The Inquisitor
The serial murderer dubbed the Inquisitor has already killed over a dozen women in various cities, and the authorities haven't a clue to his identity. He is organized, methodical and certain to kill again. And now he's set his sights on Birmingham psychologist Jenna Kincaid.Convinced that the Inquisitor killed his only sister, ex-army Ranger Sean Murphy has been hunting for him with one thing in mind: revenge. If his instincts are right, Jenna Kincaid will lead him to his prey.But Jenna has gotten to Sean in a way that no one has in a very long time. And now he's desperate to keep her safe–because the madman is taking a terrifying pleasure in the game unfolding. And if the killer wins, it's Jenna who will pay the ultimate price….
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Praise for GAYLE WILSON
“Gayle Wilson will go far in romantic suspense. Her books have that special ‘edge’ that lifts them out of the ordinary. They’re always tautly written, a treasure trove of action, suspense and richly drawn characters.”
—New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard
“An exhilarating continual action thriller that never slows down.”
—TheBestReviews.com on Double Blind
“Wilson gives her readers just what they want: more thrilling adventure and heart-wrenching suspense…. Inspiring. Wilson is destined to become one of the suspense genre’s brightest stars.”
—Romantic Times BOOKclub, 4 ½ stars, on Wednesday’s Child
“Gayle Wilson pulls out all the stops to give her readers a thrilling chilling read that will give you goose bumps in the night.”
—ReadertoReader.com on In Plain Sight
“Writing like this is a rare treat.”
—Gothic Journal
“Rich historical detail, intriguing mystery, romance that touches the heart and lingers in the mind. These are elements that keep me waiting impatiently for Gayle Wilson’s next book.”
—USA TODAY bestselling author BJ James
Also by GAYLE WILSON
DOUBLE BLIND
WEDNESDAY’S CHILD
IN PLAIN SIGHT
BOGEYMAN
To Dianne, Mary, Charlotte, Joy, Katsy, Becki and my mom for sticking with me throughout this incredible journey and for reading them all.
I love you!
Contents
Prologue
She had been a gift. Something that had fallen into his lap without any effort on his part. Surprisingly, she’d proven to be more satisfying than most of the others, all of whom had been carefully selected after weeks of study.
It hadn’t been time to begin thinking about the next one. By now he was conscious of the smallest sign of that, even those he had once thought bore no relationship to his needs.
A sense of anxiety that increased day by day until it became an urgency he could no longer ignore. The sensation that something wasn’t right in the pleasant world he inhabited. Those were inevitably followed by an indefinable feeling that things were slipping out of control. Then finally came the rage that still shocked him with its intensity.
None of that had occurred. Not this time.
Yet when he’d seen her standing on the street corner in the rain, strands of dark hair plastered against those alabaster cheeks, the compulsion to take her and make her his had been overwhelming. Irresistible.
This wasn’t the way things were supposed to be done. Not his normal attention to detail. But in this instance, he had no regrets that he had given in. His impulsive decision seemed to have worked out. And apparently no one was even looking for her.
Which meant there was no need to hurry, he thought with a degree of anticipation beyond any he could remember. He literally had all the time in the world.
Time for him. And for her.
A gift, he thought again, brushing a stray tendril of hair off her cheek.
When it was dry, her hair had demonstrated an unexpected tendency to curl. Something he would never have guessed from the way it had appeared that afternoon.
He smiled at the memory. She had looked like a bedraggled puppy, lost in the storm. Her face had lit up when he’d stopped the car, opened the passenger-side window, and leaned across the seat.
Do you need any help?
There had been no hesitation on her part. No fear. She had immediately stuck her head and shoulders inside the vehicle in response.
Only directions.
By then, despite what his intellect screamed at him, it had been far too late to provide those and drive away. He’d seen her smile. He’d seen those big, brown eyes and under them the mascara she’d applied to her lower lashes smudged from the rain.
He’d taken care of that imperfection, of course. As soon as he’d gotten her to a safe place, he had painstakingly cleaned off her makeup, leaving her skin smooth and bare as a baby’s.
Innocent.
Except she wasn’t. None of them were. No matter what they said, none of them were free from the stain. None were pure. Especially not the ones who pretended to be once they understood.
She hadn’t pretended. She’d been defiant. Angry. Profane.
He had found he liked her that way. It had broken the monotony of fear and pleading.
In contrast to the others she’d been…Sassy, as his grandmother would have said.
Sassy. He liked the word, too, now that he’d remembered it. He tasted the syllables in his mouth as he whispered them against her ear.
The perfect word. Perfect for her. And she, in turn, was perfect for him. His lovely, defiant unexpected gift.
“Time to wake up.”
Although he hated it, he had to keep her drugged on the chance that she might, by some miracle, free herself and get away. That had never happened before—and it never would. Not as careful as he was.
