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Reasons scrolled acrossat her beaten face, all I could see was the photo Melissa had put in front of o

My instincts were on high alert Sloan was getting antsy, and I knehat he wanted Jessica Black , but she wasn’t it

Substitutes would never fill the possession he felt I’d followed enough of these twisted fucks to know He was co for Melissa, and it was just a matter of when

All last week, I’d tracked down everythat would stick, that would get him off the streets or at least keep hi him to Jessica, but every lead came up cold He was either too slick, or his people buried everything

Even the guy I had watching Sloan in Balti Jessica disappeared a week before I’d hired hie and then gotten off with a slap on the wrist Apparently I’dto rape her We had to wait until he actually committed the crime for his money and position not to matter

The thought clenchedabove all that caused the “stress” Nikki kept texting Melissa about Only “stress” wasn’t what I felt What I felt was flat-out fucking rage

The best part hen he threatened es I’d nearly brutalized hiet her face She went still as a stone, as if it was the ending she always expected It was like a heel-kick straight to ut I couldn’t let her down that way

Now all she’ll say is she wants those o, she tells me

Fuck that That asshole is a threat to erous Priority 1 is devising a plan to bring hi that won’t ooze off his slimy back

Snatching my phone off its base, I hit the speed-dial button

Patrick answers, cocky as always “Don’t tell me You’ve come to your senses and realized life at the beach is the only way to live”

“I need you to up the watch on Melissa”

I appreciate how his tone beco on?”

“I have to finish a few details for our new Houston client, and then I’m headed your way, possibly for a while”

“This can onlyOr one asshole”