Kas pulls her into a quick hug before following her upstairs to find Erik.

They print off the information on all three Evans as Kas calls his team and Derrick, asking them to meet in twenty minutes.

Everyone goes over the information, deciding how to proceed. One of the possibilities lives in New York, and the other two live right there in Washington D.C. The information is slim, only linking the whereabouts to the general vicinity of some of the sub-groups suspected hang-out's in Prizrak's trafficking ring. The sophisticated system Raina inst.i.tuted has monitored pings set up in the pre-programmed areas when anything a.s.sociated with the desired name popped up. It was difficult to establish, having to carefully follow all the laws, being sure not to violate any privacy act, but it looks like it may have finally paid off.

Kas and Derrick decide to focus on all three, paying particular attention to the one who has the most connections, as vague as they may be. Kas calls Michael, giving him the address of the Parker who lives in New York, knowing his New Jersey team has worked closely with the agents in The Big Apple on a couple of the raids. He calls Chase, asking if he can update Prizrak's profile, hoping something in there will help to narrow their focus on the elusive Ghost.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

Finals are a couple of weeks away, and Kas is paying close attention to Raina, making sure she isn't pushing herself too hard again, leaving her exhausted. These are her last finals before receiving her doctorate, and Kas can almost feel the mixture of excitement, stress, and relief radiating off of her. He picks up her text book while she is in the shower, and his brain spins just flipping through the pages. He shakes his head, smiling, as he flips through her books on Arabic, her soon-to-be sixth fluent language. He is exhausted just watching her, between college, the FBI, her extra language studies, and martial arts, he's ready to bury his head and hibernate.

Relieved she is close to leaving one of her most taxing responsibilities behind, he relaxes a little, knowing that will remove a lot of the tension she acts like she doesn't have. Kas hears the shower water shut off, and he fixes her a cup of iced hazelnut coffee, knowing she will be rushing out the door to get to the computer lab at the university.

Raina dries her hair, not hearing the soft buzz of her cell phone as it vibrates from a missed call. Grabbing her books, she tosses them in her bag and smiles gratefully when Kas hands her the much needed caffeine as she walks into the living room.

"I'll see you at 1:00," he tells her, kissing her forehead when she leans in for a hug.

"Love you," she calls over her shoulder as she heads out the door.

The cold spell has continued, and Raina wraps her jacket around her, wishing the pleasant weather of spring would return. She jumps into her heated car, sending Kas a quick text, thanking him for starting it, and heat warms her lower belly as she promises to warm parts of him later that night. Her cell vibrates as she is about to throw it in her purse. She sees she missed a call from the same unknown caller a few minutes ago as she answers the phone. Silence greets her, and she hangs up, not thinking much about it as she pulls out of the drive, her mind on everything she has to do at the computer lab.

Raina parks in the parking deck, grabbing her laptop as she steps out of her car. She jumps when her cell phone buzzes in her hand. Knowing she won't get service in the elevator, she ignores it. Kas is on the phone as she enters his office. He's not looking happy about whatever he's being told by whoever's on the other end. He motions her to sit down as he finishes the call.

"Change of plans, darlin'," Kas tells her, stress edging his words.

Raina sees the tension in the tight lines around his dark brown eyes, "What's wrong?"

"I have to go out of town for a few days," he begins, witnessing the disappointment on her lovely face. "I'll be back on Friday."

Raina waits a few seconds, waiting for him to expand, but he doesn't offer any further explanation. "Where are you going?"

"Boston."

Starting to get a little irritated with his lack of forthcoming information, she stands up, stepping in front of him, trying to get his distracted attention. "And you would be going to Boston because...?"

Kas puts down the files he grabbed and pulls her into his arms. He isn't about to tell her the details of why he's going, not wanting to fill her head with the gruesome reason, so he skirts around it. "We have a lead on traffickers linked to Prizrak."

He feels Raina tense, knowing she worries about him, especially when he's away, "Sweetheart, I'll be back soon, no worries, okay?"

She gives him a long kiss. "Stay safe."

"Always, baby." Kas grabs his jacket, giving her one last kiss before heading towards the door. "You owe me a rain check on what you promised me in your text message this morning," he winks before turning serious, "I want you out of here by 6:00 each night, Rain. I mean it, I don't want you staying here late, then staying up past midnight studying."

Raina rolls her eyes at his bossiness, biting her lip at the stern look he gives her in response.

"Please, Raina. I don't want to have to be worrying about you driving exhausted while I'm gone."

She mocks a salute, "Yes, sir," she teases.

Kas represses a smile, making sure to give her one last warning look before winking at her on his way out, "I love you."

"Love you, too."

"EAT!" he calls over his shoulder, not able to bite back his grin this time as he steps into the elevator.

The house is too quiet without Kas there, and Raina turns on the music, needing some form of company as she picks at her Greek salad while she studies the newest information on neural networks. Her cell phone vibrates, and she grabs it, her heart fluttering when she thinks it's Kas. The flutter is replaced by a quickening in her pulse as she is once again met with chilling silence.

