THE GIRL NEXT DOOR (12 page)

When he’d been sabotaging her all along.

She swallowed and tried to calm her racing heart. “Van McAdams left a very clear message—”

“Van
was
EOD,” Cooper revealed, voice rumbling. “So was Lockwood. Why do you think I’m on the case? They weren’t active-duty EOD any longer, but they were still
ours.
I’m trying to find their killer, and I’m working to make sure that no more agents go down.”

There was more there. She’d already figured the pieces out. When she’d been cuffed in this room, Gabrielle had been given plenty of time to think. “One of your own is killing. He scaled McAdams’s building, right? He did it, the same way that you told Carmichael
you
could do it. He got easy access to those men because they knew him. They trusted him.
He’s one of yours.
”

And that terrified her. Because it sure sounded like EOD agents were trained killing machines.

“The killer is a rogue,” Cooper said as he leaned in even closer. “He killed two other agents that you don’t even know about. He took them out, then he started going after civilians.”

Her breath caught. “Kylie Archer.”

“From what we can tell, she was the first non–EOD agent.” His face hardened. “The agents you don’t know about yet were Jessica Flintwood and Frank Malone. They were partners, a team.”

Just like she’d been partners with Cooper.

“He killed Jessica first. He slit her throat, just like with the others. Then he took out Frank a few weeks later.”

Her eyelids flickered. “He kills a woman, then a man.” But...with Kylie and Lockwood, they’d been a couple. So had Melanie and Van. Her gaze widened. “Were Jessica and—ah, Frank, were they involved?”

He frowned at her. “What?”

“Were they involved?” She could see the pattern, it was right there. “A couple. Just like the others.”

“I don’t know...” His head cocked to the right. “They worked together closely. Agents aren’t supposed to cross that line, so if they were, they would’ve kept it quiet.”

“But he found out.” It made sense to her, but Cooper was still frowning. “He’s targeting the women first, then going after their men.” She didn’t know why, but the killer had a pattern, a routine that he was following.”

“Right now,” his voice roughened, “I’m worried he’s going after
you.
” A grim pause, then Cooper said, “He’s calling
you
,
breaking into
your
house, targeting
you.
”

His words made her afraid, but she wasn’t about to give into fear then.

“But it’s not going to happen,” he promised her. “Because I am not going to let anyone hurt you.”

Before she could say anything else, his head lowered, and his mouth pressed to hers.

* * *

N
OELLE
E
VERS
JOLTED
. “That’s it. That’s why he does it!”

Deuce Porter glanced at her. “Ma’am, that’s a kiss.” His smile was wide. “Maybe we should step out of observation and give those two some privacy.”

Mercer had sent her down to watch the interaction between Cooper and Gabrielle, because he’d thought Gabrielle might speak more freely to that agent.

Mercer had been right.

But what she’d learned, the profile that was developing before her, it wasn’t what she’d expected. “I have to see Mercer.”

Deuce’s brows climbed. “I thought you’d be talking to all of us. You know...figuring out which one of us has snapped and gone crazy.” He shrugged. “Though you’ll no doubt have a hard time picking just one candidate. I think we’re all a little crazy.”

“I know what he’s doing,” she said, excitement growing within her. “
Why
he’s doing it.” The why was the most important part. Once you understood a killer’s motivation, that made the perp vulnerable. You could manipulate him then.

Trap him.

She hurried for the door.

“Why?” Deuce asked, the question a growl. “I’d like to know why he killed my friend. Lockwood and I—we worked plenty of missions together. He was a good man. He didn’t deserve to go down like that.”

She couldn’t tell the agent why. She was only supposed to talk with Mercer. Just him.

Noelle opened the door and hurried into the hallway. She was in such a hurry to get to Mercer that she slammed straight into the man standing there.

Big, strong, with midnight-black hair and dark, golden eyes, the fellow caught her in an instant and held her in a steady grip.

“Dragon, you don’t want to be getting too close to her...” Deuce warned from behind her. “She’s Mercer’s profiler. She’s here to find out which one of us has gone psychotic.”

Dragon?

The man before her slowly released his hold on her.

“Of course, after what happened to you on that last mission, maybe
you
should be talking to her,” Deuce mused. “How many of your captors did you kill? And all without even a single weapon.”

She shouldn’t be hearing this. She should be rushing for the elevator and hurrying up to see Mercer.

Instead, Noelle found it hard to look away from that man’s golden eyes. She frowned at him, a pulse of recognition stirring within her. “Have we met before, agent?”

His lips curved in the faintest of smiles. “I’ve seen you, but I don’t think you’ve seen me, Doctor.”

Then he turned around and headed down the hallway. His movements were absolutely soundless, and he moved with an easy, catlike grace.

