WEDDINGS & WHODUNITS

AN AVERY SHAW MYSTERY BOOK 18

AMANDA M. LEE

WINCHESTERSHAW PUBLICATIONS

Copyright © 2021 by Amanda M. Lee

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Created with Vellum

CONTENTS

Prologue

1.  One

2.  Two

3.  Three

4.  Four

5.  Five

6.  Six

7.  Seven

8.  Eight

9.  Nine

10.  Ten

11.  Eleven

12.  Twelve

13.  Thirteen

14.  Fourteen

15.  Fifteen

16.  Sixteen

17.  Seventeen

18.  Eighteen

19.  Nineteen

20.  Twenty

21.  Twenty-One

22.  Twenty-Two

23.  Twenty-Three

24.  Twenty-Four

25.  Twenty-Five

26.  Twenty-Six

27.  Twenty-Seven

28.  Twenty-Eight

29.  Twenty-Nine

Mailing List

About the Author

Books by Amanda M. Lee

Books by Lily Harper Hart

PROLOGUE

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO

FOURTEEN YEARS ago

I was bored.

Always, endlessly bored in winter.

Michigan is a winter sports state, but I hate winter sports. I can ski — my mother sent me for lessons when I was a kid and wanted me out of her hair — but I found the entire notion of sliding down a hill on two sticks and then riding back up a fruitless endeavor. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Therefore, skiing is insane.

I, Avery Shaw, am not insane. I’m a veritable genius, and that’s why I know winter is stupid. So, it felt wrong that I was stuck in Michigan instead of on some tropical island.

“Hey, little girl, want some candy?” a craggy voice called from my right.

I was walking between the Dairy Queen and school, thinking of better times — like when you could actually walk around without wearing three layers of clothing while shoveling a Peanut Buster Parfait into your mouth — and hadn’t paid attention to where I’d ended up. My hometown was tiny. We’re talking one stoplight and this thing called a buck pole, where hunters hang their dead deer on the first day of hunting season. No joke, that’s a thing in Michigan. Unfortunately for me, the corner across from where I was happened to be the spot where every burnout in town hung out. Why they all decided to clump together and call attention to themselves was beyond me, but apparently druggies need friends too.

I narrowed my eyes as I sought out the individual who had called out the annoying words. I wasn’t surprised to find Shep Martin standing there, his straggly hair pulled back in half a ponytail. I like long hair on guys, but it has to be clean. Shep was the sort who didn’t shower for a week straight, and not because he didn’t have access to a bathroom. He had a house. Sure, it was a good five minutes out of town and looked like the cabin in every bad horror movie I’d ever seen, but my grandfather said it had running water and electricity, so there was no reason for Shep not to shower.

“Did you say something to me?” I challenged. I was only a teenager and he was a full-grown adult, but that had never stopped me from mouthing off before. In fact, my mother should’ve sent me to a mouthing off class when I was a kid. I was a prodigy in that department.

“I asked if you wanted some candy.” Shep sent me a lecherous wink. Two other guys with him — Cox and Shelton — seemed to be enjoying themselves as they warmed their hands over a fire they’d built in a drum that had once been used as a garbage can.

“That depends. Do you have Red Vines?”

My quick response had Shep cracking a smile. “Sure. Come over here and I’ll show you my vine.” He tugged at his belt. He was trying to intimidate me, but he should’ve learned long ago that didn’t work.

“I didn’t bring my microscope,” I lamented. “I won’t be able to see it, so that seems like a waste.”

Cox, who my mother said used to work at the grocery store in the bottle return department, let loose a snort so potent snot flew out of his nose. He was hardly the representation of the sort of guy I wanted on my side. “She’s got you there, Shep,” he cackled.

I rolled my eyes. “You guys should really come up with a new schtick. I’m not a businesswoman or anything — yet — but you can’t possibly be making a living doing things the way you do.”

“You’d be surprised,” Shelton countered. “We’re the only entrepreneurs in this town for a reason.”

I took in his filthy overalls — probably holdovers from when he had an actual job as a welder before he was fired for almost setting himself on fire — and smirked. “Yes, that’s exactly what I think when I see you guys. You’re entrepreneurs.”

“We are.” Shep puffed out his chest. “You wish you could be like us.”

“That’s what I wish for every night when I go to bed,” I said. “I say ‘I want to be just like Shep when I grow up’ but, alas, it never happens.”

Shep was the shrewdest of the bunch, which wasn’t saying much. “We don’t need your attitude.”

“You apparently want my money, though.”

“You need to loosen up,” Shep said. “You’re wound too tight. Everybody in this town talks about you. Do you know that? Do you want to know what they say?”

I already knew what they said. I didn’t exactly fit into the small-town mold of what they thought a girl should be. I knew it would worsen with age — it was that mouth thing again — and I looked forward to it. My mother said I was growing into a tyrant. I was fine with that. Bossing others around is much better than being bossed.

“I’m good.” I turned to continue walking. “Good luck with your entrepreneurial endeavor.”

“Wait!” Shep practically barked when he realized I was taking off.

“What?” I was annoyed ... and cold, never a good combination.

“I’m serious.” Shep made a big show of looking around, as if someone else might be loitering in the frigid cold to eavesdrop on him and his cadre of losers. “I have some good stuff.”

I opened my mouth to tell him what he could do with his “good stuff” when the sound of a vehicle sliding on the slushy snow behind me caught my attention. When I jerked around, I saw my grandfather’s oversized plow truck half in and half out of a snow drift. The rear end of the truck hung out in the middle of traffic. Or at least where traffic would be if the town wasn’t mired in the quiet solitude that accompanied January days in this part of the state.

My grandfather, who hated the snow, was out of his truck like a shot. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, his eyes blazing.

“Debating the meaning of life,” I replied. “Shep and his friends were just explaining how to be an entrepreneur. I think I might be passing up a goldmine.” I was trying to be funny, but the look on my grandfather’s face was so fierce that I shrank back. I feared no one, but right now he had me doubting that.

“You don’t hang around with these guys. How many times have I told you that?”

Honestly, he’d never told me that. He talked about what losers they were but never specifically told me to stay away from them. I was about to explain just that when he grabbed the back of my coat and gave it a vicious tug, catching my hair in the process.

“Ow!” I glared at him as I jerked away. “What is your damage?”

“Oh, I’m going to do some damage.” Grandpa was grim. “Tell me what you’re doing right now.” He started patting down my pockets. “Did you buy something from these idiots?”

He had to be joking. “No. I ... .”

“Empty your pockets,” he ordered. “Right this second.”

My mouth finally caught up to the situation and my annoyance came out to play. “I didn’t buy from them,” I growled. “Are you kidding me? I’m not stupid.”

“Your history would indicate otherwise.” Grandpa studied my face. “Why are you here?”

“I was just walking by and they called out to me.” I hated having to justify myself to him, but I was at that awkward age where he could still make things difficult for me, especially if he decided to have a talk with my mother. “They offered me candy, but I didn’t get in the van. Good grief.”

Grandpa stared hard into my eyes and then eased his grip. “I’m glad to see that you’re not a complete and total idiot.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re only half an idiot.” Grandpa turned his venomous glare to Shep. “Stay away from her.”

“Hey, we were here minding our own business,” Shep shot back. “She was the one who mouthed off.”

“She’s good at that,” Grandpa confirmed. “It doesn’t matter. If I see you anywhere near her again, I’ll set your balls on fire.”

As far as creative threats go, I found that one interesting. I filed it away to use on one of my mortal enemies at school later.

“You’re not the boss of us,” Cox argued. “This is our corner. If you don’t want your precious granddaughter near us, then maybe you should tell her to stay on that side of the street.” He pointed toward the spot where the buck pole stood.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” Grandpa said. “Avery and I will be having a very long talk when we leave here.”

I groaned. “I didn’t take the candy. What more do you want from me?”

“A little intelligence might be a good thing,” Grandpa shot back. “Now shut up. I’m talking to your friends.”

“They’re not my friends. Don’t start that rumor.”

Grandpa ignored me and gave his full focus to Shep and his idiot sidekicks. “Everybody in this town knows what you do on this corner.”

“So what?” Shep feigned bravado, but it was clear he was afraid of my grandfather. The man was a menace when it came to driving and eating — he’d never met a stain he wasn’t happy to introduce to his shirt — but he was respected in town. He had one of those personalities that people said they hated and yet his outspokenness drew people. He was almost a celebrity.

“You’re bottom feeders,” Grandpa said. “You sit here and peddle your wacky tobacky and think you’re heroes, but you’re losers. You’ll never leave this spot. You’ll die here.”

Shep’s eyebrows migrated toward his hairline. “Is that a threat?”

“It’s a promise,” Grandpa replied. “You have no prospects. This one has so many prospects she doesn’t even realize it.” He jabbed his finger at me. “The only thing she doesn’t have is common sense in the face of danger. I’m hoping, eventually, she’ll come to realize that she needs more than that smart mouth to get somewhere in life. I won’t have you derailing her.”

I cleared my throat to get his attention. “You need to leave the seventies behind,” I offered. “Wacky tobacky? That’s not what they’re selling.”

Grandpa drew his eyes together. “What are they selling?”

“I’m pretty sure it’s meth. I mean ... look at their teeth.”

Grandpa grimaced. “I don’t care what it is, I don’t want you near it.” He paused a beat, his frown deepening. “Wait ... how do you know what they’re selling if you’re not buying?”

“Because I’m not an idiot,” I answered, for what felt like the fiftieth time. “Everybody knows what they sell.”

“We provide a service for the people in this town,” Cox said. “Look around, old man. There’s nothing here. People need an escape.”

“Well, you’re not providing my grandkid with an escape. In fact ... .” Grandpa took me by surprise when he strode directly toward Shep. I thought for a moment that he was going to throw a punch. Instead, he grabbed the edge of the bag poking from Shep’s pocket and whipped it toward the fire barrel. I’d never seen him move that fast. It was too late for Shep to stop him by the time he realized what my grandfather was doing.

“What the ... ?” Shep’s first instinct was to stick his hand in the fire to retrieve the bag. Even he wasn’t that stupid. He yanked it back seconds before his fingers could be engulfed in the flames. “I’m going to kill you, old man!” Shep moved to throw himself on Grandpa, but I stuck my foot out to trip him.

Shep went sprawling, landing face first in the street.

Grandpa’s eyes went wide when he registered what I did, his lips curving, and then he realized Cox and Shelton were still standing. “Get in the truck,” he ordered.

I didn’t need to be told twice. I yanked the passenger side door open and climbed in, marveling at how fast my grandfather hopped behind the wheel. Cox and Shelton pulled Shep to his feet and then they started running toward us. I locked my door and watched as my grandfather threw his truck into reverse.

He was a terrible driver under the best of circumstances, driving forty-five on the freeway and then remembering the speed limit and cranking it up to ninety. My mother didn’t like him driving me anywhere and refused to get into a vehicle with him.

Grandpa stomped on the brakes when he reached the middle of the road, causing the truck to slide. Then he shifted into drive and gripped both sides of the steering wheel, his chest heaving.

“What are you doing?” I asked. The three men stood in front of the truck. Grandpa wasn’t the type to get into a physical fight with three meth heads in the middle of the road without backup.

“Teaching them a lesson,” Grandpa replied grimly, stepping on the gas pedal.

The tires spun for what felt like forever before the truck finally found traction and lurched forward.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but I screamed like a girl and covered my eyes. I couldn’t stop myself from looking through my fingers despite the horror racing through me. Cox and Shelton scattered to the sides, but Shep held his ground.

Grandpa wasn’t going all that fast when he hit him, but the collision threw Shep several feet into the air, and when he landed in the middle of the road I thought he was dead.

“Holy ... !” I struggled against the seatbelt.

“He’s fine,” Grandpa said as he watched the man stir. “See, he’s already getting up.”

Shep moved his arms as though trying to get up, but his legs didn’t cooperate. “I think you broke him,” I said.

“He was already broken.” Grandpa gave Shep a wide berth as he drove around him. “By the way, you’re nowhere near as smart as you think you are. You need to stay away from those guys. Don’t talk to them. Don’t look at them.”

“I know. I won’t ever take the candy.”

“You’d better not.” Grandpa was grim as he sped down the street, leaving Shep and his cohorts to sort out their own mess. “I’ve got big plans for you, and they don’t include frying your brain on that stuff. There’s a reason they call it dope.”

Despite the terror moments earlier, I couldn’t help but smile. “You need new catchphrases.”

“That one is a classic — just like me — for a reason.”

I couldn’t disagree.

1 ONE

PRESENT DAY

MY HEAD FELT like it was going to shatter.

Like ... literally shatter.

I briefly wondered if I’d somehow woken in a movie. We’re talking Alien, the first one, but instead of the creature bursting through my chest it had set up shop in my head. I had no idea what dying felt like, but it seemed a legitimate possibility.

“What is that light?” I croaked as I dragged the covers over my head and burrowed down. The room was unnaturally cool, to the point I would’ve assumed I’d fallen asleep outside ... except for the bed. That was a dead giveaway that I was indoors.

“It’s the sun,” a ragged voice said from beside me.

I knew it was my boyfriend Eliot without having to look. Scratch that. My fiancé. He was my fiancé now, something I was still struggling to wrap my head around.

He’d caught me in a moment of weakness. That’s what I told myself. He’d hired a high school band and called all of my family and friends to the downtown strip of Mount Clemens. He’d gotten on one knee, told me he loved me, and then dared me to turn him down in front of so many people. I couldn’t do that to him, even though I’d told myself over and over that I wasn’t the marrying type. So now we are engaged. I wear a diamond ring on my finger and everything.

It was ridiculous.

“Well, turn it off,” I groused, squeezing my eyes shut and willing myself to fall back to sleep. “It’s stupid and I don’t like it.”

He let loose a raspy chuckle. “If I could turn the sun off right now, I would. I’m not a big fan of it either.”

“Then shut the drapes.” It had taken me a few seconds to realize we weren’t in our bed. It was the cold that tipped me off. We were in Las Vegas, following a job Eliot accepted for his new security business. He hadn’t wanted to leave town so soon after the engagement — said he was afraid I would take the opportunity to bolt and he didn’t want to track me down and drag me back — so he’d somehow talked me into accompanying him. It was the heart of winter in Michigan and the weather in Vegas was a million times better, so I’d agreed to take a few days off work.

I was regretting that now.

“You shut the drapes,” Eliot groused. He was buried under the covers next to me and sounded as grouchy as I felt.

“I can’t shut the drapes. I’m dying.”

“You’re not dying.”

“Oh, I’m dying.” My head felt as though it was trapped in a vise, my mouth was dry, and little aches and pains that shouldn’t be there were starting to make themselves known. “Did we get in a fight or something last night?” I rolled to my back, keeping the covers over my head. The sun really was too much.

“With each other?”

“No, I know we didn’t get in a fight with each other.” Even drunk — and we’d gotten rip-roaring soused the night before celebrating the success of Eliot’s job — we would never get into the sort of fight that would cause my knee to ache. The headache I might be able to blame on a fight. The rest of it, not so much.

