If You Know Her: A Novel of Romantic Suspense

her from doing so was the fact that she had
known
going out there wasn’t all that smart—and she didn’t give a damn. She’d do it again.
    “Look, hotshot,” she said, struggling to keep her voice level. “I know it wasn’t the smartest damn thing in the world, but I can’t just keep waiting around and doing
nothing
.”
    “And what in the hell did you think you’d accomplish going out there?”
    “Well … I certainly made somebody uncomfortable, didn’t I?” She glanced toward the window and suppressed a shiver. Wrapping her arms around herself, she retreated to the bed. She settled on it with her back pressed against the carved wooden headboard, knees drawn up to her chest.
    “What am I supposed to do, Law?” She stared at him. “Just wait around forever when I know, in my gut, that the bastard who killed her isn’t dead? Because the sheriff can’t do shit unless he finds some kind of proof.”
    “Damn it, Nia.” He swore and looked away, a heavy sigh leaving him. He dropped down onto the couch, staring at her with dark, worried eyes. The anger had drained away, as quickly as it had come, it seemed.
    But he was still worried. She could see that.
    “What am I supposed to do?” she asked again. “I
can’t
go back to my life until something happens here. I can’t. I tried. I’m too hung up on this, and if that makes me obsessed, then fine, I’m obsessed. If I run headlong into something and that makes me a fool, then fine … I’m a fool. But at least I’m doing something. I can’t
not
do something. Joely’s killer isn’t dead. And I can’t pretend like he is.”
    Fuck
.
    The longer he stared into her golden eyes, the harder it was to hold on to his anger—not that he was letting it go. He was still madder than hell about that—mad, terrified—shit, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been that scared.
    Unless maybe it was when he’d been tearing through the woods after Remy, trying to track down Hope all those months ago.
    This, though, something about it felt maybe worse. The thought of Nia going through the woods …
    Stop. She’s fine. Focus on what in the hell she hoped to find—and next time, make sure she thinks to take you with her
.
    Blowing out a breath, he locked his eyes on her face, tried to block the worry, the fear, all of that out. He needed to think now—needed to listen. “What were you hoping to find, Nia?”
    “I don’t
know
,” she said again, groaning. She smacked her head back against the headboard, closing her eyes. “And hell, once I was out there, I started walking around, wondering … the cliffs. Made me think …”
    Her voice trailed off and she looked away.
    “What?”
    Nia shook her head. “Nothing.”
    “Nia …” Scowling, he shoved off the couch and crossed the floor, settled down on the bed, just in front of her. Pulling on her ankles, he eased her legs down, one on either side of his hips, then he curled his hands around her butt, tugging her into his lap. “What is it, Nia?”
    When she remained silent, he nipped her chin. “Come on, baby. I haven’t thought anything you’ve said was crazy yet, have I? Other than you trampling around by yourself when you’re pretty damn certain there’s a killer’s hangout somewhere close by, that is.”
    Cupping her cheek in his hand, he guided her face around until she was looking at him. Her eyes, darker with worry, fear, met his. Sighing, she dropped her head forward, resting it on his shoulder. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I think she died there, Law. Somewhere in those woods. I …”
    She stopped, licked her lips. “I think she died there—was killed there. Somewhere close. I think he has a place in there.” She swallowed and lifted her head, stared at him. “I … you asked what I was looking for. I think … well, I think there might be a cave or something like that out there. There has to be
something
, you know. If she did die out there, it has to be someplace he can hide, because if there was a house, people around here would know, right? So underground, a cave, that sort of thing, it makes sense. I think he’s got a place, someplace where he kept her, held her prisoner.”
    A cave—
    A cave—
    Law looked like she had smacked him across the side of his head with a two-by-four, Nia thought, staring at his face. His eyes were dazed, distracted, staring off into the distance. He muttered something, shook his head.
    “What?”
    He didn’t