Kace realized that Bree needed actions, not words. It would take time, but he had every intention of doing right by her and by his child. “Think you can get some rest?”

“Will you stay with me?” He figured she wanted him next to her out of a need to feel safe instead of desire for him.

He linked their fingers and led her to the bedroom.

“I need to brush my teeth. Will you stand at the door?” she asked.

“Yes.” Kace was surprised to realize the thought of having a baby with Bree didn’t scare the bejesus him. The hole he’d felt in the center of his chest for months filled.

Duke strolled in and curled up on the carpet next to the bed. Bree finished brushing before washing her face.

“Your turn.” She held out a new toothbrush.

He took the offering and brushed. She stood right beside him. Her hip against the counter. The thought of their child growing inside her brought warmth to places that had long since been cold in Kace. She was the light to his dark and deserved so much more from him than he’d given up to this point.

After finishing up, he took her into the next room.

“Come on, boy,” Kace urged Duke to hop onto the foot of the bed.

Kace lifted the covers and Bree slid into the sheets. He followed, and she curled her limbs around him. He looped his arm around her and held her tight. Her unique scent, flowers and spring air, filled his senses. All he could think was that he’d found home.

It didn’t take long for Bree’s steady, even breathing to tell him she’d fallen asleep. He stayed there, not quite ready to budge, breathing her in. Before he realized, it was five thirty and the morning sun would peek through the miniblind slats soon enough.

Kace slipped out of the covers and into the adjacent room, leaving the door open. He threw on his jeans and brewed a fresh pot of coffee.

After taking a few sips, he made a call to his boss. The call was short. Kace apologized and explained that his priorities had changed after learning he would be a father. Brendan had taken the news well and joked that he’d rather know now instead of after Kace got settled on a rig. Brendan also brought up the fact that Kace needed a well-paying job now more than ever with a kid on the way, a fact that had kept Kace awake already.

He had money saved. There hadn’t been much to spend it on while at war and he’d socked his paychecks away with the dream of buying the bait and tackle shop.

Brendan had ended the call wishing Kace the best. He’d take all the well wishes he could get. Surprisingly, he wasn’t freaked out about the baby. He was stressed about time. He’d mentally calculated how far along Bree would be, three-and-a-half months. Didn’t give him as much time as he’d like to get settled.

It was early, still dark outside. And his mind was churning. This was the kind of situation Kace would’ve confided in Zeke about. The two would’ve gone out for beers, Zeke would’ve given Kace holy-hell about not using a condom—one broke—and then the good-natured teasing would begin. Zeke would tell Kace everything would work out. The pressure would lift like early morning fog on a sunny day.

The cavern in his chest reopened every time he thought about his buddy.

Kace had been a damn good soldier. Maybe he could call his S.O. to see if it was too late to re-enlist. Joe Mercer would take Kace’s call in a heartbeat. He’d told Kace if he ever needed anything to give him a shout.

Re-enlisting would only keep him away from Bree. Plus, she might see that as him running away. With the ordeal she’d been through, he needed to physically be here in Blushing for her.

Also, he’d had a front-row seat to Kendra having to take care of the house, the kids, and pretty much everything. She said she didn’t mind. Tom was a great father when he was home and the two of them made it work. It was probably Kace being selfish, but he wanted to be around to see his kid grow.

Going back into the military would be living a life he’d walked away from. He’d served his country, been damn proud to do it, but it was time for a change. He’d check the Want Ads or whatever people did when they looked for a job nowadays. He’d been out of the market for work since graduating high school.

He poured another cup of coffee and pulled his laptop out of the backpack he’d brought in from the truck along with the shotgun. He sipped the black brew and booted up at the kitchen table.

Bree had been through a lot in the past few days. He needed to show her how serious he was about being there for her and the baby. She most likely wouldn’t trust him right away. Trust would take time. Time was something Kace had in spades.

First things first, he needed a permanent place to live. He checked out one of those real estate apps that had all available homes listed. He could buy a small place, fix it up.

How far away from Bree and his child did he want to live? He could stick around at his sister’s place for the time being. Or, hell, maybe he could talk to Tom about buying the cabin. Kace didn’t need a lot of room. This place wasn’t fancy but it was plenty big enough for three people and had everything he needed; a kitchen, a bathroom and a decent living space. It was already furnished. There was cell service and internet. Some adjustments for a little one would have to be made.

Hadn’t Tom mentioned he never used the place anymore? When Kace really thought about it he might be doing his brother-in-law a favor by offering to take the place off his hands. He’d talk to Kendra first. Feel her out. See if this was an option that could benefit both of them. If not, there were other places Kace could rent while he considered buying. Getting steady work was another priority.

Bree screamed. He set the laptop beside him and pushed to his feet. Kace was next to the bed a few seconds later as Bree bolted upright. Sweat beaded on her forehead and Duke stood at attention next to Kace.

“I was there. I was in that awful barn.” She gasped for air. “And he threw me against the wall before everything blacked out.”