She glances at the screen showing it's the unknown caller again. Her heart almost stops when today's date hits her. Snapping the phone closed, she tries to ignore the chill seeping through her veins as she reactivates the state of the art alarm system Kas had installed after she moved in with him.

Wishing Kas was home, she pushes the rampant thoughts out of her head. She can't be sure it's Mr. Sutton, although she would bet her small fortune it is. She's tempted to call Chase, but quickly decides against that, knowing he will tell Kas, and she doesn't want him to worry when he's miles away. She wants to make sure it's him first, then she'll tell Kas about the calls. The furious look in Mr. Sutton's eyes flashes through her mind involuntarily as she remembers his heated words, calling her a s.l.u.t and blaming her for his son going to prison a year ago today.

Her cell phone buzzes, shaking on the table again, and she picks it up with slightly trembling fingers, relief flooding through her when she sees it's Kas. She takes a second to regain her composure before answering.

"Thank you for appeasing me, darlin'," Kas' soothing voice calms her.

Raina knows he's referring to her being at home, realizing he would've seen the text message they get every time the security system is armed and disarmed. "I arrived at exactly 6:22, and just re-set it, so I guess you don't have to ground me," she jabs, happy to be able to banter with him, giving her mind a reprieve from the earlier calls.

Kas' laugh fills her ears, making her heart ache for him. "I'd like to see how well that would go over if I tried," he teases, continuing the playful banter. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too," she whispers.

"Is everything alright?"

She hears the worry in his tone and berates herself, knowing his freakishly astute ability to read and hear emotions. "My head's buried in dendrites, axons, and autonomous robots," she quickly offers, feeling a little guilty at the partial truth.

"You lost me at 'dendrites', darlin'," Kas laughs. "Get to bed at a decent hour. I love you."

"I love you, too," she answers, being sure to keep her voice upbeat this time.

Three hours later, Raina slips into bed, fulfilling her promise to Kas, but doubting she will get much sleep.

The coffee burns his tongue, and Kas grimaces as he places the steaming cup on top of the squad car of the officer who called him at 5:15 a.m. "Where's the girl?"

The officer throws his thumb over his shoulder, keeping his eyes straight ahead, "Over there. Sorry about the timing, but Sergeant Jackson told me to call you as soon as I told him. He was notified about you arriving to work on the case of the dead girls."

"No, problem, I'm glad you called," Kas a.s.sures the young officer, noticing the stark paleness of his face and his avoidance to turn towards the grisly crime scene again.

"Will you call Agent Stephens for me while I take a look?" he requests, giving the rookie a break from having to show him the scene and having to witness the mutilated body again.

The officer nods, thankful to do anything other than return to the broken, b.l.o.o.d.y girl.

Kas is glad he hasn't eaten breakfast yet as he kneels down next to the poor victim. The stench is overwhelming as he carefully inspects every wound. His anger flares as he sees the contusions around her wrists from where she was tied. Seeing the bruises covering her body and her throat slit so viciously that her head is almost severed from the rest of her, putrid disgust swirls through him as the evidence indicates that the trafficker likely made an example out of the dead young lady who appears to have been around twenty. He sees her raw knuckles, proof she was a fighter, and he closes his eyes. The sad realization that her resistance is probably what landed her body next to the filthy dumpster, callously discarded like yesterday's trash, gnaws at him.

Kas calls Dexter, informing him they now have a fourth victim. He painstakingly gathers all the evidence, looking for a connection between her and the others that will lead him back to Prizrak's ring.

With Wednesdays being her free day from the university, Raina puts in a full day's work at the FBI. She slides her cell phone to Erik when she arrives, asking him to trace the unknown calls, shrugging her shoulders casually at his curious gaze. "It's probably nothing," she states, not knowing which one of them she is trying to convince more.

The trace takes only a few moments. "It leads to a burn phone."

Raina blanches, her suspicions all but confirmed. "Thanks," she mumbles before slipping the phone back into her purse and turning towards the waiting equipment.

"No way, Raina. You can't throw something like this at me and not spill the details."

She hesitates before she mumbles, "Yesterday was the anniversary of Chris being sent to prison."

Thinking back on what Kas had told them, his concern heightens, "You think his father is hara.s.sing you again? Have you told Kas about this yet?"

Raina shakes her head.

"He's going to go ballistic when he finds out," Erik states flatly, knowing how protective he is of her.

Raina sighs, not looking forward to her next call.

Procrastination has quickly become Raina's best friend as she busies herself with the recovered equipment in front of her. Erik has been gone most of the day setting up transmitters for Lawson's team for an upcoming raid, leaving his office all to her. After finishing the recovery process on a battered PC, she glances at her watch and grimaces, not only has she not called Kas, but she has worked straight through lunch.

After checking on a few more programs, she decides to call it a day, her stomach rumbling for some overdue sustenance. The evening air is brisk as she rushes to her car, laughing at herself when she checks the backseat before sliding in. Rain drops sprinkle on her windshield as she pulls into their driveway, and she chastises herself for the p.r.i.c.kles creeping up her neck as she hurries inside. The shrill ring of her cell nearly causes her to jump out of her skin. Chill b.u.mps ripple down her spine when she sees the screen displaying 'unknown caller'. Letting the phone ring until it finally stops, she quickly dials Kas, needing to hear his voice right now.

