“How the hell did this even happen?” I wanted to scream at anyone who would listen. At the moment no one would listen. I was just bitching to myself out loud inside my vehicle. I took in a deep breath and locked my door and then let it out slowly as I made my way up the steps to the building.

The precinct was packed when I arrived. Alan didn’t say much when he left, but I was hoping he was still here. He had indicated in passing that his team planned to comb through all the evidence they pulled at the crime scene. I wanted to be there when they looked at everything. Well, I probably wouldn’t be allowed to see any of the evidence. I just wanted to be available if they had any leads or questions about Stephen.

“Tyler,” I heard from behind me. When I turned around, I came face-to-face with the agent that took down the serial killer almost two weeks ago now. “Here to help?” she said and held out her hand.

“Yeah, if that’s possible.” I shrugged my shoulders because I didn’t believe I could help at this point. “Sitting at the hospital wasn’t doing me any favors.”

“I heard your girlfriend landed herself there. What was her name?” Then she snapped her fingers. “Zoe, right?”

“Yeah, a fan jumped her after the fight a few nights ago.”

“Wow, is this a normal thing?”

I found her question funny. “Um, no. This was a rare occurrence.”

“Shit, well, I’m sorry. I hope she’ll be okay.”

I wasn’t in the mood to discuss my personal life. Well, some of my personal life was on display, but I didn’t need all of it out for show. “Are you looking at the evidence for the serial killer case?”

“Yeah, come this way.” She threw her arm up and waved her hand in the direction to follow her. She led me to a small room where four people were sitting around a table. “Room for one more?”

Alan stood up. “We may need it.” He pointed to a chair. “We were just discussing Stephen and where he lives.”

That seemed odd. “Why? How does that matter?”

“Joseph. That’s the name of the serial killer.” I liked how they didn’t use the nickname the media loved, The Silencer. “He has no place to go. From what the video footage shows, he escaped from jail and went directly to the hospital.”

I sat down and rested my hands on the table. “How did he know where Stephen was located?”

“It’s all over the news. Hell, Zoe is all over the news, too,” the woman that brought me to the room said and moved a book in my direction. “Look at his last entry.”

It took me a moment to open the cover and flip to the page they had marked with a sheet of paper. The journal was six by nine in size. I could see blood splatters on the edges. Where they had a sheet of paper resting, I could see two photos. One was of Zoe and the other was of me. “I don’t understand,” I said and looked around the room.

“We didn’t either,” Alan said and stood to stand by a board that had several photos of people that looked maybe alive and some that were obviously dead. “We know how many other states he’s wanted in and have traced all these missing persons’ cases back to Joseph.”

“All those.” There had to be a hundred photos on the board.

“We have them grouped because from what we can see, he killed couples.”

A chill shot through my spine. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I am.” Alan walked back to the table. “Turn the page”—he did it for me—“see that.”

“Are those the two missing persons’ cases we had recently?” Then it rang a bell. “Wait, that’s Andy.” Was he after people with a specific sexual orientation? Seemed possible.

“Tyler, he frequented Noir. In the other cities, he frequented nightclubs that were similar to Noir.”

I threw my hands to my face and rested my elbows on the table. “No one figured this out until now?”

The detective sitting next to me spoke up. “From what we found in Andy’s place, he kept his life hush hush. This was not easy to uncover until we saw the journals.” I glanced his way. “Then we talked to the detectives on the other cases and put all the pieces together.”

I stood up fast and caused my chair to topple over. “Zoe. She was on the way to her MRI.” Before I left the room, I picked up the chair. “I need to make sure she’s okay.”

“I’ll follow you,” Alan said beside me. “I did assign cops at the end of each hallway on her floor.”

His words should have made me happy. Instead I felt pissed. “Again you failed to share details that may be important for us to know.”

“Maybe I did.”

“There’s no maybe. If this asshole wants us dead too, we deserve to know.”

I made my way to my car, not thinking about anything but the safety of Zoe. If I lost both of them…I shook my head. I couldn’t think about that right now. It took me about two minutes to reach the hospital. It should have taken me maybe six minutes. The elevators were taking their sweet time, so I took two steps at a time up the stairs. When I reached Zoe’s floor, I noticed a cop leaning against the wall. Well, at least I knew Alan wasn’t lying to me. He was still downstairs on the phone. I didn’t plan to wait for him. I needed to see Zoe.

At the doorway to her room, I heard murmurs. Knocking was not on my mind as I stepped inside. A woman sat beside Zoe on the bed, and a man was in the chair next to her. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Ty, it’s okay. My parents heard on the news.”

“And we’re still upset she didn’t call us,” the man said and held out his hand for a greeting.

“That’s my fault. I should’ve called.” I shook his outstretched hand. “It’s been a bit chaotic around here.”

“Ty, are you okay?” Zoe looked like she wanted to stand up.

“I’m fine.” I bent and kissed her temple. “How was the MRI?”

“Doc said no swelling.”

“So you can leave soon?”

“Yeah, probably tomorrow.”

Without thinking, which I did often, I said, “You should go stay with your parents for a few weeks.” The idea popped into my mind and it seemed brilliant. Staying with her parents was the perfect way to keep her clear of harm.

“Why would I go all the way to my parents’? What is it you’re not telling me?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re lying skills need a refresher course.”

I sighed and sat down on the end of the bed. “We both are in danger.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“He can’t at the moment,” Alan said and stepped into the room. “Tyler’s right, though. You would be safer.”

That’s when Zoe lost it. Her face turned the perfect shade of red and she stood up. “Listen, I have a head injury because of a crazed fan. My”—she looked around the room at everyone and then shrugged her shoulders—“boyfriend has been taken for the second time.” She pointed her finger in my direction. “And you waltz in here demanding I stay with my parents.”

“Zoe.” I stood up and grabbed her hands.

She tugged them away. “Don’t you dare Zoe me. Talk.”

“He plans to kills us, too.”

Her face went white and she stumbled back. Her body hit the bed and she sat down. “Can you repeat that?”

I noticed Alan’s face. “I’m sorry,” I said to the detective. “Zo, there is more to the story. For now, you’ll be safer with your parents.”

She reached for my hand. “What about you?”

“He’ll be with one of the detectives on the case. I plan to give him twenty-four-hour surveillance.”

“This is insane,” she said and looked over at her mom. “Fine, I’ll go as soon as I get the all clear.”

“They’re releasing you tonight,” Alan said and handed a sheet of paper our way. “I talked to the doctor already.”

I didn’t like the idea of Zoe leaving, but I knew it was our only option at the moment. “I’ll take care of Lucky and Sammy while you’re away. Well, Charlie may abduct them.”

“Maybe use a different word next time.” She winked.

“Give them the world’s best spa treatment.”

“That’s better.”

I planned to bring her home soon. There was no way I would let this asshole win. I wanted Stephen and Zoe by my side forever. The thought caused my heart rate to increase. For the first time in my life, I was ready to share the real me.

I was tired of hiding.