

Surviving the Past

By Eleanor Dineen

Copyright Eleanor Dineen 2014

Smashwords Edition

License Notes

Thank you for downloading this free ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. Thank you for your support.

This book is a work of fiction. I have drawn upon my own experiences for much of the content. However, I have invoked an artistic license and have embellished for the sake of the storyline. No part of this book is intended to be reference or source material. Any relation to a real person or story is purely coincidence.

"And maybe just remind the few, if ill of us they speak,

That we are all that stands between

The monsters and the weak."

-Michael Marks

PROLOGUE

Kale Michaels was sitting in her windowless office with the phone cradled between her shoulder and her ear as she listened to the man on the line explaining exactly why his son could not have been the one to rob a convenience store. She had stopped listening to him approximately ten seconds after he started talking. Instead she started scrapping the fingernail polish off her nails one flake at a time. When her neck got a crick, she transferred the phone to her other shoulder and continued to try and reach her goal of removing all the polish on her fingers without the benefit of nail polish remover. She was probably supposed to care what the man on the phone was saying, but she honestly didn't. Beside the fact that the man's son was on camera robbing that convenience store, it really didn't matter. The attorney she worked for was going to get the kid off anyway. As long as dad had the funds to pay.

She focused in on the man for a second to make sure that he hadn't expected her to say anything yet. He didn't. He was in the middle of a story about how his baby would never hurt a fly. His baby was twenty-five years old with a criminal history longer than her leg, but it would only be counterproductive to make mention of that. Kale concealed a yawn behind her hand and leaned back in her chair. The chair wasn't meant to lean back, but since she had started work there more than a year prior, three bolts had fallen out of it. She fully expected that one of those days she would be leaning back in her non-reclining chair and fall directly on her ass. It was her own form of Russian Roulette. The Russian Roulette of the overworked, overly bored secretaries.

Technically she was a legal secretary which meant that she was qualified to help actually work the cases. Yet most days she was just a secretary, which meant answering the phones, filing paperwork and basically being the lawyer's bitch. But, it paid pretty damn well. The attorneys of the firm Hargan, Markson and Pierce each had a secretary, a paralegal and a legal secretary. Why she ended up getting the bitch work was no surprise. She was Pierce's legal secretary and to his great disdain, she refused to sleep with him. His secretary and paralegal had done no such thing, thus they were afforded two hour "work lunches" and had the perk of going out of town to "assist" their boss. Kale wasn't about to make waves. This was not going to be her profession. She took the job to pay off her student loans and the one thing Pierce couldn't touch was her paycheck. She had been hired as a legal secretary and he had to pay her as such, even if all she did was get him his coffee.

Of course, if he deigned to take a case that wasn't going to cost the defendant hundreds of thousands of dollars, suddenly Kale had enough work to last her months, seeing as she was the one filing all the motions and doing all the legal work. Pierce didn't do grunt work for those that couldn't pay well. He saved his talent for the people that really mattered. And, he was a damn good attorney. She had lost count of how many murderers he had actually set free. It played havoc on her morals, but in the end, she wasn't the one doing it. She only took paychecks from the devil and put salt in his coffee when he wasn't looking.

The other two attorneys were just as bad about the glory. All three of them treated their team of assistants as expendables. Hargan was an interesting breed of man. He had legally changed his name from Matthew to Matthias to seem more prestigious. Kale always thought that if the goal was to sound like douchebag, he hit the nail on the head. Markson was a pretty typical attorney. He talked fast, he wore power suits and he didn't care what anyone had to say about anything. He could argue that white was black and not back down until his opponent relented from sheer exhaustion. They refused to hire junior attorneys that would only steal the glory and split the paycheck with them. They instead, used their team of women. There were eleven women in the office. No other men than the three of them. Each man has his team of assistants and then there were two young women who worked the front desk. Kale didn't mind the younger one. She was fresh out of college and eager to be working in a lawyer's office. She was naïve and paid no attention to Pierce flirting with her. Her naivety would either work in her favor later on in life, or it would drown her. The other receptionist was trouble. She was a bit older than the rest of the girls. Older in that office meant pushing thirty. She was there to find a husband and that's all she worked on day in and day out.

Kale mentally checked in on her caller, but he was still knee deep in the river he was crying. She crossed her legs and looked down at the heel she was wearing. If she wore heels, she found that Pierce was more pleasant around her. When she wore flats, he seemed to act more rudely. It probably wasn't entirely appropriate for Kale to play into the man's foot fetish or leg fetish or whatever the hell made him change his mood based on footwear, but some days she just needed him to back off. That was one of those days. She had stayed up late scrubbing her entire apartment which is what she did when she couldn't sleep. It had been eight years ago that night that her mother had died. So she had barely slept. At about three in the morning Eli called her, knowing that she would be awake. He had calmed her enough to get a couple hours of sleep before work.

Eli was essentially her savior. He had come into her life when she was eleven years old. Kale and her mom had moved from place to place for as long as she could remember. Her mother had what Kale now recognized as alcoholism, but she was functional. They stayed in one city for as long as it took her to find a man and then subsequently dump him. She didn't attract the best breed of man and Kale had always been afraid of what she might bring home. She had been leaving her alone in the hotels and apartments since Kale was a toddler. She would go out, get drunk, find a man and weasel as much money out of him as she could. Once, after her mother had passed out, one of her boyfriends had come after Kale. Kale had screamed bloody murder. Her mother had showed up and beat the hell out of the man. Kale had been ten.

Her mother apologized over and over again, promising her she'd never let her get hurt. They had moved again. To Cincinnati. Her mother had gone out like usual but the man she had brought home was different. Kale had hid in the closet when she heard them return. Her mom had passed out and the man had gone to hang up her jacket. That's when he found her in the closet. She could remember it like it happened yesterday. He had crouched down, keeping his distance, not reaching out to touch her. He said hi to her and told her his name. Eli. He told her that her mom was sleeping at he had been about to leave to go home, but he had changed his mind and decided to sleep on the couch, just to make sure that everything was ok the next morning. Kale hadn't said a word to him but he didn't take offense. He just smiled at her, got up and pushed the closet door almost closed, leaving enough space so she could see out into the apartment.

Eli hadn't left her since. He had dragged her mother to AA and stuck by her every single time she relapsed. He had married her and adopted Kale. And he had been by Kale's side as she watched her mother die a slow and painful death at the hands of alcohol. Once her mother was gone, Eli was all she had. He raised her, protected her, punished her when she was a bratty teenager and he loved her. He had been a God send and she knew without him, she'd be nowhere near where she was.

There was silence on the phone and Kale knew that she had missed something. Somewhere in that filibust she had been expected to speak. She had to wrack her brain for the man's name so she could address him. She had just remembered it when something else caught her ear. It was strangely familiar but she couldn't identify it immediately. Even so, an icy cold finger of dread dragged down her spine. Her breathing slowed considerably in direct contrast to her pulse accelerating. Slowly as though she was moving through water, Kale pulled the phone away from her ear. She blindly hung it up on the base attached to the wall to her left. For some reason unbeknownst to her, she slipped her shoes off her feet and pushed them under her desk. She was up from her chair and walking toward her door. Her bare feet were silent against the cold wood floor beneath them. What the hell was that sound?

She heard it again. A muted metallic lash of air that made her startle. She had heard that sound before, but she couldn't place it. She strained to try and make out the sound again. The familiarity of it was hanging just on the edge of her senses. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. Her phone rang, making her jump. She looked back at it, and despite her body's response to whatever she had heard, her mind started to try and calm her. It's nothing, you're paranoid. Kale took a deep breath and started to walk back to her phone, feeling pretty ridiculous for over reacting, when she heard a scream. It was ear piercing and suddenly cut short. Kale froze, her blood ran cold and her entire body erupted into awareness. Goosebumps covered her skin and she had stopped breathing. Everything slowed down around her as the sound from before was suddenly clear. Silencer. Gunshots. The phone stopped ringing leaving Kale in a soundless void.

Eli's voice invaded her mind. Get your weapon. If you can't get out, get to cover.

Another scream jolted her out of her motionless state. The office was no longer eerily silent. Kale could hear screaming coming from all over. Her office was one of the last ones, near the exits and she could tell people were running toward her. She stepped farther into her office listening and morbidly counting the amount of screams that were cut short. Four. Four had been shot down mid-scream. Kale dropped to her knees, reaching for her purse that she kept in the bottom drawer. Her movements were slow, too slow for the panic she was feeling. Each breath she took felt like it took a month's time to exhale. Her arms and legs felt weighted down. Why wasn't she screaming? Why wasn't she running? Her hand reached the cold steel of the gun that Eli had bought her for protection. It was his voice she heard, urging her on.

Where's the advantage, Kale? Find the optimal spot.

She fell back, sitting on her heels as she numbly pulled the slide back an inch to check the barrel of the gun. There was a round in the chamber. It was always ready to go. The screams were fewer now. There was a lot of time in between each one. People were starting to hide, making the shooter work for it. Had anyone called 911? Kale couldn't think to dial the phone. She was coming unglued. She heard another woman's scream. The panic, the terror of it swirled around her, making her close her eyes tight. The scream stopped abruptly and Kale wished that she was somewhere else, sitting on a beach with her toes in the sand, staring at the ocean waves. Footsteps pounded toward her. She almost mistook them for the pounding of her pulse in her ears. Someone was running. Kale opened her eyes and peered over her desk just in time to see a young blonde woman stumble and fall just outside her office door. There was blood in her hair, on her clothes, on her skin. She had been shot. But, she hadn't died.

Kale's body reacted, suddenly shedding the invisible weights that had slowed her down before. Her breaths were no longer slow. They were panicked shallow breaths that didn't draw enough oxygen. She started to see spots, but her body moved as if on autopilot. She crawled to her door, to the woman laying just inches from it. She got a look at her face. The woman was quiet, but awake, aware and in pain. It was the young receptionist, Kelly. Her eyes were pleading. Kale grabbed her by the arms and as quietly as she could dragged the woman into her office, leaving a blood trail. She stowed Kelly near the wall and shut the door as much as she could without latching it. She didn't want to risk the noise of the latch drawing attention. If the door did open, Kelly would be covered by it. It would buy the young woman a few more seconds on her life. Maybe she could use them to pray.

Kale retreated behind her desk. She listened to Eli's words in her head. She was in the optimal spot. If the shooter walked in straight, she would have the drop on him. Her body was shaking and the grip on the gun felt unsteady and slick with sweat. Knock it off, Kale. Focus. Breathe! She looked at Kelly who was still silent. Her eyes were darting back and forth, terrified and in agony. Kale brought her shaky finger to her lips before readjusting her grip on the gun. She took a deep breath and waited. Her heart felt like a pinball against her ribs. Each beat echoed in her ears like she was underwater and running out of air.

The thud of heavy footsteps penetrated the fog that had started rolling through Kale's senses. Kelly heard it, too. Her body jolted and her eyes became even wider, more panicked. Kale willed her body to stop shaking as she crouched down. Her hand trembled as she raised the gun, ready to do what she had to do. She was terrified and the panic threatened to take hold of her body, rendering her useless to Kelly and herself. The black spots in her eyes returned. She blinked but they remained. She was going to die. She wasn't going to make it.

Calm, Kale. Remember what I taught you. Breathe, Release, Aim, Slack, Squeeze.

Eli's voice washed over her as the footsteps got closer. She relied on her training with Eli. She relied on her senses. He had always told her she had a knack for detection. She listened. The heavy footsteps were a man's. He was wearing boots. He was big which meant a chest shot might not necessarily stop him. The footsteps were closer. Kale could almost see the man in her mind, following the blood trail Kelly left straight into her office. He was right outside her door now. Kale's heart felt as large as a basketball, knocking her forward and back with each beat. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the gun in her hand. Her finger hovered outside the trigger guard of the weapon until she heard the man's hand slide along the wooden door, pushing it open slowly, like a predator. Her finger slipped onto the trigger as she opened her eyes.

The man filled the doorway. He was large, muscled and most importantly, calm. He was not enraged. He was not out of control. He was composed. He was dressed in a dark shirt with cargo pants. He had a handgun in his hand, equipped with a long silencer. He had another hand gun stowed in his waistband. His face and pants were red with blood splatter. He was looking at the ground. Time seemed to stand still as Kale watched him track the blood trail to Kelly. He took another step into the office and Kale placed her front sight on his head. The back sights of the weapon had just leveled with the front when Kelly let out a blood curdling scream. Kale blew out her breath and squeezed the trigger. She felt disconnected as she watched the gun recoil and retrain on its target. Her finger squeezed the trigger again and the mountain of a man crumpled to the floor, a halo of blood immediately surrounding his head and inching its way toward Kale.

She couldn't move, couldn't think or speak. She didn't hear anything else after that. Not Kelly screaming, not the sirens, not the footsteps of a group of police officers systematically clearing the office building. She watched completely emotionless and detached as the blood from the man's head reached her, seeping between her toes and staining her skin. She didn't comprehend what had happened and she couldn't figure out where all the blood was coming from. Her eyes wouldn't work. Her ears could only hear the ocean waves of the beach she was sitting on where he toes were dug into the warm sand.

Then, she was violently ripped away from her paradise and staring down the barrel of a rifle listening to someone screaming at her angrily. She blinked and tried to focus, all the noises rushing back to her at once. Screaming, sobbing, torturous cries of pain. The metallic scent of blood mixed with gunpowder and lead nearly suffocated her. She made herself look up and saw the man holding the rifle on her was dressed as a police officer. He was still screaming at her. She could hear his voice but not his words. She blinked again, staring at the rifle, trying to get her mind to formulate the proper response. Suddenly the rifle was pushed away from her and a man who was not in a uniform was in front of her. His eyes were ice blue. The rest of the room's colors faded away as she looked at the man's eyes. They were kind. They were the only thing she could focus on. The man was saying something, but she didn't hear him. His hands were on hers. They were warm and she suddenly realized she was cold. She finally looked down, away from his eyes. He was taking something out of her hands. A gun. There was blood everywhere. She had shot someone.

Chapter One

SIX YEARS LATER

David Malcolm had never wanted to step foot back in Cincinnati another day in his life, but orders were orders. He thought that by running away to the FBI in Virginia he would be able to get away from the shambles his life had become. For the most part, he was right. He had a great life in Virginia. A little boring, but not so bad. He had a little apartment that was the perfect size for him alone. He didn't have to worry about what women would think of it because he was married to the job and he didn't often bring women back to his apartment. He had probably brought someone back three times in the past few years. He preferred to be alone. His solitude was calming when the job became too stressful. His apartment complex had a gym and that was about all he needed.

Being back in Cincinnati felt a whole lot like visiting hell. His family was there, but at the moment, most were not talking to him. He had fled and not looked back for six years after all. He knew the second he stepped foot in the city she was going to find out and most likely make his life miserable for however long he was forced to stay. David had gone so far as to ask the Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Agent Conrad to reassign him. After all, Cincinnati had its own office and was more than capable of responding to a call for help from the locals. ASAC Conrad had told him to man up and get to work. David didn't even really comprehend why the feds had been invited to the rodeo. There was nothing federal about the case. Two murders didn't make a serial killer. Locals didn't like to share, as he well remembered. He had once been on the other end telling the feds to go fuck up somebody else's case and leave his alone.

ASAC Conrad hadn't briefed him too much, only saying that the murders were connected. He had given him the files and told him to go play nice with the locals. He was going to be meeting up with another agent from the Cincinnati field office. They had asked for David specifically because he had been a Cincinnati Police Detective. David thought that was an excellent reason to disqualify him from the assignment. But, there he was in the Cincinnati FBI office, reading through files on two murders that didn't really seem related to him. He had been in Cincinnati for two hours and already he felt his body rejecting it. He physically couldn't sit still as he wondered just how long it would be until the shit hit the fan. He had run from her but in the process he had left everything else behind as well. His brothers had even stopped calling to tell him that he was an asshole for leaving their mother and not saying a word to her for years. They didn't know the whole story and he wasn't about to tell them.

David tried to focus his distracted mind on the file material. He would need to sound somewhat informed when he met with the team of detectives that were investigating these murders. He was a fed after all. That meant any type of weakness or lack of understanding would be blood in the local shark water. He shook his head, trying to clear it of all personal thoughts. This was business and he was being childish about it. He needed to focus, get down to work and figure it out so he could get the hell out of dodge. An agent approached him in the temporary office in which he was assigned.

"Agent Malcolm?" he asked in the doorway.

David stood up and extended his hand. "Yes. You must be Agent Andrews."

"Doug," he replied, giving his hand a firm shake.

"David."

They nodded at each other and Andrews sat down across from him. "Did you get a chance to review the cases?"

"I've been doing just that. I can't seem to see the connection or why they called us in," David told him. He scanned the reports again and all he could come up with was that the victims' names and faces were slightly familiar.

The first victim was a white female, 32 years old, worked as a secretary and was a single mother of two school aged children. She had been found in her vehicle strangled to death by the seatbelt. Her name was Veronica Watson. The crime scene pictures were well done but David preferred to see crime scenes in person. He was not a fan of coming in second string. Veronica had been found quickly so there was no real discoloration of her skin or effects of decay. She looked pretty despite the wide red mark covering her neck. Her makeup wasn't smudged and her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail with barely a strand out of place. Had she even struggled? David wanted to get a look at her nails to see if she had used them against the perpetrator.

The second victim was also a white female, 30 years old who was a daycare teacher. She had no children of her own and was a newlywed. Her name was Natalie Androckis. She had been manually strangled and found inside a gas station bathroom. The crime scene pictures showed that she had struggled hard. Her hair was disheveled, she had defensive marks on her arms. Her skirt was hiked up around her waist and she was not wearing underwear, but the report stated that there were no signs of sexual assault. They were not ruling out the possibility that the suspect was sexually motivated however, due to the state of the victim. There was a close up of Natalie's neck which showed clear finger impressions. She has lost control of her bladder as she died. A puddle of urine pooled between her legs. It was a depraved and barbaric way to die and it angered David thoroughly.

There was a week between Veronica's murder and Natalie's murder. Other than strangulation, David just wasn't seeing a connection big enough to bring in the FBI. Veronica was blonde; Natalie was brunette. The women had different occupations, different lives. The investigating officers had been thorough, checking to see if the women used the same grocery store, gym, restaurants, etc. They had nothing in common.

"You don't recognize them?" Andrews asked.

David looked up, startled. "Should I?"

"You worked a case with both of them for a short while."

David looked at the names again, looked at their faces. Something nagged at him but he couldn't place it. He shook his head. "I'm not getting it."

"It was about six years ago. It was an office shooting. I'm told you mostly did paperwork on it since you were just about out the door to the FBI," Andrews explained.

David was instantly transformed back to that day. It was one of the worst scenes he had ever witnessed. He had been out with his partner getting lunch and bullshitting about how he was as good as gone to Virginia when the call came in. Dispatch had been calm as they advised every officer in the area of an active shooter in the office building that housed a law firm. He and his senior partner Detective Jake Rodgers had dropped everything and ran to their car. Dispatch kept relaying updates about the shooters whereabouts as he stalked his way through the office. The chilling part that David would never forget was, as dispatch keyed up to relay information, the officers on the other end could hear the screams coming from the 911 call filtering through the mic. He had never felt so helpless in the car, speeding toward the building, listening to innocent people being shot down.

By the time they had gotten there, the responding officers had created an entry team. David and Jake had gone in behind them, following along as they cleared each room. He had counted the bodies as they went. They had found six women shot dead like animals. By the time he and Jake had located the last one, they heard screaming. One of the officers was screaming "Drop the gun!" over and over again. David and Jake ran toward the sound finding the officer inside a small office, pointing his rifle at someone that they couldn't see. There was a dead body partially in the doorway, blocking most of the tiny office. Jake had looked behind the door and announced that he had a live one. The officer with the rifle was still giving commands. David had pushed his way farther into the room, intent of giving the shooter a dirt nap when he realized that the officer had a young woman at gun point.

She was surrounded by blood, even sitting in it. He couldn't tell if she was injured or if the blood was coming from the other two people in the office. She was clutching a Glock and her eyes were glassy as though she wasn't all there. She was looking at the officer's rifle as though she didn't know what it was. He had pushed the officer's rifle out of her face and crouched down to her level, getting blood all over his shoes and the cuff of his pants. He hadn't cared. Her eyes had focused on him as he told her that it was ok. He spoke in a low soothing voice. She stared at him like he was the only person in the room. He gently reached toward her, fully expecting her to flinch or flail at his touch, but she didn't move a muscle. He slowly pulled the gun from the death grip she held on it.

Kale Michaels.

That was a name he had never forgotten. David looked up at Andrews. "Fuck, they were the survivors," he whispered. "Fuck."

"The locals think that they might have someone picking off the survivors of that shooting. We only have.."

"Three women and three men left," David finished for him.

Six women had died that day. The three attorneys had been located cowering in a different part of the building. Five women had survived, four of which were physically unhurt. Thanks to Kale Michaels. It all made better sense now, the reason the locals wanted to call in the feds; the reason David was called specifically. He hadn't done too much of the investigation work because he had been mere weeks out from going to Quantico. He had done a lot of paperwork. He would never forget Kale Michaels though. He got the autopsy paperwork from the coroner. The shooter, John Riley had been killed with two impeccably placed rounds to the head. The second round had entered the same hole as the first. David hadn't been able to believe it when he heard. Kale had been nearly comatose by the time they had gotten there. He couldn't reconcile that with a woman who had better aim than ninety percent of the police force, especially in that kind of situation.

After he had taken her gun from her and started to stand, she had grabbed his hand. Her hand was ice cold against him but he didn't pull away. He handed off the weapon to the officer and stayed there, crouched next to her in silence until the paramedics got there. She was non-responsive and refused to move or let go of David's hand. The paramedic had finally put something in a syringe and injected her with it. It took a minute but soon after her eyes rolled shut and David had to catch her before she fell back into the puddle of blood that surrounded them. She was easily moved after. She and the other woman in the room had been whisked away to the hospital before he ever said another word to her.

"Yeah, we want to make sure the survivors actually survive," Andrews was saying.

"The shooter is dead. We never found the connection to the law firm. He was a nobody. He had no ties to any of the women, to any cases being represented by the law firm. Nothing. If he was hired by someone else, they covered their tracks too well. We had nothing," David explained.

"I think that's a motivating factor in the call out as well," Andrews said.

"The last murder happened over a week ago. Are we assuming that these are going to continue at this pace?"

"That's the assumption. We don't want to unnecessarily scare the survivors but we can't take the chance. We need to notify them all. We don't have enough resources for witness protection for them all, but we can at least put them on guard."

"That's assuming all of them would want witness protection. Some may not want the upset to their lives. As far as I know, the lawyers are still practicing and pretty good at what they do." he replied. He wanted Kale in protective custody.

"Too good," Andrews huffed.

"Have the locals notified anyone?" he asked.

"They just made the connection a few days ago. I think they are waiting on us for a green light," he said. He presented a file. "We've got the survivors locations here so we can get to them quickly if need be."

David nodded and tried not to show too much interest. He wanted to know what Kale was up to now. He had felt an odd connection with her for those ten minutes in that office. It was strong enough that he had never forgotten her, not in six years. It was strange, deeper than her looks. He couldn't even be sure if she was attractive or not because that wasn't the pull she had on him. It was around her, her very presence that had pulled him in.

Andrews' phone rang and he tucked the file under his arm to answer it. He turned his back on David as he spoke. David could see his body language change, his spine stiffened and his tone was clipped. He was asking one word questions. "Where?" "When?" "How?" David's body tensed up in anticipation of what was coming. Andrews finished the call and turned around to face him.

"We've got another one. Found her about twenty minutes ago."

"Who?" David asked through clenched teeth. Not Kale.

"Her name is Kelly Hargan," he said.

"Kelly Hargan?" he repeated. "Wait..."

"She used to be Kelly Lammers. She married Matthias Hargan," Andrews confirmed for him.

"Shit," David sighed.

"Exactly."

Twenty minutes later David and Agent Andrews had rolled into an upscale neighborhood where each house was bigger than the next. The crime scene tape was rolled out in front of what must have been a million dollar house. David hadn't quite gotten over the fact that Kelly Lammers had married Matthias Hargan. For one, the man must have been twenty years older than her. Kelly had been just a kid when she worked for the law firm. Riley had shot her in the back of the thigh as she ran away from him. Kale had saved her life when she dragged her into the office. Kelly's statement had said that Kale stowed her behind the door and when Riley walked in, he had followed the blood to her. Kale had been on the other side of the room. Riley never saw her. It was smart, very smart. And very tactical. David had always wondered where Kale had gotten those tactics.

David and Andrews walked up to the front of the door and signed in with the uniform that was standing sentry at the door. They both showed IDs and waited until the officer documented their presence. He directed them upstairs where the detective in charge was already investigating. The crime scene unit was on scene as well. They were given blue booties to cover their feet and both men pulled out latex gloves from their pockets. They took every precaution to not contaminate the scene. David took note of the interior as they walked to the stairs. The house was clean, too clean for children so he assumed they had none. Despite the modernity and clean white lines of the house, it did show some hints of comfort. There was what looked to be a homemade comforter on the back of a contemporary couch. There was a jacket hanging on the banister of the stairwell and family pictures lining the wall. There were deep foot prints in the carpet that looked recently vacuumed. David knew the crime scene unit would have taken pictures and they would be taking shoe impressions of the first responding officers to eliminate them.

They slowly made their way up the stairs, trying to take in everything. The lights were on even though the large amount of windows in the house let in a lot of natural light. David made note to ask Hargan if they used the lights during the day. If not, the killer could have been there the night before or in the early morning. Once they reached the top of the stairs, it was clear by the foot traffic that the murder had occurred in the bedroom. Crime scene techs were walking out carrying bags of evidence. David side stepped them as they walked into the master bedroom. The room was large and bright. The entire north wall was floor to ceiling windows. A large king sized bed should have dominated the room, yet the room was just too big to be dominated by anything. A flat screen TV was mounted on the wall in front of the TV. There was a woman's vanity in the corner, covered with make-up and hair products. But, there was no body. The coroner's van was still outside so David knew they hadn't taken her yet. So where was she?

A man David hadn't seen since he had left the job walked out of the bathroom. Detective Jake Rodgers. Time hadn't been kind to the man. He looked worn out. The smell of stale cigarettes filtered through the room. The smell was so familiar David almost felt like he was back on the job with him. Jake's stomach had expanded with time but his wardrobe hadn't. David knew that if Jake took off the sport coat he would be sporting a jelly stained shirt and a tie that was too short for him. The man had a weakness and it was for jelly donuts. Jake caught a look at Agent Andrews who showed him his badge, and immediately flew off the handle. David could have predicted it but did absolutely nothing to stop it. He just sat back to enjoy the show for a few minutes.

"Well fuck me stupid, the feds are here," Jake snarled. "Who invited you?"

"Your chain of command," Andrews snapped. "We are here to assist at your request."

"I see. Well here's a tip. If you've been invited by anyone above a Sergeant, you're not needed. So run along, little feds. Go back to your office, put your feet up and push some paper," Jake told him, waving his hand at Andrews, telling him to leave.

"Listen, Detective," Andrews started. "We are not leaving so you might as well drop your attitude and tell us what you've got."

"Oh ok, well what I've got is a giant pain in my ass created by two motherfucking FBI agents that think their shit doesn't stink. "

"We are on the same side, here. I am not trying to take over your investigation. We are here to offer our help and resources," Andrews said through clenched teeth. David had to hand it to the man. Jake could get anyone worked up but Andrews hadn't stooped to his level. Yet. It was still early, after all.

"Well thank God. A lowly little department such as ours surely can't handle a simple suicide."

"Thank you, Detective. You've just made my point," Andrews said. "You're not sitting on a suicide."

"And how the fuck would you know that?"

"Because she is the third survivor of the office shooting that occurred in 2007 at Hargan Markson and Pierce that has come up dead in three weeks."

Jake was silent and David knew he was remembering the scene. Andrews capitalized on it.

"So I guess the fucking feds do have something to offer after all."

Jake recovered quickly. "Yeah, you can offer to suck my..."

"You kiss your wife with that mouth?" David interrupted him, finally drawing attention to himself.

Jake turned to look at him and his eyes narrowed. "David Malcolm? Holy shit, what's up, brother?"

David smiled at him and gave him a friendly handshake. "Jake Rodgers. How the hell have you been, partner?"

"Divorced, asshole. I don't kiss anyone with this mouth, least of all FBI ass," he retorted but he was smiling. "How's life buried in paperwork?"

David smiled and ignored the question. "Can we see the vic?"

"I should have put two and two together faster. The name threw me. Kelly Hargan. She was Kelly Lammers back then," he said, sobering. "Hargan. She must have married that douchebag attorney."

"She did," David confirmed.

"Who else?" The question was clear despite how vague he asked it. He wanted to know which other survivors had died.

"Natalie Androckis and Veronica Watson."

Jake nodded. "They were fucking babies. God dammit."

Jake had been pushing fifty when they caught the office shooting. He had taken it pretty hard. He had to do some of the family notifications of the dead women. He wasn't wrong. The women were all in their early twenties with the exception of one dead receptionist. David remembered her from sorting out the paperwork. She was just about to turn thirty and had been pregnant. No one had stepped up claiming to be the father. Jake took that pretty hard as well.

"So?" David asked, wanting to see the victim.

"I should have realized it wasn't just a suicide when crime scene got here within ten minutes. Fucking command. You'd think they'd want the front lines to know what we've got," Jake grumbled.

"Same old, same old," David agreed.

It seemed like nothing had been done to address the breach between road and desk officers. The command staff worked according to their own agenda and disregarded everyone else's. It did not shock him one bit that the commanders had been the ones to call out crime scene. They should have contacted Jake to let him know what was going on, to let him in on the connection. Yet, they left the detective in the dark for no other reason than it suited their purpose better. They didn't want a media frenzy just yet. They didn't want the public aware and as such, their own detectives were working with second rate information. David hated the politics behind the job.

"She's in the walk-in closet," he sighed. "Couldn't find a note, but I guess you explained that."

"I'm sorry, Jake. I know it was a hard case for you. We are just here to help," David told him.

"Don't feed me that line of fed bullshit, Malcolm. You're here to take over and we both know it," he snapped.

"You know me better than that, dammit," he growled at him.

"We all used to," he muttered before leading them into the closet.

Andrews had stayed silent during their exchange, but David knew he was listening, taking it all in and cataloguing it for future use. They walked into a large bathroom with white ceramic tile covering the floor. There was a his and her sink, sparkling clean. Not even a splatter of toothpaste to be found. A large jetted tub took up the far corner of the bathroom. It was surrounded by candles. There was a wine bottle and a stemmed wine glass on the edge. Only one glass, David noticed. The glass stand up shower next to the tub was so clean he wondered if it had ever been used. It amazed him that people could lead such sterile lives.

The walk-in closet was off the bathroom, near the sinks. Jake pushed the door open with a gloved hand and stepped back. David got his first look at the victim. He braced himself for the initial feeling of despair and pushed past it to stay detached and objective. She was hanging from a ceiling fan inside the massive closet. The closet itself could have been another bedroom. He expected the room to smell like death, the stench of released bowels and flesh no longer being sustained by a beating heart. But instead, he smelled perfume. It was light and floral, a stark contrast to the atmosphere of the closet.

Kelly's blond hair was down, cascading around her face. She was wearing what David hoped was a nightgown. The black satin dress barely reached the top of her thighs and was open all the way down to the small of her back. The body was slowly turning with the current. David took careful steps, following the flow of the swinging body to try and see her face. He avoided the small stool that was tipped on its side as he walked. The stool matched the vanity he saw in the bedroom. He made his way far enough to see where the hair parted and her face shown through. It was somewhat swollen but her features were still recognizable. David's mind flashed back to what she looked like at the shooting. She had been so young. Jake was right. She was a baby. She didn't look much older. Her skin was pale, but not from her death. She was naturally porcelain. Much of her skin was exposed by the small nightgown. Her breasts were on display, her arms and long legs were bare. Not one inch of skin was marred or bruised. David couldn't even find the gunshot scar that should have been on the back of her left thigh. Plastic surgery, most likely.

"The ME is going to cut her down in a few. The already photographed everything," Jake said, his voice sounding strained.

"Who found her?"

"Cleaning lady. She cleaned the fuck out of the whole God damn house before finding her, too."

"There goes any evidence," Andrews muttered.

David nodded at him as he cocked his head to see her face again as it slowly rotated away from him. Her makeup was done, her lips an unnatural red against the pale of her face. Her hair had been curled. Her fingers were manicured but he didn't know enough about that to know if it was professional or not. He looked down to her toes and saw that they were only partially painted. Someone had interrupted her getting ready for the day.

David looked to the stool, then to Jake. "May I?"

"Have at it."

He sat the stool upright under her feet. It just brushed the tips of her toes. Not impossible for a suicide but highly unlikely. She would have needed another couple inches to comfortably reach the noose she had hung. It was also unlikely that she had been able to reach to the ceiling fan to anchor it. The noose itself was unusual for the household. David would have expected her to use something handy, like pantyhose or a belt or one of her husband's ties. At most, he would have expected nylon or some kind of synthetic rope. But she had used a thick hemp rope. David wasn't even sure where he would go to purchase a rope like that anymore.

"What about the other girls," Jake said. "Fake suicides?"

"No, but some form of strangulation each," Andrews added. He had taken out his notebook and was writing down notes about the body.

David was walking around the closet, taking in the amount of clothing the couple possessed. A pink dress was laid out on a bench near the back of the closet. There was a pair of open toed shoes sitting next to it. It would explain why she was painting her toenails. But, if she were interrupted while painting her nails, there should have been evidence of a struggle somewhat. There should have been spilled nail polish, smudges on her toes, something. But there was nothing. She had completed one stroke on her middle toe and then just stopped. A thought hit him. Was this real?

"Maybe this wasn't a staged suicide," he said out loud.

"How do you mean?" Andrews asked.

David looked up at Kelly's face again. "Did we get blood tox results on the first two victims?"

"It's possible," he replied. "What did you mean, not staged?"

"I mean, maybe the doer wasn't trying to deceive us. Maybe this was just his way of killing her. The stool is just a little too small for her to have used it to kill herself. But it's not too small for a man, say my height to stand on and string her up," he explained.

Jake raised his eyebrows. "Good job, rook," he said.

David rolled his eyes. "I haven't been a rookie in ten years."

"How would the doer have done that with absolutely no sign of a struggle or anything?" Andrews said, thinking out loud.

"That's why I want to see the tox screens for the first two. Maybe they were drugged. Kelly is what, 5'7 and a 110 pounds soaking wet. She'd be easy to string up if the man was capable, especially if she was passed out. It would explain the lack of defensive wounds or any attempt to save herself."

"Natalie Androckis fought back," Andrews reminded him.

"That's true. Maybe he screwed up. He did manually strangulate her instead of using an object. She pissed him off more?"

"It's a good as theory as any right now," Jake agreed.

"Listen, Detective," Andrews started. "We aren't here to take over, but we do have a faster lab than yours. What do you say you help us clear the way to get the evidence to our labs and stop this prick before he gets another survivor."

Jake ignored Andrews request and turned to David. "Shawn know you're here?"

David's jaw clenched, not expecting the question. "No," he said angrily.

Andrews looked at him strangely and David wanted to deck Jake for bringing it up. The men were all staring at each other when they heard someone clear his throat in the doorway. A man was standing in front of a stretcher. Two younger men were behind him, one arranging a body bag on the top of the stretcher.

"This is our ME, Albert Hood," Jake introduced. "Al, these are two pencil pushers."

"FBI," Andrews interjected angrily, glaring at Jake. David was thankful for the humor. Jake was letting him off the hook.

"What happened to Loftin?" David asked. He had been the medical examiner back when he worked the department.

"Hawaii," Al told him. "You familiar with us?"

"He used to be my partner before he went and got a lobotomy," Jake said with a chuckle.

Some people might have found it to be in poor taste to joke when in the presence of a dead body, but David knew that Jake needed the release and the detachment to keep his sanity. Even though he hadn't kept in contact with anyone from Cincinnati, David had kept his ear to the ground about the ones he cared about. Like Jake. And his family. Shawn. He would know that he was in town pretty soon. Word traveled fast in the Cincinnati PD and seeing as Shawn was a sergeant now, he'd be hearing about it pretty soon.

"We're forwarding all samples and anything to be tested to the FBI lab. They've graciously offered to pick up the tab," Jake said with an overly fake smile.

"Thank you," Andrews said gruffly.

The men stepped aside as Al and his team carefully cut down the body. David's stomach twisted as he noticed that Kelly was not wearing any underwear. He shook his head and sighed.

"I know you will already, but check for signs of sexual assault. She isn't wearing underwear," he said.

"Junior, I know you're out of practice, but in a get up like that, underwear isn't really part of the plan," Jake told him.

Al hid a smile and said, "I'll check for you, Agent."

Andrews followed the ME out saying, "I'm going to make a few calls and get the evidence from the first two transferred to our lab. We need to get on this and start tracking down the remaining survivors."

Jake sighed. "I suppose we should go get Kale, then."

David's pulse inexplicably started to race and his body flushed with heat. He hadn't expected Jake to say that, to know her still. A myriad of emotions flew through him; confusion, anger, apprehension and most unwanted of all, jealousy.

"Go get Kale?" he asked, hoping his voice didn't beget his anxiousness to know any little detail about her.

"Kale Michaels," he explained, thinking David was confused on who he was talking about. "She's the one that actually shot Riley, the shooter."

"I remember," David said through his teeth. His palms were sweating.

"She's a cop now," he told him, as though it was no big thing.

David was sure he heard him wrong. A cop?

"I want to make sure she's safe," Jake added.

David had not once allowed himself to think of Kale since he walked into Kelly's house. She was there in the back of his mind, but he refused to let it push to the front. He refused to think about how she might be next, that she could easily be another body he found hanging from a ceiling fan. He refused to acknowledge that he felt anything toward her, least of all responsible for her safety. But, hearing Jake talk about her casually, as if they knew each other obliterated any illusion that he had any control of his mind's thoughts. His mind flooded with unwanted considerations and questions. He had never looked her up after the shooting. In all honesty, he had been afraid of the connection he had felt with her. After all, technically he had been engaged at the time.

"I see. How's she doing?" he asked, keeping his voice light, as if he wasn't dying to know.

"Uh..." Jake stalled.

Alarm bells went off in David's mind. He narrowed his eyes at Jake. "What?"

Jake pointedly looked at Al and the crew that were busy bagging Kelly's hands and preserving all the evidence they could. He subtly shook his head and then walked out of the closet. David followed him, maybe a little too eagerly. Andrews was in the hall talking on the phone. He acknowledged David and gave him a finger, asking for a minute. David nodded to him and turned back to Jake.

"What?" he asked again.

Jake looked around the room nervously. "Why don't you just come with me to go get her? I think she's on days. She's probably on duty right now."

David understood that whatever Jake had to say he didn't want leaking to anyone else. He was lucky that he still retained Jake's trust otherwise the FBI would not be getting the whole story, that much he could tell.

"Alright. I'll just tell Andrews that I'll meet him back at Cincinnati HQ later," David said.

He crossed the room toward Andrews and stopped abruptly in front of the vanity. Sitting front and center was a bottle of red nail polish. He was still wearing his gloves so he tapped the long black top of the bottle and watched it tilt to the side. The nail polish wasn't completely capped.

"She was sitting right here," David said. "She was doing her nails right at this table when the doer got to her."

"There's not a thing out of place," Jake mumbled. "Now how the hell did he manage that?"

"She put the lid back on the nail polish herself. Like she was just pausing for a minute," David surmised. "She stopped for a reason. A sound? Did she get up and investigate a sound?"

"Now what woman does her toe nails and then gets up to walk around in the middle of it?" Jake scoffed.

"You're right. She wouldn't have. It would have smudged them. She knew the doer?"

"She stopped to address him," Jake agreed. "Fuck."

All of the sudden there was flurry of activity at the bottom of the stairs. Cops were raising their voices and someone was yelling. Jake, David and Andrews all turned toward the noise, looking down the stairs to see Matthias Hargan fighting to get passed one of the uniformed cops.

"Kelly!" he was screaming. "Kelly!"

"Shit," Jake mumbled. "All yours." He gestured toward David and Andrews.

"Asshole," David muttered but he descended the stairs to head off Hargan. Andrews was right behind him. "Mr. Hargan?"

"You!" he exclaimed. "I know you! Where is Kelly? No one will tell me anything. I had to get a call from my neighbor saying the cops were all over my house. What is going on?"

He was bordering on hysterical. "Mr. Hargan, I am Agent Malcolm with the FBI. This is Agent Andrews. I need you to sit down," David said firmly but gently.

"No, tell me. Tell me, God dammit!"

"Mr. Hargan, if you could just sit.."

"Kelly!" he screamed up the stairs.

"Mr. Hargan!" David yelled, trying to get him to focus. "Mr. Hargan, I'm sorry, she's been killed."

Hargan immediately silenced, the color dropping out of his face so fast that David thought he might fall out. He was silent for a few seconds before an agonizing wail wrenched out of him. He dropped to his knees. "No!" he screamed. "No, no, no!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Hargan."

"Where is she?" he screamed hysterically. "I need to see her. Kelly!"

"Mr. Hargan, she is in the care of the medical examiner. He will treat her with the utmost respect. We need to ask you some questions about what might have happened today. Can you answer some questions for us?" David asked.

"Oh God, oh God," he mumbled, tears streaming down his face. He looked up at David. "You, why do I know you?"

Hargan stood up to his full height, although it seemed to burden him. He was probably older than fifty years. He was wearing an expensive suit, tailored to his exact specifications. The gray in his hair and the despair in his face made him look much older.

David swallowed. "I was there. At your office. When Riley..."

Hargan's eyes widened. "Why are you here now?"

"That's what I need to talk to you about. Mr. Hargan, I know this is beyond difficult for you but I need to ask you some questions about Kelly."

He nodded his head numbly.

"When did you last see her?"

"She was in bed this morning. She wasn't awake, but she was there," he replied.

"What was she wearing when you left this morning?"

His eyes scanned the floor rapidly, back and forth. "I uh...I think...a black nightgown. I think. I wake up so early. She wasn't awake yet. I went to bed before her last night. I think it was the black nightgown."

David took a deep breath, hating to ask a grieving husband these questions. "Was she wearing underwear?"

Fury flashed through Hargan's eyes. "You son of a bitch!" he screamed, lunging at him.

David easily side stepped and with the help of Andrews, softly subdued him.

"Mr. Hargan, Agent Malcolm wouldn't ask the questions if we didn't need to know," Andrews said soothingly.

"I can't do this," he wailed. "I want to see her."

"That's not possible right now, sir," Andrews said. "But we understand if you need some time. An officer will bring you to the police station until you're ready to speak with us."

Hargan didn't reply. David turned around to find Jake behind him, his arms crossed over his chest. David could read his face plain as day. He didn't like Hargan. David understood. From what he read about the law firm after the shooting, no cop in the land would approve of those attorneys. They were too good about getting criminals out of convictions. They played cops for fools on the stand. They were sharks.

"Can you have an officer bring him to your station?" Andrews asked discreetly. "We can tell him about the possible danger once he's calmed down."

Jake delegated one of the uniforms to take Hargan away. "You coming to get Kale or what?" Jake asked David.

David turned to Andrews. "Kale Michaels is another one of the survivors. She's a cop and Jake thinks she's on duty. I'm going to go with him to round her up. You can get a statement from Hargan, right?"

"That's fine. Let me know when you have her," he replied.

David didn't wait around for anything else. He walked out of the house, shedding the booties and gloves. Jake was close behind. He wasn't surprised to find that Jake was still riding around in a beat up old Ford Crown Victoria. The commanders were given brand new Dodge Chargers to drive to and from work while the road officers were stuck with derelict vehicles that weren't even good enough for resale. As soon as the doors closed and the engine turned over, somewhat violently, David started in.

"So what couldn't you tell me in front of anyone else?"

Jake put the car in gear and eased it away from the curb. "That depends. Are you are a fucking fed right now or are you my former partner?"

David knew the right answer and he knew what Jake wanted to hear. He gave it to him. "I'm your former partner."

Jake nodded but David could still see he was wary. Whatever he wanted to tell him, it wasn't good. David's chest was getting tight and his stomach was doing slow turns. Something wasn't right.

"Is there something wrong with this girl?" David prompted, talking as though he didn't have the slightest care one way or the other.

"You remember that shot she took on Riley?" he ignored the question.

"Yeah, hard to forget." He remembered every single detail he had read about Kale.

"She's good. She shoots expert," he told him. He was stalling.

"Spit it out Rodgers," David demanded.

"She's...rough around the edges," he told him. "Let's see if I can track her down."

David watched as he pulled out his cell phone and called their dispatch line, trying to get a location on her. It was troubling that Jake was stalling so much. Jake was a straight forward kind of guy. Whatever was going on with Kale made Jake uncomfortable. As long as David had known him, he had never seen Jake hem and haw as much as he did in the last ten minutes. He shut the phone and David looked at him expectantly.

"She rides District 1 beat," he said.

"What!" David exclaimed, failing miserably at keeping the absolute shock out of his voice.

District 1 was dangerous, too dangerous. Back when David was a detective, he caught a murder every other week out District 1's Over the Rhine. He had read that they cleaned it up a bit since then, but it was no place for Kale. He couldn't see her any other way than he did the day of the shooting. She had been so fragile and the urge to protect her had been overwhelming. He had been afraid to go see her in the hospital, mostly because he was afraid to feel what he had felt when she grabbed his hand. The connection, it had been too deep. He couldn't handle it, if he was being honest with himself.

"She kinda prefers the tougher beats," Jake was saying. "Like I said, she's a little rough around the edges."

"Stop beating around the bush and just tell me whatever the fuck you're trying to say," David growled.

Jake sighed. "She's got some trouble on her. I kept a pretty good eye on her when she went through the academy about four years ago. She was great. I mean it. Top of her class. She needed some work on managing the temper she's got, but she reigned it in pretty good when need be. I think the shooting really scared her shitless and she was trying to prove it didn't."

"I'm not hearing the trouble," he urged.

"I'm getting there. I don't know what the fuck happened, Dave. But about halfway through her field training she just...changed. She made it through probation by the skin of her teeth and she's barely hanging on as it is. Her personnel file is about two inches thick with complaints." He stopped and looked at him. David's chest clenched. Something worse was coming. "She came to me about two years back, saying she needed to get right. She was strung out on booze. I got her cleaned up and back on track, but now she's just...she's hard to deal with."

"What do you think happened?" David asked through clenched teeth. It was a wonder his jaw didn't crack in half.

"To be honest, I don't know. I've asked her a hundred times. I've even stooped so low as to ask her while she was drunk out of her mind. She still didn't say a word."

David nodded, trying to calm his racing pulse. He wasn't sure why it was racing to begin with. The thought of her at her lowest point, turning to Jake. It just didn't sit well with him.

"Why you?" he blurted out without thinking.

"Why me what?" Jake asked.

"Why does she turn to you?" His voice was rough, accusing.

"She doesn't often. I got her the damn job, Dave. What's your problem?" he yelled.

"Nothing," he grumbled. "I just don't like this. Something is off with this shit. We never found the connection from Riley to the law firm." He sighed. "If she wants protective custody, I'll work it out somehow."

Jake laughed. "I think you're barking up the wrong tree, brother." He made a turn, guiding them into the inner city Cincinnati. "She likes to keep to the seedier parts of town. We'll see if we can't find her. She's got a nasty habit of not calling out her stops."

David didn't want to hear that. It was beyond dangerous for a cop to not let their dispatch know where they were. She must have had a death wish.

"She sober now?" he wanted to know.

"Yeah. I don't think that she was ever that far in the bottle. It didn't take long to clean her out." He made a couple turns, through downtown, his head on a swivel, looking for her. "I just don't know how she's going to take this. She could flip out or she could go the other route and completely detach. You just never know with Kale."

"I can handle it either way," David told him. "Agent Andrews wants to round everyone up and explain to them the situation, keep them on the lookout." David was more interested in rounding just one person up, but he couldn't let that be known. He needed to remain objective and dedicated to the case.

"Got her," Jake said, pulling into a gas station.

David looked out his window and saw a police car, lights flashing across the street. A young female officer was out of the vehicle talking to a man that was at least twice her size. David couldn't see her face yet, but he could see that she was on the smaller end for a cop. Her dark chestnut hair was tied into a bun at her nape and she wasn't wearing her police issued hat. Her badged shirt was snug against her. She leaned her arm on her weapon as she looked up to the man. David couldn't hear what they were saying, but the body language was telling. The man had his arms crossed and was leaned back from her. She was leaning her weight on her hip, looking up at him. The pose was sarcastic. Whatever the man was saying, she wasn't buying it.

Jake stepped out of the vehicle so David did the same. As they approached they watched a small child come up to the man, yanking at his shirt and calling him daddy. The man swatted the kid away, but the child wasn't listening. Kale was writing something in her notebook, but David could tell she was keeping an eye on the man. He still couldn't get a good look at her face, though. The child kept picking at her father until finally the man lashed out and shoved the child back, making her fall on her butt on the concrete sidewalk. The child burst into tears and David got his first look at Kale's temper.

She dropped the notebook and David was just close enough to hear her say, "Are you out of your fucking mind?" She grabbed the man's arm and reached for her handcuffs. The man wrenched away from her and Kale went on the offensive. She shoved the man and attempted a leg sweep which the man dodged. Kale took an elbow to the face before the man took off. David immediately chased after the man, guided by pure instinct that had been six years dormant. No damn way was that man going to get away with hurting her.

Chapter Two

Kale stumbled back, mad at herself for taking an elbow to the face. But, that wasn't about to stop her from giving chase. And it certainly wasn't going to stop her from making sure that waste of oxygen remembered her when she caught him. He was fast for a large man and Kale lost sight of him as he turned a corner. She did notice a blur of a man who looked like he was wearing a dark suit fly past her. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought the mystery man was in pursuit of her suspect. She turned the corner in time to see an old beat up Ford screech to a stop about a block up from her position. The blur in the dark suit had caught her man and slammed him against the hood of the car. Kale slowed down, making sure she was taking stock of the situation before walking up on something she wasn't sure of.

The car was a dead giveaway. A ten year old Ford Crown Vic. That was a detective car. She assumed that the D's were riding by and saw the man run from her. Cops were pretty good about covering each other's backs. Usually. She sighed, slightly embarrassed that the detectives witnessed her getting her clock cleaned. But, she needed to handle her suspect so she trudged along, preparing biting remarks for any of the shit the detectives were about to dole out. It didn't bode well for female cops to take offense to anything, even if it was deliberately offensive. It was alright. Kale had thick skin. She got within fifty feet of the vehicle when the driver stepped out. He was looking directly at her and she froze. It was a gut reaction. Her stomach launched into a ballet of slow turns which made her want to grab onto something, just to steady herself. She never saw him unless she fucked something up.

Typically Kale knew exactly what she had fucked up. She was never too surprised to see Jake Rodgers. He came around if she called him or if she had another complaint against her. But, Kale couldn't think of a recent complaint; that she knew of, of course. Still, seeing Jake there, the way he was looking at her, she knew something was wrong. Her blood turned to ice. She had the urge to turn around and flee even though she knew she never would. Her feet were firmly rooted to her spot, still some fifty feet away from him and the unknown man currently mother fucking her suspect. She couldn't make herself move. Her mind raced, wondering what she had done. Had they finally gotten enough on her to fire her? Being fired was always a threat looming behind her, but she had never paid it much mind. She didn't realistically believe that it would ever happen. Now, looking at Jake look at her with what could only be construed as sympathy, she finally considered that her job was at risk. And with it, her entire life. She was married to the job. She had nothing else. Not one damn thing.

Panic started to swell within her as her mind raced forward to all the things she was about to lose. The Cincinnati summer was sweltering to begin with but Kale suddenly felt herself get much warmer. She wasn't positive but she thought she felt her body start to shake. She watched Jake as he watched her. His face contorted into concern and Kale knew that she was losing it, right there on the street. Get ahold of yourself, Kale.

She took a deep breath and commanded her feet to move. She slowly approached the vehicle as Jake came around it to meet her. Kale felt like she was walking along the green mile, with the spindly fingers of desolation pulling at her from all directions. It did give her a spark of pride that she willed herself to keep walking.

"Jake," she said, somehow forcing her voice to remain level.

"Kale, you alright?"

She paled. "Why wouldn't I be?" she snapped. It was text book for her. If she started to feel backed into a corner or uncomfortable at all she became the epitome of a bitch. She was mean, she snarled, she made vicious comments and insulted people just to drive them away.

"Cause that linebacker just caught you on the jaw," Jake snapped back.

She had all but forgotten that, even though the man was screaming and cursing up a storm mere feet from her. She brought her hand up and rubbed her jaw. It was a little sore and she knew she'd be sporting a bruise by the next morning, but it was the least of her concerns.

"I'll live."

She chanced a glance at the suit who was wrangling her suspect. She couldn't see his face. His back was to her, but she could tell he was broad, big and probably muscled underneath the suit. Unlike Jake, the unknown man's suit actually fit him as though it had been tailored. Jake bought anything that would cover his gut with no mind for how it looked. That had been part of the reason she trusted Jake. He was focused on one thing only, the job. Which was probably directly to blame for his expanding gut and two divorces. That day, Jake looked a little more unkempt than usual. He looked tired.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, propping her elbow on the weapon secured to her belt.

Jake glanced at the unknown man, then back at her. He started to speak but then shut his mouth. Kale had never seen him hold his tongue and she was immediately suspicious. Dread started to settle over her, rolling in like a morning fog over the water. Fear seeped under her skin. She fought it, taking up a wide stance, crossing her arms across her chest, relying on her cop mask to carry her through whatever was about to happen.

"We need to talk," Jake finally said. "Call someone else in for this asshole, or let him go."

"Fuck that," she hissed. "I'm taking him to jail."

"Kale, call another unit," he ordered, his voice hard and authoritative.

Kale was shocked but masked it with a glare. She waited a minute before keying up her radio and requesting an additional unit to her location. She never lost eye contact with Jake, staring him down and trying to force his hand. The panic she felt was bubbling just under the surface. She couldn't let herself slip even an inch or it had the potential to take over completely. She had to stay in control. She had to keep her head.

"Who's that?" she asked roughly, nodding toward the suit.

"We'll talk about it once this guy is gone," Jake said.

