Free Bought by Jaymie Holland Page A

have them on his wall.”
    “I guess you’re not just anyone.” Her words
were muffled against his shirt.
    He drew back and her gaze met his. “No, I’m
not.”
    With his arm around her shoulders, he
escorted her to the door of his office. “Stand here. I don’t want
you to have to see the pictures again but I want to show you a
couple of things.”
    She remained in place, a part of her still
wondering if she should run. Her heart was still pounding but the
adrenaline rush that had powered her fear was starting to
subside.
    He returned and he showed her an FBI award
certificate and a plaque, both with his name on them. “These are
just a couple of things. If you want more, I can show you
more.”
    “That’s fine.” She took a deep breath. “I
think I’m okay now.”
    “Good.” He put his arm around her shoulders
again and guided her to the kitchen and then to the table where he
helped her sit down. “First things first,” he said as he drew his
phone out of his pocket and then he punched in a number.
    “This is Special Agent John Taylor,” he said
to whoever was on the other end of the line. “I need someone to
contact Baltimore police and let them know that a call that came
from my home address to 911 and it has been taken care of.”
    He listened to whoever was on the other end
of the line then proceeded to give more detailed information. When
he was finished, turned off his phone and pocketed it again. His
gaze met Roni’s. “How about that drink now?”
    She gave a deep, shuddering sigh. “I don’t
care how early it is, that’s exactly what I want.”
    “It’s almost noon.” He took a bottle of vodka
out of the pantry, along with a few other things, and tomato juice
out of the fridge. “Good enough time as any.”
    He made her a tall bloody Mary and handed it
to her then fixed one for himself.
    The glass was cold in her fingers,
condensation already forming on its surface. “Can you start from
the beginning?” she said after she took a long drink and felt the
burn of alcohol as it made its way down her throat.
    “The beginning?” He leaned back in his chair
and pushed his hand through his hair. “I was called in after the
third murder was committed. It became an FBI matter once the
killings extended to three states.
    “I specialize in serial killers,” he went on.
“I have a pretty good record, but this one has been a bitch.” He
shook his head. “Not that they aren’t all bad.”
    She swallowed more of her bloody Mary before
she asked, “How did you end up with a picture of me?”
    “You were in the auction pre-program as being
one of the women and men who were to be auctioned off.” He gripped
his drink. “Two of the women murdered were in KC, the only
connection we’ve been able to find so far. If the other three were
involved in any way, we haven’t been able to determine the links.
You did match the profile of the woman he likes. Red head.
Mid-thirties. Curvy. The only things that are a constant are what
you’ve read in the paper.”
    “So you followed me?” She gripped her glass
with both hands. “Or had me followed?”
    “Yes.” He gave a slow nod. “I followed
you.”
    “So what was this?” She held her hands out.
“You bought me to protect me? And had sex with me to keep track of
me? That doesn’t even make sense.”
    “No, that wouldn’t make sense.” He looked at
her with the same kind of expression he’d had when she’d met him,
when he’d looked like he’d gotten over his head. “Something about
you made me want you and I didn’t want any other man to get his
hands on you.”
    “And then you didn’t know what to do with
me.” She couldn’t help a little smile. “But then I showed you.”
    “Yes, you did.” He shook his head. “This—you,
me—went places it never should have gone.”
    “How do you feel about that?” Her voice
softened. “Do you think it was a mistake?”
    “No.” There was a fierceness to his tone.
“Nothing about