But it didn’t matter. He lay beside her gasping for breath himself. He turned, rising on an elbow at her side, and looked at her with a gentle and tender smile and murmured, “Wow. You’re beautiful. And you know what’s even better?”

She hoped he didn’t expect an answer. She couldn’t create sound now and certainly couldn’t form words.

“Beautiful inside and out,” he murmured.

She should speak, of course. But she still couldn’t. He lay down again and pulled her gently to him so that she rested cradled by his side.

He didn’t say anything else; they just lay there in that moonlight.

She was almost dozing when she felt him adjusting the way he lay. Then she pressed into him. Bodies slid along each other.

They made love again.

Later, as he held her, she finally slept.

So deeply, and so at ease.

Nothing stirred in the shadows and soft moonlight.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Dan wasn’t at all sure what it might have been that he ever thought was unappealing about Katie Delaney.

Waking early, he pulled the covers tightly around her and left her curled up with a pillow, the fiery streaks of her hair splaying over the soft mauve cover on the second pillow where her head rested.

He forced himself to dress and walk out of the bedroom.

He first called Axel. Agents had watched the cameras through the night. They had seen the dogs chase each other around and nothing more. No one had come near her house or the fence or made any attempt to enter.

“I’m expecting to hear from Angela soon, but while I’m pleased to report that no attempts were made against Katie—”

“God, no, another murder?” Dan asked.

“No. A letter. An exact copy of the letter that was sent to the newspaper years ago was sent again, received at the crack of dawn this morning. There was an addition to it—a single piece of paper claiming the Axeman was immortal, a true demon from the depths of hell, and that anyone who thought he could be caught or killed was sadly mistaken and might well feel the kiss of the axe.”

Dan was surprised by the amount of fury the words awakened in him. He knew he had to control it—he simply despised that kind of grotesque arrogance.

“We’ve got to prove him wrong,” he said quietly.

“Yes,” Axel agreed. “I’m going to the autopsy for the woman we know as Jennie. So far, we have nothing on her. They pulled prints, but they aren’t in the system. We’re trying DNA, and because we put it on a desperate rush, we should have results back soon.”