“Do you know who did this to you?” Travis was all business now as he took a seat next to Bree and pulled out a notepad.

Bree shook her head. “I never saw his face clearly and his voice wasn’t more than a whisper in my ear. He didn’t say much. Just that he planned to kill me.” She paused long enough for her body to recover from the shiver that rocked her. Talking about her ordeal couldn’t be easy for her.

Kace squeezed her hand to reassure her. She was safe. He wasn’t going anywhere until this sick bastard was castrated or behind bars. At that point, Kace didn’t care which one.

“His boots are the only things I’m certain I remember. They were work boots, the steel-toed kind.”

Travis’s eyes widened like he’d had some sort of epiphany but he seemed to have second thoughts about sharing it when he refocused on the pad of paper and made the note. Steel-toed boots weren’t the norm in this area. The only ones Kace had ever seen were worn by an out-of-town construction crew that had been brought in to build the convenience store over by the highway last year when he’d been home on leave. He made a mental note to ask Travis what his reaction was all about later.

“Do you remember what color?” Travis asked.

“Yes. Tan with black scuff marks.”

“Let’s back up. Do you recall anything from four days ago?” Travis referred to the day she’d disappeared.

“It was early. I get up every Thursday at five a.m. to work out before opening the shop.” She referred to her gourmet popcorn store. “It’s also trash day, so I went outside and took the trash bins out to the curb.” She looked up at Travis. “You know where I live, right?”

“On Hickory?”

“Right. We have long driveways so it’s a haul. It’s the only time I leave my door unlocked.” She blinked her eyes and tightened her grip on Kace’s hand.

It sounded to Kace like the man had watched her for some time before making his move. He’d memorized her routines, taking note of any time she’d be vulnerable. Of course, that’s probably how serial killers worked. He remembered reading about a few over the years, like the BTK killer who referred to his victims as ‘projects.’ Kace would’ve liked ten minutes alone in a locked room with that sicko. Show him what it was like to deal with someone bigger and stronger.

“Have you noticed anyone hanging around your street lately? Any strange vehicles parked?” Travis jotted down a few notes on his notepad.

“No. Just you guys patrolling every once in a while. My neighbors. Nothing that stands out.” Travis’s eyes did that thing again. Kace made a mental note to ask about it when the two of them were alone.

“Earlier, when you were talking to Kace you said he’s done this before,” Bree said. Damn. Kace had hoped she’d been asleep during their conversation.

Travis nodded.

Bree stayed quiet for a long moment. “He was inside my house. He had to be. The last thing I remember is walking from the kitchen into the hallway. I passed the hall bath on my way to the stairs. That’s as far as I get. I’m sorry it isn’t much to go on.”

Any DNA evidence the crime scene held went up in flames and Kace couldn’t do jack about it. His mind still reeled from the news that Bree was pregnant—that nugget of information had rocked his world. So many unexplained events from the past few weeks clicked together in Kace’s mind. A wedding date that had come out of the blue. The reason Zeke seemed intent on rushing to the altar. Kace couldn’t think of a better reason to tie the knot in a blaze of hurry other than for having a child on the way.

It would be easy to forget that Bree wasn’t his while his protective instincts flared. It would be easy to pull her against his chest and tell her everything would be okay now. It would be easy to get lost in those dark roast eyes of hers. Kace reminded himself that he was with his best friend’s fiancé. He might’ve had one sizzling hot weekend with Bree but she obviously loved his best friend. She was off-limits and that wasn’t something he normally needed to remind himself of.

“Have you been in a fight with anyone?” Kace shot Travis a look. “We sometimes come across a copycat.”

“No.”

“Could anyone you know wish you harm?” he continued.

“Her? You can’t be serious.” Kace probably shouldn’t interject his opinion but who could possibly want to hurt Bree?

“I know.” Travis brought his free hand up in the surrender position. “I have to ask. You’d be surprised how often a routine question can change the course of an investigation.”

Bree took a sip of water. “There’s no one I can think of. Doesn’t mean there isn’t anyone, I guess.”

