Harlequin Intrigue April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Carol Ericson (bill gates best books TXT) 📕

her, he maneuvered back onto the edge of the mattress and raised his gaze to hers for the first time since she’d taken his badge. The world tore through him in an instant, hours speeding up and combining into mere seconds. Muffled orders and flashes of light infiltrated the shadows then narrowed to a mere brush of her voice.

Remi had been in those woods.

She’d come for him despite the fact the evidence had revealed he’d used her and the marshals for his own agenda. She’d put herself between him and Tad Marrow to save his life. “That was the plan. Figured I’d be able to make it down the hall, but I’ve got to tell you, putting on pants has never been so damn difficult.”

“It took me three tries to tie my boots.” Iridescent blue eyes lowered to the floor as one corner of her gorgeous mouth pulled into a half smile. “Seems surviving a knife wound isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

He laughed and pressed both hands into the top of his knees in an attempt to stay upright, but the room was already spinning. Not from any injury. Although, he’d lost an excessive amount of blood. Because of her. “What are you doing here, Sheriff?”

“I wanted to let you know the DA has been able to connect about half of the murders Watson uncovered during the investigation to Tad Marrow so far. She’s still working on the others, but the FBI has plenty of physical evidence to prove he’s the one who killed Del Howe in that cabin. They recovered rope matching the strands used to bind the victim, and the blade dredged from the bottom of the lake matches the lacerations inflicted before death. With all that, Gresham PD has closed their case against you, and they’ve cut me loose as a suspect.”

She shrugged. “We’ll still be required to testify at Marrow’s trial, but you, for all intents and purposes, are a free man.” She slid her hands into her cargo pant pockets, stains of dirt and blood crusted against the dark green fabric. “The bullet they pulled from your side matches a weapon Sergeant Nguyen reported stolen during the break-in at his home two years ago, too. Because of you, Tad Marrow is going away for a very long time. Thought I should be the one to tell you, considering I’m the one who got you into this mess in the first place.”

“I appreciate it.” He didn’t know what else to say. Maybe there was nothing else for him to say. He’d known exactly what had been at risk when he’d joined the marshals to hunt the New Castle Killer. He’d known using her and USMS resources would sever any friendship they’d built over the past three years. What he hadn’t expected was for the disappointment—the betrayal—in her gaze to tear him apart.

Dylan slowly got to his feet, every stitch in his side stretching into discomfort, but he couldn’t stand the distance between them anymore. Not after what they’d survived out in those woods. Any number of officers could’ve been the one to let him know he wouldn’t face charges for what he’d done, but Remi was woman enough to come herself. She deserved the same respect.

He took a step forward, unbalanced and ready to collapse. “You were right to suspend me, Remi. When I applied to the marshals, I had every intention of keeping my distance from you. You’d left Delaware for a reason, and I wasn’t about to push myself back into your life if you weren’t ready. Come to find out, you convinced the other division heads to send me to Oregon, and I’m glad you did.”

She didn’t answer, didn’t even seem to breathe, apart from the slight rise of her shoulders.

He dragged a hand down his face as his legs shook. Exhaustion—mental and physical—had caught up with him, but he’d sustain another hundred stab wounds and lacerations to hang on to the short time he had with her in this room.

“I joined the marshals to finish what we started in Delaware. I thought if I could find the New Castle Killer, I could convince you to stop running from the past, to stop running from me, but what I didn’t expect was this...purpose you gave me in what we do together here. Protecting witnesses, saving lives.” His chest expanded with a heavy breath, and a hint of the citrusy soap she’d used when she’d showered filled him from head to toe.

“I took that for granted, Remi, and I used a perverted version of that purpose to hunt a killer I had no jurisdiction to investigate. I know how much you rely on trusting the men and women under your command to have your back in the field. I broke that trust, and I wouldn’t blame you if you felt cutting me from the team was the right thing to do.” He swallowed around the ache in his throat as the reality of what his suspension meant sank in. Remi had single-handedly calmed the rage and guilt he’d carried all his life, had directed him to do something more, to be better, and he’d thrown it in her face. “I’m sorry.”

He wasn’t exactly sure how long he stood there, exposed and open to what came next, but he never wanted it to end. One more minute of her. That was all he needed, and he’d happily resign from USMS and pack his bags if that was what she required.

“You were hunting the New Castle Killer so I would come back to you.” Disbelief tinted her words, and Remi closed the distance between them. Her body heat combined with the nervous energy clawing through him, igniting an awareness so deep, so pure, he couldn’t seem to look away. “Back at the safe house, you said I was using you to relieve the stress we took on during the original investigation. If that was true, why were you so determined to find Del Howe?”

“Because