Kale scoffed at him and walked over to the suit, who still had her suspect pinned against the trunk of the car. She pulled out her handcuffs and as if they were on the same wave length, the suit stepped aside, keeping his weight on the suspect's back but allowing enough room for Kale to cuff him. Once he was secured, Kale pulled him up and spun him around before shoving him back against the car.

"Are you out of your fucking mind, Rodney?" she yelled at him.

"I didn't do nothing, bitch."

"You think I'm going to let you toss your kid on the concrete right in front of me? You must be as dumb as you are tall," she huffed.

"Fuck you," he retorted.

"I'm surprised anybody has," she replied, calmly.

A marked cruiser pulled up alongside of the old Ford. A young, physically fit officer got out of the car and walked up to them.

"Michaels, what do you have?" he asked.

"Detective Rodgers needs me so I can't take the collar. Just roll him in on street demonstration. Give me the report number later. I'll write it up."

"You got it," he said, manhandling the suspect into the back of his patrol car.

Kale watched him with a sense of trepidation. The closer she got to the suspect being gone was the closer she got to finding out whatever it was that Jake had to tell her. Part of her was anxious to know, anxious to get whatever it was over with. But, the other part, a stronger part of her wanted to run as fast as she could.

"Thanks, Alex," she said, her voice distant, on autopilot as she considered what Jake had to say.

"Woa, wait," David said.

Kale hadn't once looked at him since they had been there. Although his own focus had been mostly on the gigantic suspect that Kale apparently thought she could handle alone, he had watched her. Her reaction after seeing Jake was telling. She hadn't wanted to see him. She was hesitant to walk to him. David had seen fear in her. Jake was holding back as well. He was treating her with kid gloves. Jake never treated anyone that carefully. David's first week on the job, Jake made him take a rape murder with absolutely no advice or forewarning. He shouldn't have been coddling Kale so much. It wasn't in his nature. Unless, he knew something about Kale that David didn't know.

Kale looked right at him and it was his first look at her face up close. She was prettier than he remembered, although he had no real recollection of her face from the day of the shooting. Her build was average, but the uniform hid any true vision of what she would look like. She was paler than what David was used to seeing and her eyes were the focal point of her face. They were big, almost too big for her face and midnight blue. They were also looking at him like she had just taken a step off a ledge.

"Add assault on law enforcement," David told the patrol officer.

"Kale?" the officer asked her. "You ok?"

Her eyes narrowed on David and merged into a glare. "It's nothing, not worth the charge," she replied gruffly.

"Do it," David ordered. "And if you need a statement, call me. I saw the whole thing." He gave the officer his card.

"FBI," he read. "Isn't this a little out of your jurisdiction?"

"Take care of it, officer," Jake interjected in a no nonsense tone.

The officer nodded and turned to leave. "Kale," he called, before he got into the driver's seat. David watched as Kale dragged her eyes away from his face to look at the officer. The officer put his hand to his ear mimicking a phone. Kale's nod was barely visible, but acknowledged. David didn't care for the communication between them. He was shocked by the surge of unwanted jealousy that sliced through him like a bolt of lightning.

Kale turned her attention from Alex to Jake and the suit. The man was familiar but she couldn't place him. It nagged at her. She knew him. Somehow she knew him. She felt the panic rising and fought it back the only way she knew how.

"Jake, you had better tell me what the fuck is going on and why you have a God damn fed tagging along with you before I tear into you."

"We need to talk," Jake told her. "Let's go to the station."

"You must be out of your damn mind if you think I'm taking one step with you before you tell me who this mother fucker is and what the hell you're here for," she growled at him.

Jake gave the fed a look and a slight shrug. The fed was shaking his head. Kale's temper flared at their silent conversation. The further out of control she felt, the angrier she became.

"God dammit, Jake," she yelled at him.

"It's about Hargan, Markson and Pierce," he blurted out.

Kale immediately saw spots as her vision clouded. Her legs felt shaky underneath her and that thin shred of control she had over herself disintegrated. She stumbled back and somewhere in the periphery of her mind she felt two strong hands on her biceps, holding her steady. She felt as if every drop of blood drained from her head. Her body was overheated and her breaths became shallow and panicked. She couldn't get enough air. Her throat felt swollen and slowly her senses shut down. The reaction was instantaneous, brought on by nothing more than the name of the damn law firm.

She felt herself being guided to a sitting position. She couldn't hear anything past the rush of blood in her ears. It was as though she had slipped under water. She could barely move, barely breathe. Everything distorted. What did they want? It had been six years. Six years since she had gone through what could only be described as hell. For fuck's sake, she was about to fall out right on the street in uniform. She couldn't let that happen. From somewhere deep within her, she clawed her way back to the surface. She latched on to the only thing she knew would keep her above water.

She blinked and tried to focus. The suit was crouched down in front of her, his hands still on her biceps. "Who the hell are you?"

She put her attention on the man who was so close she could feel his breath. The eyes, something about his eyes called to her. She knew the man, but she couldn't pinpoint it. Looking at him was like humming a song whose words were just out of reach. The melody surrounded her but she couldn't identify it.

"My name is David Malcolm," he said calmly. She felt his hands tighten around her arms almost soothingly. "I'm an agent with the FBI."

Kale regarded him, slowly catching her breath, refusing to acknowledge the fact that she was indeed having a panic attack. David Malcolm was extremely attractive and Kale rarely found herself thinking that. She was more the type to warm up to someone over time rather than get heated right away. His features were sharp and edgy despite his kind eyes and calm demeanor. His dark hair was short and disheveled making him look young and boyish regardless of the hard lines of his face. Why did she know him?

"You're fast," she mumbled.

He laughed a bit, his smile making his otherwise attractive face gorgeous. "Thanks."

"What are you doing here? And if you tell me we need to go to the station, so help me God I will rip off any appendage within my reach," she threatened him between shallows pants of breath.

"Slow down," he told her, his voice low and tranquil, ignoring her threat. The sound surrounded her, lulled her. "Get ahold of this before it takes you down."

Kale forced herself to take a deep breath, guided by his words, although she didn't know why. "Get on with it," she said forcefully, regaining her strength.

David sighed and relented. "It does have to do with the law firm. With you and the other survivors of that day." The day he meant needed no clarification. Kale felt the panic start to rise again as her eyes faded to dark. She blinked hard and when she focused, she was back in that little office watching the blood spread closer and closer to her. She looked up and there was the man looking at her with compassion. He was taking something out her hands. She looked back up at him and her mind transformed her back to the present. Realization sucker punched her harder than her suspect had. She couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath as she shot up to her feet, forcing David to stand and back up quickly. She stumbled over the curb as she tried to get away from him, create distance. How could she have not known who he was?

"You," she spit out, grasping at her chest, wanting to tear off the bullet proof vest so she could just get one proper breath. Her body felt like it was constricting in on itself. She was powerless to stop it. "You were there."

"Kale, sit down before you fall out," he told her gently.

"You were there," she accused again. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Kale," Jake started. "You should sit."

"Answer me!" she screamed, not caring one bit that they were still very much in public and she was making a scene.

"I was there," David said calmly. "I was a detective with Cincinnati Police then. I was one of the officers that found you and Kelly in that office."

How could she not have recognized him right away? She had dreams of him in the days, weeks, months after the shooting. She had never said a word about him to anyone, largely because she wasn't sure if he truly existed. He had been there at the moment she had truly been exposed to the depravity of man. The exact moment when she had lost faith in humanity. And, with just his look, with his willingness to hold her hand, he had restored it. Kale wouldn't acknowledge it, but that man had probably saved her life with nothing more than his presence. How pathetic was that? Now, having him there in front of her, verification of what she had been through six years ago, she couldn't handle it. He had always been just a dream, an unknown vision of perfection. Knowing that he was real was terrifying. She had the hope that humanity still existed based an aberration. Now that he existed, she feared that he wouldn't live up to so many years of leaning on the idea of him.

"Oh God," she wailed, mortified to hear those sounds coming out of her mouth.

"Please sit down," he nearly begged her.

The terror of that day came crashing down around her. The realization that she was going to die, listening to the boot steps of death stalk toward her office door. Why wasn't she over this? Why couldn't she hear those names without needing to crawl under a blanket and hide from the world?

David watched Kale dive headlong into a panic attack. Her face was too pale, she couldn't get her breath. She was pacing back and forth without much steadiness. David tracked her movements, ready to catch her if she was going to fall. She remembered him. He couldn't believe it, she remembered him. She had been through an immense trauma, she was barely conscious, not at all coherent and she remembered him. That had to mean that he wasn't insane. There was a reason he had never gotten her out of his memory. There was a pull toward her. Perhaps she felt the same way. Although, if the way she was looking at him was any indication, that pull wasn't necessarily a good thing. She was glaring at him as though he was responsible for her panic.

She was clutching her chest, pulling at her collar as her body reacted to her alarm. David couldn't take one more minute of watching her let the fear take over her body. He walked up to her, firmly took her by the arms and sat her down in the back seat of the detective car. Her feet dangled on the curb as he crouched down in front of her again. He had been able to break through the ice once; he might be able to do it again.

"Kale," he said calmly. She wouldn't look at him and the attack was getting so bad David was concerned she may have to go to a hospital. "Kale," he repeated, letting go of her arms and sliding his hands behind her neck, bracketing her jaw with his thumbs as he guided her face down to look at him. "Fight this, don't let it take you over," he told her.

She looked at him and the connection between them was unmistakable. Their eyes locked and David physically felt his body charge like static. The link between them was so strong that David didn't know how he could have second guessed it. He was unsure about what the connection meant. It was not overtly sexual; his body had not reacted to her like that immediately. But he was also certain that his feelings toward her were not brotherly, not in the least. She was beautiful after all, in a very traditional, pure kind of way. David had typically dated the bombshell sexy types which was why his body hadn't jumped to attention upon seeing her. Yet, the jealousy that had streaked through him earlier and the need to protect her, the need to avenge her told him that she appealed to him more than he cared to admit.

"Who are you?" she whispered, her eyes locked on his.

"I'm no one," he whispered back, suddenly very aware that Jake was watching the entire interaction between them. He knew what she meant but he still didn't have the answer. He didn't know who she was to him either. Of their own volition, his thumbs started caressing her face soothingly. "Do you have this? Are you in control of it?" he asked her.

She took a deep breath and nodded. A few moments later and the color started to return to her face. She reached up and pulled his hands away from her face. Their eyes finally broke clear of each other. She stood up and looked at Jake.

"What's going on? Tell me now and I'll go wherever you need me to go," she said, her voice eerily calm.

"Kelly's been killed," Jake told her.

The color drained out of her again, but she held her ground. "By who?"

"We don't know," he replied.

"What does it have to do with me, or the...the firm?" she stammered.

"Veronica and Natalie have been killed, too. Similarly," he told her.

Kale's knees buckled and she fell back into the seat of the car. David's hands were immediately on her, helping to guide her down so she didn't hurt herself. He had never been so quick to touch before but he felt completely at ease touching her.

"Are you alright?" David asked her.

She glared at him. "I'm fucking fine."

"Get in," Jake ordered her.

"My patrol car is down the street," she snapped.

"Not anymore. I had someone get it while you in the middle of freaking out," he mocked her.

"You're an asshole, Jake."

She swung her legs into the car and sat back, her arms crossed pretending that she wasn't affected by the turn of events. Her mind was racing a mile a minute and she couldn't shake the clammy beads of fear that were crawling over every inch of her. Something was terribly wrong. Natalie, Veronica and Kelly dead. That meant that only she and Mallory were left. Well them and the lawyers. She shuddered at the thought of them. She felt the car give as the two men sat in the front seats. The doors shut and soon after they were on their way.

"So talk," she growled at them.

"We will," Jake said.

"My partner would like to get everyone else together so we can discuss what we are allowed to tell you," David explained.

"What?" Kale exclaimed. She caught Jake's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Everyone at once?"

"Is there a problem?" David asked.

There was silence and David could see Jake's focus on the rearview mirror. He glanced back at Kale. They were having an unmistakable silent argument and David was starting to get pissed off at all he wasn't privy to.

"Is there a problem?" he repeated, louder.

"Is there, Kale?" Jake asked.

"I'm a cop. I should get preference. I should be able to know it all, not just what some civilians get to know," she argued.

"And you probably will," David replied. "But we still need to get everyone together."

"Bullshit," she muttered under her breath.

"Why's that?" Jake asked, angrily.

She refused to look at him. "I just don't want to see anyone," she mumbled.

There was a long pause that seemed to fill the air. Jake's sigh broke the tension.

"Oh Kale," Jake said disappointedly. "Don't tell me..."

David was confused. What the hell were they talking about? He was being kept in the dark and he wasn't about to let that happen. If they expected him to solve this case, they had better believe they would be giving him all the God damn information, not just what they deigned to give.

"Shut.the fuck.up," she said pointedly.

"Please say it wasn't Hargan."

"God dammit, Jake, what the fuck did you not understand about shut the fuck up!" she yelled at him.

"No it wouldn't be Hargan," Jake said to himself. "Oh Jesus, it was Pierce, wasn't it?"

Something cold settled over David as he finally understood what they were talking about. What had Kale done? She was quiet in the back seat. Her face was beat red and she wouldn't look up. He wondered if her embarrassment had anything to do with him being in the car.

"Oh Kale, baby," Jake sighed.

David's jaw clenched at the familiarity. He couldn't stand the thought of Jake that close to her, even though he was old enough to be her father. And he definitely couldn't stand the image of her and that arrogant asshole Pierce that had formed in his mind.

"You don't know what it's like," she accused him. "No one understood! No one could stand to be near me. They treated me like a freak because I...." she trailed off. David chanced a glance back at her. She was brushing away what he thought was a tear, but her eyes were dry. "It was a mistake."

"When?" Jake asked her.

David wished that Jake would drop it. He was embarrassing Kale and it wasn't integral to the case. She looked so miserable and small, hunched in the back seat, staring out the window.

"You don't have to answer that, Kale," David came to her defense.

"Who are you, her fucking attorney?" Jake snapped.

"It doesn't have anything to do with the case," he retorted. "She doesn't need to talk about it in front of someone she barely knows."

"Fuck you, Malcolm."

"Two months after that day," Kale piped up, just to shut the two of them up.

Kale was surprised that the fed had come to her defense. She certainly hadn't expected that. They were known for dredging up every little dirty secret they could find, even if it meant nothing to their case. To hear him tell her not to talk, that was highly unusual. Mercifully, he was distracting her from the real issues. It was enough for her to push her fear and panic back down to its normal resting place, locked away in the back of her mind.

She had slept with Pierce on a particularly low night of her life. She still had her apartment but she had spent most of her nights with Eli after the shooting. He had made her feel safe, like he did back when she had been a kid. One night, she forced herself to stay at her apartment. Pierce had called her. She hadn't spoken with him or anyone else from the firm since the shooting. They had avoided her and she avoided them right back. But Pierce had reached out to her. He thanked her for saving his life. No one had done that. The police had investigated her and submitted her case to the Prosecuting Attorney to determine if charges should be drawn. The news ran the story about a secretary killing an armed intruder but the deaths overshadowed any of what Eli called heroics. She had been treated much like a suspect. So it came as quite a shock when Pierce wanted to meet with her. She met him and he had gotten down on his knees and thanked her for what she did. She probably would have slept with anyone that had treated her like a human that night. Her one night with Pierce was gigantic mistake because in the end, he was still a prick. Just a grateful one.

The men had gone quiet in the front seat. She wondered what they were thinking but wouldn't let herself dwell on it. If she was being honest with herself, she cared a bit more about what the fed was thinking. There was something about him. She never let men touch her, not even innocently unless she gave her expressed consent. But in the span of five or ten minutes she had allowed this David Malcolm to touch her more than once. She truthfully never expected to see that man ever again. Finding out who he was more than explained her lack of control over her panic attack. She hadn't had a panic attack in at least two years.

Whatever she was feeling toward the fed was going to be a moot point anyway. One, he was investigating a case in which she was some kind of potential victim, witness, or suspect. She wasn't sure exactly which one. Two, he was riding around with Jake Rodgers. That man knew just about every skeleton in her closet. Except one very damning one that she thanked God she was able to keep her mouth shut about. Once the fed got ahold of her file, there would be no more shared looks between them. He would find out that she was a basket case, a loose cannon and walking a tightrope to keep her job.

"Anything to say Jake?" she hissed at him, knowing it was better to head off any comments.

"You don't want to hear what I have to say," he growled.

"I wasn't a cop then," she snapped. "Half the reason I became a cop was because I saw the scum of the earth walk free."

"And you decided to sleep with the key holder."

Kale had a scathing retort ready when the fed cut her off.

"Jake you're crossing the line. It's not anyone's business but hers." His voice was hard, angry.

She fought against being grateful for his help. She didn't want it. "I can speak for myself, fed," she told him rudely. "As for you Jake, I'll fuck whomever I please whenever I please and I don't care if that man is a defense attorney, a murderer or your fucking father, you will still have no say in it."

"Jesus Christ, Kale," Jake muttered. "Does Eli know?"

"Why would he?" she snapped.

"Because he should."

"Get over it Jake," she hissed at him. "It's not as if I fucked you."

David winced at her words. This woman held nothing back. Rough around the edges was an understatement. He wondered how the hell he was going to handle her. He should have been more than willing to step back and let Jake deal his handful, but he refused to do that. He wanted to be involved. He seemed to be able to calm Kale when no one else could. He felt a strange sense of pride even though there was no real skill involved. He also felt that twist in his gut again. Who the hell is Eli?

"Your mouth is going to cost you, Kale," he replied.

She scoffed. "Cost me what? You all don't have anything I can't afford to lose," she lied.

"Don't spout out what you and I both know is bullshit," Jake ordered her. "This is serious. We think that you could be in danger. I need you to focus and cut the shit."

"Maybe they are in danger. I'm a cop. I'm not going to let anything happen to me," she replied, her voice somewhat like a sullen teenager. "I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, I can see that. By the way, you face needs to be iced," he taunted her.

"Asshole," she muttered.

Chapter Three

They pulled up to the police station and Kale jumped out of the vehicle before Jake even had it stopped. She walked in ahead of the men and then immediately regretted doing so. Sitting in the lobby, looking exactly as he did six years ago was RJ Pierce. His suit was expensive, tailored to him and all but had a neon sign on it stating that he was better than everyone else. He sat in the lobby chair completely spread out as if he owned the place; as though he, a defense attorney was completely at ease being inside a police station. Pierce was a large man, probably double the size of Kale, if not more. He had always been menacing and could intimidate even the hardest criminal. She remembered feeling like a small glass figurine under him when they had sex, as though he could break her without much effort. She hadn't felt that way in a long time. She never wanted to feel fragile again.

She had gained some weight so she'd have something to throw around against the rowdier subjects she encountered. She wore her boots everywhere, she never wore dresses or skirts. She was always the job and that was all she had.

She had stopped cold upon seeing him and Pierce noticed right away. His eyes travelled the length of her and his mouth curved into a predatory smile. Kale wanted to vomit. She was vaguely aware of the door opening and closing behind her but she didn't turn to look. She couldn't make herself look away from Pierce. He was attractive in a slick, shark like way. His black hair was cropped short, shorter than she was used to seeing it. He was tanned and groomed, not a hair out of place like usual.

She felt the presence of Jake and the fed behind her but it didn't seem to faze Pierce. He took his time standing up and stalking toward her like she was his prey. Kale felt frozen in place. It was no panic attack this time. She just couldn't formulate thoughts and turn them into actions. He got within two feet of her and the only movement Kale could perform was to crane her neck up to look at him.

"Well well well, Kale Michaels. All grown up and a cop of all things," he laughed. "Didn't I teach you anything?"

Kale blinked and didn't know what to say which for her was completely uncharacteristic. He looked down at her feet and her body involuntarily shuttered.

"Boots," he murmured. "Hmm...I was hoping for something a little sexier."

Pierce's hand reached up and made contact with her cheek. He scraped the back of his knuckles across her jaw, coming in contact with her emerging bruise. The small shock of pain was enough to bring her out of her frozen state. She glared at him and smacked his hand away from her face forcefully.

"Don't touch me," she growled at him.

"Easy, kitten," he told her. "You never minded before." He reached out again.

"Touch me again and I will break every fucking finger that does," she threatened him.

"How unbecoming, Kale," he tutted. "You didn't have that mouth on you when you were mine."

Fury lit inside her like a pilot light. She felt herself getting wound tighter and tighter, just waiting for any excuse to pounce. Suddenly she felt heat behind her. Instinctively she knew it was the fed. He was standing as close as he could without touching her, silent back-up.

"I was never yours, asshole," she told him, feeling an odd sense of comfort with that man standing behind her. She knew that if she fell back, he'd catch her. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. She'd never trusted anyone else that way, except maybe Eli.

David felt like that was an ideal time for him to step in and identify himself. He immediately had a bad feeling looking at Pierce. He hadn't questioned him personally at the time of the shooting, but he had read through the statements and arrogance oozed off the pages. The fact that he just touched Kale was enough to make David put him on his permanent shit list. He could see the situation escalating as Kale proceeded to cuss Pierce out, so David diverted. He took Kale by the shoulders and casually moved her behind him, exerting his authority to mask the fact that he really did it to protect her.

"I'm Agent Malcolm with the FBI. RJ Pierce I presume?" David asked after flashing his badge.

"You presume correctly," Pierce replied with a chilling smile. "My secretary relayed to me the news about Kelly Hargan. It's tragic. Mr. Markson is in court but his secretary has strict instructions to direct him here upon his return."

"I appreciate that," David said. "I'll assume you remember Detective Rodgers?"

"Yes, of course." He flashed the chilling smile again. "I'd say it's good to see you again, but I don't think anyone says that to a homicide detective."

"I suppose that's true," Jake said. "If you'll come this way Mr. Pierce. We are just waiting for Mr. Markson and one other person to arrive before we bring you up to speed."

"Will this take long? I'll need to have my secretary clear my appointments," he replied. "Kale, you probably remember how to take care of that, right kitten?"

Behind him, David sensed Kale taking a menacing step forward. He blocked her path. "I'd call your secretary, Mr. Pierce. This could take some time," David interjected. He turned to Jake. "Detective, maybe you'd like to show him to a private room."

Jake glared at him as he walked toward Pierce. "This way," he said gruffly, leading Pierce out of the lobby. Pierce gave Kale a parting full body leer as he left.

As soon as he was out of sight, Kale growled. "Ugh, mother fucking bastard."

"Are you ok?" David asked.

"Of course I am," she snapped. "Why the hell wouldn't I be?"

He stepped back from her and leveled a hard stare that told her he wouldn't be taking her crap for much longer. "Is that a serious question?"

Kale crossed her arms. "Can we just get this shit over with so I can get back to my shift?"

Something close to panic and a little too close to fear streaked through David. "Kale," he said, his voice considerably lower. "Someone is picking off survivors one by one. You aren't going back on shift."

"The hell I'm not!" she yelled. "I appreciate your concern, but it's not wanted."

"It's also not optional," he replied.

"I am not a civilian, and you do not have authority over me as a police officer," she confronted him.

"Alright, I'll have your Captain tell you you're not going back on shift."

Kale's heart lurched in her chest. She reached out to grab the fed's arm as he started to walk away from her. "No, wait," she said, her voice cracking. His arm was strong under her grasp and she felt him flex against her fingers.

David felt his nerves start to burn at her touch. "What is it?" he asked her gently.

Her grip tightened. She couldn't stop working. Work was all that kept her going some days. If they took it away from her, she'd lose herself. "Don't sideline me." She shuddered and gritted her teeth. "Please."

That was a different side of Kale Michaels. It looked as though it really hurt her to add that "please" on the end of her request. She was looking in his eyes, nearly pleading with him. His chest constricted with emotion that he wanted no part of. Why did she have such an effect on him? She affected him so much, the feeling was almost tangible.

"I can't let you back on the road. It's not safe," he told her, his voice low, throaty.

"Fine, then let me work this with Rodgers. I can't just sit and do nothing. I can't." She let go of his arm. She twisted her fingers together and started pacing.

He should have ignored the request. It was fairly ludicrous for a case being staffed by the FBI to involve a patrol officer on the basis of which Kale wanted to be involved. He should have been explaining that to her at that moment. But he wasn't. Because he wanted her safe, he wanted her close. And if she worked with him, he could keep an eye on her.

"I'll see what I can do," he said. He watched as her shoulders visibly slumped in relief. "Are you going to be ok in the room with Pierce?"

The anger returned to her face. "What happened between me and him was six years ago," she snapped.

"I don't care about that," he told her. Although he did. He wanted to go beat the smug look off Pierce's face, but that wasn't what he was talking about. "I meant the way he is treating you now. Can I put you in a room with him and have him come out of that room fully intact?"

Kale stopped pacing and looked at the fed. His face was still sharp and unsmiling. But his lips twitched as though he was holding back. She was undeniably attracted to him, which was not something that she wanted or encouraged. She didn't have the best self-esteem but even if she did, she was very aware that men who looked like David Malcolm did not take interest in tom boys. It would be best for her if she didn't get her sights set on something unattainable. Besides, she had plenty when she needed it.

She smiled at him. "Well that's entirely up to Pierce."

The fed truly smiled at her that time. "We are just waiting on Mallory and Markson."

The smile dropped off her face. "They won't be happy to see me," she warned him.

David wanted the smile back on her face. It lit up her features. He watched her looking at him. He could tell she was attracted to him, which wasn't unusual. He got that reaction a lot. His face was pleasant, handsome. Many women responded the same way. But, Kale's body language showed that she had dismissed her attraction to him. Why? Was there someone else? Eli? The more he looked at her, the more his body grew to like her. The physical attraction hadn't been instantaneous, but in the short time that he been around her, his body had quickly caught up to his mind. She definitely wasn't like his typical partners. She was nothing like Sara who had been his tall, leggy, stunning fiancé. Kale was short. Her uniform hid her shape, but she wasn't what he would call skinny. She was average and probably well-muscled to be able to handle the filth she would come across in District 1. He was out of his comfort zone with her, but he also found that he wanted to be out of it. He was sick and tired of the same type of woman coming on to him. They were only attracted to his face or his job, never him.

"Why wouldn't they be happy to see you? You saved their lives."

"Not everyone saw it that way. Except Kelly. And Pierce," she replied. "You should know. You were there after it all."

"Not for long," he corrected her. "I left for the FBI shortly after."

Well that explained a few things for her. She stopped pacing and sighed. "Well then you must have missed that they convened a Grand Jury to see if they were going to charge me with murder."

That was typical Cincinnati politics and it angered David. "Why the hell would they do that?"

"I didn't have my carry conceal permit," she huffed. "Everyone treated me like a freak, like I did something wrong."

He hadn't known that. If he had known he would have....He would have what? Gone back for her? He mentally scoffed. He wouldn't have done a damn thing because he had been so afraid of what he had felt. All he could do now was make sure she wasn't treated that way again.

"I'm sorry you went through that," he told her.

"I survived."

Without his consent, his hand reached out, making contact with her face. He cupped her cheek, his thumb grazing over her skin. "You did more than survive." His voice was low and crawled into every pore in her skin.

Kale's eyes widened and her pulse accelerated at his touch. She sucked in a breath, her gaze locked on him. Why was she letting him touch her? Who was he? His hand slipped lower, to her neck, his fingers lacing under her hair tied into a bun at her nape. His thumb brushed over her lip so gently she almost didn't feel it. Which didn't stop her entire body from igniting into awareness. She could feel her heartbeat staccato.

"Agent Malcolm," she managed to say, her voice mostly catching her throat. "We're in the lobby of the police station, where any number of cops could come walking by."

David snatched his hand away, startled by how much he lost control of himself. He couldn't help himself around her. There was something about her, something called to him. She was a lure and he had no idea what it was about her that had him so ass backwards. And even more startling for him was that fact that he enjoyed the loss of control. Since Sara, he had avoided anything that even seemed to have the potential to involve feelings. But with Kale, he almost craved it.

"I'm sorry," he breathed. He stopped, looking at her. He quickly re-evaluated. "Actually, I'm not. Kale, I..."

"Kale!"

A man's voice called for her, interrupting David. They both jumped at the sound. David looked around and found the source. The officer that had taken custody of Kale's suspect was walking toward them. The jealousy that had streaked through him previously was back in full force and made itself comfortable in the pit of his stomach.

Kale couldn't catch her breath. Agent Malcolm, he would have kissed her. She would have let him. What the hell was going on? Who the hell was this man and why did he have command over her so easily? She forced herself to take a calming breath and focus on Alex who was walking toward her with a purpose. This probably wouldn't end well, not for the fed anyway.

"Alex," she said by way of greeting. "Thanks for taking in my suspect."

"No problem," he said as he reached her. He reached out and grazed her jawline which was swelling. "You should have told me he hit you."

"It's nothing," she said, pushing his hand away from her face, eyeing the fed while she did it. His jaw was jutting out as though he was clenching it. If it was possible, it made him even more attractive.

"Is everything ok?" he asked, subtly indicating toward Agent Malcolm.

"Yeah. Nothing I can't handle."

"You'll call me if something goes down?"

"Yep."

He nodded, took her face and planted a firm kiss on her lips before walking away, going back on patrol. David almost didn't believe what he had seen. Kale was standing frozen in place watching the cop leave. Anger and jealousy invaded every part of his body. He didn't remember ever being as jealous as he was right then. Not even with what happened between him and Sara. The cop, Alex was the pretty boy type. David had never felt threatened or intimidated by that type a day in his life. He was more than secure in his appearance, but all of the sudden he was second guessing himself. And then he realized how much of a prick he was, assuming that because he had a handsome face Kale would fall all over him. He needed to get himself under control. He was here to do a job. The faster he set Kale aside in some sort of protective custody, despite her objections, the faster he would be out of Cincinnati and she would be out of his mind. He almost actually believed that.

Kale turned to look at Agent Malcolm, trying to gauge his reaction to what he had witnessed. He wasn't due any sort of explanation and she waited to see if he would demand one. She deliberately controlled her facial expression, going for cavalier. She hadn't intended to anger the fed, but she was more comfortable with anger than with whatever he had been planning to say to her just prior. The attraction between them was unmistakable but also foolish. She wasn't so stupid as to think it would be a good idea to hook up with a fed during an investigation in which she was involved. So, keeping her anger and bad-tempered mood close to the surface was her plan. If there was one thing she knew she could accomplish, it was repelling a man if she wanted to.

"So, can we get started with this? I'm not too interested being pulled off the road any longer than necessary," Kale told him, curtly.

David's jaw clenched again. Clearly she felt the same as he did. They needed to ignore whatever it was between them and get to work. Cincinnati already felt like it was suffocating him. It would only be a matter of time before Shawn found out he was there if he didn't already know. Once Shawn knew, his oldest brother Jack would be next. A former Cincinnati patrol cop turned Army Ranger turned mercenary, he still kept in touch with the family and with some of the old cops he used to know. David had initially kept in contact with Jack until they had a falling out over a botched surveillance job five years prior. Back in the day, the Malcolm boys were the talk of the Cincinnati Police Department. Their father had been a patrol cop, a lifer. He had no need or desire to rise in the ranks. He was gunned down far too early in life and had left a hell of a legacy to his boys. He was the stuff of legends, especially in his last moments of life. He had killed the man that killed him just before his death.

The Malcolm boys had struggled to live up to their father's memory, but they had each found their way in life. Shawn had stayed, working the job as though he was married to it. Jack had left Cincinnati for his own reasons after suffering a personal tragedy. David leaving Cincinnati had been planned well before it became an escape. He had been accepted into the FBI prior to his life falling apart. The timing had been impeccable and in the end, he had used the new job as a way to run as fast as he could.

Now he was back, facing the woman he had constantly wondered about since he had been gone for six long years. All he wanted to do was run back to Virginia and pretend the case never happened. But, that wasn't an option. He didn't have the luxury of picking his assignments, nor did he have the luxury of picking the people with whom he had to work. Underneath all the confusion and turmoil of coming in contact with Kale Michaels again, he knew two things; she would not become a victim and he would not become involved.

He indicated to Kale to walk ahead of him to the interview rooms farther into the police station. She had scoffed and muttered something under her breath that David couldn't catch. He watched her stomp to the interview room, fling open the door and slam her body down into a chair across the room from Pierce and a distraught Hargan. David left her there, retreating to the room behind the two way glass. Jake and Agent Andrews were already there, watching and waiting for the last two survivors to arrive.

"Shit, Malcolm, what the hell did you do to her?" Jake asked, hiding a laugh.

"I think you undersold it when you said rough around the edges," he grumbled.

"Rough around the edges how?" Andrews asked, forever the observer.

Jake glared at David, reminding him that Jake had talked to him about Kale in confidence. David hadn't been thinking and although he was several years removed from Cincinnati PD, his instinct and loyalties were still there. He immediately covered for Kale.

"She's just got a mouth on her. Haven't heard the word 'fuck' so much since the last time I watched Boondock Saints," he replied lightly.

Andrews nodded. "I spoke with her Captain. He said we might have our work cut out for us."

They could actually hear Jake's teeth grinding together. "Which Captain?" he demanded.

"Rogan. Is there a problem?" Andrews asked.

"No," Jake replied immediately, his voice saying the exact opposite.

"Is there something we should know about, Detective Rodgers?"

Jake's eyes flicked to David in a silent order to keep his mouth shut. "No. I just don't like the idea of one of our own having a target on her back. That ok with you, fed? We take care of each other here," he replied angrily.

"Jake," David stepped in. He gave a subtle shake of his head, telling him to let it go. "We're all on the same side. We don't want Kale or any of the others to get hurt. We need your help so we don't get another victim. Three is more than enough."

"Fine," he grumbled. He muttered under his breath and David refused to acknowledge the fucking federal assholes comment he overheard.

David turned his attention to the room where Kale was sitting with her arms crossed over her chest. She had her right ankle resting on her left knee, much like a man would do and it was obvious that she was trying to exert her authority over the two men in the room. No one was talking but RJ Pierce was still leering at her, making David's instinct to protect Kale flicker in his chest. Hargan was keeping to himself, scraping his hands down his face over and over again. He was taking his wife's death as well as could be expected for a man whose life had just been overturned.

Kelly's body flashed in his mind. He needed to get a look at the previous victim's photographs again. There was no way that the killer hadn't left something behind, especially with Natalie who had fought back. David had great hope that the FBI labs would find something on Kelly Hargan. The hemp rope used to hang her had excellent nooks and crannies to hide skin cells, sweat, or anything else that may contain DNA. He wanted Kelly's tox screen immediately. His theory that women had been drugged would dictate how he investigated the case.

Kale's voice broke through his thought processes.

"I'm sorry about Kelly, Mr. Hargan."

Hargan looked up at her like he couldn't believe she had deigned to speak to him. His agony turned to anger as he looked at her. Kale had expected it. He had acted as though she had done something wrong since the day it happened. The attorneys had been found cowering in a conference room. They hadn't even had the foresight to bar the doors. They had left eleven women defenseless against Jason Riley as he stalked through the office, shooting them down in cold blood. Pierce had eventually thanked her on the night Kale would rather forget. But Hargan and Markson had lashed out at her. Eli had told her that the men had been ashamed that they had hidden and instead of dealing with their own guilt, they had projected their guilt on her. It made sense in a stupid, pointless kind of way.

"Kelly always said you were a hero," he said crossly, his voice rough from crying.

Kale braced herself for the ensuing insult. He paused, looking at her like she was dirt under his fingernail.

"You sat back in your office. You listened to them screaming when you had the means to stop him. You waited until it was your life being threatened before you made a move," he accused her.

"And you pissed yourself in a conference room," she snapped back.

Hargan's face transformed from anger to rage. "If I had a gun, I would have confronted him before six women died."

"If I had a set of balls, I wouldn't have curled up and sucked on them while waiting to die. I would have used them to do anything to save whoever I could," she volleyed, dropping her leg down off her knee and leaning forward, waiting for his next shot.

"You're vile and I can't believe my Kelly had anything to do with you," he spat out.

"Now, now," Pierce interjected. "My Kale did the right thing. She took out a mass murderer, Matthias. She deserves our gratitude."

He winked at her and Kale shuttered. The men had always spoken about the women that way. "My Kale." "My Kelly." They were property as far as the attorneys were concerned. Obviously nothing had changed. Except her. She was a cop now and she had authority over the men. She clung to that. She was actually doing fairly well at keeping herself together, thinking about trading insults with Hargan. But, eventually the events of that day started to creep into her mind, threatening to pull her into another panic attack. She fought against it and suddenly the calming voice in her mind wasn't Eli. It was Agent Malcolm. Get ahold of this before it takes you down. If she didn't focus on the specific events of the shooting, she had a chance at getting through it without making a fool of herself.

"Gratitude?" Hargan repeated, dumbfounded.

The door opened and all three of them fell silent as Mallory Green walked in nervously, like a new fawn just learning to walk. She looked just as Kale remembered her. She was a beautiful red headed woman, tall, lean yet somehow still curvy. She had been Markson's secretary. The way she had survived was fairly ingenious. She hadn't gone for the standard hide under the desk routine. She had climbed on top of a row of file cabinets and hidden behind the decorative plants that had grown so big they touched the ceiling. Riley had walked right past her. Mallory hadn't openly condemned Kale, but she hadn't said a word to her since that day. Kale hadn't kept track of her, or any of the other women, so she didn't know what Mallory was up to at the present. She was dressed casually so Kale couldn't deduce her current career.

David watched from behind the glass as the atmosphere in the room changed with the arrival of Mallory. He had been unduly impressed by Kale sticking up for herself. Her ball sucking comment had even earned a chuckle from the stoic Agent Andrews. Jake had beamed like she was his star student. David wished his own pride in Kale would be warranted. He watched as Kale sat up straight, watching Mallory walk in. She looked nervous, like she didn't know how to greet Mallory, like she didn't know what to say.

"Well, well, Mallory Green," Pierce said, standing up to greet her. Always the gentleman. "It's a pleasure to see you again, although the circumstances aren't the best."

He reached out to stroke her arm and Kale caught Mallory's flinch at his touch. She pounced on it. "Oh for fuck's sake, Pierce. It's not six years ago, she doesn't work for the firm and she's not going to sleep with you. So drop the act, back off and shut the fuck up."

"Kale!" Pierce admonished. "How did you become this? I had such hopes for you. And, after our time together..."

He trailed off and Kale's hands fisted at her sides. It was a damn good thing she had just come clean to Jake and the fed about sleeping with him or that might have been an awkward moment for her. Instead, she was just angry. She was fucking pissed off that the scum of the earth would use a moment of weakness against her. Her face flushed and Pierce was about to be able to replace the kitten nickname with something a bit more vicious.

"Fuck you, Pierce. This isn't a social gathering. We are sitting here in this room together because we all have targets on our backs. Do you not get that? Or are you just too arrogant to believe that you could ever be killed?"

"What?" Mallory asked, the color draining out of her face.

Shit, Mallory hadn't known why they were there. Kale immediately felt terrible and withdrew, her anger dissipating. A few seconds later a very angry man in a suit stalked into the room. Kale didn't know who he was but his suit screamed federal agent. She shrank back into her seat, knowing that she screwed up. Again. Her eyes went to the mirror, wondering if Jake and Agent Malcolm were behind it, wondering how bad she had stepped in it this time. If she were the fed, she wouldn't let her anywhere near this case. Not when it was clear that she was overly emotional and couldn't keep her mouth shut.

The suit stood in front of them, his irritation clear as day on his face. "Now is as good a time as any to bring you all up to speed. Mr. Markson will have to be briefed later. My name is Doug Andrews. I'm an Agent with the FBI and the reason I'm here is because we have cause to believe that someone has been attacking the survivors of the office shooting six years ago."

Mallory sank down into a chair, her hands trembling as she brought them to her lips. Kale wondered if she had looked so frightened and fragile when Jake and Agent Malcolm had told her. Agent Andrews was not personable, she noticed. He was direct and to the point. Any other time, Kale might have appreciated that, as she was much the same. But, she couldn't help feeling for Mallory. She was a civilian. She had survived hell six years prior and she deserved a certain amount of bedside manner to lead her into the knowledge of a possible impending death.

"Three women have been killed, and they were all survivors of that day," Andrews continued. "We can't be positive that the shooting is the connection between the recent murders, but we also cannot ignore it as the possible motivation behind them. We wanted to make everyone aware so that you can be as cautious as possible in the upcoming weeks until we can find who has done this."

Mallory's gaze snapped to Kale. "B-but, you killed him," she stuttered. She looked back to Andrews. "Right? She killed him."

"Jason Riley is dead," Andrews confirmed. "But the connection to the law firm was never established."

"What he means, Mallory, dear," Pierce interrupted. "Is that he doesn't know a damn thing and all he can do is warn us to be careful. Am I correct?"

Andrews ignored the question. "What we're asking of you is to be cautious. Please keep someone with you at all times. Be alone as little as possible. Take security precautions. Install a home alarm, get a dog, those kinds of things. Call 911 if you feel at all threatened, no matter how small of a matter it may turn out to be."

Mallory slowly turned to look at Kale again. Kale fought the urge to look away. The woman looked so frightened that the panic started to edge in again. "So, it's just you and me now," she said quietly.

Mallory had done exactly as Kale had; discounted the attorneys. Only women were killed six years ago. Only women had been killed now. Kale had wondered if it was only the women that the killer wanted dead. But, if that was the case, then why? The women had little to do with the actual cases at the firm. They were secretaries for God's sake. Why kill them and not the lawyers. It was no skin off the lawyer's teeth to replace them. The whole firm was up and running almost one month to the day after the shooting. Killing six women was an awful steep price to pay to make a point.

Kale had researched Jason Riley to the point of obsession in the months after the shooting. He was a low level thug; a payoff man. He had no connections to anyone in the firm personally or professionally. It was as if he materialized out of thin air. No one stepped forward to claim him after his death. His fingerprints revealed a name and about a dozen birth dates and social security numbers, none of which were real. He had arbitrarily made up a set of pedigree information any time he was caught by the police. His record was petty, small time thefts mostly. The addresses he gave were not structures; instead he used parks, abandoned fields, lot numbers of houses to be built. He was a ghost. The detectives working the case deduced that he may not have been American at all. They had never located a place he used as a residence. The man had absolutely no paper trail, no bank accounts. The weapons he carried were unregistered and most likely trafficked in from out of the country. He simply didn't exist in any other capacity then a dead body in Kale's office.

Since the case had been considered closed by the death, there was not much time or resources to investigate Riley's motivations. It was, at the time, unnecessary. Knowing why wasn't going to bring back the dead. Bringing closure to the living wasn't planned for in the budget. So the case had been sealed up in a nice little box and put on a shelf where it had been collecting dust for the past six years. Cleared by death. Obviously that was no longer the case. Now staffed by the FBI, they would be forced to find the mysterious Riley and figure out what the hell possessed him to walk into a law firm and gun down an office full of innocent people. And if his motivations were altruistic, then why let the attorneys live? They were the ones stripped of morals and values.

Hargan spoke up. Kale had almost forgotten he was in the room. "Kelly was innocent," he hissed at Andrews. "She was nothing like the rest of them. So now you'll keep these two...sluts safe when you couldn't save my pure angel?"

Behind the glass David watched Jake shift, crossing his arms angrily over his chest as he glared at the man. His distaste for Hargan was more apparent than ever and David was right there with him. He couldn't stand Hargan's attitude. Despite the fact that he was a defense attorney, hated by cops on principle, the man was an asshole of magnificent proportions. To sit face to face with Kale and Mallory and insult them at a time like that took a person of a rare breed. David tried to feel sorry for him; he dug deep for sympathy for a man who just lost his wife. But, he couldn't find any.

"We will be doing what we can to keep all of you safe," Andrews replied.

Being called a slut didn't faze Kale in the slightest. She had been called that by everyone under the sun. She got it back when she worked for the law firm even though she had never slept with anyone while working there. She got it at the department because she slept around without expecting a commitment. It was just a word and it couldn't hurt her. The people calling her a slut were typically the ones that she had never touched, or the ones who wanted someone she had touched. Either way, it didn't really concern her. A snort of laughter escaped her, calming her nerves and letting her settle more firmly into her authoritative character.

"Something funny, Miss Michaels?" Hargan growled at her, attempting to undermine her.

"Yeah, we're the sluts, but you were the one fucking everything that moved until marrying someone young enough to be your daughter. I'm actually glad I don't live up to your moral code," she replied, making herself laugh at him again.

"I don't take any stock in what someone like you thinks of me," he retorted.

"Someone like me?" she laughed. "You do realize that whoever is doing this is probably someone you handed a get out of jail free card, right? I hope your 'ethics' keep you as warm at night as Kelly did."

Hargan was out of his chair quick as lightning. Kale stood up to engage him just as the door burst open. She saw Agent Malcolm and Jake coming toward her just as Pierce placed his body between her and Hargan. Agent Andrews was rooted in his place, shaking his head. Mallory was silently crying in her chair.

"Matthias," Pierce said, his voice calm but loud. "Where's your decorum? Don't disgrace Kelly's memory this way."

"I hope they kill you next," Hargan spat out at her. "I'd pay them myself!"

David was done listening to that asshole. He edged Pierce out of his way and got in Hargan's face. "A lot of people would consider that an assault on law enforcement, counselor. I suggest you sit down and keep your mouth shut."

"I don't have to..."

"Listen to the man," Pierce interrupted loudly. "The situation is bad enough."

Hargan silently retreated, his glare locked on Kale. "Officer Michaels, you sit down, too," David directed her.

Her jaw jutted out in response but she obeyed without saying anything which surprised him. He took a deep breath and moved to stand next to Andrews. He had been ready to knock Hargan out as soon as he saw the man make a move toward Kale. He would have been in the room faster if he and Jake hadn't tangled up trying to get through the door at the same time. Kale hadn't seemed afraid or worried about defending herself in the slightest. David wondered just how capable she was. But, there he was focusing on her again when he needed to keep the bigger picture in mind. He had five living people that he needed to ensure kept living.

David cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to assign you all protection. However, we do have the resources to relocate you temporarily into a safe house. This will of course uproot your lives, but it is an option available to you."

"A safe house?" Hargan asked. "For how long?"

"I'd like to say until this person or persons are caught no matter how long, but in reality maybe a few weeks," he told them honestly.

"We have jobs, Agent Malcolm. We have clients depending on us," Pierce replied diplomatically. "I have my conceal carry permit and I am armed at all times. Except of course when surrounded by law enforcement." He winked at Kale and David fought the urge to grind his jaw. "I think I can handle my safety myself."

"That's understandable, but I'd advise against it," he replied. "Officer Michaels, Ms. Green, Mr. Hargan, this is a good safety precaution."

He made sure he looked at all three of them as he addressed him, but his eyes locked on Kale longer than he had intended. Take the damn safe house. He knew she wouldn't. But with her around, he had a split focus. He was breaking a cardinal rule in law enforcement. He was putting her safety on a pedestal above the others. And she wasn't even a civilian.

"I...I'm not sure," Mallory said, hesitantly. "I need to think." She turned to Kale. "What do you think?"

Kale was surprised that Mallory was asking for her opinion. She had assumed that like the others, Mallory wanted nothing to do with her after the shooting. But, Kale was a cop first and foremost. She had the same duty as Jake, as Agents Malcolm and Andrews. Her priority was to keep Mallory safe. She also had a duty to protect Hargan, Markson and Pierce, but that came much less easily.

"It's your safest option," she replied. "If you can afford to, you should take it."

"What about you?" she asked.

Kale shook her head. "I'm a cop now, Mallory. I've been trained to take care of myself. If I weren't, I would take it."

Kale looked to Agent Malcolm, subconsciously seeking out his approval. He gave her a nod and she fought a smile. There was a knock at the door and a uniformed officer was escorting Jeffery Markson into the room. He stopped short and took stock of the situation.

"RJ," he greeted. "Matthias, my secretary told me what happened as soon as I got out of court. My deepest sympathies."

It hadn't gone unnoticed by David that Mallory had withdrawn as soon as Markson walked in the room. She refused to make eye contact with the man. If the slut talk that had been flying around earlier was any indication, he guessed that Mallory had probably spent some time between the sheets with Markson. David would need to talk to Kale about the dynamic in that office. And, he hoped she would speak candidly.

"Thank you," Hargan replied, his voice breaking.

"Ms. Green, Ms. Michaels. I didn't expect to see you," he said. "What's going on?"

"Mr. Markson, my name is Agent Malcolm. I'm with the FBI. This is my partner Agent Andrews and Detective Rodgers. Ms. Green and Officer Michaels are here because we have a situation that possibly involves the office shooting."

Something in Kale's chest softened and fluttered as Agent Malcolm referred to her by title. She was in full police uniform and the attorneys had only called her Miss Michaels. The fact that David had chosen to call her by Officer meant that he respected her. He was helping her by acknowledging her authority over them. So far she had treated him much like crap, and if her track record meant anything, she would probably continue to do so. She didn't deserve to have him in her corner but she certainly wasn't going to kick him out of it. Not yet, anyway.

She half listened as the agents and Jake explained the situation to Markson. They offered him the safe house which he of course rejected, citing similar reasons to Pierce. Since the shooting, the attorneys had armed themselves. Once Markson was filled in, everyone was allowed to resume their normal day. Hargan was staying behind to be interviewed by Jake about Kelly's last movements. Mallory was offered a police escort back to her house which she accepted. She was still on the fence about the safe house, seeing as she was living with her fiancé and was hesitant to leave him.

David and Agent Andrews had walked Mallory out, David doing a better job at soothing her. He hadn't wanted to leave Kale back in the room with the attorneys but he also did not want to seem as though he was showing her undue attention. He caught her eye as he walked out the door with Mallory. He gave her a sharp nod, trying to silently convey confidence in her. She could handle herself. He just hoped when he returned that everyone would be in one piece.

Chapter Four

Jake had directed Hargan to another interview room which left Kale, Pierce and Markson together in the room. She was instantly uncomfortable but refused to project anything other than composure. She adjusted her duty belt, making sure she slipped completely into cop mode.

"Ms. Michaels," Markson started, adjusting his suit coat in response. "I find it very interesting that you became a police officer."

"Is that right?" she asked, feigning disinterest.

"If I remember correctly, you didn't respond so well to the aftermath of the incident," he told her cruelly, but in a polite tone.

She smiled at him. "And if I remember correctly, you didn't respond so well during the incident."

"I am my greatest asset, Ms. Michaels. And I protected my assets."

"It's Officer Michaels, Mr. Markson. And as an officer, I have the distinct pleasure of protecting your assets now. Feel safe?" she taunted him.

"Why you hired her, RJ, is a mystery to me," he replied, straightening his tie and turning to walk out.

He opened the door and side stepped as Agent Malcolm came back into the room. "I'll show you gentleman out. And if you have any questions or concerns, or if you'd like to change your mind about the safe house, please call me."

He handed them both his card and started to walk out. Kale trailed Pierce as the last to leave the interview room. As soon as Agent Malcolm and Markson were through the door Pierce stopped and shut it, leaving just the two of them alone. Alarm bells went off in the back of Kale's mind. Her adrenaline started to pick up and she immediately backed away, putting the six foot reactionary gap between them.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, wondering why it was taking more than a second for Agent Malcolm to notice they hadn't exited the room.

Pierce walked up on her, matching her step for step as she backed away. "You don't have to be afraid, Kale. I'm not going to hurt you."

"What do you want?" she asked strongly as her back came in contact with the wall. She was up shit creek now. She had let him back her into a point of no escape. She had to tilt her head to a severe angle to look at him standing basically on top of her. The anxiety slowly seeped into her skin like a thick black cloud of smoke, gradually stripping her of oxygen. He reached out to touch her and she smacked his hand away forcefully. She fought the urge to gasp for air, not wanting Pierce to know that she was afraid.

"This brings back a lot of memories," he said, his voice almost a murmur. He licked his lips and leaned down so he was closer to her. "Especially of that night we shared."

Kale blew out a relieved breath as the black cloud dissipated. She laughed. "You're kidding, right? You're trying to sleep with me again?"

The anxiety melted away as she looked at the pathetic man standing in front of her. All the expensive and beautiful clothes in the world couldn't hide how truly ugly Pierce had become. They both heard someone clear his throat behind them.

David had turned around to let the men out of the doors to the lobby when he saw that only Markson had followed him. He returned to the interview room and all he could see was Pierce's back. Assuming Kale was in front of him, and not voluntarily, he was about to make a scene. Then he heard her. And what she said did nothing to calm him from wanting to make a scene. But, he was professional and he composed himself. He cleared his throat and watched as Pierce turned back toward him. Kale immediately slipped away from him and walked quickly toward the door.

"I'm sure you know your way out, Mr. Pierce. You've been in interrogation rooms enough," she said to him before sidling past David and walking away from them both.

David raised his eyebrows at Pierce. He smiled a predatory smile. "She was always a challenge."

"Good-bye, Mr. Pierce," David said roughly.

He nodded and David tracked his path out to the lobby. That Pierce had the nerve to approach Kale the way he did during a time like that made David suspicious. Pierce had spoken to Hargan about decorum, yet the second he came in contact with Kale, all propriety had fled him. Once Pierce was out of sight, David walked back into the station, going toward the break room where he thought he might find Kale. She was there, kicking a vending machine. She looked over her shoulder quickly even though David hadn't made any noise upon entering the room. She put her attention back on the machine.

"I'm not angry," she said, her voice not in her favor. "You have to kick the machine or it won't work."

"I remember," he told her.

She stopped short and looked back at him again. "That's right. You worked here. I almost forgot that," she replied quietly.

He walked up behind her, so close that she could almost feel him. "There's a trick to it," he said.

He reached around her and inexplicably her heartbeat picked up the pace. Her breathing followed suit and she focused all her energy on not letting him see her reaction. He was too close. He pressed two buttons at once and a Coke fell to the bottom. Without thinking, she bent down to retrieve it, her backside coming into contact with his body. She stood up quickly, mortified and cursing the blush that had risen to her cheeks.

David wasn't doing so great at keeping Kale at arm's length. The fact that he felt as though some palpable cord connected the two of them together threatened to ruin his resolve. When she bent down in front of him, it had literally taken every ounce of restraint he possessed to keep his hands to himself. He took a step back, needing the physical distance from her. He had no time for complications such as his body's reaction to Kale's ass. She checked him over her shoulder before turning around to face him again. Her face was flushed and he found it entirely too attractive for his own good. God damn, Cincinnati. He wanted no part of anything that city had to offer. He didn't want Kale. He didn't want feelings, he didn't want a connection. Too bad Cincinnati tended to give him everything he didn't want.

