Saved by the Lieutenant (Winter Rescue)

6. Jake

6

JAKE

The past week, Amy has been working tirelessly. Since the night of her nightmare, she's been burning the candle at both ends. She'll not stop, she’s determined to uncover something, anything, that'll help us uncover who the killer is. She's not told me about her dream, the dream that takes a hold of her every single night. It's like clockwork, she'll go to sleep and within an hour, she's screaming and gasping for breath. I know she's dreaming about the killer and what he did to her. Christ, seeing and hearing the fear guts me each and every single night. I’d do anything to take the fear from her, but I know that until we find out who this asshole is, she'll continue to live with the terror she felt the night she was attacked along with the fear and nightmares that come with it.

Each night that the nightmares take her, we end up having sex. God, it's so damn good to have her back in my arms. I've missed her. I never truly realized just how much I actually missed her until I was sunk deep inside of her. The moment I was buried balls deep inside of her snug wet heat, I felt complete. Utterly complete. I know that Amy still hates me for walking away and is turning to me during her darkest times to find solace, and I'm okay with that. I'll do whatever it takes to help her. When the morning hits, the walls Amy has built for herself are erected once again. I get it, I understand why she does it, but it fucking kills me watching her eyes shutter the second she wakes up and then see how void of emotion they are.

I love her. That has never been in question. Amy has and will always be the woman that I love. I just can't break her. My job is important to me, and I love Amy too much to devastate her if anything goes wrong.

“Jake,” I hear her voice call out. She's been seated at the table as I work on fixing the fire. “Crap, Jake, I think I've uncovered something,” she says softly.

I rise to my feet and move toward her, my movements hurried. “What have you found?” I ask warily. She's been working so damn hard that anything that doesn't pan out she takes to heart. She's trying her hardest to solve this case.

“The women,” she breathes. “All of them have had a run-in with the law,” she whispers, her eyes wide and bright with hope. “Every single woman that’s been murdered was in some way shape or form in trouble with the police.”

“All of them?” I ask with a raised brow.

She nods. “Every single one of them.”

“Tell me about them,” I demand, knowing that she needs to talk it through. My woman is an amazing detective, she should have joined the police force, but I know that she's got a bleeding heart and wouldn't be able to deal with the red tape and bureaucracy. Her becoming a crime journalist gave her the chance to feed into what she's good at and enhance her skills even more.

“So, the homeless women and prostitutes were arrested for either stealing or solicitation. Liz Monford and her ex-boyfriend Darrin Umbert were arrested at the age of sixteen. Liz for reckless driving and underage drinking, Darrin for underage drinking and resisting arrest. Both of them had no prior convictions and their parents paid a lot to have it kept under wraps. They were let off with community service and their records were sealed.” She pulls in a deep breath and continues. “Monica Michaels also had her record sealed. When she was fourteen, she was on the streets and was arrested for solicitation. From what I've uncovered, she had no other choice, she and her siblings were hungry, and her mom was on a drug binge.”

“Fuck,” I grit out. That's a fucked-up situation for everyone to be involved in. “So, whoever this asshole is, they're targeting the woman that made wrong choices or choices they had no other options in taking.”

She sighs. “Yeah, but that's the only lead I have.”

“I'll call Peter and let him know what you've uncovered. Maybe he can dig deeper now that he'll have the information needed.”

She gives me a tight smile but nods. “Thanks.” She goes back to typing furiously on her laptop, no doubt trying to uncover more. She's working herself to the bone to try and get this case solved.

Now I need to find out what the hell Peter is doing. It's been a few days since I last spoke to him, and he still has no leads. I know he's doing everything he can, but it's not good enough. That asshole that hurt Amanda is still out there, I know deep in my gut that he's planning his next attack and there's no doubt in my mind that he'll be coming for her.

I grab my jacket and step out onto the cabin deck. The snow has been falling steadily for the past week, a blanket of white covering everything in sight. A blizzard is on its way, and I know Amanda is safe here, sheltered from the storm. There's no way I'm leaving her until we find this monster and bring him to justice.

