Secret Obsession

“He shouldn’t have died that way.” Lyssa rubbed her ring finger, obviously trying to tamp down the memories. “Archimedes just shot Jack in the head.” She shivered. “He died for me.”

Noah placed his hand on hers and squeezed. “Always the hero.”

Lyssa swiped at a tear. “Yeah.”

“I miss him, too.” Noah swallowed down the regret. His friend had deserved to be happy. So had Lyssa. “Jack saved my life. And Reid’s. We were on special assignment. The whole thing went south. Jack was always the best shot. He came back for me and took out the sniper. He was a good man. I’d be dead without him.”

He met her emerald gaze. Something they had in common.

With a last push of the memories aside, Noah shifted in his seat. The past was over. He had a very dangerous present to deal with. “We’ll get Archimedes, Lyssa. I won’t stop until you don’t have to run. I left you once. I won’t do it again.”

Chastity walked over to their table with their order on her tray. Noah looked up at her with a smile, then he frowned. Perspiration dotted her forehead. Her skin had gone gray.

“Are you okay?”

She swayed then collapsed at his feet.

Noah vaulted from his seat and knelt beside her. Her muscles had gone rigid. She met his gaze, her eyes wide with fear. She tried to speak, but couldn’t move. He sniffed her breath. No odor, but it had to be poison.

Her chest rose once, twice, then simply stopped.

“No!” Lyssa cried out.

He started CPR even though he knew she had no chance.

The cook dashed around the counter. “Chastity!”

A customer dialed for an ambulance.

Noah knew there was no hope, but he didn’t stop. He met Lyssa’s gaze and shook his head slowly.

She closed her eyes and stared down at her feet.

Then her lids widened. He followed her line of sight.

Chastity’s order book had opened.

On the very last page. Infinity.

Archimedes’s signature.

Just below the infinity he’d included a new, second symbol. A small spiral moving counterclockwise on the page, followed by two words.

I’m waiting.

Chapter Four

Lyssa sank to her knees and clutched Chastity’s hand. “No. Don’t let him do this.”

Praying it wasn’t true, Lyssa bowed her head. She could barely breathe. “Fight, Chastity. Fight him.”

The entire diner froze in shock.

Noah kept up the CPR for what seemed like forever. He paused and held his finger to her carotid. “I’m sorry,” he said, looking up at the cook, who hovered to Noah’s left. “She’s gone.”

“Oh, God, Chastity. You can’t be dead.” The cook’s pained voice pierced the crowd.

The waitress’s eyes stared wide at the ceiling, unseeing. With a grimace, Noah forced her eyes closed.

The diner erupted into chaos. A waitress screamed. A wave of panic hurled through the restaurant. Half the patrons ran out the front.

Lyssa gripped Chastity’s hand even tighter then squeezed her eyes tight. “This can’t be happening.” Chastity had done nothing to deserve this. She was a nice waitress who was good at her job, never hurt anyone.

“Why?” Lyssa looked up at Noah. “Why did he have to kill her?”

Noah didn’t answer, but then again, Lyssa didn’t expect one. What answer could there be?

“Damn him,” she said.

“Rafe, you see anything?” Noah hissed into the nearly invisible communication device.

The response couldn’t be good. The muscle in his jawline throbbed. “Meet us around back. We’re getting out of here.”

Noah leaned over and with two fingers picked up Chastity’s order book by the corner.

“What are you doing?” Lyssa said under her breath. “That’s evidence.”

“It won’t do the cops any good. And it’s our only clue.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go.”

Lyssa’s teeth ground together, but he was right. God, she hated leaving Chastity, but the woman was gone. One more person she’d placed in Archimedes’s path. One more reason she had to stop the serial killer.

She grabbed her purse and let Noah tug her through the few morbidly curious customers who lingered in the diner. She shoved into the kitchen. His gaze swept the room and she headed to the back door.

“We clear?” Rafe said into his microphone.

The cook ran into the kitchen, his cheeks wet with tears. “You’re not going anywhere,” he growled. “What did you do to my Chastity?”

He lunged at Noah. In a blur of moves Noah had the big man on his back, his forearm to the guy’s throat.

“We didn’t hurt her,” Noah said, his voice low and deadly. “Now, when she picked up that last order, did she do anything different than normal? Was anyone else back here?”

Lyssa shoved her hand into her coat to grip her weapon. “Is he here?” Her half panicked, half vengeful gaze searched the kitchen then through the pass-through window at the few people left in the diner.

“This was a message not an attack.” Noah pressed his arm harder against the guy’s neck. “Answer the question. Who else was back here?”

The man struggled against Noah but couldn’t escape the tight grip. Finally, the cook stilled and scowled up at his captor. “Why do you care? You’re running away. At least my other waitress, Sally, was willing to watch over Chastity, keep those vultures away. Only a coward would hide. Or the guilty.”

Noah lifted his arm and backed away. The cook sat up, holding his throat. Lyssa knelt next to him, taking in the man’s grief-stricken eyes. “I know how you feel,” she said, her voice strained. “We know who did this. He killed my fiancé. Please, help us.”

The man’s shoulders sagged, his big heart obviously broken. Another tear slid down his cheek. “She was excited. Some guy left her an envelope. He told her he’d stiffed her on a tip. She didn’t remember that happening, but it was three twenties.” The cook’s brow furrowed. “She remembers—” he swallowed “—remembered every customer. Who did this?”

Noah held out his hand to the man and helped him to his feet. “Archimedes.”

“The serial killer?” The cook’s mouth gaped open. “I saw a news report about him. They called him a ghost.”

“Did you see Chastity talk to him?”

“The guy met her out back. No one saw him but Chastity.” The big man rubbed his bald head. “Oh, babe.”

“Where’s the envelope Archimedes gave her?” Noah asked.

“She put it in her locker.”

“Get in here, Rafe,” Noah growled into the communication device.

Within seconds Rafe shoved through the back door, slamming it open, gun raised.

“There’s an envelope in one of the lockers. The victim was poisoned, so be careful. Take one of the bills. Leave the others for the cops.” He nodded at Chastity’s order book, which had slid across the floor when he’d taken down Al. “Bag that, too. I want to know what he used. It acted fast.”

Rafe tugged a blue glove from inside his vest and headed through the door the cook pointed out.

Noah crossed his arms. “Listen to me carefully, Al.” The cook’s eyes widened. “Your name tag,” Noah pointed out. “Archimedes is after this woman.” He indicated Lyssa. “He’s killed a lot of people. We could use your help.”

“I couldn’t even protect Chastity.” Al looked as if he might collapse again. “Maybe the cops can help.”

“The feds can’t catch him, the cops can’t catch him. I will.”

Sirens sounded in the distance. The look on Noah’s face sent a chill through Lyssa.

“They’re coming. I need some cover, Al. If we get pulled into custody, she’s a sitting duck for this psycho.”

Al’s expression changed and he shoved up his shirtsleeve. He had a tattoo that read Semper fidelis. Always faithful.

“You get this guy, make him pay for what he did to Chastity and the cops don’t hear nothing from me except that envelope.”

Noah gave the man a sharp nod. “You got it, Marine.”

Rafe slipped back into the room, a baggie in his hand with a twenty-dollar bill showing. “There was a pin in the envelope. Pricked her skin. Not much here. My guess is batrachotoxin because of the amount.”

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