Gut Instinct. Barb Han

you to think.”

      “I said I didn’t know,” she barked in the way she did when her nerves got the best of her.

      Everything about her body language said she’d just frozen up on him. Fear could paralyze victims. Once the shock wore off, she’d forget. As it was, he had very little to go on. Anything she could give him might paint a more detailed picture, save her life. The profiler had said Rob probably kept something from each of his victims and liked to hunt. A saw was his favorite weapon, but he used guns when necessary to kill them before cutting their throats. He was also a perfectionist. Rob was most likely educated, a collector, and he had weapons. “Dammit, Julie. This is important.”

      “Don’t you have anything from the scene you can use to figure out who it is? Hair sample? DNA?”

      “Doubt it. The house is being combed, but I’m not expecting the crew to find anything. This guy’s careful, meticulous. Even though you interrupted him, he had the presence of mind to ensure he didn’t leave a witness.” He didn’t tell her the guy normally cut off the heads of his “projects,” as he called them. Or about the half-open carton of orange juice they’d found sitting on the counter. Since Rob wasn’t able to bleach his victim this time, maybe he’d left behind a print. Doubtful, but Luke hadn’t given up hope completely. “A rookie was first on the scene. That doesn’t help. I just came from there. If there was evidence, which I doubt, it’s most likely gone.” He stabbed his fingers through his hair. “Can you think of anything else? Anything different. Doesn’t have to be about what you saw. Could be anything about the visit.”

      Julie’s gaze widened. “I was supposed to meet with her on Thursday. She changed our appointment last minute.”

      “Did you mention that to the police?”

      “No. I didn’t think about it until just now.”

      Bingo. New information. “Did she say why she moved the appointment?”

      “No. She sent me a text asking if I could come a day early. Said something came up last minute and she needed to leave town right away.”

      “How long did you have the original appointment on your calendar?” This guy watched his “projects” carefully. Hacked into their computers. Studied their movements. He knew them as intimately as he could without ever having met them face-to-face. At least in this case, he wasn’t monitoring her phone.

      “Weeks.”

      Must’ve been the change in schedule. Damn, if Julie had just kept the original appointment she’d be in the clear. This guy didn’t like an audience. He was most likely planning a way to finish his interrupted work...on Julie. Then again, any crazy with internet access could be targeting her right now. Luke glanced around. “How safe’s the neighborhood?”

      “I had an alarm installed after you left...”

      He’d noticed the keypad earlier. “I think it’s best if you stay with a friend for a while.”

      “I’ve already thought about that. I have someone coming over later to stay the night.”

      “Who?” He told himself the only reason he’d asked was to make sure it was someone who would have her back if the killer decided to strike. Not that Luke planned on being far away.

      “A friend.”

      He said a quick prayer it was a female. The thought of another man sleeping in his bed shot a lightning bolt of anger down his spine. “Does this friend have a name?”

      “Alice.”

      Relief he had no right to own washed over him. Alice hated him. But she was a helluva lot better than Herb, the dentist. “What time is she coming over?”

      “She works until...” Julie checked her watch. Her hand shook. “Actually, she should be getting off soon. I’ll give her a call.”

      Before he could debate his actions, he covered her hand with his. A current he refused to acknowledge pulsed up his arm. He didn’t want to offer to stay in a place that brought back so many painful memories. He couldn’t count how many times they’d made love on this very couch before he shipped off. Or how cold the leather was against his skin when he slept there every night after his return. “I doubt anything will happen tonight. He’ll want time to regroup. I’ll be right out front as precaution.”

      “All night?”

      “Yes. I have an officer stationed out back, too.” Luke was almost certain she wanted to poke his eyes out for ever having to look at him again. She still looked damn sexy. Her robe opened just enough for him to see she wore his old AC/DC T-shirt to bed. And since every muscle in his body screamed to reach out and touch her, he figured he’d better put a brick wall between them for safety’s sake.

      “With this cold front it’ll be twenty degrees after the sun goes down. I can’t let you do that. You’ll freeze to death.”

      “I’ll keep the heat on in my truck.”

      “It just seems silly for you to be out there when you could set up right here.”

      She must be awfully scared to make that offer. “I’m pretty certain I’m the last person you want to see. Let alone have sleeping under the same roof.”

      She folded her arms. He could’ve sworn he saw a flash of regret or sadness darken her features. “True.”

      He made a move to stand. Her hand on his arm stopped him. An electric volt shot through him, warming places it shouldn’t.

      “I thought if I ever saw you again, it would be for different reasons.” Her lip quivered, but she compressed her mouth. Damn, it was still sexy when she was being stubborn.

      “Yeah. Me, too. For the record, I don’t like this any more than you do.” Scratch that. He liked this situation boatloads less than anyone possibly could, even her. He’d be lying if he didn’t admit to fantasizing about meeting up with her again once he got his head screwed on straight. This scenario had never once entered his imagination.

      “Luke.”

      “Yeah.”

      “You look...better. I hope you don’t mind me saying so.”

      He smiled and meant it. For some reason those words mattered to him.

      “And you seem different now,” she said. A melancholy note laced her tone.

      The anger was gone from her voice completely now, but the sadness was far worse. Anger he could handle, fight head-to-head. He understood anger. Her sounding broken was a sucker punch to his solar plexus.

      Her world had been turned upside down. She was reaching for comfort. He was still the same man she’d wanted to gut a few minutes ago. “Everyone changes a little, right?”

      “Nope. Not everyone.”

      Was she referring to herself or Herb?

      Reminders that he had no right to care didn’t hold weight. He stood and walked to the door. “I’ll check in with the officer stationed out back before I take my post.”

       Chapter Two

      The last person Julie wanted to see after the hell she’d been through today was her ex-husband. How long had it been? Three years? Four?

      Worse yet, the deep timbre in his voice still caused her nerves to fizz and her body to hum. The effect he’d had—correction, still had—on her was infuriating and not to mention completely out of place under the circumstances.

      His expertly defined muscles on a six-foot-one-inch frame made for an imposing presence. Those golden eyes, light brown curly hair, dimpled chin and cheeks brought back memories of lying in bed long after she woke just so she could watch him sleep. Her body reacted to that.

      Besides, that was a lifetime ago.