Every Night Without You: Caine & Addison, Book Two of Two (Unfinished Love series, 2) by Violet Duke

Author:Violet Duke [Duke, Violet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781941198704
Publisher: Unfinished Love Series
Published: 2017-01-16T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

It’d taken a number of tries over the weeks, but Caine no longer jumped instantly to DEFCON 5 alert status whenever Addison called. At least not fully. Or outwardly.

That said, he still hadn’t managed to master the whole saying ‘hello’ thing whenever he saw her number on his caller ID though.

“What’s wrong?” Caine stopped midstride to answer his phone on the first ring, forcing oncoming officers to swerve around him in the busy hallway.

He heard her hesitate before asking quietly, “Is this a bad time?”

Telling himself to remain calm and not go all half-cocked until he knew why she was calling him at work, he drew in a breath and replied in as even a tone as possible, “My shift is almost over; it’s been a pretty slow day. Now I repeat. What’s. Wrong?”

“I-I need to show you something. In person.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“No, wait. I’m not at home. I’m actually at your precinct.”

“I know. I’m heading down to the lobby right now to clear you in.”

“How do you…” She sighed. “Did you lo-jack me again?”

“Honey, I think we both know you won’t like my answer to that.” He got downstairs a few heartbeats later to sign her in.

As they made their way across the main floor, he studied all the signs of distress she was displaying, watched her hands shake and repeatedly fumble with the clip on her visitor’s badge.

On her third failed attempt, he officially snapped. “Come here.”

Tugging her toward the privacy of the emergency stairwell, he pulled her into his arms and just held her as her body continued to tremble in silent terror.

A full minute passed before she could finally whisper, “He’s back.”

Even though Caine had been expecting it, the words still hit him like a grenade to his gut, detonating rage and fear of the most violent, helpless kind all through his system.

“Tell me everything that happened.”

“H-he sent me f-flowers. And this.” She dragged a crumpled envelope out from the front pocket of her jeans.

It was an envelope Caine recognized well. Had a matching set of seven of his own.

After he managed to pry the evidence out from her fingers, he was surprised to find a photo inside the envelope instead of a note. Even more unexpected was that the photo was of him, outside of the florist where he’d ordered the wrist corsage for Addison.

“H-he’s been watching you.” The moment the words left her lips, she began rubbing the cuffs of her sweatshirt sleeves over her arms as if trying to wipe away something oily, foul. Unwelcome. “And he wanted me to know he’s been watching you.”

That much was obvious.

Unlike his own yearly notes from David—with its serial-killer-lettering-on-white-paper simplicity—this picture had a lot more to say. Namely, via the big jagged X’s over his eyes, done so violently that the photo paper was gouged out almost all the way through.

Even the message included on the photo was different. The straight-out-of-a-horror-movie colorful alphabet cutouts were the same, but the wording was less taunt, more demand.

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