She’d hoped...she’d so desperately wanted... But apparently it didn’t matter what she wanted because he wasn’t willing to try again. She felt so much better prepared to have a relationship with him now. She had been weak before when it came to confronting him about her feelings. She’d not only been unfair to him, but also to herself by not being strong enough to talk to him about the important things in their relationship.
Maybe in the morning she’d have a chance to talk with him one more time before he left her house. Maybe once he was better rested his heart would open to her again. A tiny flicker of hope filled her heart.
They were both exhausted tonight. It had not been a good time for her to talk to him about all this. She should have waited until they both had gotten plenty of sleep and the crime situation was truly behind them.
With renewed hope still burning in her heart, she swiped the tears from her eyes and got up from the sofa. She was exhausted, as well. There had been far too little sleep in the past forty-eight hours.
She went into her bedroom and changed from her jeans and T-shirt into a black nightshirt. She hadn’t realized just how exhausted she was until her familiar mattress seemed to embrace her. The minute she closed her eyes she was asleep and dreaming of being in Evan’s arms once again.
AS EXHAUSTED AS Evan was, he couldn’t stop the thoughts that kept sleep at bay. Hearing that Annalise still loved him had filled him with a tremendous joy until old memories of hurt and loss had intruded.
Was he willing to put his heart on the line with her once again? There was no question that she wasn’t the same woman she’d been when they’d been together. She was better. There was a confidence, a strength that flowed from her eyes that he found sexy as hell.
Had he been controlling in their previous relationship? Probably. He’d controlled her in an effort to keep her safe, to make sure she didn’t wind up in an alley with a knife to her throat.
He frowned and blinked at that thought. It was the first time he realized how those moments in an alley when he’d been eight years old had affected him his entire life. He’d had no control when Maria had been stolen away. Was it possible he’d been trying to get that control back through his relationship with Annalise, a woman he had deeply loved?
He finally fell into a deep sleep. The ringing of a video call suddenly awakened him. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand and realized he’d been asleep for only about an hour. Why would Hendrick be calling him now? Did he have some information about the insider?
He turned on the lamp on the nightstand and grabbed his phone. “This better be good,” he said with a grin at his friend.
Hendrick didn’t return the smile. “Evan, Jacob has escaped from the jail in Pearson.”
Shock electrified Evan, and for a moment he was sure he’d misunderstood what Hendrick had said. “What?” Evan swung his legs over the side of the bed. “When?”
“About thirty minutes ago.”
“How did this happen?” Evan asked, still stunned by the news. He stood and grabbed a pair of his black slacks and pulled them on.
“The transfer of the prisoners was made successfully by two of Chief McCabe’s men. Jacob was locked in a cell by himself, and thirty minutes later somehow he just walked out.”
“Is there a camera in the jail?”
“Apparently there’s only one camera, and it hasn’t been functional for about a month or so.”
“What kind of rundown facility is Chief Cummings running?” Evan yanked on a shirt. “Did anyone see where he went when he just walked out? Did he get into a waiting car or was he on foot?”
“Right now I have no more information other than he’s out.”
“What about Gretchen?”
“She’s still behind bars,” Hendrick replied.
Evan’s frustration shot through the roof. Damn it, they’d all done their jobs and gotten the two behind bars. Jacob was a dangerous man, and now he was out on the streets once again and who knew what he might do.
“Does anyone have any idea where he might be headed?”
“Maybe back to his compound. As you know, the men stationed there were pulled off when you got the two into custody.”
Evan cursed once again. “I’ll call Chief Cummings and find out exactly what’s going on and what he’s doing to get Jacob back into custody.”
“I know he sent out an alert. That’s how I found out about it. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help from this end,” Hendrick said.
“Will do.” Evan disconnected the phone.
He quickly grabbed his socks and shoes. He couldn’t believe this was happening. Jacob would be more dangerous than ever now, and who knew what resources he might be able to tap into now that he was out and on the run.
When he had his shoes on, he called Chief Cummings, who answered on the first ring. “You heard,” he said.
“Just now,” Evan replied. “I wanted to check to make sure you have somebody stationed at the compound so Jacob can’t go back there.”
“Already done, and there will be a full investigation into exactly what happened at the jail.”
Evan wanted to rail at the man about his department and all the epic fails, but he didn’t. In the end it wouldn’t solve anything, and at the moment he still needed to work with these local officials to get the fugitive back into custody.
“Did anyone see him walk out of the building? Is there anyone who can tell us whether he left on foot or had a vehicle waiting for him?” he asked.
“So far we haven’t found a witness. I was in the