"Hey, beautiful."

She closes her eyes when she hears his arousing, masculine tone and manages a reticent reply.

"Are you sure everything's alright, Rain?"

Knowing she can't keep it from him any longer, she tells him about the calls, holding her breath as she waits for his explosion.

"I'm leaving right now," he responds, his voice low and tight.

Relieved that he didn't go all ballistic like predicted, she relaxes, "You don't have to leave. I have the security system set, I'm fine. We are getting closer to the Ghost, you can't leave and risk missing something."

The pause on the other end tells her he doesn't share the same opinion. "Then you're going to stay with Chase until I get back." Kas voice leaves no room for an argument, but she tries anyway.

"I don't need a babysitter, besides, Sara is probably there, and I don't want to be a third wheel."

"You are either staying with Chase, or I'm coming home. Which is it going to be?" he demands.

"Kas, it's just some phone calls-" she begins before he cuts her off.

"I'll be there by midnight."

"Fine! I'll stay with Chase."

"I'll call him now. He should be there within the hour to follow you to his place."

"Fine."

"Darlin', you can be mad at me all you want, but I'm going to make sure you're safe."

"Fine."

"Well, I can see that this conversation isn't going anywhere right now. I'll call you later tonight...I love you, Raina."

Sighing, she reins in her surliness as she whispers, "I love you, too."

Kas locks the files with the gruesome photos in his desk before heading upstairs to surprise Raina. The past three days have been grueling, and he needs to feel her in his arms. He's relieved to be home, not wanting Raina far from him with Sutton's recent resurgence. Kas had changed her number as soon as he got off of the phone with her last night, then he called Pete, who paid Sutton a visit. Pete had returned his call, telling Kas that he's not believing Sutton's declaration of innocence, but he doesn't have enough to pull him in for questioning. The calls have stopped for now, easing the tension, but not easing Kas' mind.

He hears Erik's music as soon as he steps off the elevator. The eighties rock blaring from his office is a clear indication that he's concentrating hard on something. Kas muses at how Raina didn't seem as curt on the phone last night after she arrived at Chase's, hoping that means she has completely forgiven him by now.

Raina has her iPod in her ears, typing away on a keyboard as Kas enters the room. He slips behind her, barely able to hear her softly singing her favorite song over the big hair band bursting through the speakers on Erik's huge computer system in the back of the room. She jumps when he places his hands over her eyes. A huge grin spreads across her lips when she turns around, seeing who it is. Kas braces himself as she leaps into his arms.

"I've missed you, too, darlin'," he chuckles, solaced by her actions proving she isn't ticked anymore.

"Do you have work left to do?" she asks, her eyes smoldering.

"Why?"

She leans into to him, whispering provocatively in his ear, causing his nether region to stand at attention with her incensing words.

He grabs her coat and throws a quick hand up to Erik as he ushers her out the door, his heart swelling at her giggles and his jeans become tighter by the second.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.

The black robe is almost suffocating in the mid-noon May sun, but Raina doesn't care. She adjusts her graduation cap on top of her head and pulls her damp auburn waves into a loose ponytail as she anxiously waits for the dean to call her name. She scans the crowd looking for Kas. Her eyes lock on his, and she feels a shot of excitement jolt her nerves. The look of pride in his eyes overwhelms her, and she has to blink back tears. Cliff waves to her, and she smiles warmly, returning the wave. She can't believe the whole gang showed up to see her walk the stage. A little over a year ago, the only person she expected to see was Judge, now, she has a whole group there for her, causing the tears to be harder to simply blink away as she thinks of how blessed she is.

Judge had insisted on driving her this morning, spending the ride catching up. The tears rolled down her cheeks when he had pulled her into his arms, telling her how proud she has made him over the years and with seeing her getting ready to graduate today. His hazel eyes had misted when he held her arms in his hands and looked at her, shaking his head as he commented on how she is all grown up.

The dean calls her name with the Summa c.u.m Laude honor, and her cheeks flush when she hears Austin let out a loud whistle when the dean smiles brightly at her, placing her diploma in her hand. She can't believe it's finally over, she wants to let out a loud whistle of her own, but settles on a huge hug from Seth as he grabs her and twirls her around, "Congrats, girl, we made it."

"Right back atcha," she laughs, returning his hug. She turns, looking for Sara, seeing she is already making her way to Chase.

Seth grins, winking at Raina, "The girl's been bitten."

She smiles approvingly, "Chase feels the same." She scans the moving crowd for Kas, wanting nothing more than to be wrapped in his arms right now. Seth nudges her, giving her that knowing look, and she blushes. "So, when are you going to settle down with one girl?"

"All the good ones are taken," he teases, turning her around, watching how her face lights up when she sees Kas. "My point exactly," he nudges her again, "go on, go to your man."

"Congratulations, Rain. I'm so proud of you," Kas beams, pulling Raina into his arms, lifting her up in his strong embrace. He slowly lowers her, covering her mouth with his, giving her a taste of what's to come later when he has her all to himself.