Drained (Edgars Family #6) - Suzanne Ferrell Page 0,30

like some insights on what we might be looking for before that happens.”

“Understood. I have a guy in mind who can help you, if he’s not on an active case. Carson Smith. Guy’s a genius but can only focus on one unsub at a time. You might call him intense.” There was a pause on the other end of the phone, then Aaron heard some rustling of papers. “I’ll text him to find out if he’s available, then get back to you.”

“I’d appreciate it. We’re about to go crash for a few hours.”

“We?”

“Brianna is with me,” was all he said. Carlisle could read into it all he wanted.

“I’ll have information for you by morning.”

They disconnected just as Brianna pulled into her driveway. He had to give her credit. She managed to park the car in the garage and turn off the engine before going on the offensive.

“Jake’s going to think we’re dating.”

“He could. Or he could just assume that since I told him you brought this case to my attention, you are involved in it somehow.” He climbed out of the car and stood with the door open as she did the same.

“But you told him we were going to sleep,” she said, glaring at him over the hood of her car. Even in the florescent lights of the garage her blue eyes lit with anger. “He’ll think we’re sleeping together, which, by the way, we are not.”

“What I told him was, we were going to crash. Which we are. We’ve both been up nearly twenty-four hours.” He closed his door, opened the back passenger one for Stanley.

“And you think you’re going to crash here?” she asked, standing with one hand on her hip, the other on her open car door, one brow arched his direction.

“Stanley is a witness. He can’t stay at my place and leaving him here alone with you could be dangerous,” he said, waiting for her reaction to him implied slight.

Her brows shot up and she slammed the car door, stomping around to stand just a few inches from him. “You think I can’t take care of him?”

God, she was a glorious sight when she was pissed. In the three years he’d known her, she’d never gotten angry like this. Since the day he rescued her from the mansion, she’d been subdued. Her emotions suppressed as if she were afraid to show her true self, to give in to her passion. Seeing her like this? It was magnificent.

He hated to temper it, but she needed to understand Paula and Stanley weren’t the only ones in danger of the killer coming after them. She’d been seen tonight, too.

“I think you can take care of him. But I need to keep him safe.” He took a step closer. “And you safe, too.”

“Me?” Her brows slammed down in confusion.

“Yes, you. If the murderer was outside the building tonight, he could’ve seen you with Stanley. If he recognizes Stanley as Art’s dog, he might come after him…and you.”

The overhead light in the garage went out, leaving them standing in darkness.

Aaron inhaled, getting a mixture of the slight floral of her perfume and the feminine scent that always made him want to reach out to touch her, although he knew she wasn’t ready for more. A low growl sounded from the bundle of fur in his hands.

Brianna made an exasperated snort. “Oh, hell. This is ridiculous. I’m not going to stand in the dark and argue with you. Come inside,” she said, moving away toward the door to the house.

Stroking Stanley soothingly, Aaron waited for her to open the door and turn on a light for him to follow. He’d never been inside her home. While she’d been recovering in rehab, Abby and the Edgars had sold her old condo and purchased her a new one, in a new neighborhood, not wanting her to have to return to the trauma of her kidnapping. When she’d come home from the hospital it had been Abby and her sister-in-law Katie who’d accompanied her. Only female law enforcement had been assigned for her protection. The only male allowed entrance had been Kirk F.

Turning, she punched a code into the alarm keypad. “The security company will call in five minutes if it’s not reset. Sorry the place is such a mess,” she said, moving through into the great room, then took a turn to the right and disappeared.

Walking inside through a laundry mud room area, he stepped into a large kitchen and great room combo.