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them.
    And so did his warning. Asking about her family was dangerous.
    But her resolve set in.
    She didn’t care. She had to know the truth, even if it killed her.
     
     
     
     
    Dante hesitated before leaving Marlena’s, and once again scanned the woods surrounding her house, assessing the situation.
    Dammit. Marlena’s home was too isolated. Anyone could park down the mountain road on one of the turnoffs, slip through the woods to her house without being seen or heard.
    If anything happened to her…
    No. She was safe in her locked house now. She had his number. She could call if she sensed danger.
    Besides, he needed to put some distance between the two of them. Touching her hand had sent lightning bolts of need ripping through him. He couldn’t imagine what would happen if he dared take it further.
    And dammit, back there he’d wanted to take it a whole hell of a lot further.
    Wrestling with control, he cranked’ the engine, shifted into gear, and drove back to Jordie’s house.
    ‘By the time he arrived, the CSI team was finishing.
    Dante tugged his leather bomber jacket around his shoulders and strode over to Hobbs and the medical examiner.
    “Did you guys find anything?” Dante asked.
    The CSI shrugged. “It’s hard to tell We took samples of the tree bark, the ground, the woman. . . We’ll let you know once the lab processes everything.”
    “How about you, Doc?” Dante asked. “Was she sexually assaulted?”
    “I won’t know until I get her on the table, but I don’t think so.” He snapped off his gloves. “But even if he didn’t rape her, he made her suffer.”
    Dante gritted his teeth. “I need cause of death, and to know if there are any distinguishing marks left by the killer.”
    Dr. Underwood narrowed his eyes. “You have something specific in mind?”
    Dante considered the demons he’d met over the course of his lifetime. Considered Father Gio’s methods of torture along with his band of brothers, the elements. And then there were’ factions of demons that swarmed the hills that he might not even know existed. But he couldn’t elaborate, so he simply shrugged. “Just anything unusual.”
    “Was Jordie’s mother able to help?” Deputy Hobbs asked.
    Dante shook his head. “She claimed Jordie wasn’t dating anyone. I’m going to examine her vehicle tomorrow.”
    A drop of sweat slid down his deputy’s forehead. “Why do you think he sent his trophy to Dr. Bender?”
    He had theories, but none he could share. “Maybe one of her patients is the killer.”
    Although that would be too obvious and easy, Dante thought. This killer was cunning, planned ahead, was sadistic and cruel.
    And if he came after Marlena…
    His gut twisted. The fucker would have to kill him first.
     

Chapter Five
    The early morning sun slashed through the sheer curtains in Marlena’s room’, blinding her but finally shining light on the dark shadows in the room that had haunted her all night.
    That and the image of Dante.
    For years, she’d been oblivious to the seductive powers of men she’d met. Yet Dante hadn’t even tried to seduce her, and she’d dreamed of a passionate hot night in his big strong arms.
    Reminding herself that she had a job to do, that studying violent behavior and treating patients had been her lifeline the past few years, and that a criminal was at large, she crawled from the bed and padded across the cold wooden floor to the shower..
    The hot blast of water felt heavenly and helped to alleviate the tension in her muscles from lack of sleep. But forbidden images of Dante opening the door and stepping inside the shower taunted her.
    Closing her eyes, she willed the images away as she soaped her body, but she could almost see his powerful body illuminated by the faint bathroom light, could almost feel his taut muscles flexing as he cradled her against his chest. Could almost smell the raw scent of his body emanating sexual prowess as if he had no control over his desires when