him to anyone. That would be disastrous to them. He was angry with me for not getting another loan, and I’m certain whatever deal he was making with those men was temporary. He’d probably kill anyone who was with me. That would be like him.”
“Are there other bodies? Others you have suspected he killed?”
She closed her eyes. “I’ve suspected, but I don’t have proof. There’s never anything to connect him. He lets time go by before he strikes. When he does retaliate, it’s usually gruesome. I’ve read about three individuals killed in the same way Dwayne was, or at least similar enough that I suspected. One was my first landlord, who wouldn’t allow me to have any visitors, Haydon included. The man disappeared three months after I moved out. They found his body in a freezer across town. It was quite awful. They said he’d been kept alive for hours.”
“The three you know of that you suspect he killed, were all three connected to you in some way?”
She nodded. “One was a cop who gave me a ticket. Haydon was in the car and he was angry with me. He stomped on my foot on the gas pedal to scare me. He said he’d drive head-on into oncoming traffic. When the cop gave chase, he laughed and let up, so I could pull over. The cop gave me a lecture and said if I did something like that again, and he heard about it, he’d take me to jail. The cop died in a similar way to my ex-landlord. It wasn’t here in Chicago. I’d moved to another city in order to get away from Haydon, but he followed me.”
“And the third?”
She gave a little shudder that she knew he saw even though she tried not to let what she was saying affect her. “One of my neighbors at the apartment I lived in when I first moved back to Chicago. I accidentally bumped into him in the hall. He caught my arms and we both laughed. After that he’d always say hello. Really, that was it. But Haydon got angry with me because I wouldn’t let him move in. The man, Howard Bennet, disappeared. People came knocking on my door asking if I’d seen him. Haydon was in the hallway, just lounging there with that smirk and I knew Howard was dead. They found the body about a month later. It was very gruesome.” She didn’t want to think about Haydon Phillips anymore. Not when she was about to go to sleep.
His fingers felt like magic in her hair. So soothing. She just wanted to close her eyes and give in to the drug, let it take her away. She turned her face into his arm and breathed in the intoxicating scent of his skin. It was a mixture of sexy sandalwood and vetiver, but so faint it was almost elusive, making her want to chase after the scent. The combination was masculine and powerful, very sensual to her. “You smell so good.”
“Thank you, bella. I hope you always tell me what you like and don’t like. You’ve been so incredibly brave today. I appreciate your trust and I do know it was difficult for you.”
It had been hard to tell him. Very hard. She’d learned not to trust anyone, but more importantly, she knew not to get close to anyone. Vittorio was already in Haydon’s sights. His family probably was as well, and she owed it to them to warn them.
“He’s capable of being anywhere, Vittorio.” Her words slurred a little and she knew she was going out. “Small spaces, attics. Locks can’t keep him out. He can get in this room through the vents. He might be there now, listening to us.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Have they found him?” Vittorio asked, pushing his hand through his hair. He was getting tired of hearing the same answer.
“Haydon Phillips is a cunning little weasel,” Ricco said. “From everything we’ve gathered, that’s the general consensus. He’s gone to some little hole and is hiding. He knows he’s being hunted, and we’re not the only ones looking for him.”
“Grace has weeks of therapy on that shoulder. The doc told me she’s lucky she can use the arm. He didn’t think she’d have the use of her hand at all, but she can move her fingers and that’s a good sign. I’m taking her home with me, but we’ve got to find him.”