Vicious Read Online Free PDF Page A

the photos of her all over the Net, there were a whole lot more than one.
    “That’s a shame,” Sylvia remarked.
    Jess couldn’t agree with her more. “The Bureau still has nothing. Feels like we’re all just running around in circles.” Worry gnawed at her again.
    “That’s too bad, but I meant it’s a shame for you,” Sylvia explained. “I heard Mayor Pratt’s received several requests from concerned citizens who think you should be run out of town before your obsessed serial killer can murder anymore of Birmingham’s citizens.”
    “Aren’t you sweet to keep me informed like this?”
    Sylvia sent her a look. “What’re friends for?”

 
    4
    Dunbrooke Drive, Mountain Brook
    Tuesday, August 24, 7:15 a.m.
    Jess arched her back as she tugged the zipper of her dress into place, then she studied her reflection. The turquoise dress she’d had for ages still fit the same. She didn’t look any different, not really. Well, other than the glaring dark circles under her eyes from working until two this morning and managing less than three hours sleep.
    Slogging through murder scenes and interrogating witnesses and killers alike was her job. Her body rebelled regularly at her consistent abuse. Just as regularly, she ignored the nuisance. After all, murder rarely stuck to a nine-to-five schedule or selected the most convenient places to occur.
    But everything was different now .
    She pressed her hand to her abdomen. “You really messed up this time, Jessie Lee.”
    Her chest felt suddenly too heavy. What was she thinking? Dan Burnett was the only man she had ever really loved. How could she equate carrying his child with messing up?
    She couldn’t. It was that simple.
    “Bad timing. That’s all.” She ran the brush through her hair, then stepped into her Mary Jane pumps and swung her bag onto her shoulder. She turned to the bathroom door but hesitated before opening it.
    Dan was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. He’d insisted she stay with him for now. Nothing new there. He’d been nagging at her practically from day one to move into his place. He wanted her near. He wanted to protect her and, she smiled, he loved her. So she’d grabbed a couple outfits and here she was.
    At any other time she would have fought him tooth and nail on the issue. Not because she didn’t want to be with him, she did, but his need to protect her spilled over into the workplace and that was a problem. At work, she needed him to treat her the same as he did the other deputy chiefs. How was she ever going to earn their respect otherwise?
    She had wrestled her way out of foster homes and through college to be an independent, capable woman who could take care of herself—who never again had to depend on anyone else for survival. Years of hard work and dedication to the career above all else had accomplished that goal. She needed him to respect her strength and ability as a woman and a cop.
    Though, she had to admit, lately she’d started to wonder if a good strong shoulder to lean on occasionally might be a good thing. Why fight the inevitable? She wanted this relationship, as long as they could juggle the personal and professional boundaries. So here she was living with the boss. She imagined every cop and staff member in the department had heard the news. Eventually, someone would complain, citing fraternization and unfair workplace practices. It could turn ugly.
    Jess groaned. Not even two months after leaving the Bureau her fresh start was already meandering down a bumpy road. As if that wasn’t head spinning enough, years of hard work at ridding herself of her southern vernacular had gone out the window. Just went to show the adage that you can take the girl out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the girl was painfully true.
    Oh well, there was just no keeping her life tidy.
    Lifting her chin and squaring her shoulders, she reached for the door and headed for the kitchen before she could lose her nerve.