Deuce came to her side. “Be careful with him,” he murmured. “I mean it, Agent Evers. I’ve never seen a more deadly agent, and I’ve been here for almost seven years now. That guy doesn’t get close to anyone, and when he kills...” His breath rushed out. “We’re supposed to have remorse, aren’t we? We’re supposed to be more than just machines, following orders.” His hands shoved into his pockets. “People should matter more than just mission orders.”

Yes, they should.

She cleared her throat and hurried for the elevator. Noelle slipped inside.

She wasn’t in that elevator alone.

The man Deuce had called “Dragon” was there. He didn’t speak as they rode up that elevator together.

Goose bumps rose on her arms.

There was something about him.

One look, and he’d scared her.

One look, and he’d—

The elevator chimed. The doors opened. Noelle nearly tripped as she rushed out and toward the desk of Mercer’s assistant.

Before she could even ask to see the director, he was there, frowning at her. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

It wasn’t what
had
already happened that made her fear so much.

They went back into Mercer’s office. He closed the door, sealing them inside. She tried to calm her racing heartbeat. “Kylie Archer was involved with Keith Lockwood.”

His brow furrowed. “I already told you—”

“Your rogue killed her in order to get at Lockwood. She was the easy kill, the one who wouldn’t expect his attack. Then, while Lockwood was grieving, while he was weak with his loss, the killer went after him.”

The pairs made so much sense to her now. Once she’d realized that the first two victims were also intimately connected, she understood why the rogue was taking out the women first.
Because he wants the men to suffer more. He wants them to mourn for what they’ve lost.

Mercer’s expression tightened. “He did the same thing with Melanie and Van.”

Yes, he had. “He’s killing the women, almost executing them, and I think he is doing it just to make their lovers suffer. He wants them to hurt, to grieve. When they’re broken, then he goes in—”

“—for the kill,” Mercer finished.

“He’s doing it again. It’s already in motion. I can see it now.” Her words were coming out too fast, so she tried to slow them down. “Gabrielle Harper. He’s not talking to her because she’s the reporter investigating his kills. He’s focused on her because of her relationship to Cooper.” A very personal relationship, judging by what she’d just seen in that interrogation room. “He’s already told us—we just didn’t realize—Gabrielle is his next target. And, once she’s dead...”

His voice and face grim, Mercer said, “He’ll go after Cooper.”

Chapter Ten

He shouldn’t be kissing her. He should be taking things slower, trying to soothe her. Trying to mend the fences that he’d destroyed.

But he needed her. So much.

His body pressed against hers, and Cooper knew that Gabrielle had to feel the force of his arousal. For her.

Everything was for her.

Her hands flew up and grabbed his shoulders. He tensed, expecting her to push him away.

Then her mouth parted beneath his. Her tongue met his. She kissed him back with the same raw, wild need that he felt.

In that moment, she nearly brought him to his knees.

Everything was going to be all right. Gabrielle understood why he’d kept his true identity secret. They could go back to the way things had been before.

Her taste made him light-headed, desperate for more.

His hands locked around her. He pulled her against him, holding the curve of her hips.

But then she shoved against him. “No.” Her voice was husky but brimming with anger. “Just because I want you, you
aren’t
going to get away with what you’ve done to me.”

Tears glittered in her gorgeous eyes. Actual tears.

“I trusted you. You broke into my home. You destroyed evidence.”

“I was following orders.” Those words seemed hollow to his ears.

She edged away from him. “That’s what you’re still doing. Let me guess...whoever runs this place told you to come in here and charm me again?”

He wasn’t touching that one.

She laughed, and the sound wasn’t like her at all. Gabrielle wasn’t that bitter. Gabrielle was open, happy.

“This isn’t going to work.
We
aren’t going to work.” She headed for the door.

He had to stop her. Cooper hated to do it, but he stepped into her path.

Her head tilted back as she stared up at him. “What are you going to do?” Gabrielle asked him as she swiped a hand over her cheek. “Handcuff me again?”

“No.”
Stay calm. Stay calm.
But it was hard because he felt like his world was unraveling before his eyes. “I’m going to make sure that you’re free to go, but in return, you have to do something for me.”

“I get to just walk out of here?” Doubt was plain on her face.

“We have your flash drive. You don’t know anything else about the EOD, nothing concrete. And if you try to cover the story, you
will
put lives at risk.” He crossed his arms over his chest and studied her. “That’s not who you are. You bring justice to families. You don’t go out and try to hurt anyone.”

“You actually sound as if you know me.”

“I do.” Better than he’d known any other lover.

“I wish I could say the same about you.”

Hit.
The woman was lethal with her words.

“But I don’t know you,” Gabrielle continued on fiercely. “I feel like I’m staring straight at a stranger.”

“You’re staring at your lover.” She wasn’t going to deny that—deny
them.

She gave a hard shake of her head. “I’m staring at an EOD agent who’s done nothing but lie to me.”