“You’re all right,” Kace reassured. He kneeled beside the bed and took her hand in his. Her body shook. “You’re safe now. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Her wide fearful eyes were a shot straight to the heart. He understood nightmares. He understood battling an invisible enemy—the enemy inside his head.

She blinked at him. “He has a half-moon ankle tattoo. It was the last thing I saw before I blacked out. I didn’t remember that before.”

Kace slid in bed beside her. She climbed on his lap, buried her face in his neck and cried. Her held her tight to his chest, wishing like hell he could take away her pain. Hot tears dropped one-by-one onto his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Don’t be. You did nothing wrong.” He just held her, thinking how right she felt in his arms.

“Thank you.” Those two words spoken so softly broke what little was left of his fight. Like it or not, Bree shattered the casing around his heart and bathed his darkness in light. With her, he started to believe he could have a life, a real life with a family of his own.

He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger on her skin. “No, thank you.”

She locked gazes with him and he could sense the exact moment fear turned to need. She kissed him, deep and hungry.

This time, he took his time making slow and sweet love to her.

“Coffee?” Bree walked into the room wearing only his black T-shirt. Pink was still his favorite color but she looked good in anything.

“I wish.”

“Right.” She couldn’t have caffeine. He walked over to her and kissed her. “There’s milk.”

“Did you buy that for me to put in my coffee?” Her smile could light the world in a blackout.

“Yep.” He moved to the fridge, pulled out the quart and held it up.

“I’d rather have coffee.” One of those genuine smiles he loved about her peeked out. “But it makes me sick.”

“Well then I’m sorry about making you kiss me while I have coffee breath.”

“Are you kidding me right now? You tasting like coffee is the highlight of my morning.” She walked over to him and pushed up to her tiptoes.

He set the carton on the counter and wrapped his arms around her, pressing her body flush with his. “Is that right?” He let his erection press against her. “Because I was kind of hoping something else made a bigger impression.”

She brushed her lips against his. “That wasn’t bad, either.”

“Not bad?” He claimed her mouth. “Are you challenging me to do better?”

“Now that would be impossible.” She parted her lips and he scraped her bottom lip with his teeth. “Keep that up and we’ll never get anything done today.”

Kace sighed against her mouth. “I should probably make a call. Let Travis know what you remembered. It might be important.”

“That’s a good idea.” She gave him a quick kiss before picking up the white carton and pouring a glass. “I’ll be here, drinking milk. And eating…” She walked to the fridge and opened the door. “Blueberry parfait. You remembered.”

“How could I forget when you made those sexy-as-hell noises while you ate it.” He moved to the kitchen table where he’d left his phone.

Travis picked up on the first ring. “Hey, Kace. What’s up?”

“Did I wake you?”

“No. It’s cool. I was waiting on Quint to return my call anyway. What’s going on?” Travis yawned.

“Bree remembered something. It might not help, but I figured it can’t hurt.”

“Thanks for calling.” Based on his groggy tone, he’d been asleep. Kace felt bad for disturbing his friend.

Duke sauntered in and walked straight to her without giving Kace much of a second glance. Traitor.

“She remembers seeing a half-moon tattoo on the guy’s ankle.” He watched her out of the corner of his eye to make sure she was okay. It couldn’t be easy talking about any of this or hearing any of the details rehashed. One of the many traits Kace admired about Bree was her strength. But she was human.

And his friend had gone radio silent.

“Travis.” His friend’s quiet set Kace’s radar on high alert. “What is it? What’s going on?”

“I need to make sure I heard you right. You’re saying Bree saw a half-moon tattoo on the ankle of the man who assaulted her. The man who wore tan work boots. Correct?”

“Yes.” Kace waited for a response but a heavy sigh came across the line.

“Federal agents have gotten involved in the case since Quint and I linked it to those thirteen others in the state. The Feds cautioned us that we could be dealing with someone in law enforcement based on the profile of the killer and the other crime scenes. My boss has an ankle tattoo of a half moon. I’ve seen it myself. Which under normal circumstances I might chalk up to coincidence, but he’s gone missing.”

“Dammit.” Kace had never trusted the sheriff. There’d always been something off about the man. This was unthinkable. Kace locked gazes with Bree.

“Quint gave me the idea to check Carr’s vacation days against the dates of the prior murders.” Travis blew out a sharp breath. “They match up, Kace.”

A line creased her forehead and her head was tilted to one side, listening. She could tell something big was brewing. She bent down closer to Duke and he nuzzled against her. Smart dog.

“Do you need to go outside, sweet boy?” she asked.

Kace hated the fact that he was about to shatter her sense of security. He shook his head and she cocked a brow at him. He moved his mouth away from the cell and said, “Not a good idea. I’ll take him in a second.”

“Oh.”

“Call me if you hear anything else,” Kace said into the phone.

“I’d like to send someone to keep watch over her. Where are you?” The best defense was a good offense. Travis had the right idea.

