Lorie O - Strong, Sleek and Sinful

“I’m scared, Perry,” she whispered. “Did you see this morning’s paper?”

“Yup.” He hated how the media was making it a hell of a lot easier for Peter to do his job than it was for Perry to do his. Although that was the way it was most of the time. But the paper announcing the most recent murder, recapping the disappearance of the others, and labeling Peter as the high school girl murderer, was throwing the community into a panic. “We’ll nail him.”

“I’m scared for Dani,” Megan whispered, her eyes moist when she looked at him. “He’s already targeted her. What if he tries to take her again?”

“He won’t succeed,” Perry said firmly. Thankfully, the press didn’t get ahold of the fact that a picture of Dani was left in Lanie’s hand when she was found. “What do you think of sending her-”

“No!” Megan interrupted, yanking her hand from Perry’s and lifting her teacup. She stared hard at Perry over it. “I’d be scared to death he would snag her from anywhere I sent her,” Megan stated. “I did talk to the principal over at the high school today. I know they’ve put several cops on permanent duty over there to protect the kids while they’re switching classes or out in the parking lot, but I am still scared something could happen.”

“Nothing will happen.”

“You can’t swear that to me,” she pressed.

He stiffened. The day his sister didn’t have faith in him would be the day all hell would break lose. “Like hell I can’t,” he growled.

The girls paused at the bottom of the stairs, peering into the kitchen, their innocent faces full of curiosity as they stared from their mother to their uncle. It wasn’t often he and Megan argued about anything. And they weren’t arguing now.

“Go to bed,” Megan instructed, trying to sound firm, but the life was gone from her voice. “I love all of you,” she added, her voice softening.

“Love you, too,” each of them mumbled.

“Upstairs. Now,” Perry emphasized, getting the three of them to jump and hustle up the stairs. He looked earnestly at his sister. “There is no way in hell that monster will get anywhere near Dani again. You have my goddamn word on that one, Meg, and if you doubt me for a fucking minute-”

“Quit cussing and I believe you,” she said, leaning back in her chair and bringing her cup to her lips. “Eat your supper. You’re no fun when you’re grouchy.”

Perry swallowed a bite from his second burger. “The food is good.” He knew he was grumpy but didn’t see it going away anytime soon.

His phone vibrated against his hip and he grabbed it, feeling his mood sour even more when it was his partner, Carl. “What’s up?” he asked with a mouthful of food.

“Are you planning on pulling the night shift tonight?” Carl asked, apathetic to Perry’s curt manner.

“Probably.”

“Just checking. Give me an hour, okay? Mom is cranky tonight and I’m going to chill with her until she settles in, but then I’ll hook up. Any word from Blondie?”

“Her name is Kylie, and no.” Perry ignored the interest in Megan’s eyes when she shifted her attention to him and suddenly made a show of listening. He dropped his burger on his plate and grabbed a French fry. “It doesn’t feel right, though, man. I’ve got a sensation I can’t kick.”

“Just because you haven’t heard from her?” Carl didn’t pause to let Perry speak. “Go with your hunches, man. They’re usually right.”

It wasn’t the first time Perry had heard that from his partner. Any other time Perry would advise Carl on listening to his own hunches, paying heed to the electrical charges in the air when he felt them. But tonight Perry didn’t give a damn about coaching his partner.

“Yup,” he said, shoving the fry in his mouth and swallowing after barely chewing. He slid his chair back, managing to make less noise than when Dani shoved her chair from the table and headed to the refrigerator. He didn’t need a beer, especially if he was returning to duty, but damn, he wanted one and almost growled when there weren’t any in his sister’s fridge. Grabbing the gallon of milk, he placed it on the counter. “Meet me over at Megan’s when you head out. I’m staying here until I return to duty.”

“Gotcha, man,” Carl said, and hung up.

“Why haven’t you talked to Kylie?” Megan asked before Perry could put his phone back on his belt.

“Because she hasn’t answered my calls,” he snapped, knowing his sister didn’t deserve him being a pain in the ass.

Perry grabbed a large glass out of the cabinet and filled it with cold milk. He downed half the glass, refilled it, then returned the gallon to the refrigerator.

His sister watched his actions. “You really like her, don’t you?”

“Doesn’t matter. She’s not sticking around.”

He hated the way his sister studied his face whenever she decided he wasn’t telling her everything she seemed to feel she had a right to know.

“Is she really a college student?” Megan asked.

Perry didn’t answer but set his cup down and sat, returning his attention to his food.

“Seems to me if she were, you would be willing to say so,” Megan said, apparently content to carry on the conversation on her own. “I haven’t seen you worked up like this in a long time.” She held up her hand, as if he would actually comment. “And I know you’re worked up over this murderer. We all are. But more than that has you bugged, Perry. You forget how well I know you.”

“I told you it doesn’t matter. She’ll be leaving.”

“How soon?”

“I don’t know.”

Megan nodded, placing her cup on the table and leaning on her elbows. She stared ahead, letting the silence grow for a few seconds. “There are days when I really miss David.”

Perry wasn’t ready for that one. She hadn’t mentioned her husband in ages. Perry knew the love between the two of them was something unique and special that few ever got to experience. He leaned back, studying her for a moment.

“He was one hell of a guy,” Perry said finally.

“Seems to me, if someone has a chance at what David and I had, they should go for it, no matter what stands in the way.”

Perry should have known she was setting him up. He returned to his food. “I’m sure you’re right,” he mumbled, knowing she would press until he said something.

“I like Kylie.” Megan was watching him. He could feel her gaze burning into the side of his head. “The girls like her, too. Dani doesn’t think she’s a student, though. She’s pretty perceptive. You’ve said so yourself.”

“Yup.”

“Fine.” Megan stood, moving behind him in the kitchen as she started acting busy, although it was her way of preparing for her next attack. “Let’s say she isn’t a student. Just for the sake of argument. And let’s say she is going away, for whatever reason, from here soon,” Megan mused, obviously content again to carry on the conversation by herself. “I bet if you made your feelings known, and I know you, Perry, I bet you haven’t told her how you feel about her, the two of you could work something out.”

Perry stuffed the last French fry into his mouth and stood with his plate, bringing it to the counter. Then downing his milk, he set it next to his plate. Grabbing his sister’s shoulders, he turned her around, staring into her concerned expression. “Thank you for supper. You’re a jewel to feed me like that. I’m going to go watch TV and try to calm down a bit. This conversation is over.”

She nodded once, looking anything but done with what she might want to say. Footsteps sounded on the stairs.

Perry let go of his sister and tapped her nose. “Enough talk of this, okay?”