Allison Brennan - The Kill

She shook her head and looked at him. “This house looks like me.”

“No, Liv, it doesn’t.”

She turned to him. “Yes, it was me-cold, sterile, and unemotional-until you came into my life.”

He reached out for her and she sank into his embrace.

Being in Zack’s arms, this was home.

It was after ten and another FBI agent, Pete Hoge, had replaced Tim Daly.

“I’m going to check the perimeter,” Hoge said. “Keep the door locked until I return.”

Olivia glanced at Zack, who seemed amused. He locked and bolted the door behind Hoge and pulled Olivia into his arms. “As soon as we get that guy settled, I’m taking you upstairs and making love to you.” He kissed her.

She smiled. “Again, Detective? I can hardly wait.”

Five minutes later, Hoge knocked on the door and Zack let him in, locking the door behind him.

“Everything looks good,” Hoge said.

“Help yourself to anything you need in the kitchen,” Olivia told him.

“Thank you, Dr. St. Martin.” He nodded to Zack, then walked down the hall to the kitchen.

“Almost alone,” Zack whispered in her ear. “Let’s go upstairs.”

They took the stairs two at a time and Olivia opened the door at the end of the hall. Zack picked her up and carried her across the threshold, laying her on the bed.

Zack stared at Olivia for a long minute. He’d almost lost her-twice. First to a killer. Involuntarily, his eyes dropped to the large, flesh-colored bandage on her neck and his heart tightened. She’d been so close to death, sitting in that car with Christopher Driscoll.

And then he’d also almost lost her to his own stupid pride. Thinking back to the last week and everything that had happened on the case and between them, Olivia had been a team player. She’d been an asset, and he should have been the first to admit it, instead of feeling betrayed because she’d misrepresented herself.

If he had walked away from her forever, he would be half a man today. She completed him in a way he didn’t know he needed until she came into his life.

He lay down next to her and rested his head on his hand. Tenderly, he brushed her hair off her forehead, kissed her soft, creamy skin. He ran a finger lightly over the small bandage on her chest. “How are you doing?”

“Stop worrying about me. I’m fine. A little sore, but really, I’m fine.”

“You know, I’m glad you’re not an FBI agent. I don’t think I could handle you being in the line of fire every day.”

She laughed. “Most agents aren’t in the line of fire every day.”

“Once in a lifetime is enough.”

“I agree. Besides, I like my job in the lab.”

“What exactly do you do?” He played with her hair. He couldn’t keep his hands off her. He didn’t want to.

“I analyze trace evidence, among other things. For example, in a case I worked on before I went to Seattle I compared carpet fibers found on three dumped bodies in Minnesota and confirmed that the victims were all wrapped in the same industrial-style carpet, down to the lot number and manufacturer. A lot of what I do is build evidence for trial.”

“Sounds interesting, but tedious.” He kissed her cheek.

“It can be, but it’s absolutely exhilarating when everything comes together.”

Olivia’s house phone rang and she reached over to answer it. “Hello?”

Zack heard a male voice on the other end.

“Olivia, it’s Greg. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

She sat up and said, “No, not at all. Thank you for the groceries.”

Zack stood. While he knew there wasn’t anything going on between Olivia and her ex-husband, he didn’t feel comfortable listening to their private conversation. “I’m going to check downstairs and talk to Hoge,” he whispered.

She nodded and he left.

Okay, maybe he was still a little jealous, but he’d get over it.

Olivia frowned as Zack closed the bedroom door. She hoped he wasn’t still insecure about her relationship with Greg.

“Olivia? Are you there?”

“Sorry, Greg. Will you be at the meeting with Rick tomorrow?” They needed to formally report their activities to their boss and hope for nothing more serious than a reprimand. However, any punishment wasn’t Rick’s decision. The investigation would ultimately go to a review board for action.

“I already gave my report this morning. Are you well enough?”

“What makes you think I’m not?”

“Maybe being thrown from a moving car or stabbed, pick one.”

Olivia sighed. “I’m definitely not cut out for fieldwork. But really, I’m in one piece and am barely sore.” That wasn’t completely true, but she wasn’t going to let on to Greg or Zack that she felt more than a little battered.

“I can come by, maybe pick you up in the morning.”

“That’s all right. Rick assigned security and they’ll drive me to the office.”

“Rick said that a Seattle cop came out with you.”

Word travels fast, Olivia thought. “Yes.”

“Isn’t that unusual?”

“Not really.”

Silence. Olivia felt distinctly uncomfortable, but she didn’t want to explain to Greg about Zack over the phone. She’d tell him tomorrow, in person.

“I’m tired. I think it’s time I go to bed,” she told Greg. “Thank you again for sending over the groceries.”

“Anytime, Olivia.”

She clicked the OFF button and rested the phone on its charger, then yawned. She was exhausted. She wouldn’t mind a hot bath, though. Maybe Zack would join her. She smiled at the thought and walked over to the adjoining bathroom. She turned on the water, added some bath salts, then crossed over to her bedroom closet for her robe.

She brushed past the bed and something grabbed her ankle.

She fell hard on the carpet, her brief scream silenced when her breath was knocked out of her.

Someone scrambled from under the bed, pinning her body to the ground with his. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a hand clutching a gun.

Hall.

She pounded on the floor with her fists, hoping Zack could hear, though the carpeted floors muffled the sound.

“Stop that!” Hall ordered in a low whisper. “Stop it right now. Make another sound and I’ll shoot you.”

Through her terror, Olivia detected a hint of fear in Hall’s voice. He had to know there were cops in the house. He’d been hiding under the bed while she and Zack were talking.

She shivered, feeling violated and uncomfortable at the thought of Hall spying on their intimate moment.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“It’s your fault.” Hall rolled off her, but still aimed the gun at her. “You fucking bitch. You made me a killer. You did this to me!”

She wouldn’t have to make noise to alert Zack, she realized. Hall’s voice was getting louder.

She slowly sat up, moving away from him at the same time.

“You don’t want to kill me,” she said. She catalogued the items in her room. Nothing lethal. Her gun, which she rarely used, was still packed in her suitcase.

Dumb move, St. Martin . She’d relied on Zack and the agents to protect her. She needed to protect herself.

“Brian, you need to be smart right now.”

He ignored her. “Okay, this is what we’re going to do,” Hall said. “We’re going to walk out of here and you’ll take me to your bank. Then we’re done.”

Olivia shuddered. He was going to kill her after getting some money. And she wasn’t about to be a hostage again. Once in a lifetime was more than enough.

Hall glanced around the room. “Your boyfriend is going to be back. How can we get out of here?”

Olivia would have found it hard to take Hall seriously as they sat on the floor facing each other but for the fact that he had a gun pointed at her.