My hand tightens around the doorknob as I struggle with myself. I know that when this is over, I’ll have a choice to make. I love her, I always have and always will. Leaving her almost killed me, but it was the right choice to make. The question is, can I leave her once again?

“Jake, is everything okay?” Peter asks as he answers the phone. He sounds exhausted, I guess none of us are getting enough sleep, we’re all focusing hard on uncovering the killer.

“Yeah, Peter, just checking in. Amanda found a connection between the victims- they all had run-ins with the law,” I inform him, my breath visible in the cold air. The weight of the situation hangs heavy on my shoulders, each new revelation leading us closer to the truth but also deeper into darkness.

Peter's response is immediate, his tone shifting to one of renewed focus. “That's a crucial piece of information. I'll cross-reference their records and see if anything else stands out. We might be onto something here.”

I nod, even though he can't see me through the phone. “Let me know if you find anything. Amanda’s trying her hardest, she’s exhausted and I know that she won’t stop until this asshole is found.”

“She’s not the only one, I’ve been working around the clock. I’ve been trying to find out how this asshole knew Amanda was onto him and honestly, Jake, I can’t find anything. Her home, her office, they’re all clean, no bugs, no trackers, nothing. I’ve even had forensics check over her work computer. There’s no trace of anyone tampering.”

Silence spreads between us.

“Fuck,” I say through gritted teeth. “That means whoever is doing this, knows she knows because she told them.”

I hear his deep sigh. “Yeah, that’s exactly what this means.”

I clench my fists, the anger boiling in my veins. This sick bastard is someone close to Amanda.

“We need to find out who she’s told, I know her boss knows and she called Callum Dawkins with the information. He’s currently on vacation and as far as I know, hasn’t returned her call.”

“This pisses me off,” I grunt. “Someone close to her wants her dead. Keep digging, Peter. We need to find any lead, no matter how small. And be careful, we don't know who we're up against,” I tell him firmly.

“I will, Jake. And you take care of Amanda. She's strong, but she's been through hell,” Peter replies, his voice filled with concern.

Returning inside the cabin, I find Amanda still glued to her laptop, her eyes tired but determined. She looks up at me expectantly, waiting for any new development. I take a seat next to her, taking her hands in mine. Hers are ice cold, despite being close to the raging fire that’s burning in the grate. “Fuck,” I say, unsure how to start this off. “Peter’s exhausted every avenue in searching for how this person knew you were onto them and he’s not come up with anything.”

Her hands tremble in mine. “So, what does that mean?”

I hate that I have to tell her this, knowing that when I do she’s going to feel betrayed and worried about who she’ll be able to trust. “It means we think that whoever the killer is, is someone you know, someone you’ve told that you’ve been looking into the cases.”

Her lips part and she blinks hard. “No,” she says frantically. “No way.”

She’s always been so fiercely protective of those she cares about. Knowing one of them is betraying her will gut her.

“Peter's searching for any connections between the people he knows you’ve shared information with. If there’s anyone else, let me know, and I’ll pass it onto him. We’re going to find this sick bastard, I promise,” I say, my voice firm and reassuring

“There’s no one else. There’s only four people who know that I’m looking into this killer. You and Peter, my boss Gerald, and Callum. That’s it, no one else knows.”

Christ. That’s fucked up, someone who’s so damn close to her has been killing. The question is, who?

“We’ll find out who’s doing this,” I promise her. I don’t care how long it takes, I’m not leaving her side until we uncover who the killer is.

Amanda nods, her eyes reflecting a mix of determination and exhaustion. “We have to catch him before he strikes again,” she murmurs, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

“I won't let anything happen to you, Amanda. I swear it,” I vow, squeezing her hands gently.

She sighs heavily, before she leans her head against my shoulder. I love that she seeks me out when she needs solace. I want to be that man for her again, God, I've missed the love and trust that she had for me.

I can’t help but wonder just how close the killer is finding out where I have Amanda hidden.