again. Now I just wanted it all to stop. Bring me back to the safety of my bartending job, my schooling, and time spent with my sisters. Except I wasn’t stupid. With a killer on the loose, my entire life was going to change in every way imaginable.
“The FBI is handling the case in tandem with local law enforcement. We will keep you apprised as information becomes available. However, the manner in which this woman died was violent and intentional. He chose her by convenience but not what he did or where he did it. Your sister is not safe. Frankly, I’m not comfortable saying any of you are safe. I’d like to suggest you pair up for a while. Prevent yourself from ever being alone while we hunt this man and bring him to justice.”
“Why do you think we’re at risk?” Genesis, the ever-smart, methodical, and logical one asked. She also had the most to lose, since her three-year-old was her entire world.
“We know the perp has your sister’s phone, though she has informed me that it was password protected and has a GPS. We’ve got a tech guy monitoring it to see if it goes on. Right now, it’s off. Simone also tells me she didn’t have an address book at home nor specifics about where any of you lived. However, he did take a family portrait of the nine of you standing out in front of this house. It’s easy enough to recognize Sonia and figure out that she is the Senator. That puts her in a very high-profile public position. If someone searched for her, they could unearth her past here and at Kerrighan house. Eventually it’s all a matter of records. We don’t know what he’s capable of. Which is also why I’ve decided that Simone will come and stay with me at my home until this is all settled.”
His words went in through my ears, percolated around my brain and then still didn’t come up with one plus one equaling two.
“Wait, what?” I stuttered not sure I heard him correctly.
“It’s the safest plan. I share a house with Agent Russell. Two FBI agents in one place. Pretty damn safe.”
“I’ll say!” Addy finally piped up for the first time tonight, her long brown hair falling all over her shoulders in pretty, full waves that many women would beg, barter, and steal for. She looked Jonah up and down, her eyes sparkling with mirth. “I most certainly would not be passing up the chance to stay in his bed, Goldilocks.” She came over and plopped down on the side of the couch, her arm going around my back and hugging me to her ample bosom.
I nudged her back. “Horn dog,” I teased lightening the tension in the room a little.
“Um, have you seen him?” She continued to prod me.
Jonah covered up a laugh by pretending to cough, though when his gaze met mine, it was filled to the brim with an unspoken heat.
“No one is denying Agent Fontaine’s obvious…” Sonia looked him up and down as though she were assessing not only his looks but his brawn, and his command of the situation. “Attributes, and/or skills as a protector, but I have a team of people to keep her safe and alive in a high rise, with a doorman, and Fort Knox-style security. Why the hell wouldn’t it be most prudent for her to stay with me?”
“You’re the first person I’d go after if I was in the killer’s shoes and looking for her sister.”
I gasped and intense fear sliced through my gut. I bent over my knees and tried to breathe deep. Addy rubbed my back.
“Shhh, shhh, she’s fine. No one would dare mess with Sonia. Her team would eat them up. Plus, she can be really scary,” Addy whispered and ran her hand through my hair and down my back until I sat back up. I’d lost my fight with the tears, and no longer cared if I looked weak and weepy. A serious load of crap had landed in my life and it felt like everything was falling apart at the seams.
Blessing put both of her hands to her hips, firmed her jaw, and with a grit to her voice said, “I could talk to my dad. No one would touch her.”
“No!” I screeched knowing what that meant.
“Absolutely not!” Sonia shifted around and put her hand up in a stop gesture.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” Liliana blurted, her hand immediately moving in the sign