“I’m pretty sure we didn’t get in a fight,” Eliot said, sighing as he rolled out from under the covers.

“Where are you going?” My plans for the day — our last day in Vegas before we headed home — included hiding in bed until I felt human again.

“I’m shutting the drapes.” Eliot crabbed. He was rarely grumpy in the morning. That was my job. Without coffee, I was the Michael Myers of Michigan.

“Oh, good job.” I was relieved when I heard the curtains race across the track, and tentatively tugged off the covers to look around the room once the sun was hidden. “What did we drink last night?”

“I believe we drank everything that was put in front of us.”

I remembered a steady stream of drinks. At one point, we decided to experiment and allowed the bartender to surprise us. That had likely been a mistake. “We said we were only going to have three drinks each,” I reminded him. “What happened to that plan?”

“I believe it went off the rails when you decided to try a Vegas Vortex.” I heard him open the refrigerator. Rather than nicely deliver the bottles of water he retrieved, he threw them on the bed.

“Hey!” I cringed at my own voice. Why was I so loud?

“Stop your whining.” Eliot crawled back into bed and started wrestling with the bottle of aspirin he’d collected from the bathroom.

“Oh, good idea.” I rolled so my head was on his shoulder and attempted to smile. It hurt, so I wiped it off my face. “Why did you let me drink so much?”

His chuckle sounded as if it was grating over sandpaper. “I was just going to ask you the same question.” He tipped three aspirin into my hand. “I believe you were supposed to be the responsible one last night.”

“Yeah, that sounds nothing like me.” I popped the aspirin into my mouth and cracked my bottle of water, guzzling it so fast it leaked from the corners of my mouth.

“Oh, is it any wonder I love you?” Eliot teased as he watched the spectacle. “You’re such a delicate specimen.”

“Ha, ha.” I moved my head back to the pillow. “I feel like death. I used to be able to bounce back from a hangover in an hour. This feels like it’s going to take all day.”

“I’m right there with you. It’s hell getting old.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I can’t figure out why I’m sore.”

My eyes snapped back open. “That’s why I asked if we were in a fight.”

“Baby, I don’t care how drunk I am, I’m not going to fight with you.”

“I know, but I wondered if we got in a fight with other people. That sounds like something we would do.”

“That sounds like something you would do.”

“Not without backup. Even drunk I’m not an idiot.” I readjusted under the covers and looked down. “I’m naked.” It was a stupid thing to say but my brain wasn’t yet firing on all cylinders. “Are you naked?”

“Yup.”

I hadn’t noticed that when he went to the refrigerator and bathroom. Of course, I hadn’t been looking. “Maybe we did it to each other in another way.”

“That is a terrifying thought.”

“Yeah.” I rubbed my forehead. “I can’t believe we did this to ourselves. We had plans for today. We were going to Mandalay Bay to see the sharks. I can’t see sharks feeling like this. They’ll laugh at me.”

He snorted. “They’ll laugh at you?”

“They’ll know I’m so hungover they could eat me without much effort.” Something else occurred to me. “Oh, we were going to ride the gondolas too. You said we could ride the gondolas.”

We were staying at the Venetian, an absolutely breathtaking hotel with one feature I was dying to try. Eliot’s schedule had prohibited us from enjoying the gondolas earlier in the week. Now it was looking like our hangovers would stop us from following through today ... and I was bitter about it.

“Chill out, drama queen,” he chided. “Give the aspirin time to work. We’ll order room service. If everything goes as planned, we’ll be able to venture out after lunch.”

That sounded good in theory. Whether or not we could actually make it happen was questionable. “I’m still mad.”

“Of course you are.”

“I blame you.”

“Of course you do.” Eliot lifted his left hand to drag it through his hair. The glint of something against the small amount of light the drapes allowed into the room caught my attention.

“What’s that?” I grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand toward me, frowning. “What is that?” My voice turned squeaky.

He followed my gaze, squinting. “I ... don’t know.” He lifted his hand and stared at what suspiciously looked like a wedding ring. “I ... um ... crap.”

“Is that what I think it is?” My hangover forgotten, I shifted into shrill mode. “Did you get married to someone last night? What the hell, Eliot? How could you?”

He shot me an incredulous look. Instead of responding, he shoved his hand under the covers until he found my left hand and lifted it for both of us to see. There, sure enough, the huge diamond ring he’d bestowed upon me during his proposal winked at me in all its glory. Nestled next to it was a simple silver band that matched his.

“I think we got married,” he said, grunting as he forced himself to a sitting position and started scanning the bedroom floor.

“We didn’t get married,” I scoffed. “I would remember.” Even as I said it, fragments of a wild night started poking into my subconscious.

“Um, I think we did.” Eliot climbed out of bed again and retrieved something from the floor. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a veil.

“Where did that come from?” I was horrified. “I ... you ... .”

“Elvis,” Eliot muttered. “We got married by Elvis.”

“No, no, no!” I started shaking my head, pushing the hangover pain out of my mind. “We most certainly did not get married.”

“We did.” He was unbelievably calm. “I ... remember. Kind of.”

“You remember us getting married?” I grabbed one of the extra pillows and whacked him in the face with it. “How could you take advantage of me that way?”

He caught the pillow before I could hit him a second time. His expression told me he was thinking hard. “I didn’t take advantage of you.”

“Um, we’re married. I think you did.”

“No, and don’t ever say anything like that again.” He shot me a dirty look. “I’ve been nothing but patient with your commitment issues. I would never take advantage of you.”

The fact that he was telling the truth left me unfazed. “I wouldn’t have agreed to get married!”

Eliot gestured toward my engagement ring. “You’ve already agreed to get married.”

“Yes, but somewhere in the vague future.”

“Oh, stuff it.” The world-famous patience I’d become accustomed to was nowhere to be found. “It was your idea.”

“It was not.”

“Oh, no?” There was a challenge in his eyes I didn’t like. “I believe you were the one who saw the bride and groom sweep into the bar and announce drinks were on them. You said, and I quote, ‘We should just do it now and get it over with.’”

“I did not.” Even as the denial escaped my lips, a memory emerged. “I wouldn’t. I ... crap.”

“Oh, yeah.” He leaned back against the pillows and studied his ring finger. When he pulled off the ring, I went momentarily breathless. Was he throwing in the towel already? He flicked the switch on the lamp on the nightstand and looked hard at the ring. “They’re titanium.”

“What?”

“They’re not cheap.” Eliot shoved the ring back on his finger and left the bed again, searching the floor until he found the jeans he’d obviously discarded upon our return to the room the previous night. He hunted in the pockets until he found an envelope.

“What’s that?” I was almost afraid to ask.

“I’m looking.” He shot me a cross look. “I’m learning about this just like you so I need you to chill.”

That seemed a tall order given the circumstances. “Eliot ... .”

“Shh.” He pressed a soothing kiss to my forehead. “It’s going to be okay.”

Then why did it feel the exact opposite to me? I watched as he opened the packet and studied the contents. “Here’s the marriage license.” He handed the paper to me. I studied it, frowning at my signature. It was a little wobblier than usual, but I’d clearly signed the paper. “It’s not legal unless it’s filed, right?” I had no idea why I asked the question — especially now — but I needed facts.

“They filed it for us. It says so right here in the paperwork. It’s legal. We’re married.”

I was dumbfounded. “And we got married by Elvis?”

“According to this, there’s video. They’re emailing it to my work account.” He hopped out of bed yet again and retrieved his laptop from the dresser at the far side of the room. “I suppose we should watch.”

“Eliot ... .”

“Shush.” He booted up his computer, logged onto his email, and found the file he was looking for. “It’s right here.”

I was terrified to watch it, yet I couldn’t look away. Mercifully, the video was only ten minutes long. It very clearly showed a drunken Eliot and me standing in front of an Elvis impersonator and exchanging rings and vows.

“It’s fat Elvis to boot,” I groused.

Eliot smirked. “I believe you requested fat Elvis. I have a vague memory.”

We kissed at the end of the video. Actually, we mauled one another. “That’s kind of undignified,” I noted.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m kind of glad the only witnesses were people we’ll never see again.” He rubbed his forehead and closed the laptop, grabbing the packet of paper to go through again. “I spent a mint on the rings. I’m sure there’s a markup because of where we are, but that ring you’re wearing is worth more than those really expensive Star Wars boots from Australia you just had to have.”

Was I supposed to thank him? “Eliot, what are we going to do?”

“What do you mean?” He shot me a quizzical look. “It’s done.”

“But ... .” An image of my mother’s face when she found out we’d gotten married without her flooded my mind. “My mother is going to kill you.”

“Excuse me?”

“She’s planning our wedding. She’s going all out. I told her we wanted to keep it simple, but she doesn’t care.”

“Well, we got our way on that one. It was so simple it was over in ten minutes.”

I was incredulous. “She’s going to kill you for stealing her thunder.”

His face was blank. “Um ... why is she going to kill me and not you?”

“Because you stand and fight even in the face of insurmountable odds. I’m going to run.”

The chuckle he managed settled me. “I think, after her initial freak out, she’ll be happy that I actually managed to seal the deal.”

“Have you even met my mother?”

He hesitated. “Or we could just go through the motions and let her throw her wedding without telling her we’re already married.”

That sounded diabolical, and I was always up for diabolical. “But ... she’ll see these.” I gestured to the rings.”

“We won’t wear them around her.” Eliot was calm, as if planning an op and his orderly mind had already figured out the basics. “We’ll let her do her thing. She can plan the wedding, but the pressure will already be off because we’re married. She never has to know.”

It sounded like a plan I would come up with. “But ... .” I trailed off. But what? He was right. We’d ended up exactly where we’d planned and I didn’t have any meltdowns along the way because it happened so fast.

“I see your brain is starting to churn.” He gave me a sly grin.

“She’ll be mad if she finds out,” I warned.

“So we’ll have to be really careful.”

I shifted closer to him, our shoulders touching. “We’re married.”

“And you survived the process,” he teased. “You’re still Avery Shaw, although if you want to take my last name, Avery Kane has a nice ring to it.”

I shot him a dirty look. “I’m keeping my name.” We’d already talked about this. I was Avery Shaw. It was a state of mind, not a choice.

“I know.” He kissed my temple. “I was teasing you. I’m fine with you keeping your name. Even I would have to adjust to you being Avery Kane. You are who you are.”

And he was fine with who I was. He always had been. Sure, I drove him crazy sometimes — okay, a lot of the time — but he’d settled into the relationship easier than I did. I wanted him, and everything he could offer me, but it wasn’t easy to accept that we were a unit. I was used to doing what I wanted, screw anyone who tried to tell me otherwise. I’d done some adjusting since we’d gotten together. My biggest fear was that marriage would force more adjusting.

As if reading my mind, he slipped his arm around my waist and anchored me to his side. “We’re married. It’s done. Absolutely nothing has to change. We already live together. The paperwork is filed.”

“We’re Mr. and Mrs. Shaw,” I mused.

He snorted. “I’m not taking your name either. I think we’re both good with our names.”

I ran my tongue over my teeth, debating, and then sighed. “We’re married.”

“We are.” He shoved the laptop to the side of the bed and rolled on top of me. “I guess that means we should start the honeymoon.” He was suddenly full of energy, as if finding out we were married had erased the hangover.

I brushed my fingers over his morning stubble. “We have to be really careful, Eliot.” I was deadly serious. “If my mother finds out, she’ll castrate you.”

“We’ll be careful. Think of it this way, the run-up to your mother’s wedding will be a chance for us to get our heads around this without anybody knowing. It’s like a really cushy buffer period.”

He had a point, but still ... . “I can’t believe we did this.”

“Well, we did.”

“I can’t believe it was my idea.”

“Well, it was.” He gave me a soft kiss. “At least that’s proof that you really wanted it. You only tell the truth when you’re drunk.”

“I told you I was a Jedi princess the first time we got drunk together,” I reminded him.

“You are.”

I pressed my lips together. He always knew exactly what to say. “Oh, well, screw it.” I grabbed both sides of his face. “We’re married. I guess we should get to celebrating.”

“I have a feeling that’s what we did last night, which is why we’re so sore. At least we’ll remember it this time.”

And that itself felt somehow miraculous. “Okay, but then I’m going to want breakfast and sharks. I also want that gondola ride. You promised.”

“Your wish is my command.”

I’d had worse offers. I decided to embrace it. “I’ll want ice cream, too.”

“Consider it done.”

2 TWO

“COME HERE, YOU LITTLE MONSTER.”

I lay on the floor in the living room, pressing my chin to the carpet, and stared at my kitten Rocky as he cowered under the end table. Eliot and I had returned from Las Vegas the previous afternoon — and then proceeded to spend the day in bed for reasons not disclosed — and the kitten had made his disdain for leaving him known the second we walked through the front door.

“I don’t think that’s how you’re going to get him to make up with you,” Eliot said as he stepped over me and headed toward the front closet to rummage through the coats. When he returned, he tossed my heavy Star Wars coat at my head and then proceeded to the kitchen. “Your breakfast will be served in exactly two minutes, Ms. Shaw. I won’t keep it warm for you.”

I glared at his back. “I didn’t ask you to make breakfast,” I called out after a beat.

“That’s what husbands are for.” His response easily rolled off his tongue, which rankled more than the words.

“I was going to stop at McDonald’s for a breakfast bagel on my way into work.”

“They stopped making those.”

I froze. “They did not.” I prayed they hadn’t. “I had one ... .” Hmm. When had I last had one? Eliot was a stickler for cooking during the winter. When we ate out, we headed to a diner. I hadn’t been through the McDonald’s drive-through in months. “When did they stop making them?”

“I’m not sure, but I tried to order one for you about two weeks ago. The woman at the drive-through said they were streamlining the menu.”

That was a load of crap. “Why would they do that?” I shot the kitten a disdainful look before pushing myself to my feet and starting for the kitchen. I remained bothered that the cat was treating me like a pariah but I had bigger things to worry about this morning. “Why would they cut a bestseller?”

“I asked.” Eliot stood next to the stove, spatula in hand. He had two skillets going and looked completely at home. I couldn’t cook up anything but trouble, so I’d long since stopped worrying about traditional gender roles in our house. He was fine cooking, and I was fine making a mess.

“You asked what?” I demanded as I moved next to him. “Be specific. What exactly did you ask?”

Amusement flitted through Eliot’s eyes. “Are you insinuating that I don’t know how to ask about your steak, egg and cheese bagel sandwich without supervision?”

“Of course not.” I kept myself calm. “I’m insinuating that I’m better at badgering people for information.”

“Touché.” He dropped a kiss on my upturned mouth. “I started by asking why it wasn’t on the menu. She responded by saying they no longer carried it. I asked if it was a seasonal thing. She indicated it was for good.”

My heart sank. “But ... what will I do?”

“Eat something else.”

“But ... it’s not the same.” I knew I was whining. “I like my steak bagel. That’s my thing. You know I don’t like change.”

“I do know that, Mrs. Kane.”

I jabbed a finger into his ribs. Hard. “Watch yourself.”

He chuckled. “I can tease you to my heart’s content in our own home.”

