The Hunted Girls by Jenna Kernan (best book club books for discussion txt) 📕

victims’ families would never have to witness the man who killed their daughter, sister, wife, girlfriend, sit remorseless at trial, or suffer the indignation of knowing he still walked and talked and breathed while their loved ones were gone forever.

His brother, Leonard, had been released without charges, as he had no knowledge of his brother’s plans.

Nadine turned her head to look at Demko, sitting in the vinyl chair at her bedside. The dark stubble of beard growing on his face and red-rimmed eyes showed she had slept far better than he had. His arm rested in a sling so new, it still had the fold marks from packaging.

“Good morning,” he said and took her hand, gently offering a kiss on the knuckles past the finger monitor.

“Hey there.” She lifted her chin to accept a kiss on the mouth. He lingered and she slipped her tongue along his, igniting a fire between them. Her heart rate monitor beeped at a faster pace, making her laugh.

He drew back.

“You’re feeling better.” He cast her a wicked smile.

“So much better. Care to join me?” She lifted the blanket.

“Too tired to climb over the rail,” he said and grinned. “Almost.”

“You planning to head home and shower?” she asked.

“That a hint?”

She smiled. “You smell like the catch of the day.”

He dropped his smile, suddenly looking serious.

“Clint?”

He grasped her hand. “Nadine, when I thought I’d lost you, I went crazy. I’ve never been so scared.”

“I’m sorry.”

“He took you right out from under our noses. He could have killed you.”

“He didn’t.”

“Because you were right. He wanted you.”

“To bear him an entire litter of psycho killers. He told me I had the perfect lineage. Just what he needed to build a dynasty.” She looked away. The pain in her heart too raw to allow him to see.

“Nadine. I’m so sorry.”

She shook her head, pressing her lips together as she struggled to rein in the tears that made her throat ache.

“He wasn’t wrong, Clint.” She risked a look at him and saw nothing but confusion. “About my lineage. My mother’s side is a nightmare of murder and death. My brother, my grandfather and my mother are felons. And who even knows what horrors are lurking on my father’s side.”

“What are you saying, Nadine?”

“It’s why I asked for time. I didn’t know how to tell you this. How afraid I am.” The tears came, but she wouldn’t let them stop her from getting this out this time. “What if I marry you and… I know you want children.”

“I never said that.”

“But you do. You’re the perfect dad. You should have kids. As many as you like. But not my kids. My kids might be… damaged. They might carry that same killer code that runs through me.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

She took his hand and shook it. “It’s not. Some families have breast cancer, fibroids, diabetes, heart disease. I have murder.”

“I don’t believe that, Nadine. It’s how they are raised. There is no killer code.”

He rejected the importance of the research, just like Juliette. She knew better. It wasn’t some unfounded fear. She had it. So did Arlo.

“It’s real, Clint.”

“A combination of factors. That’s what experts say.”

He’d been doing research, she realized.

“A proclivity,” she countered. “Innate.”

“So what if it is? You’re telling me that everyone born with that gene sequence or chemical thing grows up to be a killer?”

“No. Not all. But the percentages…”

“Percentages.” He scoffed. “Nadine, you’re not a killer. Because you choose not to be. It’s a choice we all make. Follow the law and rules of society, or don’t. You are not your parents. And as for children, we can have them or not. We can adopt. We can work all that out, but only if you’ll give us a chance.”

Nadine met his gaze and knew he was right. He was brave and strong and so good for her. She’d lived with guilt and shame and fear for so long. She’d balked because of her past and nearly been lost to him forever. Now she needed to be brave enough to stop living in the past in favor of a future with Clint Demko as her husband.

The knock at the door brought an end to their conversation. Gabriella Carter stepped in, carrying a vase of sunflowers, which she set on the side table.

“How are you, Dr. Finch?”

“Feeling better, Agent Carter. These are lovely.”

“I spoke to your doctor. He tells me that he’ll discharge you today, sometime after he makes rounds.”

“That’s good news.”

“Yes. We’re going to need you to make a statement. Would you be willing to come to the Ocala field office tomorrow?”

“I’m sure I can make it.” She turned to Demko. “Where are we staying?”

“Safe house. No reason to leave now.”

“You’ll be returning to the Tampa office while we finish up here,” said Carter. “That might be a few weeks yet. We’ll need you to help. Paperwork. Interviews and so on.”

“I’d like to request that Tina Ruz’s position as my assistant be made permanent.”

“I can work that out.” Carter went to leave, then turned back. “Oh, one bit of news that Agent Wynns asked me to pass on. Decristofaro resided in Miami for over a year. That’s why he didn’t pop on the searches because he wasn’t officially residing here. Paid under the table by the Kilpatrick family who gave him a trailer on their property as part of the arrangement. His mailing address is still Miami. But Wynns said, you were still right.”

“Untraceable,” said Demko.

“Seems so.” Carter turned to Nadine. “I’m glad you’re doing better. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

She strode out like a woman on a mission. Was she on her way to see Skogen?

Demko left her shortly after Carter’s departure.

Nadine used the call button and accepted help getting washed up. Unfortunately, she was not able to dress and the intravenous line remained in her hand. But she was eating and drinking on her own.

Upon return to her bed, she ate her breakfast and awaited her doctor, impatient to be discharged.

From the nurse, she discovered that Skogen was on