Free KNOX: Volume 4 by Cassia Leo Page B

thinking or doing right now because all I can see is Rebecca. Every step she takes, her silky brown hair bounces on her bare shoulders. She’s wearing a blue tube top and tiny cutoff jean shorts. Her pink lipgloss makes her mouth glimmer in the dull restaurant lighting. Everything about her shines. She’s beautiful.
    I lower my head and stare at the surface of the wooden table to keep from looking at her again.
    John leans in and whispers in my ear, “Don’t get any crazy ideas. She’s too young for you.” I swallow hard and nod my head. He laughs as he squeezes my shoulder. “Good things come to those who wait…. They also get to keep their legs.”
    This makes me laugh and gives me the courage to look up as Rebecca arrives at our table. Jerry looks away, the same way I did just a moment ago. Then she smiles at me.
    That’s all it takes. One dazzling smile. And right there I make a promise to myself: I’ll wait for Rebecca. As long as it takes.
    I open my eyes and someone’s standing over John and me. A crime scene tech. He’s waiting for me to move so he can collect his evidence. Then the coroner can come in, bag John up and take him away. The pain in my chest returns, but this ache has nothing to do with the gunshot.
    I haven’t made many promises in my life. I don’t believe in making promises I may not deliver on. But I know I’ll find Rebecca. And when I do, I’ll keep the promise I made to John when I asked for Rebecca’s hand in marriage. I promised him I’d keep her safe for at least two years before I marry her.
    “I’ll wait at least two years,” I whisper to John. “I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

3

    Knox

    The medic won’t let me leave unless I allow her to bandage my ribs. I try insisting that I’m fine. I’ve broken more ribs than a crash test dummy. But she’s not impressed with this information.
    I sit on the gurney with my shirt off as she wraps the adhesive bandage across my chest, under my left arm and over my right shoulder. All I can think of as her fingers whisper over my skin is Rebecca. I stare at the flashing lights on top of the ambulance next to us. Anything not to look at her as she touches me. Finally, she finishes bandaging me up and I hop off the gurney and mutter my thanks as I walk away.
    I stop by Verduta and Armstrong’s car to update them on my plans. Verduta still looks annoyed. The woman shoots me in the chest and she has the nerve to be annoyed with me. If that rat bastard Tony would have given up Rebecca’s location I wouldn’t have charged her in the basement. Not that I thought Tony would just give up the information. But I expected to have more time to get it out of him.
    “I’m flying out in twenty. I need to tell Marie myself.”
    Armstrong nods his head and Verduta shrugs. “Not like we can stop you, right?”
    “You’re a fast learner, Karen.”
    She winces at the use of her first name. “Don’t ever call me Karen again.”
    I slap the hood of the blue Crown Victoria. “As long as you all don’t send any units to Marie’s until morning. It’ll be past midnight by the time I get there to break the news. She needs some time to process everything and get some rest. That’s all I’m asking.”
    Verduta heaves a long sigh and shakes her head. “Eight a.m. tomorrow. She better be ready to talk. We still have two missing persons on our hands.” She glances around at the flurry of cops, detectives, and medics. “And don’t go trying to find them on your own. That’s our job, remember?”
    I smile and nod because I know that last line was just for show. Verduta knows if there’s anyone who’ll find Rebecca, it’s me. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do. But first I have to tell Marie her husband is dead.
    Shortly after finding out Bruno was transported to the hospital, just barely holding on, the helicopter arrives in a large field behind the farmhouse. I keep my chin down as I approach the chopper, then I pull myself in and