She almost laughed at the absurdity of the whole thing. He was like a bitch in heat, needing the women to satiate his growing appetite. But it was becoming harder and harder to get the same satisfaction; she could tell by the viciousness of his abuse. The last girl, before Rebecca Douglas, he’d beaten to death so she’d never even had a chance to run.

He slapped the girl, trying to get her to respond to him. The sound of flesh on flesh normally excited her, but today it didn’t have the usual effect.

For the first time in her adult life, a sliver of fear ran down her spine. She stepped out of the shack and breathed in the cold, fresh morning air.

She didn’t fear for herself as much as she did for him. He was her responsibility, and his rash decision to take another girl so soon on the heels of the last was stupid. She’d tried to talk him out of it, tried to manipulate him out of it, but he’d been adamant: He’d take the girl with or without her.

She couldn’t allow him to do it alone. He needed her. To watch. To cover his tracks. To protect him.

The other reasons she stayed with him this time were a little more complicated to discern, even for her. She felt compelled to watch, hating the thought of him on another woman without her involvement. If he ever thought his satisfaction was better, more complete, without her around, he would go after more women by himself. Every time he kidnapped another one, the threat of discovery increased. If he took more of them, he’d be found out. It was only a matter of time.

So she was protecting him. It had nothing to do with what these women had that she didn’t, right? All she was doing was watching out for him like she’d always done.

He could have these women, but only if she was part of it.

He was led around by an invisible leash by all the women in his life. Her. The girls he raped and killed. And especially by the one who got away.

She hadn’t let him kill Miranda Moore because her existence kept him more under her thumb than anything else. Fool. He was a fool. But he needed her.

Everything seemed to be running away from them. They were going to have to leave and find somewhere else to hunt. To protect him.

As soon as they were done with Ashley van Auden.