Kale walked away from him, feeling the need to fan herself. She took a deep breath and cleared her mind, removing any residual sexual tension that Agent Malcolm may have been responsible for.

"David Malcolm," she said as something came to her. "You're one of the legendary Malcolm boys, aren't you?"

David was surprised. So the Malcolm boys were still talked about. He stuck his hands in his pocket to make sure that he wouldn't touch her as he walked closer. "Used to be. Taking a federal job doesn't exactly make me part of the team anymore."

She granted him a true smile. "Nope, we sure don't take to those fucking feds." He smiled at her. "So are you and Sergeant Malcolm close?"

The smile faded. "Not really."

"Sorry, fed. Not my place to pry," she replied airily, opening her soda and taking a drink.

"Can I make a request for as long as we are working together?" he asked. She raised her eyebrows at him and said nothing. "Mind not calling me fed like it's something you scrape off your boot?"

She treated him to another smile. "So sorry, Agent Malcolm," she said teasingly.

"David will do," he replied.

"David," she repeated with a slight nod. "So what are the chances I get to work this case? Or are you going to sit me on a desk with files that don't mean shit until I do the dirty work for him and kill myself?"

"I'll do everything I can," he promised her.

"Kale," they heard behind them from the door.

Kale turned and saw Captain Rogan. Her heart sank. He was only around when she screwed up and he was just itching to say those two words. Administrative Leave. She took a deep breath and squared up to him.

"Yes, sir?"

"My office. Now."

"Yes, sir," she replied, waiting for him to turn and leave before exhaling. As soon as he was gone she sighed. "Fuck."

"Everything ok?" David wanted to know. Rogan wasn't a Captain when he had been with Cincinnati so he didn't know him well at all. The name sounded familiar but the man could have been patrol or one of the many sergeants back when David worked the road.

"I guess we'll find out," she told him with a false confidence she wasn't feeling. She took a deep breath, set her drink on the table and walked out of the break room toward Rogan's office.

David caught her by the arm, remembering what Jake had said about her personnel file. "Kale, is everything going alright? With your job?"

She pulled her arm away from him angrily and regarded him. He knew. And there was only one way he would have known so fast. "Jake has a big mouth," she hissed. She knew it was only a matter of time before Agent Malcolm...David would find out that she was somewhat troubled. There went her chances of actually working the case. "Go ask for my jacket. They'll be more than happy to turn it over to you. Just tell them you're trying to get me fired, too."

"I'm not here to get you fired," he told her.

"It will probably happen, anyway," she retorted.

She started to walk away from him and once again, he stopped her. "Kale," he said, refraining from touching her this time. He held out his card to her. "My cell is on it. Call me when you're done with your Captain. You need an escort home."

"I don't..."

"You need an escort home," he repeated louder, cutting her off. He refused to take no for an answer. She may be a police officer, trained to take care of herself, but he didn't trust her physical strength against a man's. Perhaps that made him a chauvinist, but he didn't really give a shit. As long as she was alive and unhurt at the end of each day, he'd do what he thought was best.

"Fine," she huffed. "But I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for me. The Captain usually has a couple hours' worth of lectures to toss at me every time I'm in there."

"Ice your jaw," he called after her as she walked away.

She tossed a wave back over her shoulder without looking back at him. He sighed and mentally prepared himself to dive head first into the case. He didn't plan on having a slew of unanswered questions this time around. David was going to find out why six innocent women had been gunned down six years ago. And he was going to get answers for Kale, Mallory and the attorneys as to why the survivors were being picked off one by one. He needed some answers from Hargan and then he was going to go over Natalie and Veronica's cases with a fine toothed comb. Forensics was going to play a big part in the case. If he had any luck at all, the FBI lab was pulling DNA off something. If he was really lucky, they'd get a CODIS hit on a sample. Unfortunately, no one had ever described David as lucky.

He located the interview room where Jake had taken Hargan to question him about Kelly. They hadn't gotten much passed forced pleasantries by the time David arrived. Andrews was standing in the corner observing as Jake sat across from Hargan, a table in between them. David slipped in quietly, taking up an unobtrusive position behind Jake, satisfied to just observe his old partner for the time being.

"Mr. Hargan, have you or Kelly experienced anything unusual lately? Any threats? Odd behavior by anyone?"

"No, nothing like that. Kelly was an angel. Everyone loved her."

"What about you?"

"I can't recall any specific threats. I think the last time anyone said anything of that nature to me was a couple years ago. A family member of a murder victim did not appreciate the fact that my client was found not guilty."

Jake pushed a pad of paper and pen toward him. "The name, if you can recall it."

"Of course I can," he snapped, writing it down.

"Mr. Hargan, what did Kelly do for a living?" David asked.

"She was a homemaker," he replied sadly. "She kept our entire home in order."

David found that interesting. He walked closer to the table. "Did she have plans today?"

"It's possible. I'm not always aware of her social calendar."

Kelly had been putting on nail polish. She had a dress and heels set aside. He didn't know many homemakers that stayed around the house in a dress and four inch heels. Did she have plans? Was she meeting someone who had shown up early and interrupted her getting ready?

"Did she have one?" David asked.

"One what?"

"A calendar or a date book?" As far as he knew, the crime scene investigators hadn't found one.

"I believe so. She was always a fantastic secretary," he replied fondly. "She kept track of everything. My angel." He took a deep shuddery breath. "God, I don't know what I'll do without her."

"We are very sorry for your loss, Mr. Hargan," Jake told him. "I'm afraid I need to ask you some hard questions. They may seem invasive but remember we are trying to find who did this to your wife."

"I've been around the block a time or two, Detective. I am an attorney."

Jake nodded. "Were you and Kelly happily married? Were there any tensions?"

"We were very happily married. There were no tensions other than what anyone would consider normal."

"Kelly seemed to be dressing to leave the house," Jake told him, holding back on the specifics. "Is it possible that she was seeing someone else?"

"Absolutely not!"

Jake nodded again. "And you?

"Never," he said vehemently.

"What about past girlfriends? I'm sure you are aware that we know of your prior...indiscretions," he told him.

"From who? From the likes of Kale Michaels? She is one to talk," he said through his teeth.

"No Mr. Hargan, from our investigation six years ago," he placated him.

Hargan clenched his teeth harder. "I have been faithful to Kelly since our marriage."

"And prior to the wedding day?" David piped up again.

"I fail to see how this is related," he avoided the question.

"Maybe an ex-girlfriend decided that she didn't like that you were married," Jake answered, playing off David, much like they had done when they were partners.

Hargan crossed his arms defensively.

"How long were you two married?" David asked.

"Four years," he replied.

"What did Kelly do during the day?"

"What do you mean?" Hargan asked.

"As a homemaker. You have no kids, right? I assume you have maids and possibly a cook. What did she do all day?" David asked.

"I..I don't know," he admitted.

"You don't know?" Jake repeated. "You were married for four years and you never thought to ask her?"

"She...she had charities and organized functions," he fumbled.

"For what?" Jake drilled him.

"For..."

"For what?" David volleyed, falling back into his old routine with Jake.

"I don't know!" Hargan shouted. "Ok, are you happy? I don't know what she did! All I know is that she was home when I got home and that she loved me!"

David watched Hargan's reaction very carefully, trying to detect any possibly of deception. Unfortunately, the man was a defense attorney; a very high paid, well trained defense attorney. And while all defense attorneys weren't necessarily liars, the ones at Hargan Markson and Pierce certainly were. David remembered going through their cases after the shooting. They had plenty of leads to go on back then seeing as the men had been able to free several guilty individuals. David and the rest of the detectives had been disgusted by the amount of evil sent back into the community. Finding out how the men had treated Kale after the shooting just confirmed his belief that the lawyers in that firm were criminals themselves.

"So when we asked if she was unfaithful, you can't possibly know the answer to that," David pushed him, possibly harder than he should to a grieving man.

"I know she loved me," he insisted.

"Why is it that you and Kale Michaels do not get along?" Andrews asked from his corner. David had been interested in the answer to that question, too. He was grateful that he wasn't the one to ask, however. He wanted to at least give the illusion of keeping his distance.

"She was never the right fit for our firm," he replied, regaining his composure.

"How so?" Andrews wanted to know.

"She was mouthy and impolite. Her attitude was much like it is now. We were never shown any respect," he said, his voice laced with disdain.

"You mean she wouldn't have sex with you," Jake replied bluntly.

"I certainly do not mean that," he replied, withdrawing with offense.

Jake leaned forward. "Mr. Hargan, I'll remind you that we investigated the office shooting thoroughly. We spoke with Natalie and Veronica along with Kelly and Mallory. And Kale. They all had similar stories about the three of you. If they didn't sleep with you they didn't receive any benefits. As far as we could gather, Kale was the only one not getting two hour lunches."

"Well she's a cop now," Hargan said, as though the word was filthy. "And we all know that thin blue line sticks together no matter how much bullshit it is made out of."

"And we all know defense attorneys are known for their ethics," David muttered.

Kale sat in front of Captain Rogan, unsure as to what was going to happen to her. Captain Rogan had been on her ass since her first complaint years prior and he had never dismounted. For some reason, she just rubbed him the wrong way and he had made it his personal mission to see that she was properly punished for every mistake she made. He was currently on his side of his desk, glasses pushed to the tip of his nose, reading a thick file that Kale knew was her personnel file. He did that every time she was seated before him as some sort of scare tactic. It was unnecessary. She was fully aware of how tenuous her employment had become.

"I don't know why you're reading it over. You should know it by heart now," she snapped at him, disrespectfully.

"How could I? It's added to daily," he retorted.

"I haven't done anything wrong this time," she told him, crossing her arms.

"Except mouthing off in front of two FBI agents and making our entire department look bad."

Kale crossed her arms and refused to answer that. He wasn't wrong necessarily, but she had been defending herself against the scum sucking lawyers she had hoped to never see again. Agent Malcolm hadn't seemed to care that she had mouthed off in front of him. Quite the opposite. The way he looked at her; it was unlike how anyone had ever looked at her. When she looked at him, when she came in contact with him, she became different. He had a drug like effect on her. When he wasn't calming her panic, he was making her pulse race in a much different way.

"Agent Andrews has informed me that you are a potential victim for this prospective serial killer."

"So I'm told," she grumbled.

"That means you are a target. And that means all of my officers are targets as long as you are on the street."

Kale's heart began to race. No, he couldn't bench her. God dammit, she couldn't sit and do nothing. She would go crazy. She would do something she regretted like go back to the bottle.

"With all due respect, sir," her voice devoid of any, "all officers are targets regardless of my situation."

"Consider it a free vacation, Officer Michaels. You'll be paid and you won't have to use any of your hours."

"I don't want a free vacation. I want to work. At least let me work with Detective Rodgers and the agents. I know the old case forward and back," she pleaded, abandoning any self-respect she once had.

She felt her throat slowly closing as Rogan shook his head. He didn't know what he was doing to her. She wasn't going to be able to handle this. She had never expected to see Hargan, Markson or Pierce again. She had never expected she would have to relive the shooting again. And she couldn't do it without the relief of work, of doing something she knew how to do; something that gave her confidence. Without her job, she felt her feet couldn't make purchase. She didn't know what to do with herself.

"It's too dangerous," Rogan was saying, but Kale could barely hear him past the thumping heartbeat in her ears. "As of now, consider yourself on paid admin leave."

She stared at him, blinking and trying to think of any other response than the Go fuck yourself one that was poised on her lips. She needed to get away from him. She needed to get the hell out of his office and back to her apartment. Who was she kidding? If she went back to her apartment alone, she'd just do something stupid, like start drinking. She'd go to Eli. He'd know what to do. She barely heard Rogan dismiss her through the thoughts swirling in her head. She stood numbly, her senses dulled as she made her way out of his office. She was completely lost.

David had decided to take a break from Hargan, letting Jake and Andrews go at him a little harder. He walked to the break room for some coffee, needing to clear his mind. His dislike for Hargan as a person had started to cloud his judgment and he forced himself to take an objective step back. What he really wanted to do was get back to the office and start going through Natalie and Veronica's files. Those type of up close and personal kills meant that there had to be some type of physical evidence. Whatever it was, no matter how minute, he was going to find it. Hargan's interview opened the door to the possibility of an extramarital affair, but that didn't explain the first two homicides. Unless the women had something else in common other than the law firm. While working for the attorneys they had shared the same sexual partners. Perhaps history repeated itself.

He had just turned back to return to the interview when he saw Kale literally stumbling into the hallway from the command staff's wing. He walked toward her, instantly concerned about the meeting she had with Captain Rogan. As he got closer, he saw the glassy thousand yard stare on her face. She tripped over her boots and had to grab onto the wall for support. David quickened his pace, almost running to her. He reached her and took her arms to steady her. Something obviously went terribly wrong with the Captain.

"Kale," he said, bending at the knees so he could look her in the eyes. "What's going on?"

Kale looked up into those eyes that had followed her for so many years. She was so damn familiar with those eyes that just seeing them was enough to slow her racing heart. As she began to focus, she wondered if David knew how truly pathetic she was, hanging on to the memory of him for all those years. Her brain slowly cleared itself of the fog and she began to wonder if David had anything to do with the administrative leave on which she was currently forced. He had threatened to go to her Captain to keep her off the street. If he had a hand in pushing her off the job, she was liable to explode.

She shoved his hands off of her and took a step back, finally able to focus on the entire situation. "What the hell happened to 'I'll do everything I can?'" she snarled at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked, standing up straighter, surprised at her anger.

"I'm on administrative leave," she yelled at him. "I have nothing now! Did you do this? Did you talk to the Captain and then just blow smoke up my ass about keeping me around?"

"I didn't speak to anyone," he assured her, crossing his arms against his wall of a chest.

"Well it doesn't fucking matter. I'm done. I'll just sit on my ass and wait until he decides to kill me, too."

"That isn't going to happen," David growled, his hands immediately on her again, gripping her upper arms. The thought that she could be killed enraged him. He needed her at the damn safe house.

"You can't promise that," she snapped at him.

"I could if you would take the safe house," he replied.

"Fuck yourself," she hissed, shaking his hands off her and walking away.

He followed her, intent on making sure that she wasn't going to be sitting around waiting to be strangled like the others. "Kale, fine, don't take the safe house. But don't be stupid, either," he told her, grabbing her by the arm, maybe too hard, spinning her back to face him. "You and Mallory are the only women left. I need you to stay safe."

"I am a cop, David!" she yelled. "I'm not ever going to be a fucking victim again. So you can stop worrying about me." She stormed off again.

"I've worried about you for six years," he yelled at her back, shocking himself and Kale. His face immediately flushed in embarrassment. He had never intended to tell her that he remembered her so vividly. Why the hell he had said it right then was anyone's guess. But he couldn't take it back, no matter how much he wanted to suck the words back in.

Kale stopped and slowly turned around to face him. Her heart was thundering in her chest and her entire body swelled with the rush of extra blood. She watched David's face closely, trying to determine whether or not he was full of shit. He seemed genuine. But, how could he be? He had held her hand for ten minutes one day and then never returned. She didn't even know his name until just hours ago.

"What did you say?"

He walked toward her, watching her reaction as he approached. He couldn't back out of it now. Hell, he had nearly kissed her in the lobby earlier. She deserved to know why, no matter how much his common sense told him to shut up. "I said that I worried about you for six years," he repeated.

"You knew who I was?" Her voice caught in her throat.

He nodded. "I didn't leave for the FBI for a few weeks. I did a lot of the paperwork for your case. I...I read a lot about you."

Kale was shocked. Dozens of questions flooded her mind. She was confused and couldn't focus past one particular question.

"So you've known about me this entire time," she surmised, her voice harsh.

"I didn't exactly keep track. I didn't know you had become a police officer. Jake never mentioned it."

"So then how the hell can you say you worried about me for six years?"

"I just..I never forgot about you," he mumbled.

"What the fuck does that mean?" she asked, not sure why she was going on the defensive.

"Jesus, Kale," he sighed, running his hands through his hair, displacing it. He started to pace. "It means that I felt something, ok? I spent ten minutes by your side, barely spoke a word to you and I felt something."

Kale felt like she had been slapped. The admission knocked the wind out of her. She looked at him. His gorgeous face didn't show a hint that he was joking. She didn't understand. He felt something for her? No, he couldn't be telling her the truth. He was just working her over, trying to get her to take the safe house. Wasn't he? Or, was it possible that the physical pull she felt toward him wasn't just on her end?

Kale wasn't saying anything and David's heart felt like it dropped a good six inches. He barely knew her. Why was he so damn worried that she wouldn't feel the same? It didn't matter anyway. He would only hurt her in the end. He should have kept his idiot mouth shut. He had no plans to stay in Cincinnati. He had no plans to have anything serious with her, or any other woman for that matter. As much as it surprised him that he ached to touch her or kiss her, he couldn't get involved because with a woman like Kale, he wouldn't be able to do no strings. She came with all kinds of strings; ones that tied directly to him. And David refused to do anything that involved strings. Not after Sara.

"I need to get out of this building," she told him.

Despite the fact that she hadn't commented on his admission, he wasn't just going to let her walk away from him. Refusing to become involved with her was not the same thing as protecting her. He had a job to do, first and foremost. "Woa, wait. Kale. I was serious about not being stupid about this. You are a walking target right now. You need an escort."

"I sure as fuck do not," she replied calmly. "I told you, I will not be a victim."

It was the second time she had said that to him. David wondered if she became a cop just to differentiate herself from being a victim. She seemed to adjust her uniform and retreat into cop mode when the stress became too high. She was doing it right then, adjusting the holster on her belt so she could rest her arm along the grip of her gun. Her attitude, which he had initially taken as disrespectful and abrasive suddenly became clear. She was mean and harsh to mask the fact that she felt breakable.

"I know you won't," he replied. "Because you'll take an escort."

She glared at him. "If that's what you want, fine." She maintained eye contact as she pulled out her phone from one of the drop pockets on her cargo uniform pants. She dropped her eyes to the phone long enough to find the number she needed before returning them to David's face. She put the phone to her ear and took a step away from him, still holding his eyes. "Alex....yeah everything's fine. I'll tell you more about what's going on later. I need a ride."

David's entire body tensed, his hands balling into fists at his side. Jealousy reared its ugly head. He supposed he had his past to thank for that. It shouldn't have mattered to him. Kale wasn't his to be jealous over, nor would she ever be. But, for some reason he couldn't handle listening to her talk to some other man. A man who had kissed her just seconds after he had been about to kiss her. His good sense told him to be happy that he hadn't done it, yet a larger, more influential part of him was eager to try again. As if his body was controlled by some other man, he reached out and snatched the phone away from her, ending the call without her permission.

"I'll take you," he told her, gruffly.

She snorted as though she didn't believe him. "I didn't know the FBI hired babysitters." She snatched her phone back. "Don't you have some investigating to do?"

"Yes, I do," he grumbled. "I also have a duty to keep everyone safe."

"So why didn't you escort Mallory home?" she sniped.

David clenched his jaw. Kale was testing him. "I had patrol officers do it," he ground out.

"Alex is patrol. He can follow me." Kale wasn't sure why she was deliberately provoking the man. Part of her wanted to see how far she could push him until he walked away. How long would it take before he crushed the illusion that she had been carrying around? She kept pushing even though the idea that he wasn't what she thought terrified her to her very core.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked quietly. "I don't trust anyone else."

Kale narrowed her eyes at him, trying to read him and understand what she was feeling. She took a step back and regarded him. A question she had always wondered about popped into her mind. "In the office, after the shooting, how did you know that I wasn't going to freak out and kill you?"

She had thought about that moment a lot. She had been holding a weapon and refused to drop it after multiple commands from uniformed officers. She had been gripping the damn thing so hard that it took David several seconds to pry it from her hands. At the very least she should have been hit with some form of a less lethal weapon. Never in a million years would she put herself in the direct line of fire of someone with a gun. David had walked right up to her, inches from her face.

"I didn't. I didn't even think," he told her honestly. "I saw the situation and reacted based on my instincts."

It was as good an answer as any, she supposed. He had taken a chance on her based on instinct. The least she could do was return the chance. "Alright. Let me change and then I'll go with you."

She walked away and David watched her go. Her phone rang as she went and she answered it. He was too far away from her to hear the conversation at that point. But, if he were a betting man, he'd say it was Alex calling her back about that ride. He put it out of his mind and returned to the interview room, discreetly calling Andrews from the door. He explained that he was going to make sure Kale got home alright. Andrews agreed to it and said that Hargan hadn't been giving them too much to work with. According to him, Kelly could do no wrong. She was his ever faithful wife and he was the very definition of virtuous.

David went to the lobby to wait for Kale, wishing he had the foresight to download Natalie and Veronica's files on his smartphone so that he could review them wherever he was. He had been engrossed in checking his email when he heard:

"Let's go. It's not like we're waiting for a fucking parade to follow."

He looked up from his chair and saw Kale with her hands on her hips, looking at him like he was the bane of her existence. She was out of her uniform, wearing snug jeans and a somewhat loose t-shirt which he knew was concealing a sidearm on her right hip. She was curvier than he thought, but still showed a good amount of muscle tone. She wasn't at all what he was used to. It suddenly hit him that he had always chosen women that had seemed fragile and delicate with their thin statures and helpless behavior. He needed to feel like the protector and the women he dated catered to that. Kale was fighting him every step of the way. She wasn't frail or helpless and David was finding that entirely too engaging. In fact, his body had started to react to his thoughts as he looked at her. Great, he had just lost control of the last part of himself when it came to Kale.

"You want me to follow you or do you want a ride?" he asked her, standing up and making sure that his suit coat hid any evidence of his thoughts.

Her face reddened and David wasn't sure why. "I had a take home car, but being on admin leave, I can't take it home."

That was interesting. Take home cars were typically for exemplary officers. They were a perk, a privilege and incentive for hard work. Not that Kale didn't work hard, but she was on the shit end of the totem pole with the commanders. So he wondered how Kale had managed one. David had the keys to the FBI fleet vehicle Andrews had driven. He walked ahead of her to the car and debated on whether or not she would appreciate him opening the door for her. He came down on the side of letting her open the door herself. Once she settled herself into the passenger seat and told him which way to head, David started the car trying to think of something to say in the awkward silence. He glanced at her and found her eyes scanning the passing scenery as they drove. It seemed as though she didn't turn off her cop personality. She was always looking for a threat. She was even still wearing her duty boots.

"So what was with Pierce and the shoe comment?" he asked.

She let out a single syllable laugh. "The man is obsessed with feet or legs or something. Always has been."

"He sounds like a treat to work for."

She looked back at him and laughed again. "You have no idea."

Her laugh was engaging and David found himself almost being charmed which was in sharp contrast to the personality she had shown him so far. She directed him through a few turns and he started to realize that they were headed into a bad area of town. He was immediately concerned as each building they passed became more run down than the next. He kept turning to look at her, expecting that she would navigate him out of the neighborhood into something a little more upstanding. But instead, she pointed him toward an apartment building that David wouldn't voluntarily step foot in at night.

"This is where you live?" he asked her.

"It's not as bad as it looks. The take home car really cut down on the call outs," she explained. She was embarrassed about her meager apartment. But, cops weren't paid all that much and she had served several unpaid suspensions. A lot of her money went toward repaying her college loans since the job with Hargan Markson and Pierce hadn't lasted as long as she would have hoped. She put a good portion of her paycheck toward the FOP, hoping that if she ever did get fired, the Fraternity of Police would provide her an attorney to fight it. Thus, she lived in what some believed was crap. In reality, the apartment landlord was a good man who kept the premises up nicely. She was given a break on rent, being a cop and providing security.

But, she knew all David could see was the neighborhood. She knew field agents with the FBI were paid very well and if his tailored suits were any indication, he was used to far better than she had. She felt very self-conscious, but it wasn't as if she was going to be inviting him up to see her apartment. As soon as she got there, she was going to get her car and head straight to Eli's. She was already getting the urge to drink. She had been doing well, keeping any drinking social and light. She had tested herself and had always been able to stop after two or three drinks. But, after being told that she was a target for a serial killer and being put on leave, she was feeling more like downing a few bottles of wine, passing out and starting over fresh the next day.

"So, thanks for the ride," she told him as he found a parking spot. She started to get out of the car when she heard him answer her.

"Don't you want to know about the murders?" he asked her.

She stopped and turned back toward him. "Of course I do. I thought you and Agent Andrews were being FBI dicks and keeping me out of the loop."

David smiled. "Like you said, you're not a civilian. You're privy to more and I want you to have all the information so you can best protect yourself."

"Believe me, I'm safe in there," she replied, indicating toward the apartment.

David hesitated, knowing that he should just tell her to be safe and watch her walk away. But of course, he dismissed his common sense. "I'd feel better if I saw it," he told her. "Then I could tell you about what we're working with. Maybe you can tell me what you remember of that day."

Kale audibly swallowed. Her voice stopped working as a lump lodged in her throat, thinking back to the shooting. She was able to nod her head, forcing herself to hold on to the lump lest it dissolve into tears. Her face was getting red and Kale wished that she had even the slightest amount of control over her body. It was just that anytime the shooting was discussed, she remembered. She remembered how it felt to listen to the boot steps getting closer, knowing that she was going to be killed. She had never received counseling, only what Eli had to give her. And he had given her enough to survive. She hadn't wanted anything more than that. Now, facing the man that had brought her back to reality that day, she wished that she had taken the time to get herself right.

David noticed the change almost immediately. He turned in his seat to face her. "Hey," he said soothingly in that voice that curled around her like tendrils of smoke. "Breathe, Kale. It's alright. Remember where you are. Remember you're safe."

She felt safe. With David, she felt like she didn't have to look over her shoulder. That was dangerous. She couldn't come to rely on that because soon he would be gone. But, every time a panic attack edged into her body, David's presence, his voice became an immediate remedy. His hand had crept up to her face, his thumb caressing her cheek as he talked her into some steady breaths. He was touching her again. And she was letting him again.

"I'm good. I'm ok," she finally breathed when she had command over herself.

"Good," he replied, his voice suddenly becoming husky. He hadn't removed his hand. He didn't want to. "I wish I had talked to you then," he admitted.

Kale knew the then he was talking about. "I don't remember much about the aftermath. Just..just you being there," she said quietly.

"I was surprised that you remembered me at all. I was only there for a few minutes," he told her, his hand slipping a little lower on her neck, satisfied to feel the pulse at her throat starting to increase.

"I don't know why I do," she replied. "I just never forgot."

"I understand." And he did. Exactly.

Kale shook her head and withdrew from his touch. "So, you coming up or what? It's not as shitty as it seems."

David breathed out a sigh. "Yeah. We need to go over the case."

As they walked up the stairs to her apartment, David couldn't believe she subjected herself to that building every day. It wasn't as rundown as he initially thought, but it wasn't good enough for her. They got to her door and he counted three deadbolts. She gave him a self-deprecating smile and a shrug as she started to unlock them one by one.

"Can't be too careful," she said. She laid her shoulder into the door to force it open. "Listen, I wasn't exactly expecting company so it's not real clean."

"I don't mind," he replied, trying to do his best not to seem too anxious to see her apartment.

She sighed and opened the door, letting him walk in behind her. She shouldn't have let him come up. Her place was a mess. She had clothes scattered everywhere, cans of half-drunk sodas littered every surface, and she had about a dozen take out containers stacked on her kitchen table. She whisked her embarrassment away and hid it under nonchalance.

"So, start talking," she demanded.

He stalled, wandering around the small apartment, taking it in and wondering if she was really safe in the hovel. Although, in contrast to the exterior, Kale had really made the place her own. It was cluttered and not clean, but it was also warm and almost inviting. He couldn't reconcile that with the Kale he knew; the one cursing out everyone she ever met. He walked toward her sofa which was actually a small loveseat. He went to sit down when he noticed a ball of fluff curled up in the corner.

"You have a cat," he said.

"Who says the FBI doesn't notice things?" she replied sarcastically.

"I didn't take you for a cat person," he snapped, getting a little tired of her derision. "So, what's its name?" She reddened and didn't answer him. His lips curled into a smile he tried to fight. She was embarrassed, and a word he would have never linked to Kale Michaels popped in his head. Adorable. "What's its name?" he repeated.

"Rosco."

He smiled a full smile and Kale couldn't help but stare at him. When he was angry or grim, he was unfairly attractive. But when he smiled, the man was the type of gorgeous that had women rolling their tongues back in their mouths. Kale kept her tongue firmly in place and looked away from him, unused to the rush of heat she was experiencing. She had sex with several partners because it was better than doing it on her own, but she had never felt the magnetism that she was feeling with David. She had never wanted it more than she needed it. She had done her best to keep sex clinical. That wouldn't be the case with David. She mentally cursed herself for letting him in to her apartment. He was too close. She couldn't get wrapped up in his charm. In the end it would be a disaster.

"Rosco," he repeated with a laugh. "As in Dukes of Hazard."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she mumbled. "So start talking, fed."

"Hey, I thought we had a deal about that word."

"I thought we had a deal about you not getting me taken off the job," she retorted.

"I didn't," he defended himself. "I don't even know Rogan. He wasn't around when I was on the job. All I know is that whenever his name is mentioned, Jake about cracks his jaw in half grinding it."

She snorted. "They don't get along. But Rogan's got a special interest in getting me fired. He's getting close. He's probably just upset that he can't use this situation as a reason to get it done. The FOP would own him if he did that."

"Well I wouldn't be doing anything to help him with that. Why are you having trouble with work?" he pressed, hoping it seemed natural to the conversation.

"Can't you tell? I have a naturally abrasive personality," she scoffed.

That was obviously a rehearsed answered fed to her by some asshole commander. He thought back to what Jake had said. She had been an ideal officer through the academy and half way through her field training. Jake had made it seem like a switch had been flipped and Kale had turned from ideal to problematic. David was extremely curious about whom or what had flipped that switch.

"Be real," he said, maybe a little too harshly.

"I am," she snapped. "That's all there is to it. I'm a bitch. I act like a bitch and I don't take shit. Not everyone likes that style of policing but I don't give a rat's ass."

David recognized a line of bullshit when he was fed one, but he didn't feel like it was his place to press the issue. She hadn't told Jake so he had no real hope that she would tell him. He didn't know her well enough to earn her trust. He probably never would.

"So anyway," she continued. "Tell me about the case."

Kale picked up the little gray ball of fur and sat down in the cat's spot. The cat stretched and laid back down on her lap. David sat down next to her, uncaring that as he spread out his leg was touching hers.

"Obviously this is confidential. You're privy to it as a member of law enforcement, but it needs to stay between us. I don't know too much about Veronica and Natalie. I only arrived in Cincinnati today. I only had an hour or so to review the cases before we heard about Kelly."

"Where are you stationed?" she asked him.

"Virginia. They called me out because I was involved with the original case," he explained.

"I see." She tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. She knew that when the case was over he'd be gone, back to his life. She just didn't realize it would be out of Ohio.

"Everyone has been killed in a similar manner. Veronica was in her car, strangled from behind with the seatbelt. No signs of a struggle. Natalie was attacked in a gas station bathroom. She fought and was manually strangled. We found Kelly hanging in her closet. She couldn't have done it herself. So three victims, three forms of strangulation," he detailed.

"Woa, wait," Kale stopped him. "A gas station bathroom? Are we talking about the same Natalie James?"

"Natalie Androkis. She was recently married."

Kale waved away the discrepancy. "Whatever. I'm just saying, that woman wouldn't step foot in a gas station bathroom if she was about to piss her pants."

"What?"

"She was prissy," she described. "Upscale. I'm telling you there is no way in hell she would go into a gas station bathroom."

"Maybe she changed. I mean she was a teacher. How prissy can you be with a bunch of toddlers all over you?" David challenged. He didn't dismiss Kale's opinions, though. They were valid. Any woman who had worked for that law firm had to have a certain air about them. Except Kale. She seemed to be the anomaly in the group.

"Maybe," she agreed, but she was hesitant about it. She'd never be able to picture Natalie James voluntarily going into a gas station bathroom. "I'd check her nails. She always had them manicured. Fake nails hold onto a lot of shit."

"I will. I am going to go back over all the forensics now that we know more of what were are dealing with," he assured her.

"So what's your take on it all?" she asked him.

"I have a theory," he replied, vacillating. "But I'm not sure it's valid."

"Run it past me," she suggested.

"He got the drop on Veronica and Kelly. No signs of a struggle at all. In fact, Kelly had been in the middle of doing her nails and there wasn't even a smudge," he explained.

"You're thinking some kind of drug?" Kale guessed.

Somehow David knew that she would be on the same track as him. She'd be a fantastic sounding board because she seemed to resolutely understand everything with bare minimum information.

"As far as I know, Veronica's autopsy didn't find any needle marks, but we don't have the tox screens yet. Even once we get them it might not be conclusive. They'll run the standard panel but there are so many drugs that need to be tested for specifically. It would take a year to run through all the possibilities."

"Who was killed first, Natalie or Veronica?" she asked.

"Veronica."

"And Natalie was the one with the signs of struggle," Kale mumbled, more to herself.

She chewed on her lip as she thought through it. David hated that he took notice. He also hated that he allowed all thoughts about the case to flee his mind in favor of fantasizing about being the one to chew on that lip.

"That's right," he managed to say.

"So why didn't he drug her then? It had worked once already. Why deviate?"

David cleared his throat, forcing his thoughts back to the case. "Maybe he couldn't get behind her. Veronica was in her car. The scene suggests that the killer was behind her, in the back seat as he choked her. Natalie saw him?" he proposed.

"I'm guessing there's no video surveillance at the gas station?" she wanted to know.

"None that I was made aware of. But, like I said, I only had an hour or so to go over the cases."

"What time did this happen to Natalie?"

"She was discovered at about seven o'clock in the morning," he recalled.

"And she had been dead for a while? Or was it fresh?"

"Without having the file I can only tell you what I think I remember seeing. I want to say they set the time of death at the night before," he told her.

"Hmm," she murmured, the sound threatening to make all David's thought processes screech to a halt again. "Makes sense that she might have seen him coming up behind her. I'm always a little more hyper-vigilant at night, especially at a gas station."

Kale's phone rang and she dug it out of her back pocket, upset at the interruption. She was actually enjoying going back and forth with David. It felt like she was working. Rosco lifted his head, letting off a tired meow at the inconvenience of being jostled. She slid the lock bar open, seeing that Alex was calling her again, most likely checking to see if she had made it home. Alex was a nice enough guy and they were on the same wavelength when it came to their relationship, or lack thereof. They had sex when it was convenient for them. That he had kissed her in the lobby earlier surprised her greatly. She and Alex had been sleeping together three or four times a month for about three months, but they had never shown any sort of public display of affection anywhere outside the bedroom, much less at work. In fact, they barely showed any affection while they were having sex. She couldn't remember the last time she actually kissed him prior to earlier that day.

"Hey," she said dully.

"Hey, you make it home alright?" he asked her.

"Yeah, the fed...uh.." she paused and looked at David, shocked that she stopped in an effort to not insult him. Since when did she care about insulting someone? "Agent Malcolm drove me back. They took my take home." She had explained that she was dealing with something that concerned the office shooting. Everyone who knew her knew that she had killed Jason Riley back then.

"That's fucked up," he sympathized. "Do you need me to come over?"

"No, I'm fine. The agent is here," she said, glancing at him again.

"Oh." His voice had deadened.

"What?" she asked.

"What?" he repeated.

"What's your problem?" she asked angrily.

"I don't have one," Alex retorted. "I didn't realize that you just let strange men up into your apartment."

"Strange men? He's a fucking FBI agent, Alex."

"Since when do they follow cops around?" he argued. "Don't you think that's a little suspicious?"

"Oh Jesus Christ. He's not trying to kill me," she replied, exasperated.

"That's not what I'm talking about."

His tone was angry and Kale finally understood. The kiss earlier was him trying to mark his territory. It was pretty hypocritical since Kale had been aware of at least one other woman that Alex had been sleeping with during the months they had been doing the same. She hadn't cared, as long as he was around when she needed him.

"He's not trying to fuck me either," she told him, being deliberately crude. She didn't care how either man would react to it.

David physically jolted at her words. Kale hadn't walked away to answer the phone. She had made no attempts to keep the call private, so he had no problem listening intently. He knew she was talking to Alex as she had called him by name. From Kale's tone in response to whatever Alex was saying, he could tell that Alex wasn't happy David was in her apartment. Get over it, asshole David thought, stretching his arm across the back of the couch. But hearing Kale's last statement truly shocked him. He felt his face flush, unsure why he was feeling so uncomfortable. It wasn't his business how Kale and her boyfriend got along and for all intents and purposes, he wasn't trying to fuck her. Not primarily, anyway.

"That's what you think," Alex grumbled.

"Good bye," she replied forcefully, hanging up the phone. She turned to David, noticing his red cheeks. She had embarrassed him. "I'm sorry about that," she told him. "Alex was acting...unusual."

David shrugged it off. "Guys don't like their girlfriends alone with other men," he replied casually, as though he didn't care about it one way or the other.

She laughed. "Yeah, he's not my boyfriend."

David's pulse amped up, not that the information should have mattered.

"We just use each other when it's needed," she continued.

David's stomach turned to rot as the jealousy spread like an infection. He could have gone a lifetime without knowing that. He had treated women much the same, using them when he had a need for sex. That Kale was treated the same way made him feel like a piece of shit. He wanted to knock Alex out for using Kale, even though she seemed more than ok with it. In the span of one day, David had the unwelcome images of Kale with Pierce, Kale with Alex and possibly with some guy named Eli. He didn't think he could take any more mental images of her with any other man than himself.

She sighed as though the situation didn't bother her in the least. "What are the odds that you'll show me the files on the murders?" she asked, getting back down to business.

"Kale," he started, his tone not giving her much hope.

"Yeah, I get it," she snapped.

"It's not that I don't trust you..."

"Why would you? We just fucking met." She was back to her old self, falling into self-preservation mode so she wouldn't feel vulnerable.

With the return of her attitude, David realized that she had actually dropped it for a while with him. He hoped he could get her back. The attitude was just a mask. What he had seen before, that was the real Kale. Before someone or something had flipped her switch. His phone rang and he retrieved it from the pocket inside his blazer. It was Andrews.

"Malcolm," he answered.

"It's Doug. Did Michaels get back alright?"

"Yeah, I did a walk-thru. Everything's fine here," he replied, mostly truthfully.

"Alright. Get back here. We need to start a timeline board," he told him.

"On my way."

David hung up the phone and stood up. He didn't want to leave Kale behind. He really would have done what he could to keep her working had the Captain not beat him to it. She had a sharp mind and she was asking all the right questions. She'd be an asset, especially having first-hand knowledge of the women who were already killed. And if David was being honest with himself, he knew he would be distracted without her at his side. The constant worry about her safety would consume his thoughts. But, he was a professional. He had a lot of practice at banking his thoughts to focus on work.

"I have to go," he told her.

Kale's heart skipped a beat, hating that she was already feeling fear about him being gone. This is why she wanted nothing to do with him. She didn't want to rely on the fact that he somehow soothed her when no one and nothing else could. She needed to distance herself from him. If in one day he could make her feel like she was completely lost without him, there was no way she could allow herself to get any more attached. And, as if he had a roadmap of her thoughts, she could see him pick up on her reaction.

David watched her eyes widened and noticed her breaths quicken. He could tell she didn't want him to leave just as much as he didn't want to leave. Damn, he wished he could take her with him. It was going to be so much harder to concentrate knowing that she didn't want him to go. He felt himself being pulled in two directions. He honestly didn't know which side would win. He sat back down so he could be at eye level with her.

"I can come back," he offered in that voice that melted her anxiety.

Her heart settled and she felt like she could take a normal breath. "How do you do that?" she asked, almost timidly.

"Do what?" he asked, his hands automatically reaching out to touch her. He smoothed a piece of hair that had fallen from its hold.

Kale almost closed her eyes against the touch. God, it had been ages since she had been so affected by a man. Not since she was a hormonal teenager, hoping that her high school crush would notice her. She didn't think adults were able to feel that kind of thing anymore. Obviously she was wrong.

"I don't know," she mumbled, forcing herself to keep her eyes open.

"Listen, I'll come back and check on you," he assured her.

Even though his words made her feel better, she fought it. "I'm not a child. I don't need to be checked on." Her voice was deliberately hard and laced with contempt.

She was so damn stubborn. Fine, if she didn't want him around, then he wouldn't be around. She could sit alone and pretend that she wasn't feeling anything. It was her problem, not his. He didn't know why he was insulted by her rejection anyway. She wasn't his damn type and he had a job to do.

"I didn't think you were," he replied angrily. "But if you'd rather I didn't..."

Kale sucked in a breath, determined to let him walk out. The sooner the better. Like ripping off a bandage. He'd never be interested in her the way she'd need him to be and he'd never let her work the case. There was no point in dragging it out.

David read the reaction to his words easily. She was full of crap. Even if she'd never admit it, she wanted him to stay. He decided to do something he had never before been able to accomplish. He swallowed his pride. "Nevermind. I'm coming back to check on you. You don't like it? Then you have a while to get over it."

Her eyes narrowed challengingly, surprised at the sudden change. "Since when did you become a jackass?"

"Since that's all that gets through to you," he retorted. He stood up and made his way to the door. He stopped and looked at her, enjoying the startled look on her face. "Until we catch this guy, get fucking used to it Kale. I refuse to let this bastard get anywhere near you."

He was out the door and gone before she could even formulate a response. He had challenged her, he hadn't taken her crap. And her entire body felt like it was crackling with energy from their exchange. She blew out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Damn that man, he was going to be the death of her.

Chapter Five

David was on his way back to the Cincinnati Police Department to pick up Andrews, still smiling at the last words he had with Kale. He had caught her off guard and found that he enjoyed pushing back at her. She thought she could walk all over people and David wasn't about to be her doormat. He affected her, he knew that for certain. The look on her face as he walked out of the door was burned into his brain. With her mouth slightly open in surprise, she looked like she would have jumped him then and there if he hadn't walked out. Good. Now she knew how he felt.

His phone rang and without looking at the caller ID, he answered it. "Malcolm."

"Yeah, I know the name. I'm a Malcolm, too," the caller grumbled.

David sighed. "Shawn."

"Yeah, heard you were in town. Thanks for the phone call."

David was hurt at his brother's tone, but he wasn't surprised. He hadn't talked to Shawn in at least a year. And even then, it was only to be informed that an uncle had died. "I didn't think you wanted to hear from me."

"I don't. You're an asshole. But I'm calling to tell you that if you don't get your sorry ass down to see mom, I'll make sure you regret it."

"Mom doesn't want to see me," he replied, knowing that probably wasn't true. His mother was mad at him, but she had always loved and worried about her sons unconditionally. She had been devastated when he called off the wedding with Sara. She told him that he was abandoning his family. He hadn't been able to tell her the truth. That stupid pride thing again.

"It's not your place to assume that. You had better get to her door with your tail between your legs, take whatever she dishes out and act like a God damn son to her," he ordered.

"I can't. I'm working." It was a valid excuse. He was working.

"Make the time, David. I swear to God, I'll beat the living shit out of you if you hurt her again. She knows you're here."

"Dammit," he muttered. That meant Sara knew.

"Be a man," Shawn hissed. "For fuck's sake, at least let her have a relationship with her grandson."

"You don't know what you're talking about," David gritted out between his teeth. He didn't need this right now. He had too much on his plate already between finding Kale again and dealing with a serial killer.

"I know Sara barely returns her phone calls anymore. No doubt your doing," he lectured.

"I haven't talked to Sara years," he replied. "I have nothing to do with what she does or doesn't do."

"You're here now. Fix this," Shawn demanded. "If I have to watch mom's heart break one more time, you had better believe I will come after you."

Shawn hung up the phone before David answered. "Fuck!" David yelled to no one, throwing his phone to the empty passenger seat. He didn't have time for that shit. He didn't have time to explain to his mother why Sara wasn't answering her calls. He didn't have time for the barrage of calls he knew he'd be getting from Sara once she knew he was in Cincinnati. He hadn't ended things on the best terms. She had begged him to come back, so she could talk to him in person. He had always refused. Now that he was there, she'd pounce.

He pulled up to the police station and called Andrews. He and Jake appeared. Obviously Jake had gotten clearance to work the cases and David couldn't have been more relieved. Jake was comfortable. They'd be able to play off each other much like they used to. Between the two of them, they had a very respectable clearance rate.

"Jesus, I'm stuck with you?" David joked.

"Please," Jake scoffed. "You'd better be counting your blessings rook. I'm here to remind you how we do it out here on ground level. Things get a little distorted twenty floors up behind a desk."

David laughed. "The pay gets a little worse each floor down." Jake snorted a laugh. "So, Hargan give us anything useful?"

"Fuck no," Jake replied before Andrews could. "He's a fucking defense attorney. They lie for a living. To hear him tell it, Kelly sat at home dressed like a damn model all day, just waiting for him to come home so she could spread her legs and let him fuck her. And of course, he never stuck it anywhere but in her, which we all know is bullshit."

"Yeah, I remember from the original case that he had been sleeping with the majority of the women there," David recalled.

"Is that right?" Andrews asked.

"Sure as hell is," Jake answered. "All three of those pricks were."

"But Hargan had been pulling back," David remembered. "Right around the time Kelly started working there." He tried to think back to the original case file. The surviving woman had mentioned that he hadn't come on to them as much after she started. He had placed the bulk of his attention on Kelly. "Could he be telling the truth about being faithful? He seemed to have it bad for Kelly back then. Stopped him from going after the other girls."

"I wouldn't trust a word out of his mouth," Jake replied.

"Did all the evidence from the first two cases make it to our lab?" David asked Andrews.

"Yeah. There wasn't much on Veronica. Cincinnati crime scene did great," he replied, eyeing Jake in the backseat, no doubt hoping to remain friendly. "They vacuumed the entire interior and our techs are going over everything. If there is anything to find, we'll find it. They had also cut the seatbelt out of the car. We might be able to get some sweat or skin cells out of it. The doer had to have a good grip on it to choke her the way he did."

"Veronica's case seems more plausible to me," David said. "She's parked in a shopping center. She gets back to her car. Someone is hiding in the back seat."

"No damage to the locks. How'd he get in?" Andrews questioned.

"Maybe she left it unlocked," Jake offered.

"Or," David interjected. "How far away do you have to be for a key fob to work? I start clicking mine as soon as I get into the parking lot. Someone could have been waiting. He could have crouched down on the passenger side waiting for her to click the door open. He slips in while she's still walking to the car."

"Plausible," Andrews agreed. "What's your theory on what happens next?"

"He had to have subdued her quickly. Otherwise she would have clawed and scratched as soon as the seatbelt was around her neck. It's got to be some kind of drug."

They pulled into the parking lot at Cincinnati FBI Headquarters. The three of them walked into the building and David deferred to Andrews, getting Jake set up with temporary ID so he could enter the building when he needed to. In the elevator on the way up to their floor Jake asked:

"Kale get home alright?"

Even though it was petty and juvenile, David didn't want Jake to be worrying about Kale. He wanted sole responsibility in caring for her. "Yeah, she was a little shaken up, but I think she'll get through it."

"I forgot to mention," Andrews cut in. "A Captain Rogan gave me her personnel file. Said it might be useful to us?"

"Fucking dick," Jake muttered.

David instantly wanted to get his hands on that file, curious as to what had happened to make Kale shut down to the rest of the world. Andrews placated Jake.

"Detective Rodgers, I assure you I want no part of making Officer Michaels into some sort of scapegoat. I understand she's had her problems with the department, but I don't care. I just want to make sure she lives through this."

David was actually pretty impressed with Andrews. He had read Jake perfectly and knew the exact right thing to say. His SAC had said Andrews was very competent. He had just earned David's respect.

"Just try not to believe everything you read about her. Rogan's got a vendetta," Jake grumbled, accepting Andrews' statement.

"Understood," he replied.

They disembarked the elevator and Andrews led them to a room that had been set up to work the case. Two files boxes were on a long conference table. A white board was at one end of the table and there was food and coffee set up at the opposite end. The FBI really knew how to treat their employees.

Jake laughed upon entering the room. "Jesus, they cater your investigations? No wonder you packed on the pounds rook."

David rolled his eyes, seeing as Jake was at least fifty pounds overweight and David had never been in better shape. He got his money's worth at the gym in his apartment.

"Feel free not to partake," he replied.

"I'm amused, not a fucking moron," he said, making his way down to the food.

Andrews took Kale's file out of his briefcase and added it to the stacks already on the table. David itched to reach for it but he refrained. Instead he went straight for the autopsy report on Veronica. The standard ten panel drug test had come back negative. She hadn't been using any type of illegal drug, but that wasn't the type of drug David had in mind.

"Ok," Andrews said, picking up a dry erase marker and walking to the whiteboard. He wrote Monday, 8/5 Victim #1 found in parking lot. He continued to mark the dates of the subsequent murders, Tuesday 8/13 and Wednesday 8/21. Eight days in between each kill. David wasn't sure if that was significant or not. He hoped he had eight days to work the case before someone else was attacked.

David watched as Andrews wrote out details of each crime in the correct column. He split his focus, going back to the autopsy report, flipping to the picture of Veronica. She looked like a china doll, her skin so perfectly white save for the mark on her neck. He shook his head at the thought of the unnecessary loss. The woman had done nothing wrong. Her two kids would never have their mother again. It was just such a damn waste. He focused on the picture again. He couldn't understand why there were absolutely no signs of a struggle. The ME's techs had mussed her hair more transporting her from the car to the gurney than during the murder. How could she not have one mark on her? He scrutinized the photo, suddenly seeing something that he didn't know wasn't just a trick of his eyes. Was that bruising around her mouth? He flipped to a picture that focused more on the victim's face. Was it the lighting?

"Jake, take a look at this," David said, sliding the photo down the table to him. "Does that look like bruising around her mouth?"

Jake looked at it, tilting his head to the left, then the right. "Can't say for sure. What's the autopsy report say?"

David had skimmed it. "It's not mentioned." He stood up and walked to Jake, looking over his shoulder at the picture. "I think that's bruising."

"He could have held his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming," Andrews said.

"No, he'd need two hands to pull the seatbelt. She wouldn't have been able to scream anyway. Not with her throat being crushed," David replied. Andrews nodded in agreement. A thought occurred to him. "A vapor drug."

"What?" Jake asked.

David picked up a napkin from the food tray, walked around behind Jake. "Like this," he said and reached around Jake's head, holding the napkin over his mouth and nose. Jake pushed his hand away, immediately uncomfortable.

"Fuck, don't do that."

"Now imagine someone stronger than Veronica holding that to her face. She wouldn't be able to move her head. She'd pull at the hands probably but it would only take a few seconds for her to be out," David continued.

"Chloroform," Andrews said. "I'll call the lab, have them order the test."

Andrews stepped out of the room and before David could continue his theory with Jake, his phone rang. Stupidly, he answered it without consulting the call ID.

"Malcolm."

There was a pause before he heard a voice he had hoped he wouldn't be hearing ever again. "Hi David."

His jaw set firm and his heart started thundering angrily. "I'm working," he said curtly.

"I know. Your mom called. She said Shawn told her you were in town working some big case. I just want to talk to you."

"I don't have time," he replied, making no attempt to mask the contempt in his voice.

"It won't take long. Just coffee," she offered.

"I don't have anything to say that hasn't already been said years ago," he said, taking note that Jake wasn't trying to hide the fact that he was eavesdropping.

"I wish you'd see him," she said, her voice small.

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"I still think about you," she told him.

He shook his head even though she couldn't see it. "I can't do this right now. I'm working."

"Then meet me. Please. Just a cup of coffee, David. Can't you even afford that? Just to give me some closure?"

Jesus, she really had a way about her. She could guilt him into anything. "Fine. But I don't have time today. I'll call you." He hung up and looked at Jake. "What?" he barked.

"That Sara?" he asked. David's jaw jutting out was enough of a response. "Can't believe she didn't go with you to Virginia. I thought you two were going to make it."

"Yeah, well not everything is as it seems," he replied darkly. "Let's get back to work."

"I really want a drink," Kale said. "Scratch that. I really want ten drinks. I want to pass out, not dream, not think and not wake up until I can go back to work."

"That would be extremely counterproductive," Eli replied.

David hadn't been gone for more than ten minutes before Kale felt like she was crawling out of her skin. She had driven to Eli's with a bag packed with enough to stay to the night. She knew he wouldn't care. If he had it his way, she'd probably still be living with him full time. But, she needed her independence. What kind of 29 year old still lived with her dad? As soon as she got there he had welcomed her with open arms. He knew why she was upset, partially. The news had covered Kelly's death. Just a blurb. Prominent attorney's wife murdered. They hadn't picked up on the rest of the case yet. Most likely because Natalie's last name had changed and Veronica's death was already two weeks ago. Old news. Kale had filled Eli in on the gaps in the news coverage, as much as she could legally do, and about getting administrative leave at work.

"They have the FBI out investigating," she told him, starting to pace. "The agent in charge, he would have let me work it if Rogan hadn't gotten his ugly ass involved."

"Really?" Eli asked as if in disbelief.

"Don't sound so shocked. I actually do have something to offer to the investigation. I was there the first time," she reminded him.

"I know, honey. I just didn't think that the FBI would really care what a patrol officer had to offer. Nothing against you, my outrage would be directed at the FBI for discrediting you."

She smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"So tell me the rest of why you're so wound up you're practically spinning like a top."

She stopped pacing and looked at him. He was giving her that all knowing, all seeing look that she used to hate when she was a kid. He had always known when she got in trouble or hadn't exactly told him the whole story. Nothing had changed. She sighed. No reason to keep him in the dark. Eli would tell her exactly how he felt about the situation. A dose of cold hard reality could only help.

"The agent I mentioned. He was there. At the shooting."

"They brought the FBI in on that?"

"No, or I don't know. Maybe. But, no he used to be a detective with CPD," she explained. "He was part of the first wave of cops that got to the office."

"Oh, he told you that?"

"Well...I remember him," she admitted.

"I thought you didn't remember anything after the shooting, just waking up in the hospital," he said.

That was the next thing she remembered, after David's eyes. It was waking up with Eli's hand gripping hers as he slept in one of those horribly uncomfortable plastic hospital chairs.

