LITMIR.BIZ

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think that’s the same person who went after Amber, why the hell is she still gone?”

      Had she decided she liked her new life better than the one she’d left behind?

      “I know who pulled the trigger,” Rus said. “But I haven’t apprehended him. And until I do, I won’t know who hired him.”

      “The shooter was a hired killer?”

      Rus nodded. “Ballistics matched up to other hits. A fingerprint recovered from a shell confirmed the shooter is Frank Campanelli.”

      “You know who it is but you can’t find him?” Milek was appalled. Rus needed help. He needed Payne Protection. Nikki Payne could track down anyone.

      “They call Frank Campanelli ‘The Ghost,’” Rus shared. “So I don’t know when or if I’ll be able to find him. Nobody has ever been able to arrest him.”

      “The same was true of Chekov,” Milek reminded him, “until Garek and Candace and I helped you.” And Milek had even more motivation now. Anger heated his blood, making it pump fast and hard through his veins. When Milek found the man who’d tried to kill Amber and his son, he might make him a ghost.

      Rus shrugged. “Even if we catch Campanelli, I doubt he would talk. Hired assassins rarely give up their clients. So I’m focusing on finding the real killer—whoever hired him. I’m checking into all the cases DA Schievink and Amber Talsma were both working at the time Schievink died, and even the cases they’d worked together before his death.”

      Milek nodded. “Someone could have gunned down the DA out of vengeance.”

      Rus narrowed his gaze and studied Milek.

      Milek couldn’t deny he had a motive to want to kill Gregory Schievink. The guy had done his damnedest to break up him and Amber. When she’d become pregnant, Schievink had sought out Milek and insisted the baby was his—not Milek’s. His hands curled into fists as they had that day. But that day he hadn’t kept them clenched at his sides; he’d swung. He’d hit the slimy bastard, and in doing so, Milek had confirmed his worst fears to himself.

      “Schievink was an amoral son of a bitch. But I wasn’t the only one with a grudge against him. You have to have a long list of criminals.” Not to mention the man’s wife—Schievink had been married.

      Rus nodded. But his intent stare didn’t leave Milek’s face. Of course, he probably ranked Milek among those criminals, if not at the top of the list.

      “I would never hurt Amber and Michael.” Not intentionally. Not physically. In fact, he’d done everything in his power so he wouldn’t hurt them.

      “Was it a mistake to trust you, Kozminski?” the agent asked.

      Milek shook his head.

      But he could tell the FBI agent wasn’t convinced. The man opened his mouth, but before he could ask whatever question he’d wanted, an alarm beeped from his computer.

      Rus glanced at his computer monitor, then turned his full attention to it. As he read whatever was on the screen, a muscle twitched along his tightly clenched jaw.

      This obviously wasn’t good news for the agent.

      “What is it?” Milek asked. Hadn’t the city been through enough over the past year or so?

      “I flagged my computer to alert me whenever a report came through with a certain name on it,” Rus said.

      He knew. Instinctively Milek knew what that name was. But he moved around Rus’s desk to stand behind his chair. He needed to see it for himself.

      “Amber Talsma...” It was highlighted within a police report. He glanced up at the corner of the screen to read the incident number. This wasn’t an old report—from a year ago. This was a recent one. From just days ago.

      “Why did it take your computer so long to alert you?” he asked.

      “The incident happened days ago,” Rus confirmed. “But the report just got completed and uploaded to the system.”

      “What took so long?”

      “It wasn’t a priority,” Rus said.

      Anything involving Amber was a priority.

      “Why not?” He leaned closer, trying to read more of the report over Rus’s shoulder.

      As he read, Rus surmised, “It was assumed to be just vandalism, malicious destruction of property...”

      “What does any of that have to do with Amber?” Milek asked. “Her house was sold nearly a year ago.” He doubted she had any other property in River City.

      “This incident didn’t happen at her house,” Rus replied. “It happened at a cemetery.”

      Milek’s heart began to hammer hard and fast—with dread. He already had a sick suspicion, but just as he needed to see Amber and Michael to believe they were really alive, he needed Rus to confirm his suspicion. “What happened?”

      “Two graves were desecrated,” Rus said. And he pointed to that highlighted name. There was another one after it. Michael Talsma.

      It should have been Michael Kozminski. Milek should have claimed his son while he’d had the chance. Because he wasn’t certain he would have the chance again...

      Another curse slipped through Rus’s lips. “You know what this means...”

      Yeah, he knew what it meant.

      “That someone went to the time and the trouble to dig up two empty graves.”

      They were no longer the only ones who knew Amber and Michael Talsma weren’t really dead. And the only person who would have gone to the trouble of confirming they were alive was the person who wanted them dead.

Chapter 2

      Her hand trembled slightly as Stacy Kozminski-Payne attached the last jewel to the plush body of the stuffed bear. The jewels were made of shiny material and felt, and attached so well to the bear that they couldn’t be torn off and eaten. She wouldn’t expose the children for whom she made the bears to choking hazards. A jewelry designer by trade, Stacy only made the bears for family.

      For her children.

      And for her nephews and nieces. It was hard to make the bears now without thinking of the first one she’d made—for her first nephew. Michael was gone now. Maybe he’d been clutching the bear in those final moments—before the flames had consumed him. Maybe it had given him some comfort.

      Strong arms slid around her, offering her comfort. “I don’t know why you keep putting yourself through this,” a deep voice murmured. Warm breath caressed the side of her face before lips skimmed over it.

      She trembled again—for another reason entirely. Her husband’s touch never failed to excite her. “I always make them for the babies.”

      “Yes, you’ve already made them for all the babies who’ve been born,” Logan said. “You don’t need to make another one.”

      “Garek—”

      His deep laugh interrupted her. “Garek and Candace have just gotten married. And those two aren’t likely to ever have children.”

      “Why not?” she asked. “Nobody thought they were likely to ever get married, either.” But they had. On Christmas. Tears stung her eyes as she remembered how beautiful the wedding had been. At least one of her brothers was happy now.

      “Hey,” he said as he caught the hint of tears she fought. “I’m sure you’re right. You’re always right. I never noticed how those two felt about each other. But you knew.”

      She had known how Garek and Candace felt about each other. How had she not known how Milek had felt about Amber? She’d believed her friend—believed

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