The Best Man to Trust - By Kerry Connor Page 0,52

better on the inside, as great as this man was.

It suddenly struck her just how much she liked him. She simply liked him, as a person, who he was deep down. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d met someone she simply liked on a basic, instinctive level. Maybe she never had. She’d certainly never met anyone like him before. If only she had. If only he’d noticed her. If only she’d been brave enough back then...

It was foolish to think that way. There was no changing the past, no way to go back. Thinking about it was a waste of time. All that mattered was that she had met him—here, now—at a time, at a moment when she needed him. It was the lone bright spot in these terrible few days, and she would always be grateful he’d been here for her, even as she couldn’t help wishing he hadn’t had to be.

Suddenly realizing just how long she’d been sitting there staring into his eyes, she made herself look away, even as part of her regretted breaking the unexpected intimacy they shared.

Even as part of her recognized that as long as she’d been staring into his eyes, he’d been staring back.

“We should get to bed,” Meredith said. “You’re going to need the rest if you’re going to work with Rick in the morning.”

Tom frowned. “What about you? What are you going to do?”

“I’ll watch over everyone else, try keep an eye on them and make sure nothing happens.”

“And who’ll keep an eye out for you?”

It was a valid question, and she couldn’t help feel a flicker of apprehension as she thought about it. She did her best to shake it off, the way she had to. “I’ll just have to keep an eye out for myself. I am the one in charge here, right?”

He didn’t respond, but she didn’t miss the way his lips thinned with disapproval. She knew what he was thinking, but she meant what she said.

As much as she appreciated him being here for her, when it came right down to it, the only one a person could rely on was her—or him—self. She’d learned that the hard way with Brad, when she’d failed to be strong enough, failed to defend herself. She couldn’t do that again, couldn’t be that weak. She was going to have to take care of herself.

Learning how to do that was a long time in the making.

* * *

TWO DOWN...

Poor, stupid Jess. So scared. So cautious. And in the end, she hadn’t seen it coming.

She’d left her room to use the bathroom, and on her way back she’d let her guard down at just exactly the wrong moment. She’d been a step away from being safely back in her room.

Instead, she’d met her fate.

A memory of the way her face had looked at that moment lingered. No, she hadn’t seen it coming—the first stab at least.

The second and the third...those she’d seen.

And in the final moments, when she’d been told exactly why she’d had to die, a flash of recognition had passed over her eyes, briefly eclipsing the fear.

In the end, though, the fear had won out. The sheer terror that she was about to die.

And then she had.

The fear was the most satisfying part. Dying wasn’t enough. They deserved to suffer.

One of them in particular... That would happen soon enough.

Everything was going according to plan. Soon it would be over.

And justice would be served at last.

Chapter Fourteen

Tom was up early the next morning. He’d had too much running through his head to let him get much sleep. Too many vivid memories of Haley and Jess, as they’d looked in life—and death. Too many questions and too few answers. Too many doubts about the people around him, both the strangers and his old friends.

Too many thoughts of Meredith, peering up at him, vulnerable and lovely and brave.

Meredith, looking terrified as the murderer moved in on her for the kill—

It was the last thought that finally forced him out of bed. He would sleep when this was over, when they were safe.

A check out his window confirmed that the snow seemed to have slowed down. The flurries weren’t coming down nearly as hard or fast as they had been the past two days. Unfortunately, he still got no signal on his phone. Pulling on his boots and warmest clothes, Tom took his coat with him when he left his room. He wasn’t sure when Rick would want to get started on digging