"I...this is going to sound really stupid," she prefaced. He raised his eyebrows, silently telling her to continue. "I wasn't sure he was real. I shot Riley and then I couldn't think or function or even move. I just couldn't do anything, I was so scared. And then there this guy was, out of nowhere. And I felt...ok. Like everything was going to be ok." She stopped talking and started pacing again. She looked at Eli, knowing that he wasn't judging her. He was just waiting. "I thought I imagined him. I thought my mind had broken so hard that it created something for me to cling to, so that I didn't completely lose it."

"It must have been quite a shock to learn that he was a real person, someone you can actually see and feel," Eli replied, hitting the nail on the head as usual.

"Yeah, I about fell out, right there on the street. It was so fucking embarrassing," she recalled. "It's too much all at once. Finding him, having to think about the shooting, being a target, getting benched from work. I can't handle it, Dad. I'm going to freak out!"

"Hey," he said, his voice soothing. That voice used to calm her nerves instantly. But now she realized it was second rate to David. Dammit. "You'll be alright. You are a survivor, Kale. You did it once, you'll do it again and as many times as you need to after that."

She took a deep breath and blew it out. "You're right. I'll make it through. I am not a victim."

"That's my girl."

She smiled at him, trying to put on a brave face. The smile faded and she sighed. "Can I stay the night?"

It was late. Jake was practically asleep in his chair. Andrews was nodding off reading through the dozens of cases Hargan Markson and Pierce defended that had been flagged as controversial at the time of the shooting. David was tired and wanted nothing more than to go back to his hotel and fall into the bed. But, with Jake and Andrews not paying attention, he decided to grab Kale's personnel file. It was far too thick for only being on the job four years. Jake hadn't been joking. She had more than her fair share of complaints. A lot of them were bullshit, but even so, she had earned herself docked pay, unpaid suspension, loss of vacation days, etc. But nothing in the file told him what the hell happened to her. Her field training officer had documented a bad attitude but he had ultimately recommended that she be released to general patrol.

He flipped through some of the complaints, seeing that the bulk of them were that she had cussed someone out. That wasn't entirely shocking, given the way she had spoken with him and Jake. A few of the complaints were the loose definition of police brutality. She had laid hands on a couple suspects when she didn't necessarily have to. There were no serious injuries as a result, but Kale had served two unpaid suspensions due to them. David read through a complaint where all she received was a written reprimand and found himself actually laughing out loud. Kale had apparently responded to a call for a property dispute. She declined to take a report. When the woman who called in the complaint demanded that it be documented, Kale had told her to "feel free to write about it on the social media outlet of your choice."

His laughter awoke the two men who then promptly tried to hide the fact that they had been sleeping. A collective agreement was made to go home, get some sleep and return at 8am the next morning to continue working. David made it back to his car and drove to the hotel on autopilot. It was around midnight by the time he made it to his room. As soon as he stripped out of the suit and tie, he found that he had entirely too much on his mind to be able to fall asleep. Three women dead. Kale Michaels in danger. Kale Michaels in general. He wanted to call her, hear her voice and make sure that she was safe. But, he didn't, largely because he wasn't supposed to have her number. He had gotten it from her file, but he would have preferred she give it to him. She had his number and the ball was in her court to call him.

He checked his phone and tried to ignore the text messages from Shawn demanding that he go see his mother. He deleted the messages from Sara reminding him that he had agreed to coffee. He didn't have time for Sara. No, he didn't have the energy for Sara. His mother, well he supposed he really should go see her. But the only conversation they would have would be about Sara. He didn't need his focus split any more than it already was. He needed to concentrate on finding the person killing these women.

Andrews had arranged for an FBI psychiatrist to consult on the case so they could possibly get a profile on this guy. Regardless of whom the killer was and his motivation, David wanted to know how he was so successful at getting the drop on these women. Perhaps Veronica, Natalie and Kelly were not the most tactically observant of women, but they certainly wouldn't let a strange man walk right up on them. Especially Kelly. She was in her own home for God's sake. David went back to the theory that she had to have known him. She had to have gotten up from her vanity where she had been doing her nails and greeted someone. A boyfriend? She definitely had plans with someone. She wouldn't have been preparing to dress that way otherwise.

The man wouldn't get the drop on Kale. She was too smart, too aware of her surroundings. She was capable and armed. But, no matter how many of her attributes he listed that would prevent her from being attacked, David could not stop worrying. He wondered if she was having anxiety thinking about the murders and the office shooting. He wondered if she needed him, since he seemed to have a knack for calming her. She wouldn't admit it if she did need him. She would just cuss him out and tell him she was fine. With sleep eluding him, David decided to take a shower and take a second look at Natalie's autopsy reports.

Chapter Six

Kale had been mercifully asleep in her old bedroom for a couple hours when the sharp trill of her cellphone ripped her into consciousness. She bolted upright in her bed, her chest heaving from dreaming about the sounds of Jason Riley's boot steps stalking closer and closer to her. She pressed her palm against her heart, willing it to slow down as she looked around the darkened room. The clock read 2:30 am. Who the hell would be calling her that late? She fumbled for the light and with shaky fingers took her phone in her hand. She didn't recognize the number and hesitated to answer it. Curiosity got the best of her and she slowly slid the lock bar open.

"Hello?"

She barely got the word out before she heard, "Kale! He's coming! He's here!"

Kale immediately swung her legs over the side of the bed, reaching for her jeans and boots. "Mallory? Where are you? Did you call the police?"

"I called 911! I got cut off!" she shrieked.

"Where are you?" Kale yelled at her, cradling the phone between her shoulder and ear as she jammed her legs into her jeans.

"Someone hit my car and when I got out to check, he attacked me!"

"Where are you?" Kale nearly screamed.

"I ran! I'm not sure where I am anymore."

Kale mentally cursed. She put her boots on, tying them as fast as possible. "Dad!" she screamed. If anyone could help her, Eli could. He had taught her everything she knew. He was a better shot than she was. He should be. He used to be a sniper in the Army.

"Mallory, calm down," she said into the phone. "Where were you when the accident happened?"

"Um, I was on 75, near Liberty," she said frantically. Kale could hear her breathing hard from running.

"Is he following you?" she asked as her door burst open and Eli appeared holding a handgun, wearing his pajamas. She held up her hand, indicating she needed a minute.

"I think so," she said, now crying.

"Keep calm, Mallory. You're being loud. You'll attract him. Find a place to hide, an alley, a dumpster, anywhere. Turn your cellphone to vibrate. I'll find you from the GPS, ok? I'll call you when I'm close. We will find you, understand?"

She sniffed and her voice came through considerably lower. "Ok." She paused. "Kale, I'm scared."

"I know. But I'll find you. You survived it once. You can do it again," she said, repeating Eli's words. "Hide. I'll be there soon." She hung up and turned to Eli.

"Kale, what the hell, you scared the shit out of me!" One of the rare times he yelled at her.

"That was Mallory. Someone ran her off the road on 75 and Liberty. She thinks it's this guy, coming after her. She ran away. I need your help. We have to go find her," she explained.

"Get your guns," he said simply before walking out.

Kale knew she could count on him, no matter what. She grabbed her .40 Glock duty weapon which luckily had not been taken from her, sliding it into her off duty holster. She retrieved her secondary weapon from the backpack she had brought with her, a .380 Ruger LCP which tucked snugly into the small of her back. She adjusted the switchblade she kept clipped to her boot. She grabbed a zip up hoody and was at the door just as Eli got there, dressed for a hunt. She couldn't see them on him, but she knew he was carrying at least three weapons himself.

"I'll drive," he said.

She nodded. "I need to make a call anyway." She had grabbed one more thing on her way out of the door: David's card. It's wasn't that she necessarily needed him; she had Eli after all. But, this was his case. He needed to know. And, if Kale wanted to be honest with herself, she wanted him there. She took a deep breath and made the call.

David must have dozed off because he jerked awake at the sound of his phone. His heart thundered. Middle of the night phone calls were never good news. The number was unfamiliar but he answered it quickly, regardless.

"Malcolm."

"David."

It was Kale and her voice was not right. David was immediately out of his bed, searching for clothes.

"What's happened? Are you ok?"

"It's Mallory. She called me. She was run off the road. I'm going to try and find her. She's on the run and thinks that this guy is chasing her."

David was haphazardly throwing clothes on as he listened to her, part of him unduly relieved that Kale was alright. But Mallory wasn't. And, Kale was headed straight to her.

"Where is she?" he asked, clipping his weapon onto his jeans.

"She wasn't sure. Last known location was 75 and Liberty. I have her phone number. I'm gonna need you to pull some of your FBI shit and get a GPS location on her," she demanded.

"Kale that kind of thing takes time," he tried to tell her.

"Oh for fuck's sake. I'll handle it," she yelled at him, disconnecting.

Fuck! David was out the door less than a minute later, heading like a bat out of hell toward 75 and Liberty. He called emergency dispatch on the way, and they confirmed they had officers in the area looking due to a disconnected call for help. All David could think about was Kale, alone, taking on this psychopath. He needed to get there. He could not allow Mallory to die. He could not allow Kale to die.

Kale sent Mallory a text, hoping that the woman was doing as she was told and hiding. She directed Mallory to download an app that parents used to be able to track their kids. If Mallory downloaded it, she could allow Kale access and Kale would be able to see her exact location.

"Come on, Mallory," she mumbled as Eli sped across the city. They were on 75 now, approaching Liberty. "Come on Mallory," she said louder.

"She's not answering?" Eli asked.

"No," Kale replied grimly.

"Kale," he said, his voice worried. "Her car?"

She looked up and saw a car pulled onto the shoulder. The back bumper showed damage. "That's got to be it," she told him. "Pull up behind it."

Eli stopped the car behind the red Honda. They both got out of the car, their heads on a swivel looking for a threat. Eli donned black gloves and touched the back bumper.

"Fresh damage," he confirmed. He moved toward the front of the car. "Be the eyes," he told her, wanting her to keep watch while he switched his focus to the interior of the car. Kale scanned the surrounding, checking for any sign of a threat.

"She couldn't have gone far from here, not on foot. She was probably wearing heels," Kale told him without looking at him.

"Her purse is here. It's her car. I've got an ID here for Mallory Green," he called.

"Fuck," she whispered. Her eyes focused on something down the embankment of the shoulder. "Shit. Shit! Eli!" she yelled as she took off toward it. She could hear Eli fall in step with her. For a fifty year old man, he kept himself in remarkable shape. She reached her destination, looking at a pair of four inch stiletto heels tossed about. Her heart beat so hard she was afraid it was going to tear out of her chest.

"She ditched her shoes," Eli said.

"Dammit, Mallory," Kale replied, more to herself. She checked her phone again. "Where the fuck did you go?" Each second they couldn't find her was a second closer to her being the fourth victim.

"We'll find her," he assured her. "Don't lose focus. There's good news here. She's on foot. He is in a car. She can go a lot of places he can't."

Kale took another deep breath and nodded. "You're right. We'll find her." She looked to him, taking her cues from his composure. "Can you track her?" Eli's military skills were unprecedented. She needed them now.

"Not in this terrain."

Her phone beeped and Kale nearly fainted with relief. Mallory had downloaded the app and Kale was now able to track her. They sprinted back to the car as she dialed the phone. As soon as the call connected, she didn't wait for a greeting.

"David, go to Washburn Park. She's somewhere in there," she yelled before disconnecting.

"It'll take twice as long if we drive," Eli advised. "We should go on foot."

Kale nodded and followed him across the road, racing toward the park. It wasn't the biggest park in the world, but it did have an awful lot of potential hiding spots. A mere three or four minutes later and they reached it, both breathing heavily. Eli had his gun out and Kale drew hers. She checked her phone. According to it, they were right on top of Mallory. She could start to hear sirens approaching. She blew out a relieved breath. Good, David had called the cavalry. She and Eli crept forward, keeping a sharp eye for any movement. The sirens got louder and Kale could now see the lights. She looked to Eli who nodded. They were safe enough to call her out.

"Mallory!"

Nothing.

"Mallory! Come out!"

Nothing. Kale's pulse started racing again. She had to be there somewhere. Or her phone was. Oh God, had he taken her? Kale's vision was starting to blur and she felt the telltale signs of panic. No, not now!

"Mallory!" she called desperately.

"Movement, five o'clock," Eli said calmly, his gun trained on the position.

It was a children's playground. From a covered slide, Mallory emerged, seemingly unscathed. Kale bolted to her. Mallory met her halfway, clinging to her like a scared toddler would to her mother.

"Jesus Christ, Mallory. Are you ok?"

Mallory promptly burst into tears and Kale couldn't get a word out of her after that. Soon enough the park was covered in police officers. Mallory was hysterically crying, unable to answer any questions and unwilling to let go of Kale. Kale sat with her as paramedics arrived. They covered Mallory with a blanket and checked her vital signs. Soon enough she heard:

"FBI, move!"

Kale would have recognized that voice anywhere, although it was a bit more forceful than she was used to. David approached them, his eyes wild and terrified, locked on Kale. She felt all the air leave her lungs under his stare. The intensity he possessed as he walked up on them was overwhelming. Damn, he had looked good in a suit but it was nothing compared to the relaxed jeans and t-shirt strained over his chest he was currently wearing. Kale admonished the turn her mind had made. This wasn't The Bachelor. She needed to pay attention. Someone had attacked Mallory. As he reached them, he flicked his gaze to Mallory and then to Eli who was protectively hovering behind them.

"Is she alright?" he asked Kale.

"Physically she is fine. Mentally..." Kale trailed off.

David's shoulders visibly relaxed. He had been so worried that he'd be too late. And, he had been terrified that Kale had rushed out to Mallory alone. She could have been walking right into a trap. The paramedics came up to them and David took a step back as they coaxed Mallory into the ambulance. She had been hesitant to let go of Kale, but Kale had assured her that she would follow her to the hospital. David would be going, too. Mallory might have seen the man's face. And, so far, she was the only living victim. He would absolutely love to be able to form a composite sketch.

Once the ambulance was gone, David focused on Kale, sitting on the curb by herself. She looked ready for a fight. The slightly oversized hoodie she was wearing showed the outline of two weapons to anyone who knew what to look for. He never realized how turned on he could be by a woman who wasn't helpless. There was on older man with a graying military haircut who rivaled David in height and weight, pacing behind her. His arms were crossed over his chest, highlighting his muscles and showing David that should he have to fight the man, it wouldn't be an easy take-down. The man hadn't taken his eyes off Kale and David found himself annoyed at his own jealousy. He did his best to ignore the feeling and instead, put all of his attention on the facts of the case.

"Kale," he said, indicating that she should walk with him. "Come talk to me. I need to know what happened."

Kale nodded and stood up, walking a few feet away with him. David took note that the man's eyes still followed Kale. He was acting like a watchdog. David listened intently as Kale detailed what had happened from the phone call that woke her, until finding Mallory hiding in the covered slide on the playground. Through her story, he gathered that the man pacing and watching him like a hawk was Eli. It certainly didn't escape his attention that the story started at Eli's house, which meant she had been staying with him. David put it out of his mind as he directed patrol officers to secure the scene at Mallory's car and call for a tow truck.

It was obvious to Kale that David was distracted by Eli's presence, although she didn't know why. He kept looking to Eli as she was telling him what had happened with Mallory. David hadn't made any attempts to touch her or get close to her, which was telling. Every time she was in contact with him prior, he had touched her as though it never occurred to him to refrain. She wondered if he was more rattled by the attacked on Mallory than he was letting on. Seeing as she was never comfortable with men touching her, Kale should have been relieved that David was keeping his distance. But, she wasn't.

"Kale!" she heard from behind her. She swung around and saw Jake coming toward her. "Jesus Christ, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Jake," she told him with a sigh.

"You came out here by yourself? Are you out of your fucking mind?" he yelled at her.

"Like I would ever do that. I brought Eli," she snapped.

He turned around, looking. Eli jogged over at the sound of his name. "Jake," he greeted him, hand extended.

Jake shook his hand. "Eli. Damn, I feel a lot better knowing you were with her. She staying with you?"

"Hello, I'm right here. I can answer," Kale interjected.

Eli and Jake ignored her. "Yeah. I'm trying to talk her into staying until this is all over."

"That'd be a good idea," Jake agreed.

David's jaw was grinding so hard that he wouldn't have been surprised to find powdered teeth in his mouth. The man was old enough to be her father. Sure, he looked to be in better shape than David himself, but still. And, Kale had been sleeping with Alex. What the hell was this girl playing at? He'd be able to put her out of his mind easily, now. He'd be able to put all his thoughts toward the killer. He had a great potential lead sitting at the hospital and he needed to go make sure she told him everything.

David cleared his throat, interrupting the pleasantries between Jake and Eli. "I think I'll be heading to the hospital to see what Mallory can tell me about this man. Jake, you've got the scene?"

"I've got it," he replied.

"Can I tag along?" Kale asked. "I promised Mallory that I would meet her at the hospital."

He wanted to say no. Hell, he wanted to say yes. Instead of either he said, "You're sure Eli won't mind?" His tone was harsh and accusing, without cause.

The emphasis put on Eli's name initially confused Kale, until she took a mental step back. David didn't know who Eli was. She narrowed her eyes at him, challengingly. It was an asshole comment in general, but even more so because he had said it directly in front of Eli. Kale took her glare away from David and glanced at Eli. He had a smirk on his lips, no doubt guessing why David was acting like a jerk.

"I don't know. Do you mind, Dad?"

David nearly tripped over himself. A fury of emotions swamped him, but most prevalent were relief and embarrassment. He felt his face heat and knew he was probably bright red. Instead of trying to save any kind of face, he mumbled that it was fine if she came and promptly walked away. A few seconds later and he was aware of Kale at his heels.

"You're an idiot, did you know that?"

He refused to look at her. "It's been suggested once or twice," he muttered.

They walked the rest of the way to his car in silence. Once strapped in and on their way to the hospital, Kale spoke again. "Why were you upset about Eli?"

She had a perverse need to know, even though it wouldn't matter. It was just another way for her to torture herself, she supposed.

"What am I supposed to say?"

"I was hoping for the truth," she replied.

"Well I don't know what that is, alright?" he snapped at her, upset that she was asking questions he wanted no part in answering. She didn't need to know that she dominated his thoughts; that when he thought about her as a victim in this case he almost got physically sick. He took a deep breath and blew it out. "You're staying with him?"

"I had only planned to do it tonight."

"He can keep you safe?"

She snorted a laugh. "I learned everything from Eli. He taught me how to shoot. He's former military, Army Ranger sniper."

David could see the pride in her face and felt stupid all over again for being jealous of the man. Now he was grateful for that watchdog stare. He wanted Kale to stay with Eli.

"That's very impressive."

She nodded and turned to look directly at him. "He is the only reason I survived that day," she told him. "His voice was in my mind. He gave me the calm I needed. He could always do that for me."

"I'm glad," he replied, his voice rough and gravelly.

Kale cleared her throat a little, feeling her pulse start to rise. "It doesn't work as well anymore," she said quietly.

David turned to look at her. She was looking out the window, avoiding his face. "Why not?" He felt that charge again, like his body was slowly awakening, inch by inch.

"Someone else does it better," she whispered.

Her words hit him hard. "Dammit, Kale," he breathed, his body heating. "Do you know how fucking worried I was thinking about you out there, taking this psycho on?"

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "But I'm a cop, too. I needed to keep Mallory safe."

"I understand. I need you to understand that you're a target, too. I need you to make it through this," he told her, his voice strained.

She sighed. "I can't think like that, David. If I focus on that, I'll...fall apart," she admitted.

David chanced a glance at her. She sat, wringing her hands in her lap, staring out the window. She looked so damn beautiful that his already pre-charged body completely abandoned all sense of appropriateness. He felt himself growing harder, powerless to stop it. Stopped at a red light, he reached over and took Kale's chin between his fingers, forcing her to look at him.

"You're stronger than you think," he told her, staring into those dark blue eyes. "And I'm here. I won't let you fall apart."

Kale shuddered under his touch. Damn, this man had a spell on her. She shouldn't be encouraging it. She should be pulling away from his touch, reminding them both that they were only together for professional reasons. Yet, all she was doing was wishing that he'd never stop touching her.

Reality intruded as the light turned green. David pulled away and resumed watching the road. Kale shook off the residual feelings. "You won't always be here," she told him sternly.

David looked back at her. Just seeing her face increased his pulse. He felt it throbbing throughout his entire body and in one specific piece of him that he was doing his best to hide.

"Until this man is caught, I'm not leaving," he told her. And he meant it. He didn't really care if his assignment changed. Ten hours ago he couldn't wait to get out of Cincinnati. His body rejected the city like an organ of a different blood type. But, the thought of abandoning Kale without the responsible man behind bars; it was unthinkable. He wouldn't leave her to fend off the wolves alone.

Kale wanted to ask what would happen after the killer was caught but she didn't. Instead she stayed silent the rest of the way to the hospital. Her attraction to David was overwhelming and not normal. She didn't know how to handle it except to ignore it. So, that is exactly what she did. She ignored the fact that he was looking at her. She ignored the fact that her body was flushed under his stare. She refused to acknowledge there was anything between them. And, if she had any luck, she'd ignore it enough that it would go away.

David flashed his badge at the intake nurse at University Hospital and she directed them to a room. Kale was pleased to see a uniformed officer in front of Mallory's room. He stopped them and checked ID. Kale had none so David had to vouch for her. The officer recognized her name but not her face. Not unusual. Her reputation preceded her on some fronts. Mallory was lying in the hospital bed, looking unnaturally pale and young. A nurse was there, fiddling with some of the equipment. She turned around to face them when she heard them enter.

David showed his badge again and introduced them. "I'm Agent Malcolm with the FBI. This is Officer Michaels with Cincinnati PD. Can we talk to her?"

The nurse smiled and moved closer to David as though she was going to whisper to him. As it was her plan, Kale ignored any inkling of jealousy that she may have been feeling. The nurse had rested her hand lightly on David's arm as they spoke. Angered that she was failing miserably at her plan, Kale turned toward Mallory. She pulled a chair up next to her and sat down, taking Mallory's hand in her own. A minute or so later, David pulled up another chair and joined her as the nurse walked out.

"The nurse says that Mallory had to be sedated. She won't be doing any talking tonight," he explained.

Kale was disappointed. She wanted a face to go with this killer just as much as everyone else. She wanted to know what Mallory had seen. Why the hell was she even out at two in the morning in the first place?

"I'll stay here in case she wakes up," Kale said.

"You don't have to do that. Go back to Eli's where you're safe. You need to get some sleep," he told her, almost affectionately.

She shook her head. "No. I don't want her to wake up alone. She'll just be terrified."

"You know, you probably saved her life," he told her.

"I didn't do anything," she refuted, not wanting to look at him.

"Yes you did," he said more forcefully. He grabbed her chin again, making her look at him. "You kept her calm. You made her believe that she would live. You found her."

Kale tried to avoid David's eyes, knowing that seeing them would make her want him again. He wouldn't let her, though. He lifted her chin slightly, making her eyes lock with his. She felt like someone sucked every last bit of oxygen out of her body. The feeling from the day of the shooting came flooding back to her yet again. Everything had been gone from her, numb in the face of indescribable evil. And then, him. She remembered it as if it were yesterday. He had pulled her out of the black.

"Don't look at me that way," she managed to say.

"What way is that?" he asked, enjoying the fact that he was able to affect her so much. Kale was extremely unique to him. He had always had an effect on women. They found him attractive, no mystery there. But with Kale, it wasn't about his face. She was affected by him; by the way he reacted to her. It was as though they were trapped in an unending loop. Something about the way she was drawn to him made him able to read her perfectly; calm her nerves, soothe her fear. And, because of how he read her, Kale was drawn to him; allowing him to calm her nerves and soothe her fears.

"Like you're looking into me," she replied. "It's hard to breathe when you do that."

He smiled at her, contented by her honesty. The least he could do was match it. "I was upset about Eli because I thought you were with him."

Kale was shocked by his admission. Not the reason he was upset, she had already suspected. But, that he admitted it. She was just ordering her brain to formulate a response when David's phone rang. He flashed her a thousand watt smile, no doubt in response to the shocked look on her face as he answered the phone.

"Malcolm," he said, the smile still on his lips. It promptly fell off his face and his eyes widened. "What?" he yelled, standing up.

He was quiet for a minute, his wide eyes glued on Kale. He was making her nervous. She had no idea what was happening and hated to be in the dark.

"Son of a bitch," he hissed. "I'll be there as fast as I can." He hung up his phone, pushing it into the pocket of his jeans.

"What happened?"

"Pierce just ran someone off his property. He took a shot at whoever it was, too," he said gruffly. "I have to go. Call me if she wakes up or if you need anything."

"Ok," she said, watching him walk quickly to the door.

He stopped at the frame and looked back at her. "I mean it, Kale. Anything," he said sharply.

"I will. Be...be careful," she replied.

"I will."

Andrews was already on scene by the time David arrived at Pierce's home. Police cruisers surrounded the home, forcing David to park a block away and walk. Pierce was sitting at his kitchen table, spinning a cup of coffee in his hands anxiously. When David walked in, Andrews headed him off.

"Hey, Ms. Green give you anything?" he asked immediately.

"She had to be sedated. Officer Michaels is staying behind and will call if she wakes up," he replied.

"I thought Michaels was on admin leave."

"It's a long story and I'll give it to you after you tell me what we're working with here," he bargained.

Andrews nodded. "About 3 o'clock in the morning Pierce woke up to his silent alarm."

"Woke up to a silent alarm?"

"I know, I thought it was strange too. Apparently at night, if a door or window unit is tripped, the panel next to his bed flashes. Pierce is a light sleeper and the light woke him up," he explained. "Anyway, he retrieved his gun from the nightstand and waited behind the bedroom door. An unknown person eventually walked into the bedroom. Pierce took a shot and missed. The un-sub ran out and wasn't seen again."

"Did Pierce get a look at him?"

Andrews shook his head. "He was silhouetted."

"Fuck," David hissed.

"You can say that again."

David took a deep breath. "Ok," he re-evaluated. "What we have is good news here. Two attacks and two survivors. He's spooked. Something's got him working faster and sloppier. He takes a go at Mallory and she gets away. So he immediately diverts to Pierce. Pierce is a no go. Is someone on Hargan and Markson?" he asked

"We sent a few patrol officers over to make sure they were alright."

"And I know Kale is safe," he mumbled. "What scared him?"

"The fact that we put it together," Andrews theorized. "It took a while for the first two victims to be identified as survivors of the office shooting. And even then it was only a guess. With Kelly, it was solidified. Even the press will get wind soon enough. If he was watching us, he knows we called in the rest of them. He knows we know what he's doing."

David had to give it to him; Andrews was probably right on the money. "Damn, I wish we had more time to work this."

"He's getting sloppy. He'll make a mistake."

"I think he already has with Mallory. Maybe she saw his face," he hoped.

"Maybe," Andrews agreed.

"Can I have a go at Pierce?"

Andrews gestured toward him so David walked over and took a seat at the table. "Mr. Pierce," he greeted.

"Agent Malcolm" he returned.

"I'm sorry we have to meet this way again," he said. "I have a few questions if you don't mind."

"I told your partner everything, but I suppose there's no harm in answering the questions again," he conceded.

"Thank you." David put up a mental block to any anger he might experience as a result of Pierce's arrogance and proceeded with his questions "I know you told my partner that you can't describe the man, but in generalities, what did you see?"

"Well, it was definitely a man. He was over 6 foot, broad but I only saw his back really. He was wearing some sort of ball cap and carrying something in his right hand," he described.

"Something what, a weapon?"

"No, not a traditional weapon anyway. I suppose almost anything can be turned into a weapon."

"Did you hear anything before or after the attack? No matter how innocuous."

Pierce stopped fidgeting with his coffee cup and closed his eyes. "I think he jumped the fence after he ran. I heard the clanging of the chain link on the fence."

David made note of it in his book. "That's good, Mr. Pierce. What about smells, anything you can remember about that?"

"Hmm, interesting question, Agent Malcolm," he said, considering it. "No, nothing specific that I can recall. The smells were all familiar."

"Familiar? How so? As in the man used the same cologne as you, or just the smells of your house."

"Well, I don't suppose it was just the smell of my house or I wouldn't recall smelling anything. I can't really describe it. Just, a familiar smell. Something not unusual or overtly obvious."

David nodded, holding back his frustration at Pierce's vagueness. "Are you proficient with a firearm?"

"I do well enough," he replied, resuming the twirl of his coffee cup.

"Did you miss the suspect on purpose?"

Pierce's jaw clenched. "Is that a serious question?"

"I don't ask arbitrary questions, Mr. Pierce."

"No, I did not miss on purpose. He turned just as I pulled the trigger. He must have heard me," he said curtly.

"I see. How many shots did you take?"

"Just the one."

"Think about him running out. Isolate that in your mind," he coached Pierce. "Tell me about his gait. How did he run? Like an older man, younger man? Injuries?"

Pierce closed his eyes. "He wasn't in great shape, I think. I could hear labored breathing," he replied. "If I had to hesitate a guess, which you know, of course, means nothing in court, I would say that he was middle aged."

"It's something to work from," David told him. "You've turned your gun over, I assume?"

"Yes, I know the drill, Agent Malcolm," he said regally.

"And we're so thrilled that you do," he retorted before standing up from the table. "If you think of anything else, please call."

"Agent Malcolm," he stopped him. "I happened to overhear something going on with Mallory. Is she alright?"

"Yes. We believe she was attacked by this man, too."

"My God," he gasped. "Well someone must get to my colleagues. And Kale."

David crossed his arms over his chest at the mention of Kale's name. Pierce had no business worrying about her. "Everyone is safe," he said through his teeth.

"Well then, it's awfully late and my clients do not wait. I need to get some rest."

"Once CSU is finished, we will be out of your hair."

David returned to Andrews and conferred about the information gleaned from Pierce. David contacted the Watch Commander of the Cincinnati PD night shift and requested a K-9 unit. Pierce had heard his chain link fence rattling which meant that the man had been on foot for at least some amount of time. The suspect accessed the house through a window and ran from it through the back door. Hopefully a K-9 would be able to track the scent long enough to tell them how the suspect approached the house.

CSU was able to dig the slug out of the wall, but it wouldn't tell them much unless Pierce was lying about what had happened. According to the statement given to Andrews, the man was dressed in all black, including gloves. So fingerprints were not viable. David had been hoping for a whole lot more since the attacked seemed thrown together at the last minute. So far, the only thing even remotely concrete about the suspect was that he appeared to be a man. David would have preferred a genetic profile through DNA pointing at only one man.

The barking dog alerted them that the K-9 Unit was on scene. Since David was dressed for it, he accompanied Officer Neal and his K-9 partner Scout. Scout picked up the scent heavily on a living room window. He tracked it up the stairs and directly into Pierce's bedroom. Scout had made no detours and he had not stopped from the kitchen to the bedroom. The suspect knew exactly where to go. Had he been in the house before? David rejected the idea. Had the suspect been in the house before, he would have known about the alarm.

Scout returned down the stairs, guiding his handler out to the back yard. Officer Neal allowed Scout to jump the back fence and then followed. David did the same. He walked behind the officer and the K-9 through two more yards before Scout lost the scent on a little travelled suburban road. The road was quiet with small, well-maintained houses. He checked his watch. It was almost five in the morning. He supposed that the residents wouldn't take too kindly to him knocking on their doors at that time. He was about to walk back with the officer and the K-9 when he noticed a stain on the ground near where Scout lost the scent.

"Hey, Officer Neal, you know anything about cars?" he asked.

"Enough to get by," he replied, walking up to David who had squatted down to get a better look at the stain in the light of his flashlight.

"What am I looking at here? Could it be condensation from an idling car with the AC on?" he asked. Maybe they were looking at two suspects, one in a getaway car. Officer Neal gave him a look like he was stupid. "What?"

"That's oil. He either had a recent oil change and whoever did it didn't fit the cap back on well enough, or he's got a shitty car."

David nodded. "It's fresh, not dry or weathered. It's probably from our suspect's car."

"Scout lost the scent right here. It would make sense that the car was parked here," he concurred.

"How does he know this area so well?" David mumbled mostly to himself.

"A delivery driver or cab driver would probably know the area," Officer Neal offered.

David tossed the idea around in his mind. "Could be," he said as they started back the crime scene. He sighed. "Well either he is spooked and he's going into hiding, or he's going to step it up and try to get the rest of the survivors quickly."

They made it back to the scene and Officer Neal nodded at someone across the yard. He snapped his fingers. "Ah, that's why you're so familiar. You're my Sergeant's brother. The famous Malcolm brothers," he said.

David looked to where Officer Neal was indicating. Shawn stood, feet spread apart, arms crossed, looking every bit the tough as nails cop he was. "Not so famous anymore," he muttered as he slowly approached Shawn.

"Officer Neal provide you any help?" Shawn asked gruffly as David got within earshot.

"Yes, thanks for sending him," David replied.

The men stood a few feet apart, but it might as well have been miles. David didn't realize he had done so, but he had mimicked Shawn's pose, feet spread wide, arms crossed, as though they were squaring off. They were two of a kind, similar builds, and similar heights. But at that moment, they couldn't have been any different.

Shawn was only a year older; Jack only a year older than that. Irish twins, or triplets as they were called. He kept himself up physically and possessed the same good looks as David. Although some would describe David's looks as boyish at times, Shawn would never get that assessment. He and Jack had inherited their father's hardened face; as intimidating as it was attractive. David's face, although sharply lined, was softer like his mother's. Shawn hadn't seemed to change a bit, down to the same old quarter inch buzz cut hair.

"You closing in on this guy?" Shawn finally broke the silence.

"What have they told you?" David wanted to know.

"Not as much as my brother should have," he retorted. But, he kept talking, not letting David reply. "We're supposed to be on the lookout for any strangulation victims. That's it. But, they brought you back. Kale Michaels is off the road. And I can read a visitor's sign in log just as well as anyone else. You brought in the survivors of the office shooting. Someone is picking them off."

David nodded his head away from the scene, crawling with police and CSU. Shawn heaved a sigh as though it physically pained him to move, but he followed David to a more private spot.

"You heard the call out for a 911 cutoff out near Liberty, Washburn Park?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"He went after another survivor. Kale got to her first, saved her. We think he cut his losses and went after Pierce," he explained.

"Why the hell does he want to cut down survivors six damn years after it happened?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. You remember. The case was never actually solved. Kale killed Riley, but they never found the connection. He could have been hired and no one knows who hired him."

"Still, six years?"

"You're right. That's been bugging me, too," David admitted.

"Maybe the time frame is significant," Shawn conjectured. "Or, maybe something happened that set him off."

David needed this. He missed what he used to have with his brothers; back when they were the famous Malcolm brothers. They could bounce ideas off each other. While David had been a detective, Shawn was happy in patrol. But, if David needed an opinion, a sounding board, advice or anything on a case, Shawn gave it to him. Jack did the same. Now they were as good as strangers.

"Your mind still works like a D," David told him.

"My body works like patrol," he snapped.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for the Sergeant ceremony."

"Save your apologies, Dave," he said between clenched teeth. "If you tell me anything, make it why you abandoned your whole fucking family."

David looked up at the sky as it lightened in the approaching dawn. God, he didn't want to get into this with Shawn now. He didn't want to get into it ever. He had made his choice six years ago and he stuck by it. His mother and brothers might have understood. Hell, they might have even agreed with him. But, he had been ashamed and embarrassed. Now, after so much time had passed with them thinking he was the jerk, he'd never be able to repair the damage. It was easier to just run.

He stretched his neck and took a deep breath. "My intention wasn't to hurt anyone."

"Don't," Shawn hissed. "Don't spin me that politically correct bullshit you're taught to say in the feds. I am your brother."

"I know that," David hissed back.

Shawn shook his head. "You're an asshole," he muttered and walked away.

David felt like an asshole. He watched Shawn's retreating back as it passed Andrews walking up to him.

"Hey, everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I was just talking with my brother," David replied.

He nodded. "CSU is all finished. Go back, get some sleep. We're gonna need it. Make it 8:30 am tomorrow."

David huffed a laugh. "Yeah, you got it."

Chapter Seven

Kale woke up slowly, very conscious of how stiff her back was. She carefully straightened herself. She had fallen asleep leaned over onto Mallory's bed while sitting in the visitor's chair. She rolled her shoulders and a blanket slipped off her back. She looked back at it, confused. She didn't have a blanket when she fell asleep. She rubbed her eyes and tried to get them to focus on her watch. 7:30 in the morning. She looked to Mallory who was still sleeping peacefully. She stretched, not exactly happy to hear the pop and crack of her overused joints. Geez, people would think she was 59, not 29.

Standing up to head to the bathroom, something caught her eye. Her hand went to her hip reflexively but what she saw had her smiling instead of drawing. David was curled up in a hospital chair near the door, sleeping somewhat soundly. His eyebrows were drawn together as though, even in his sleep he was worried and frustrated. She had the urge to smooth the worried lines from his forehead, but of course she didn't. Instead she went to the bathroom in Mallory's room and tried to make herself look somewhat presentable. Kale had never worried about what a man might think of her appearance, but for some reason she was nervous about David's opinion of her. She rewrapped her hair back into the bun, preferring that to the frizzy mess it would become if she let it down then. Rubbing the sleep and any residual eye liner from the day before away from her eyes, she decided that was as good as it was going to get.

When she emerged from the bathroom, David was awake, sitting up in the chair and looking directly at her. As was becoming usual, all the breath left her lungs. It wasn't fair that he could look so good after sleeping in a chair when she looked like crap. Kale racked her brain to find something to say to him.

"I told you I'd call if she woke up. She hasn't," she told him, somewhat sharply. Stop being such a damn jerk, Kale, she mentally chided herself.

"I figured as much," he said coolly.

"So what are you doing here?"

"Making sure my survivors survive," he replied.

"Oh." She tried to mask any disappointment in her voice. "So, is Pierce alive and kicking?"

"Yep, and a terrible shot."

She laughed. "I believe it. Anything come of it?"

"Nothing that comes with a suspect's name. But, we have a few leads from the scene," he assured her.

"Are you being deliberately vague?" she asked, callously.

"No, we just don't have anything tangible yet," he replied defensively. He took a deep breath, refusing to be baited into another one of Kale's famous fights. He really threw her, showing up unannounced. He supposed this unpleasant attitude of hers was merely a response to not feeling in control.

"Well thank God the FBI's in town," she muttered, not really sure why she was coming down on him so hard. He had only been in town for a day. She didn't expect anyone to solve anything in one day's time. Yet, she couldn't stop herself from pushing him away. She didn't like the spiraling feeling she got when he was near. Even though he could take away her panic, he could replace it with something just as dangerous. Lust. Or if she wanted to be completely honest, emotion as well.

"Cut the shit, Kale," he snapped at her. "I'm sorry you're pissed about going on admin leave, but it wasn't my call. I'm working this case as hard as I can. I'm not about to sit back and watch you or anyone else get hurt. So don't stand there with that accusing look on your face like I'm not doing my job!"

Kale's eyes widened as David yelled at her. She hadn't expected to be put in her place and it stung. Alarmingly her throat tightened with the effort to keep tears at bay. Kale Michaels did not cry. She certainly did not cry when men yelled at her. It had to be the stress. The stress coupled with lack of sleep was making her a wreck. She couldn't trust herself to speak. She didn't have anything to say anyway. He was right. She was blaming him for the situation when he had absolutely no part in it. She forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat as she turned her back on him. She blinked rapidly to clear her eyes. If she let him see her tear up, she might as well throw herself to the sharks. It would be blood in the water. She retreated to her chair and made herself comfortable to wait for Mallory to wake up.

David was shocked at Kale's reaction to what he said. She could dish it out so well that he didn't think he could hurt her. The flush to her cheeks, the widening of her eyes and the wounded look like he had just kicked a kitten told him he had scored a direct hit to her. Other than his tone, he wasn't entirely sure what he said that had hit her so hard. Regardless, he felt like a jackass. He would have been entirely justified in walking out the door without another word, but he couldn't leave without clearing the air.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

Kale went to answer and stopped. She cleared her throat, removing any residual signs that she had been ready to cry. "Of course I am."

David rolled his eyes and approached her. She refused to look at him so he grabbed the arm of the chair and spun it so she was facing him. "What did I say?" he wanted to know.

"Nothing. You can go. I'll call when she wakes up," she dismissed him.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're an idiot?" he asked her.

Her eyes shot to his which had been his goal. She narrowed them to a glare. "It's been suggested once or twice," she replied, repeating his words from earlier.

He smiled at her. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't," she said too quickly.

"Kale, stop fighting me at every damn turn," he said, exasperated. She didn't answer him so he squatted down in front of her. She avoided his face, as usual. He took her chin and forced her gaze to lock on his. As soon as it did, he felt like an electric pulse shocked his chest. Those dark blue eyes held entirely too much enticement within them. "Tell me what I said that upset you and I won't say it again."

She let out a sigh. "You shouldn't back down so easily, David. I was being a bitch to you and deserved to get bitched at right back."

"Yeah, well I'm a pushover," he teased.

Kale took a deep breath, wanting to pretend that David wasn't inching his way deeper and deeper into her the more she was around him. "You're not the only one that wants to work the case," she mumbled. "I'd do anything to be able to work it, too."

That made immediate sense to David. She felt like she was being left behind, treated like a victim instead of a cop. And, maybe he had been treating her that way. He wanted her at the hospital, tucked away with Mallory where no one could hurt her. Kale obviously wanted no such thing. He instinctively knew that danger didn't necessarily find Kale as much as she sought it out. She was a risk taker. Reckless. Jake had warned him about that. Even from his own limited firsthand knowledge watching her take on a suspect double her size with no back-up, without even calling out her location, he knew it to be true. Either she was an adrenaline junkie or she had a death wish. No matter which one it was, Kale Michaels was going to have to learn to sit on her ass and let David watch over her.

He laughed in his head. Not even one little part of himself believed she would do that for a second. It wouldn't stop him from trying, though.

He reached out and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. It was entirely too intimate for the situation, but he wasn't thinking like a cop at that moment. He was thinking like a man who wanted to keep a woman safe.

"I know you would," he said, his voice low, throaty, sexy. "I promise you, I won't keep you in the dark, ok? I can't promise how often I'll be able to brief you, but I won't deliberately keep things from you."

Kale didn't believe him. It was Federal Placation 101 as far as she was concerned. But the gesture meant something to her. "If I don't work, I get a little...um, restless."

"You're worried about drinking again," David said, not caring that it wasn't his place to bring it up. He just wanted to make sure that she stayed lucid and sober enough to defend herself should something happen.

Her eyes widened and he immediately regretted saying it. He would have never expected the look of absolute betrayal in her dark eyes. Anger, yes; but not that. He stood up and stepped back as she stood from the chair, her body almost vibrating with anger.

Kale couldn't believe it. She absolutely could not fucking believe it. The next time she saw Jake he was in for a world of pain. David Malcolm was a federal agent. A fucking federal agent and Jake just went and handed him the ammunition needed to shoot her down. She never thought he would open his mouth about her drinking. She was in control of it. Maybe she was worried about having cravings but she hadn't once screwed up since getting herself right. She had always been able to stop after two or three drinks. She never became black out drunk again. But, now that David knew, it was the beginning of the end. Rogan would find out and she'd be fired. Then she really would crawl back in the bottle. There'd be no other place for her. The disloyalty on Jake's part stung and burned like a layer of skin had been scraped off her entire body. How could he? Why the fuck had she ever trusted him?

She gritted her teeth, fighting against the swirl of panic that started low in her gut. Getting fired had always been on the table. But, because of this? It just wasn't fair. There was nothing she could say that could undo the damage Jake had done. She knew the looks, the perception, the stereotypes that ran through people's minds when they heard "drinking problem." She saw it a million times with her own mother. God, all she wanted to do was run to Eli and have him shield her from the world like he did when she was eleven. But, something in her, pride maybe, dictated that she defend herself. Not that it would do any good.

"I am not going to run out and get drunk," she said between her teeth, her voice laced with venom.

David tried to recover any of the rapport he had previously built with her, hoping that it wouldn't be futile. "I didn't think you were. I just thought that maybe you were concerned about wanting to."

She shook her head as if it were all over. "I'm not concerned," she lied.

"Ok. Listen, Kale. I'm sorry that Jake told me, but he was just trying to make sure I had an accurate picture of you," he told her, already wincing as the words were out of his mouth. He wasn't making anything better. "It won't affect anything. I mean, I won't say anything. When you go back on the road.."

Kale's scoff interrupted him. "You and I both know I'm not coming back from this leave, so don't even try to lie to me."

"What do you mean?"

"The secret's out, fed. The cat's out of the bag. It's just the thing Rogan needs to fire me and believe me; he will," she yelled at him.

"God dammit, Kale! What about the last 24 hours that we've known each other makes you think that I have any interest in getting you fired?" he yelled back.

"You're a fucking fed. You dig up shit and spread it around. That's what you do," she accused him.

"I know plenty of your shit already and if you think I'd spread it around then you're crazier than Jake described," he retorted.

Kale's mouth dropped open. "I am not fucking crazy. And I'm not a fucking drunk. I am a good cop who has been sidelined for no good reason! What I need is to work. What I don't need is some stupid fucking fed meddling –.."

Whatever she had been about to say was smothered as David's mouth crashed against hers in one of the most raw and savage kisses she had ever experienced. She hadn't even seen him close the gap between them. His hands were on her, holding her against him, laced into her hair. His lips were soft and firm at once. The stubble on his face scraped against hers, sensitizing her skin and sending a fresh wave of blood south. His tongue demanded entrance and Kale must have lost her damn mind because she granted it. In fact, she responded, rising up to her tiptoes so she could deepen the kiss. Her heart was pounding so hard she felt sure David could feel it against his muscled chest. One, two steps and she was against the wall, his body pinning her to it as he explored every millimeter of her mouth. She was starting to get lightheaded and she wasn't sure if it was a lack of oxygen or an excess of David. He shifted against her and she felt him, rock hard against her stomach. Her body was hot and she was suddenly aware of the intense throbbing between her legs. A growl escaped her throat as she let her body take over, fighting to get closer to him.

The kiss hadn't been planned, but David had absolutely no regrets. She had just looked so beautifully lost while yelling at him that his control snapped. He had come at her hard, wanting nothing more than to have her mouth on his. He expected her to shove him away, smack him, yell at him. But she didn't. In fact, she participated. For such a hard creature, she was surprisingly soft. Her lips, her skin, her touch. His pulse skyrocketed and he had to remind himself to soften his touch lest he hurt her. Her chest was pressed firm against his and he savored the feel, wishing that they didn't have layers of clothes between them. He kept his hand on her back, locking her against him. He felt the bulge of a weapon at the small of her back and God damn if that didn't turn him on even more.

The second her tongue met his, he nearly exploded, pushing her against the wall and claiming every inch of that mouth that had been cussing him out just seconds earlier. He felt himself growing hard, painfully hard. He wanted her with a force that was completely unexpected yet somehow felt natural. To be kissing Kale felt as natural as breathing. Her lips were made for his. Her body melded perfectly against his.

Hearing her growl and feeling her hands slide around his neck shredded any level of restraint David had left. His lips left hers as he kissed her jaw. She tilted her head giving him access to her neck which he took greedily. He kissed the spot where he could see her pulse racing, feeling just how much he affected her. She responded with a quiet moan, spurring David on even more. He tugged her shirt over her shoulder, following the fabric with kisses that left a trail of goosebumps in their wake. He felt her shiver in his arms and he groaned. God what he wouldn't give to have her back at his hotel room. What he could do to that body. His hands roamed, wanting to feel. Her waist wasn't the slim and trim kind that he was used to. She was soft at first touch until he pressed against her and felt the muscles straining underneath. She was strong and fit. He wanted to see and God help him, he was so close to stripping her right then and there.

A loud clearing of a throat penetrated the fog created by their bodies together. David pulled away from Kale and turned to look behind him. A man in a white coat, holding a clipboard, sporting an amused smile was looking at them with raised eyebrows. David took stock of the room. Right; hospital, Mallory, serial killer. He looked back at the man. Mallory's doctor. He released his hold on Kale and took a step back, not without regret. Her mouth was red, swollen and wet from his kisses. Her face was flushed and she looked more beautiful than he could remember any other woman being. She was staring at him in disbelief before she seemed to snap out it. She blinked rapidly, smoothed her shirt and tore her eyes away from him.

"I just needed to check on the patient here," the doctor said, making a clear effort not to laugh.

David took a second to revert himself back into an authoritative figure before addressing the doctor. "I'm Agent Malcolm with the FBI," he identified himself, taking his badge out of his pocket. "Do we know when she will wake up? She may have pertinent information."

The doctor smiled. "I'd say anytime now."

David nodded and looked at his watch. It was almost 8:00. He needed to get back to his hotel room, shower, change and get to HQ to meet up with the team. He handed the doctor his card. "She is of the utmost importance. Please see to it that anyone who comes in contact with her is safe," he told the doctor.

"The on call doctor briefed me before she left," he replied.

"Thank you." He headed toward the door. "Kale," he called, nodding out to the hallway.

She followed him as though she was on autopilot. Her mind was still fuzzy, in shock from the earth shattering kiss. Did it even really happen? It was too good to have been real. But, she could still feel the tingle on her lips. She could still smell his scent on her skin. Damn, it had to have been real. And it changed everything. She followed David into a semi-private alcove off the main hallway. His hand was on her arm, stroking her soothingly. Her heart was still beating wildly and his touch did nothing to calm her this time.

"Are you going to stay?" he asked.

She blinked, tried to focus on his words. "Yes, until she wakes up."

"If you leave, please don't go anywhere alone. Call me. Or Eli, but preferably me," he told her.

"You'll be busy," she reminded him. "I'll be safe."

He smiled and laughed a bit. "I wish I could believe that. You're a risk taker. It makes me nervous."

She actually smiled back at him. "I'll do my best to be utterly boring."

He reached out to cup her cheek, his thumb gliding over her lips gently. She tried to control the breaths that were coming out of her quicker than they should, but she couldn't. Her eyes focused on his mouth, wishing that he would kiss her again. She had been gloriously free of problems for those few seconds against his lips. He tilted her head to the side and frowned.

"What?" she asked, her voice coming out huskily.

"The bruise is coming through from that guy yesterday," he told her. He skimmed the backs of his knuckles across the discolored skin. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" She shook her head. "Good. I'd love nothing more than to stay with you, but I have to go. I'm serious about calling me if you go anywhere, understand?"

"I understand, but I can take care of myself," she said defiantly.

"Dammit, Kale," he growled.

"Ok, ok. I'll call," she acquiesced. "Don't get your panties in a bunch."

He smiled. "I'm more worried about your panties, truth be told."

She laughed. She couldn't ever remember playfully flirting with a man. It was light and fun; two words that no one used to describe Kale. But, she was enjoying herself. Damn, he was good. She gave him a gentle shove on his wall of a chest.

"Go, or you'll be late."

He took a deep breath and nodded. He walked away, glancing back to give her a telling look and made a mock phone with his hand up to his ear. Kale tilted her head sarcastically and gave a dramatic nod, placating him.

David was satisfied for the time being but he knew it was only temporary. As soon as Mallory was awake, she'd leave the hospital and he wouldn't know where she was. The kiss they shared dominated his thoughts as he made his way back to his hotel room. Because of it, the shower he rushed through was ice cold. He didn't need Andrews or Jake seeing any evidence of what happened between him and Kale. If they hadn't been in that hospital room, he wasn't sure he would have been able to stop. Kale Michaels was intoxicating.

By the time he finished tying his tie and slipping his sport coat on, he only had a few minutes to make it to HQ to go over everything they had accumulated through the cases. He was desperately hoping to be interrupted by Kale calling to say Mallory was awake. He didn't hold out much hope that Mallory had actually recognized the man that attacked her or she would have told Kale a name on the phone. But, if she could describe his face to a sketch artist, they'd at least have something to work from. Pierce had been useless, as predicted. David wondered if what Kale had said the day before in the interview room was true. She had told Hargan that the killer was probably someone he had gotten acquitted. It had been a dig at his job, but it was also a real possibility. He wasn't sure on motive, but Hargan, Markson, and Pierce dealt exclusively with criminals. Whoever was taking out the survivors definitely had some criminal background.

By the time he made it to the conference room, Andrews was already there adding to their timeline board. He had tacked up pictures of all three women and added the two attacks from earlier that morning. Two other agents who David had never met were sitting at the conference table.

"Agent Malcolm," Andrews greeted him. "Meet Agent Dylan Wilde and Agent Jessica Duvall."

David respectfully shook both their hands, assessing them at the same time. Agent Wilde was a short, stocky, fairly good looking man who looked capable, although not like a typical federal agent. He looked to be in his late forties. Agent Duvall was younger, early thirties, taller than Wilde, thin and trim. She was much like the women to whom David was usually attracted. She was blonde and very pretty even though she wasn't smiling. She also looked capable. Overall, he was happy for the help.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of additional resources?" David asked.

"You didn't see the news?" Andrews asked rhetorically. He picked up a remote and pointed it to a flat screen TV mounted in the corner of the room. Local news reporter Jenna Jackson was on the screen with the headline: SURVIVORS OF OFFICE SHOOTING DEAD.

"2007 was the scene of a brutal shooting at the law firm of Hargan, Markson and Pierce. Shooter Jason Riley was shot down by a secretary at the firm after he succeeded in killing six women. We now have reports that three of the women that had survived the shooting have been killed in less than three weeks' time."

David was familiar with Jenna Jackson. He had pushed her microphone out of his face on more than one occasion during his murder investigations when he had been with CPD.

"There has been no comment from local law enforcement thus far. There is no word on the condition of the rest of the survivors or what police are doing to keep them safe. We will keep you updated of the situation as it unfolds. I'm Jenna Jackson and this is WCPO, Channel Nine News."

"Great," David muttered. "This is either going to force his hand or drive him into hiding."

"I doubt he'll go into hiding," Agent Duvall said.

"Why do you think that, Agent Duvall?"

"Jess, please," she corrected. "Obviously this guy is on a mission. He's only half way through and I don't see how he could stop now. He's careful, but I don't think that means he'll run when we close in. I think it means he thinks he's that much better than us. That he can kill anyone he wants and we can't catch him."

David considered it. She had a point. As much as he didn't want another murder, he also didn't want the killer to fall off the radar and never account for the ones he did kill.

"Good a theory as any," Jake said from the doorway, his tone bordering on mocking. "Degree in forensic psychology?"