“I’m the one who got you out of Lockwood’s place so the cops wouldn’t find you there. I’m the one who’s been helping you.” She might not want to see the truth now, but sooner or later, she’d have to look past her rage.

I want sooner.

“We can keep helping each other,” he told her, trying to keep the desperate edge out of his words. “We make a good team, Gabrielle, and that doesn’t have to end. Agree to drop any inquiries into the EOD, and I’ll talk to my boss. I’ll get you out of here.”

Her eyelashes flickered. “Why did I get dragged into this place? If I already had an EOD agent with me day
and
night, then why did I—” She broke off as her eyes widened.
“You.”

Hell. This was about to go from bad to worse.

“
You
were chasing after me. I ran from you, and you called in your backup, didn’t you?”

His back teeth had locked. “A killer is out there. After
you.
What was I supposed to do? Let you run straight into danger?”

“You don’t even know that he’s after me—”

The door opened behind Cooper.

“Yes,” Bruce Mercer’s distinct voice said clearly. “We do know that the killer is after you, Ms. Harper. And if you want to keep living, then I would suggest that you calm down and get used to the idea of working with the EOD.”

T
HE
PROFILER
WAS
too damn good.

She’d been poking her head in where it didn’t belong, getting too close.

Trying to learn too much about me.

He hadn’t thought Mercer would pull in an outsider to hunt him.

He’d underestimated the bastard.

He hurried down the hallway. Other agents were working, barely glancing his way.

They knew that a killer was among them. Did they care?

No, because we’re all killers.

Some just hid that truth a bit better than others.

He rounded the corner. His gaze cut to the office on the right.

She
was there.

He sucked in a deep breath and walked closer to her door.

Then he heard her laugh.

Rachel Mancini wasn’t alone, and there was only one man that ever made her laugh.

A few more steps and he saw that Dylan Foxx was leaning over her, putting his body too close to hers.

The fool gave away too much when he looked at Rachel. He made the same mistakes that Frank Malone had made with his Jessica.

His glances were too possessive, his posture too protective.

Rachel might not feel the same way that Dylan did, but what did that matter?

He needed a distraction, someone else for the profiler and Mercer to focus on.

He’d change the order of his game. Move his pieces around the board a bit.

Rachel glanced up then. The smile was still on her pretty face as she looked at him.

Time for my attack.

He stepped into her office.

* * *

C
OOPER
BRACED
HIS
body in front of Gabrielle’s. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said flatly.

Wait, who was he talking to? Gabrielle peered around his shoulder. The older man with the gray at his temples or Agent Evers?

Gabrielle pushed onto her tiptoes and tried to see a bit better.

“No.” Cooper spun around and grabbed her shoulders. “The less you know about him, the better off you are.”

Her heart slammed into her ribs. Just when she’d thought that things surely couldn’t get any worse...

“Don’t be so certain,” the man replied. “I’m here to offer Ms. Harper a very special deal, one that I think she’ll accept, if she wants to keep living.”

She met that man’s stare, feeling a wave of shock sweep over her. “Are you threatening me?”

The man was handsome, tall, fit...and dangerous. The danger clung to him like a second skin.

Noelle Evers stood beside him, and she kept glancing nervously at the fellow.

“I don’t threaten,” the man said simply. “Threats are a waste of time. It’s actions that matter.”

Cooper dropped his hold on her.

Gabrielle shook her head. “Who are you?”

“Let’s just say I’m an old friend of your boss’s.”

Doubtful. “Are you the same ‘friend’ who convinced Hugh to take his little out-of-town trip?”

He flashed a grim smile. “Guilty.”

Okay.
Her breath was icy in her lungs. She wasn’t just looking at another agent. “You’re the one in charge here, huh?”

His head inclined.

“You’re in danger,” Noelle said, her words sharp. “I think you’re the killer’s next victim.”

Was that true? Or just the EOD’s way of trying to keep Gabrielle in line?

“I believe that he’s going to come after you—” Noelle advanced toward her “—in order to hurt Cooper.”

Her temples were throbbing. “How would targeting me do anything to Cooper?”

Beside her, Cooper growled. Actually growled.

Her gaze shot to him.

“It would do plenty.” He’d never looked at her quite that way before. The intensity in his eyes scorched through her.

For a moment, Gabrielle was at a loss.

“You need protection.” The big boss seemed definite on this point. “The local cops can’t handle this killer—”

“—because he’s someone you trained, and now you can’t control him?” Yep. There she went. Saying perhaps a wee bit too much to a man who could probably make her vanish in five seconds flat. Actually, he’d
already
made her vanish.

Mr. Mysterious stared at her.

Just stared.

She stared back, not about to let him think he was pushing her around—even if he was.

