Moving Target. Lori May A.

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       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      LORI A. MAY

      has never confronted a serial killer, chased a suspect down an alley or broken into an encrypted government computer. Yet she still considers herself a go-getter, thriving on the less dangerous excitement in her own life, created by making things up and putting pen to paper. Her real-life adventures are more likely to include exploring an unfamiliar city, trying new restaurants and experimenting with photography and visual arts. For the latest news and events, plus reviews, contests and more, visit www.loriamay.com.

      To my personal support team and cheerleading squad:

       Mom, Dad, Zaida and Chris.

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      Special thanks to Jay Poynor and Erica Orloff

       for their enthusiasm, support and friendship—

      and middle-of-the-night e-mails!

      To Natashya Wilson

       for asking me to join the Athena Force series

       and to Stacy Boyd for her editorial eye.

      Contents

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Chapter 14

      Chapter 15

      Chapter 16

      Chapter 17

      Chapter 18

      Chapter 19

      Chapter 20

      Chapter 1

      He pulled tight around her throat, choking her.

      He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to.

      Francesca Thorne was accustomed to gathering information from criminals in what wasn’t said, whether it was through a look, a nervous tic despite attempts to mask such a giveaway, or simply a change in vocal pitch.

      It was what an opponent did not say that aided in the patchwork of piecing together a personality. Her role was simply to watch. Observe. Filter the subtleties of the subconscious into her puzzle-solving mind.

      Whereas she would normally calculate facial expressions and measure the pupil dilation of her suspect, waiting for a flinch to reveal so much more than well-selected words, the opportunity had not been given with this particular hunt.

      Instead, she had to count on the sound of his breath, the weight of his grasp as he held one arm tightly around her neck, choke-holding her into submission with her back facing him, unable to meet his eyes.

      He had snuck up on her.

      Though she had returned to the scene to analyze its meaning, determine why the killer had chosen this location for his latest victim, Francesca had not been counting on his presence. Not yet.

      His attack had caught her by surprise.

      The killer had demonstrated an odd pattern of returning to the scene of his crimes only to enact another, but in between he always committed a murder at a different location. That was his MO. Or at least the first five murders had suggested as much with his leapfrog style.

      One location, then another, then back again.

      By their calculations, he should have been somewhere else preparing to commit the sixth. She had chosen to come here with the hopes she could piece something together about his selection process, quickly enough to determine where the next crime would take place.

      But his MO had changed.

      It was inevitable he would switch it up.

      Knowing his back-and-forth actions as she now did, he would have been caught sooner or later, with the FBI knowing to stake out his previous playground. And, really, it was just child’s play for him.

      “You like taking risks,” she said, holding her voice steady, not allowing even a shred of fear to show as the СКАЧАТЬ