Shadows of You (Lost & Found #4)(66)

Nash pulled an evidence bag out of his pocket. “Got her ID. Marci Peters from Montana.”

I tapped my fingers against the side of my thigh. “I don’t recognize her. Tourist?”

“Most likely,” Lawson agreed. “I’ll have an officer call around to the local hotels and rental companies, see if we can figure out where she was staying.”

“There’s a large lump on the back of her head. Some blood,” Luisa said. “She was struck from behind. Probably unconscious before she hit the ground.”

“Small mercies,” Nash muttered.

I didn’t disagree. At least she hadn’t felt the torture that came afterward.

Lawson stared down at the woman for a moment. “We were right.”

Nash sent him a quizzical look.

“Someone was practicing,” Lawson explained.

My back teeth ground together. “That means they won’t stop here.”





32





ASPEN





The bed dipped, and I jerked upright, coming out of a sound sleep. I reached for the Taser on my nightstand, but a hand clamped around my wrist.

“Just me.”

My entire body sagged at Roan’s voice. “Hell. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

He pulled me against him. “Sorry. Didn’t know you had some of that demon cat in you.”

I frowned in the dark. “Pirate isn’t a demon. She’s just playful.”

“Tell that to my almost decapitated toe.”

“So dramatic.”

Roan nuzzled his face into my neck, breathing deeply.

My body began to come alive, but I shut that shit down fast. “Cady’s down the hall.”

“I know,” he whispered, his voice gruff. “Just need to hold you for a few minutes.”

My hands closed around his arms. “Was it bad?”

“Young woman’s dead. That’s always bad.”

My fingers gripped him harder. “You okay?”

“I’ve got you in my arms.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Roan’s hold tightened around me. “If you’re in my arms, I’m always okay.”

My heart jerked inside my chest. Large neon letters spelling DANGER! flashed in my head. But instead of pulling away like I should have, instead of telling Roan to go back to the couch, I burrowed deeper into his hold.

And let sleep pull me under, feeling safe for the first time in years.





“You had a slumber party without me?”

Cady’s affronted voice had me jerking upright and my eyes going wide. Roan was a little slower on the move, not having years of parental quickness on his side. Kids trained you fast. That first plaintive wail after a nightmare. The first slight gagging noise that said they were about to throw up all over their bed.

But apparently, my reflexes had dulled just enough because I hadn’t heard Cady’s door open, her tiny feet pitter-pattering along the hardwood, or my door opening. She glared at us, hands on her hips. “That’s not fair.”

Roan pushed up against the pillows, his tee pulling tight across his muscled chest and light brown hair in haphazard disarray. “Tiny Dancer…”

She huffed but flew at us, launching herself onto the bed and burrowing between us. “Next time, I get to come to the slumber party.”

Roan pressed his lips together to keep from laughing as his eyes met mine.

It’s not funny, I mouthed at him.

“We weren’t having a slumber party, Katydid. Roan was just checking on me and fell asleep.”

Roan snorted, and I fought the urge to smack him. Hard.

“I still wanna have a slumber party. We can do face masks and glitter nails and hair braids.”

Roan’s face scrunched. “I am not doing face masks.”

I grinned. “Come on, I think you’ll look really cute in the princess one, don’t you, Cady?”

She giggled. “That one’s the best. It leaves your face all shimmery after.”

Roan groaned. “It’s bad enough I’m catching grief at work for the glitter on my nails.”

I choked on a laugh.

Cady tipped her head back so she could look up at Roan. “They don’t think it’s pretty?”

He clamped his lips closed. “They, uh…it’s not my usual look.”

Cady nodded knowingly. “You need more pink in your outfits.”

I couldn’t hold in my laughter this time.

Roan lifted on one arm, staring down at Cady and me. “Is she laughing at me, Tiny Dancer?”

Cady giggled. “I think so.”

Roan shifted, grabbing me and tickling my sides.

I shrieked and twisted. “No! I’m too ticklish!”

Chauncey let out a low woof that said he wanted in on the fun.

Roan’s fingers lit along my sides, making me squeal so loud I probably woke the animals in the barn. His hand fell away, and he wiggled a finger in his ear. “Hell, you’re gonna break an eardrum.”

“Bad word, Mr. Grizz,” Cady chastised.

“Sorry, Tiny Dancer.”

I blew the hair out of my face and sat up. “You’re both traitors.”