“I want this rogue stopped,” he said clearly. “And I also want you to keep living. Despite what you may believe about me, my organization doesn’t target innocents. We
save
them.”

“The killer isn’t saving anyone, and he’s part of
your
organization.”

Mr. Mysterious glowered at her.

Noelle focused on Gabrielle. “He’s called you. He’s broken into your house.”

Gabrielle’s eyes darted to Cooper, then back to Noelle. “There seems to be a lot of that going around.”

Noelle’s lips tightened. “The next move he makes could be to kill you.”

She wasn’t in the mood to die.

Cooper’s boss straightened his, well,
already
ramrod-straight shoulders. “There are over two dozen of my agents currently working undercover missions. They are putting their lives on the line in order to protect innocents.” That gaze of his was practically arctic. “Before we go any farther, I have to know that I can trust you, Ms. Harper.”

Wait. He doubted
her?
“I’m not the one who’s been pretending here!”

“Gabrielle,” Cooper snapped out.

“Don’t ‘Gabrielle’ me.” She marched right up to Mr. Mysterious. “Look, I’m not interested in blowing the covers of your agents. I’m interested in stopping this killer. I made a promise to Kylie Archer’s little brother. I told him I’d do everything possible to give his sister justice, and I mean to do exactly that.”

“Even if the price you pay for that justice is your own life?” The man asked her. “Don’t you think that price is too steep?” His gaze slid to Cooper. “I can already tell you,
he
thinks it’s too high.”

“I don’t plan on dying,” she managed to say. “I’m not blowing the covers of your agents, and I’m not winding up in a morgue.” She paused. “Happy now? Can I go?”

“Once you agree to let Agent Marshall stick to your side—24/7—yes, then I’ll be...happy.”

She wasn’t sure anything could truly make this guy happy. “Why are we even playing this game? You’re going to stick me with your agent, no matter what I say.”

His eyes seemed to warm as he studied her. “Cooper was right, you know. The two of you did make a good team.”

Her gaze snapped to the mirror. She’d been in enough police stations to know how those two-way viewing mirrors worked. “I wondered how much of an audience we had.”

Apparently, a pretty big one.

Gabrielle sighed. To get out of that place, she’d be ready to promise plenty. “I agree to the deal.”

“You won’t regret it,” Cooper promised softly.

She already did. Actually, there were quite a few things she regretted concerning Cooper Marshall, but she’d shared enough with these folks.

“We’re going to be monitoring your phone line. If he calls you again, we’ll trace his call,” the big boss said.

“I’m surprised you weren’t already monitoring me,” she muttered.

Cooper’s cheeks flushed. “We were,” he confessed. “After the first phone call—”

“Right, I got it.” She shoved back her hair. “So I’m a target, the killer is coming, and I’m supposed to be the bait to lure him out. I think I’m up to speed now.” Though she’d rather not be just then.

“You’re not bait,” Cooper immediately denied. His arm brushed against hers. “You’re my partner. I keep telling you that. We’re working together from here on out.”

She wanted to believe him.

She couldn’t.

“Cooper Marshall is the only EOD agent that you should trust,” the boss told her.

Her eyebrows lifted at that warning.

“The others you’ve met—Rachel, Dylan—I don’t want you alone with any of them. Cooper was out of the country when I first became aware of the rogue. Cooper is clear.” Spoken flatly. “Trust him.”

Noelle nodded. “And I’m going to finish working up my profile. Understanding why the rogue is killing is key. He’s targeting the women first for a special reason. I—I think it’s even possible that the man we’re after lost someone that he cared about, and now he’s determined to take out his rage on the other agents. He wants them to feel the same pain, the same agony that he experienced.”

Cooper frowned. “He’s punishing
us?
”

“By taking away what you value most,” the boss told him. “So remember the advice I gave you. Do whatever is necessary, Cooper, to protect what matters most.”

* * *

G
ABRIELLE
COULD
ONLY
see darkness. Another blindfold covered her eyes. Only this time, Cooper had been the one to blindfold her.

She might have gotten an audience with the mysterious EOD boss, but apparently she didn’t have enough clearance to learn the EOD’s address.

A door shut. Cooper took her hand, as he’d already done several times. A car engine growled, and then she heard the distinct sound of wheels rolling away.

Their ride—heading back to the EOD.

She waited, expecting Cooper to remove the blindfold.

When he didn’t, she tensed.
What’s next?

His fingers curled around her elbow, and he led her forward. He guided her up a set of steps.

A wind chime sounded. A familiar sound. It was
her
wind chime.

Her hands lifted, and Gabrielle ripped that blindfold away.

They were back at the brownstone.

So much for not being bait.

Cooper stood beside her. He stared at her with wary eyes. The guy was right to be wary. The darkness of the night surrounded him, and the only light spilled from the porch. In that harsh light, his face seemed carved from granite. The shadows and darkness surrounded him.