“I don’t believe I agreed to that.”

“Get over it. I don’t really care what you do and don’t agree to. I’m going to call you whatever I want under our shared roof.”

Oh, well, if he wanted to play it that way. “Sure, Mr. Saggy Bottom. I think that’s a great precedent to set.”

He shifted his slitted eyes to me. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” I refused to back down. “If we get to make up nicknames willy-nilly — something we both know I will win at — then I’m going all out.”

“I can deal with Mr. Saggy Bottom, but that’s completely untrue. You could bounce a silver dollar off this bottom it’s so tight.” He did a little dance to prove it.

I swatted him to get him to stop moving. “I’m serious. I don’t like it when you call me that.”

“Why do you think I call you that?”

“Because you’re a glutton for punishment.”

“I feel the more I say things like that, the more normalized you’ll get to our new reality.” He opted for pragmatism. “We’re married.”

I looked around to make sure my mother hadn’t snuck into the house and hidden behind a piece of furniture. “I’m well aware we’re married,” I said when I was certain she wasn’t about to jump out and start stabbing at us with a butcher knife. “But it’s a secret.”

“Kind of like the fact that you still sleep with a Pound Puppy when you nap alone?”

I glared at him. “I’m starting to rethink this marriage thing.”

“Too late. You can’t take it back.”

“I could insist we annul it.”

“What would be the point of that?”

“To make you go through my mother’s rather terrible wedding process. She’s a despot. When she has even a little bit of power, it goes straight to her head.”

“And here I thought you got that trait from your grandfather. Apparently you inherited it from two people. It explains a lot.”

“Keep it up.” I went to the refrigerator and he snagged me around the waist. “What? I played with you three times yesterday. I don’t have time to play with you again today.”

He snickered. “Such a hopeless romantic. I’m not in the mood to play.”

Ever since we’d realized we were married, that seemed to be all he wanted to do. “No?”

“We both have work to do. That’s what normal married couples do. They spend the morning talking over coffee and eggs and then go about their day before meeting again at dinner.”

“That sounds like what we always do.”

“Exactly.” He gave me another kiss. “I like our routine.”

That made two of us. Still ... . “You have to be careful.” I was insistent. “Mario works for you now.” I frowned when thinking about my blabbermouth cousin. “If he gets wind of this he’ll tell everybody, and then my mother will buy a shotgun and hunt you down.”

“I still don’t understand how I’m the only one who will be in trouble with your mother because we got married.”

“Because if she finds out, I will be long gone.”

“Fair point. Speaking of that, ... .” He snagged my left hand and tugged on my wedding band.

“What are you doing? That’s mine.”

He smirked. “I think it’s cute that you’re so protective of your wedding ring already.”

I growled.

“I have to stow the rings,” he reminded me. “I’ll put them in the safe. We can’t wear them until the second wedding.”

“The fake wedding,” I muttered.

“It’ll be real to your family. That’s all that matters.”

“Fine.” I watched as he placed both rings in a small baggie. “Locking them up is probably a good idea. That way Rocky won’t steal them as punishment.”

Eliot smiled. “He’ll be fine. Just give him a day or two.”

“I rescued him. He should be all over me.”

“He’s angry that we went away without him. And that we left Lexie to babysit him.”

I didn’t bother to hide my eye roll. “Lexie is good with him. She likes animals.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that she’s a pain in the butt.”

Eliot’s dislike for my cousin was well established. I decided to let it go and focus on something else. “What’s on your agenda for today?”

“Books. I need to make sure Mario didn’t give anything valuable away to hot chicks while I was gone.”

It was a foregone conclusion that my other cousin had likely done just that so I opted not to say anything.

“What about you?” Eliot prodded as he started spooning eggs and hash browns onto plates. “What’s your first story back?”

“Fish texted my assignment while we were in the shower.” My mood darkened significantly. “Apparently our newest county commissioner has decided to hold a news conference.”

Eliot slid his eyes to me, amusement obvious. “Tad?”

“You mean Satan?”

“I thought you two called a truce.”

“We both agreed that he was a douche and I was a saint for figuring out who shot him, and we agreed to stay away from one another for a few weeks.”

“That sounds like a truce.”

“Then I’m telling it wrong.” I shook my head to dislodge the evil thoughts threatening to derail our tranquil morning. “I just know he’s going to announce some ridiculous new plan to court voters and drive me insane.”

“That seems to be his normal MO.” Eliot studied me for a few seconds. “Are you going to be okay going after him? I know that you felt bad after he was shot.”

“I didn’t feel bad. It’s not as if I shot him ... although the cops assumed that.”

“I was just asking.”

“I’ll be fine.” I was almost certain of that. “He’s fully recovered, and whatever he has planned proves it. I’ll take him down again, do a little dance, and laugh as I stomp on his political legacy. It will be just like old times.”

“Good. Then eat your breakfast and kiss your husband goodbye.”

My glare was back. “You think you’re funny saying things like that, don’t you?”

“A little bit.”

“Well, you’re not.”

“You’ll learn to live with it. We are married after all.”

And he’d finally hit my limit. “Eliot?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

“I figured we would hit that point eventually. Pour some juice and sit down. It’s going to be a busy day for both of us.”

TAD LUDINGTON WAS MORE THAN A COUNTY commissioner who had almost died. He was also my college boyfriend and a pugnacious tool of a man who was terrible in bed but boasted about his self-professed prowess as if he were a porn star.

I hated him. Like ... hardcore hated him. Despite that, the fact that he’d been fighting for his life only weeks before had me worried. What if I did take it easy on him? What if I’d lost my trademark Avery Shaw attitude where he was concerned? What if I — oh, the horror — took it easy on him?

I couldn’t bear the thought.

“I’m surprised to find you here.” Jared Jackson, one of the photographers for the newspaper I worked for, stood on the sidewalk outside the county building, camera in hand. He was an interesting guy, and most of the time I was happy to be on an assignment with him. Today, I wasn’t particularly happy about anything.

“Why is that?” I asked as I retrieved my reporter’s notebook from the inside pocket of my coat. One of these days I would probably get with the times and start recording conferences with my phone. I wasn’t there yet ... and it was mostly because I was clumsy and feared I would inevitably drop my phone and lose multiple interviews.

“I thought you were out of town,” Jared said, moving to my other side. He seemed to have his attention planted firmly on a busty blonde television reporter from Channel 7. He was one of those guys who liked talking about a woman’s anatomy in front of an audience and checking out a guy’s rear end when he thought nobody was looking.

“We got back yesterday morning.”

“How was Vegas?” Jared brightened. “That’s my favorite city.”

Somehow that fit his personality. “It was ... fun.” I kept my eyes on the spot Tad had obviously set up to make his announcement. “We rode the gondolas at the Venetian.”

Jared nodded. “Those are cool.”

“And we saw the sharks at Mandalay Bay.”

“Also cool.”

And got married, I silently added, biting the inside of my cheek. I couldn’t tell him that, though. Heck, I couldn’t tell anybody because everybody I knew had huge mouths. If I told someone — even an individual I trusted — it would blow up in my face because my mother would find out. Life as we knew it would end at that point.

“Sounds like you had fun.” Jared inclined his head toward the front door of the county building as it opened to allow Tad’s rather robust exit. He had an entourage with him, and I recognized quite a few of the faces. “Here comes your buddy.”

I made a face. “He’s not my buddy.”

“I thought you two were trapped in a love-hate relationship.”

“We are. I love to hate him.”

“You caught the person who shot him. You almost died in the process.”

That was a gross exaggeration. “I didn’t almost die.”

“Didn’t the killer come into your house with a gun?”

“Yes, but she was just looking for attention. She never wanted to kill me.” That was completely untrue. The woman who broke into our home definitely wanted to kill me. That was no longer important, though. She was out of our lives.

“Whatever.” Jared moved farther to the right. “I’m going to start shooting.”

I watched him go and then shook my head, my eyes snagging with Tad’s as he made his way to the lectern. If he was surprised to see me, he didn’t show it. Instead, he curtly nodded once by way of greeting and then cleared his throat into the microphone to get everybody’s attention.

“Thank you for coming today,” he said in a grave voice. “I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedules to help me launch our new initiative.”

I was already bored, so I turned my attention to the men standing behind Tad. I recognized most of them, and those I recognized had one thing in common: They were all former law enforcement officials. One of them was Eastpointe’s former police chief. Another was second in command in Mount Clemens before the city council voted to disband the police department and contract with the sheriff’s department for patrolling. The third was from Oakland County, where he served as undersheriff for two years before getting the boot after fighting with the sheriff over how much force was necessary during a traffic stop. There were an additional three faces I didn’t recognize. I had a feeling they also had law enforcement ties.

“As everybody here knows, I had a recent brush with death,” Tad continued, causing my frown to grow even more pronounced. I knew where he was going with this. “While in the hospital, an angel visited me.”

He had to be joking.

“A real angel,” he stressed. “She was beautiful, blond hair and blue eyes.”

“Sounds like you,” Jared whispered as he crossed behind me to keep snapping away.

“She told me that I couldn’t give up, that my time here wasn’t yet over, and there were big things I had yet to do,” Tad said. “She told me to fight, so I did. As soon as I woke up, I knew where I had to start.”

“He’s going to try to start another task force,” I murmured to myself.

“With that in mind, I want to announce the Ludington Crime Bill.” He raised his hands in the air as if about to perform a magic trick. “In this time of struggle and strife, I want Macomb County to be a beacon of hope for the peaceful. That’s why I’m introducing a panel of former law enforcement officials who have worked tirelessly on behalf of this community. Together, we’re going to eradicate crime. Together, we’re going to keep you safe.”

That was a lot of hogwash. My hand immediately shot into the air, earning a dark glare from Tad.

“Ms. Shaw, we still have thirty-five minutes of presentation,” he said. “Your question can wait until we’re finished.”

“Um, thirty-five minutes?” I was horrified and yet I should’ve expected nothing less.

“At least.” Tad flashed a smile that he knew would drive me crazy. “So, let’s get started.” He gestured to a dry erase board being wheeled toward us. My insides shriveled at the thought of having to sit through whatever he had planned.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed three deputies talking with their heads bent together. They’d obviously been dispatched to keep a handle on things should Tad go off the rails, as was his way. The expressions on their faces reflected serious worry. They cast looks at Tad, whispered again, and then left the area. They obviously had a specific destination in mind, and I was curious to know what it was.

I looked for Jared, to tell him I was going to take a quick break — it was obvious I wouldn’t miss anything because Tad planned to talk for the foreseeable future — but he was on the other side of the crowd. Rather than chase after Jared, I made up my mind on the spot and followed the deputies.

They kept their eyes forward. They appeared intent on a specific task. Yup, they were definitively chasing something.

When they turned down a nearby alley, I slowed my pace and craned my neck to see what they were looking at. It took me a moment to figure it out, and then I saw the shoes on the ground ... and the blood.

It was a body. One block down from Tad’s crime news conference there was a body. What were the odds?

3 THREE

I HID behind a dumpster and routinely peaked out to try and get a feel for the victim. The deputies weren’t rushing around, so he was obviously dead.

I’d decided it was a man because of the shoes. The huge feet were clad in expensive Air Jordans. That wasn’t uncommon for the area, especially for those who hung on the “wrong side” of Gratiot. The drug trade on that side of town was significant. But a common facet of a drug hit was to steal the shoes. These shoes likely cost several bills, but they’d been left behind.

The pants looked to be of the track suit variety, the sort for which you buy a matching hoodie. I didn’t see a hoodie, but the deputies were blocking my view of the torso.

“What are you doing?” a familiar voice asked. I didn’t have to look to know who had discovered me.

I plastered a big smile on my face and turned to my cousin Derrick. He was a detective with the sheriff’s department, which meant he’d been called to the scene.

“Oh, hey!”

Derrick’s eye roll was pronounced. “That doesn’t work on me.”

I adopted my most innocent expression. “I’m just saying hello to my favorite cousin.”

“Lexie is your favorite cousin.”

That was a fine line. “Only when she’s not annoying me, which she isn’t now because she took care of Rocky when we were in Vegas. So you’re right, she’s definitely my favorite right now. There’s still room for you to climb the ladder, though.” I slapped his shoulder. “Congratulations. Now is the time for you to be motivated.”

His expression didn’t change. “You’re an idiot. What are you doing here?”

Was he kidding? It was hard to tell. Ever since he’d gotten engaged — thanks to the Channel 4 reporter getting knocked up — he’d lost his sense of humor. “I’m just taking a walk for exercise,” I lied.

“It’s twenty degrees out.”

“I’m diligent about my physical fitness.”

“You spent the week before you left for Vegas sitting on your couch eating dill pickle potato chips and watching movies.”

“That’s an underappreciated lifestyle.” Something occurred to me. “How do you even know that?”

“Lexie found the empty bags in the garbage can. She also tried your VR set and said it had eight different horror movies in various stages of completion. Apparently, you watch the kills and then move on to something else.”

“Lexie has a big mouth.”

“She threw a party at your house when she was cat sitting. It was wild enough that we were called out there. She tried to bribe me not to tell you but, well, our family likes to tattle.”

He wasn’t wrong. I had no problem throwing him to the wolves when the spotlight was on me. “Don’t tell Eliot about the party,” I said. “He’ll never let her cat sit for us again, and that means I’ll be stuck in Michigan for the rest of my life.”

“I don’t really care what you do or don’t tell Eliot. I want to know what you’re doing here.”

I decided to shift tactics. “Tad is having a news conference in front of the county building.”

“I know.”

“He’s got a bunch of old cops there and is touting a new crime bill named after himself.”

“He was a victim of a crime.”

My eyebrows drew together. “You’re taking his side?”

Derrick shrugged. “Ludington is not really important in the grand scheme of things. I’m trying to focus on what’s important and ignore the negative.”

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. “Does Devin have you going to counseling or something?”

“That’s normal before the birth of a baby ... and a wedding.”

“I don’t think that’s normal.”

“Just wait. I bet Eliot will force you into a therapist’s office before your wedding, which is coming up faster than mine. Is there a reason you guys aren’t basking and making plans?”

Oh, if he only knew. “I’m a big proponent of getting things done fast once I decide to do something,” I said dryly.

The sheriff, Jake Farrell, walked around the corner. It was clear he’d heard at least part of our conversation because he didn’t look surprised to see me. “Or Eliot wants to make sure he doesn’t give her time to run,” he said dryly, grinning when we snagged gazes. “Why am I not surprised that you’re already here?”

“Because you know I’m gifted and can sniff out a story before the victim even drops,” I replied. “I’m like a superhero that way.”

“You’re like a super pain in the behind that way,” Jake corrected, his gaze curious as he looked me over. “How was Vegas?”

I shrugged. “We rode gondolas and saw sharks.”

“You look ... good.” Jake cracked a smile. “Vegas apparently agreed with you.”

Because I was me, I was instantly suspicious. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Jake looked taken aback by the question. “Just that you look good.”

“I always look good.”

“Um, I hate to break it to you, but I’ve seen you in your fuzzy Star Wars pajamas drinking your morning tomato juice and swearing at your video game,” Jake reminded me.

