Evidence of Passion (Shadow Agents #7)(33)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“Yeah, well, good luck with that. I’d suggest you hurry. A pretty lady like her, the guys were already circling in. Especially that jerk, Brent.”

“Brent?” He had no idea who Brent was.

Aidan glanced toward the back room then he looked at Dylan once more. “Yeah, the blond who was hitting on her the other night. The guy can’t seem to take no for an answer.”

“Where. Is. He.” Dylan’s words were a lethal demand.

Aidan scratched his chin and looked around the pub. “I cut him off, so I think he must’ve stumbled out…”

But Rachel’s phone was still transmitting a signal. One from very, very close by.

He spun away from Aidan.

“Is everything all right?” Aidan called.

Dylan rushed back outside. Her building waited to the left. If she’d left fifteen minutes ago, she would’ve been home. He started walking, heading on the same path she should have taken.

He stopped in front of the alley. Its interior was dark, cavernous.

“Rachel?” He shouted her name.

There was no answer to his cry.

He looked back toward her apartment.

She hadn’t made it that far.

Dylan advanced into the alley, his body tense with adrenaline. He eyes adjusted to the darkness. He could’ve pulled out his phone and used it as a light, but he didn’t want to give away his location. Not until he realized what he was facing.

He’d always had good night vision—far better, in fact, than average. So it was easy enough to make out the bulk of the garbage container.

And to see the body lying beside it.

He ran toward the body and his foot stamped down on something hard. Something—

He bent. A phone. Her phone?

Triangulation shows that you should be right near Rachel Mancini.

He bent over the body, and touched the man’s throat. No pulse.

Dylan straightened and whirled in the alley. He shouted for her. “Rachel!”

* * *

WHEN HER EYES OPENED, Rachel found herself in a dark room. She was slumped in a chair. Her hands bound behind her. Her legs were tied, one to each wooden chair leg.

“I learned…from last time.” His voice drifted to her. “It’s better to make sure that you’re securely restrained so I had to tie your legs this time, too.”

She’d known he was there. “Same routine, though, right?” Rachel managed. “Drug me. Kidnap me.” Her voice sounded a little sluggish. Probably from whatever drugs he’d given her. The drugs would also explain why her mouth was so dry.

But she would not let him see or hear her fear. That was what he wanted. To control her. To terrorize her.

“Hey, at least you didn’t wake up in the back of my trunk like you did last time.” Footsteps shuffled toward her.

She squinted her eyes, but she couldn’t see him clearly. It was too dark. Was he still wearing the ski mask?

“I missed you,” he told her.

She shook her head.

“And I think, if you look down deep enough, you’ll realize that you missed me, too.”

She didn’t need to look anywhere. “You’re insane.”

He laughed. “See, that’s what I missed. Other women would—and have, by the way—begged me at this point. They’d offer anything if I’d just let them go. But not you. You’re not like that. You never beg for anything, do you, sweetheart?”

She yanked at the ropes.

“You tricked me.” Now a hint of anger hummed through his words. “I was always so careful, watching you. Making sure that you didn’t think about turning to another. Then you and…Dylan Foxx. You went out and you put on the show and you made me think that you were involved.”

Her heart slammed into her chest. She didn’t even want him saying Dylan’s name.

“But you have no other lover, do you, Rachel? That was all for show. And now you’ve left him behind. You’ve left the EOD, and you’ve come back to me.”

How did he know what she’d done?

She strained again and felt the warmth of her blood as the ropes cut into her wrists.

“I don’t like that you tried to deceive me.”

Now it was her turn to laugh. “Really? When you’re the one who taught me how to lie?”

Silence, then he murmured, “I guess I did.”

She kept her breathing low and even. “If you’re going to kill me, just do it.”

He touched her then, sliding the back of his hand over her cheek. “Killing you isn’t on the agenda.”

Her racing heartbeat slowed down.

His hand pulled away.

“But I will have to punish you.”

And, in the darkness, she saw the gleam of a knife too late.

* * *

THE ALLEY WASN’T dark any longer. It seemed to be lit with a thousand lights.

Brent Chastang was dead. According to the M.E., the guy had bled out quickly from his stab wound, probably only surviving a few moments.

The phone was Rachel’s. She’d been at the scene.

The bloody playing card that they’d found shoved in Brent’s shirt told them that Jack had been there, too.

“Agent Foxx, are you all right?”

He turned at the soft question and found Noelle Evers walking toward him. The EOD had a crime-scene team checking over every inch of the alley. The local cops were being held back until they could finish processing the scene.

“No,” he told her, voice clipped. “I’m damned well not.” Fury spiked then. He caught her arm and pulled Noelle away from the others. “You said she was safe, that he wouldn’t hurt her.” He’d been so certain that Noelle was right.

Noelle shook her head. “I never said that.”

His teeth snapped together. The fury raged hotter inside of him.

“Hurting her is a definite possibility.”

The woman was shredding him.

“But he won’t kill her. I don’t think that he can.”

He had to swallow twice before he could talk. “So he’s just going to torture her for hours. Then what? Let her go?”

Noelle shook her head. “You already know that won’t happen.”

“What will he do?” She was the one who was supposed to know. She had to tell him.

“He took Rachel because he wants her with him. I don’t think he ever intends to let her go.”

No. No. No! “It was supposed to be me.” That had been the whole point. The reason he’d moved heaven and earth to get her off the case. Rachel should’ve been safe. Jack was supposed to come after him.