"Detective," Andrews greeted him.

"Actually yes," Duvall answered curtly, shooting Jake a glare.

"My old partner, Detective Rodgers," David introduced him. "Don't mind him. He's got a vendetta against federal agents. Nothing personal."

"Charming," she muttered.

Andrews passed around introductions and they got back down to business.

"I wasn't bullshitting," Jake said. "It's as good a theory as any. He's good, meticulous. He's killed three women up close and personal and we don't have a speck of anything that he left behind."

"So far," Andrews added. "We haven't found anything so far. Our lab is state of the art. If there is something microscopic to find, they will find it."

"Thank God for professionals," he replied.

"Gentlemen," Duvall interceded. "It's no one's first night at the rodeo. Let's play nicely, shall we?"

The men all muttered agreements and settled in to focus on the case. Jake brought everyone up to speed on Mallory's case. Her vehicle had been towed to the Cincinnati impound lot's forensic garage. Andrews had arranged for FBI CSU to sweep it. Jake could give vague details. The paint transfer onto Mallory's red car had been dark blue. From the damage it looked as though the car behind her had just created a small fender bender. He had not rammed her. That made sense to David. The killer would have known Mallory had been alerted by the police as to the possible threat to her life. Had she been forcefully rammed, she would have never pulled over or stopped. The car was drivable and in otherwise good condition. It seemed as though someone tapped her and she stopped to exchange information. Anything after that was pure conjecture. Her purse was left in the vehicle, money and credits cards still there. Robbery could be ruled out.

David and Andrews gave the information from the scene at Pierce's house. The suspect had left a vehicle two blocks over and approached on foot. Several different footprint impressions were taken, but nothing definitive. It was, for all intents and purposes, a whole lot of nothing that wasn't necessarily going to help them identify a suspect. It had better use as evidence to secure a conviction once the suspect was caught. David gave a follow up on Mallory's condition and informed them that Kale would call as soon as she was awake.

As the senior agent, Andrews delegated responsibilities to the newcomers, asking that Duvall go over phone records for the deceased women. Wilde was on financials. David and Jake were going hands on, canvassing the street where they believed the suspect parked his vehicle during Pierce's attack. Andrews would be going over court cases, from six years ago and the present. There could possibly be one that overlapped.

David badly wanted the tox screen results on all three women. Knowing how the suspect was working would give them better insight into the type of person they were dealing with. The forensic psychologist was supposed to be in later that day. David wanted to give the doctor as much to work with as possible. He wanted an insider profile. Was this a garden variety psychopath? Or was it something worse? They could be dealing with mental illness, which would be much more dangerous than a common sociopath. The killer may be so brazen because he did not have the capacity to fear police. But, David was jumping ahead, spurred on by his worries about Kale. It was abundantly clear that he held her safety in higher regard than the rest. He should have stepped away from the case, but hell would freeze over before he did that. He just needed to slow down and take everything step by step so he didn't miss the piece of evidence he knew was there to point him in the right direction.

Everyone dispersed to get to their assignments with instructions to return at two o'clock to meet the psychologist. They would pool their information at that time. David and Jake made their way to the old Ford with Jake being strangely quiet. David didn't know if he was contemplating the case or something else, but the energy felt off.

"Something on your mind?" David asked as he slipped into the passenger seat.

"Well, junior, we are working a string of murders. So yeah, something's on my mind."

David was in no mood for games. He had gotten less than two hours sleep sitting upright in a God awful chair in a bright ass hospital. He wasn't going to spend his day with a passive aggressive partner. "Spit it out or go back to the fucking station. I'm in no mood to deal with shit today," he yelled, somewhat uncharacteristically.

"Me either," Jake snapped. "So tell me what's going on between you and Kale?"

David was startled. He didn't have an answer and he had no idea why Jake would want to know. He cleared his throat and glared at his former partner. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"It has to do with me asking you."

"What makes you ask?" David stalled.

"I guess that's my answer," he muttered.

"I didn't answer you, yet. What makes you ask?"

"Because you looked like you were about ready to lay Eli out last night until she called him dad."

"So what if I did, what's it to you?"

Jake went quiet and David had a disturbing thought. He had initially been uncomfortable at the familiarity between Jake and Kale until he realized that Kale had not responded to Jake romantically. He had put it out of his mind, but now he realized that there may very well be an attraction; a one-sided attraction.

"Jesus, Jake," he started. "You're into her?" Jake was quiet but the ensuing grip on the steering wheel was answer enough. "Partner, you're old enough to be her dad."

"Didn't stop Hargan and Kelly," he replied, his face turning beet red. "So what's the deal?"

"There isn't one," he lied.

"Don't fuck with me," he snapped. "I'm not stupid and I'm not blind."

"Is this going to be a problem between you and me?" David wanted to know.

"And if I said it was?"

"Then either you get the hell over it or I get a new partner for the rest of this case," he replied.

"I noticed you didn't list backing off Kale as an option," he huffed.

"Jake, you're nearly thirty years older than her."

"I can't tell you how much I enjoy hearing that." He sighed. "What the hell happened between you and Sara?"

"God damn. You're on a roll today," David growled. "Why are you so interested in my love life?"

"I'm a detective, curious by nature," he replied, showing David a forced shit eating grin.

"No, you need to get laid," he told him with a laugh, trying to diffuse the tension that had surrounded them with the mental pissing match over Kale. Jake raised his eyebrows at him. "By someone other than Kale," he added.

Jake finally laughed. "Yeah, you, too," he agreed. "By someone other than Kale."

David rolled his eyes and switched back into his federal agent mode as they pulled up to the street where they believed the suspect had parked to access Pierce's home. They needed to canvass the block to see if anyone had observed the vehicle parked there. The houses were medium sized, well maintained and manicured. David held out hope that someone had the foresight to copy down a plate number of the vehicle. David's target witness would be the little old lady type who felt threatened by everything.

On the fifth house, they struck gold. They found an older gentleman who protected his property with a sharp eye and a surveillance camera. The camera angle would not hit the spot where the vehicle was parked, but it would catch the vehicle entering and leaving as there was only one way in or out of the subdivision. The man recalled seeing a blue four door sedan parked on the street. He took note of it because he had never seen it before. He offered up his surveillance footage but unfortunately, the man had no idea how to get the footage off his system. Neither David nor Jake wanted to try for fear they may accidentally delete what they needed. So David called in an FBI computer forensic specialist to come to the scene and retrieve the data.

While they waited, David obsessively checked his phone for messages from Kale, disguising it as looking at his email and the files he had downloaded. Jake was still being abnormally quiet. The revelation that Jake liked Kale was uncomfortable at best. Jake was so much older than David that he had never really thought about Jake's love life, or lack thereof. He knew Jake was divorced and remarried. And since David was back, Jake had obviously been divorced again. Why he set his sights on Kale, David didn't know. David didn't want to think about it, much less talk about it. But, he had some sort of sick need to know what the hell Jake was thinking.

"A watched phone will never ring, rookie," Jake told him, playing with his own phone.

"I'm reading emails," he lied.

"It's a good thing you're not a criminal because you suck at lying."

They were sitting at the witness' kitchen table waiting for the forensics guy to show up. David sat back in his chair after pushing his coffee to the center of the table.

"So I'm worried about her. And Mallory," he admitted.

"They'll make it to the other side," Jake assured him. "Kale is smart and sharp. She won't let anything happen to her or Mallory. And if Eli is around, they couldn't be safer."

David nodded. "She mentioned he was a former Ranger sniper."

"She's being modest for him. You should check him out. Eli Michaels, Army Staff Sergeant," he suggested.

"That's another thing," David started, reminded by the mention of Eli's full name. "Why does she refer to him as Eli to everyone else? Why doesn't she say Dad?"

"He's her step dad. I don't know the whole story, but she had a rough go of it before Eli showed up. She thinks he walks on water."

"And you're positive he's safe?" David asked.

He could obviously see that Eli was strong, fit and capable. But, knowing that they weren't blood related made David nervous. He had seen enough cases where the relationship between step daughter and step father was unlike the typical relationship between father and daughter.

"Rook, go down a different path. Eli will eat you alive if you even hint at impropriety," he warned. "That girl is his daughter."

"Got it," he replied, taking the message to heart. He would instantly back off that avenue. He didn't need to be alienating allies, especially ones that he could rely on to keep Kale alive.

Neither man spoke for a few minutes. David racked his brain to find the common ground they once shared.

Jake broke the quiet first. "You know you're just going to turn tail and run back to Virginia when this is done." His voice was low, harsh.

The message was quite clear. Leave her alone. David didn't answer. He couldn't. Jake was right. God damn him, he was right.

An uncomfortable silence descended over the men again. The only sound came from the television in the adjacent room where their witness was watching daytime TV. David's mind had stalled when he thought about Kale. Regardless of Jake's words, the kiss he shared with Kale was front and center in his mind. He had never been so completely turned on so quickly, especially in a public place. He was not a public display of affection kind of guy. He had always been private about his love life. Even though he had treated women much like that cop Alex was treating Kale, he never did it openly. Despite the feeling that the case was spiraling out of control, David's mind was stuck on wanting to drive back to that hospital, grab Kale and taste every last of inch of her. It was a stupid thing to want seeing as he had just acknowledged to himself that he had no plans to have anything long term with her. Yet, after just that one kiss, David knew he'd never be satisfied with one taste. His body wanted her all and not just for a little while. He couldn't let that happen. His life was in Virginia. He wouldn't leave Cincinnati until Kale was safe, but he wouldn't stay any longer than that. After all, it was mind over matter. He could control what his body wanted. It was just lust. He just had to be smart about it.

"So, what the fuck did happen with Sara?"

Jake's voice penetrated David's thoughts. The mention of Sara drove all thoughts of Kale out of his mind and replaced them with anger.

"Why the hell are you so interested?"

"Dave, I listened to you ramble on for two years about how perfect she was, how you were going to marry her, how her legs went on for miles. Then all the sudden you're in Virginia and she's still in Cincinnati. I like a little closure when I read a damn romance novel," he replied grumpily.

"It just didn't work out. We wanted different things," David snapped at him. It wasn't exactly a lie. They certainly wanted different things at the end. "She wasn't as perfect as I thought."

Jake huffed an acknowledgment. "They never are. At least she had legs that went on for miles."

"Yeah well long and lean isn't necessarily that great," he replied, thinking of Kale's short, soft but muscled body.

Before Jake could answer him, they heard a car door shut. David stood up from the table to look out the window. Their computer forensic specialist had arrived. He was anxious to get the footage. He wanted to view it and hopefully get a plate number. It took no more than fifteen minutes for the technician to find the correct date and time, download the file onto a flash drive and put it into his own laptop. The three men gathered around the small screen, watching carefully.

The witness had been correct about the blue four door sedan. The car had driven up at about 2:45 in the morning. The camera was not optimal for nighttime viewing, thus they could not get a description of the man behind the wheel. They also couldn't discern the license plate from the grainy image. David held out hope that their tech could take it back to the lab and enhance it enough to see some detail. The vehicle left at 3:13 in the morning. Less than a half an hour; a completely feasible window for the suspect to jump a couple fences, enter Pierce's home, be shot at and run back.

David looked to Jake. "He had to have had this plan in place before last night," he told him. "Even if he did divert to Pierce after failing to get Mallory, he had planned this. He knew the area too well."

"I agree. I bet he's done some dry runs."

David went back to their witness to ask how far back the recordings were on his surveillance system. The man did not know a thing about it other than if he was robbed, an alarm technician would be able to send the footage to the police. He gave his consent to have the entire hard drive duplicated so they could sift through it, looking for the same blue sedan doing its own canvas. He made a note to call the alarm company to see if it kept a cache of storage on their servers, just in case the main unit purged itself every so often.

After making a call to Andrews to let him know what they had found, David and Jake headed out to Cincinnati's impound lot. They were hoping for any little scrap of evidence from Mallory's car. The drive was uncomfortably silent again. David hadn't realized how lucky he had been back when he and Jake had been partners. They had great chemistry, worked perfectly together; their work styles complimenting each other. The age difference made it so they had no real conflicts. They had never had to deal with things like falling for the same girl. But now, the air between them was thick.

Before reaching the impound lot, David's phone rang. Although her number wasn't programmed into his phone, he instantly recognized it as Kale's. Even so, mindful of Jake's eavesdropping ears, he answered as usual.

"Malcolm."

"It's Kale. Mallory is awake. They are releasing her and I'm taking her to the station."

David mentally pumped his fist. Finally they'd be able to talk to Mallory. He hoped like hell she had seen the attacker's face. But he didn't like the idea of Kale and Mallory traveling alone anywhere, even the five mile drive to the police department.

"Kale, I think you should..."

"Before you get your panties in a wad," she interrupted, "I already called Eli to come get us."

Tension David hadn't realized was there settled. "Thank you for taking this seriously."

"I'm not an idiot," she replied.

"I know. We will be there soon. We are stopping by the impound lot to see if they pulled anything from Mallory's car," he explained.

"Alright. By the way, she wants the safe house now."

"I'll take care of it," he promised. "You two be safe and call me when you get to the station."

"Geez, you're like a mother hen," she said, but David could hear the teasing in her voice.

"I can't say I've ever been accused of that before," he laughed, eyeing Jake and hoping he wasn't pushing a further wedge between their partnership. "We will see you soon."

Jake's knuckles were white, gripping the steering wheel but he didn't say anything after David hung up the phone. Instead, they made their way to the lot drenched in silence.

Chapter Eight

Mallory had been terrified when she woke up. Kale had immediately taken her hand and explained that she was safe. She would barely talk, only saying that she wanted the safe house. The doctor's had come in to check her vitals and declared that she was physically fine. Kale wasn't so sure that her mental state had fared so well. She knew that David and Jake wanted their shot at Mallory, so Kale had the doctor hurry along the discharge so she could get Mallory to the station for questioning.

Eli had arrived at the hospital in record time to escort them. If she hadn't known where to look, Kale would have assumed Eli was unarmed. But knowing him and his weapons, she was able to find the outline of his Kimber 1911 .45 ACP on his right hip, the slight bulge of his Sig Sauer P229 on his back and she knew he had his own Ruger LCP .380 tucked into his boot. The ease she felt at his presence alerted her to the fact that she had been tense without realizing it. Administrative leave or not, Kale still held herself responsible for Mallory's safety which is why she was still armed as well.

Stowed in the back seat of Eli's car with a patrol car trailing, Mallory seemed to get more anxious. She kept scanning the surrounding, watching for cars coming too close. Kale repeatedly assured her that she was no safer than with her and Eli. She would nod, but she wouldn't talk. Kale certainly hoped that wouldn't be the case with David. If anyone could soothe her into talking, it would be David. David had a way about him. It had worked on her, almost like a powerful sedative. God, just his voice could undo her. She shivered at the thought and promptly tossed it from her mind. It was no time for that kind of thinking. She needed to be a cop, not a love struck little girl.

They got to the station and the patrol officer trailing them had let the three of them wait in an interview room, Mallory sitting in the middle with Kale and Eli flanking her. Mallory seemed paler than she had been before and Kale could see the slight tremor in her body. Her heart went out to Mallory. She was truly terrified. Kale remembered that feeling. She hadn't felt it in a long time, but the memory of it could drag her down into the deepest trenches. After digging herself out so many times, Kale was becoming weary. She hoped like hell she'd be able to survive whatever was coming her way. She had survived hell more than once; well, more than twice. She'd never admit that she feared being too tired to survive again. No, she'd never admit that she feared being a victim.

It seemed like hours had passed before she heard a familiar voice. David was there, outside in the hall. She held back a smile. The feeling she got when he was near was not normal. Then she heard the voice of the man he was talking to. Jake. Hearing him immediately brought back the memory of what he had told David. He had revealed to a federal agent things she had told him in confidence. She was damn lucky that agent happened to be David and not some ball busting dick that would try to get her fired. But the resulting anger from knowing he talked about it at all shot through her like a ride on a taser. If Jake thought she had a temper before, he hadn't seen anything yet.

Somehow she was able to calmly tell Eli and Mallory that she would be right back before storming out into the hallway. The sight of Jake standing there, talking to David like it was no big deal when she was so mad she was practically breathing fire, only served to piss her off more. She refused to acknowledge that he had no idea that she was angry and thus couldn't realize his nonchalant attitude would only serve to anger her. At that moment, the very fact that he was breathing made her want to strangle him.

"Jake," she screeched at him, earning a satisfyingly startled jump from the men.

David and Jake looked down the hall toward the sound. It was Kale and if her body language was any clue, she was infuriated. David was caught off guard. She had sounded normal on the phone. Had they taken so long at the impound lot that she had gotten pissed off? He checked his watch. It had been less than an hour since she called him. He looked at her closely as she stalked toward them, each step angrier than the next. Her focus seemed to be on Jake. Understanding hit him hard. Before he had kissed her, Kale had been furious with him, furious with Jake. Jake had revealed her drinking problem. David hadn't warned his partner.

"Shit, Jake, I think you better cover your balls," he hissed under his breath.

"What the fuck?" he asked, confused.

There was no time for any other form of warning. Kale was within striking distance now and David honestly did not know what would happen.

"What's your problem, Kale?" Jake asked.

"You had better make peace with your God because I'm about to kill you," she yelled at him.

"What? Why?"

"Did you tell him?" she asked between her teeth, trying to control her voice.

"Tell him what? Jesus Kale, calm the fuck down."

David could tell Jake was just adding fuel to the fire but he didn't know the best way to help. Movement down the hall caught his eye. Eli had stepped out into the hall, watching with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Did you tell a God damn federal agent that I have a drinking problem?" She had slowly enunciated every word, dropping her tone considerably at the end.

The color dropped from Jake's face as he turned to look at David. David winced at the look of betrayal.

"What the hell did you tell her?" Jake growled at him.

"Don't play innocent, Jake. Like a fed would ever reveal his fucking source. He sure as hell didn't get it from Eli, so who does that leave?" she asked facetiously.

"Kale, I trust him," he tried to placate her. "He wouldn't say anything."

"I trusted you!" she screamed. "I trusted you to keep your mouth shut about things that no one else needs to know."

"Keep your voice down," he snapped. "You'll just draw attention to yourself and then you'll have no one but yourself to blame for getting fired."

Kale's eyes widened and before she even knew what she was doing she had lunged at Jake. She had never taken a swing at another officer a day in her life. That in itself was a fire-able offense, but she just saw red. Rage blinded her. She wanted the satisfaction of feeling her anger physically against Jake's face. At the last second she felt herself being yanked back. Her back hit a solid chest. She tried to get free but found herself held securely. The blinding rage subsided enough to know that whoever had grabbed her had just saved her ass. She strained to look behind her, finding that it was David who had his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Heavy footsteps told her that Eli was on his way down the hall.

"It's not worth it," David was saying, using that voice on her again.

"Let me hit him," she snarled. "Just once."

She knew he'd never let her. Just being in contact with David was enough to cool the rage that had been coursing through her. But a different heat replaced it. She suddenly became very aware of his hand on her waist. His skin was so hot against her it practically burned. She had the urge to take off her hoodie, just to cool herself down.

"You always could make a bad situation worse," Jake provoked her.

Anger washed over David almost immediately. Jake was exasperating the situation himself, and he was doing it on purpose. David didn't know why, but if he had to guess he'd say Jake was trying to make it very clear that he wasn't interested in Kale. With Kale most likely having absolutely no clue about Jake's feelings, what Jake was really doing was poking the beast.

"Are you talking to yourself, Jake?" David growled, tightening his hold on Kale as he felt her tense and poise for a fight.

"Stay out of it Dave," Jake snapped. "You're on the edge of getting fired, Kale. Do you really want to give them the ammunition?"

"I don't have to. Obviously you'll do it for me!" she yelled. She stopped straining against David and visibly controlled herself. When she spoke her voice was considerably lower. The anger was replaced by duplicity. "I trusted you. God dammit, I don't trust anyone but Eli, but I let you in. You pissed all over it."

The hurt in Jake's face was terrible. As his partner, David felt for the man. But, he could empathize with Kale.

"I was as discreet as possible," Jake defended himself.

"Discreet as possible is silence," she retorted.

"Officer Michaels!"

Kale and the three men, David, Jake and Eli, all swung around at the sound of the angry voice addressing her.

Shit.

Kale looked down the hall and saw Captain Rogan approaching her. How much had he heard? He appeared immensely pissed off and he was stalking straight toward her. Kale quickly slithered out of David's grasp and straightened her spine. She dug deep and turned herself back into Officer Michaels, instead of Kale, recently betrayed by her only friend.

"Captain," she addressed him when he was within earshot.

"Do you understand what Administrative Leave means?" he boomed. "Or do I have to take your God damn badge to make you get the point?"

Kale's heart started racing. The increase rush of blood made her dizzy as she searched for something to say. "If you had the cause to take it, you would have by now," she snapped at him, her mind lagging too far behind to inform her that she shouldn't have said that.

David was shocked. Was she trying to get fired? He tried to think of something that would calm the situation that had rapidly deteriorated. Captain Rogan looked like he would have struck Kale if she were a man and in any other situation.

"Captain," David started. "Officer Michaels was assisting me in bringing a witness to the station. She wasn't acting in an official capacity."

"Well then she's lucky," he huffed. "Because if she spoke to me the way she just did in an official capacity, I'd have no problem taking her badge."

David felt the overwhelming need to come to Kale's defense. He blamed it on his protective nature. The fact that his usually calm demeanor was so easily tossed aside anytime anyone so much as looked at Kale crossly was something he refused to investigate. Instead he let his instincts guide him and blindly followed.

"Officer Michaels is in a stressful situation, sir. I find it reprehensible that she would be punished for being a potential target of a murderer; something I think you'll agree is completely out of her control," he replied, angrily.

Rogan's eyes widened. "You may think that as an FBI agent you have some authority over me or this department, but let me assure you, son, you do not. I will discipline and direct my officers however I see fit. That ok with you?"

Kale felt like she was losing it, watching the men talk about her as though she wasn't there. She needed to get out of the hallway, away from the Captain and away from Jake. Her gaze darted to Eli who was watching her with fatherly concern all over his face. Her eyes pleaded with him. He acknowledged her with a faint nod. He had just taken his first step toward her when she heard the voice of an officer she hadn't heard in three and a half years. An officer she had actively worked to avoid harder than she worked the road. Her heart stopped.

"Aw, take it easy on her Cap. The girl's in a tough spot."

"Officer Taylor, get back to your shift," Rogan ordered.

Officer Taylor looked at her and winked before walking away. Kale felt her knees go weak as her stomach flipped and dropped. She reached out to Eli but the reaction was too fast. She had already been dizzy and light headed with anger. Officer Taylor's mere presence pushed her over the precipice. Mortifyingly, she threw up and hit the floor on hands and knees. She felt Eli's hands on her back. He was talking, asking her something but she didn't hear him. She shook her head, trying to clear it. Whoever was in charge of fate had a shitty sense of timing. Either that or it was fate's mission to make sure that everyone who knew her thought she was a weak, irrational, unpredictable woman who didn't deserve to work the job.

"We're going," Eli told the men roughly. "She got your witness here unharmed, no thanks to the Cincinnati PD." He looked pointedly at her Captain. "And obviously with no thanks from them, either." He picked her up, his arm looped around her waist, supporting her weight. "Sorry about the mess, but deal with it."

He started to walk away but halfway down the hall, David caught up with them. He couldn't understand what just happened and he would go crazy wondering if she was alright. He had seen her in the middle of a panic attack and it was nothing like the way she just reacted. Whatever had hit her, it hit her harder than the mention of the law firm.

"Eli, wait," David caught up with them.

"I'm taking her home," he said, not stopping.

"Please, just wait a second," he nearly pleaded.

Eli slowed. Kale was moving like a rag doll under his touch. She felt like she was in a dense fog and thanked God that Eli was there. She didn't know how she would have made it off the floor if not for him. The embarrassment was coming but she was too detached at the moment to feel it. She had given up on herself at the moment, turned complete control over to Eli. She couldn't focus on any type of emotion. That is until she felt David's hand against her face. She raised her eyes from the floor to see his face. The shame she knew was coming washed over her in such a tidal wave that tears came to her eyes. She immediately turned away so he wouldn't be able to see them. Kale did not cry.

"Let me get her out of here," Eli said calmly.

David nodded, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He was terrified for Kale. He hated not knowing what was wrong. All he wanted to do was fix it. He stroked her cheek one more time, hoping that they were far enough from Rogan that he wouldn't see the affection in his touch.

"Just call me, Kale," he told her. "Please."

She nodded weakly. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. She dragged her eyes off David to Eli. "Please get me out of this station."

"We're leaving," Eli growled authoritatively.

David watched as Eli walked Kale out of the police department. He wanted to know what the hell had caused her to react so strongly. As he watched their retreating backs, he mentally reviewed the scene. Officer Taylor. Did he have something to do with it? Or was it Captain Rogan? Whatever it was, David was going to get to the bottom of it. His common sense told him to drop it, that he would get too attached if he inserted himself into Kale Michaels problems. Yet, he couldn't simply remove her from his mind. When it came to her, David had an inherent need to know everything. He still planned on walking away at the end, leaving Cincinnati behind. But, while he was there, he needed to know.

He returned to Jake. Captain Rogan had left, most likely disgusted by the puke on the floor. David looked at his partner carefully, trying to gauge how angry Jake was about telling Kale what he knew. Jake's face was grim. He didn't exactly look mad, but he certainly wasn't happy.

"Should we go interview Mallory?" David asked cautiously.

Jake's nostrils flared and he glared at him. "You want to explain what the fuck just happened?"

David crossed his arms. "I have no idea why she got sick," he replied.

"Uh, no jerkoff, the reason that she just chewed my ass."

David hung his head. "I would have warned you earlier if I had remembered. I saw her this morning in the hospital and she was talking about how she was worried that she would lose it. I called her on the fact that she was struggling with getting drunk. She was mad. Madder at me than you at the time. But, I guess the tables were turned since then."

"Yeah," he replied angrily. "I should say so."

"You didn't do anything wrong," he told Jake.

"She doesn't see it that way. Now I'm the jerk and you're the God damn hero."

"It's not a competition, Jake. I'm sorry that she doesn't think about you the way you think about her, but don't take that shit out on me. I need my partner, not a jealous boyfriend."

Jake narrowed his eyes on David, his gut sucking in under his worn out sport coat. David waited for his response for a tense couple of seconds. Finally, Jake blew out his breath, his stomach expanding like a balloon. "I don't know what the fuck I was thinking anyway. Two ex-wives, enough stomach for two and twice her age." He huffed a forced laugh. "Let's just keep this little issue between us."

David rolled his shoulders as the tension slid away. Thank God. "You got it."

He started to walk toward the interview room to speak with Mallory when Jake stopped him roughly. "Just one last thing," he said. "Fuck you for liking her." His voice was angry and severe. David was confused and wary. He couldn't think of a time where he didn't have complete trust in his partner. He hated the feeling. Jake let out a sigh. "Ok, it's out of my system now."

David let out a breath he had been holding. "Damn Jake, you had me going there for a second. Are you good? Are you all here?"

"I'm here. Let's talk to her and get this case solved."

David nodded and continued on to the interview room, sorely confused about everything that had just happened. Jake had turned into a lovesick teenager. And anyone who ever met a lovesick teenager knew they could be complete jerks. Kale had been taken out of commission by Captain Rogan's arrogance. Eli had gone into protection mode and whisked her away before he could really talk to her. And, David was no closer to finding out who was targeting the survivors. He needed Mallory to be able to tell him something.

He opened the door to the interview room with Jake on his heels. Mallory looked up, her face showing that she was scared. She was paler than before and her hands, clasped together were shaking like crazy. Her eyes were darting all over the place and when they landed on David, it was clear that she was terrified.

"Hi Mallory. Do you remember me?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said, taking a deep breath to steady her voice. "You're the FBI agent."

"Agent Malcolm," he confirmed. "You can call me David. This is Detective Rodgers."

"I remember," she replied quietly.

They sat down at the table with her and David tried to channel his personality when he dealt with Kale. He had the uncanny ability to calm her. He wondered if he could use it on Mallory. However, he didn't exactly know what to do. With Kale it was instinct. With Mallory, he had to think and plan.

"We wanted to ask you some questions about last night."

"Where's Kale?" she asked.

David looked to Jake. He should have realized she'd be more comfortable answering questions with Kale in the room. He wondered if Eli would bring her back. Not likely. He was in guard dog mode and wouldn't be subjecting Kale to anymore pain.

"She got sick and Eli had to take her home," Jake said soothingly. "Would you be more comfortable if we found a female officer to sit with you?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I just...trust her."

"I understand," David replied. And he did. Despite her own problems, Kale really did help people. "So are you up for some questions?" She nodded. "Well firstly, what made you come out so late at night?"

She gasped. "Oh my God!" She stood up from the table. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed nearly screaming.

David stood up quickly, alarmed by her response. Something was terribly wrong. "Mallory, what is it?" he asked, reaching out and trying to steady her, put her focus back on him.

"How could I have forgotten?" she cried, her eyes filling with tears. "My boyfriend Tom. Oh my God! He called. He said he was sick and he needed a ride home." Tears were streaming down her face now. "Oh my God, how could I not have told anyone?"

"You were sedated Mallory. It's alright, we will contact him," David told her calmly. "Tell me about him. Where does he work?"

"He works overnights at a gas station," she said through sobs that racked her entire body.

"Ok, what's his full name?"

"Tom Schwartz," she cried. "He works at the Mobile off Center Parkway."

"Ok Mallory," David told her gently. "My partner is going to track down Tom. Do you have your phone?"

She nodded and handed it over. "Please find him. Make sure he's ok," she pleaded.

Jake nodded. "I'll find him Mallory. You can help us by telling Agent Malcolm everything you can remember, ok?"

She nodded, tears still flowing steadily from her eyes. As soon as the door shut behind Jake, David handed Mallory the handkerchief he kept in his sport coat. She took it and covered her eyes.

"I know you're extremely worried about Tom, but Detective Rodgers is the best of the best. He will find him," he placated her. In his own mind he knew better. Tom was most likely dead. He would have been the pawn to lure Mallory out into the open so she could be attacked. It was too unlikely that the suspect just got lucky enough for Mallory to leave her house at two in the morning.

"Oh God," she wailed.

"Mallory," he tried to get her attention. "When Tom called, did he sound like himself?"

She shook her head and wiped her nose on the handkerchief. "No, but I just thought it was because he was sick, you know?"

"Of course," he agreed. "Do you remember exactly what he said?"

She sniffed and her eyes went to the ceiling as she thought. "Um...he said that he threw up at work. And um...he was too sick to drive and he wanted me to come get him." The tears increased and she made a horrible wailing sound. "Oh God, I yelled at him. I told him that it wasn't safe. He said he'd never ask me to do something that wasn't safe."

David's heart went out to her. He knew enough to know Mallory would never forgive herself. She may not realize it, but David knew those words were a warning to her. Tom had been trying to tell her not to come. He patted her shoulder, trying to comfort her even though he knew it would never be enough.

"Can you tell me what happened after you got out on the road?" he asked.

"I was on the highway and I didn't even see him come out of nowhere. He hit my back bumper, but not all that hard. I knew better to pull over, Agent Malcolm. I honestly knew better. But I kept thinking, what are the odds, right?" Her tears continued through her answer. "But what the hell do I know?"

"It's alright Mallory. Everyone makes mistakes and as far as I'm concerned, you did everything correctly. You survived. You made it through. The person who did this to you is to blame."

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "I did take some precaution. I dialed 9-1-1 on my phone before I got out and I had it ready to press send just in case."

"That was smart thinking."

"I got out to look at the damage and he came up behind me. I turned around to say something to him but it was all wrong."

"What do you mean 'all wrong?'" he asked, perking up at some useful information.

"His arms were out, like a hug almost. And he had something in his hand. Like a cloth. And he was too close. I backed up and tripped over the car but he still kept coming toward me. So I screamed and pressed send on the call," she described. "I tried to tell them where I was but I don't know what happened. Maybe I accidentally ended the call because I was running?"

"All sorts of things can make a call cut out. It's not your fault. What happened next?"

"I looked back over my shoulder and..."she paused as fresh tears rolled down her face. "He was chasing me. I thought I was going to die. My phone has this um, voice recognition thing and I just screamed at it to call Kale. She kept me safe."

David smiled at her. "That was the best decision you could have made," he told her. And what's more, he actually believed it. If anyone was going to be able to keep that woman safe, it would be Kale. The smile slowly eased off his face. "Now Mallory, I know you may not want to do this, but it's very important. I need you to remember that first moment when you turned around and saw the man. The moments before you realized something wasn't right. Isolate that in your mind, almost like you're watching a movie. Can you do that?"

"I think so," she murmured. She closed her eyes which were swollen from crying. Her face was splotchy and red from constantly wiping at her nose and eyes. She looked absolutely miserable and David hated to have to put her through such pain. But, he needed the information out of her. He needed it to catch this person and keep her safe. And Kale. He couldn't leave without knowing for sure that Kale was safe.

"Remember that you're not scared yet. You think you're just going to exchange information with the driver. You look back and what do you see?"

"He's standing behind me, looking at me."

"Is he taller or shorter than you?"

She actually gave him a small chuckle through her tears. "I'm nearly six foot. He was about my height."

"Hair color?"

"Dark. And he was white," she added.

"Did you see his face?"

"It was so dark and the headlights were behind him," she recalled. "I couldn't really see much detail."

"Anything at all about his face. I don't care how small. Maybe it was rounded or more oval shaped. Maybe he had a sharp long nose or a small stubby one?"

"Um, clean shaven?" she offered.

"Good, very good," he replied, taking notes in his book. "What about how he moved?"

"He was fast," she said immediately. Her chin went up in a little defiance. "But I was faster."

He smiled at her encouragingly. "So would you say he was in good shape?"

"For an older guy," she replied. "He had a bigger build, but I just got the sense that he was older. Like maybe in his fifties?"

"Why do you think that?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know. It was just a sense," she told him.

Her tears had dried up as she described the man in detail. She was incredibly focused. David was grateful that her mind was taken off Tom for the time being. She seemed to gain confidence the more she talked, the more she realized that she beat him.

"That's alright. I want anything you have to tell me. I don't care if it's not set in stone. Feelings and senses are just fine with me," he said.

She nodded and he watched as her face fell again. "You think he's dead, don't you?"

David was thrown by the question but he carefully kept his face neutral. He was sure she was referring to her boyfriend. "I honestly don't know."

"I want the safe house now," she told him.

"I think that is a very good idea. I'll set it up. You just stay here and you'll be safe, alright?" he told her. "You've been really helpful, Mallory. When we catch this guy, we are going to have you to thank."

"And Kale," she said quietly. "Again."

He nodded and gave her a sympathetic smile. He left the room and called in Andrews, asking him to arrange the safe house for Mallory. He recruited a patrol officer to keep watch over Mallory at the station. And finally he called Jake, almost afraid about what he would hear even though he knew the likely outcome.

"What do you have Jake?"

"Found the boyfriend," he told him grimly.

"And?"

"Stuffed in the dumpster out back of the Mobile."

"Dammit," David hissed. "No one called about the gas station being unmanned?"

"Kid who came in this morning says Tom sometimes leaves before he gets there. Happened more than once and he just covers for him. We are getting surveillance footage now, but they said the cameras are shit."

"Well that's the first time he set a trap. Maybe Agent Duvall was right. She thinks the killer is going to start challenging us, like he is smarter than us," David theorized.

"You can tell her yourself. She and Agent Can't Take a Joke are here," he muttered.

David smiled a little. "Play nice with the feds or they bite," he advised.

"Wouldn't hate it if Duvall took a bite."

David laughed. "You're a piece of work Rodgers. I'm headed back to headquarters to get the crime scene photos from the first two vics. I feel like I'm missing something and if history is any indication, going back to the first kill is always the best way to find the suspect."

"If that's your theory, then you need to go back to the beginning. The office shooting," Jake told him.

David had almost forgotten about that. It was why he and Jake worked so well together. They picked up each other's slack. "You're right. I've got to go back to the very beginning. Starting six years ago."

And that meant going back to see Kale. He checked his watch and was surprised to find that it was nearing an acceptable time for dinner. Maybe Kale would share a meal with him. He hung up with Jake and headed out to the parking lot. As he approached his car, he saw Shawn leaning against it, legs outstretched in front of him like he had been waiting for a while.

"What?" David asked dully.

"You're coming to dinner at ma's," he told him.

"I don't have time."

"And I didn't ask you. If you don't get in the car on your own, I will beat you down, hog tie you and transport you there in my trunk."

"Really. Right here in the PD parking lot."

He nodded and David got the feeling that he would actually carry through on the threat. He really wanted to get to Kale and talk about the original case but he couldn't put off his brother any longer.

"I have an hour, literally Shawn," he told him forcefully.

"Great, I'll drive," he replied and took the keys out of David's hand.

Chapter Nine

"Kale, honey," Eli started gently, bringing her a cool washcloth for her face. "What happened back at the station?"

"I really really really don't want to talk about it, Dad," she told him, taking the washcloth and falling back onto the couch. "It was too fucking embarrassing. Did the Captain fire me?"

"Not as far as I could tell," he replied with a small laugh.

"Can you believe that I puked all over a detective, a Captain and a damn federal agent?" she told him. He was holding back a smile. She pulled the washcloth away from her face and couldn't contain the hysterical laughter that was bubbling up inside her. She let it out and laughed at herself, at the situation. She felt like a ton of bricks lifted off her shoulders, just being able to release any kind of emotion.

"Well, it was quite the exit, I'll give you that," he laughed with her. He waited until the laughter died down before he asked. "Who is Officer Taylor?"

Kale felt sick again. Her stomach turned at the mention of his name. She hated that man with every fiber of her being. She disliked Hargan, Markson and Pierce but she hated Officer Taylor. Eli was looking at her like she was a piece of glass that was going to shatter any second. She focused on controlling her emotions. This wasn't like the panic attacks she had after hearing about the law firm. It was worse. She lost complete control of herself and that was unacceptable. She was stronger than that. She was stronger than what she had been through. She had come out on the other side, after all. But, Officer Taylor; he got to her. She hadn't seen him in three and a half years and she could almost pretend he didn't exist. Seeing him in the midst of her current turmoil was unfair.

When she was sure she had command over her voice, she answered him. "He's just a cop I don't get along with. Doesn't think women should be cops. You know the type."

She brushed it off like it was a non-issue, not worth mentioning. She should have realized that would be a mistake with Eli. He was incredibly intuitive and he would never accept that answer from her.

"Try again," he told her.

She sighed. "Dad, if all I had to worry about was him, I might just tell you. But with everything else going on, I just don't have it in me right now. Can you understand that?"

"I can understand it, but I don't have to like it," he replied.

"Do you think Mallory is alright with me not being there for her?" she asked. "I really wanted to hear what she had to say about whoever did this to her."

"I think she will be fine. I'm sure your agent will take good care of her," he assured her.

"My agent?" she repeated, knowing that the burning in her cheeks was making itself known to Eli.

He smiled at her in that knowing way. "Give me a break, Kale. I'm old, I'm not dead."

"You're not old," she said crossly.

"Certainly not too old to be blind," he agreed.

"Well, I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

"Is that so?"

She raised her eyebrows in challenge, not sure why she was fighting the notion as hard as she was. Probably because whatever she was feeling wasn't going to last. And, she was smart. She knew that if she gave into whatever it was, it would hurt so much worse when it was taken away from her in the end. Eli continued to look at her in silence. He was the only one who could make her start talking. Anyone else trying that rookie interview technique on her would be in for a long stretch of quiet. She broke easily and quickly.

"He lives in Virginia, Dad. Even if there was something-and I'm not saying there is-it would never work. Not unless you want me to move away," she told him.

"That would be a no."

"See?" she said. "Not meant to be. I'll just stick with what I know."

"Casual sex with random cops?"

"Dad!" Her face reddened with embarrassment. Geez, he was pulling out all the stops.

"Like I said, I'm not dead."

"Ok, well I can't really handle any more daddy daughter bonding right now," she told him with a laugh so as to not hurt his feelings. "I need to go to the gym or something."

"Absolutely not, not on your own," Eli refuted, putting his foot down quite literally.

"Ease up on the reigns, Dad. I'll go to the gym at the West End Police Substation, ok? There will be cops in and out of there and it's secure."

"Can I stop you?"

"I need to get some of this energy out. I'll go crazy. I...I don't want to start, you know, drinking," she hesitantly admitted. She hated bringing it up, but she thought her honesty would win her some points with Eli. She just needed to get on a treadmill with her iPod and sweat for a little while.

"I understand," he replied.

She gathered up her workout gear and stopped at the door to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Love you, Dad."

"Love you back."

David had been at his mother's house all of five minutes before she started talking about Sara and all that went along with that situation. He wanted no part in discussing it. His mother, who had always been warm and welcoming, had been reserved and distant toward him. He should have expected as much. He hadn't talked to her in years and her opinion of him was pretty low on the scale. He wanted to fix the relationship with his family; he honestly did. He just didn't want to do it while in the middle of working a case when he had a hundred things on his mind. And about ninety of them were a stubborn, foul mouthed, female cop.

Dinner with David's mother had been mercifully cut short when Jake called with an update on Tom's murder. David had used the phone call to feign an emergency break in the case and hauled ass out of his mother's house as fast as his feet would carry him. Shawn had been none too pleased, but being a police officer himself, he understood the nature of the job.

Jake had called to tell him that Tom had been handed over to the ME to determine cause of death. It looked as though the man was stabbed but the ME would make the final determination. Once he convinced his mother and Shawn that he had to go immediately, he headed out to find Kale. He told himself it was to research the original case, but he knew better. Luckily, he ran the idea past Jake who directed him to Eli's house, rather than Kale's apartment.

Once he got there, he stood on the porch for more than a few minutes without knocking. For some reason, he was nervous. He almost felt like he was on a date, picking up the girl from her father's house. His palms were sweating, which was completely ludicrous. He was an FBI Agent interviewing a potential witness. He had no business being jittery. Yet, he was. Most likely because thoughts of the kiss he shared with Kale that morning invaded his mind. He had to wait several more minutes before the evidence of his thoughts subsided. That was all he needed, to knock on the door with a hard-on and have Eli beat the shit out of him.

When his thoughts and his body were finally under control, David knocked. Eli answered the door, one of his hands out of view. David knew he was hiding a handgun behind the door and was oddly reassured.

"Just me," he said.

Eli opened the door wider and stashed a pretty sizable handgun back into his waistband. "Agent Malcolm, come on in," he greeted him.

"Call me David, or Dave, whichever," he said as he stepped inside. "I'm here to talk to Kale. We want to go back to the basics on this case and that means going back to the office shooting."

"Not a bad idea," Eli replied. "But she's not here."

"What?" he exclaimed. "You let her out of your sight?"

"She needed some alone time. She's safe. She went to the gym at the police substation. She'll probably be back any minute now. She doesn't really enjoy working out," he told him.

"I see," he replied gruffly. David wasn't doing a great job of hiding his irritation, largely because he didn't think Eli should have let her out of the house alone, no matter where she was going. David had been able to think and work that day because he knew she was safe with Eli. Now he was beginning to question his judgment. He had received word earlier from Andrews that Mallory was on her way to the safe house. He wished like hell Kale would go, too, but he knew she never would.

"You're welcome to wait," he offered.

David jumped on the offer. "I will, if you don't mind. I know it's getting kind of late."

Eli looked at his watch and laughed. "If eight is late to you, you're older than me."

He led David into the living room and they sat, Eli in his chair and David on the couch. "So," David started. As long as he had access to Eli without Kale around, he might as well try to syphon some information out of him. "What the hell happened with Kale this afternoon?"

Eli shrugged. "I don't know, she won't tell me.

David narrowed his eyes at him. "She said she trusts you with everything," he challenged.

"Not with this. I tried to get it out of her. She said it was too much to talk about, especially with all this going on around her. Although..." he trailed off. "Nevermind."

"What?" David pressed.

"No, it's an invasion of her privacy."

"What is?"

"I was just thinking, if you had access to any IAB records or any police employee records, you might be able to look up Officer Taylor. Just a thought."

So it was about Officer Taylor, not Captain Rogan. "Hypothetically speaking, I could probably do that. What are you thinking?"

Eli took a long, deep breath. "I feel like I'm conspiring against her," he said. "But I just want to know who or what hurts my baby."

"You think he did something to her?"

"Her reaction," he started. "I've seen it before. In the military. It's absolute fear."

Eli's insight slowly burned in David's gut until it sprang into a full-fledged fire, capable of taking over his entire body. What the hell had happened to Kale? Why had she reacted so badly? If Eli was right, and Officer Taylor had done anything to her, he would make it his personal mission to destroy the man's career.

"Has she been hurt before?" He was afraid of the answer.

"Close to it. I met Kale when she was eleven. Her mom was, for lack of a better word, a drunk. She was functional, but just barely. She was also beautiful and absolutely engaging, especially sober. I met her mom at a bar. Back then, I was just fucking around. I had only been out of the military for a little while and I basically jumped from woman to woman, doing whatever the hell I pleased. So when I met Kale's mom, I didn't think twice about going home with her." He sat back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head.

"They were living in this little apartment back then. It was a really shitty part of Cincinnati, worse than where she lives now. Anyway, Julie, her mom, passes out and I'm pretty much just happy that I don't have to make an excuse not to stay the night. I went to hang up Julie's coat, and who do I find hiding in the closet? Little, eleven year old Kale. It didn't take a genius to see that she was terrified. And she had just seen everything. Julie and I had only made it to the couch. So instead of leaving, I stayed the night. Something about Kale's little scared eyes made me not want to leave her."

"Had she been abused before?" David asked again, his heart skipping a beat making his breath hitch.

"She's never said specifically, but Julie once told me that she had to drag a man off her. She thinks she stopped him in time, but she was drunk so I couldn't take her word for it. Regardless, Kale was too old for her years."

"Well thank God you fell for Julie otherwise Kale might not have been so lucky the next time," David said, feeling unduly grateful to Eli.

"I didn't fall for Julie," he told him with a sad laugh. "I fell for Kale."

David was sure he heard him wrong. Did he really just say that? "Excuse me?" His voice cracked, showing how startled he was.

Eli laughed. "Geez, you cops all think the same. Not like that, for Christ's sake. She was eleven. Kale wormed her way into my heart pretty much instantaneously. I never fell in love with Julie. Sure I eventually grew to love her but the drinking was hard to contend with. I never left because of Kale. She is my baby girl, my daughter. And I would do anything to anyone to protect her."

"She's lucky," David said, thinking about his own situation and how he could never be as a good a man as Eli.

"I'm lucky," he corrected him. "I was a dick before I met her. I thought I'd have fun playing dad for a little while, but she won me over completely. Now, Kale is my everything. It's been really hard to watch her spiral out of control. Ever since that office shooting and the way they treated her. I've never had to have so much restraint. And now this." He paused as though he was battling some emotion. "I will not lose her, understand?"

"Yes, I do," he replied. "I won't lose her, either."

Eli smiled. "I figured we'd be on the same page."

They both heard a door slam in the kitchen and soon after Kale's voice filtered to the living room. "Dad! There's an unmarked fed car out front. Please tell me they didn't assign a protection detail for fuck's sake. I mean of all people, you and I have it..."

She stopped talking as she rounded the corner to the living room and took in the two men sitting in it. Despite the fact that she had just run herself ragged and was looking forward to a relaxing bath and falling asleep, suddenly she was wide awake. Her pulse started racing, filling her with another round of adrenaline. David was still wearing his suit even though he couldn't have been on duty at the time of night. She remembered what he came out in the night before, the jeans and t-shirt, showcasing his muscles. Stop, don't go there, Kale. She shook her head and tried to focus. They were probably expecting her to say something, as they were both staring at her with amused looks on their faces.

"David," she said when she found her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I will leave you two alone," Eli said before he could answer. He stood up from his chair and walked past her into the kitchen, stopping to drop a kiss on her head. She watched him leave then turned back to David.

"Did something happen?"

"Well, yes. But I'm here to talk to you about the original shooting. I want to see if there's anything you can remember now, without the pressure of the Grand Jury and all the scrutiny," he explained.

Kale was red and somewhat sweaty. She was wearing ratty sweatpants and an oversized Cincinnati Police Department t-shirt. Her hair was up in a messy bun with pieces falling out around her face. Typical David wouldn't have given her a second look, but he found himself looking. He looked at every inch of her. Her sweaty, disheveled appearance only gave him a clearer picture of what she would look like after he did everything he fantasized about doing to her. She slowly sat down in Eli's chair, keeping her distance.

"What happened?"

"Mallory's statement led us to her boyfriend who had been killed. We think the suspect forced him to call her and tell her that he was sick and ask her to pick him up. That got her on the road where he could ambush her," he explained.

"Oh my God, poor Mallory," she breathed.

"She's on her way to a safe house now."

"Thank God."

An awkward silence descended over them. David decided to take a bit of a risk. "So are you alright? Are you feeling better?"

"What?"

"From this afternoon. You..got sick," he reminded her.

Her eyes darted away from him. He made her uncomfortable but he was ok with that as long as he found out what was wrong. His instinct was to fix it, but he couldn't do that when he didn't know what was broken.

"Yeah, I'm fine now," she told him, mortified. The man had been in town for two days and he had already seen the worst of her. She was surprised he wasn't having her fit for a strait jacket yet.

"Who is Officer Taylor?" he wanted to know.

She looked down at her hands, willing her body to settle down. Her heart was racing and she couldn't get a steady breath. She felt like she was back on the damn treadmill.

"He's no one," she said quietly.

"Kale, you can tell me," he told her, his voice low and sultry.

"No," she said forcefully. "I can't fucking tell you."

He stood up and walked over to her. She tracked his movements, each step making her eyes a little wider. When he got to her chair, he squatted down so he had to look up at her. He took her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. Just that little bit of contact sent a shock wave straight to his groin. God, he wanted her so damn bad. Why did it have to be her? Why did she have to be in Cincinnati?

"Kale, you can trust me," he said, ignoring all the warning bells in his head, telling him he was getting too close, too involved.

"Why do you care? You'll just leave when this is done," she snapped.

He was shocked at her candor but he couldn't deny it. He also couldn't deny how strongly his body craved contact with hers. He needed her, he was aching for her. Couldn't she see that?

Kale needed to stay in control. She couldn't get wrapped up in the fact that David had some kind of charmed effect on her. So what if he could make her body go liquid? So what if he probably had a body fit for a statue? It didn't matter because if she let it happen, she'd end up hating herself when he was gone. And he would be leaving. It was the only thing she knew for certain. She couldn't lie to herself and say she wasn't attached at all. But, she could protect herself and try not to forge the attachment any further. Yet every time she looked into those damn eyes that had followed her for six long years, she completely forgot about common sense. His hand left her chin and slid up her jaw and into her hair. She closed her eyes against the touch, feeling her skin ignite with goose bumps.

"I'm all gross from working out," she mumbled.

"You look beautiful to me," David replied, his focus tunneling to her perfect lips that had kissed him so well that morning.

"Why are you starting this when you know you won't finish it?" she breathed, her body betraying her mind, desperately wanting to get closer.

"I shouldn't," he agreed, his fingers massaging the base of her neck. "But sometimes it's hard to listen to reason."

Her breasts were swelling in anticipation. How could he have this effect on her? She cursed her life. Why did David Malcolm really have to exist? She had been doing fine with her life, with her casual flings. She was perfectly content having her world view restored by a nameless face in the darkness of the past. But no, he had to be real and he had to be so close that she could feel his breath on her face. Of course, he had to be the sexiest, most attractive person she had ever met. And, he would have to be leaving her behind.

David couldn't restrain himself much longer. Kale had begun breathing hard, making her chest rise and fall with each breath. He felt himself growing hard, wishing that they were back at her apartment, or his hotel room. Anywhere that wasn't mere feet from her dad. But that wasn't going to stop him from kissing her. He shut out all the reasons why he shouldn't and gave in to his urges. He dropped to his knees and pulled her closer to him, crushing his mouth against hers. She didn't have to be persuaded. She was open to him immediately, coming off the chair and against his chest. He held her against him as he invaded every inch of her mouth. He could feel her breasts against his chest, her nipples hard against him. His fingers gripped her hair and he had to stop himself from pulling it too passionately.

His lips left hers to claim her jaw and her neck. She tasted sweet and salty from her sweat at the same time. He could not get enough of her. He kissed his way to the hollow of her throat where he felt her pulse racing against his lips. He loved being able to feel how much he affected her. She let out an utterly sexy growl that he immediately smothered with his lips back on hers. His hands traveled down her sides, sliding under her breasts. She moaned against his lips and he almost came undone.

Kale could not have scripted a better kiss. She was absolutely dripping wet for David. She wanted to feel him between her legs. All those reasons she had for keeping her distance flew out the window. She couldn't have picked one out with a gun to her head. The man knew every damn spot on her to make her insane. She pushed the sport coat off his shoulders, wanting to feel his chest and his back. She let her hands roam over the shirt covered ropes of muscle. Her hands crept lower, in search of what she hoped would be rock hard and waiting for her. The second her hands found him, David groaned. His hands went back to her hair, tightening and pulling just shy of painfully.

A shrill ringtone broke the spell between the two of them. They broke the kiss, both breathing too hard, staring at each other. David couldn't help but stare at Kale's kiss swollen lips. He could see her nipples pressing against her shirt. Her skin was flushed, her hair a mess and he could picture her just like that but naked in his bed. God dammit, he needed her. Or he needed to get away from her. He wasn't sure which one.

He answered his phone. "Malcolm," he said roughly, his voice cracking.

"It's Sara. You never called me."

Great, the anti-hard-on. "It's not a good time," he said directly, looking at Kale as though she would somehow glean his entire story by listening to him.

"It never is, but you agreed," she replied.

"Fine. Tomorrow at eight o'clock I'll be getting coffee at the coffee house off Reading. I'll talk to you if you're there."

"That's all I'm asking David."

"Got it," he said, hanging up.

"Everything ok?" Kale asked, grateful and pissed off for the interruption at the same time.

"Yeah, just some old business from when I used to live here," he told her, not proud of himself for lying. His eyes softened and he reached out to caress Kale's cheek. "I guess I should shave, huh?" He smiled at her.

She raised her hand to her cheek, feeling the swollen skin from his late night stubble. "I didn't mind it."