“I look good at all times of the day,” I muttered darkly.

Jake exchanged an amused look with Derrick. “Why are you here? I would’ve thought you would stick to the conference. Ludington is barely back on his feet and he’s back to his old tricks. Why aren’t you torturing him?”

I held out my hands. “Maybe I prefer being around you.”

“You were here before me.”

He was so rational sometimes that it drove me crazy. “Maybe I psychically divined you were going to be here.”

“The only thing you psychically divined is that my deputies left the news conference. You were bored and decided to see what they were up to.”

He knew me too well. I hated it. “Tad says that he’s doing a thirty-five-minute presentation. I can show up for the last two minutes and not miss a single thing ... including the portion where he opens it up to questions and I torture him.”

Jake smirked. “Then I will leave his new task force in your capable hands. I’m sure you can knock it down in five minutes flat.”

It was nice he had so much faith in me. “That’s the plan. I am curious where he got his entourage.”

Jake hesitated, exchanging another look with Derrick, and then gave a “who knows” shrug. That wasn’t going to work on me.

“Oh, you guys know something.” I was practically salivating I was so excited at the prospect. “What is it?”

“You’ll have to take it up with Ludington.” Jake was firm. “There’s nothing I can do to help you on that one.”

He might want to draw a line in the sand but we both knew he would buckle, at least eventually.

“Tell me about him.” I pointed to the dead guy. “What’s going on here?”

“Unknown dead male,” Derrick replied automatically. “We just got the call. One of the restaurant owners found him when taking out the garbage. We know nothing right now.”

“You know how he died.”

“Looks like he was shot multiple times. The medical examiner will determine cause of death.”

He was ready with the answer, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t more information to glean. “Do you know who he is?”

“I do not. We’ll identify him and talk to his family. You know how this goes, Avery. We don’t have anything to report yet.”

“The drug activity in this area has been ramping up,” Jake noted. “It’s likely a deal gone wrong. We can’t say that yet because we don’t know anything about the victim. I’ll issue a news release when we have more information.”

It was a dismissal, plain and simple, and it bugged me. “You guys already know something.” I flicked my gaze between them. Neither was very good when it came to lying, especially to me. “What is it?”

“We have nothing more to share.” Derrick was firm as he grabbed my shoulder and began navigating me out of the alley. “We’re closing off this area for our investigation. You need to go across the road if you want to hang out.”

“The buildings cut the wind,” I protested. “I’ll be exposed to the elements out there.”

“That’s your problem.”

Across the road, several looky-loos had congregated, including one I recognized. “Fine. But I’m not leaving, so don’t get comfortable.”

Jake’s forehead creased to signify his suspicion. “Just like that? You’re not going to give us grief?”

“Not right now.” Besides, there was someone else I wanted to talk to, someone who was likely to have better information. “Don’t be so surprised. I can follow the letter of the law.”

“Since when?” Jake craned his neck to look in the direction I focused on. His scowl was instant. “I see who you’ve decided to bother instead of us, and it’s a bad idea.”

“I don’t have bad ideas.”

Jake’s expression darkened. “Eliot doesn’t want you hanging around with him.”

It was like he didn’t know me at all. “Eliot is not my boss.”

“He’s just down the road,” Jake noted. “I haven’t seen him since you guys got back. Maybe it’s time for a visit.”

My nostrils flared like those of a bull. “Are you threatening to tattle on me?”

“Yes.”

Derrick made a face. “Oh, why did you say that? You’re only going to rile her up.”

I was already riled. “You should do what you need to do, Jake.” My tone was clipped, my anger rising. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” I shifted away from them. “I’ll expect your news release in a timely fashion.”

“Avery.” Jake sounded exasperated as he called out to me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

I ignored him as I crossed the street. I heard Derrick chastising his boss as I increased the distance.

“That’s like waving a red flag in front of her,” Derrick complained. “You just ensured that she’s going to do exactly what you don’t want her to do.”

I smiled as I crossed to Andre. He stood at the back of the group, bundled in a suede jacket that boasted fur trim on the hood. Unlike Jake and Derrick, he looked happy to see me.

“Only you would wear a Star Wars jacket in this neighborhood, girlfriend,” he noted as he looked me up and down. “You look hot, though.”

“I always look hot.”

“You look especially hot today.” He cocked his head. “You have a glow or something. You pregnant?”

The question had me glaring. “No, and don’t ever ask me that again.”

“Wow. You’re touchy.” His grin was magnetic. “I haven’t seen you around in a bit. What’s new in your world?”

I shrugged, noncommittal. “I was in Vegas last week. Eliot had a job.”

“Vegas is fun. I go whenever I can. I love gambling.”

Oddly enough, I’d only glanced in a casino during our trip. I hadn’t actually ventured inside. “I’m against gambling in principle,” I offered.

“How can you be against free money?”

“It’s not free. Casinos couldn’t stay in business if they paid out more than they take in. That means we’re funding them. I’ve never seen the point of just handing over my hard-earned money and getting nothing back.”

“Well, aren’t you just a ray of sunshine?” He shot me a playful wink and then sobered. “We need to talk.”

His tone told me he was serious. “I’m assuming you don’t want to talk here.”

He glanced over my shoulder, and when I turned, I found Jake still standing where I’d left him, overt menace practically rolling off him in waves.

“Ignore him,” I prodded. “He’s predisposed to be a worrywart.”

“He doesn’t want you talking to me.”

“Nope,” I agreed.

“Why does he care so much?”

“We have history. The guy with him is my cousin. We all grew up together.”

Andre’s gaze was speculative. “Does he want that history to shift into something for the future?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” I was sure because we’d talked about it ad nauseam. Jake and I agreed that no matter how much we cared about one another — and we did — we could never make an actual relationship work as adults. He was law and order and I was cheating and winning. Those two philosophies couldn’t mesh. “He’s friends with Eliot. It’s no big deal.”

“I have to wonder if your boy toy feels the same way, but whatever.” He gestured for me to walk with him. “I won’t go too far. I have a feeling the sheriff will wrestle me down and kill me if I try to remove you from his sight line.”

“He wouldn’t.” I was mostly positive that was true. “What’s the deal?”

“Things are heating up out here,” Andre replied once he deemed us a safe distance from Jake. “Ever since you took down the dudes who killed the Santas, things have been ... tense.”

I frowned. The dead Santas case had garnered a lot of news coverage — with me at the center of it — and I was still dealing with the fallout. The fact that a young woman, barely an adult, had been part of it made for some sensational headlines. “What’s going on?”

“There’s a vacuum,” Andre replied. “Everyone wants the power position now that the supply has been disrupted.”

“Including you?”

He held out his hands and smiled. “I’m not here to talk about my business.”

“Then what are you here to talk about?”

“Your business.” He was grim. “Somebody put out a hit list. I’m on it because I’m considered a power player. I’ve been on plenty of lists so I don’t worry about how things will play out.”

I wasn’t sure where he was going. “Then what’s the problem?”

“You’re on the list too.”

I sputtered my response. “What?”

“You’re on the list.”

“I heard you. I just don’t understand why.”

“I have a few ideas.”

Oh, well, this should be good. “What are they?”

“You’re considered a threat in this area,” he replied. “You stick your nose in everything.”

“I hardly think I stick my nose in everything.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Girlfriend, you’re a regular busybody and you know it. People like that you keep the cops and politicians honest or take them down when they’re not. But the other stuff, they’re not happy about it.”

“What other stuff?”

“You’ve involved yourself in a ton of crap the past few years. You’ve also been seen with me, which hurts my street cred. I’m okay with that because you’re funny. Other people thinking I’m narcing on them.”

“You don’t ... mostly.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He was grave. “You’ve been linked to me. Whether that’s why they’re targeting you, I can’t say. It’s probably a combination. Your need to be at the center of everything means you’re now living in a dangerous world.”

Well, that wasn’t good news. “What do you suggest?”

“Get a gun from that boyfriend of yours.”

“I have a gun.”

“On you?” He looked me up and down. “Where are you carrying?”

“I don’t carry. It’s in a cookie jar at home.”

“Sounds like a good place for it.” He made a face. “You need to start carrying it.”

That wouldn’t go over well with Eliot ... or anybody else for that matter. Neither would Andre’s news, but it wasn’t something I could keep from my new husband. Eliot tended to let me run wild as much as possible, but this would send him into a tailspin. He already didn’t like my association with Andre.

“Well, thanks for the tip.” I glanced back at Jake, who looked as if he was about to race across the road and start throwing punches. “Who else knows about this list?”

“Everybody on the street. Names are being thrown around left and right. I only cared about my name ... and yours when I heard it. I’m kind of fond of you. Sure, you’re a pain and you make it look as if I have some white girl fetish, which doesn’t sit well with the honeys in my neighborhood, but you’re more fun than trouble most of the time. There’s nothing I can do to protect you this time.”

“No, you have to focus on yourself,” I mused.

“It’s not just that. I don’t know who is coming or from what direction. You need to be hyper vigilant.”

I nodded. “I’ll be on the lookout.”

“Put your boyfriend on the case too. People fear him for a reason. They’re afraid of the sheriff too. He’s a badass.”

“I’ll ... figure something out.”

“You’d better.” Andre’s gaze was speculative as he stared at me. “You’d better tell them what’s going on. You can’t handle this one alone.”

“I’ll tell them.” I meant it. “Just as soon as I figure out how to do it without making their heads implode.”

He snickered. “Good luck with that.”

4 FOUR

I RETURNED to Tad’s presentation long enough to terrorize him. It was breaking up when I blurted, “What makes you an expert on law enforcement?” and then collected the folder they handed me and went on my way, Tad glaring daggers into my back.

The office bustled with activity. My boss, Fred Fish, wasn’t a fan of people working from home — even if the weather dictated it was safer — and constantly told us that we would get nothing accomplished if he wasn’t around to whip us into shape. I was the lone exception. Occasionally I got so far under his skin he demanded I write somewhere else. My ways were wily and always benefitted me.

“Hi.” The new intern, Sabrina Holden, appeared at my desk before I’d had a chance to peel off my layers and get comfortable. She was gung-ho and looked at me as her mentor, not something I encouraged.

“Hello.”

“How was your trip?” Sabrina’s eagerness was only one of the things about her that bothered me. People thought I was a busybody, but the college student had me beat ... by a long shot.

“It was fun.”

“What did you do?”

“Eliot had a job.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t work the whole time.”

I wanted to slap a piece of duct tape over her mouth. “We also rode gondolas and saw sharks.” Those were highlights of the trip for me — other than the obvious — so I stuck with them. “We had a good time.”

“Yay!” Sabrina hopped up and down and clapped her hands as if she was about to launch into a raucous cheer. “That’s amazing.”

I glared at her. “It was ... a nice break. The weather was great.” I edged around her and slid into my chair. “Do you need something?”

“No.” If Sabrina was bothered by my cold tone, she didn’t show it. “Mr. Fish said I was to serve as your assistant today so I’m here to see what you need.”

What I needed was her to go away. “Well, I’m filing a story on Tad’s news conference. I have everything I need there.”

“Okay.” She didn’t move to leave.

“I’m waiting for the sheriff’s department to send a news release on a shooting downtown,” I added.

“Great.” Her eyes fired with delight. “Are we going to be chasing another murderer?”

That wasn’t on my to-do list for the day — especially given what Andre had told me — so I shook my head. “It’s likely gang violence. They won’t have much on it. They won’t give it much play on television. Just bring me the release when it shows up.”

“Sure.” She still didn’t leave.

“Do you need anything else?” It took everything I had not to bark at her like an unfriendly dog protecting a plate of bacon.

“I just want to help.”

“Well ... .” A hint of movement behind her caught my attention, and I was relieved to find my friend Marvin Potts sidling up beside Sabrina. His attention was for her, but I knew a good patsy when I saw one. “I will just bet Marvin has something he needs help with.”

“Oh, I do,” Marvin intoned in such a manner that my stomach squirmed. He made it sound sexual, which was his way, and I didn’t like that he appeared to be thinking of something dirty.

“Knock that off.” I threw a Kleenex box at him and frowned.

He caught the box before it hit the ground — something of a small miracle given his lack of coordination — but the look he shot me was dark. “Um, I just meant that I need help with some briefs.”

I didn’t believe him for a second. “Don’t be a douche. She needs guidance ... not whatever it is you’re planning.”

“I want to help you,” Sabrina insisted. “Duncan and Marvin kept me busy helping them all morning.”

I had no doubt. In addition to being the office tool, Duncan Marlow was a perverted piece of crap who salivated over Sabrina every chance he got. He was the sort who opened conversations with “I’ve got less than four percent body fat” and only got more annoying from there. Ever since his wife had left him — reportedly returning to Mexico rather than put up with him for another second — he’d been on the prowl for a young mind to warp. Sabrina fit that bill, and Marvin and Duncan were locked in a never-ending quest to get her to go out with one of them. The intern had so far resisted. That was her one redeeming quality in my book.

“I don’t have anything for you to do,” I said. “Fish sent me to Tad’s news conference. That’s all I’ve got going.”

“You have a dead guy,” she pointed out.

“A gangbanger,” Potts said with overt disdain. “That’s barely a blip in this town.”

I made a face. “Even gangbangers have friends and family. We can’t just ignore it.”

“No, but it’s a brief and nothing more.” Marvin cocked his head and gave Sabrina what I’m sure he considered a flirty smile. He looked like the clown in It ... hungry and prepared to do bodily harm if she gave him the slightest opening.

“How do you know?” I was feeling annoyed given my conversation with Andre, which had left me more unsettled than I was willing to admit.

“I heard it go across the scanner,” Marvin replied, his eyes never moving from Sabrina. All that was missing from his showing was significant drool dripping onto her shoulder. “Those dispatchers always tell it like it is. They said it was a Black male, twenties, with expensive footwear. You know what that means.”

Actually, I didn’t. “I wish you wouldn’t be so overtly racist around me,” I groused. “It makes it difficult to pretend you’re not a jerk. You’re one of the few people I like in this office, but your opinions are often disgusting.”

Finally, he flicked his eyes to me. “Um ... I am not racist. I just don’t think Asians, Black people and women should be allowed to drive.”

“How is that not racist?” Sabrina asked blankly.

“I’m an equal opportunity offender,” Marvin replied. “I’ve tested my theories multiple times. Women are a menace behind the wheel ... and so is everybody else who isn’t me.”

I didn’t bother to hide my eye roll. “You’re a moron.”

“And you’re crabby.” Marvin looked me up and down. “What’s your deal? I would’ve thought you would be in a great mood after your trip to Vegas. I mean ... it’s the entertainment capital of the world. I love Vegas.”

“You like half-naked showgirls,” I shot back.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

I was done talking to him. “You need to take Sabrina and ... go someplace else. I have a family dinner tonight, which means I have no time for you.”

Marvin shot me a dirty look. “You get more and more cranky the older you get. Are you going through the change?”

Now he was just trying to irritate me. “I’m going to go through a phase where I put my boot up your behind if you don’t take her and get out of my hair.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Marvin had completely lost interest in me and was back to staring at Sabrina. “Come on. I’ll find something for you to do.” He sounded dirty again.

