to work. Rose wasn’t one hundred percent sure what she was even looking for—a picture, a note, something that would tie Dylan to the crimes? But, really, this was Dylan. A jerk, yes. Arrogant, absolutely. She just had a hard time picturing him as a serial killer. Then again, she had a hard time picturing pretty much anyone as a serial killer.
She crept into Dylan’s bedroom. He had a massive bed with—sure, why not?—black satin sheets that were turned down.
“What a tool,” War muttered as he opened one of the nearby dresser drawers.
Her lips wanted to twitch as she glanced at him.
“Rose.” His voice was hard. Angry.
Her smile froze. “What is it?”
“Take a look.”
She hurried to his side and peered into the drawer. The last thing she felt like spying was Dylan’s underwear, but—she didn’t see underwear in that drawer.
She saw a black morph mask. Just like the one the bastard who’d attacked her had worn. Her gaze locked on that mask, and she could not look away.
“Still think he couldn’t be a killer?” War asked.
All of the blood seemed to be rushing away from her head. Rose sucked in desperate gulps of air. With a shaking hand, she reached for the mask. Her gloved fingers closed around it, and she lifted it up.
Pictures were tucked under the mask.
Pictures…of her. Of her running in the morning along the beach. Of her laughing as she had lunch along the pier. Of her kissing Dylan. No, he kissed me. He set me up.
He’d…tried to kill her?
But it wasn’t just photos. There were three phones there, too. Burner phones. And the killer had been calling her. Taunting her.
“War.” She looked up at him as her heart squeezed. What did they do now? How did they get the cops to see this evidence? The cops had to obtain it legally or it would be thrown out in a court case. If Dylan had killed those women, then she didn’t want him walking. She wanted him rotting in a cell.
“Don’t worry. I have a plan. Put it all back.”
She slid the photos and the mask back into place. Started to push the drawer shut.
“Not all the way, baby.” His fingers tangled with hers.
Her heart shoved hard in her chest.
“Leave it open. Just enough so that you can see that mask.”
Her response was a jerky nod.
In moments, they were out of the house. He’d reset the alarm before they exited. They rushed to his car, and she flew into the front seat just before her jiggly knees would have given out on her.
Dylan? He’d done this? He’d killed those women and come after her? She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around the horror that someone she knew, a man she’d worked with day in and day out, was a monster.
“Yeah. Yeah. You heard me right. Dylan Nelson’s house. You need to do a search in there.”
War’s voice had her jerking back to the present. Her head swiveled toward him. He was talking to someone on his phone. She frowned at him.
His head turned. He met her stare. His eyes were cold. Hard. The darkness glinted. “You’ll find evidence that will tie him to this mess.” A pause. “What? Getting the search warrant is your department, not mine.”
A search warrant? But…wait, was he talking to the cops? “War?”
“How the hell am I supposed to give you probable cause? Not like that was part of our deal.”
Just who did he have a deal with? But the answer was there…because it was the only thing that made sense. The cops.
Yet…yet War had said he’d be working with her. That he’d give her forty-eight hours before he turned her over to the authorities.
Except now he was talking to someone—someone she thought must be a cop, and he was talking about their deal.
Betrayal burned through her.
“Don’t look at me like that,” War growled.
How was she looking at him? Like he’d lied to her? Set her up?
“No, no, dammit, I am not talking to you!” he fired to whoever was on the phone. “You have to get in that dick’s house. What? Jesus, do I have to do everything? Fine. Fine. When security gets called, make sure you are on scene.” He hung up the phone. Narrowed his eyes on Rose. “Do not look at me like that.”
“How?”
“Like I freaking stole your favorite puppy, ate your last bit of cookie dough ice cream, and hid all the chocolate in the house from you.”
Her lips wanted to tremble so she pressed them together.