennett closed his door. He slid into the seat and cranked the engine. Ivy eased out a low breath and straightened her shoulders. For an instant there, she’d almost been sure that someone was hiding in the shadows. Watching. Waiting.
Maybe she was just letting her imagination get the better of her.
As the car headed down the street, she couldn’t help but glance back at the shadows.
Or maybe not.
***
Ivy had left…with that jerk detective. The man was proving to be an annoyance. He’d kept tabs on the detective that day. He knew Bennett Morgan was messing with the dead. He should leave the ladies to rest, and not go digging into their past.
Into my past.
He’d always been so careful with the kills. One in New Orleans, one in Mobile. Always planning them right when Mardi Gras was in full swing. The cities were packed then—hotels overflowing. It was so easy to vanish in those crowds. So easy to kill. And he’d learned that if he played things just right, the bodies weren’t even found for days, or weeks after those parades and parties ended.
So perfect. So brilliant.
But…
Ivy saw me. For the first time, someone had watched while he killed. And he’d liked that. Liked it so fucking much to have her eyes on him while he drove his knife into a victim.
And everything that he learned about Ivy, every new secret that was revealed, told him just how truly perfect she was for him.
She looked like his victims. So beautiful. So breakable.
But…
But there’s more to her. She’s important, I know it.
He stared up at her house. More of Ivy’s secrets were in that house. He wanted in there. He wanted to be waiting for her when the cop brought her back.
But Ivy had installed a new security system. He’d watched that installation. Even come up and talked with the security team when they’d been taking a break outside. He knew she’d gotten a good system, one that he might not be able to bypass.
His eyes narrowed.
But I want in.
And what he wanted, he got.
Chapter Six
There were dozens of videos. And easily several thousand pictures. Ivy stared at them until she was sure her eyes burned, but she didn’t see any sign of the killer. Or, if she did, she didn’t realize it.
He had on a mask. It was dark. Dammit, the only thing I know about him is that his hair is dark and he’s built like Bennett.