“Give her actual work,” I called to his back.

“Don’t tell me what to do!”

I growled as I watched him go and then sank into my chair. As far as first days back on the job went, this had not gone how I had hoped. On top of that, I had family dinner to look forward to. Things couldn’t get much worse.

ELIOT WAS BEHIND THE COUNTER WHEN I walked through the door of his shop. He was alone – he’d apparently already cut Mario loose — and seemed fixated on his books.

“Did he give your stuff away?” I asked by way of greeting.

Eliot glanced up and gave me a soft smile. “If he did, I haven’t found what he’s given away yet. I’m still looking. I know he gave something away. There’s no way a hot chick didn’t come in here while I was gone.”

“Definitely not,” I agreed, moving to the spot across from him at the counter. “Did you miss me today?”

“As a matter of fact, I did.” He leaned in and gave me a kiss. “I got used to you being around all the time in Vegas.”

“Yeah, that was weird.”

He smirked. “I thought it was nice, endless time with my wife.”

I pinned him with a dark look. “You’d better get saying stuff like that out of your system before we have dinner with my family. If you slip in front of my mother, I’ll use your body as a shield and run like the wind.”

“The restaurant parking lot is a death trap after it snows. You won’t make it far before falling.”

I didn’t like that he had a point. “How was your day otherwise?”

“Pretty normal. Your cousin is a trip. I cut him loose two hours early because I couldn’t listen to him tell tall tales a second longer. Apparently he bedded three models while we were gone.”

“Only if they were foot models.”

He exhaled heavily and gave me a long once over. “You seem agitated. What did you do today?”

I was expecting the question, though I hadn’t quite decided how to respond. “Tad held a conference.” Eliot was used to me hating my ex-boyfriend, so he would have no problem understanding the cause of my angst if I led with that.

“I heard.” Eliot’s expression was dark. “People said he had a bunch of ex-cops with him.”

“He did. I’m not entirely certain that all the people he had with him are on the up and up. I seem to remember the former Clinton Township chief being ousted under weird circumstances. I’m going to start digging on that Monday, because if I can find unsavory characters in that group it will reflect poorly on Tad.”

“Which is something you will love.”

“Undoubtedly.”

His gaze never broke. “What else happened?”

“How do you know something happened?”

“Because I know you and there’s something you want to tell me. You keep hopping from foot to foot, making eye contact for two seconds and then staring anywhere else. It’s always a dead giveaway.”

It was hell being married to a man who could read me so well. “Something did happen,” I acknowledged.

“Are you going to tell me?”

“Yes, but I don’t know how to tell you without having to watch you freak out.”

“I think ripping the Band-Aid off is your best bet.”

“Okay.” I sucked in a breath. I’d promised to be as open with him as possible and he’d promised not to fly off the handle. We were constantly testing this agreement, but so far there hadn’t been any bloodshed ... at least for us. “So, did you hear a body was found in the alley around the corner today?”

Slowly, he nodded. I could almost hear the gears in his mind turning. “I did. I saw Jake and Derrick down there.”

“I found out about it because they sent the deputies who were covering Tad’s conference to check it out. I was bored, and they looked like they were on a mission.”

Eliot’s lips curved. “So, naturally you followed.”

“I don’t know who the dead guy is. He was wearing Air Jordans.”

“That’s code for gang activity.”

“Or wannabe rappers,” I agreed. “I didn’t get a good look at him. I don’t know him and they’re not releasing the name until family can be informed. They sent out a very bare bones release.”

“And you’re worried about gangbangers shooting each other because?”

“While I was arguing with Jake and Derrick about giving me information, Andre showed up.” I braced myself for Eliot to start swearing. Instead, he merely nodded to prod me forward.

“He pulled me a bit away from the crowd because he wanted to talk to me specifically.”

“That’s always what I want to hear.”

I ignored the snark. “He said there’s been upheaval in the dealing world because of the whole Santa thing.”

Eliot’s eyebrows drew together. “I guess I hadn’t considered that. It makes sense. There’s a vacuum.”

I jabbed a finger in his direction. “Exactly the word he used. He said there’s a vacuum and that everybody is jostling to see who will fill it.”

“Is he including himself among the jostlers?”

“I asked that very question. He said his business was his business.”

“Figures.”

“He also said he’s on a list of people who are wanted dead by other dealers because he’s too much of a threat.”

“And he just volunteered that to you out of nowhere?” Eliot’s annoyance came out to play. “Why would he tell you that?”

“Because apparently I’m on the list.” I rested my hands on the glass counter, waiting for the explosion.

“You’re on what list?” Eliot asked blankly.

“The list of people the dealers want dead.”

“But ... why?”

“I’m a little confused about that too. Andre says that there are multiple reasons I might be on the list.”

“What reasons?”

“Apparently I’m a busybody who sticks my nose into everybody else’s business and that’s garnered attention from people I don’t even know. They like it when I take on the cops and politicians. They don’t like it when I go after the dealers.”

“I’m not particularly a big fan of that either,” Eliot acknowledged. “It seems stupid to go after you for that. Why not just avoid you?”

“Because we both know that I can’t be stopped when I get it in my head to chase a story.”

He folded his arms across his chest and I felt the tension building. “What other reasons?”

“There’s just one other reason: I’m friends with Andre and he’s on the list. Apparently he gets grief from the other dealers because he occasionally hangs out with me.”

Eliot viciously swore under his breath. He said some particularly vile things about Andre and then pinned me with a serious look. “You have to cut all ties with him.”

“I don’t know if that’s possible,” I hedged. “He’s the only person I know who has a real feel for what’s going on out there. Do you really want me to cut off all avenues of information?”

“If it means you won’t be hanging around with him, yes.”

“He’s not a bad guy.”

“He’s a drug dealer.”

“Yeah, but there are degrees of drug dealers.”

“No, there most certainly are not.”

“Eliot ... .”

“No.” He vehemently shook his head. “I don’t want you hanging out with him. I believe I’ve made my feelings known on this subject a few times. There’s absolutely nothing he can do but bring you trouble.”

“He can do more than that, but it doesn’t matter. He warned me to stay away from him.”

Eliot was taken aback. “He did?”

“He doesn’t think it’s safe for me ... and apparently I ruin his street cred. It sucks, but it is what it is.”

“Well, I still don’t want you hanging around with him.”

There was no point in fighting about it. “He said he was going to tattle on me if I didn’t tell you. I’d already made the choice to tell you. He said I can’t tackle this one on my own, which means you’re going to have to help me.”

Eliot closed the ledger book and shoved it on the shelf beneath the counter before walking from behind the display cases and stopping in front of me. “I’m glad you told me. It shows real growth.”

“It kind of makes me feel like a weenie,” I admitted. “I don’t want to have to need your help, but I’m outside of my comfort zone. I can’t handle this myself.”

“The fact that you can admit that means we’re making real progress.” Eliot pulled me to him for a hug. “I love you. Thank you for telling me. After dinner tonight we’ll figure out how to keep you safe.”

That sounded like the worst conversation ever. “Fine, but ... I need to agree with whatever you have planned.”

“We’ll play it by ear.”

I frowned. “No, we’re going to compromise. If we don’t, I won’t tell you anything bad again.”

“We’ll play it by ear.” He was insistent. “For now, we have to pull it together for dinner. After that, we’ll talk.”

It was the best I was going to get. “Fine. But it’s going to be a long talk.”

5 FIVE

“THESE ARE THE RULES,” I announced when we parked in front of the family restaurant.

“Oh, good, I love rules,” Eliot deadpanned.

I pretended not to hear him. “You can’t mention we got married. You can’t mention titanium rings. You can’t argue with my mother when she starts verbally assaulting you with flower information.

“You can’t complain about a cake with flowers all over it,” I continued. “I tried to talk her into a Star Wars cake, but she absolutely refused. She said she was putting her foot down, which means she’s serious.

“You can’t mention Tad Ludington or his new task force. You can’t mention the body in the alley because my mother is convinced all gangbangers are possessed by the Devil. You really can’t mention that I’m on a list of people being targeted by gangbangers ... and that’s not just because of my mother. I don’t want Derrick to know.”

Eliot eyed me for a considerable moment. “Is that it?” he asked finally.

“For now I guess. I might have to kick you under the table if the conversation turns to something else I find uncomfortable. I’m just warning you now.”

“Right.” He moved his hand to the back of my neck and rubbed at the tension pooling there. “Have I mentioned today that I love you?”

“A few times.”

“Well, I do. You’re a freak when you want to be, but I have everything under control. This is hardly the first family dinner I’ve attended. I know how your people operate.”

I lowered my voice. “They’re crazy.”

“They are crazy, and they raised you, which is part of the reason you’re crazy. It’s going to be okay.”

I wasn’t convinced. “You can’t mention Andre.”

“I won’t mention him until we’re home and we start talking about how we’re going to keep you safe.”

“Andre says I should carry a gun.”

Eliot growled. “I would rather not go that route.”

“You sold me the gun.”

“I wish I could take it back. If there’s one person in the history of the universe who shouldn’t have access to a gun, it’s you.”

“Hey!” I was offended, and rightfully so. “I’m a responsible gun owner.”

“You keep your gun in a Gandalf cookie jar.”

“That shows what you know. I moved it.”

“Into the Aragorn cookie jar?”

“Into the Hedwig cookie jar. I like to keep things fresh.”

He sighed, long and drawn out. “Do you know what drives me nuts about the cookie jar situation?”

“No, but I have a feeling you’re going to tell me.”

“It drives me nuts that you have six cookie jars and there are no cookies in any of them.”

“I don’t have six cookie jars.”

“Um ... you have Hedwig, Aragorn, Gandalf, Darth Vader, the egg thing from Alien and the ugly guy whose name I can’t remember.”

“Your mama?”

He frowned.

“Bib Fortuna,” I said. “The Alien one is too small to hold anything but Oreos so it doesn’t count.”

“You have six cookie jars,” he insisted.

“I think what you’re saying is that we need more cookies.”

“That and I don’t want you armed. I don’t like leaving you exposed, but I don’t like the idea of you being able to shoot someone. You get yourself too worked up.”

“Oh, whatever.” I rolled my neck until it cracked. “I would be an excellent shooter.”

“The fact that you phrased it that way only fills me with more dread. You can’t carry the gun.”

“Then how am I supposed to protect myself? And before you say that I should keep you with me as a bodyguard at all times, you should know our marriage won’t survive that.”

“Oh, I know.” He offered a weak smile. “You’re far too independent for that. I think I might crack under those circumstances too. I will figure something out.”

I was hopeful that meant he wouldn’t attempt to turn himself into my shadow for the foreseeable future. I reached for the door handle. “Are you ready for an uncomfortable meal?”

“I have my Tums.”

THE FAMILY BOOTH WAS NEARLY FULL. We’d missed the previous week’s dinner because we were in Vegas — something that was not considered an acceptable excuse — and I was ready for my mother’s inevitable verbal assault. Instead, she perked up when she saw me and smiled — and it wasn’t one of her creepy “come into my gingerbread house and don’t mind the oven” smiles. It was a legitimate smile.

“There you are.” Mom beamed at Eliot and me in turn. “I was hoping you wouldn’t miss two weeks in a row.”

I sensed a trap. “I called to tell you we were going to miss last week,” I reminded her. “Eliot had a job to do and he couldn’t just blow it off for family dinner.”

“Of course not. He’s a businessman.”

I waited for her to add an “and” or a “but,” but she just continued smiling. “Okay.” I directed Eliot toward the opposite end of the table. I didn’t want to subject him to whatever evil plan that cool and calculating mind of hers was working out. “We had fun in Vegas, in case you’re wondering.”

I slid in before Eliot, realizing after the fact that I was now stuck next to Derrick. Normally Devon would have that spot, but she’d grown so big that she had to be seated in a spot that had easy access, so she was on his other side.

“I’ve never liked Vegas,” Mom said, making a face. “It’s full of degenerates.”

“Have you ever actually been there?” I asked.

“I just told you it was full of degenerates.”

“So is Florida, but you love Disney World.”

Mom pretended she hadn’t heard the comment and focused on Eliot. “So, how are you feeling? No second thoughts about proposing now that you’ve gone on vacation with her, right? You’re still solid about the marriage?”

And that’s when I realized why she was being so amiable about us missing family dinner. She would remain this way until Eliot was locked in with a ring and vows. He already was, but she was unaware.

“I think it’s going to stick,” Eliot replied with a chuckle as he slipped his arm over the booth seat behind me and looked at the specials menu I held up. “Oh, score!”

“Prime rib,” I agreed. It was a favorite for both of us.

“You shouldn’t eat so much red meat,” Mom chided, shaking her head. “You want to live a long and happy life with my daughter. You need to watch your fat intake. Red meat is loaded with fat, especially prime rib.”

“I think I’ll risk it,” Eliot replied evenly.

“He might want to eat it because it will hasten his death,” Devon offered as she slathered butter on a dinner roll. She looked a bit puffy, even from two weeks ago when I’d last seen her. Her stomach was so big she could now balance a pizza box on it. “I mean ... he is marrying Avery.”

I glared at her. “Did you swallow a beach ball?”

She sneered. “I’m pregnant. Weight gain is a part of pregnancy.”

I tried to do the math in my head. “You’re up like, seventy-five pounds, right? That’s definitely not all baby. My friend Carly gained only forty pounds and she was as big as a house too. You put her to shame.”

Devon’s mouth dropped open, allowing me to see the mushy roll inside. “What did you just say to me?”

“I think she said you’re eating enough for four,” my grandfather replied, speaking for the first time since we’d sat down. He had food on his cheek — it looked like horseradish sauce from the prime rib — and he appeared to be in a foul mood.

“I’m eating enough for two,” Devon shot back, gesturing toward her stomach. “Two people. I haven’t put on that much weight.”

Obviously she was deluded. “Carly worked out right up until she gave birth. Maybe you should’ve tried that.”

If looks could kill, I would be dead. “Thanks for your opinion,” she snapped. “It’s always nice to hear from people who haven’t given birth. Surely you’re an expert.”

I slid my eyes to Eliot. “I make friends wherever I go.”

He smirked and focused on my grandfather. “How is the prime rib?”

“It’s prime rib,” he replied. “I cooked it. That means it’s good.”

“Yes, beef good,” I intoned, grinning.

“You should watch your fat intake too,” Mom warned. “You have the unhealthiest eating habits of anyone I know.”

“That’s weird because Eliot was just telling me I should eat more cookies.”

“Eliot is in that loved-up stage right after a proposal,” Mom countered. “I guarantee he’ll stop coddling you by the time you’re married.”

I cast Eliot a sidelong look. “Is that true? I hope not, because I love being coddled ... and cookies. Do you think you could coddle me with cookies? That sounds like the perfect night.”

“We can work something out,” Eliot replied. “Also, I don’t coddle Avery. We compromise. That’s what we do.”

“You coddle her,” Mom argued. “You never call her on her bad behavior. But don’t do it now, because I don’t want to give her an excuse to tick you off and act like an idiot. Once you’re married, you need to get strict.”