"Damn, Kale," he breathed. "All these years and the connection is still there. I just don't understand it."

"Yeah, me either," she said dully. He was going to start pulling away now, she could tell.

David read the disappointment in her voice and felt like a jerk. That was why he shouldn't have started anything. He was only going to hurt her. It still didn't stop him from leaning forward and getting one more chaste taste of her lips. It would have to last him. He couldn't do that to her, not again.

"I guess we should talk about the case," he told her, standing up and putting his sport coat back on. Back to business.

They both went back to their respective seats. Kale willed her heart to slow down so she could get through the rest of the night. She definitely wasn't going to be forgetting that kiss anytime soon, but it didn't mean anything else was going to happen. She would be an idiot to think otherwise. Thank God her brain could still function because her body was telling her to forget all reason and jump the man.

She cleared her throat. "So, shoot," she told him.

"Ok," he said hesitantly, wondering how in the hell he was going to be able to set aside what just happened between them. "Well, tell me about the dynamic of the office."

"In what sense?"

"How did the women get along with the lawyers?"

Kale laughed. "Um...it was pretty much a giant meat market. They only hire attractive young women. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why they hired me except that I actually knew what I was doing and they needed that sometimes. They handled ninety percent of the cases, but sometimes they took on smaller things as favors and such and that's where I came in."

"I see. And if things went sour with a fling?"

"Then her life was made miserable until she quit. But, things didn't usually go sour. Hargan, Markson and Pierce didn't mind sharing and the women didn't really mind knowing they weren't exclusive."

David grimaced. He couldn't imagine being okay with knowing that a woman he was sleeping with was also sleeping with two other men. He had been there, done that and it nearly tore him apart. "Why would they not care?"

Kale laughed again, a gentle teasing laugh. "Because the lawyers made it worth their while. They basically paid them to give blow jobs on demand and answer the phones."

Before David could stop his mouth he asked, "Did you?"

Kale leveled a glare at him. "Fuck no!"

He shouldn't have cared enough to be relieved, but of course he was. "I didn't think you did," he assured her.

"Yeah but you still asked," she mumbled.

He changed the subject, seeing that she wasn't exactly happy about the topic at hand and it was digging him into a hole. "Right before the shooting, can you think of any cases that any of the attorneys were working on that would have not ended well, or had an unexpected outcome?"

Forcing her to think back to the day of the shooting and backward from there was causing her distress. David wasn't sure if her anxiety was only noticeable to him or if everyone could see it in her. Could they see when her eyes widened slightly and her breaths got shallow? Or was it just him with his unknown ability to pacify her. He wanted to go to her then, calm her down the way only he could. But, he was working the case as a federal agent, not as anything else, friend or...otherwise. He needed to get the information from her, no matter how much his other head battled with him.

"I wouldn't know the answer to that. I only knew Pierce's cases and he had all slam dunks around then. He's a fucking shark. He could get anyone out of anything. I truly believe that," she told him, crossing her arms over her chest. "But as far as Markson and Hargan, I wouldn't know. Once they got the point that I wasn't going to blow them or fuck them, they acted like I didn't exist."

She didn't exactly like thinking about the lawyers. She remembered starting at the law firm and watching the progression from the attorneys being flirtatious to outright telling her to get on her knees. She had never told Eli that part; he would have killed them all himself. But he did know that they propositioned her. It was sickening and if she hadn't needed to pay off her student loans so badly, she would have quit after the first time Markson told her that he needed to gauge her oral skills. She had laughed at him and got the impression that no one ever had before. He had been furious. Pierce had almost seemed proud, until he realized that she wasn't turning Markson down for him. She was turning them all down.

But, it wasn't thinking about the attorneys that affected her. It was knowing that along with them came thoughts of the shooting. Remembering the fear. That's the part that had her shaking.

"I'm sorry they treated you that way," David said quietly.

She was jerked back into the present by his voice. She took a deep breath. "Yeah, so it goes," she brushed it off. "If I would have quit, they would have taken advantage of some other girl."

David smiled at her. "You know you're amazing Kale, right?"

Kale closed her eyes and turned her face away from him. He shouldn't be being nice to her. It just made her want him more. She never liked nice guys. What the hell was going on with her?

"Fuck," she muttered before straightening her spine and hardening her emotions. "So, any other questions?"

"Well," he stalled. "When it happened, what did you think about Jason Riley? Why did you think it happened?"

Kale's breath caught in her throat at the mention of Riley's name. She desperately tried to control the ensuing anxiety that swirled around her mind, making her dizzy. She didn't want this to keep happening to her. She didn't want David to witness it anymore. Yet, at the same time she craved the feeling she got when he calmed her. It was like getting drunk, leaving everything real behind. She wondered if David was just an unhealthy for her as the drink. She forced herself to press past the emotions of the questions and answer it with facts.

"I researched him like fucking crazy," she said, her voice coming out much like a whisper. Her fists clenched. "I don't know him. I can't connect him to anyone. I don't know why he did it." Each sentence was spoken through her teeth, clenching harder and harder.

And, the panic attacks suddenly made sense to David. It wasn't just about the fear of death, about her being a victim and reliving the incident whenever it was brought up. It was about the unknown. It was about not understanding why someone would come into her world and start gunning everyone down. It was about her killing a man who she knew nothing about and never would. All the uncertainties, all the unknown factors of who and why were the real reasons her body rejected the thoughts. She didn't feel safe even after killing him.

Upon realization of that, both his heads were in conjunction. He got up from the couch and went to her, kneeling in front her chair again. She wasn't looking at him but that didn't stop him from grabbing her by the biceps and pulling her off the chair into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, noticing how she tucked perfectly under his chin. He wanted to assure her that she was safe, but the reality of the fact was, she wasn't. She had Eli looking out for her and she had him. He just didn't know if she wanted him, knowing that he'd be gone in the end. His heart was pounding against his chest, now warmed by Kale's cheek.

"I researched him, too," he told her.

She could hear his voice vibrating against her and she was soothed. The drug of him washed over her and made her forget everything else, as was his way. She closed her eyes, just for a minute. She wanted to pretend that she'd have this at her disposal for longer than the case would last.

He felt her sigh against him and he knew he was completely screwed. He was already hard again, just feeling her against him. But feeling her settle against his chest was something else entirely. She was getting to him. She was inching her way into him against his will. Although, his will didn't seem particularly strong when it came to her. He knew what was right and what was wrong, but God help him, he couldn't disengage from her. When he left Cincinnati, he was going to be in for a world of pain.

He looked down at her, cuddled into his chest, her hands hanging onto the edges of his suit coat. He couldn't recall a time when he was so stricken with a woman. He hooked his finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. Those midnight blues on his felt like a gut punch and his mouth was back on hers before he could have another thought. She opened to him immediately, like he knew she would. Her hands on his chest fisted his jacket, pulling him down on her. God damn, the way she worked her tongue was like magic. He couldn't even begin to imagine how good it would feel to go further.

He pulled away from her, all too aware that they were in Eli's living room. She was still holding onto him like a drowning woman to a lifeboat. He wanted to be her lifeboat. He slid his hands into her hair, moving her face so she was gazing at him.

"I'll find who's doing this," he promised her. "You will be safe at the end of this."

Kale's heart fluttered. She couldn't say that she had ever experienced anything of that sort before. She was not a touchy, feely person and her heart did not squeeze at kind words. Unless uttered out of David's mouth. His perfect, kissable, wonderful mouth. She wanted all of him, consequences be damned. She'd deal with the broken heart later if she could have him now. She knew she was making a deal with the devil but it felt too good to sign her name. Her pulse was racing, her eyes clouded but not with panic; with lust. Fuck, not just lust. Lust plus some kind of feelings. Dammit, she was screwed.

She pulled him back down on her mouth, having missed his lips as soon as they were gone. He was hard and strong against her and she drew from his strength. Her hands wound into his hair, scraping along his scalp as she let the kiss turn every inch of her body to attention. She was nearly shaking with want. She felt his hands in her hair, gripping her and keeping her firmly planted against him, as if she would try to move.

He pulled back suddenly, his lips tearing away from hers. "Jesus, we're in your dad's living room," he said through heavy breaths.

"Take me somewhere else," she said immediately.

"Dammit, Kale," he muttered. "I want to. I want to more than you can fucking believe."

"But," she urged dimly.

He hated himself. He hated that he couldn't keep away from her. "I can't finish it," he told her quietly.

"And if I say I don't care about that?" she asked defiantly. She cared a great deal, she just didn't know why. She was capable of having indiscriminate sex with plenty of people. With David, it would be more. Heart-breakingly more.

"I'd jump at it, but I wouldn't believe you."

"Then I guess I'll keep my fucking mouth shut," she snapped, pushing him back and creating distance between them. She retreated into her armor as fast as she could. "If you're done asking questions, then it's time to go."

He slowly stood up and walked to the door, his stomach doing measured, protesting turns; his mind telling him that he was a God damn moron. He wanted no part in leaving her, especially in the state she was leaving him. But, he didn't want to hurt her any more than he was hurting her right then. He got to the door and looked back to see her watching him from the entryway, leaned casually against the door jamb, as though she didn't care.

"I'm sorry, Kale," he told her.

"Don't be," she replied angrily. "We barely know each other."

He shook his head, his heart dropping low, taking his breath with it. "You're wrong about that," he murmured. "I know you."

He walked out the door and shut it behind him without waiting for her response. He needed to get back to FBI headquarters. He needed to get his eyes, his mind, his concentration on the case; to keep Kale safe.

Kale wanted to cry, but she wouldn't. She couldn't. She looked at the door as though he would come back through. I know you, he had said. She scoffed to herself. Just not enough to want me.

"Everything ok, honey?" Eli said, appearing from the study across the hall.

"I need a fucking drink," she told him.

Eli approached her, arms out, ready to envelop her in a hug. "I'll call my friend, Carl. He'll open his shooting range for us. I think a little lead therapy is in order."

She smiled weakly at him. "Can I put Pierce's picture on the target?"

He laughed. "That's my girl."

David let himself into the FBI headquarters and made his way to the conference room where all the files on the case were being stored. He pushed open the door and was shocked to find Agent Duvall sitting at the table alone, surrounded by files. A late dinner was at her side and she was engrossed in whatever she was reading. At the sound of the door opening she jerked her head up. After recognizing him, her startled appearance gave way to a tired smile.

"Agent Duvall," he greeted her. "I didn't think anyone else would be working this late."

"Jess," she corrected him. "I didn't think so either. I just have a bad feeling about this case, and I wanted to get a better sense of everything. Especially since I came in late."

David sighed and loosened his tie. "I've been on it for six years and I've still come up with jack shit."

"Two heads are better than one," she replied. "Have a seat."

"Thanks, what are you working on?" he asked, sitting across the table from her.

"I'm going over the victims' phone logs to see if any similar numbers pop," she explained.

"Did they get Kelly's back yet?" he asked.

"Um...you'll have to help me out; I've only been going by last names."

"Hargan. She was married to one of the attorneys."

"Oh," she said in a knowing voice. "I've heard about them. Never had the pleasure of going to head to head in court, but I guess I'll count myself lucky," she replied.

"You definitely should," he agreed.

"Anyway, Hargan, yeah, hers are back," she told him, passing him a file.

He took it and started flipping through it. "So, where's Wilde and Andrews?"

"Andrews went with Green to the safe house," she said. "And Wilde packed it in for the night." She checked her watch. "About four hours ago."

"Well, nothing wrong with going home on time, I guess," he told her.

"Yeah. Where's your old partner?"

"Haven't heard from him since the ME took over the boyfriend's body," he replied. "My guess is he packed it in for the night, too."

She nodded and turned her attention to her paperwork. David watched her for a minute. She was a very beautiful woman. He really admired a woman in law enforcement with a strong work ethic. She had let her blonde hair out of the twist he had seen it in earlier. It cascaded around her shoulders. The shirt she was wearing dipped at the chest and he could see a hint of lace designed to drive men crazy. The only thing crazy about David's thoughts were that he preferred the look of Kale in ratty, oversized, sweaty workout gear with her frizzy chestnut hair straining to get free from the bun she forced it in. He shook his head to clear it. He had pretty much ended that no more than a half hour ago. He made his bed and now he was lying in it.

A number in the call LUDS suddenly caught his attention. He recognized it but couldn't exactly remember why. The number was familiar. David's memory was pretty solid, his penchant for numbers much better than names. He knew that number for some reason. He had come across it before. Jess had a laptop open at the far corner of the table, connected to the FBI server. She had pushed it aside in favor of manually reviewing the files.

"Can I borrow your computer?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied, reaching for it and handing it across to him. "You got something?"

"I'm not sure," he mumbled, searching for the correct engine he needed. "Something's familiar about this number and I want to look it up."

Jess got up from her side of the table and walked around to his. He pointed out the number to her and entered it into the computer. "She didn't call it often," she pointed out. "Casual acquaintance? Doctor's office?"

The computer beeped as it finished its search and revealed the results. David's eyebrows furrowed. "Throw-away," he said. "Why is a million dollar house wife calling someone with a throw-away phone?"

"Drug dealer?"

"Maybe," he mumbled as he typed the number into another search engine; one designed to show any case where the number had been logged as a contact number or evidence. Immediately he had a hit. The case number popped up and David didn't need to look it up to know what it was. The office shooting. "What the hell?"

"What is it?"

"It's the original case, the office shooting at the law firm six years ago. This number was logged somewhere in it," he explained. He searched through the file and found the number. It was used to call 911.

"Well that's strange," Jess said. "Maybe it was her phone."

"Kelly's?"

"Yeah, maybe she called it from her real cell phone to get her messages off it when she wasn't with it," she suggested.

"Well if she had a throw-away phone she wasn't Susie homemaker like Hargan made her out to be."

"You were working the theory of an affair before. Maybe you were right all along."

"If that's the case, we need to find that phone," he said.

Jess pulled an ancient flip phone off her belt. "Company issued," she said with a smile and handed it to him. "Give it a call and I'll try to get a trace on it."

She took over the computer and he watched her fingers fly nimbly over the keyboard as she set everything up. She gave him a nod a few minutes later and David dialed the number. A loud three tone beep told him the number was no longer in service.

"So either she conveniently ran out of minutes right around her death, or that's not her phone," he told her.

"I'm guessing the latter."

"So am I."

Jess went back to her side of the table. She pulled out another file and opened it but abruptly shut it. She checked her watch. "You know, it's almost eleven. I've been working more than 15 hours and I am so done for the night."

"You're right. It's been a long day. It's takes tired eyes twice as long to catch what fresh eyes would," he agreed.

"You interested in getting a drink?" she asked casually as she packed up the files, not making eye contact.

David was stunned. He had not seen that coming. Jess seemed to be all about business. But, she was beautiful, smart and nice. They got along and seemed to work well together. Maybe he could force Kale out of his mind with the leggy blonde agent. Kale had too much baggage anyway, he convinced himself. She had a drinking problem, she was loud and crude, she was stubborn as all hell and she was...perfect, you dumbass. He shook the words from his mind and looked at Jess who had finished packing the files away and was looking at him expectantly.

"A drink sounds great," he told her.

Chapter Ten

Kale woke up the next morning feeling like she hadn't slept at all. The night was long and filled with nightmares. Eli's idea to go to the shooting range was a good one. She drained her adrenaline and by the time they got home she had passed out in her bed. But not long after, she found herself up every hour. Her mind flitted back and forth from the shooting to the recent murders to the agent investigating them. She hated that she was affected by the fact that he didn't want her for more than a good fuck while he was in town. She couldn't stand feeling like she wanted more than he wanted. Call it egotistical, but she wanted the upper hand. Which is probably why she picked guys for whom she had lukewarm feelings. They always wanted her more than she wanted them.

By seven thirty in the morning, Kale had already annoyed Eli to the point of exhaustion. He announced that she wasn't going to sit around the house all day feeling sorry for herself. They were going to get out of the city for a little while, go hiking on the East Fork Loop trail and get some clarity. Kale wasn't exactly in the mood to go out hiking when she wanted to work the case. But, Eli wasn't exactly in the mood to compromise. And Kale knew better than to argue with him when he had his mind made. So she dutifully went and changed into hiking gear, making sure to arm herself three times over. She'd go hiking with Eli, but she didn't have to be happy about it.

They were out the door and on the road by eight o'clock. Eli wanted to stop for coffee at a small shop in downtown Cincinnati. Kale wasn't a coffee drinker but she followed him in anyway hoping they had bottled soda, or at the very least, bottled water. The line was long and as she was feeling more like a whiny teenager than she felt when she had in fact been a whiny teenager, Kale found a table in the back corner and flopped down in it dramatically. All she could think about was Jake and David working the case without her. She knew she could help if that douchebag Rogan hadn't fucking sidelined her. God dammit, she itched to work the case. She was busy and distracted, silently stewing when she heard a woman's voice call:

"David!"

Kale looked up, her heart already working its way to a gallop just upon hearing his name. There he was, standing in the doorway wearing his standard suit and looking so God damn good it almost hurt. Kale's eyes sifted through the crowded shop looking for the woman attached to the voice. A tall woman with gorgeous light brown hair stood up and was waving David over. Kale couldn't see her face, but from behind, the woman looked like a model. Her mind went back to the night before when David broke off their kiss to take a phone call. She looked around the coffee shop. Yeah, they were at the one off Reading. Old business from when he was in Cincinnati, he had said. She understood it now. And it did absolutely nothing to help her mood. Not only did he not want her enough to make the move, she had gotten her ass played. That was a first.

She looked around for Eli, still considerably far back in line. She wanted to get the fuck out of there, but she'd have to pass by David and the woman to get out the door. She didn't want to be seen by him. She didn't want to have see him ever again. Cutting off all contact was the fastest way to get over him. She'd also be calling Alex that night. She needed the ego boost.

David took a deep breath and wound his way around the crowded coffee shop to Sara who had snagged a table near the window. She had gone for the hug but he side stepped it. She looked just as he remembered her. Her hair and make-up were perfect, she was well dressed and she looked absolutely stunning. Her beautiful smile faltered just a bit as he sat down without touching her. She recovered quickly and sat down across from him.

"It is really good to see you," she told him, her hand halfway across the table, inching toward him.

"I don't have a lot of time," he told her sourly.

"I know. I just needed to talk to you about some things."

"Then talk," he barked.

"His name is Danny," she said. "He's five now."

He shrugged and put his attention out the window. He didn't care about Danny who was five. He didn't want to talk about it. He had made his decision before the kid was born so it wasn't his business.

"Your mom still calls to see him," she told him. "I kinda try to avoid her."

"That's your choice," he grumbled.

"It's your choice, too," she replied, softly.

"No it's not. I have nothing to do with it."

"You never told her," she said.

"You could have, at any point in time," he retorted.

"Why didn't you?"

"Because my mother loves you," he spat out. "She was already pissed off at me for leaving. There was no need for her to lose you, too."

"David," she said, her eyes filling with tears as she reached out to touch him.

David crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't," he hissed.

"You're a good man. We could have been a family. We still could," she told him. "I haven't ever gotten over you."

"Enough with the games, Sara," he told her angrily. "There is no 'we.' Do you get that?"

"You could have been a good father, if you just chose to be there," she told him, the tears now sliding down her cheeks.

He had always hated to see her cry, but now he saw the manipulation behind the tears. She wasn't the woman he had fallen in love with all those years before.

"You could have chosen to be a good wife if you hadn't slept with half the force behind my back," he snapped, immediately regretting losing his cool with her. He lowered his voice. "We both made our choices and now we both have to live with them."

"At Danny's expense," she said, her eyes magically free of tears and replaced with anger.

"Not my problem," he replied, coldly. He stood up to get away from her, knowing that it was a mistake to talk to her at all. He had enough on his plate without adding her bullshit to the mix. He wondered how many men she had chewed up and spit out along the way to want to fall back in with him. In hindsight, his career was perfect for her double life. She could be his loving, doting fiancé when he was around. But he had cops' hours which gave her plenty of time and opportunities to stray. That she had done so with other cops really stuck in him, but he had already been accepted to the FBI by the time he found out. He never had to cross paths with any of her affairs.

He was going to leave. The line was too long in that coffee shop anyway. He didn't want to spend one more minute in Sara's presence. He shook his head at her and walked away. He heard her chair scrape across the floor and felt her hand on his arm, holding him back.

"Danny is yours," she said loudly. She crushed herself against him in a brutal hug.

Anger pierced through his heart, but the pain he expected to accompany it was not there. He gripped her biceps and gently pushed her back from him. "You and I both know that's not true," he said quietly.

"To me, he'll always be yours. You feel it, too. That's why you never told your mom," she reminded him.

His anger slowly dissipated as he realized how truly pathetic she was. He sighed and pulled her back against him, giving her one final embrace. "Think what you want," he whispered to her, not wanting to embarrass her in public. "Don't call me again. I don't want to hear from you, got it?" She sniffed but didn't answer him. He pulled her away from him. "Got it?" he repeated.

"I got it," she replied quietly.

"Good," he said curtly.

He released her arms and turned around to leave only to stop barely a foot from Eli. Eli was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, feet spread wide, looking for all intents and purposes like he was going to deck David. David's eyes immediately darted all over the shop, looking for Kale. His heart began to race as he mentally reviewed how his encounter with Sara might have looked to an outsider.

"Eli," he said, clearing his throat and taking a step back. He couldn't find Kale in the shop and wondered again why Eli would let her out of his sight. Although he was feeling a good amount of irrational fear at the sight of Eli's angry face, his own anger was edging in. How the hell was he supposed to work when he didn't know Kale was safe?

"Agent Malcolm," he replied darkly, taking a step forward to stay in David's space. "You can stop looking for her. She's at the back table behind you, pretending you don't exist."

Relief coursed through him, quickly replaced by that irrational fear. He felt like he brought his date home an hour past her curfew and her dad was waiting on the porch with a shotgun.

"Here's something I didn't share with you last night," Eli told him, his voice venomous. "I don't tolerate people who fuck with my daughter."

"I'm not trying to do that," he replied, making his voice sound stronger than he felt. He fought the urge to look over his shoulder at Kale.

"That's not how I see it. I'm a black and white kind of guy, Agent Malcolm," he said. "Either you're fucking with her, or you aren't. And you're fucking with her."

"It's not like that, Eli. I..."

"Stand down," Eli commanded him. "Or I will stand you down."

David watched in near shock as Eli walked away immediately, not giving him time to reply. Eli went up to the counter, grabbed a bottled water and a coffee and approached Kale. He handed her the water and nodded toward the door. She got up and followed him, her eyes looking everywhere but at him. David watched her walk, taking in her appearance. It was incredible that she could make his pulse race wearing boots and khakis when his ex-fiancé couldn't, wearing a tight dress and stiletto heels. Wait, what were they doing at the coffee shop so early? Why were they dressed for outdoors? Where the hell were they going?

"Kale," he called, not fully thinking through to the idea that Eli might really stand him down. "Where are you going?" he asked, walking up to her when she stopped at the door.

She finally looked at him and he saw it in her eyes. He had hurt her when his entire intention was to save her from that pain. He had fucked up. She had gotten just as attached as he had in such a short time. He could handle his own pain, knowing that he was saving her from it. But, he couldn't handle her pain. He should have never allowed her to get as close as she was. He was a selfish dick.

"The fuck do you care?" she growled.

"Kale, honey, let's go," Eli told her, herding her through the door. David unwisely followed. "We'll be out of range for a while. We need to get back to basics for a bit."

"Where?" David asked, feeling something close to panic creep over him at the words "out of range."

"We're going hiking at East Fork Loop," he told him.

David shook his head. That trail was too long, too many turns. If there was trouble, he wouldn't be able to find Kale fast enough. No, that was not a good idea. "No, I'm not comfortable with that."

"You don't have to be," Eli retorted.

"Kale, you'll be out of cell range. What if something breaks in the case?"

"Then you'll handle it," she retorted, using Eli's tone.

David eyed Eli over her shoulder and made a split second decision. He took Kale's arm and walked her away from the guard dog. He had to at least let her know that what she saw in the coffee shop wasn't what she thought. He had to get some of the pain out of her eyes.

"I know what it looked like in there," he started, jerking his head back to the shop. "But it wasn't. That was my...she used to be my...fiancé. We didn't end well. I haven't seen her in years."

"I don't give a shit," she muttered.

"I know you do," he snapped at her. "So cut the crap and let me explain."

"What for, David? You made your intentions perfectly clear last night. I get it, ok? Jesus fuck, you don't have to beat a dead horse," she yelled.

"Kale, for once, shut up," he yelled back. His eye caught Eli who looked murderous. But he didn't back off. "I was telling her that she is never to call me again." His hands somehow found their way to her face, framing her jawline. "Do you get it? I don't want her."

Kale felt like someone was using her heart as a speed bag. She fought the rush of extra blood to her skin, but knew that she failed. Her face was getting red and she was getting hot. What the hell was he doing? Didn't she throw herself at him just to have him toss her back?

"Why are you telling me this? You don't want me either, so there's no point," she huffed, trying not to be so affected by his hands on her. God, he had great hands.

"I want you, Kale," he said, his voice considerably lower. "I just can't have you."

"What the fuck does that mean?" she hissed.

He opened his mouth to answer her when his phone rang. He took a deep breath, his fingers caressing her jaw before he pulled away to answer the phone. Kale hated that she wanted his hands back on her. Before she came across David, she had herself convinced that her heart was made of steel. Men came and went. She didn't get upset, she didn't care. She supposed she had it coming, falling hard for someone. It just sucked that when it happened, it wasn't reciprocated. Oh, David certainly was attracted to her, God knew why. But, he wasn't going to let himself do anything about it. That was just as useless as if he didn't find her attractive. The outcome was still the same.

David turned and walked a few steps away from Kale to give himself a modicum of privacy as he answered the phone.

"Malcolm."

"It's Doug. Cincinnati PD just dispatched out a house alarm call at Hargan's residence."

"God dammit, it's not even eight thirty in the morning!" he exclaimed.

"Get here," Doug said and disconnected.

He looked back at Kale who was looking at him expectantly. His eyes caught the door of the coffee shop where Sara was exiting, watching him like a hawk. She looked like she was about to approach him. He could not handle any kind of encounter that would involve Sara and Kale actually speaking. So instead he made a decision. He would never be able to focus with Kale out on some random stretch of a trail. He took her by the arm, knowing that Eli would follow along. He pulled her away from the approaching Sara.

"Someone tried to break into Hargan's. You're not going to be out of my sight. You're not going hiking. Let's go," he ordered.

"What?" she asked, looking back to make sure Eli was behind her.

"I'll tell you more when we're in the car. Just be quiet in public," he directed. "Eli, you're more than welcome, but Kale is staying with me." Eli was clearly a capable man and obviously cared very much for Kale. But, he wasn't David. And David didn't trust anyone else to keep Kale out of harm's way.

"I'd be going if I wasn't welcome," he replied gruffly.

"Then that's settled," he said, showing them the way to his car.

As soon as they were in the car, Kale in the front passenger seat and Eli riding in the back, David told them what was happening.

"I don't have any details yet but my partner just called and told me that Cincinnati PD dispatched a house alarm call at Hargan's. Same thing happened to Pierce, but I don't know why they would try in the middle of the damn day," he told them.

"Maybe he thought the alarm would be off during the day. Maybe he's learning from his previous mistakes?" Kale offered.

David was impressed. That thought hadn't entered his mind yet. Already he was praising himself for bringing Kale along. She was a good cop with a great mind. The fact that he brought her along for selfish reasons didn't have to be known.

"That's a plausible scenario," Eli said from the back. "Good thinking, Kale."

Kale beamed at him, obviously affected by Eli's approval. David didn't get much cause to see her smile, but he was sure if he was standing his legs would have gone weak. He turned his mind back to the situation. When they arrived at Hargan's house, he was going to have to have some sort of reasonable explanation as to why he had Kale and Eli in tow. She was on administrative leave, after all and he certainly didn't want her to get in any trouble with her Captain.

"Is Jake going to be there?" she asked him.

David hadn't expected the question. "He might. Is that going to be a problem?"

"No," she said curtly. "He's an asshole but he's also good at his job."

"Listen, Kale. Really, he only told me those things because he wanted to make sure that I understood you and how important you are to him. He wants you safe," he stood up for Jake.

"It doesn't excuse him. What if he had trusted that other fucking fed with my personal business. I'd be out on my ass," she retorted.

"He wouldn't have done that. The only reason he trusted me is because I was his partner."

"He should have kept his mouth shut," she muttered.

David glanced in the rearview mirror to Eli. Eli's attention was out the window but David knew he was listening. David lowered his voice considerably.

"It doesn't change anything about the way I look at you."

Kale's eyes snapped to David, her heart predictably speeding up. Why did he keep saying things like that to her? He was only going to take them back later. Yet, she let him. She didn't tell him to shut the hell up because she liked hearing those things from him. They meant something to her, at least for as long as he let them. Soon he'd be telling her how he was only going to be in Cincinnati for as long as the case lasted so it would be stupid to go for it. But at least she knew it was coming. She wouldn't be blindsided.

She looked at his profile as he was driving. The man was the definition of gorgeous. His brother, the Sergeant; he was the same way. And, she had heard stories about Jack Malcolm. His attractiveness was of epic proportions according to some of the older female officers. They had stories that would make a prostitute blush. Kale had never seen Jack. She had crossed paths with Sergeant Malcolm a few times and while she could recognize that he was handsome, he didn't affect her the way David did. Her first glance at him nearly had her drooling. It was entirely unfair for one man to possess so much beauty. And it was entirely unfair that he was the one that made her take notice.

They pulled up to Hargan's house and parked behind the first responding police cruiser. David saw the government vehicle parked down the road, telling him that Andrews was already on scene. He took a deep breath and moved to get out the car, still thinking about how he was going to explain Kale and Eli's presence. But, Kale let him off the hook.

"Listen, we can stay in the car."

David raised his eyebrows at her. He certainly hadn't expected that out of the mouth of a woman who had been clawing her way into every aspect of the case.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I want to be a part of it," she told him. "But, Hargan isn't exactly my biggest fan. I'm thinking he doesn't want me in his house."

"I shouldn't be too long," he told her, accepting her offer. She'd be out of his sight, but close enough that nothing could happen to her without his knowledge. He got out of the car and gave her an encouraging smile before disappearing into the house.

Three hours later after listening to Hargan berate them for not keeping him safe, refusing the safe house, calling out a K-9 only for it to not be able to find a scent and photographing the entire house for seemingly no reason, David returned to the vehicle. Kale was asleep in the passenger seat, the seat leaned back. Eli was stretched out in the back, still keeping watch over her.

"Sorry it took so long," he whispered as he got into the car.

"Not a problem. She needs the rest," Eli replied. "What I said at the coffee house still stands."

"I got it," David bit out. "Listen, the feds don't have a real problem with you all being here. It's the locals I'm worried about. I don't want Kale in trouble. We are going to brief what we know at FBI HQ. You mind heading that way with me?"

"She wants in on the investigation, I know that much," Eli replied.

He nodded and started toward HQ. He glanced at Kale every now again wondering how such a troubled woman could look so peaceful in her sleep. She was absolutely beautiful. He wondered why he hadn't seen it right away. She was stunning. He had the urge to run his fingers through her hair, take it out of that bun she always wore and see what she was hiding. Of course he'd never attempt it with Eli so close by. But regardless of her body guard, David felt better just having Kale in his sight. Something in him settled when he knew she was near. Unless she was doing that move with her tongue she had treated him to the night before. Then, he was anything but settled.

He parked the car in the HQ employees' parking lot and Kale came awake with a start, her hand automatically going to her hip. She sat up quickly and took stock of her surroundings. Eli in the back seat, David in the driver's. She took a deep breath as she remembered David hijacking her plans with Eli. David was looking at her, his eyes light and his lips clearly fighting a smile. Kale glared at him, moving some of the hair out of her face. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Where are we?"

"FBI Headquarters," David replied. "I thought you might want to sit in on the briefing. The feds don't mind you being around, but I don't want you to get in trouble with your Captain so it's your call."

Kale huffed. "Well, how's that for a change in theory? The fucking feds inviting me in and the locals kicking me out."

"Honey," Eli cautioned from the back. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

She rolled her eyes like a petulant daughter would and then nodded at David. They exited the car and entered the building, David signing them in at the front desk. He led them to the conference room they had been using to track the case. Kale took in the room, looking at the writing on the white boards, trying to get a sense of everything they knew. A few seconds later and several people entered the room behind them.

"Kale, Eli, you remember Agent Andrews," David said. "This is Agent Wilde and Agent Duvall. This is Officer Michaels and her father Eli. They have been involved in this case since the beginning and they're here to observe or help anyway they can."

"Nice to meet you," Agent Duvall said with a smile.

Kale nodded at her. She didn't look like any FBI agent she had ever encountered. She looked like she'd be more comfortable playing beach volleyball in a bikini...on TV. She had a very sporty, beach, airy quality that gave Kale an instant dose of jealousy. She wished she could have that kind of free air about her. But when people saw her, they immediately knew to stay clear. Kale wished the bitterness would go away but that was the price she paid for keeping her secrets buried.

Kale sat next to Eli at the table and watched as the agents milled around with the files, apparently waiting for Jake to deign them with his presence. She twisted her fingers nervously, not used to feeling so out of place. She was grateful that Eli was with her, knowing that if she said the word, he'd get her out. Sometimes she forgot to count her blessings being given such a protective father, but in the last few days she was ever aware that he was her rock. She looked to him. He gave a reassuring smile and neck squeeze. Kale settled into her chair, some of her nerves fleeing under Eli's calm support.

"Hey," Jess was saying, somewhat under her breath to get David's attention.

David turned to her as she was leaning in close enough to whisper. His hand automatically went to the small of her back as it probably would have for any woman that leaned into him that way. "What's up?" he asked.

"Last night was a lot of fun. I actually feel refreshed today. What do you say we make that a nightly occurrence?"

David's glance went straight to Kale who, of course was watching him. He looked back to Jess. He had gone out for drinks with her after they packed up. They had sat at the bar together, him drinking beer, her drinking amaretto sours. She laughed, he laughed. Her hand had landed on his thigh more than once, hell more than twice. He hadn't removed it but his thoughts had all been on the raging little hellcat he had left kissed half senseless in her father's house. He wanted to be into Jess. He wanted to want to take her back to his hotel room, but something in his mind made him feel like he would be cheating. Cheating on a woman who, to be perfectly honest, he was not involved with. That's how messed up his mind had been. And now Jess wanted to do that all over again. He didn't know exactly what to say to get out of it.

"I'm not sure we will have the time," he murmured.

"We'll just play it by ear then," she told him with a smile. She reached out and squeezed his hand before returning to organizing the files.

Kale heard their exchange and was none too happy. That innocent jealousy from before sucked her stomach into one giant knot and turned ugly. So she had kissed the man twice, maybe three times. It wasn't as though he professed his undying love to her. He hadn't done anything wrong. In fact, he had been downright brutal in his honesty that nothing more was going to happen between them. So if he wanted to fuck FBI Barbie then that was his business and none of Kale's. She wondered how fast Alex could get to her apartment after she called him. She wondered if he would ever come close to making her feel like David could with just a kiss. Fuck all.

David was looking at her, trying to gauge what she had heard. She gave him a forced and obviously fake smile and then turned her attention to the fascinating tabletop. It wouldn't do anyone, particularly her, any good to throw a Kale style fit right in front of a room of federal agents. So, she kept her mouth shut and buried it all deep. She was, after all, very adept at burying shit deep. Eli's arm, which had been draped over the back of her chair, moved. He was on his feet looking at David with a face Kale knew David should be taking very seriously.

She tugged his shirt. "Dad, everything's cool."

Eli ignored her. "Agent Malcolm, a word," he said in a voice that left no room for a denial.

The other agents in the room took notice, their eyes wide at Eli's overwhelming presence. David nodded and walked out of the conference room, not without some of that irrational fear edging its way back in. Eli followed him to his makeshift office. Once inside, David immediately retreated to his desk, keeping it safely between him and the guard dog. Eli shut the door quietly, too calmly.

"Got any more?" Eli asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Women that you'd like to parade in front of my daughter."

David's jaw clenched, matching Eli's. Physically the two men were pretty matched, but David would have put money on Eli being able to reduce him to dust. Nonetheless, he crossed his arms, spread his feet sturdily.

"How is that your business?"

"You're going to go that route?" he asked angrily. He raised his eyebrows, waiting. But, David said nothing so Eli continued talking. "Ok, you put your hands on my daughter in my house. It's my business now."

David nearly choked on his saliva. He guessed they hadn't been as discreet as they thought the night before.

"I work with Agent Duvall," he bit out.

"Yeah, I worked with a lot of women in the Army. And none of them talked to or touched me like that 'cept the ones trying to fuck me." He crossed his arms. "And I'm sure you can guess the end result was me fuckin' 'em."

"Well I'm not you," David retorted. "And Kale is a big girl who can take care of herself."

"If that were true you wouldn't be playing chauffeur."

"I'm talking about with relationships, Eli," he replied. "She doesn't need her dad taking care of that for her."

"You think she's so God damn tough because she puts herself in dangerous situations and would motherfuck a nun?"

"I think she's strong enough to handle this, yes," he told him.

"Then you're dumber than you talk."

"Listen, you're her dad, so I get it, Eli. But she's not exactly a helpless little girl. I mean for God's sake, she's dating another cop and messing around with me. What does that say?"

David wanted to take the words back as soon as he said them. His encounter with Sara that morning obviously had taken its toll. Kale had every right to do what she was doing, especially since she had told him that she wasn't serious with that other cop. But Sara's betrayal had hit him hard and seeing her again had put those feelings back into his chest, only this time, directed at Kale. He was an asshole.

Eli took a menacing deep breath and released it. When he spoke, it was very slowly. "The only reason you are not on the ground right now is because we are in a federal office building."

"That didn't come out how it was meant," David backtracked.

There was a knock at the door and David couldn't have been more grateful. He called for whoever it was to come in. Jake walked in.

"Eli," he said, pleasantly. Then he stopped and took stock of the room. "Fuck, looks like you two are about to square off. Did I interrupt something?"

"No," they both said in unison.

"Oooh-kay," Jake said, the hint of laughter behind his lips.

"I should get back to Kale," Eli said gruffly and walked out of the room.

David let out a pent up breath. "Well you probably just saved my ass," he told Jake.

"Yeah, a word to the wise, don't get on Eli's bad side."

"No shit."

"Why'd you bring Kale?" he wanted to know.

"Because Eli was trying to take her hiking and I wasn't comfortable with it," he said tightly.

Jake laughed. "Uh, I think Eli can look out for her."

"Not as well as I can," he snapped before he even thought about the words he was saying.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Bit of advice about Kale?" He didn't wait for David's reply. "Fish or cut bait. Fast."

"Fine, can we work now?" David said, angry that he was digging himself into a hole and making it deeper by the minute. They started to leave the office when David grabbed Jake's arm, a thought from the day before assailing him. "Wait. Who is Officer Taylor?"

"Taylor? The cop from yesterday?" he asked.

"Yeah. Who is he? He obviously knows Kale. What's he like an ex or something?"

"Nah, that was her FTO."

Her field training officer. Why the hell would she get so upset over that?

"Did they get along?"

"He was tough on her in the end, but he passed her through. I think she said they got along fine."

"What do you know about him?"

"I don't know dick. Why are you asking?"

"Call it curiosity."

"I'll call it none of your business."

It was David's turn to roll his eyes as they walked out of the office. When they got back to the conference room, Andrews was already going over everything they had. David made eye contact with Kale. Her midnight blues looked like a fire was raging behind them. He quickly looked away and focused on what Andrews was saying. He was talking about the lack of evidence in the first two cases, but that the second victim having her underwear stripped had to be of significance.

"Since we never got to our debrief yesterday, I spoke to our psychologist on the phone. He thinks that the suspect stripping off the underwear but not necessarily sexually assaulting might be that he thinks they are unclean. He wants to humiliate them, but he wouldn't touch them. Or the suspect might be fighting his urge to want to touch them. We didn't find any semen on scene but the psychologist seems to think that the man might be masturbating after they are dead."

"What the hell would he do that for?" Jake asked.

"Well, could be the obvious reason, sexual gratification. He's turned on by the kills," Jess offered.

"Or," Kale piped up, uncharacteristically timidly. "Maybe he's proud of himself. That he didn't touch them. He wants to, but because they aren't clean or pure or whatever, he can only control himself so much."

"Could that go back to the original theory of the shooting, that Riley did it because these are defense attorneys?" Agent Wilde asked. "That they are not pure of heart?"

"I think that's a very plausible theory," Andrews replied.

David looked to Kale with a smile, proud of her for saying her piece and not sinking to the background. She caught his eye but didn't return the smile. Instead she turned to Eli for her praise and for some reason, that pissed David right the hell off.

"So," David started to summarize. "He goes after the law firm because they are letting criminals go free."

"Sinners," Jess corrected him.

"Right, sinners. Why wait so long to go after the rest of them? The attorneys were still practicing and I can't see that the surviving women were doing anything overtly...sinful as to attract attention again."

"What about Kelly and the possible affair?" Jess asked. "That's sinful."

"But she was third. Something must have set the unsub off before that," Andrews interjected.

"Maybe the person who hired Riley moved out of state or was incarcerated for 6 years and now he's just picking up where he left off?" Wilde suggested.

"Or he was placated with the kills he did get," Eli suggested. "If you think about it, it worked out pretty well. Kale kills Riley and along with him goes every secret he possesses. There were literally no answers."

Kale felt the familiar waves of panic start to wash over her, thinking about Jason Riley and all she didn't know about him. She reached out blindly and felt Eli take her hand. He squeezed it, providing her the comfort she craved. But, dammit it wasn't working like it used to. She kept control of her breath even though it made her lungs start to feel like they were on fire. She looked to David whose attention was on Agent Duvall. She had started talking but Kale didn't hear anything she was saying. She wanted David's comfort, his magic touch. Yet, she couldn't have it and she had damn well get used to going without it. Barely a few days and she was already addicted. God damn man was poison.

Kale got her hearing back just as Agent Duvall was finishing what she was saying. "So David and I tried to call the phone and the number has been shut off. Possible theory being she had a boyfriend that Hargan didn't know about."

Kale scoffed unintentionally at the double standard. Kelly all of the sudden looked like the slut when Hargan had slept with nearly everyone in the office and probably still doing it with the new staff. It wasn't right.

"I'm sorry, Officer Michaels. Did you not agree with something?" Agent Duvall asked, her voice light but easily taken as sarcasm.

"Just the idea that Kelly's the whore when Hargan is the one who slept with half of Cincinnati," she muttered.

"No one is insinuating that she's a whore," she replied calmly.

"The suspect is. You all didn't know her. She was a good fucking person and I should never have let Hargan get anywhere near her. You want to blame anyone for this, blame him. Blame the asshole attorneys."

"Officer Michaels, I know your attachment to this case might make you a bit emotional, but no one is trying to desecrate anyone's memory. We are just trying to solve this," Agent Wilde told her.

"I'm not emotional," Kale snapped. "I'm pissed off. She deserved better in her life and she sure as hell deserves better in death."

"Kale," Jake started.

Kale looked at him. He was giving her a familiar look. It basically told her to calm the fuck down and get some perspective. She'd seen it often when on tirades about her citizen complaints. She blew out a breath and nodded at him. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sorry," she muttered.

David had watched her very closely and it was as though he could read her mind like a book. He hadn't fully understood it the night before when he realized much of her problem was the unanswered questions. But, now he got the full force of it. She felt guilty for killing Riley. The Cincinnati Prosecuting Attorney's Office convening a Grand Jury to decide whether or not to charge her with murder, the lawyers blaming her for the women's deaths fed into her thinking that she was actually to blame. Kale felt responsible for destroying the only answers they'd ever have. Those two remarkably well placed rounds to Riley's head had flooded her with doubt.

He wanted to go to her, consequences be damned. He wanted to take her face in his hands and tell her that she did the right thing, no matter the end. She had done the right thing, dammit. How could she doubt herself when she was alive? Why couldn't she see that what she had done was heroic? He should have stayed with her back then. He should have gone to see her in the hospital. He probably could have saved her years of hurt. Maybe, he could have saved himself the same.

David felt a hand land on his shoulder. He looked to see that Jess had leaned into him to whisper in his ear.

"Does she really need to be here?" she asked softly.

David's jaw set. "She's a potential victim," he hissed. "I need to keep an eye on her."

"Safe house?"

"She won't go." His eyes landed on Kale. Her face was pale watching him whisper with Jess. She kept control of her face, though. If he hadn't been so attune to her, he'd guess that she was merely annoyed. Her eyes, however, told him that she was hurting.

"I think me being here is counterproductive," Kale said, surprising the hell out of David and everyone else.

Hadn't she practically begged him to be in on the case?

"What?" he asked.

"I think I've said what I have to say. And now the rest of you don't feel comfortable to speak freely. That was my mistake, but it's not reversible. So, it's time for me to go," she replied.

She hadn't cussed once. David was instantly worried. She had never been so well spoken. He knew she was smart and capable of speaking well, but she had covered it so much with her hardened sarcastic armor, he was still shocked to hear it. Something was not right with her. Now more than ever he didn't want her to go.

"You don't have to go, Kale," he told her.

She ignored him. "Eli?" she said.

"Yep," he replied simply, standing up, his hand on the small of her back as she stood. He guided her to the door. "Thanks for involving us," he told them all.

"I drove you," David reminded him.

"I've got resources, Agent Malcolm. You don't have to worry," Eli said.

Without another word, Kale was out the door and not looking back. Uneasiness washed over David almost immediately with her out of his sight. He hated it. He hated the urge to go after her when he knew better. He hated everything about the way he felt toward Kale, but the domineering hate was for the fear he was experiencing. She wasn't safe.

Chapter Eleven

Kale had browbeat Eli into dropping her off at her own apartment. He had argued with her, but unfortunately for him, she had him wrapped around her little finger. She had managed to get him to agree by reminding him that she was well armed and her apartment was well secured. She just wanted her own bed, her own cat and her own glass of wine. Eli would have smacked it out of her hand. She knew better than to take the first sip in the state of mind she was in. She did it anyway. She wasn't sure if it had been too long since her last drink or if she just needed it too much, but that first sip seemed to numb her to the world. Just what she needed.

Too much had been racing through her mind. Jason Riley. The biggest fucking question mark in her life and she had put it there. It nagged at her always, never left her alone. But now, with someone after her, after Mallory, the feeling was amplified. She hated that it scared her. David Malcolm. The man who didn't want to start what he couldn't finish. With her. He'd start and finish with FBI Barbie. His business, not yours, she reminded herself. David was free to do what he wanted. He shouldn't have kissed her into a hazy stupor if he was going to be off doing whatever he wanted, but Kale found it hard to regret. The kisses had been absolutely amazing. She shook her head to clear it. At least she knew what she'd be missing. From experience, she knew that not knowing was far worse.

Her second glass of wine sat on the nightstand. Kale crawled into bed and under the covers, staring at it. She shouldn't have it. It would only numb her more. She wanted to be numbed, but she couldn't bring herself to take a sip. It was a thin line she treaded when it came to alcohol. Even in the state she was in, she knew not to cross it. Instead she buried herself in her blankets, allowing the self-pity to settle in. Soon after, sleep settled in.

It was somewhat late by the time David managed to break away from the team. They had no new evidence, no new leads. Most importantly, no new victims. He had effectively side stepped Jess' offer for a drink and instead drove straight to Eli's house. He wasn't entirely sure Eli would let him in the door, but he needed to see Kale. The need in him was so strong he hadn't even attempted to fight it. If Eli got in his way, he'd just have to deal with that. He had loosened his tie and left his sport coat in the car, but other than that, he was still dressed for work. He figured he could call his visit case related.

Eli opened the door seconds after he knocked and immediately blocked David's entrance with his large frame.

"Agent Malcolm."

"I just want to talk to her," he said immediately.

Eli crossed his arms and pressed his lips together. "I remember telling you to stand down."

David hung his head. He stretched his neck, tight with stress. A thought entered his mind and he pounced on it. "Officer Taylor was her FTO," he replied, appealing to Eli's need for information.

Eli visibly stiffened. "You're sure?"

"Yes."

"She spiraled out of control just after getting off field training," he said.

"Please let me talk to her," David asked again, wondering how he, an FBI agent was in the position of begging the father of an adult woman to let him have a word. His own father would have been laughing his ass off.

Eli sighed. "She's not here."

David immediately straightened, his heart feeling like someone had reached in and squeezed it. Anger flooded his senses soon after. "Where. the fuck. is she?"

"Her apartment. She just needed some alone time."

David didn't hear another word. He was gone from the porch and in his car. He couldn't believe how unbelievably stupid Eli was. God dammit, she had been alone and unprotected for God knew how long. If he had cause to see Eli again, he might just lay him out. He made record time to Kale's apartment. He parked the car, barely remembering to lock the doors, especially in her neighborhood, and he took the stairs two at a time. Seconds before pounding down her door, David got ahold of himself. He took a deep breath and instead of ripping the door off its hinges he calmly but loudly knocked.

The seconds that ticked by were torturous. His chest got tighter the longer he waited outside her door. Considering that she was a well-armed woman, he decided shouldering the door open wouldn't be the brightest idea. So instead, he pounded harder on the door, calling her name. Anxiety and fear crept into his body and took over, making his nerves shake, his pulse race. His heart felt slow like it wasn't providing him enough blood. His breaths started to become labored. He couldn't take not knowing. Was she safe? Had the suspect gotten to her? He'd never live with himself if she was taken. He wouldn't be able to survive it. The fear was overwhelming and so completely foreign that David didn't have one clue how to deal with it.

Finally the door flung open with Kale on the other side looking tired and bleary eyed. She was wearing CPD sweats but ones that actually fit her body. Her hair was still in the damn bun but messy from sleep. And, she was holding a 9mm at her side. The little breath David had managed to breathe through his anxiety crushed out of his lungs at the sight of her. She was so damn pretty. Not one more coherent thought went through his head. Before he was even sure that he moved, his lips were on hers, his hands snaked around her back, pulling her body into his. She was stiff, startled at first but took no more than a few seconds to open to him. Her tongue slid against his in her unique Kale way and David nearly lost his footing. Her chest was pressed hard against his. He itched to touch every inch of her.

He kicked the door shut as he walked her back into the apartment, their lips never losing contact. His hand slid down her arm, taking the gun from her and blindly setting it on the nearest surface. The sheer force of his heartbeat was nearly knocking him off his feet. He had never wanted anyone as fiercely as he wanted Kale Michaels. He was going to have her, every damn bit of her.

Kale had been shocked to see David through the peephole of her door. Excitement and disappointment had battled for the dominant emotion as she opened the door. She wanted to see him, but she knew he wouldn't give her what she really wanted. So that would explain her utter shock as to his greeting. That didn't stop her from fully participating, though. David Malcolm definitely knew how to kiss. Her pulse was racing so damn fast she was practically vibrating. She felt his hands go into her hair, gripping it tightly, holding her mouth to his as he explored the depths of her. She tugged at his shirt, wanting to get her hands under it to feel his skin against her hands. The second her hand hit his hard abs, he tightened his grip, his hand at the small of her back pinning her against him. His abs weren't the only thing hard. She could feel him pressed against her stomach. The urge to drop down to her knees and take him in her mouth was strong. That was saying something for her. It was something she just didn't do. Not for anyone. Her pulse throbbed between her legs and she struggled to get closer.

David had to pull away to get a full breath, but he didn't let her go. Instead he tightened his grip in her hair, forcing her head up to look him in the eyes. "Don't ever fucking go off on your own again," he breathed.

"I was fine," she managed to reply.

He gripped her hair harder and Kale liked it a little too much. "I can't think straight when I know you're not protected," he growled.

"I'm not helpless," she told him, her mind still on getting his lips back on hers.

"I know," he said through a clenched jaw. "And God dammit, it makes me want you even more."

Kale bit her lip and pulled away from him, taking a step out of his reach. "So what are you going to do about it?" she taunted him.

He looked at her, standing just out of his touch, challenging him. Her face was flushed red, her lips swollen from his. He wanted her with every cell in his body. His body literally ached for hers. Her lips on his, her tongue in his mouth had the capability of taking away all his stress. She was the perfect match for him. As much as he could calm her when she needed it, Kale could excite him when he needed it. And he definitely needed it.

"Take your hair down," he requested, his chest still heaving, trying to catch his breath.

"What?" she snapped, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I've never seen it down."

She looked nervous and her already flushed face blushed brighter red. She was embarrassed. David was surprised. Kale was worried about her looks. He couldn't believe a gorgeous woman like her would be worried to reveal her true look. He waited as she closed her eyes. Her chest moved with a deep breath and with her eyes still closed, her hands reached up to her hair. A few seconds later and her brown hair went cascading around her shoulders, about a third of the way down her back. David found her to be even more stunning, her hair much longer than he would have guessed.

He blew out a breath. "You're beautiful."

Kale ignored the compliment and started walking toward the bedroom. "Decide what you want to do, yet?" she asked over her shoulder.

David had no choice but to follow her. She sat back on the bed, waiting for him. Her fingers were toying with her hair, twisting it nervously. She was still biting her lip. He walked toward her, every intention of taking the lip between his own teeth. But, something caught his eye. There was a wineglass on her nightstand. His heart sunk into his stomach. Was she drunk? Was this only happening because she was drunk? Was she going to go down that road again?

"Kale, good God, were you drinking?"

Kale's eyes snapped to the glass of wine on the night stand. Her defenses immediately threw a wall up between them. "I had one fucking drink," she snapped.

"Are you out of your mind?" he asked angrily. "Do you want to go down that road again?"

"It's one fucking drink, David. Back off. I already have a dad."

"And he'd probably lay you out for having a drink."

"I can do without the lecture, so you can take it on out the door with you when you go," she retorted, crossing her arms.

"You're out of your damn mind if you think I'm leaving." He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall in front of her. "So tell me, what the hell were you thinking?"

"That I needed two seconds outside of my head!" she yelled.

"Well you got it. Did it make things any easier in the end?" he scoffed.

"I don't think about the end."

"You're a cop, Kale. You always think about the end game."

"Yeah, well I'm a lousy fucking cop. Ask anyone," she hissed.

"Maybe I will. How about Officer Taylor? He would know since he trained you," he retorted out of anger. He immediately regretted it, seeing Kale's angry red face pale so fast he thought she would faint.

"Get out," she said weakly.