Travis rounded out the interview with a few more questions. “I want to get back to the office and get this information into the database as soon as possible. You think of anything else and you call me. Okay?”

Bree nodded and offered a weak smile.

“When’s your flight out?” Travis asked Kace.

“Tomorrow.” Bree’s hand tensed and her eyes darted around.

Travis stopped at the door. “You staying here until then?”

“Yes,” Kace said.

As soon as Travis was out the door, Bree said, “Did you miss your flight because of me?”

“It’s no big deal. Being here for you seemed more important.” Kace’s head still reeled from the baby news. This wasn’t the time for the conversation he needed to have about stepping in for Zeke to help her out financially. Zeke and Kace had made a pact to have each other’s backs in high school. Kace had every intention of honoring the agreement.

The next couple of hours were a parade of doctors and people who wanted to check on her to see for themselves that she was okay. Kace kept watch, clearing the room when she couldn’t hold her eyes open so she could rest.

It was nightfall by the time the room finally quieted. He’d been twenty-four hours without a shower or a toothbrush. Thankfully, his sister had dropped off a few supplies earlier in the day.

Kace moved to the bathroom, leaving the door open in case someone decided to stop by unexpectedly. No one would get through that door uninvited as long as he was around.

He brushed his teeth and splashed cold water on his face. Looking in the mirror was the worst of bad ideas. There he stood, staring into tired eyes. He wasn’t exhausted from last night. That wasn’t what had jolted him out of bed in the middle of the night more times than he could count. If not for him Zeke would be alive, finishing up plans to marry the woman in the next room—a woman that Kace hadn’t been able to get out of his thoughts since their fling.

A day’s worth of stubble darkened his chin. A haunted face stared back at him.

So much for looking in the mirror. He reclaimed his seat and took Bree’s hand in his, where it felt right.

Another hour passed when a floor nurse, Harley, ducked her head inside. “I’m here to help with a shower.”

Bree opened her eyes. The sleepy smile she sent Kace’s way was a shotgun blast to the center of his chest.

“A shower sounds like heaven.” Her throat was still scratchy-sounding, which gave it a low-gravelly effect. And that was a shot somewhere else he didn’t need to think about right then.

Harley moved bedside. “We can do it right here or in the bathroom, whichever you prefer.”

“A real shower.” Excited brown eyes blinked up and then at him.

“Would you mind giving me a hand to get her in the bathroom?” Harley’s gaze fixed on Kace.

“Not at all.” His body was stiff from all the sitting anyway.

Kace bore most of Bree’s weight as he helped her across the room. He stopped at the bathroom door. End of the line. “I’ll be in the hallway if you need me.”

“Thank you.” Bree caught his gaze and held it. “For everything.”

After stepping into the hallway, he checked his phone. He must’ve dozed off earlier because he didn’t hear his cell buzz. There were several messages from Travis. The gist was that all available personnel were on the hunt for the Gingerbread Man. A BOLO had been issued and all law enforcement departments in Texas were aware of what had happened in Blushing. Considering this was most likely linked to the serial killer case, the FBI had touched base to offer resources. Quint, Travis’s friend from San Antonio, wanted to speak to Bree personally. And amidst all the chaos and news, Travis couldn’t seem to get ahold of Sheriff Carr. He asked Kace to call if the sheriff showed at the hospital.

Kace called Kendra next. She picked up on the first ring.

“How is she?” his sister asked.

“Shaken. She seems a little disoriented. The drug he gave her seems to be wearing off. She’s awake and alert enough to take a shower. The nurse is helping her now.”

“That’s good news.” The relief in Kendra’s tone was palpable.

“It is.” He held onto the information that Bree was pregnant. It wasn’t his news to share. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Anything. You know that.”

“Stay indoors as much as possible. When you’re home, make sure the doors are locked and the alarm is set. Even when you’re awake.”

“This whole thing has me rattled, too,” she admitted. “I’ve been checking to make sure my car doors are locked. Did she say how he got to her?”

“The best she can remember she was in her house after taking the trash to the curb before she blacked out. He might’ve been watching her for weeks before that.”