“I will consider that,” Eliot said when he got a gander at my warning look. “Somehow I think Avery will balk if I get strict, but nothing is off the table.”

Mom’s deranged smile was back. “That’s good.” She dug in her purse on the booth seat next to her and pulled out a binder as thick as the prime rib. “Now, we need to get serious about this wedding.”

I leaned closer to Eliot and whispered. “She has a binder.”

“I noticed,” he said dryly.

“Do you want a spring or summer wedding?” Mom asked. She had on her secretary face and appeared ready to start checking items off a list.

“Oh, well ... .” I shifted on my seat. “I don’t know that it matters.”

“We want a winter wedding,” Eliot countered, drawing Mom’s attention.

“A winter wedding?” Mom made a face, clearly horrified at the thought. “Her hair won’t look good with a bunch of white accents set against the snow. It’s going to be hard enough to find a dress that doesn’t wash her out.”

I hadn’t thought about the dress. “I don’t want some big froufrou monstrosity,” I warned.

“You’ll look good in a big dress,” Mom countered. “You have wide hips. The dress will hide that.”

“I don’t have wide hips,” I protested. “Devon has wide hips.”

Devon was inhaling the world’s biggest plate of spaghetti ... and it was frightening the way she was going at it. “I’m pregnant!” She sounded like a monster from a Godzilla movie the way she growled.

“Her hips are fine,” Eliot said.

“A winter wedding?” Mom shook her head. “I guess, but I’m not really keen on waiting a year. That gives her far too much time to annoy you into changing your mind.”

“I’m not going to change my mind.” Eliot’s tone was even. “I wasn’t talking about next winter. We’re getting married this winter.”

Mom’s face was impassive. “Don’t be ridiculous. There are only a few weeks left in this winter.”

“I’m well aware.”

“A wedding takes time to plan.”

“Not our wedding.”

I cleared my throat to draw Mom’s attention. “What Eliot is too nice to say is that you’re going overboard. Like ... really overboard. We want a simple ceremony, small, only family will be invited.”

“And friends,” Eliot corrected. “You’ll want your co-workers there. I have a few people I want to invite.”

I pursed my lips. “Which co-workers do I have to invite?”

“I think it’s proper to invite all of them so you don’t look like a jerk.”

That wasn’t happening. “I am not inviting Duncan.”

“You can’t invite everybody and leave Duncan off the list,” Eliot argued. “That’ll just make him more difficult to deal with.”

Like I cared. “I’m not inviting the guy who walks around jingling the change in his pocket as a way to cover that he’s feeling himself up either.”

Eliot let loose a world-weary sigh. “We’ll instruct the guests that they can’t have change in their pockets during the ceremony.”

“That won’t stop him. Do you really want a wanton willy whacker at our ceremony? I don’t want the religion editor either. He’s creepy and asks beauty pageant contestants their measurements.”

“In his defense, I think that used to be a thing,” Mom offered.

“There is no defense ... and he did it this past summer with sixteen-year-old girls.”

“Oh, well, that’s just inappropriate,” Mom said. “We definitely don’t want him at the wedding in case you have teenage bridesmaids.”

I was dumbfounded. “What teenagers are going to be at the wedding?”

“We have extended family. There’s a whole limb on the family tree that lives in Clare, and I think some of those girls have teenagers.”

“Um, no.” I shook my head. “We’re not inviting those people.”

Mom looked aggrieved. “They’re family.”

“They’re shirttail relatives I’ve never met.”

“They’re at every family reunion.”

She was talking nonsense now. “I’ve never been to a family reunion.”

“You have so,” Derrick supplied. “Those big picnics at Hartwick Pines, the ones where you and Lexie used to sneak behind the big trucks and smoke pot?”

I did vaguely remember. “They’re not coming,” I said to my mother, adamant. “No way.”

“Oh, it’s going to happen.” Mom had on her rigid face, the one that told me she wasn’t going to back down. “They’re family, and you can’t not invite family.”

“Yeah, you only use that ‘family’ argument when you want your way,” I said, using the appropriate air quotes. “When you’re mad at someone, it’s fine not to see or talk to them. When anyone else is mad at someone and doesn’t want to see them, you say it’s not allowed. It all comes down to what you want because you’re a tyrant.”

Mom’s expression didn’t change. “They’re coming.”

“They’re not.”

Mom looked to Eliot for help. “Tell her they’re coming.”

He hesitated and then shook his head. “No, I don’t think I can give you what you want this time.”

“Excuse me?” Mom turned shrill. “What exactly are you saying?”

“Just that Avery and I have talked about it — we spent extensive time talking about it when we were in Vegas — and we want a small wedding. We just want members of this immediate branch of the family ... and my mother. There will be some friends, though I have to agree that I don’t want the change masturbator or the weird religious editor at the wedding.

“As for the date, you have one week,” he continued. “We want to get married next weekend.”

My mother’s face glowered like the aftermath of Chernobyl. “Excuse me?” Her voice was low and dark.

“You heard me.” Eliot refused to back down. “We don’t want to drag this out. We also don’t want a huge spectacle. We want a simple ceremony with a nice reception. And we’ll decide on the food.”

“Tacos,” I said.

“You can’t have tacos at a wedding!” Mom was horrified. “I’ve seen you eat, Avery. You remind me of your grandfather. I will not tolerate a wedding where you have taco meat and salsa dripping down the front of your dress.”

That sounded like a perfect wedding. “I like tacos.”

“No tacos!”

“If she wants tacos, she can have tacos,” Eliot shot back, digging in his heels. “I kind of want tacos for the reception now. Also, we’ll be deciding the guest list. We’ll have it to you by the end of the day tomorrow.”

“For a wedding that’s going to happen in a week?” Mom was apoplectic. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“We simply want what we want. It’s our wedding, so it’s only fair that we get to make the decisions.”

I was impressed ... and more than a little turned on. “I want a Star Wars cake, too,” I whispered.

Eliot slid his eyes to me, his expression unreadable. Finally, he nodded. “And we want a Star Wars cake.”

“Absolutely not!” Mom slammed her hand on the table. “I draw the line at a Star Wars cake.”

“Well, she wants it.” Eliot was matter-of-fact. “We had a Star Wars proposal. A Star Wars cake sounds like a good bookend.”

I was feeling pretty good about things until I glanced at my grandfather. Suspicion lit his features as he regarded me, and I had a sickening feeling that he was about to start chasing his own story ... and it featured me.

“We’re going to get what we want,” Eliot insisted. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to be involved.”

And that was apparently that. Eliot had spoken and there was nothing Mom could do about it.

6 SIX

“A WEEK?”

We were barely out of the restaurant when I hit Eliot with the obvious question.

He shrugged as we trudged through the slush to his truck. “The less time we have to deal with your mother, the better.”

I couldn’t argue. Still ... . “That’s so little time.”

His amusement was obvious as he opened the passenger door. He wasn’t always so chivalrous, but apparently he was in the mood tonight. “We’re already married. A week is plenty of time for a fake wedding.”

“It won’t be fake for her.”

“No, but you’re going to get agitated if she keeps pushing you. You’ll blow a gasket — which means slipping up and telling her — if she has too much time to come at you from various directions.”

He wasn’t wrong. “She’d never forgive us for getting married without her.”

“I’m well aware. She loves me now because she thinks I’m her best shot at getting you off the streets. That will change if she realizes fat Elvis married us.”

“That was my favorite part of the wedding.”

He grinned and gave me a kiss before shutting the door. It only took him a few seconds to cross to his side and climb in. My hands were already extended to the vents when he fired up the engine.

“I hate winter,” I grumbled. “It would be so much easier if we could have the fake wedding outside, maybe by the lake or something.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Is that what you were planning to do before Vegas?”

I shrugged, noncommittal. “I don’t know. I hadn’t really gotten to the nitty-gritty. I mean ... I never thought I would be planning a wedding.”

“Never?” He rubbed his hands together and waited for the engine to heat up.

I shot him a rueful smile. “I didn’t think I was the marrying type. I mean ... who would put up with me?”

“You’re not as difficult to put up with as you think.”

“There’s no reason to insult me.”

He cracked a smile. “You’re set in your ways,” he offered. “You’re ... spoiled rotten sometimes, but you’re not incapable of bending. The one thing you’ll never admit is that you have a really soft heart.”

My mouth dropped open. “That’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

His eyes lit with delight. “It wasn’t meant as an insult.”

“Well, it was.” I leaned forward and allowed the warming air to blow against my cheeks. “I don’t bend. That’s just ... ridiculous.” He was quiet for so long I had to look to make sure he hadn’t snuck out of the vehicle. “I don’t bend,” I insisted when I found him staring at me.

“You’re not nearly the badass that you pretend to be.”

“Is this because I somehow made a hit list? If so, I have to tell you, it’s a weird form of punishment.”

“You’re not being punished, but we still have to talk about what Andre told you. As for the rest, you’re the strongest person I know. You always try to do the right thing, no matter what you say.”

“I do not. I’m mean and snarly.”

“You’re ... something.” His fingers brushed against my cheek. “As for the wedding, it is what it is. I’m trying to mitigate potential disaster. By giving your mother one week, I’ve cut down the amount of time you’ll be tortured. Granted, her torture is going to be exquisite, but it will be concluded within a week.”

He had a point. “I’m still mean.”

“Fine.” He fastened his seatbelt and shifted the truck into drive. “You’re a horrible person.”

“I am.”

“I know.”

“You should never forget how mean and nasty I really am.”

“I will never forget again.”

I WOKE ALONE, EXCEPT FOR ROCKY, WHO sat on Eliot’s pillow glaring at me. It was the closest he’d come to me since we’d returned from Vegas, but the look on his face told me he wasn’t ready to forgive and forget.

“I’m dealing with a lot right now,” I told the cat. “I don’t need you being mad at me on top of everything else.” I tentatively reached out to stroke his head but ended up snatching my fingers back when he attempted to bite them. “Nobody needs your attitude. In fact ... .” The sound of a drill cut me off and I bolted to a sitting position. “What is that?”

Rocky’s disdainful stare told me the only reason he was in the bedroom at all was because he wasn’t a fan of the noise.

Still grumbling, I stomped into the living room wearing nothing but my panties and an oversized T-shirt. I found Eliot in his boxer shorts, drill in hand, staring at what looked to be a huge new screen next to our front door.

“What is that?”

“That is our new security panel,” Eliot replied, not looking in my direction. “What are you doing up so early?”

I was incredulous. “Are you kidding me?” I gestured toward the drill.

He had the grace to look abashed. “Oh, right. Sorry about that. I wanted to get a jump on things.”

“A jump on what sort of things?” I glanced at the boxes scattered around the foyer. “What is all this?”

“I’m upgrading our security system.”

“Why?”

“You know why.”

I leaned over and pulled a camera from the nearest box. “How did you manage to order all this stuff — let alone get it delivered — so fast?”

“I ordered it weeks ago. It was delivered right before we left for Vegas. I just had to dig it out this morning.”

I remained confused. “From where?”

“It was stacked in the garage.”

Now that he mentioned it, I had noticed a few new boxes on the garage shelves when we were leaving for our trip. I had assumed it was dude stuff — tools and vehicle extras — and pushed it out of my head. Eliot liked tinkering in the garage sometimes. It seemed I’d missed a big clue regarding his plans.

“What do you plan to do?” I started sorting through the boxes. There were gadgets I didn’t recognize. “I need to know what all of this is.”

Irritation, faint as a whisper, floated across Eliot’s face as he turned to me. “This is part of my job.”

“What is part of your job?”

“Keeping you safe.”

And there it was. “And you think all this stuff is going to stop people from coming after me?”

“I think all this stuff is going to alert me when someone arrives at our house to come after you,” he corrected. “Then I will kill whoever it is and we’ll go from there.”

He was sober enough that I knew he was serious. “Eliot ... .”

“Avery.” He matched my tone. “This is what I do. I’m a security consultant. I’m going to beef up the security on the house. I’ve had it in the works since Fawn showed up here with a gun. It’s not only because of this situation.”

“It’s not?”

“I want you safe. If you’re going to keep running your mouth — which you can’t stop yourself from doing — then I’m beefing up the security. More cameras, sensors on the windows, and a few other things. There’s nothing to worry about.”

His response told me otherwise. I knew when to pick my battles. He needed to feel as if he was doing something, and this was what he’d chosen to do.

“Okay, well ... I’m going to cook breakfast.”

“I’ll have a blueberry Pop-Tart.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I can cook more than Pop-Tarts.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“I TOLD YOU.”

Eliot sat in front of his Eggos twenty minutes later, smiling as he doused them with syrup.

“I stand corrected,” he said. “You’re a marvelous cook, baby.”

“I am.” I rested my feet on top of his under the table and studied him. He’d worked the entire time I cooked. Er, well, heated up his Eggos in the toaster oven. Unlike the numerous other mornings we’d spent together, he didn’t appear to be in the mood to talk.

“So, what’s on the agenda today?” I asked, hoping the question came off as breezy.

“I’m making this house safe for you and Rocky.”

“I’m pretty sure the house is safe.”

“There’s a bullet hole in our ceiling that I had to get fixed that says otherwise.”

I remembered the incident with Fawn well. He blamed himself, at least partly, because she was his former employee, one who developed an unhealthy attachment to him. In his mind, she only came after me because of him. I, of course, knew better. I’d created my own problems with Fawn and was willing to take responsibility for what had happened between us.

“Eliot ... .”

“I don’t want to argue about this,” he warned, his voice full of warning. “I’m making our house safe for you and that’s all there is to it.”

He was a little intense for my comfort level, but I nodded. “Okay, well ... I’m starting out the day at the sheriff’s department. They’re having a conference on the guy they found in the alley yesterday. I don’t expect it to take long. I’m not sure what I’m doing after that.”

“You won’t be going to Andre’s house?”

I reminded myself that he’d phrased it as a question and not a demand. “That’s not on the agenda.”

“Because he doesn’t want to be seen with you, or because you’ve realized it’s not safe to be seen with him?”

My temper ratcheted up a notch. “Just yesterday you said we were making progress because I told you about what happened in a timely fashion.”

He growled something that suspiciously sounded like “annoying wife” and then cleared his throat. “We are making progress.”

“You’re not.”

“I had nowhere near as much progress to make as you, so my growth has faltered this week.”

The fact that he could reel off that response so easily made me grin. “You’ve been paying attention when I decide to get myself out of trouble.”

He pressed the balls of his feet against mine under the table, maintaining contact as he ate. He was serious when he lifted his chin again. “I need to do this. I know it bothers you and you’re likely to get angry with me because you think I’m smothering you, but I’m concerned about your safety and I’m going to do what I feel is necessary until this list goes away.”

I nodded. “I get it.”

“Do you?”

“I do. I am glad you’ve got my back, but you can’t smother me. I need room to navigate.”

“I will do my best.”

“Thank you.”

We lapsed into an amiable silence before he broke it. “Have you considered that this all stems from the Santas and the Hypno that was being spread?”