"No," he replied, standing his ground. "Tell me about him."

"No," she yelled.

"Kale, tell me about him," he demanded louder, stalking toward her.

"Go away," she told him, her voice thick trying not to cry. She couldn't do this now. She needed him out. She needed to get lost in a bottle of wine and pretend the last few days never happened. She just needed him to go, to not see her really break in two.

He was close enough to touch. She wouldn't look at him so he grabbed her by the biceps. "Trust me, Kale. Tell me who he is to you."

"I can't."

"You can," he countered. "Whatever it is, it's weighing you down. You're getting buried under it."

"Fuck you, David," she said weakly.

"Kale, tell me!"

"He attacked me!" she blurted out. Immediately she wished for a dark hole to swallow her up so she wouldn't have to face this moment. She kept the secret for almost four years. That David could drag it out of her was almost unbearable.

"He did what?" he asked, his voice going low and throaty. He was sure he heard her wrong. Cops didn't attack other cops.

"He waited until I fucked up on a call and then he used it against me," she told him. If he wouldn't leave her to drink, then she'd push him away by telling him what he wanted to hear. No man would want to face her after that.

"What do you mean?" His hands were still on her. He had to tell himself to ease up on his grip. Her tone told him where the story was going to go and he didn't want to hear it. But, he needed to.

"He asked for a blow job," she said harshly, making herself detach from the words. She had never told a soul before. She had to take herself away from it. "I told him to blow himself. He attacked me. Pinned me down in the backseat and forced me to do it. I was already on the shit list and he said if I made any accusations, he'd tell them he was planning on failing my field training and it was my way of getting through. He knew that I worked at the firm before; he knew the reputation of the attorneys and their secretaries. He knew no one would believe me if I said anything. He did it nine times." Her voice was dull, monotone as she spoke. She barely felt David's presence.

The fury that swept over David was unlike any anger he had ever experienced. He wanted Officer Taylor dead. Not just hurt, not just behind bars; dead. Kale hadn't looked at him and he was suddenly aware that he was probably going to leave bruises on her arms as hard as he was gripping her.

"So now you know. And that's why I needed a god damn drink. Just one to take everything out of my mind if even for a minute. Can you leave now?"

David clenched his jaw. "I told you, I'm not leaving, dammit."

"Just fucking go so I can wallow in my misery alone."

"No," he replied, his voice low, gravelly. It sent chills through her body. "You want out of your head? I'll be the one to do it."

Before she could ask what the hell he meant by that, his mouth slammed against hers, knocking her back. She fell against the bed and felt David's weight on top of her. All thoughts of Officer Taylor fled her mind. The throbbing of her heartbeat flowed directly between her legs as she felt the length of him against her. All she could think about was David's lips, his tongue, his body. He was too good to be true. No one should have been able to make her thoughts disappear. No one had ever been able to give her peace. She moaned into his lips, her hands sliding into his hair. Her hips bucked beneath him, trying to get closer. She tugged on his hair, satisfied to hear him growl in return. She needed this; she needed him, more than she wanted to admit.

His hands were in her hair, finally feeling it free of the bun. She was so damn open to him. David wondered if she was always this open to men or if it was something about him specifically, like how he could read her moods. The feel of her chest pressed against his was making him crazy. He needed to feel more of her. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pressing him against her. He was so damn hard that he couldn't think straight. Feeling her gripping his hair, moaning into his mouth kicked him into gear. His hands slid down her body, his thumbs gliding over her nipples. He could feel them harden through her shirt. Her hands were on his chest, pulling his tie away, unbuttoning his shirt. Her fingers hit his skin and her lips pulled away from his. He heard a sharp intake of breath. He leaned back far enough to see her face. She was biting her lip, her eyes on his chest.

Kale had expected that he'd be attractive but she couldn't have guessed that he would be perfect. He was. Sculpted. Perfect. Suddenly she couldn't bear the thought of him seeing her body. She was far from perfect, far from what he deserved. His hands were back on her face, his fingers tracing her jawline as he looked at her.

"What's the matter Kale?" he asked.

"You're..." she mumbled.

"What?" he encouraged.

"Gorgeous," she muttered, her face flushing red.

He smiled at her, making him all the more handsome. She could barely face him. "Is that bad?" he asked her, good naturedly. She tried to hide her face but he wouldn't let her. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

No one had ever called her sweetheart before. Maybe Eli, but no other man. Her heart fluttered and tears threatened. Damn him. Why did she let him affect her so much? She couldn't handle all the emotion.

"I'm not like you," she whispered. "You're going to be so disappointed. Fuck."

"What do you mean?"

"My...body. I'm not like you."

"Stop right there," he interrupted her. "Let me see."

"What?"

"Let me see it, let me decide if I'm going to be disappointed," he demanded.

"I'm just supposed to show you, sit back and wait for you to decide if you still want me or not?" she snapped angrily.

"No, you're supposed to shut up and let me take you out of your head. So do it, Kale," he replied forcefully. He watched as her jaw set. He softened his approach. "I am not going to be disappointed. No woman who can kiss me like you kiss me could ever disappoint me."

Kale's heart skipped a beat. His thumbs were still tracing her jaw line sending sparks of heat coursing through her body. It was now or never and she wanted the now. With a split second decision she forced herself to move. She pushed his hands away from her face, scooting back from him. Quick as lightning she was out of her shirt and shrugging the sweatpants away. She was close to dread but she made herself look at his face. His eyes widened as they combed over her body. She braced herself for his reaction. His chest rose and fell with calculated breaths. He hadn't spoken. Instead he slowly finished sliding his unbuttoned shirt off his arms and tossed it aside. Then he went to work on his pants. She watched as he took them off and kicked them aside. He was down to his boxer briefs and she couldn't help but want to drool. The man must have spent most of his life in a gym.

"Do you see me?" he asked her. She nodded at him, words escaping her. "Does it look like I'm disappointed?"

She looked, seeing his erection visibly straining against his boxers. "No," she breathed.

"It's because I'm not. And it's because if I can't have you in the next five seconds, I think I might fall out," he told her honestly.

She was beautiful, even if she didn't believe it. True, she wasn't overly thin, she didn't have a six pack, he couldn't count her ribs. But, he found that given a choice, he'd pick the curves. He just never had the choice before. Kale was soft in a way that made him want to sink into her and never come out. Yet, she was firm and strong where she needed to be. Her chest was magnificent and all he could think about was getting his hands on it. He knew he had to take his time with her. If he wanted to truly get her out of her own head, he was going to have to show her something she had never seen before.

She was biting her lip again. He moved on top of her and took over, claiming her lips until he felt her body lose some of the rigidness. He slowly kissed his way to her jaw and down her neck. He felt the flow of her pulse amplify as he made his way lower, kissing her chest and between her breasts. The beat of her heart and the sound of her trying to control her breathing urged him on. His lips made their way down her stomach to the plain, practical panties she was wearing. They were unlike the lacy lingerie he was used to seeing, but they were so very much Kale that they turned him on more than the sexier kind. He was so fucking hard that it was taking everything in him to keep his steady pace.

"Trust me?" he asked her.

Kale couldn't breathe enough to speak. She nodded instead. His hands were on her panties, pulling them away. She lifted her hips to help him. The anticipation had her shaking. She was embarrassed that she was wet. She was nervous about what he was going to do and how she would react. She couldn't get out of her head, but now it was for different reasons. His lips were on her leg, kissing her calf, her knee, her thigh. Her breath caught and she closed her eyes. Every bit of blood in her body had pooled between her legs. He slowly spread her legs wide, opening her fully to him. His hands were lightly stroking her thighs. She could feel the air cool against her core as she lay, completely bared to him. The vulnerable feeling of being so fully opened was somehow erotic with David. She hesitantly opened her eyes to see him staring at her like he was transfixed. She dropped her head back, anxiously waiting. His fingers gently slid across her slit, making her shiver with pleasure.

"Jesus, Kale," he breathed. "You're wet for me."

Suddenly his mouth was on her. Stars burst in her eyes as his tongue worked on her. The man found every sensitive spot she had as she felt herself getting warmer. The room started to sway around her; she was dizzy as the sensation built behind his touch. There was no other thought in her mind. Her hands found their way into his hair as his tongue flicked across her clit sending a shock of pleasure surging through her. Her hips pushed forward of their own accord. She had no time to be embarrassed or second guess herself. She was so close to coming.

"God, don't stop."

His tongue found his way inside her. She groaned, her hands gripping his hair, probably too hard. She felt his lips wrap around her nub, sucking her until everything started to swirl around her. One last strong flick of his tongue sent her careening over the edge as the pleasure poured into every nerve in her body. She felt herself pushing into his tongue, riding the waves of ecstasy as he gave them to her. Her muscles strained to contain the feeling, make it last. Her legs slowly spread wider as the orgasm subsided. Her body, tight with bliss started to ease into satisfaction. David had other ideas. His tongue darted inside her unexpectedly, making another orgasm rip through her like a bullet. God, she never wanted it to end. She knew she called out something, but damn if she had no idea what the hell came out of her mouth. She came down from the high in time to see David crawling back over her, wiping his mouth and coming in toward hers.

David had never experienced a woman who was so honestly expressive. Most women he had been with made the right noises because it was expected. Kale tried to hide her sounds but she couldn't. She couldn't hide anything from him. She had been so fucking wet for him. As soon as he touched her, he had to taste her. The second he tasted how sweet she was he almost came. By the grace of God he held back and watched her have two orgasms. She was beautiful as she came, her body arching like a lithe cat. The feel of her hands in his hair, pushing her hips into his face was pure bliss. She had no idea how much she affected him. Her words had been just as effective as her body, despite the fact that she was clearly unaware of what she said.

"I need to be inside you, Kale. Please," he begged.

She didn't answer him but he felt her hands pulling his underwear away. He didn't waste any time pulling them the rest of the way down. She reached down and touched him. He sucked in a breath that hissed out as she guided him to her. Her hands were like licks of a flame, setting him on fire instantly. He couldn't hold back anymore. The first thrust into her was the most difficult test of will power he'd ever had. He could have come instantly.

"Oh shit, you're so tight," he growled. "God, Kale. I don't know if I'll last."

"I don't care. I want to feel you," she told him, reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him close.

"Take off your bra," he told her, steadying himself in her, buying time.

She complied instantly, tossing it aside. It was a mistake. Seeing her threw him into overdrive. He thrust into her hard, too hard. He needed to slow himself down. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. He bent down to her breast, taking her nipple into his mouth, trying to distract himself. But, she arched into him, moaning. He couldn't control himself as he thrust into her again, still too hard. He stilled again.

"David," she said, taking his face in her hands and bringing it hers. "I won't break."

"What?" he breathed.

It was Kale's turn to be able to read him so well. "Stop stopping," she told him forcefully. "I won't fucking break."

At her words, he crushed his mouth to hers and thrust himself back into her. She wrapped her arms around his back, her legs around his waist. His thrusts were harder and faster but she pressed him on, telling him to keep going. His entire body was throbbing, waiting for the release. He couldn't hang on much longer. Thank God he had given her one first because he couldn't wait. Kale's hips pushed up into him and she clenched around him like a vice. He managed to withdraw one last time and when he plunged back into her, she was so God damn tight that he couldn't hold back. He exploded into her, his entire body racked with sensation as the orgasm shattered inside him. He felt himself pouring into her, her body clenching around him. He had never felt so incredible for so long.

He held himself up over her as his body started to settle. His mind began to clear and he was aware of just how big a mistake he made. He'd never be able to get Kale out of his mind. He'd never be able to move on from her. He had fucked up. He had just destined himself to a life of misery, because he wasn't ever moving back to Cincinnati. Not with all the history. He looked down at her. Her eyes were closed and a slight contented smile played on her lips. She was sweaty, her hair stuck against her forehead. He remembered seeing her the night before, imagining that exact moment, with her sweaty beneath him. He moved the hair away from her face. Her cheek moved into his touch. She was so amazing, so lovable. It was a strange thought about a woman who had either cussed out or attacked every man she had come across. But to David, it fit. He replayed her words as she came under his tongue.

Please don't go.

If she had known she said it, she would have taken it back immediately, apologized. But she was so hazy with lust and pleasure, he knew she had blurted it out deafly, without her knowledge. He shouldn't have slept with her. In the end she would hate him. He just couldn't stay away from her. Honestly, he couldn't believe he had lasted three days. After seeing her take an elbow to the face and chase down her suspect; after seeing her up close, feeling the physical jolt from touching her, he knew he was doomed to have her. He pretended he could fight it, but he knew it was out of his hands. As he just proved.

He traced the slight bruising along her jawline from the fight. Just thinking about anyone hurting her twisted his stomach in knots. The suspect was not going to get his hands on her. He'd die before that happened. And, as for Officer Taylor; David had plans to deal with that piece of shit. She sighed under him, her eyes still closed.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Mmm," she mumbled.

He rolled off her, taking her with him. Her head rested on his chest tucked into his shoulder. Her hand came across his abs and he felt her settle in against him. He could feel her breathing against his chest. Her breaths became shallow and he knew she was falling asleep.

"Kale?"

"Mmm?"

"I was too distracted to tell you before. You're beautiful."

She didn't answer him and when he looked down, she was out. He wrapped his arms around her, content to pretend for at least one night that he could have her for the rest of his life. He fought sleep, wanting to feel her in his arms as long as possible. Eventually, it claimed him anyway, nervous thoughts of the case creeping in just as he faded out.

A shrill ringing woke David. He jolted, realizing he had Kale in his arms. The feeling of panic set in, sensing how absolutely right and contented he was with her. She was still sleeping, the ringing phone not disturbing her. When she slept, she really slept. He'd worry about that later. First he needed to get to the phone. He slid out from under her, settling her on the pillow and found his pants on her floor. He dug out his phone, noting that it was almost seven in the morning. It was the first time he had slept through the night since being back in Cincinnati. He silenced the ringer and saw Shawn's name on the caller ID. He slid the lock bar open to answer the call.

Before he had a chance to speak he heard Shawn say, "Get over to mom's. Now."

"What's wrong? Is she hurt?"

"Sara is here," he told him, his voice far too serious.

"What?" he exclaimed, then lowered his voice looking at the sleeping Kale. "What the hell is she doing there?"

"Acting insane. Get the fuck over here."

"Alright, alright. I'm on my way."

He hung up the phone and went about finding his clothing spread all over Kale's bedroom floor. After dressing quickly and using her bathroom, he came back to her bed. Her little ball of fluff Roscoe had taken over his spot in the bed. The cat looked at him like he was an intruder. David moved the cat and sat down next to her. He moved the hair of her face, understanding why she kept it up most of the time. It was everywhere, but he loved it.

"Kale?" he whispered, not really wanting to wake her. "Baby?"

She didn't move. He sighed and kissed her on the temple. He pulled his card out of his wallet, flipped it over and wrote on it. He propped it up on her nightstand, taking her glass of wine with him as he left. After stopping off in the kitchen to dump it out as well as the rest of the bottle, which would probably earn him one of her famous rants, he left. When he pulled in front of his mother's house, he was met with Shawn sitting on the porch waiting for him.

"What the hell is going on?" David asked him, bypassing any greeting.

Shawn looked pissed off, his jaw set firm, his lips pressed together, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked just like their dad. "Something you forgot to share with the family about why you and Sara broke up?"

David's jaw clenched. "It didn't work out," he said through his teeth.

"Yeah, so you said. Which is why everyone was under the impression that you left your knocked up fiancé to deal with your kid by herself. Which is also why your name has been asshole instead of David for six years."

"Yeah well, if the shoe fits," he muttered.

"Except it doesn't."

David ignored the statement. "What is she doing here?"

"She says she can't handle it anymore. She always thought you would come around but now she knows you won't and she can't handle it."

"What did she tell mom?"

"The truth," he snapped. "Why the fuck didn't you tell us?"

"Tell you what?" he stalled. He didn't want to have this moment with Shawn, with his mom. This was a big part of never wanting to return to Cincinnati. He didn't have the heart to hurt his mother. She wanted a grandchild so bad. She would have told him to forgive Sara, to take in her child as his own. But, he couldn't. He knew that made him look like a jackass, but he couldn't come to terms with the fact that she had gotten pregnant with someone else's child while she was with him. He'd never have treated the child like his own. He would have wanted to, but the kid would have been a constant reminder of how Sara didn't love him enough to love only him.

"Cut the shit. I can almost understand why you didn't tell mom. But me? Jack? You could have trusted us."

David sighed. "She was all alone. I still loved her, I just couldn't be with her. I couldn't be dad to her kid. But she needed you, she needed mom. I couldn't take that away, too."

"Who is that kid's dad?"

"I never asked, but probably another CPD cop. She was sleeping around with a bunch of them around that time," he muttered.

"You should have fucking told me, Dave. I deserved to know. You're my brother, God dammit. What'd you think, that I'd call you and asshole for not raising some other man's child?"

"It wasn't about me! It was about her, making sure that she'd make it," he yelled.

"Fuck her!" Shawn yelled back. "You let her destroy your relationship with your family. Didn't you ever think about the end game?"

David has asked Kale the same question just hours earlier. He suddenly understood her all the more better. "I guess I didn't." He sighed again, rolling his neck to try and ease some of the tension in it. "I never wanted to hurt anyone. I never wanted to come back at all. I just wanted to erase it all."

"Well now you need to fix it," he snapped. He took a step back and looked David up and down. "Where the hell did you come from? You look like you slept in your clothes."

"Nevermind," he mumbled. "How bad is it in there? How pissed is mom?"

"She's not. Yet. She's too busy talking Sara out of abandoning her kid and running away from her life."

"Jesus," David hissed.

"So, go take care of your shit," Shawn ordered him. "Then go back and make sure your suspect doesn't kill another person." He looked David up and down again, knowingly. "But if you can only save one, give up the lawyers and save my cop."

David huffed a small laugh. Shawn was extending an olive branch. "You know Kale well?" he asked.

"Nah, crossed paths now and then, but she's not on my squad. I know of her, though. She's skating on thin ice with her job."

"So I hear," he replied, the story of Officer Taylor slicing into his mind, almost painfully. "Do you know an Officer Taylor?"

"You'll have to be more specific. There are more than a thousand cops in Cincinnati."

"I don't know much. He's a field training officer. About my age, trained Kale."

Shawn nodded. "Greg Taylor. He's a steady cop. Good training officer. He ranges squads, goes where he's needed for training purposes. Why?"

"He train a lot of women officers?"

"I wouldn't know. Why are you asking?"

"I need you to keep an eye on him. I'll tell you more when I can convince Kale to do it. And if you hear about me knocking him out, I'll need you in my corner," he told him, enigmatically. He started to walk into the house when Shawn's arm shot out and stopped him.

"Woa, what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

David wanted to tell his brother what Kale had told him, but he needed to maintain Kale's trust more. The urge to out Taylor, to have him publicly acknowledged as the predator he was, was there. But, it wasn't his place. And, the possibility that Kale would feel betrayed was stronger than his urges. So instead, he gave his brother the bare minimum.

"Let me put it this way. If I could kill him and get away with it, I'd do it."

Shawn narrowed his eyes on him. His jaw was set firm, telling David that he was none too happy to be kept in the dark. But, he gave a sharp nod, saying, "Get Kale to talk and I'll make sure he's dealt with."

"Thanks," he said. He took a deep breath and prepared to face his mother and Sara.

"Wait, one more thing," Shawn stopped him again. "You and Kale Michaels?"

"Don't ask."

Shawn put his hands in the air in mock surrender. "Whatever you say."

David could have sworn his brother was hiding a smile. He put it out of his mind and went inside the house. He found his mother sitting at the kitchen table with a teary eyed Sara. When Sara saw him, fresh waves of sobs started to flow again. His mother was looking at him so sadly that he felt he had betrayed her. He supposed he did, letting her believe that she had a grandson. He hated disappointing his mother. She was a sweet woman, strong as hell having been surrounded by boys her entire life, all of which had been police officers. She still ruled the roost with a gentle but firm hand. He could count on his mother for anything. But that was all in the past. All that remained of that relationship was looking at him like she didn't know who he was.

"Hey ma," he greeted her.

"David Samuel Malcolm," she said sternly. "Your former fiancé is here to ask you back despite the fact that you did not father her child."

"I can explain," he started.

"And you will," she interrupted him. "Once you've spoken to Sara."

She got up and walked out of the kitchen without so much as another word. David rubbed his neck and walked around the table to take his mother's chair. Sara was still crying, looking completely devastated.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, sparing her no sympathy.

"I couldn't let the lie go on any longer. I had to tell your mother," she cried. "I never for one second thought that you'd never come back to me. I figured you'd make your way back to Cincinnati and we'd find our way back to each other."

"That is a fantasy that you made up in your head," he snapped.

"I can't be his mom," she told him. "When I look at him, I know he's the reason that you're not with me."

"That's bullshit. It is not that kid's fault," he yelled at her, disgusted that she would blame an innocent child. "It's yours, for sleeping around on me. And it's mine, for knowing that we were over well before that and not being man enough to end it."

"What?" she sniffed.

"Why do you think I was so sure that kid wasn't mine?" he hissed at her. "Because we hadn't slept together in months. It wasn't working."

"You were busy at work," she whispered.

"Even so, I could have made time for you. I didn't." He sighed "I know you're a good mom. So don't do this. If I even hear a whisper of you mistreating that kid based on this conversation, I will make your life hell."

"See," she cried. "You'd be such a wonderful dad."

"I'd be a shit dad and we both know it. This is over, Sara. Leave my family alone. Leave me alone. I don't expect to see you ever again. Do you understand?"

"I can't stand this."

"I mean it, Sara. I don't have time to do this with you again. I have other things I need to be doing, a case that needs to be solved."

"I know," she said, her eyes lowered, not looking at him. "Tell your mom that...I'm sorry."

"I will," he told her, anxious to get her out of his mother's house. She stood and he walked her to the door, praying that it would be the last time he heard from her. "Good luck, Sara."

She didn't answer him, instead, walking out past Shawn without making eye contact. David watched until she was in her car and driving down the street. He took a deep breath and turned to find his mother. She was standing behind him.

"Now you may explain," she said, walking back into the kitchen.

David dutifully followed, feeling his heart beating too hard. He didn't know if he could repair the bond between him and his mother. He had broken it too hard, letting her believe that he had abandoned everyone that meant anything to her. She sat at the table and looked at him expectantly.

"I'm really sorry, mom," he started.

"I could have guessed that on my own," she replied. "I don't need apologies, I need information."

He nodded. Always straight forward. He supposed she had to be that way to live with his dad. He had been as straight forward as they come. There would have been no communication if his mother had tried to speak in implications or nuances.

"I found out that Sara was cheating on me a few weeks before I left for Virginia. There was a pregnancy test, a positive one in the trash. We hadn't....you know..."

"Oh for Pete's sakes David, I'm not naïve. I realize you have sex," she snapped.

David's face heated. "Geez, ma."

"Don't be so childish. Go on," she commanded.

He couldn't make eye contact with her but he continued. "Anyway, we hadn't done... that for months. So I knew the kid couldn't be mine. She tried to say it was, that she was already three months along. There just wasn't any way. I called her doctor and he told me she was seven weeks. I caught that office shooting case around then," he explained. The memory of Kale shot into his mind. Covered in blood, holding her gun in complete shock. Then another image of her took over. Her, sweaty and satiated underneath him in her bed. He shook his head, tried to focus. "I spent all my time on the case. Then I used Virginia as a chance for a clean break."

"Why the hell didn't you tell me David? I would have understood."

"I still cared about her. I couldn't embarrass her. I didn't want to embarrass myself," he finally admitted. "I knew I was never coming back. I thought maybe she could have you in her life and it would make up for me being gone. For both of you."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're an idiot?"

David smiled. "Actually yeah, pretty recently."

"What is that look?" she asked, narrowing her eyes on him.

"What look?"

"That one. That happy look," she said. "Why are you so happy? This is serious, David."

"I know, ma. I'm not acting happy. I was just distracted for a minute."

"By what?"

"Nothing, it's not important."

"Yeah, and I was born yesterday," she scoffed.

"Mom, I'm so sorry I did this to you. I really want to have you back in my life. But, I just can't get into everything right now. This case is really important. I have five people I need to keep alive."

"I heard," she said. "I watch the news, too. I remember that office shooting."

"You do?"

"Of course. It was on the news for weeks. That woman, the secretary, she killed the shooter. Is she one of the ones still alive?"

"She is," he replied. "She's a cop now." His mother narrowed her eyes on him again. "What, ma?"

"That look again," she mumbled. She sat back in her chair. David avoided her eyes. She knew him too well. Even with the years apart, she still knew her baby. "Well," she said. "You'd better go keep her alive." He smiled at her. "And I'll be expecting to see her at my dinner table in the near future."

Chapter Twelve

Kale woke up alone. But, she knew the odds of that were pretty high. Her night with David had been amazing. She did, however, fully expect him to bolt afterward. She hated that she cared he was gone, but she clung to the fact that she knew it was coming. She was not blindsided. It was just the way it would have to be. At least he accomplished his goal. He got her out of her head. And not just for the few minutes the glass of wine worked. He had taken her so far out of her mind that she felt like she was floating. And, God damn he was good at it. Her skin still tingled where he had touched her, which was everywhere. She buried her head in her pillows wishing she had never woken up, that she could stay suspended in between last night and that morning.

Her phone started ringing. She groaned at it, upset that she was being forced out of the sanctuary of her bed. After swinging her legs over the bed, she noticed that her wineglass was gone from the nightstand. It was replaced by another one of David's cards. She grabbed it and turned it over.

I had an emergency. I didn't want to wake you, but I tried anyway. You sleep like a log. Call me when you wake up.

She smiled at the card. That had not been expected. She thought he had snuck out on her. He wasn't wrong. She slept like the dead, especially after getting a drink in her. Her phone had stopped ringing, but immediately started up again. She growled as she jumped out of the bed to find it. Eli was on the caller ID.

"Hey, Dad," she answered.

"Damn Kale, I almost drove over there. If you insist on staying alone then you have to answer the phone!" he admonished.

"Sorry, I just woke up."

"Agent Malcolm find you last night?"

Butterflies invaded her stomach. She didn't want to talk to Eli about David. "Uh, yeah. How'd you know?"

"He stopped by here first. He was a little pissed that you weren't being babysat."

"Yeah, he made that clear."

"Come on over, honey. I'll make you breakfast," he offered.

"Yeah ok," she agreed. "I'll be over in a bit."

She hung up with him and retreated back to her bed, taking David's card with her. She was so fucked. There would be no getting over stupid David Malcolm now. She could call Alex over every night and she'd never get what David could give her. She hoped like hell having that one night with him would be worth it in the end, just for knowing what her body was capable of. It was completely insane that she had only known him for a few days. She felt like she knew him a lifetime. He had been so damn passionate with her. Then she remembered why. She had told him about Greg Taylor, her field training officer. It was her one secret, from everyone; from Jake, Eli, the whole department.

Greg Taylor was a predator and most of the reason she had kept her mouth shut was due to being mortified that he had successfully attacked her. He hadn't just gotten her once, he had gotten to her nine separate times. Each time telling her that no one would believe her. He was absolutely right. Kale had a temper and was prone to outbursts. The command staff already had her name on their list when Taylor came after her the first time. She never knew that someone could be forced into her mouth. It seemed utterly ridiculous. All she had to do was keep her mouth shut. It turned out, that wasn't the case. She had fought hard against him, but he had overpowered her, cuffed her hands behind her back. He told her if she bit him, he'd bury her. She had never felt so vulnerable. The last few times he came at her, she barely fought him off. It was easier to just do it. By then he didn't have to pin her in the backseat. He just parked somewhere secluded, pulled her out of the car, grabbed her by the neck and shoved himself in her mouth. How he got any pleasure out of it, she never knew. She barely moved, him doing all the work. And when he came in her mouth, she puked afterward, every time.

David's face had transformed when she told him. She had seen him mad before, but she had never seen that specific look. The phrase "if looks could kill" came to mind. But he used it as fuel. He had successfully driven every last coherent thought out of her mind. She was going to miss it. She barely had it, but she was still going to miss the fuck out of it. She wanted to cry; needed to cry just to let some of the pent up pressure out of her head. But, even in the solitude of her own apartment, she couldn't let go and let the tears come. Instead she forced herself out of her bed and into the shower.

Once she was dressed, she left for Eli's, debating on whether or not she should really call David. It was nearly nine in the morning and he was probably with Jake and the other agents. That would include Agent Duvall who was clearly all over him. Jealousy was such a wasted emotion but it nagged at her anyway. David seemed to appreciate Kale's body, but she wasn't a moron. She knew that FBI Barbie could easily end up with FBI Ken. Get a grip, Kale, she told herself. She blew out a nervous breath and called him, hitting send before she could rethink her decision.

It barely rang once when she heard, "Malcolm."

"Um, hey, it's Kale," she said nervously. She rolled her eyes at herself. She wasn't a teenager but she was certainly sounding like one.

"Hi," he said lightly. "I was wondering when you'd call."

"Yeah, sorry I didn't call sooner. I'm a deep sleeper I guess," she told him.

He laughed and she imagined his gorgeous face made all the more beautiful by his smile. "I found that out for myself. I'm sorry I left. I had..."

"An emergency. Yeah I read your card," she cut him off. "Listen, about last night..."

It was David's turn to interrupt her. "Kale, don't say anything about last night. Not just yet, ok? At least let me see you in person before we say what needs to be said."

Her heart sank. Well, there it was. He might as well have said it over the phone. "Yeah, I understand."

"Where are you?" he asked.

"On my way to Eli's."

"Alone?" he asked, his voice alarmed.

"Yeah, why?"

"Kale, dammit! Mallory was run off the road. Jesus, you shouldn't be alone," he yelled through the phone.

"Calm the fuck down," she snapped. "You do remember that I'm a cop right. I've been in pursuits, I've completed defensive and evasive driving."

"I don't care, Kale. It's an unnecessary risk," he retorted.

"Yeah well I'm not Ms. Daisy and you're not a chauffeur, so get over it."

She heard him growl over the phone. "Meet me today, for lunch," he nearly demanded.

"What?" she asked, surprised. Weren't they in the middle of arguing?

"Kale, humor me," he said.

"Um, alright. Where?"

"I don't care, anywhere. Text me. One-thirty, ok?"

"Yeah, ok."

"I've got to go. We might have something from the lab on this guy. I'll talk to you soon. Stay with Eli."

He hung up before she could answer. Kale looked at her phone like it could tell her what the hell had just happened. Her heart skipped a beat. They might have a break in the case. God, she hoped so. Seeing David around was going to be too damn hard. She wanted him too much. No, she needed him too much. And that meant she needed him gone. Fast. It was always best to rip off the band-aide quickly.

David had stepped out of the conference room to take the call so fast that the phone barely had time to ring once. He had been jumpy all morning waiting for Kale to call, wondering if she even would. He was no less jumpy after talking to her knowing that she was driving around alone. A rookie murderer would know her route from her apartment to Eli's house. And this murderer was no rookie.

They had gotten some information from the lab on the rope used on Kelly. There was some foreign DNA on it, but it was a minute amount. They didn't have enough to test against all the elimination samples. They had enough for two, sending one to CODIS and saving the rest for comparison against a concrete suspect once they had one. The lab was still working on extracting more DNA to make the comparisons, but as of then there just wasn't enough. They were lucky to get anything at all. The DNA came from trace amounts of sweat. A good percentage of the population did not secrete their DNA through sweat. So, technically it was a break.

The computer techs had also finished on the witness' hard drive, finding that the blue four door sedan connected to the break-in at Pierce's house did in fact do a dry run. The same vehicle was seen a week prior entering the subdivision and leaving about ten minutes later. The plate was partially obscured and the techs were only able to salvage the last two digits. A list of everyone who was issued plates with the last two digits of H7 was forthcoming. It was a good lead that could possibly lead to an arrest or could lead to nothing. The plate could be fake or stolen, so David wasn't holding his breath.

Jess was going through the original report, sifting through recordings of the 911 calls to see which call came from the throw away number. Unfortunately, there had been nearly a hundred calls to 911 for that shooting. Neighbors, the secretaries, the other people in the shared building. Each one had been painstakingly logged in by time and not phone number. Which meant Jess had to go through every disc to find the number that was logged by the dispatcher at the beginning of the call.

Despite the setback of menial paperwork and desk work, David felt like he was getting closer to the suspect, closer to some answers. He was edgy and wanted to get this guy so he could take a solid breath knowing Kale was safe. Even if he couldn't have her forever, he'd at least be able to sleep at night knowing that she wasn't in harm's way.

When his nervous energy took over too much, Jake pulled him out, telling the agents they were going to do a round up and check on each potential victim. David was grateful to get out of the room where Jess was smiling at him a little too often and Andrews was glaring at him every time he checked his watch or his phone. He was anxious to see Kale even though he didn't know the first thing he was going to say to her. The night before had been fucking incredible and he knew he'd never find better. But, the reality of the situation was that Sara would never back off if he moved home. His relationship with his family would never be what it was. He'd be living in the shadow of his past. Jack would stop visiting their mother if David was in town. He would not be in the same room as David voluntarily, ever again. There was too much to keep him away. It just wasn't meant to be with Kale. He'd have to find a way to tell her that.

"So," Jake started, settled into the driver's seat headed to Hargan, Markson and Pierce Law Firm. "I hear you had it out with Sara yesterday morning?"

"How the hell did you hear that?" he exclaimed, shocked.

"Uh, you do know that cops drink coffee, right? Jesus, Dave. I've met you at that coffee house about a million times when we were working."

David held his fingers to his temples, trying to rub away the ensuing migraine. "Yeah I didn't think that through," he mumbled.

"You've been pretty distracted lately," he said. "You sure you're good to work this case?"

David's neck nearly snapped as fast as he whipped his head around to look at Jake. "Yes I'm sure," he retorted. "I know what's at stake."

"Easy, Dave. You can't look at it too hard or you'll miss something fresh eyes would have found," he counseled him like he used to when David was a rookie.

He nodded and sighed. "You're right. I need to take a break on it, just for a few minutes. Getting out of the office was a good start."

"I have done this a time or two," he replied. "You feds forget that everything isn't solved behind a fucking gloss finished desk."

David laughed off the insult. "My desk is metal, asshole," he replied with a smile.

"Well at least I trained you to talk back," he laughed, too.

"Speaking of training," David said, his mood abruptly switching back to dark. "You know Officer Taylor?"

"Kale's training officer. Yeah, I told you that." he asked. "What about him?"

"What did she tell you about him?"

"Not much. We went over this already. You already jealous over all the men in her life? You'd best get used to it. She's surrounded by them," he told him.

"I'm not jealous," David said between his teeth. "I want to know if he has any conduct violations, any complaints."

"Why would I know that?"

"You wouldn't yet. You will now that you're going to look it up," he said.

"And why the fuck would I do that?"

"Because you know it's important and because you trust my judgment," David told him, matter of factly.

Jake's eyes narrowed on him and his voice became low. "What did he do?"

"Enough to be fired and beat to within an inch of his life," he snarled, wanting to tell Jake just as much as he wanted to tell Shawn. If nothing else, he was going to get Kale to tell someone so Taylor could be charged.

"I'll look it up," Jake said simply, but with a world of understanding behind it. "And I'll talk to Kale."

"No," he snapped. "I'll talk to her. I'll handle it."

"Then you'd better handle it right, Dave. I'm not fucking joking. That girl is on the edge and if you push her over, you're the one going to be hanging on within an inch of your life."

David sighed. At least when he was gone Kale would still have Jake to look out for her. It would have to be enough.

Kale had texted David the location of a little sandwich shop that was usually pretty deserted by noon. She was sitting at a table by herself, her back to the wall watching the door. David had told her he was on his way ten minutes ago, but she didn't know from where. She looked around the little shop. There was only one other table occupied by a man and a woman who were clearly dating. They held hands across the table. Kale mentally cursed herself for the tugging feeling in her chest at watching them. She was stronger than that. She didn't need to turn into a pile of mush just because David had slept with her once. She straightened her spine, preparing herself for what she knew was coming. David was coming to tell her in person that it was a one night deal.

She sucked in a breath when she saw him at the door. Damn, that man made a suit look good. What was underneath was so much better, but she did come to have a new appreciation of tailored suits. Ripping the tie off him like the night before also held a certain appeal. She took a deep breath as he started walking toward her. He had a smile on his face which made her heart start to beat harder. For the hundredth time she wondered how a normal man could be so damn good-looking. And, why the hell he'd want anything to do with someone like her. He sat down across from her, his eyes glued to hers. She felt a blush creeping up her cheeks and tried her hardest to keep it at bay.

"Hey," she said, but her voice broke, making her sound squeaky and nervous.

"Hey," he replied, his voice deep and sexy.

Fuck, this was going to be hard to take. But, David had better things to be thinking about then letting her down easy. She'd make it simple for him and let him know that she understood where his head was at. She'd make him think she was in the same place. That way he could focus, find their suspect and get the hell out of Cincinnati, out of her life completely.

"You took my seat. I'm not used to having my back to the door," he said with a good natured smile.

Kale forced a smile back. "Well, I'm a cop. I'd say get used to it, but I think this is the conversation where we say you and I aren't getting used to anything."

David dropped his head, rubbing his neck. "Kale," he started, his voice on his breath. "It's just that...I can't come back here. I can't do it."

"It's fine," she said, making sure to control her voice so bitchy Kale didn't take over. "You could have done this over the phone. I wouldn't have called you a jackass or anything. Well maybe, but at least not to your face." She forced another smile at him. "Anyway, distractions aren't exactly good for the case. I'm counting on you to get this guy, seeing as I'm about to lose my job."

"You're not going to lose your job," he snapped.

"You planning on keeping that Taylor business to yourself?"

David's jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring in anger. His hands fisted on the table.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she continued. "Once that shit comes out, you and I both know this administrative leave will be permanent."

"Then I won't say anything," he said, hating the words as they came out of his mouth.

She huffed. "You don't even believe you," she replied.

"I'll deal with him personally," he told her, his voice low, gravelly, lethal.

"And lose your job over it? He's not worth it, David. He's just a fucking dick who can't handle women in his field of work. He'll get what's coming to him eventually," she assured him, controlling the urge to throw up at the memories invading her mind. She shook them away. "Just let it be."

"I don't know if I can," he admitted.

"Don't make this a big deal. You don't owe me anything, you know? It was just...I don't know...fucking pillow talk or something," she told him, waving it away.

David couldn't help the tightening of his chest, looking at her trying to fight her way back from the dark. She was trying to be strong for his benefit. To her credit, she was controlling herself very well. It was quite the difference from the woman he met mere days ago telling him that she would rip off any appendage in her reach. He was hoping he had a little something to do with her fending off the panic attacks so well. At the same time, he was hoping he didn't. Once he left, she'd have no one to help her the way only he could. A frightening thought came to his mind. Once he left, he'd have no one to make him feel the way only she could, either. He had made himself believe that he was falling on the sword for her, concerned only about her feelings. But, he realized he was just as scared to go back to a world that did not have Kale in it.

"Did you ever hear about my brother Jack?" he asked her, quite unexpectedly.

She sat back and crossed her arms, looking at him warily. "Just the urban legends."

He laughed. "Yeah, the Greek God who could kill a man with one finger, right?"

"Something like that," she replied, still cautious, wondering where he was going.

"His partner was killed in the line of duty," he told her, sobering. "He didn't take it very well. Our dad..."

"I know the story of your dad," she interrupted him. Everyone did. The great James Malcolm.

He nodded. "Well, Jack couldn't handle the politics and the rules of law enforcement anymore. He used to be in the army before he came back to be a cop. Eli reminds me a lot of him. But after he got out of police work, he went off and became a mercenary of sorts. He gets called out when there's a need. I think he bases himself in St. Louis. Anyway, he got a job about five years ago. He needed my help with some intel. I was still new to the bureau and I trusted an informant that I shouldn't have. The information I passed along to Jack was faulty. His best friend took a bullet to the spine because of it. He'll never walk again."

"That's awful," Kale whispered.

"For a long time, every time I thought about it, I went into a deep hole that no one could dig me out of. I blamed myself. I still do now, but I have made myself let it go. I was no good to anyone lying at the bottom of that hole by myself."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because when this is all over, I want you to know that you'll do no one any good wallowing at the bottom of that hole. Don't let Taylor or the lawyers or that bastard Rogan keep you down there," he replied. "You are a good person, Kale. You're a damn good cop from what I hear. I can't stand the thought of you being brought so low."

Kale inwardly groaned. She couldn't stand him being nice to her. It was making things so much more difficult. "Fuck," she cursed, getting up from the table and taking refuge in the women's restroom. The panic was starting to surround her again. Great, now she was having panic attacks just from David being kind to her. She couldn't help but realize that she was so incredibly fucked up. She had no control over herself anymore, no control over her emotions. How the hell was she supposed to function? She did her best to take slow, deep breaths, watching herself in the mirror. Jesus, David should have been running away faster.

She closed her eyes and focused on slowing her heart rate. The blood rushing in her ears was oddly calming, like the white noise of an ocean. She felt her pulse start to slow as she gathered herself and prepared to finish this thing, whatever it was, with David. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her heart dropped straight down, her adrenaline spiking immediately as she tried to disengage. When she opened her eyes she found herself spun around, facing David, his hands on her biceps, holding her steady.

"It's just me," he whispered.

She let out a shaky breath, her body still reeling from the quick shock of adrenaline. "Shit, you scared me."

"I was worried about you," he replied, his voice still low and in his throat. His hands slipped up her arms, past her shoulders and up to her neck, framing her jaw. "You're having another panic attack."

"I'm fine," she spat out.

"But you could be better."

Even in the midst of a panic attack, David couldn't help but find her so damn attractive. He had gone to meet her to explain to her why he couldn't lead her on. But seeing her again, he wanted to just pretend everything would work out, everything would make sense. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, her hair up in the bun again. There wasn't one feminine thing about the way she dressed, but somehow all he could see was curves that fit his body like a glove. It was a mistake to touch her. He knew he wouldn't be able to pull away. He hoped like hell she would be strong enough to do it. A bigger part of him hoped like hell she wouldn't be.

"The last few days have been a little tough, so yeah, I could be better," she retorted, falling back into her anger. He was too close; she had to push him back.

"I'm sorry I've made things harder," he told her.

She shrugged. "What's done is done." She bit her lip in an effort to keep her mouth shut.

David watched as her tongue darted out of her mouth just long enough to wet her lips before she bit down on her bottom lip. He groaned, feeling himself grow and straining against the zipper of his pants. He was insane if he thought he ever had a chance at stopping himself from touching her again. His hands were still framing her jaw and he took his chance. He pulled her forward, catching her off guard and landing a punishing kiss on her lips. He swallowed her shocked breath as he pulled her into his body. It took barely a few seconds for Kale to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him down farther. Her tongue dueled with his in that way that made him absolutely insane with want. His hands roamed her body, finding two weapons within his reach. He pulled one gun from the small of her back and another from her waist, never letting their lips part. He set them on the sink and continued memorizing every inch of her body. Her hands were exploring his body too, her fingers sliding over his chest through his shirt. She grazed his nipples and he sucked in a breath, finally pulling away from her.

"Your touch drives me crazy," he told her, still keeping her close.

She smiled at him, her hands starting to travel lower. "Good," she whispered.

David couldn't stand being away from her lips. He pulled her back to him, craving the feel of her tongue against his. His hands went to her hair, tugging it free of the bun and feeling it fall around her shoulders. He gripped it, pulling her head so she was tucked perfectly against him. Her hands found him through his pants, hard as steel already. She was working at his belt, button and zipper. He knew he should be stopping her, but he had no will power. Instead he kept her pressed against him, let her tongue make him completely senseless. Suddenly her hand was on his throbbing, almost painfully hard erection, gripping him with her fist. He growled against her lips, feeling her smile. She pulled away and looked down at him. She looked back up at him, a devilish smile on her lips. Slowly he watched her lower in front of him.

His heart started racing, his body flushed with heat. "Kale, you don't have to do this, sweetheart." Fuck, don't stop.

"Quiet," she hissed. She needed this. This would help her move on. The fact that she even wanted to have him in her mouth meant that she was healing. This would be the perfect way to end things. She had to make herself believe that.

David's knees nearly buckled as he felt her mouth close around his shaft. All coherent, rational thought fled his mind as he focused on the feel of her. Barely seconds in, her mouth and tongue working what could only be described as magic on him and he was losing the battle at holding back. She was too good. She knew exactly where and how to touch him, her tongue swirling around the tip of him, making his vision go dark. He had no idea how he was still on his feet. It was building too fast, his body vibrating with effort to hold back. He gripped her hair, needing to slow her down but she wouldn't comply. Her tongue found every inch of his length and he couldn't control himself, the pleasure too hard to deny. He pulled at her hair, trying to pull her off of him so he could come. She wouldn't move.

"Kale," he choked out. "I can't stop. I'm going to..."

Her lips clamped down tight and David couldn't finish his words as the orgasm streaked through him like lighting a line of gasoline to dynamite. Every nerve in his body was focused on Kale's mouth as sheer and total bliss spread over him, making him feel like he was suspended in the moment. His mind was blank, flooded with overpowering sensation. Seconds ticked by and slowly his vision started to return, his hearing and voice soon after. Kale was dragging her tongue along the underside of his shaft as she fell back from him.

"My God, Kale," he breathed, hauling her up against him. He pressed his mouth to hers, tasting himself and turning himself on all over again.

Kale felt like a new woman. With that act, she had proved to herself that she could get over Taylor. She was stronger than what was holding her down. She had David to thank, but she knew it was over. She didn't want it to be, but at least she had the guts to do what she had done. She was proud of herself and she couldn't remember the last time she felt that way. She pulled away from David's lips, although it was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. Kissing him just felt too fucking right.

"I should go," she told him.

"What?" he asked, distractedly, resting his forehead against hers, his eyes closed.

"Eli's expecting me back," she said.

He nodded against her, blindly. "You should stay with him so I know you're safe."

"I..." she started. She took a deep breath. End it Kale, for both of you. "I might stay with Alex. The suspect probably knows Eli's place. He won't know to look for me there."

David snapped to attention, his heart beating wildly. Jealousy cut through him like a knife replacing the euphoria that had lingered from her touch. "I don't know Alex for shit," he told her, angrily. He pulled away, putting himself back together. "How the fuck can I know that he can keep you safe?"

"We are cops, David," she said, no fight in her voice. "I can handle it."

"Really, because I walked right up on you in here and you didn't know it until I touched you," he argued.

That was true but it angered her nonetheless. "How about this? I promise to stay alive long enough for you to find your fucking man and get the hell out of Cincinnati. Deal?" she yelled.

"Kale," he started, instantly backing down.

"I'm going," she told him. She snatched up her weapons, shoving one into the small of her back and the other into her side holster. She walked past him to the bathroom door. "Let me know when you find him."

She was out the door and David had the unhealthy urge to punch the mirror. How had it gone to hell so fast? She said it to push him away but all it did was make him want to fight for her. Maybe Jake was right. Maybe his head wasn't in the case. He only thought about it at all because Kale was a potential target. It was time to buckle down and do what she had said; find his fucking man and get the hell out of Cincinnati.

He made it back to the FBI Headquarters just as his phone started ringing. It was Jake. He silenced the call as he walked into the conference room to speak with him in person.

"Dave, Jess found the phone number on the 911. You'll never guess who used it to call," Jake said, greeting him at the door with a piece of paper.

David took the paper from his hands and scanned it. It was the transcript of the 911. He scanned to somewhere in the middle where it said:

Dispatcher: Sir, can you tell me your name?

Caller: RJ Pierce. Get someone down here now.

"Pierce," he said with disbelief. "She was having an affair with Pierce?" His adrenaline picked up at the thought they might have a break in the case.

"That's what I think," Jess spoke up.

"So now we have to ask ourselves, has Hargan been lying to us, or did he really not know?" Andrews said.

"And which one would want her dead," David replied.

"Wait a minute," Agent Wilde spoke up. "What about Markson?"

"What about him?" Jake asked.

"Seems like he was the only one not getting any. Maybe that made him angry considering the dynamic of that office."

"Why don't we just round them all up and see what the hell was going on," Jess suggested.

Andrews nodded. "Call them all in."

Chapter Thirteen

Kale decided against going back to Eli's house, instead going back to her apartment for some solitude. She had a lot going on in her mind but the dominant thought was David. In a few short days he had gotten her over a hill that took her years to climb. Despite the fact that things were over and she more than likely would only see him minimally, she felt like a weight was lifted. Her love life would surely suffer, but she didn't feel like a thick cloud of black smoke was pulling at her every damn second. She didn't realize how exhausted she had been trying to keep herself up. Greg Taylor wasn't going to have any control over her anymore. Even though she hadn't seen him since her training, he always held control over her. He knew it, too. She could tell by his smile at her in front of the Captain and everyone. He knew exactly how much hold he had on her. Well, no longer. And she wasn't giving her career up for him, either. From that moment forward, he was just a battle that she ultimately conquered.

She'd make it alone. Of course, she wanted David. Hell, she probably needed him. She wasn't so naïve as to believe she'd never crave alcohol again, that she'd never slip into panic again. But, she'd just have to deal with it without him. Sure it would be great to have a partner to lean on when she was weak, but plenty of people could survive on their own. Besides, she had Eli. That would have to be enough. She didn't regret sleeping with David. Quite the contrary, she loved every second of it. The only problem was that everything else would pale in comparison. She felt a stupid smile on her lips as she climbed the stairs to her apartment, thinking about David's face when she took him in her mouth, his startled growl of lust, the way he fisted her hair. At least she could make a man like him moan.

Kale unlocked her door and went to shoulder it open. It flung open much too easily throwing her off balance. She felt a hard body contact her in the back, a man's arms coming around her waist. She started to fight, kicking and scratching as best she could, trying to reach one of her guns. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Her training took over, muscle memory fighting for her until a hand came across her face. She saw a cloth come down over her mouth and nose. Fear and instinct had her holding her breath as she kicked out, making contact with the man's knee. His grip loosened and Kale tried to break away only to realize that whatever was on that cloth had dulled her senses, slowed her motor skills. The man tackled her, pinning her stomach to the ground. He grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head off the ground and jammed the cloth over her mouth and nose until there was no struggle left. Slowly she faded out, feeling like she was going to sleep, powerless to stop it.

"None of them are answering their phones. Their secretaries say they closed down for the night. It's barely 5pm. You know they are billing their clients til at least 10pm," Jess huffed.

"Then let's make some home visits," David said.

He had only been in the office for a couple hours since seeing Kale, but he was already going stir crazy. The list of people with vehicles that matched the last digits of the license plate came back but Hargan, Markson nor Pierce owned a vehicle on the list. They were close to finding this guy, but it was still just out of reach. David should have guessed that it would be someone close to the case. But, the connection to the office shooting was still fuzzy. He didn't understand the point off all the killings.

"Let's go, partner," Jake said. "We'll take Pierce."

"I'll take Hargan," Andrews said.

"Then we've got Markson," Agent Wilde added.

"We'll bring them back here, use interview rooms 7, 8 and 9, alright?" Andrews told them.

Everyone nodded their agreement and set off. It only took a few minutes in the car with Jake before he started in on David.

"Looks like we're getting close," he said.

"I sure as hell hope so," David muttered.

"You'll be heading back soon, then. You planning on making some regular visits?" he asked.

"No." David set his jaw and refused to look at Jake. The thought of never coming back terrified him but wouldn't stop him. He momentarily lost his even breath when the thought of Kale and Alex flashed into his mind. He forced the thoughts away. It wasn't his problem. Not anymore.

"What happened with Kale?"

"None of your damn business," he snapped.

"It is my business if you're tossing her out like trash and I'm the one sticking around to clean her out again," Jake snapped back.

"I didn't toss her out," he said between his teeth. "We were on the same page. Kale even planned to go back to her boyfriend's tonight."

"What boyfriend?"

"That fucking cop, Alex."

Jake rolled his eyes. "You're a fucking idiot."

"Yeah I've heard that a lot lately," he muttered. They pulled up to Pierce's home. "Let's just pick up this asshole and get someone to confess to what the hell is going on here."

"After you, rookie," Jake replied.

David glared at him as he got out of the vehicle and stalked to the front door. Jake was really getting under his skin lately. To be honest, whatever he had going on between him and Kale was none of Jake's damn concern. He angrily knocked on the front door. It pushed open under the force of his knuckles. All thoughts of petty arguments and anger flew out of his head as he unholstered his gun, getting Jake's attention. His vision sharpened, his senses all honed in on the house, listening for anything out of the ordinary. He felt Jake tap him on the shoulder and both entered the house as tactically as they could, rapidly clearing the lower level silently. David didn't have time to be grateful that he and Jake could work so well together, that they could communicate with unspoken words. He pointed up the stairs, covering Jake as he made the trek up.

They cleared a spare bedroom and bathroom before moving on to the master bedroom. Pierce was on the floor behind the bed, blood pooling out of his body. David's instinct was to go to him but he held back, his training overtaking instinct. He side stepped Pierce, clearing the master bathroom and the study before discerning that no one was in the house. He ran back to Pierce as Jake called it in, requesting an ambulance.

"Pierce!" David yelled at him, holding his hand over a bullet hole in his chest.

Pierce opened his eyes. He tried to speak but blood sputtered out of his mouth, making him choke.

"Pierce, who did it?" David asked frantically.

"K-Kale," he gasped for air.

"What!"

"Help. Her. Help. Hargan," he spluttered. "Markson."

"Who did this to you?" David repeated. "Come on Pierce. Who shot you?"

"H-help."

"Is he going after them?" Pierce managed a nod. "Who is it?"

"I-I'm s-sorry," he choked.

"Fuck, Pierce. Tell me who!" he screamed at him.

Pierce's breathing turned to a wet hiss and David knew they were losing him. He looked up to Jake who was standing in the doorway on his cellphone. His face looked bleak. David turned back to Pierce whose chest stilled, his eyes closed. He was gone.

"God dammit," David yelled. "He's fucking dead. All he said was help Kale, Hargan and Markson. God fucking dammit!"

Jake hung up the phone. "No sign of Markson. Hargan's place has been ransacked," Jake told him grimly.

