Chapter Sixteen

When Jenna woke, she found herself nestled against a warm, hard chest. Breathing in his familiar musky scent, she smiled and hummed.

Strong fingers sifted through her hair. “I’ve got you now, sweetheart. Everything’s going to be okay. I’ve got you.”

Her grin widened, ecstatic her dream man had returned with his safe, reassuring words. Except the reality of him was so much more than any dream she could procure. She opened her eyes and tipped her chin up to meet his light brown gaze.

“D’you get him?” She winced when a sharp slice of pain rippled through her belly.

He wrapped his hand around her shoulder and tugged her back against him. “Don’t move. We’re almost at the hospital.”

At his words, she noticed they were rocking as if riding in a vehicle. She glanced around to find herself surrounded by shelves full of medical supplies. An EMT crouched beside them, flashing a light in her eyes and immediately lashing out questions.

She winced against the bright illumination and lifted her hand. “Drugged,” she managed to say.

“Do you know what kind of drug?”

With a shake of her head, she admitted, “No.”

After checking her pulse and a couple other vitals, the technician sent her an encouraged grin. “Well, whatever it was, I’m inclined to believe it was pretty minor. Maybe just a sleeping pill or light sedative.”

“That’s…that’s what he said they were.”

Joseph tightened his arms around her. “He actually admitted to drugging you?”

Jenna frowned. “Yeah.” Now that he brought it up, it did seem kind of strange.

“Honest bastard,” Joseph growled.

Leaning back against him, she once again caught her lover’s eye. “I’m already feeling better.”

His jaw tensed. “We’re still going to get you checked out.”

“I know,” she admitted with a sigh. “I just wanted to reassure you I’m okay.”

His eyes filled and his chin quivered but a moment later, he cleared his throat and pulled himself back together. “I called your family,” he rasped. “They’ll probably be at the hospital when we get there.”

“And Court Lawson?” she asked the dreaded question.

“Jail.” He gave the stony answer, not looking very happy about admitting that fact. “Too many people pulled me off him before I could kill him.”

Jenna closed her eyes as she smiled. “Good. I’d hate to be in love with a killer.”

A shudder passed through him as he kissed her hair. “Never, never again,” he made the adamant promise, “will I leave you alone. Jesus, Jenna. I’m so sorry. I can’t—”

“Stop,” she murmured, tilting her chin up just enough to kiss his throat. “I asked you to go and besides, I’m fine. Everything’s fine. The Snatcher is behind bars and I’m here in your arms. What could be better than that?”

“That Snatcher could be dead and you could be in my arms not on the way to a hospital,” he suggested in a dry tone.

Jenna rolled her eyes. “But that would be boring.”

He sighed as if patiently trying to put up with his crazy girlfriend, but she could still feel the tremors in his hands as he clutched her tightly.

“Hey,” she said quietly, grasping his quivering digits to lift them to her mouth and press her lips against his warm knuckles. “I’m safe. You saved me. I know you’ll always save me, Joseph Morgan.”

“I will,” he vowed, closing his eyes and leaning against her. “I refuse to let anything bad happen to the woman I love.”

The ambulance came to a stop, jolting them both into lifting their faces. No sooner had the doors been pulled open than Jenna heard her mother cry out her name. She twisted in Joseph’s lap to find not only her parents crowding around the opening, but her brother and Emily, and Skyla, and Paige, plus a dozen more relatives, friends, and neighbors.

Needing to reassure more people of her health, she pulled out of Joseph’s embrace after a soft kiss to his cheek and hugged her mother first. When she didn’t feel suffocated or uncomfortable, she tugged Karen tighter and sucked in a lungful of rejuvenation, thankful she could hold her family again without awkwardness.

Sobbing happy tears against Jenna’s neck, Karen kept repeating, “It’s over. Thank God. It’s over.”

And it truly did feel over now. With the Snatcher behind bars, and his identity solved, not to mention a certain hunky deputy who’d been able to help her cherish the feel of human contact again, she definitely felt closure.

Over her mother’s shoulder, she caught Joseph’s gaze and mouthed the words, I love you.

* * * *

Inside the Miners Bend Sheriff’s department, the Snatcher stood in front of the closed door to the interrogation room, staring through the window and inside at a bloodied Court Lawson, who sat slumped in a folding chair, his hands cuffed behind his back, waiting for someone to question him.

He still couldn’t believe his eyes, but the game had just completely changed. He had no idea what the stupid fucker Lawson had been trying to accomplish, drugging up Jenna Rose and trapping her in a bathroom, but this could definitely work to the Snatcher’s advantage.

It would be so easy for the good citizens of Miners Bend to believe Lawson was their lady-killer. He’d always been strange, foul-tempered, and reclusive. Hell, they probably wanted Lawson to be the Snatcher.

Well, the Snatcher decided he could give the people what they wanted. It itched at his craw to know someone else would take credit for his masterpieces, but at least he’d be free. Free to collect more women. Free to feel of rush of death with his bare hands again.

“Hey!” The sheriff’s voice boomed from behind him, making him jump and whirl around. Glaring, Ronnie snapped his fingers in the Snatcher’s direction. “Quit gawking and get to the hospital to take Jenna’s report. You,” he pointed to another deputy. “Get in there and grill Lawson.”

With a short nod, the Snatcher hefted his duty belt higher onto his waist and started for the door to his parked patrol car outside. He couldn’t wait to see Jenna’s face up close when he took her official statement. Her hands probably hadn’t stopped shaking since she’d found Claire Sumpter in her pool. He hoped he’d left her good and rattled.

Her memory of their time together seemed to be gone for good. A pity, yet also advantageous for him. He liked remaining stealthy and unknown, an enigma.

It was only too bad he’d have to hold off a while longer before he could kill her. With Claire’s blood still freshly washed off his skin and the rush of his last murder still pulsing through his bloodstream, however, he felt stable enough to keep it together a while longer yet. After a jury of his peers found Lawson guilty, the Snatcher could leave town, and set up in a new area to collect more pets. In time, he’d come back to finish Jenna.

She still wasn’t free from him. Not by a long shot.

But for now…now he had to focus on framing an innocent man.

The End

About the Author:

Miranda lives with her wonderful, Brad Pitt-look-alike husband (hey, they're both blond and blue-eyed), and adorable still-needs-to-learn-the-meaning-of-NO toddler daughter on their spacious corn-field-and-cow-pasture-front property in Kansas. Librarian by day and author by night, she is also published in YA and contemporary mainstream romance under a different pen name.