“I have, but I’m not sure how it all ties together. I mean ... I thought we got all those guys. Is someone else peddling Hypno?”

He held out his hands. “I don’t know. It’s obvious your name has come up in conjunction with that operation being dismantled. It could be as simple as that.”

“It could be ten times more complex.”

“It could. I just need you to be careful. I don’t expect you to check in with me constantly ... or ask for permission. But I need you to watch your back.”

“And stay away from Andre.”

He hesitated and then nodded. “I prefer you stay away from Andre. I know you’re going to do what you’re going to do. Just remember that I’m going to be really upset if something happens to you.”

“I feel the same about you.”

“Yes, but I care about my feelings more.”

I laughed. “I’ll be careful, Eliot.”

“You’d better be. I don’t want to be a widower before everybody knows I’m a husband. On top of that, I can’t live without you.”

DERRICK WAS IN CHARGE OF THE NEWS conference at the sheriff’s department. I wasn’t surprised to find only half of the usual suspects present, most milling about drinking bottled water and shoving cookies into their mouths. The death of a gangbanger in an alley didn’t have the juice that the death of someone from a different neighborhood would have. I was still interested, of course, but I had inside information.

“I have a question for you,” I said as I approached Derrick, not bothering with a standard greeting.

“Oh, joy,” Derrick deadpanned, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the doorjamb. “I have a question for you too.”

That sounded unfortunate. “Me first. What’s the deal with the Hypno people you took into custody? What are they saying?”

Derrick was taken aback. “That’s not my case.”

That was an interesting way to sidestep my question. “And yet I’m willing to bet you know about it.”

“What you’re willing to bet about isn’t really my concern.”

That was another non-answer, which only served to make me more suspicious. “What’s up with Jessica Shepperly? Is she still in custody?”

“You haven’t heard about a jailbreak, have you?”

Okay, now I was definitely on alert. Derrick wasn’t the most gifted liar, and yet he’d put decent effort into both of those evasions. “So ... you’re not going to talk about one of the biggest drug busts in the county’s history?”

“It’s not my case. This is my case.”

“Yes, and I’m starting to wonder if it has ties to the Hypno.”

Derrick’s shoulder jerked but otherwise his expression remained neutral. “Why do you think that?”

“Just an idea I’m playing with.”

“Well, I don’t really deal with your ideas. I’ll have to take your word for it.”

“Uh-huh.” I pursed my lips. “If I were to chase the Hypno hunch, would I be wasting my time?”

“I have no idea.” Derrick’s expression was bland. “I’m not involved in that case.”

He failed to mention that his case likely overlapped with that case. It was a convenient lie, one that would allow him to claim he was telling the truth because he was focused on his case and another detective was focused on the Hypno case. He was cleverer than I often gave him credit for, though that wasn’t saying much.

“You had a question for me.” I switched topics on him.

“What?” His confusion only deepened, at least if the furrows in his forehead were any indication.

“You had a question for me,” I repeated. “I’m ready to answer.”

Now it was Derrick’s turn to be suspicious. “Just like that?”

“Just like that,” I agreed.

“Okay, well ... it’s about Devon.”

I was already regretting this. “She’s a bitch, but you’re stuck with her now. You should’ve thought about how bitchy she was before you knocked her up.”

He shot me a death glare. “She’s not bitchy. She’s pregnant.”

“One of those doesn’t preclude the other.”

He kept talking as if he hadn’t heard me. “It’s about how much weight she’s put on.”

Oh, well, now we were getting somewhere. “You mean she’s as big as a house.”

“No, I do not!” Derrick’s eyes fired and he darted a quick look around to make sure nobody was listening. “She’s pregnant and beautiful.”

“Dude, that baby only weighs ten pounds tops. She’s put on, like, seventy pounds. She’s huge.”

“Knock that off.” Derrick flicked my ear, causing me to yelp. “I do not want to be one of those guys who freaks out because his woman gains too much weight during pregnancy. I am a little concerned.”

“You can’t call her your woman. That’s sexist. I don’t know what to tell you. She will eat your arm for a snack if you take the chocolate from her. It’s clear she’s given herself over to the process, and fattening food is better than moderation.”

“You can’t say those things about a pregnant woman,” Derrick insisted. “It’s wrong. I mean ... you’re a woman. You should know it’s wrong to say things like that.”

“As opposed to you, who is just thinking them but doesn’t want anybody else to think them?” I challenged.

“I ... .” He held my gaze and then shook his head. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I can’t talk to you about this. It will come back to bite me.”

“It definitely will,” I agreed. “It will especially come back to bite you if I mention to Devon that you’re worried about it.”

His shoulders stiffened. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, but I would.” I leaned in to study the sheet of paper in his hand. It was a fact sheet on the killing. There was no mention of Hypno. “You should talk to Jake, tell him I’ve already figured out your dead guy has something to do with the Santas.” That was a complete and total bluff. “That’s the story direction I’ll be chasing.”

“I told you that I don’t know anything about that,” Derrick snapped.

“I don’t believe you. I’m just giving you warning. I know there’s more to this than you’re letting on. Having this fake and unnecessary conference to cover that fact will get you nowhere.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Derrick refused to break from the party line. “I’m here about the guy found in the alley yesterday. There’s nothing more to share.”

“We’ll see about that, won’t we?”

“I guess we will.”

7 SEVEN

DERRICK’S REFUSAL TO play the game my way had me considering the impossible. It wasn’t until I was in front of the county building — the place where good taste went to die — that I realized I’d lost my mind. That didn’t stop me from heading inside and up to the floor where the county commissioners had their offices. It was a Saturday, so the building was mostly empty, which made what I had to do easier.

I checked the directory to find Tad’s office and then followed the arrows until I reached my destination. The desk in front of the bank of offices was empty, but a sign told me to wait. I knew that if I announced my presence Tad would either make me wait the entire day or refuse to see me outright, so I went straight to his office.

I didn’t knock. Thankfully, I didn’t have to. His office door was open and he was kicked back, feet resting on his desk, flipping through a file folder. His first glance up was cursory, as if he expected someone to drop something off. His second was incredulous.

“What do you think you’re doing here?”

“And a happy hello to you,” I said as I flopped in one of the chairs across from his desk. They were of the cheap corporate variety, hardly comfortable. “You need to decorate this place with something other than photos of yourself.” I gestured toward the huge framed photo of him getting an award from the governor after he’d recovered from his shooting.

“I have it ordered,” he said dryly. “What are you doing here?”

“You say that like you’re not happy to see me.”

“I’m not.”

“And yet you should be, because I’m the only reason you’re still alive.” It was a card I knew I shouldn’t have played, but I needed leverage.

His eyes narrowed to slits. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” I’d already stepped into it so there was no sense backing down. “You owe me a favor. I’ve come to collect.”

“I owe you a favor?” Tad’s eyebrows hopped so far they would’ve melded with his college hairline. His hairline had begun receding an inch at a time when he was twenty. I figured he would need a toupee by the time he was forty, and I was looking forward to a windy news conference on that day.

“You do,” I confirmed. “I’m the reason you’re still alive.”

He dropped the folder on his desk and rested his hands on his stomach, not bothering to lower his feet. It was a sign of disrespect, but I was beyond caring. “That’s not how I see it.”

I had zero interest in his take on things. “Well, that’s the way it is. I need something from you.”

He didn’t acknowledge the second statement. “The only reason I was shot is because Eliot’s former clerk was deranged by the two of you and lost her mind. She’s in the psych ward of the jail, in case you’re wondering.”

I had given it some thought. Fawn’s attempt to kill herself in my house had unsettled me for days. I hadn’t bothered to follow up, though. I saw no reason to give her power over us that wasn’t deserved.

“I hope she’s doing well.” I meant it. “This is about you and me, though. You can blame us for Fawn all you want, but you hired her to bug us. Then you had sex with her because you’re a perverted idiot. Then you pushed things with her even further ... and she snapped. If it weren’t for me, she would’ve killed you in the hospital to keep you from talking, and we both know that.”

Tad’s expression was difficult to read. “I don’t feel that you saved me,” he said finally. “I mean ... you were saving yourself.”

“Only because I was a suspect in your shooting.”

“And rightly so. You’ve made your disdain for me well known.”

“And I plan to continue making it well known. This isn’t a truce. We’re not suddenly friends or even friendly enemies. I need one favor from you and then I’ll leave you alone ... until you do something stupid and I have to cover it.”

Tad briefly shifted his gaze to the window that looked down on Mount Clemens’ bustling Main Street. “What favor do you want?” he asked finally.

“I want to talk to someone on your task force. I was going through the file you provided at the conference. There’s one name I found in there that’s of interest.”

“I’ve amassed some of the brightest and best minds in the county — actually, the state — for my task force,” Tad countered. “There should be more than one name of interest. I noticed you put the bare minimum of effort into the story you wrote, so I’m surprised you remember any of the names.”

“This is hardly your first task force,” I reminded him. “I can’t get excited for you to take on crime yet again.”

“My unfortunate circumstances have given me a keen interest in crime. We have way too much of it, as you probably know ... especially given what happened to you with the Santas. If I’m not mistaken, a young woman tried to kill you in the hospital over that case.”

“Tried and failed. I’m tougher than I look.”

“Unfortunately, that’s true.” Tad steepled his fingers and rested his elbows on his desk, his gaze speculative. “Who do you want to talk to?”

And here was where things were destined to become interesting. “You have that drug guy, Caleb Bates. He was famous a couple years ago for that big drug bust he made on the Ambassador Bridge, the one that netted, like, a hundred pounds of pot and two shipping containers of other stuff.”

“I’m well aware of his credentials,” Tad said blandly. “Why do you think I wanted him on my team?”

I’d yet to figure out why Tad had selected the individuals in question — although some were known opponents of Jake, a man Tad hated — but that was a conversation for another time. Bates had a stellar reputation. Why he was working with Tad was beyond me.

“I think you only work with the very best,” I lied. “That’s how you ended up with Fawn.”

He scowled. “Why do you want to talk to him?” Tad demanded. “It seems to me that you would want to stay away from members of my team because they’re going to wipe the floor with your team.”

I didn’t have to ask who he was referring to. “So this is all an attempt to take down Jake?” I shouldn’t have been surprised, but even I had to marvel at Tad’s unwillingness to bend even a little where the sheriff was concerned.

“He’s bad for the county.”

“You mean he doesn’t kiss your butt and bend over backward for you,” I shot back. “Just for the record, Jake is a good man. He’s a very good sheriff. I get that you’re ... you ... and can’t seem to help yourself from going after him because you get your power from bringing others down, but I’d think you’d give it a rest for a few weeks. Jake worked overtime to figure out what happened to you.”

“Sheriff Farrell worked overtime to make sure you weren’t arrested for what happened to me.”

“I didn’t shoot you.”

“You might as well have. You’re a menace.” Tad’s eyes fired with fury, but then he calmed himself. “I want to know why you want to talk to Caleb.”

“Maybe I don’t want to tell you why I want to talk to him.”

“That’s why I want to know.”

“Well ... that’s not really how a favor works. See, I ask you for what I want, and you grant it because you know I was almost killed because of your bad choices. That’s the way a favor works.”

“You’re going to tell me what you’re working on, cut me in on it for my task force, and then I’ll give you access to my guy.”

He had to be joking. “You want to work with me?”

“That wouldn’t be my first choice, but you tend to get things done. I’m looking to make a splash. Tell me why you need Caleb and we’ll work something out. We’ll share the glory this time.”

There was no way that was going to happen. “Listen ... .” I leaned forward, ready to let him have it with both barrels. The look on his face told me he was ready for battle.

“No, you listen,” he hissed, pinning me with a narrow-eyed look of disgust. “I plan on making a name for myself this go-around. I’m getting a second chance. You can either share or you can get out. Those are your options.”

I couldn’t believe he was actually standing up to me given everything that had happened. “Fine.” I stood and headed toward the door. “You’re going to miss me when I’m gone.”

“Not bloody likely.”

I WAS FURIOUS WHEN I STORMED INTO Eliot’s shop, greeting him with a shark mitten to the face as I made a guttural sound straight out of a weightlifting set.

“And hello to you too,” he drawled as he retrieved the mitten and tossed it on the display case. “Just for the record, I prefer kisses to ... whatever that was.”

I glared at him. “You want kisses, huh?” I stomped behind the counter, grabbed both sides of his face — one mittened hand and one bare — and planted a loud kiss against his lips.

Rather than recoil, he pulled me closer. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

“Oh, geez!” a loud voice complained from the storage room. My cousin Mario came out of the room. “If you guys are going to do it, then let me get the camera. I’ll die during the taping, but if I upload it live to the internet at least I’ll have money to leave my heirs.”

I glared at him. “What heirs? You’re in your twenties and single.”

“There are plenty of hot girls who will set up shrines all over this country for me if I leave them money,” he replied, brandishing a sword when I moved in his direction. “Don’t make me slay you.”

“Where did you get that?” Eliot demanded, confiscating the sword from Mario. “This is not a toy.”

“It’s a sword,” Mario replied blandly. “I found it on a shelf in there. I want it to be part of my work uniform.”

“No.” Eliot stalked into the storage room, returning a moment later without the sword. “It’s not a toy. I’ve told you about touching the weapons.”

“You said not to touch the guns,” Mario argued. “I believe you might’ve said something about the knives, too. You didn’t say a single word about swords.”

“Well, add them to the list.” Eliot’s gaze was dark. “You’re not to touch a weapon of any kind. Also, I know you sold something on the cheap to some hot chick when we were gone. I’m going to figure out what.”

“I was a diligent employee in your absence.”

“Whatever.” Eliot focused his full attention on me. “I thought the cold made your cheeks that red, but obviously something else did. Who made you angry? For the record, if Andre’s name comes out of your mouth, we’re going to have issues.”

I let lose my patented “stop talking about stupid crap” eye roll. “I went to the sheriff’s department. Derrick is all worked up about Devon putting on all that weight, by the way. I’m totally going to use that against him.”

“Your cousin is terrified about becoming a father and husband and you’re going to use a moment of weakness to your advantage,” Eliot noted. “That seems normal for you.”

I ignored the dig. “He won’t tell me what’s going on with the Hypno case.”

Eliot nodded and went back to inventorying the jewelry in the display case directly in front of him. “Did you expect him to? I’m guessing what they want more than anything is for you to forget that case ever existed.”

“Fat chance of that.”

“I agree, but if he won’t tell you what you want to know, you’ll have to get the information from somebody else. I’m almost terrified to figure out who that somebody else is.”

He wasn’t the only one. “I went to see Tad.”

Eliot grew still as Mario made a series of bird noises that reminded me of a panicking chicken.

“Tad Ludington?” Mario finally asked when Eliot didn’t respond.

“Do you know another Tad?” I shot back.

“I’m sure there are lots of Tads,” Mario replied, unruffled by my tone. “There’s Tad Hamilton. There was a movie about that dude. There’s Tad Martin. He was on that soap your mother used to love. Um ... there’s Tad from Finding Nemo.”

“Yes, I was talking to a cartoon fish,” I drawled.

