Page 14 of Unbroken

Was this part of his job to him? Stopping in to check on victims? The question got stuck on her tongue, and she swallowed it down. She wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to that.

She remembered the way he held her close after she’d escaped from that hell. He had been gentle and kind, and he hadn’t left her until they reached the hospital and her family had arrived.

His fingers had curled around her forearm as he spoke, and she was acutely aware of his touch. Heat seeped into her body, coiling around her heart and warming her from the inside. She wanted to believe she was more than just a job, but she didn’t dare ask.

Aiden looked as conflicted as she felt. His fingers tightened infinitesimally, then slowly slipped away as he stood.

“I should let you get some rest.”

“Okay.” She nodded, feeling an emptiness spreading through her chest.

Maya watched as he moved toward the door. Was this the last time she would ever see him?

“Aiden?”

He turned at the sound of his name, one hand on the door handle, eyes dark and unreadable.

“Yeah?”

“Will…”

God, how stupid she sounded. Her cheeks burned, and she shook her head as she forced a smile.

“I just wanted to say thank you… again.”

“You’re welcome.”

It seemed as if time had frozen, and the world slowed to a stop as they stared at each other. Finally, he gave a slow nod.

“Once you’re feeling better, we’ll have some questions for you.”

She blinked. Someone from the bureau had already been in to talk with her earlier this morning. Maya had told her everything she knew, but…

Aiden’s face was intent as he stared at her, a secret message in the depths of his eyes.

“I’ll see you soon, Maya.”

With that, he was gone.

She couldn’t help the little flutter in her chest as the door closed behind him with a soft click. What did that mean? All she knew was, Aiden was a man of his word. He’d promised to see her again, so she knew he would be back.

And for some strange reason, she looked forward to it.

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

Extension cords weaved together and snaked down the steps to the cellar. Half a dozen work lights had been set up throughout the room, powered by the generator that hummed noisily in the background. The basement had been oppressive before, lit only by the single dim light bulb. But this was worse.

The harsh fluorescent glow highlighted every crack in the ancient stone walls, the damp spots where water had penetrated the earth, and the old dirt floor. It illuminated the scratch marks previous victims had carved into the walls, the lines stained dark with blood.

Aiden’s stomach threatened to heave at the gruesome sight. He didn’t want to consider how many women had endured the same fate. How close had Maya come to being raped and killed by that monster?

They had searched every inch of the barn and basement, but as of yet, there was no sign of the women—nothing to indicate they had ever been here except for the blood on the mattress and walls.

The crime scene techs were collecting as much evidence on-site as possible so they wouldn’t lose anything during transportation. They would take samples of the blood and send them out for DNA testing, but that could take forever. With this case, they had to dot every “i” and cross every “t.”

He had to make sure justice was served for Maya and every woman who’d come before her. Every case was important, but seeing her on the receiving end had rattled him. He didn’t even know her all that well, but this case had affected him more than usual—and on a much deeper level.