Free Perfect Reflection by Jana Leigh Page B

her bedroom.
She had to unpack, maybe she could waste a bit of time before she
called down to the front desk and asked for supplies—and a bottle
of wine. They acted like just because she passed out that she was
helpless, shit , it was from lack of food and sleep for two
days. Neither the first time nor the last that Jewel would be
sucked into a case. Seeing the way that bastard liked to inflict
pain on females, she wanted him off the streets, and she pushed
herself hard. Get the fuck over it , she thought and then
frowned. Well, all of them were going to find out how strong she
was. She was not a push over, she was a bad-ass female with a gun,
and damn it, they would respect that.
    “Benny, Vander, meeting here at eight in the morning
sharp. Lex and Ret, have the files delivered to me tonight so I can
get them done,” she said briskly. “I can handle it from here, I am
not a child. Go, and I will see you in the morning.”
    The men looked at each other but didn’t argue,
instead they all filed out of the room. She didn’t realize she was
holding her breath until they left. Damn men . Too bad she
didn’t have any female friends to talk to, this one would have been
worthy of a phone call and bitch session, as it was, Jewel was on
her own.
     
    ***
     
    She waited for them to leave before she walked back
into her bedroom. Damn , where was her suitcase. Searching
she finally found it tucked away in the closet, someone must have
moved it. She pulled it and picked it up, making it flop on her
bed.
    With a sigh, she opened the zipper and then stepped
back in shock. On the top was a baggie; it held a necklace she knew
was not hers. Bending forward she looked at it closely, making sure
she didn’t touch it. Jewel looked around for a pen to move it
with.
    Using the pen with the hotel name on it, Jewel turned
it over and she stood back and gasped. Shit , she knew this
necklace; it had been one she wore when she was a teen. What the
fuck was going on? It was a silver chain that had a circle pendant
with the words My Princess scrolled on the front with a cheap stone
in the center. Josh had won it for her at a carnival; she had worn
it proudly until it had turned her neck green. Where had she
lost it ? she wondered, it had been so long ago, who knew.
    Digging into the side of her bag carefully, she
pulled out her small murder bag she carried at all times. It held a
pair of gloves and other things needed if she had to process a
scene while on the run.
    Finally picking up the bag, she looked at it closer.
When she pushed on the edge a little with her finger, she saw the
smear of blood come off the edge. Shit , someone was sending
her a message, it had to be the killer, but she had no clue what
the hell it meant.
    She saw a small piece of paper attached to the edge
of it. WHORE NUMBER ONE, it said and she frowned. Was she the
whore?
     

 
    Chapter
Ten
     
     
    “Just a bit more and all will be forgiven,” the
Redeemer said as he held the knife in his hand. He had loved to see
how far he could push this one; shifter DNA was amazing. For hours,
he cut, burned, beat, and fucked this woman into submission. The
fact that she healed after every instance was amazing, well, until
he began to push it. Blood loss would kill a shifter if they were
drained, the Redeemer found out. Her sobs meant nothing to him.
    He pulled her skin taunt over her arms again when the
wound closed too much. He smiled, then registered the groan she
made when he pressed the sharp edge against her arm. “What do you
have to confess?”
    He laughed while she mumbled and spoke to him of all
of her transgressions—the first ones he had been able to listen to
for the humans died after the first time he cut them, shifters were
so much better.
    When he had returned from making a show for the
people who would never know that he was the Redeemer, he had been
pissed. After all these killings, the police still had no idea what
they were doing. Possibly, maybe these cases