“And you saved mine. I drew strength from you. Seeing you overcome your struggles helped me with mine. I could control all my darker desires.”

She thought about all the counseling sessions with Rogan and then later the nights lying in bed, their bodies intertwined. She had shared so many secrets with him. He knew more about her than anyone.

“And then I stopped seeing you as a counselor.”

“Yes. And I went back to my old ways, only this time I wanted more. I reached out to Walker.”

“Did you kill women when we were together?”

“No. I was able to control myself.”

“Why Walker?”

“We had an understanding. I told him who was most ripe for using again. And if I needed a woman, he found one for me. When he told me that he had Avery in his apartment, I rushed over.” He hesitated, as if remembering that night. “When I was with her, it was fantastic. If I’d had more experience, I would have made the encounter last, but I had never killed before, and I was nervous.”

“She ended up in your treatment program.”

“It’s a small world.”

“And then I came to you. Our random meeting after Avery’s attack wasn’t an accident, was it?”

“No. I worried Avery might remember me, so I made a point to see you.”

He had said all the right things, and she had fallen into bed with him. He had been a tender, patient lover, and Jordan struggled to reconcile those memories with this raw violence. “And then I left you. Again.”

“Yes, you did.”

Aware of each passing second, she pushed aside this deep betrayal. “Were there others before Laura and Tammy?”

In the silence she felt his gaze burrowing into her. “Maybe.”

“Who? Where are they?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Why did you keep Casey alive?”

“You tell me.”

“To torture me,” she said.

“Yes. That was a big part of it. But she also looks the most like you.”

“The tape on Emma’s eyes was meant for me,” Jordan said.

“Did you pick up on my clue? I wasn’t sure.”

“Why me?”

“You’re an amazing woman, Jordan. You have a strength few possess. I still dream about being with you, being inside you. I thought maybe with you, I could be a better man. And after you lost your sight, I even thought we might have a second chance.”

A chill slithered down her spine. “You killed Walker.”

“He threatened to tell the police about my connection to Laura, Tammy, and the others. Tried to bribe me. I couldn’t let that stand.”

The seconds ticked by. Avery’s breathing grew slower, shallower. She was preserving her oxygen. “And Rawlings?”

“Rawlings and I had a good working relationship through the food bank. He was an easy mark.” More silence, but this time delight mingled with arrogance. “Turn on the breaker, Jordan.”