David's heart stopped. His vision blurred and he stopped still. Whoever it was had Markson and Hargan. That left Kale. His pulse suddenly spiked, rapid amounts of blood flowing to his extremities making his entire body throb with fear. "Keys, now," he demanded, snatching them out of Jake's hand and bounding down the stairs as fast as he could. He threw himself in the car and tore off. He called Kale's phone. It went straight to voicemail which only served to terrify him further. He called Eli, praying that he had Kale. He barely saw the traffic in front of him, relying on the lights and siren to make everyone move. He couldn't get a full breath. He couldn't shake the icy claw of fear that was dragging him down.

"This is Eli," he heard on the phone.

"Tell me you have Kale," he growled, nearly breathless.

"She called to say she needed some time to herself. She went home," he told him, his voice immediately distressed. "What is it?"

David's heart clenched so hard he felt like he was drowning. "Pierce is dead. We can't find the other lawyers. Whoever this guy is, he's doing a roundup," David told him, sparing him no falsities.

"I'm on my way."

The line went dead and David threw his phone on the passenger seat. Her apartment building was in view. He screeched to a stop in the parking lot, not stopping to actually park. He tore into the building running toward the steps when something caught his eye near the front door. He stopped, his ears clogged with the beat of his pulse, his body shaking with unused energy. There was something curled up by the door. It was a little ball of fluff. Realization hit him. Kale's cat. David jumped back like he had been physically shocked. He couldn't believe it. In the back of his mind he thought he'd find her at home, still pissed off at him. It was real now. A second later he was up the stairs two at a time. Kale's apartment door was wide open. He drew his gun, clearing the tiny space within a minute.

It was his worst nightmare. The suspect had her. She was fucking gone. How could he have let that happen? He stepped out of her apartment, his own panic taking over his senses. He couldn't get a full breath. He bent down, trying to get air into his lungs, raking his hands through his hair. What was he doing to her? Was she already dead? His chest was so fucking tight, his heart working too hard, his lungs not working at all. How the fuck could he let that happen? Eli raced up the stairs just in time to see David put his fist through the wall. He turned around to see the murderous look on Eli's face.

"She's gone," he said, his voice dull, lifeless. "I need your phone."

"There's blood on your hands," Eli said, eerily calm.

"Not hers."

Eli handed the phone over, running into the apartment to see for himself. David called 911.

"An officer's been kidnapped," he started. Somehow his mind worked well enough to get out her information and the suspect vehicle. Not ten minutes later and the apartment was swarming with police. Her neighbors had heard a struggle about an hour prior but no one did anything, not in that shithole of an apartment. No one wanted to get involved in anyone else's business. David wanted to murder them all.

"He's had her for an hour," David was telling Jake, who had made it to the scene. "He barely let the other women live for five minutes."

"Don't think like that," Jake snapped. "She is a fighter."

"He drugs them!" he yelled at Jake. "How the hell is she supposed to fight through that?"

"Let's go," Jake ordered him.

"No, I'm not leaving," he refused.

"Yes, you are. This case isn't going to be solved in Kale's doorway. We have what we need back at headquarters. It's in the paperwork. It's in the files. Something in there is going to tell us who he is."

"I'm going with you," a voice said behind them.

"Eli, let the police handle this," Jake said.

"You must be out of your God damn mind. That is my daughter," he snarled. "I'm coming."

Jake wrangled David and Eli into the car and drove back to the FBI Headquarters. David was on his phone the entire time, looking through the files he stored there. He prayed to anything or anyone that would listen that he would find something to lead him to Kale. Over an hour the sick fuck had her. They were no closer to finding him than they were two days ago. He'd never find her. He knew she was going to be dead. Veronica, Natalie and Kelly were all killed immediately. The only hope David really held on to was that Kale had been taken. The other women had been killed on the spot. Maybe Kale was special because she had killed Jason Riley. The thought calmed him for approximately two seconds before he imagined all the torturous things Kale might have to endure until he found her. He couldn't handle it. He needed to be out on the street looking.

"This is bullshit. We need to do something," David told Jake. "I need to go back her apartment, talk to her neighbors. Someone fucking saw something!"

"You were a homicide cop in Cincinnati, Dave," Jake said calmly. "You know in those kinds of places, no one sees or hears anything."

David snapped his attention to Eli, needing to be able to blame someone for something. "How the hell can you let her live in that shit?"

"You think I want her to live there?" Eli yelled. "Try telling Kale to do anything, she'll do the exact opposite."

"Why didn't you make her go back to your house? You're her dad, for God's sakes. She would have listened to you," he yelled back.

"What the hell did you do to her to make her need alone time after she met you for lunch?" Eli retorted accusingly.

David fell silent, his last exchange with Kale front and center in his mind. The feel of her lips against him, her tongue exploring every inch of him. Then telling him that she was staying with Alex, ending things with him to save face. He was an asshole. He had done this to her. He had distracted her, took her focus off her own safety. If she died, it was on him. He pulled his tie off, his throat suddenly feeling like it was closing. Something hot burned behind his eyes. God damn, he didn't have time for tears. He threw the tie at the windshield, not at all satisfied with it fluttering harmlessly on the dashboard. He want to break something. He needed to get some of pent up anger out of him. He needed some kind of release.

When they got to the headquarters, Jake somehow still remained calm, delegating files to Eli and David. David couldn't sit still and read. He paced back and forth furiously, having to re-read sentences three or four times for the information to sink in. He looked at crime scene pictures but everything was the same as it was three days ago. He saw nothing that would help. Nothing. The phone in the conference room rang and he dove on it, hitting the speaker button.

"What do you have?" he asked immediately.

"David?" Jess' voice came through. "Not much. No forced entry into any of the residences. No sign of Markson, no sign of a struggle either. Only sign of a struggle in Officer Michael's apartment is a chair that was knocked over. She at least put up a bit of a fight. Hargan's house showed more struggle, possible ransacking. He put up a fight it seems."

"What about Kale's phone. Maybe she has it on her. Maybe we could..."

"We found it behind the door," she interrupted. "It was cracked. She dropped it or stepped on it or the suspect did."

"What about Markson or Hargan's phones?"

Andrews walked into the room, having come back from the crime scene to help sift through the files. "No word on where they are. But we tried calling. They are turned off, can't get a GPS location on them," he answered for Jess.

"Hey Doug," she said over the phone.

"God dammit!" David exclaimed, slamming down the file he was holding. "An hour and a half. Ninety minutes he's had her!"

"Them," Jess corrected him. "Ninety minutes he's had them."

David ignored her. "Call when you have something fucking useful." He hung up the phone and turned to look at Andrews. He had a knowing look on his face, his arms crossed over his chest, watching and waiting. "Yeah, all I care about is her. Get me fired after I find her," David said through clenched teeth.

"No one's getting fired. We're all stressed. What happens at a command post doesn't need to be discussed outside it," Andrews replied, shocking them all. "We'll find her."

"I can't think straight," he admitted.

"Take a break. We need you at a hundred percent," Jake suggested.

"No! I need to be out there. I can't look at one more God damn file," he screamed, his hand sweeping across the table sending paperwork flying everywhere. He slammed his hands back down on the table, so frustrated he could barely see straight.

"David," Eli said, loudly, sternly. "Get your head in the game. That is my daughter out there. Do your job the right way and find her. You know as well as anyone that paperwork, pictures, evidence can solve cases."

"Yeah, after months putting it all together," he scoffed.

"Well we don't have months. We have minutes. So settle the fuck down and work," Eli commanded.

David took his first deep breath since Pierce said Kale's name. He nodded at Eli. He was right. David was wasting time with his own fears. He bent down to pick up the paperwork when a picture caught his eye. It was a picture of Hargan's house after the house alarm went off. They had taken dozens of pictures, the crime scene techs wanting to cover their asses on serial killer case. Something in the picture drew him in. It was small, barely discernible in the 8x10 photo.

"Jake," he said, his voice strangled. "What am I looking at?"

Jake looked over his shoulder. "Hargan's house. What was that from, the day Kelly was found?"

"No, the day the alarm went off. What the fuck is that on the driveway?"

Jake took the picture bringing it close to his face. "What, the stain?"

"The K-9 never found a scent that day. The alarm came from the back door," David said, working it through his mind out loud. "We found an oil stain on the street behind Pierce's house."

"Yeah, so the suspect is still driving the same car, the one with the H7 plates," Andrews said.

"What suspect parks in the fucking driveway in the middle of the day then goes to the back door and tries to break in?" David snapped. "Where is that list of vehicles with H7 plates?"

"We checked it," Jake said. "None of the attorneys had it registered to them."

Eli found it and handed it to David. He snatched it out of his hand, looking through it quickly. His head felt light, his pulse racing too fast. "Here," he said, pointing it out, getting to his feet. "Fucking Christ, here it is."

Kelly Lammers. Kelly Hargan's maiden name. Hargan. It had been Hargan the whole God damn time.

Chapter Fourteen

Kale slowly became aware of her surroundings. Her first sense was the bitter taste in her mouth, almost like gasoline and pennies. She tried to swallow but found that her mouth was gagged. She blinked a few times, her head feeling extremely heavy. She tried to touch her temples and realized that her hands were duct taped to the arms of a chair. Her feet were duct taped together. She finally started to focus enough to look around the room. It was familiar. Too familiar. Panic edged in but she fought it back. Her anxiety attacks affected her breathing. She'd be liable to suffocate with the gag. Her heart was racing as she tugged at her restraints, testing them. She twisted, trying to find the suspect, to ascertain where he was and if she had enough time to try to get away.

Suddenly she heard footsteps, heavy booted steps. It hit her like a load of bricks. She was in the law firm; in her old office. Flashbacks assailed her; listening to the screams down the hallway, the sounds of the muted gunshots. The boot steps stopping at her door, knowing that she was about to die as she cowered by her desk. She fought for air behind the gag, all that was left suddenly leaving her lungs. She started to see spots in her eyes. Fight this Kale. Don't let it take you down. The voice came out of nowhere, slowing her heartbeat, allowing her to drag in some oxygen through her nose. It wasn't Eli this time. It was David. David. Did he even know she was gone yet? How long had she been gone?

The chair she was strapped to had wheels. She put her feet on the ground and pushed backward toward the wall where the phone was mounted. Maybe she could dial out with her head or her nose. She wouldn't be able to speak but 911 would trace the call. The chair hit something behind her on the ground. She strained to see, shocked to find Markson's pale, lifeless body. He had been shot, his eyes frozen in a thousand yard death stare. Kale shuddered but forced herself to continue toward the phone. The door flew open before she made it, Hargan's large frame filling the doorway.

"I wouldn't do that, Kale," he said, his voice pure evil.

She narrowed her eyes at him. Matthias Hargan? Her mind was swimming with questions, thankfully replacing the panic.

"You look confused," he said lightly. "Probably wondering how I got the best of you. The big bad cop. Not hard. Just my special blend of ether and chloroform. Out like a light." He snapped his fingers making her jump. He smiled at her. "You have always been a pain in my ass Kale Michaels."

Kale's nostrils flared as she glared at him, wishing he'd take the gag off so she could say what she really wanted to tell him.

"Pretty frustrating when you can't use your foul mouth, isn't it?" He walked farther into the office. She noticed that he was holding something in his hand. He twirled them around his finger. "Kelly's panties," he told her. "The ones she was going to wear when she went to meet RJ. They were having an affair. I just found out a couple weeks ago. I thought she had changed for me."

He spoke as though they were sitting across from each other having coffee. Kale rolled her eyes at him. She did it to piss him off and hold on to some of her authority. She did not want to let him see how terrified she was, hoping that he didn't notice her heart beating out of her chest. Obviously he had a gun somewhere. He could easily produce it and kill her at any second. Death was such an enormous unknown. Not knowing had always been Kale's downfall. She couldn't stand the unknown. It was taking all her effort to control the heaving in her chest, to keep still and convey her authority to a man who had her tied down and vulnerable.

"I suppose you wouldn't care about something like that," he continued, still playing with the lacy underwear. "You slept with him, too. But I couldn't allow that. This entire law firm is laced with sin and sinners. That's why I needed Jason Riley to purge it for me. But you killed him, Kale. You ruined my plan to take out Pierce and Markson back then. I could have taken over the firm, made it something truly wonderful."

Kale snorted in derision. How a man could talk about purging sin and killing people in the same sentence was laughable.

"Anyway, when I found out about Kelly, I figured I'd finish things on my own. You, though, I want to give you some extra attention. You did, after all, screw it up for me the first time." He walked up to her, pocketing the underwear and moved some hair out of her face. "It did always bother me that you wouldn't succumb to me. Why is that Kale?"

She snorted again, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she would have never touched him. He smiled that predatory smile at her again and ripped the duct tape off her mouth. It wasn't as painful as she thought it would be, but it did scrape a layer off her lips. She gulped air and wet her stinging lips before saying:

"Because you're a disgusting piece of shit."

He smacked her hard across the face. "You might consider trying to be nice, Kale. Otherwise I'll just kill you sooner, and make it hurt worse."

Kale's face burned but she didn't care. No way in hell was Hargan going to get her to capitulate to him. "You can't keep your woman happy at home so you have to kill everyone around you? Fucking pathetic," she spat.

She watched as he groaned and adjusted himself in his pants. He was hard, visibly so. Kale tried to control the shock on her face. Luckily it was quickly replaced with disgust. She tried to remember what the psychologist had said. He didn't touch the women because they weren't clean. But he was turned on by filth. He was turned on by her because he considered her to be sinful. And if he could resist temptation, that would make him a better person. Kale didn't know what to do. She wished she had listened a little more in psychology class. How the hell was she supposed to get out?

"You know, when a woman betrayed her husband in Biblical times, it was acceptable to stone her to death. I couldn't do that to my Kelly. She was flawless. She was perfect. She looked the same in death."

"Why even marry her? You knew she had been with Pierce and Markson," Kale asked.

"Because she chose me in the end. She wanted only me. She vindicated herself," he replied. "And she changed me. When I met her, I suddenly understood about good versus evil. I knew I had to do something about the evil everywhere. I don't expect the likes of you to understand."

"So why aren't I dead yet? What are you waiting for?" Kale baited him before she really had a chance to think that wasn't such a smart idea.

Hargan laughed. "You want to die?"

"You killed Veronica, Natalie and Kelly right away. Why the hell are you preaching at me now?" she kept provoking him.

"They were just pawns. You, well Kale, you proved yourself. I suppose it's a bit of selfish indulgence that I want to see your face up close, spend some time with you before I end it. You were always such a disrespectful, disgraceful woman. You thought you had it all. You even killed Riley. Now I get to watch you brought down to the dirt you are," he told her.

"No," Kale retorted, fighting back the terror his words were meant to induce. "I know why you can't just kill me. It's because I never slept with you. You want it."

"I'd never touch the likes of you," he spit out.

"Maybe not, but you sure as shit want to," she laughed in his face, making sure he saw her look at his crotch which was still showcasing his hard-on.

His face reddened and he smacked her again. Her head snapped back, her eyes closing against the stinging in her face. She heard Hargan make a mewling growl. She opened her eyes to see that his pants were wet and he was trying to clean himself. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Bile rose in the back of her throat, but she forced it down. Nausea tightened her stomach as she watched him wiping away the evidence of his arousal. Hargan was way past insane, he was out of his fucking mind.

"You are disgusting," he gritted.

"Me?" she made herself laugh. "Look at you, asshole."

He reached past her, ripped the phone off the wall and stalked out of the office. Kale blew out a breath, knowing that she had been gambling with her life provoking him like that. She took a deep, calming breath, telling herself that she was going to get through. She needed to get herself free from the chair. She looked around for anything that could help her escape. She bit her lip, immediately wincing at the blood she tasted from the duct tape ripping away her skin. She realized Hargan hadn't bothered to gag her again. She could use her teeth to tear the duct tape away. Her motor skills were still slow from being drugged but she did her best.

David couldn't believe he hadn't seen it earlier. Hargan had attacked Kale from the beginning, always singling her out as the one who caused all the harm. Two hours Kale had been gone. Every minute that ticked by was a minute that he could be too late to find her. They were all at Hargan's house, looking for any evidence of where he could have taken Kale. There was nothing, the house in complete disarray. He had probably planned that so it would take police hours to sift through everything. David didn't have hours. He had seconds. His heart hadn't slowed down a fraction after figuring it out. He knew his body would give out on him sooner rather than later if he didn't find a way to calm down, but he was working on adrenaline and caffeine.

"He's got vacation homes in six different cities," Jess told them.

"Anything close?"

"Beaches," she replied.

"It's too far. He wouldn't take here that far," Andrews said. "He killed the others on location. I don't think he has it in him to wait that long."

David's chest clenched again, taking his breath along with it. He couldn't think of Kale not making it. He just wanted to see her one more time. He wanted to tell her that he was so damn sorry about the way he treated her. Tell her that she was beautiful and amazing and he wanted no one else but her. Hell, he was pretty sure that he loved her. Fuck. He did love her. He was going to find her, make things right. He'd figure it out somehow. He'd make it work. A fresh wave of energy washed over him at his realizations. Hargan wasn't going to take Kale away from him. No one would. His mind was suddenly crystal clear.

"Wait. The secretaries said they were all gone for the day," David said loudly, getting everyone's attention.

"Yeah," Jake said, urging him to continue.

"The law firm. What if he took her there?"

"Fuck!" Jake exclaimed. "Shit, he's got to be right. What do we do, send in SWAT?"

"No," Andrews said immediately. "No, we don't want to scare him. If she's still alive he could cut his losses and kill her if he sees a cop."

"Andrews is right," David said. "We have to go in quiet."

"You remember which office was hers?" Jake asked him.

"I could find it in my sleep," he replied.

The team, including Eli had gotten to the law firm in record time. Seeing the blue sedan with the suspect plates parked outside, Andrews made the call to let local law enforcement know. David took over, refusing to wait for the locals. He wasn't going to wait one more minute to get to Kale. He directed the agents to every entrance into the building. Eli demanded a rifle. Andrews had tried to say no but David ignored him. He shoved Andrews out of the way, unlocked the trunk of Jake's detective vehicle and pushed an AR-15 into Eli's hands. Eli ran off with it and David had no idea where he went. But, he found that he trusted the man. Wherever Eli was, he wasn't going to miss his shot.

Kale was able to chew a small tear in the duct tape on her right wrist. She felt the tape digging into her wrist as she pulled as hard as she could, trying to rip it the rest of the way. It was giving way millimeter by millimeter until the tear was large enough that the force of her pull sliced right through the tape. With her right arm free, hope surged through her as she went to work on her left wrist. All too soon Hargan stomped into the office, stopping suddenly, taking stock of Kale with one free arm. He ran over to her and struck her hard. She hadn't seen anything, but the force was too hard to be just from his hand. Pain streaked through her senses, radiating around her head. Her head lolled back.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Kale?" he tutted. "Don't make me have to shoot you. I want to slowly crush the life out of you, watch your eyes while you die."

The nausea was back in full force. Kale was too dazed to focus fully on his words. She felt him taking the duct tape off her left hand. She had no idea what he was going to do to her, but it was her window of opportunity. As soon as her hand was free she sprang from the chair, knocking into him with her full body, throwing him off balance. She tripped with her feet still tied together, falling to the ground in the doorway. She heard Hargan laughing at her. The pain in her head fell to the background as she realized she was about to die.

He walked over toward her and Kale kicked out with her feet. Hargan easily sidestepped the blow. Tears were starting build behind her eyes. She didn't want to accept her fate. She didn't want to die. She didn't exactly have a great life, but it was hers and she made it. She wanted to keep it. Her throat started to close, cutting her off from her air as Hargan stalked closer.

"You can fight if you want," he was saying. "It will just make it harder for you to accept your death. Natalie fought. She didn't get the full dose of the cocktail. I bet the whole time she was fighting, she was regretting being such a whore."

"You're a sick fuck," Kale choked out. "I can't believe Kelly ever had anything to do with you. You call everyone else a whore but you put your dick in anything breathing."

"Not since Kelly," he replied, his nostrils flaring in anger.

His hands clenched at his side and Kale noticed for the first time that he was holding a gun. She calculated her chances of getting it from him once he came close enough. Her eyes flicked to his crotch, showing that he was again, hard. She shuddered violently at the sight, trying to control the urge to vomit. She watched as he set the gun down on the desk. He took a deep breath and seemed to calm himself down.

"I've already drawn this out too long," he told her. "It's time now."

The panic hit Kale like a bus. She immediately kicked out at him again, fight or flight instantly kicking in. She fought for her life as Hargan came down on top of her, crushing her legs under him. She scratched, hit, and punched him, soon realizing that he was wearing some sort of protective vest. But, he was just too big. She couldn't budge him. He trapped her hands in one of his, forcing them over her head. For a terrifying second she thought he was going to rape her. That terror was quickly replaced with another as his free hand wrapped around her throat, squeezing. Kale's mind was swirling in panic as she bucked uselessly, fighting to draw in a breath. She watched as Hargan's eyes glazed over, his hand wrapping tighter. Her pulse was pounding like a sledgehammer against her. Her lungs burned without oxygen. She twisted helplessly. Her vision started to go. The panic that had completely taken over her senses peaked and finally ebbed. Her body began to relax slowly as the pounding of her heart decreased considerably. Her mind stilled, cleared of the dark cloud of dread. She thought of Eli, knowing that he loved her and took great comfort from that. Then David entered her last thoughts. She was suddenly overwhelmed with calm. She was ready.

Somewhere in the back of her senses she felt something wet between her legs. Her body went lax. She closed her eyes, knowing the fight was over. Abruptly the pressure on her throat was gone. Her body instantly recognized it and dragged in a loud, punishing breath. Her cognition was a step behind. She opened her eyes slowly, looking up to see Hargan still on top of her, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. A fresh wet spot was growing on his pants. She was weakened, gasping for air but she was still alive. And, she intended to stay that way. It was amazing how a little bit of air could change everything.

Hargan was distracted by his orgasm. Kale had one chance. She brought her head up hard, knocking into Hargan's and stunning him. She barely felt the pain as she was able to buck him off of her. He fell to the side, dazed but not down. She pushed off her back, up on her hands and knees, crawling toward the gun on the desk. But, Hargan was faster. He grabbed her by the hair, dragging her back out into the hallway. Kale screamed, pulling at his wrist, digging her feet into the hardwood floor, trying to stop him. He threw her against the floor, the back of her head making a loud thud as it slammed against it, sharply stopping her scream.

He was on top of her again, this time with both hands wrapped around her neck, squeezing the life out of her. She fought with everything she had, refusing to succumb to the black that was creeping all around her. She was losing the battle, her strength draining out of her like a slow leak. Her mind wanted to fight, the fear again overwhelming her. God dammit, she didn't want do die that way; scared, all alone. Her body was all but done, only managing to claw at his wrists weakly when she felt him jerk against her. His hands went lax for just a second, letting Kale draw in a small breath. Hope surged with the shock of oxygen. Blood rushed through her head, roaring in her ears, making it impossible to hear anything. She looked up at him, seeing the face of pure evil. His body was twisted. He was looking at something behind him that she couldn't see. Before she had a chance to move she watched as half of Hargan's head seemed to disintegrate before her eyes. His hands dropped away and the full weight of his body landed on her. Kale dragged in a hoarse breath, her burning lungs gasping for air. She faded out of consciousness.

David and Jake had entered the building much like they did the first time, during the office shooting. Seconds after making entry, David heard Kale's scream. His heart had plummeted straight into his stomach. She was alive. The scream abruptly stopped, taking away all of David's hope with it. He ran, forgetting tactics, forgetting safety, not caring about whether he lived as long as Hargan didn't. He turned the corner and stopped short. He lost his breath, shock hitting him hard. Hargan was on top of her. He could see Kale's legs, taped together underneath Hargan as he straddle her. David hadn't stopped to think. He lined up his shot, putting the front site of his gun on Hargan's large frame and pulled the trigger without a second's hesitation. The shot hit Hargan square in the back but it barely seemed to faze him. He lifted his head, looking back at David like he was a nuisance. A second later and a shot came through the hallway window, taking off half of Hargan's head with it.

Eli.

David took off at a sprint, Jake at his heels, running toward Kale. He dropped to his knees next to her, shoving Hargan off her body. "Kale!" he called to her, taking her face in his hands. She was barely conscious if at all. Her face was mostly pale but showcasing swelling on her right cheek. Her neck was bright red. "Kale," he said again, checking her eyes to find broken capillaries. He turned to Jake. "He choked her. She's barely alive, get an ambulance," he barked.

"Shit," he grumbled, pulling out his phone.

"Kale, baby, are you with me?" David asked, turning his attention back to her, taking her hand in his. He was shaking. She couldn't die. He couldn't be too late. Her eyes were still closed. He checked her pulse, trying to ignore the beating of his own. "Baby squeeze my hand if you're with me."

He felt a weak pressure against his hand. He let out a strangled breath as his shoulders slumped in relief. She was conscious. Footsteps pounded on the floor behind him. David dragged his eyes away from Kale's face to see Eli running toward him. He slid to knees approaching her, immediately checking her pulse.

"She's alive," David told him, his own throat tight, keeping tears at bay.

"She lost her bladder," Eli said, immediately having produced a knife and cutting the tape away from her legs. "She was about gone. She needs oxygen and she needs it now. Where the fuck are the paramedics? They should have staged when we called this in."

Kale's body was limp, covered in Hargan's blood. Her bloodied lips were tinged blue. She looked so damn fragile, so helpless that David couldn't take it. He gathered her up in his arms, ignoring Eli's scathing look. He tucked her head below his chin.

"Come on, sweetheart," he whispered to her. "Pull through for me." He could feel her wheezing breaths crackling against him. He had heard that sound before. Her windpipe was crushed. He kissed her forehead and stroked her hair, not caring that Eli or the agents or the dozen cops that had made it on scene were witnessing the intimate moment between him and Kale. "You're safe, baby. I've got you." He felt her squeeze his hand harder. He looked down at her, her midnight blue eyes finally open and looking at him. His heart squeezed, respite flooding him as he started to fully believe she would make it. He held her close, stroking her hair, letting her know that he was there with her.

What seemed like hours later and David finally saw the paramedics running down the hallway with a gurney. One of them knelt to check Hargan's pulse unnecessarily while the other leaned down to take Kale from David's arms.

"I'm going with her," David and Eli said at the same time.

"We only have room for one and no time for arguing," the paramedic said, strapping an oxygen mask to her face. "Her pulse is thready. We need to go," he called to his partner.

"I'm going," Eli said. "Deal with it."

The paramedics ran off down the hall with Eli in pursuit leaving David feeling completely empty. Eli was protecting his daughter; he understood that. It just didn't sit well with him. He sat back against the wall feeling completely and utterly drained. He wanted to be relieved and he had been for a few seconds. But now that Kale was out of his sight again, he couldn't get the tightness out of his chest. He draped his arms over his knees, letting his head drop forward to stretch his neck. The tears were close to the surface now.

"Hey," Jake said, landing a heavy hand on his shoulder. "We got him, Dave. Kale's alive."

"Barely," he whispered. "He got to her. Who knows how much permanent damage he did."

"She'll pull through," Jake assured him. "If anyone could, it's Kale. I've never seen such a fighter."

"I can't handle this," he admitted. He was too close. Now that it was over, he realized that he couldn't face seeing her again. He couldn't face her knowing that he had let her down, that he had been too late.

"You'll pull through, too, Dave," he said.

He shook his head. He'd pull through, but only if he never had to be anywhere near Kale again. He had let her down. He couldn't live with the guilt of that. She was better off without him. Eli had truly saved her. Eli was all she truly needed.

Chapter Fifteen

David, Jake and the others were able to piece everything together after knowing Hargan was the suspect all along. It didn't take long to find the link to Jason Riley after they knew what to look for. Riley had been in custody at the same time as one of Hargan's clients. A month or so later, there was a $10,000 withdrawal from Hargan's account. That hadn't been unusual at the time, seeing as Hargan was rich and took out substantial amounts of money all the time. That particular transaction, however, was never linked to anything. The only logical explanation was that it was given to Riley in the form of cash.

Without Kale's statement, David had to assume that Hargan knew about Kelly and Pierce's affair. He imagined that was enough to set Hargan off on his killing spree. David could only be grateful that Hargan hadn't been able to get to Mallory and that he hadn't been able to finish with Kale. Jake had gone to see Kale after the scene was initially processed. David didn't go with him, staying at the office instead. David worked tirelessly to finish his portion of the paperwork for the case, wanting to get back to Virginia as fast as his feet could carry him.

When Jake returned David tried to act as though he wasn't quite literally aching to hear about Kale. So instead, he kept his nose in his paperwork until Jake brought it up.

"You want to know how she is?" he asked.

"I assumed the hospital would call if she took a turn," he replied, feigning nonchalance. He didn't know how convincing that was, seeing as he was sweating and shaky.

"She's out. They sedated her. They're thinking she'll be out for a while, so it will take some time to get her account."

David nodded, pretending that he didn't care. "Well, she's been through a lot."

Jake snorted. "Who the fuck are you kidding?"

"What?"

"What, what? You're gonna sit there and act like you don't give a shit?"

"Drop it, Jake," David warned.

"You all but tore the door down like the Incredible Hulk to get to her and now you're going to sit there like a fucking pencil pusher fed doing paperwork?" he pushed. He scoffed at him. "You had better hope they fly your ass back to Virginia before Eli can get to you."

"It was just a case!" David yelled at him, committing to the lie. "She's safe, the case is over and I don't belong in this God forsaken city."

"Then get the fuck out," Jake said dully before walking out.

David threw his pen down on the table, entirely too frustrated and confused about what he should do and what he wanted to do. He didn't know which was which anymore. His feelings for Kale were too strong, too hung up in the case. So he had never forgotten her in the six years it took to find her again. So when he did find her they shared some illogical bond. So when they were together it was the best feeling he ever felt in his fucking life. That didn't mean that after the stress of the case was over those feelings would remain the same. So maybe he thought he loved her. That type of thing didn't last anyway. He just needed to see her one last time. Knowing that she was sedated and unconscious allowed him to make himself go to the hospital. It would be closure.

He made it to the hospital, hoping that he wouldn't run into anyone who would want to discuss the case or Kale with him. The chances of avoiding everyone were slim to none, though. Not with Eli in full father watch dog mode. He probably wouldn't have left her side. Nevertheless, he forced himself to walk through the doors. He made it to the waiting room outside the hallway of the wing where they were keeping Kale. His nerves started to break down, little by little. Nervous energy made him pace just outside the hallway. What if he saw her and couldn't handle it? What if she was more injured than he thought? What if she had permanent damage? Did everyone blame him? Could he really look at her and still walk away?

"Took you long enough."

David jumped at the voice, turning to look behind him. He breathed out a worried sigh. "Shawn, what are you doing here?"

"A CPD officer was injured. We all come to watch over our own," he answered. "Especially when one of our own is important to one of my own."

David looked back down the hallway. He had to get this over with. "I'm going back to Virginia. I don't think I'll be back to Cincinnati."

Shawn shoved him on the shoulder, forcing his body to turn and David to look at him. "You're fucking with me, right?"

"No," he replied, his voice despondent.

"So all that shit about wanting to be closer to mom, to fix it, that was just bullshit?"

"No," he refuted. "I'll call her, I'll stay in touch this time."

"Bullshit," Shawn bit out. "You ran from Sara. You let that shit take you away from your entire family. Now you're doing the same thing with Kale."

"It's not the same," he growled.

"You're right, it's not. Sara fucked you over. I don't see a damn thing that Kale did to you to make you run."

"It's not about her!" he lied. "She was just part of the case."

Shawn crossed his arms over his chest. "I looked into Officer Taylor," he replied, unexpectedly.

David's hands immediately clenched at his sides, his jaw grinding as anger swept through him.

"I don't have anything on him. Whatever he did, he's going to get away with it," he continued evenly, as though it didn't really matter.

"The hell he will," David said through his teeth. "Look harder."

"You see that anger? You can't hide that shit, Dave. She wasn't just some victim in a case. You and I both know that."

"She's better off," he started.

"Why don't you let her make that decision?"

"Because she'll make the wrong one," he replied.

"So you're willing to give it all up all over again?" Shawn asked. "Her, mom, your brother."

"We can still talk. I'll stay in contact," he promised.

Shawn shook his head. "Do what you have to do, David. Like fucking usual."

He stalked away before David had a chance to answer him. He felt like complete shit. He convinced himself he was doing the right thing for everyone. But underneath it all, he knew how selfish he was being.

With more than just a little anxiety, David made his way to Kale's room. He caught a break, finding her alone, Eli having left to get coffee as the nurse told him. He approached her bed. She looked to be sleeping peacefully. The steady beep of the machines told him that she was stable, that she would recover. She looked so fragile in the hospital gown. Her hair was down, spilling around her on the pillow. He loved her hair; it was so damn beautiful. She was so damn beautiful, despite the swelling over her right cheek that had spread to her eye and was already turning black. The bruising on her neck wasn't far behind. David could see clear finger marks. Rage burned through his skin, wishing that Eli hadn't done so thorough of a job taking out Hargan. If the man were alive, David would have made sure that he felt pain.

Guilt replaced the anger as David watched her sleeping. He hadn't figured it out in time. He should have never let her walk out of that little diner. She had made him feel incredible and he just let her go, like she was nothing to him. There were a hundred things he would have done differently if he had a second chance. He hesitantly reached out to her, moving the hair out of her face. Just touching her made his chest swell with want and need. God help him, he didn't know what was right or wrong anymore. He'd leave the ball in her court. That was the least he could do. He pulled out one of his cards, jotted something on the back and left it on the bedside table. He started to leave, but turned back, knowing that it was possible he'd never see her again. He carefully pressed his lips to hers, feeling that static shock like he had felt just days ago when he first touched her. He held his breath, wanting to do so much more. But in the end, he gathered up his will power and walked out.

Kale had been sedated at the hospital. Her body was incredibly weakened by the repeated strangulations. She had a concussion from being struck in the head with the butt of the gun Hargan was carrying. To add insult to injury, the gun was her own, taken from her waist after she was rendered unconscious by the ether and chloroform soaked rag. Altogether, Kale had slept for more than 48 hours. She woke up to Eli sitting in a chair, his feet up on her bed watching the TV mounted in the corner. She immediately sat up straight, extremely alarmed to be in a hospital, not quite remembering all that had happened.

Eli jumped up to calm her, soothing her as best he could before the doctor and nurses came in, alerted by the spike in her heart rate.

"You're safe," Eli was saying. "Everything is over, you're safe."

Kale blinked, his words transforming her back to the hallway of the law firm. She heard his words again, only this time they were in David's voice. And it was David's arms around her. She tried to speak and found that her throat was raw and she couldn't force out the words.

"Don't try to speak, Ms. Michaels," the doctor told her. "You've had a trauma to your larynx and it's going to take some time to heal." He nodded to a nurse who handed her a small dry erase board. "Here, use this," he said. "Are you in any pain or feeling any discomfort?"

Headache, she wrote.

The doctor nodded. "You were struck in the face. The headache should fade with time, but we will give you something to dull the pain, ok?"

She nodded. She erased the board and wrote, Hargan?

"Dead," Eli said. "He can't hurt you anymore."

She breathed a sigh of relief and sank back into the pillows.

"You've been out for a couple days, Ms. Michaels. Now that you are awake, we'd like to keep you for some more observation. But, barring anything unforeseen, you should be able to go home in a day or two," the doctor assured her.

Kale blinked, stunned. She frantically wrote, Out for a couple days?

"It's not unusual after a trauma such as you've sustained. We sedated you. It's good you slept so long. It gave your body a jump start on healing," he explained. He patted her on the shoulder and turned to Eli. "Have the nurse call me if either of you have any questions."

"Thanks, doctor," he replied, walking him out of the room. He returned to Kale's bed and sat down. "I'm so glad you're ok," he told her. "I was worried half out of my mind."

You killed him?

He smiled at her. "Finally got to dust off my old sniper skills."

She smiled at him. Her thoughts turned from Eli to David. He had gotten to her first. He had pulled her in his arms. It all came flooding back to her. She felt safe with him. He had made her feel like she was going to make it when minutes before she had been waiting to die. Everything between them had been left so unsettled. She took a deep breath and despite the nervous butterflies wreaking havoc in her stomach she wrote, David?

Eli's jaw clenched visibly. Kale knew he was angry at David, probably for perceiving that he had hurt his daughter. "As I hear it, he's on his way back to Virginia now that the case is finished."

Her heart collapsed on itself, tears instantly burning behind her eyes. But she nodded at him and wrote, Did he come by?

"I don't think so, honey," he replied compassionately. He took her hand and squeezed it. "It's his loss."

She nodded again. Yeah, his damn loss. So how come it felt too much like her loss? Less than a week it took for that man to walk into her life and turn it upside fucking down. At least it was over. She had her answer. She took a deep breath. Time to man up and move on. There were no more unknowns to fear. She had all her answers.

Chapter Sixteen

Three months had passed without hearing a word from Kale. Three damn months, every day of which he checked his phone for a message from her. There was never anything. He couldn't get her out of his mind, no matter what he did or tried. For weeks David had been getting calls from Shawn telling him how stupid he was and how he was making a huge mistake. He knew Shawn was wrong, seeing as he received an envelope in the mail about two weeks after the Hargan case. There was no return address. When he opened it, his card fell out. He flipped it over and knew he had made the right choice in leaving. Kale didn't want him. She had sent his card back. He re-read his note to her and had laughed humorlessly at himself. I have to go, but I won't stay gone if you need me. What the hell had he expected? They had only known each other a few short days. Sure, those days felt like a lifetime to him but maybe that time together didn't mean as much to her. She never called him and he couldn't bring himself to call her. It could have been pride holding him back. He just couldn't bear the thought of contacting her, getting confirmation that she had moved on. He found just a bit of comfort in not knowing for sure, having just a shred of hope left.

He did keep in contact with Shawn, though. And Shawn hadn't shut the hell up about telling him to get his ass back to Cincinnati. Finally, Shawn told him the one thing that would have the power to bring him back. Kale had spoken up about Officer Taylor and she was off the road. He was so damn relieved that she had said something. Not a day went by that he hadn't thought about her and the struggles she must have been facing in the aftermath of her attack. He wanted nothing more than to be there for her, but he got her message loud and clear. She wanted him to stay gone. Yet, knowing that she had accused Officer Taylor of sexual assault and suddenly was off the street was enough to get him in gear. If she was having panic attacks again, he knew he could calm her. He could get her back on the road where she deserved to be.

He was worried about her on the road, knowing that she took unnecessary risks and chances. After what happened to his father and his brother, he didn't want someone else he cared about in harm's way. But, Kale loved the work. She was a cop at heart. No one, especially the scum of the earth Taylor should be able to take away what she loved. He knew he could help her get her confidence back. Maybe she didn't want to need him. Hell, he didn't want to need her, either. But it didn't stop him from feeling that want, that pull toward her. It was time to take one last shot. At the very least, maybe Shawn would get off his back.

Kale was sitting in dispatch with her feet up on the desk, chewing antacids like they were candy. Dispatch was boring as fuck unless something big came out, like a fight or robbery in progress. But all that made her do was think about how she wished she was on the street responding to the call instead of dispatching it. Sitting behind a desk gave her too much time to think. The case against Greg Taylor was getting complicated. After Kale had finally come forward, three other women had come forward with similar stories. Taylor had been placed on Administrative Leave and subsequently fired. Just the week prior he had been arrested and charged with Sexual Assault and Forcible Sodomy. The preliminary hearings were in a week and Kale was expected to testify. Eli had been her rock through it all, as usual.

Even though Eli was always there for her, Kale couldn't shake the empty feeling she got whenever David entered her mind. She had done her fair share of cursing him out to Eli and to herself, but she couldn't help but miss him. She hadn't heard one word from him. That should have been enough for her to get him out of her head. It wasn't. She had thought about him every day since, with good reason. It wasn't fair that he was able to make her feel so safe and so at ease just to leave her. But, like Eli said. It was his loss. Eli had spent a good amount of the last few months telling her how wrong David was for her. She knew that he used to have a fiancé and he had left her because she got pregnant. It didn't really put him into comparison with Prince Charming, but it didn't stop her from thinking about him, compulsively. Eli might have been right, probably was. Yet, it just felt wrong. Why couldn't David have just wanted her? Life was going to be extremely different regardless of whether or not he was there. Time wasn't standing still while she got over him. She didn't want to dwell on what she didn't have. She just couldn't erase him from her mind.

The speaker buzzed telling her and the other dispatchers there was someone at the window. One of the other dispatchers groaned and tossed her headset on the console before getting up and checking. Kale went back to answering the radio, logging menial traffic stops and business checks.

"Hey, Kale. Window's for you," her co-worker called.

"Fuck. I've taken more fucking station reports since being in dispatch then road reports when I was patrol," she grumbled. The command staff was certainly taking advantage of having a certified officer in dispatch. It meant she didn't have to call in a road cop for walk-in reports.

She grabbed an information sheet as she walked to the window, not caring enough to actually look at the complainant. "Here, fill out the form and hit the speaker again when you're done," she said, sliding the sheet under the glass.

She started to walk away when she heard, "Kale."

The voice stopped her dead in her tracks, her heart immediately jack hammering in her chest. She slowly turned around and actually looked at the person behind the glass. David fucking Malcolm. She blinked several times, not sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing. He was just as beautiful as she remembered him. He wasn't wearing a suit this time. He had on jeans and a casual button down shirt, rolled up to the forearms. His dark hair was slightly displaced like he had been running his hands through it. Kale could have groaned.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she asked him. Suddenly she was flooded with emotions: anger, want, the urge to cry or throw up.

"Can you come around?" he asked.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "What's the point?"

"I'll leave if you want me to," he told her, inciting a small wave of panic in her at the thought of him walking away, again. "But, I'd like to talk to you first. Just for a minute."

She took a deep breath. "Alright," she sighed. She turned toward the consoles and yelled, "I'm taking my break." She stopped off at her desk, grabbing her phone and sending a quick text to Eli. If this was going to go how history suggested it would, she was going to need Eli to come pick up the pieces after she shattered.

David watched as she walked back into dispatch where the door was to exit to the lobby. He had almost forgotten how pretty she was. He had nearly convinced himself that he had to be wrong about how badly she had affected him. But, he wasn't wrong. Just the sight of her had set his body on fire. She had her hair down, tossed over her shoulders. She was wearing the dispatcher's uniform which wasn't flattering on anyone but she still made his body respond. Or maybe it was the memories that flooded him when he laid eyes on her. The way she was she opened up to him when his mouth was on her, the way she took him in her mouth. He hadn't touched a woman since.

She appeared in the lobby a couple minutes later, keeping her distance and eyeing him suspiciously. "So talk," she demanded.

"I heard you turned in Taylor," he started.

"Yeah, for some reason Sgt. Malcolm would not get off my back about 'doing the right thing'," she said, ending on air quotes.

He smiled. "Sounds familiar," he told her. "I'm really glad you did. It has been killing me knowing that he was still on the road."

"Yeah, well. I guess we'll see how the trial goes," she muttered.

"How have you been?" he wanted to know.

She didn't want to do this with him. "I've been fine."

"Did they treat you alright after Hargan?"

"Fine," she snapped. "Better than the first time."

"Was there any lasting...um, permanent damage?" he asked, sucking in a breath.

Her hand immediately went to her throat. "I couldn't talk for a couple weeks," she replied. "He crushed my windpipe, but I recovered. My voice is still a little off, but it's not a big deal."

He blew out a breath. "Thank God. I was worried about that."

Kale rolled her eyes. He kept saying he was worried but apparently not enough to pick up the God damn phone to ask her. What the hell was he trying to pull here? Why was he back? It wasn't fair that she should have to see him again. Not that she was over him, not even a little bit. But having to see him, only to have him walk away from her again was going to be too fucking much.

"Yeah well," she muttered, avoiding eye contact. She couldn't stand looking at his gorgeous face. It just reminded her of what it felt like to have him.

"I...I've never been so scared in my life as I was that day," he admitted, raking his hands through his hair and pacing in front of her. "I thought I had lost you. I thought I was too late. And then when it was over, I couldn't bring myself to check to see if you had permanent damage. I know how that sounds, but I just couldn't handle the guilt of knowing that I failed you."

She immediately wanted to go to him, to wrap her arms around him and have him do the same to her. Even after all that time had passed, her instinct was still to be in his arms. She wanted to tell him that she had never felt so safe and calm then when he had held her after Hargan was dead. Instead, she fought her instinct in the name of self-preservation and she kept her mouth closed. She just had to get through this until he was gone again.

"Is that all you wanted?" she snapped. She didn't want him to go, but she couldn't let him know how much she had been missing him. She couldn't let him know how just how much she would have given to make him want to stay with her. She needed to save some face. She didn't want him to know her current situation. She didn't want him to feel obligated to stay. Not that he would. He hadn't with his fiancé.

"No," he growled, hating that she wanted him gone so quickly. "I wanted to talk to you about being in dispatch."

Her stomach turned. "What about it?" she said, her voice coming out in a harsh whisper.

He reached out to her, his first touch on her shoulders electrifying. "Don't let Taylor and what's happening with his trial force you off the road, Kale. You're a good cop. If you're having panic attacks..."

"Who told you I was off the road?" she interrupted him. She wanted to take a step back out of his reach but she couldn't make herself break off from his touch.

"My brother," he replied hesitantly.

"And he didn't tell you anything else?" she asked, her nerves making her feel sick to her stomach. She had told Sgt. Malcolm to keep his damn mouth shut.

"No." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why?"

"No reason," she replied instantly. She went to pull away from him. She should have known Sgt. Malcolm wouldn't keep quiet. She had done her best to be discreet, especially about who was responsible. Or who was to blame, according to Eli.

David tightened his grip on her, refusing to let her pull away. That wasn't part of the plan. He hadn't meant to touch her at all. His hands had a different idea. In fact they slid up to her face, his thumbs caressing her jaw in the way that he knew she liked. He watched her face soften and her body started to relax from her rigid stance. He still affected her. Thank God.

"What else would he tell me?" he asked.

She wanted to cry and recently she hadn't been able to control herself. Kale Michaels had never cried in front of anyone, never since she could remember. She found that the lump in her throat wouldn't go away. If she tried to speak, she knew it would dissolve into tears. Fight it, Kale, she told herself.

"Kale," he said softy, too softly. "Baby, what would he tell me?"

Her chest tightened and her body went liquid at his words. God it wasn't fair that he could do that to her, especially at a time when she had no command over herself or her body. A tear slipped past her lashes, mortifying her.

David had never seen Kale cry. He'd seen her close to crying but she had always been able to control it. Seeing the tear sliding down her cheek nearly broke him in two. He couldn't stand the thought of her being in pain. His thumb dried the tear as she looked away from him.

"Why are you here? Why act like you care? Are you this much of an asshole?" she mumbled without the usual venom in her words.

"I do care, Kale. I care more than you want to know," he replied, his thumb caressing her now dry cheek.

"Then why didn't you contact me?" she made herself ask, even though she was terrified of the answer.

"Because I knew you didn't want me to," he whispered, his hands now in her hair, stroking her and feeling her almost purr in his arms.

Her spine stiffened at his words. "And how the hell did you know that if you didn't ask?" she snapped angrily.

He looked at her like she was crazy. "You sent my card back."

"I sent your what back?" she asked, confused.

"Kale, I left you a card when you were in the hospital. You mailed it back to me. The message was received," he told her, syphoning some of her anger.

She pulled away from him and crossed her arms. "I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about. You never came to the hospital."

"Yes I did, the first night you were there. I knew I had to go back to Virginia, at least for a little while. I didn't know if you wanted me to come back or not, so I left you a card letting you know it was your call." He watched her reaction, her eyes widening. She didn't know what he was talking about. His heart started thundering. What the hell had happened?

"You're full of shit," she accused him.

He didn't know why he had saved it or brought it, but he had the card with him, and the envelope she sent it in. "I'm not, Kale," he told her, reaching into his back pocket and handing her the folded up envelope. "You sent this back."

She snatched it out of his hand, immediately unfolding it and taking the card out. It was David's business card. She flipped it over and read it, her heart fluttering in her chest. He hadn't left without a word. I have to go, but I won't stay gone if you need me. Did he want to come back to her?

"I never saw this," she whispered. She slowly turned the envelope over to see what it said. The handwriting was immediately familiar. She'd know it anywhere. She couldn't believe it. He had lied to her. He had made her believe that David had gone without so much as a word to her. How the hell could he have done that? She made a gasping noise as her head started to swim with all the lies he told her since. Her legs went weak.

"What is it?" he asked, his hands immediately on her. She looked like she was about to faint.

"Eli," she stuttered. "He did this."

"What?" David's voice had dropped low, lethal.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide with confusion and surprise. "Did you want to come back?"

"Every damn day," he told her truthfully, fighting back the fear of rejection behind the words. His hands tightened on her arms as he looked down at her. She was too pale and looked like she was going to faint. "I thought about you every day. If I had thought for one second you wanted to see me I would have been here."

"Kale!" they heard behind them. Kale swung around to find Eli at the front door. "I got your text, honey. Are you ok? Do you need to me to make him leave?" he asked.

"Dad," she started, trying to get herself together.

David released his grip on Kale once he was sure she had control of herself. Anger was coursing through him, burning him like a live wire. He took the envelope out of Kale's hands and stalked over to Eli.

"Did you do this?" he hissed, tossing the envelope in his face. It fluttered to the ground.

Eli crossed his arms and looked to Kale before he answered, "I did it to protect her from you. She didn't need you fucking with her head. She still doesn't."

David's jaw clenched. Anger was taking over. No longer did he feel any kind of irrational fear in the face of Kale's over protective father. All he felt was fury. "Who the hell are you to decide what she needs?" he growled. David felt himself losing control. He wanted to hit Eli. He wanted to fight the man that had kept Kale away from him. Months of time wasted when he could have had her.

"Her father," he growled back. "A man who abandons his family doesn't deserve my family."

"You don't know anything about that," David snapped. "You were completely out of line."

"I know what I heard in that coffee shop. You left your fiancé because she had a fucking kid. That is not the kind of man Kale needs, especially now."

David opened his mouth to throw a scathing retort at Eli, but his brain caught up to him, letting Eli's words sink in. "Especially now?" David repeated, the words creating an instant anxious response. He looked back to Kale who was still pale and shaking. Her hand was resting on her stomach. David's own stomach dissolved into nerves. He was going to be sick.

Kale couldn't breathe. She watched David fighting with Eli. He looked like he wanted to kill Eli. But as he looked at her, she could see he wanted to bolt. It terrified her, but before she could stop herself she blurted out, "I'm pregnant."

David's heart stopped. He was frozen as dozens of emotions and questions swirled in his head. He couldn't believe it. It couldn't be Sara all over again. He couldn't handle that again. His mouth had dropped open but he couldn't fill it with words. Kale looked petrified, another tear slipping past her lashes.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely audible.

David slowly walked over to her, his legs shaking with each step. He gently took her face in his hands, trying to catch his breath enough to speak. She wouldn't look him in the eye. Finally he pleaded, "Please, please God say it's mine."

Her eyes snapped to his, wide, surprised. "What?" she asked.

"Kale, please say it's mine," he repeated. He couldn't get a solid breath. She wasn't answering him.

"You want it to be yours?" she managed to ask despite her absolute shock. She had thought he'd drop and run. Or worse, stay out of obligation. She had never imagined that he would want the child. Not after knowing about his ex-fiance.

"More than anything," he told her immediately. She still wasn't answering him. "Kale..." His voice caught in his throat.

She nodded. "It's yours," she whispered.

Tension immediately slid from his shoulders. Relief unlike he had ever known flooded him. "You're sure?" he asked, trying to hold back the massive smile he knew was coming.

"I hadn't been with Alex for weeks before and we used condoms," she replied. "You and I, I guess we forgot that step."

"And there's been no one since?" he asked, the smile breaking through.

She shook her head. "You're not mad," she said, as though he would have been.

He laughed, feeling like a hundred pounds had lifted off him. "No, I'm not mad."

"Because I'd understand if this is too much to hand-..."

David cut off her words, bringing his mouth to hers. God he missed that, the feel of her lips against his, the feel of her body pressed against his. He wasn't going to let her go. He had what he wanted and he wasn't wasting one more minute acting like he didn't need her. He pulled away from her, looking her in the eyes. She was searching his, still looking a little confused.

"What's wrong, baby?" he asked her.

"You...you want the baby," she said again.

"Of course I do," he replied, as though it was a given.

"But you left your fiancé when she got pregnant," she told him.

His jaw clenched, immediately remembering that Eli was still there. He turned toward him, letting go of Kale's face, but taking hold of her hand. "Is that what you told her?" he asked through his teeth.

"It's what everyone told her," he snapped. "Kale, is that the kind of man you want?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," David yelled again. He turned to Kale. "I left her and she was pregnant." He turned back to glare at Eli. "But not with my child."

"What?" she stammered, feeling her stomach rolling like waves. She needed to sit down.

"I couldn't stay. I couldn't raise another man's child. Not with Sara," he told her. "With you...I want you no matter what. If that baby wasn't mine, I'd still want you. But, you're saying..." he trailed off.

"There's no question," she told him.

He smiled at her again. He had come to Cincinnati to get some answers, to try and save Kale from herself. Now she was saving him. He was finally going to have everything he thought he was going to get six years ago. He had spent years hating Sara, pining after what could have been. Now he was so damn glad he hadn't found it back then. Otherwise he might never know what it felt to be with Kale Michaels.

"Can," he started, having to clear his throat of emotion. "Can I be part of this?"

Kale's entire body flushed with goose bumps as David set his hand on her stomach. She wanted him to hold her again, tuck her under his chin and tell her that she was safe. God help her, she wanted him for as long as he'd have her. She nodded, another stupid tear falling from her lashes.

"Fucking hormones," she sniffed.

David laughed, feeling freer than he had felt in the years of being alone. He dried the tear and pressed a light kiss to her lips. "You know, I might have fallen in love with you six years ago," he murmured against her lips.

"And now?" she breathed.

"Now?" he repeated. "Now I know I was right all along. I love you."

Kale's heart clenched. She looked up at him with those midnight blues that had driven straight into his heart the first time he saw her. "Fuck," she whispered. "I think I do, too."

David laughed again. It was the perfect Kale response. He kissed her again, knowing it was just the first of a million more to come. "Now, I think my mother said something about inviting you to dinner."

THE END

If you enjoyed Surviving the Past and want to continue to follow the Malcolms, Shawn Malcolm's story will be out in 2014, followed by Jack's story.

Other Publications by Eleanor Dineen

Hindsight- free ebook!