An audible breath came through the line. “That’s really creepy.”

She didn’t know the half of it. “Keep what I’m about to tell you between us. Travis thinks this has happened before around Texas. He has a friend with San Antonio Police Department who seems convinced the cases are linked. There are more than a dozen victims.”

“A serial killer?”

“If what he suspects pans out. Yes. That’s exactly what we’re dealing with.” He paused a beat. “The details are even worse. Suffice it to say that if you see anyone suspicious hanging around your house or in the parking lot of one of your meetings, call 9-1-1 immediately. Don’t second-guess yourself. Don’t confront the person. Just get to a safe place with other people and call it in. Then text me immediately.”

“I will,” she promised.

“Good.”

“I’ll swing dinner by the hospital. Mrs. Hattie’s coming over to help wrap presents and bake. She said she’d cover while I bring you something to eat.”

“Don’t open the garage door until you’re already inside the car. Same thing when you get back home. Stay in your car with the engine running until the garage door closes all the way.” Was he being overly cautious? Hell yes. This was Kendra and he’d made a life’s work out of protecting his baby sister.

“Got it.”

His next call was to his new boss, who didn’t sound thrilled that Kace was pushing back his start date a second time. That discussion hadn’t gone so well. The situation couldn’t be helped. Kace couldn’t walk away until he knew Bree would be safe.

The door behind him opened and the nurse signaled for him to come back inside the room. “She’s asking for you.”

The announcement shouldn’t make warmth spread through him like it did. He chalked it up to residual attraction to Bree and nothing more. The cuts and bruises on her face couldn’t mask her true beauty. She had that rare kind of smile able to light up the worst day.

The minute he walked into the room, Bree motioned for him to sit next to her. Her hair was pulled off her face and her creamy skin practically glowed. Her eyes brightened when he sat next to her and linked their fingers. He shouldn’t have brought hers to his lips to kiss them but that’s exactly what he did. He chalked the emotion hammering his chest to being grateful she was alive. Bree had always been smart, beautiful. Her heart-shaped face and full pink lips stirred the attraction he shouldn’t allow, along with another shot of guilt.

The nurse finished refilling a water mug and set it on the tray table next to the bed. “The doctor signed your release papers for tomorrow morning. Someone will be here early with paperwork.”

“Thank you.” The nurse excused herself as Bree tightened her grip on Kace’s hand. He could feel tension radiating from her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I can’t go back home. Not after what happened there.” Her chin quivered and she bit down on her bottom lip.

“Would it help if I came with you for a few days until you get your bearings? I already called my boss to say I’m sticking around.” She needed to know where he stood.

Bree pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned her head back against the pillow. “I appreciate the offer, Kace. I do. You have a job waiting for you and a new life in Alaska.”

“Plans change.”

Bree needed to talk to Kace about the baby. Explain her relationship with Zeke. She didn’t even know where to start. Not here. Not like this. “Me not wanting you to go is selfish. I don’t want you to risk your career.”

“They’ll wait. I already called and talked to my boss. He’s fine with me coming in a few days. I’m not leaving you alone while that…” he seemed to be biting his tongue, “sick jerk is out there.”

A shiver raced down Bree’s spine thinking about him. About the fact that he knew where she lived. That he’d slipped inside her home unnoticed once. How could she ever go back there? How would she ever feel safe again? “I’ll get an alarm and a dog. Something big and protective. A Rottweiler.”

“Dogs take time to train.” It was hard enough to turn Kace down with him there, being her support. She feared he was going to hate her when she told him the truth.

“I can’t imagine going back there.” She hated the shakiness in her voice. “You’ve already done so much for me. I wouldn’t be alive if not for you, Kace. I can’t ask you to give up your future to babysit me. I’ll stay with Chelsea or something.”

The look—of protectiveness? determination? possessiveness?—he gave her sent tingles of electricity swirling through her.

“You didn’t ask, sweetheart.” He squeezed her hand. “And I’m not giving you a choice.”

“Then okay.” A couple of days might give her time to find the words that had escaped her up until now. Despite Zeke’s warning otherwise, Kace deserved to know.