be preparing to cram me headfirst in a fireproof box that would be shipped off to the moon.
He bites at his lip. “I don’t like it. I don’t like you being in danger, but I know that I have to trust you. Because you’re my partner and being in a relationship means we need to trust each other. But I think we have to tell Brooks and Orin so they know what’s happening. We need to tell everyone who is around to protect you so they know what we’re up against. And if they don’t want that threat then I understand and I’ll do my best to protect you even if we have to stand alone,” Marcus says.
Karsyn glances between us. “I… I feel like there’s some real drama stuff going on here and if Marcus is worried about something, I’m positive that’s not a good thing,” Karsyn says. “Can’t you just crush their skulls with just a look or something?”
“I wish. We’re going to finish up here and call a meeting at the station. Finn, are you prepared to work?”
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you,” I say. And I really am thanking him for believing in me.
I let him help me to my feet but once I’m standing, I’m determined to stay focused. To search for clues because, for the first time since he attacked me, I have something to work with. Clues to search through. This is what my job consists of, and I’m good at it. Now let’s hope he fucks up.
Once we’re finished at the crime scene, we head to the department. I’d already sent Orin and Aria a message, asking them to meet us there. Once there, we gather up the people from the department who are already involved with the case and working with me, including Karsyn, Briar, and DeGray.
And then we head to the conference room and wait.
There’s a lot of confusion among the team when Orin and Aria walk in. Orin looks slightly panicked, but when he sees me all in one piece, well… for the most part, he calms down.
“What’s going on?” he asks.
“You already met Karsyn and DeGray the other day, but this is Briar. And you, sadly, know Brooks.”
“Sadly?” Brooks asks with a raised eyebrow.
“Even sadder, he already knows Marcus. That’s probably enough to make him cry every night,” Karsyn says.
“Karsyn, I have an eraser that I’m still extremely curious about using as a projectile to push through your body,” Marcus growls.
Karsyn’s eyes narrow and I realize that it’s fantastic that they’re starting to become buddies.
“What’s going on?” Orin asks.
“Finn, Dad nearly murdered us on the way over here, so he’s not joking around,” Aria says.
“I didn’t nearly murder anyone besides that stupid asshole who thought they’d walk in front of my car.”
“It was green for them,” Aria whispers.
“It’s okay,” I assure them. “If it was an emergency, I would have said, ‘Hey, guys, I’m about to die, please come ASAP.’”
Orin doesn’t seem to think I’m funny at all.
“Okay, have a seat and please, Orin, just listen.” I talk about the first case we had with the woman in the river, and then I start talking about the woman we found today, giving them basic information. “Now I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m bringing this up. Briar, please share what you nicknamed the killer.”
She looks surprised to be called on. “Um… the Dollmaker?”
Orin groans and Brooks quickly turns to her. “Why do you say that?”
She looks more than confused now. “Because… because what he dresses them in makes them look… like dolls.”
Orin shakes his head, clearly not wanting to hear it. “That doesn’t guarantee anything. It can’t. It…”
Brooks looks thoughtful. “The victims have been oddly close to their house and Marcus even mentioned the first one was on the trail Finn uses to walk the dogs. He’s toying with him.”
“What are we going to do?” Aria asks, looking as shaken up as I felt earlier.
“What’s going on?” DeGray asks. “I feel like I’m missing something.”
“You guys are… aware of me losing my arm and my leg. Well… it wasn’t a car accident. When I was sixteen, I was targeted by a vampire who did it to me. For some reason, after he took my arm and my leg, he let me go. Maybe he got off on torturing people and that’s all he wanted to do to me, I don’t know. But when he was done, he dropped me in front of the hospital and left me there. He’s haunted