“You know I trust you, right? And we go way back.” Kace couldn’t risk anyone else knowing their location, not even a friend.

“Uh-huh. What are you candy-coating?” Travis asked.

“I don’t want you to take it the wrong way when I say that I’m not going to tell you where we are. You aren’t the problem. I just can’t risk anyone else in the department finding out. We have no idea if someone has been covering for the sheriff.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to have backup, Kace. I’d like to offer my assistance. Bree’s safety is important to everyone in the community and especially me.” If Travis was hurt, he didn’t show it.

“I appreciate the offer. I’ll keep it in mind.” Kace felt no need to argue his point. He ended the call, closed the laptop and turned to Bree. “We need to get out of town.”

“What just happened?” Bree suddenly wished she could’ve heard both sides of the conversation between Travis and Kace.

“It’s bad news. It’s the sheriff.” Kace was already up and urging Bree toward the bedroom. He grabbed his shotgun on the way.

“Sheriff Carr? He did this to me?” She glanced down at her ankle.

“In the hospital, he came inside the room. You were still under the influence of those drugs. I was holding your hand and you tensed the second you heard his voice. I should’ve realized what was going on. I’m sorry. I failed you. It won’t happen again.” There was so much anguish in his voice. Given his military background, he would take something like this personally.

“You saved me, Kace. If not for you I wouldn’t be alive right now.” An icy shiver raced down her back at the thought.

“I let you down in so many ways—”

“Maybe we should let the past go. We can’t change it. Let’s focus on our next step. And then the next.” All she could think to do was pop up on her tiptoes and kiss him. He closed his eyes and held her tight. He kissed her back. Hard. Hungry. And it awakened a need from deep inside her they didn’t have time to address.

He pulled back first and linked their fingers as he led her the rest of the way to the bedroom. “It won’t take long to pack up. Grab a few of my sister’s clothes. You two are close to the same size. Grab anything you think you might need and be ready for anything from camping to a hotel.”

“Okay.” Bree filled a small suitcase and grabbed a few toiletries from the bathroom, stuffing everything inside she could fit.

“We’ll let Duke do his business on the way to the truck.”

Bree’s mind was still trying to wrap around the fact that a man sworn to uphold the law could do such a thing to her and worse to so many other women. Granted, he’d always seemed a little odd. He wasn’t married and lived in a house on his aunt’s estate. But that didn’t necessarily mean he was a twisted psychopath capable of such a demonic act. “What else did Travis say?”

“That Carr has the tattoo. In his job as sheriff, he could move around the state easily, making it easy to find and watch a target,” Kace said. “Study a person’s habits.”

“How would he be able to go unaccounted for?” She put a hand on her stomach, trying to force it to calm down by sheer force of will. All this stress couldn’t be good for the baby. Bree practiced the yoga breathing she’d learned in the class she’d taken over the summer.

“The murders match up to his vacation days.”

“The Gingerbread Man,” she said in almost a whisper. A sick feeling settled over her. The thought of how close she’d come to being baked alive. The thought of thirteen women who weren’t so lucky. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

A cramp caused her to take in a sharp breath.

Kace was by her side a second later. “Are you okay?”

“I will be. The obstetrician said cramps are common. It’s nothing to worry about unless there’s spotting.” Stress could cause a miscarriage and even though the pregnancy had been a shock of all shocks, Bree was surprised to realize how attached she’d become to the little bean growing inside her in such a short time. She was also beginning to believe there could be a future with Kace.

“You’re sure everything’s good?” Kace mumbled something low and threatening about the sheriff.

“I am,” she said with more confidence than she felt.

Suitcase in one hand and shotgun on the other arm, he said, “Stick as close to me as humanly possible when we walk to the truck. Okay?”

“Is it safe to go outside? Maybe we should stay here.”

“Carr saw me at the hospital. He’s knows I’m helping you. My brother-in-law owning this place is no secret. It’s only a matter of time before Carr guesses correctly. Our best bet is to get you out of Texas until the FBI catches him. They know who they’re looking for. They’ll get him.”

Bree trusted Kace. He’d been in hostile situations before and was most likely pulling on that knowledge now. His sense of calm kept her from panicking.

“Ready?” he asked. She nodded before touching her hand on his broad back as she followed him to the back door. Duke stuck by their side and she fell more in love with that dog every minute.

“Keys are in my right front pocket. Unlock the doors when I say it’s okay.” His voice, reassuring but focused, was as steady as his heartbeat. Bree’s was wild in her chest.

She fished keys out of his pocket, palmed them, and waited for his signal.

Kace opened the back door and she followed him outside with Duke at their side. Their new companion seemed to understand the gravity of the situation on instinct and she figured it had to do with his military training. Duke’s ears perked up, his body alert and rigid.

As the three of them rounded the corner of the house, Duke froze. His snout pointed toward the tree line not twenty feet away from them.

A low growl tore from his throat.