“Why, Serena. I’m shocked,” Julie said in mock horror.

“The day something shocks you is the day I become a nun,” Faith muttered.

Angelina giggled and then they all broke into laughter.

The door opened and Micah stuck his head in.

“Angel, you ready to get on out of here?”

She surged to her feet and crossed the room to stand in front of him.

“What’s going on, Micah? Did you hear from Chad? What did the police here say?”

He put a finger over her lips and then tucked her hair behind her ear. “We can talk about it on the way home. It’s been a long day. Everyone is tired and frustrated.”

Her face fell. Obviously it wasn’t good news.

He put a finger under her chin, tilted her neck back and lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was sweet and comforting, and it infused her with courage.

“We’ll get him, Angel.”

He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed and then he looked beyond her to the others.

“You girls okay? Need anything?”

“Our husbands?” Faith said in exasperation.

Micah smiled. “Coming down the hall now, if I’m hearing right.” His gaze lingered on Serena. “You okay, doll?”

Angelina turned to see Serena smile at Micah.

“I’m fine. Really. Damon has taken the episode personally. I won’t be able to leave the house without a full security detail until this guy is caught.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Micah said seriously.

He looked back at Angelina. “Ready, baby?”

“Was Chad able to give you anything to go on?” Angelina asked as they headed upstairs after arriving back at The House.

She flipped on the lights in the bedroom and stood inside the doorway as Micah passed her.

“He faxed over all his notes from the reports you filed in Miami. He’s doing some follow-up in the department records. Seeing if there have been any other reports of stalking in the Miami area that match your guy’s MO. He’s digging back five years, so it’ll take some time. He’ll get back to me as soon as he gets the information.”

“And what about here?” she asked softly. “Are our guys coming up with anything?”

“They processed Serena for trace but didn’t come up with anything. This guy is good. Damon has beefed up security again because PD can’t afford to spare the kind of manpower necessary to monitor everyone involved.”

Micah tossed his keys onto the nightstand and pulled Angelina into his arms. He rested his chin on top of her head and sighed.

“I know this is hard on you, Angel girl, but it’ll be over soon. He’ll screw up. He’ll get impatient and then we’ll nail his ass to the wall.”

She nodded against his chest.

Micah pulled her away and grasped her shoulders, his gaze intense as he stared down at her.

“I need you to think, Angel. I know we’ve been over this, but you have to be missing something, somewhere. I want you to start from the beginning. I want a list of people you talked to even on a casual basis back in Miami. Someone had to know you were leaving. Where you were going. He found you much too quickly.”

Angelina put her hands to her eyes and rubbed tiredly. A pulse beat painfully at her temples, and an ache centered her forehead and drew her features in tight.

“I don’t know,” she said helplessly. “I know I never told anyone what my plans were. Not even Mama Rose. I secretly made my arrangements and then I left.”

Micah went rigid at the mention of Mama Rose, and in her exhaustion she had just let it slip out. Her heart sank as she saw the total shock and outrage reflected in his features.

“What the hell do you know about Mama Rose?” he asked in a soft dangerous voice.

He backed away, arms crossed over her chest, his eyes glittering with anger.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” he asked before she could respond. “Goddamn it, Angelina, it was you! You were there each time. How the hell did you even know?”

His voice cracked through the room like a shot. He stalked forward, his entire body bristling. Anger rolled off him in waves. There was such fury in his eyes.

“You had no right. No right!” he seethed.

“Micah, please,” she begged softly.

If only she could take it back. She hadn’t ever intended him to know that it had been her in that Miami club, to know that it had been her lovingly kissing his bare flesh with the whip. She’d known it then as well as now that he would never want what he perceived as a weakness to be revealed to anyone. It was private. It was him grieving. It was him baring his soul.

“Get out.”

He turned his back and his hand went to his hair in agitation. “I don’t give a damn where you go, but get the hell away from me. I’m tired of being manipulated by you.”

Every ounce of blood drained from her face. She followed him across the room and put her hand on his arm, only wanting to comfort, to apologize, to somehow make it right.

He flinched away and then rounded again. “Out.” He flung his hand toward the door to emphasize his demand.

Numb to her toes, she slowly walked out of the bedroom, grabbing her purse as she went. Next she found herself standing outside beside her car, with no memory of coming down the stairs. The cool autumn air blew across the tears on her cheeks and caused her to shiver involuntarily.

She fumbled with the door and got inside the car. For a moment she sat there, her hands on the steering wheel, her forehead resting on the backs of her hands.

Get out.

His harsh words echoed through her mind, and she winced at the anger, the loathing in his voice.

Knowing she had to get away before she completely lost her composure, she cranked the engine and drove down the winding driveway. She pulled onto the highway and accelerated until The House disappeared in her rearview mirror.

She clutched the steering wheel like a lifeline. Where could she go? The smart thing to do would be to keep driving. Lose herself in another city where hopefully the maniac wouldn’t find her. But she also knew she was in no shape to do that tonight.

She had to be smart and not make mistakes that could cost her her life. Which left the question open of where to go right now.

He was out there. Waiting. He’d gotten to Serena with surprising ease. Angelina was alone. An easy target.

Her head throbbed, and her nose felt swollen to twice its normal size thanks to the tears she was fighting. Staying alone anywhere would be suicidal and just plain stupid. Maybe she could go camp out in the police station until morning.

She shook her head. Nathan was staying at Julie’s, and she had no idea where Julie lived. Ditto for Faith and Serena. Which left Connor. She’d feel a lot better about asking him for help over one of the girls. She’d already put them in enough danger. As much as she hated the idea of going back to a place she knew the stalker had been, she didn’t have a choice.

The drive was a blank in her mind. She navigated in a daze. By the time she pulled into the apartment complex, she was wound so tight she thought she might burst. She parked beside Connor’s truck and glanced nervously around. Not seeing anyone, she took a deep breath and bolted from the car.

She ran up the walkway to Connor’s door and banged her fist on the wood. Her other hand went to the doorbell, and she punched the button repeatedly.

Jittering impatiently as she waited, she stared from side to side, looking for anyone lurking in the shadows.

The door flew open and Connor stood there in gym shorts, no shirt and no shoes, a dark scowl on his face.

“What the—” He broke off when he saw her.

He reached for her wrist and yanked her inside the apartment. He released her long enough to shut and lock the door and then he turned back to her, gripping her shoulders.

“Are you all right? What happened? Where the hell is Micah?”