Before Mario could respond and make matters worse, Eliot jabbed a finger at him. “Shut up and clean the cases,” he ordered.

“Ugh. I hate it when Avery comes to visit,” Mario lamented as he grabbed the window cleaner. “She always puts you in a bad mood.”

“She rarely puts me in a bad mood,” Eliot shot back.

“Okay, sometimes she puts you in a sexy mood and then I have to watch and that puts me in a bad mood. It’s the same thing.”

“Stop talking,” Eliot demanded, returning his focus to me. “Is Ludington alive? If you killed him and we need to hide a body, it’s important that you tell me now so I can start planning.”

I loved that he jumped to that conclusion ... and was ready to assist if I needed to hide Tad’s body. “He’s alive, but I’m plotting his downfall.”

“I don’t understand why you went to see him.” Eliot said. “Are you feeling guilty about the Fawn stuff? We’ve been over this. That wasn’t your fault. It was mine.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” I countered. “It was his fault. He hired her to mess with us and it backfired on him. That’s pretty much what I told him when I asked for a favor.”

I’d never seen Eliot stupefied into silence.

“You asked Ludington for a favor?” Mario practically screeched. “Are you crazy? That guy will eat you for lunch and spit you out. You’ll be the gross deli pickle that people mouth and then realize it’s mushy and hide under their napkins. You won’t be the crisp and yummy pickle that everyone wants to devour.”

“Don’t you have cases to clean?” I snapped.

“He does,” Eliot confirmed, finding his voice. “I ... um ... you asked Ludington for a favor?” He dragged his hand through his shoulder-length hair, dumbfounded. “I don’t understand why you would do that.”

“Because I needed a drug guy ... and before you go off the rails, I wasn’t looking to buy drugs. I was looking for a guy who had insight into the drug trade in the community. He has a guy named Caleb Bates working for him on that task force. I asked for access.”

Eliot’s expression shifted into one of thoughtful understanding. “I know him, good reputation. You didn’t mention him being on Tad’s task force.”

“That’s because I didn’t recognize him. The name stuck with me after I wrote the article. I figured he might still have some ties in the law enforcement community and might know what’s going on with Hypno.”

“That’s a pretty good idea there, my future wife.” He winked as Mario mimed gagging behind him. “I always knew you were brilliant and beautiful.”

“I’m about to throw up a kidney,” Mario announced.

Eliot ignored him. “Did you tell Tad why you wanted to talk to Bates?”

“Do I look stupid?”

“Only when you have bedhead ... and morning drool dried on your cheek.”

“I don’t drool.”

He snorted. “Okay. What did Ludington say when you said you wanted access to Bates?”

“He said that he wanted in on whatever I’m working on, that we would be partners and he could use the story to launch his new task force.”

“So he wanted it to benefit both of you.”

“No, he wanted me to do all the work so he could claim the glory.”

“You can’t expect him to simply roll over and give you what you want. That’s not who he is.”

“He’s only alive because of me.”

“And that’s likely killing him. If he gives you what you want, he loses. He doesn’t want to lose any more than you do.”

“Um, I’m a winner. He’s a loser. He should be used to it.”

Eliot chuckled as he reached over to smooth my hair. “He won’t do it if you give him nothing in return. You need to decide if you’re willing to share.”

“I don’t want to share.”

“Then your decision is made.”

“I want access to the drug guy.”

“Then you’ll have to compromise.”

That was not a word I enjoyed. “My life sucks.” I closed my eyes. “Why can’t he just do what I want and not make me have to work with him?”

“Because he’s a jerk. If he wasn’t a jerk, you would have no reason to be mean to him. You get off being mean to him. It’s essentially your cardio.”

I slid my eyes to him, keeping my eyes focused on the glass case. “Can you go beat him up and make him do what I want?”

Eliot’s smile widened. “If I thought you would actually like that, I might. I hate the guy. You know as well as I do that you want to beat him on your own terms.”

I did know that. “My life definitely sucks. I have no good options.”

“Then make do with a bad one.”

8 EIGHT

ELIOT TRIED to cajole me out of my bad mood with a suggestion that involved a quickie on his desk. He said, in sexy whispered tones that actually had me considering it, that it would be fun for a married couple to break in the desk in the right way. However, there was no way I could risk that with Mario outside the office door. He would tell my mother, and nobody wanted that.

When I shot down his initial initiative, Eliot changed course.

“What if I buy you a hot dog?” he asked as I sipped my latte and glared out the window. A few people had slowed when crossing in front of the shop, as if they wanted to come in, but one look at me and my dour mood had them changing their minds.

“Smooth, dude.” Mario gave Eliot an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “That’s the way to get sex in the afternoon. Talk about your hot dog.”

Eliot shot him a dirty look. “I was talking about a coney.”

“Oh, well, now I kind of want a hot dog,” Mario mused. “You’ve turned me gay, man. I can’t believe it.”

Eliot held up his hand to silence Mario — or maybe just block his view — and focused on me. “We haven’t eaten since your gourmet breakfast of Eggos. How does a big lunch sound? And don’t mention hot dogs again, Mario, because I will have to beat you to within an inch of your life.”

I was determined to be sullen. Now that he’d mentioned coneys, though, I couldn’t stop myself from perking up. “Can I have chili fries?”

“Yes.”

“Cake?”

“Knock yourself out.”

“Onion rings?”

“You’ll have onions on the coneys. A double-dose means I really won’t get any action on my desk.”

“You’re not getting action on your desk with my cousin here,” I shot back.

“Word.” Mario extended his fist for an imaginary bump. “Tell him how it’s going to be, Avery. Lay down the law. Make him your whipping boy ... wait, I think you’ve already done that. He mentioned earlier that you made him Eggos and said it was a happy morning because you cared enough to cook. Nobody but him — and apparently you — would consider that cooking.”

I pressed my lips together in an effort to keep from snarking at him. “I’ll forego the onion rings,” I promised. “Now that you’ve mentioned food, it’s all I can think about.”

“Great.” Eliot grabbed our coats and moved toward the door. “Mario, you’re in charge until I get back. I will know if you give away any merchandise for less than it is valued and will punish you accordingly.”

“With hot dogs?” Mario asked. “What? It’s a fair question.”

“Don’t do anything annoying while we’re gone ... and stay away from that sword!”

“This job sucks,” Mario lamented. “I miss being in the food truck with Grandpa. I never thought I would say that, but there it is. Working with Grandpa is better than this.”

“Then quit,” Eliot snapped.

“I can’t go back to the food truck until it’s warm again. You know that.”

“Then shut up.”

“That’s no fun either.”

Eliot paused with his hand on the door, his eyes on me. “I hope you know how much I love you. Only a man truly out of his mind with love would put up with your family.”

I did know that, and surprisingly, it made me go warm all over. “Yeah. I know you love me. You’re a total sap.” I paused a beat. “I love you too.”

“Oh, gag me with a hot dog!” Mario wailed.

Eliot slung his arm over my shoulders. “And more progress. You’re actually getting good at this relationship stuff.”

“And another insult. How is it that I’m getting better at it and you’re getting worse?”

THE DINER WAS BUSY. It was near the end of the lunch hour for the courthouse across the street, which meant tables were opening up. The one we normally sat at was already taken, the faces sitting across from one another familiar.

“Do you want to sit with them?” Eliot asked, casting me a sidelong look. “We won’t be able to make inappropriate hot dog jokes.”

“Oh, that won’t stop me.” I headed in Jake’s direction, catching the eye of his girlfriend Lauren before he turned to see who attracted her smile. “Hey, guys.”

“Oh, geez.” Jake made a face when he saw us. “I should’ve known you would track me down here. Derrick told me you were digging for information earlier. I have nothing for you.”

Lauren grabbed her purse and slid to the other side of the booth so she could sit next to Jake, freeing up the other bench for Eliot and me. Her greeting was warm and happy. “I’m so glad to see you. It was boring without you in town last week.”

“I believe she means it was peaceful,” Jake countered as I slid into the spot across from him and Eliot settled next to me. “It was like a vacation, and I didn’t even burn any days.”

“Has anybody ever told you that you have the personality of my butt when you get in a mood?” I asked as I shrugged off my coat.

“Only you would say something like that, so unless you’ve said it to me, I haven’t heard it.”

“Well, you’ve heard it now. You have the personality of my butt ... before a bath.”

“Oh, you have the sweetest pillow talk, baby,” Eliot drawled, grinning at an amused Lauren as he waved off the menu Jake offered him. “We already know what we’re getting.”

“Yes, we’re having hot dogs all afternoon,” I agreed.

“If this conversation is about to get dirty, I’m not interested,” Jake said. “As for whatever it is you think you’re going to get out of me, it’s not going to happen. I’m just warning you now.”

I adopted my most innocent expression. “What makes you think I want something? I’m a giving soul. It’s hurtful when you suggest I only want to spend time with you when I want information.”

“You also want to spend time with me when Eliot is bugging you,” Jake pointed out. “That’s usually a dig at him, though.”

“She’s multi-faceted devious,” Eliot agreed. “I love that about her.”

“You’re a sick man.” Jake leaned back in his seat and slid his arm around Lauren’s shoulders. They were a cute couple and I liked her a great deal. She was so much better than his previous girlfriend, who turned murderous and stabby at the end. “What have you been up to today? Where did you go after leaving the sheriff’s department?”

There was no way I was answering that. If he found out I’d visited Tad voluntarily, I would never hear the end of it. “I’ve been working.”

“We’ve been spending quality time together,” Eliot volunteered smoothly. “She has to stop in three times a day to keep me from killing Mario.”

Jake snickered. “I have no idea how you put up with that guy.”

“Sometimes he’s funny. Sometimes I want to strangle him. I’m stuck with him until spring. Then he’ll head back to the food truck and I will need to bring on a permanent worker.”

“No more crazy chicks,” I insisted. “If I have to deal with another Fawn, we’ll be divorced by summer.”

“Divorced by summer?” Jake’s forehead creased. “How does that work? You need to get married first.”

It wasn’t exactly a slip. Still, it was awfully close, and I silently upbraided myself for the error.

“We’re getting married in a week,” Eliot supplied, not missing a beat. “Given my future wife’s attitude, we could very well be divorced by summer.”

“A week?” Jake was dumbfounded. “I don’t understand.”

“My mother has involved herself in the wedding plans,” I explained. “Eliot laid down the law last night and told her she has a week to put it together. If we give her too much time, she’ll drive me to the nuthouse.”

“Or she’ll just drive Avery to ranting, and then I’ll be committed,” Eliot countered. “Neither Avery nor I want a big wedding, so we figured it was best to get it done and out of the way as soon as possible.”

“Wow.” Lauren’s eyes went wide. “That’s ... really big news. Are you excited?”

The question was directed at me, so I shrugged. “I’m ... ready.” I cast Eliot a grin. “I don’t think our married life will be much different from our engaged life, and that’s exactly the same as our cohabitation life, so I don’t see any changes.”

“You always did fight change,” Jake noted, shaking his head. “Still ... a week?” It wasn’t jealousy that flashed across his features as much as stunned disbelief. “That is just ... so soon.”

Eliot had long since given up trying to dictate my relationship with Jake. There was a time, when we first started dating, that he was insecure. Since then, he’d come to the conclusion that Jake and I were always going to be in each other’s lives. We would fight, snipe and rescue each other. There was love there. It simply wasn’t the same sort of love that Eliot and I shared. He was comfortable talking things over with Jake, although he had the grace not to bring it up in front of Lauren.

“It really won’t be any different from how things are now,” Eliot said. “We’re not having children. We already have a cat and a house. Nothing is going to change.”

“I know that. I just ... well, I thought there would be more freak-outs. I had ten in the office pool. I’m definitely going to lose. Even Avery can’t have ten freak-outs in the same week.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What office pool?”

Jake stirred and then chuckled. “When Eliot proposed, you guys were the talk of the office. A few of the deputies insisted you had somehow cast a spell over Eliot because there was no way a man could put up with you otherwise.”

I wasn’t surprised. There seemed to be a sexist undertone in every cop shop I’d ever visited. “Have you ever considered he had to cast a spell on me because I’m so great?”

Jake snorted. “No.”

“Well, I’m great. I’m like ... completely and totally great. Men everywhere should bow down and worship me because I’m so great.”

“Okay.” Jake focused on Eliot. “How was Vegas? I asked Avery yesterday, but she was too busy talking to street thugs to paint much of a picture.”

The frown I’d already been sporting became more pronounced. “There’s no reason to tattle. I already told Eliot about my conversation with Andre.”

Jake’s expression didn’t change. “I was simply relaying our conversation from yesterday. You’re so forthcoming and honest, I naturally assumed you’d already told Eliot about your meeting with Andre. I’m glad.”

He was a big, fat liar. “You know what might be fun? A wedding gift. I think that’s going to be the best part about getting married.”

Lauren, all innocence and light, perked up. “Have you registered somewhere? I can pick up a gift.”

“Yes, I’ve registered in the ‘Tell me what’s going on with Hypno’ registry with the sheriff’s department,” I drawled. “There’s only one item on the list, but Jake is uniquely positioned to get it for me.”

Eliot blew out a sigh. “Well, you held on longer than I thought.”

“And it’s still not going to work,” Jake fired back. “The Hypno case is with the prosecutor’s office right now. There are a lot of working parts — and a sympathetic killer — so we have to make sure everything is organized to the best of our ability. That leaves no room for you.”

Oh, there was no way I was going to let it go that easily. “Yes, but I’m getting married ... and only once.” I flicked a look toward Eliot, who appeared amused by the statement. “You have to give me a wedding present. If you don’t, Miss Manners will hunt you down and kick you in the nuts.”

“I’ll buy you a toaster.”

“I don’t want a toaster.”

Lauren cleared her throat to halt the potential argument and directed her attention to Eliot. “So ... Vegas?” She looked hopeful that he would join with her in shifting the conversation.

Eliot, apparently, was only too happy to oblige. “We went because I had a job, but I was free by five most days. Avery spent most of her time people watching. She also kept the security guards on their toes when she reported multiple guests doing hinky things in the elevators.”

“There are mirrors everywhere,” I groused. “You can’t have sex in elevators when there are mirrors ... and other people who need to use the elevators.”

“Yes, you made your prudish beliefs known at the hotel,” Eliot agreed.

“I’m with Avery on this one,” Jake offered. “Do it in your bedroom and don’t be gross about it.”

“You’re kind of a prude too,” Lauren said. “What else did you do there?” she asked before we could circle back to the previous conversation. “Did you see any shows?”

“We saw a few,” Eliot replied. “We couldn’t be out too late because I had to work. We saw the sharks at Mandalay Bay because she was desperate for that. We rode the gondolas at the Venetian. I took her to Madam Tussauds. She had a fabulous time there.”

“I love a good wax museum,” I agreed. “Some of the best horror movies involve wax museums.”

“One good horror movie stemmed from a wax museum,” Eliot countered. “I don’t care what you say, that Paris Hilton movie is an abomination.”

“She gets a rod shoved through her head. That movie is golden.”

“If you say so.”

We stopped chatting long enough for Eliot and me to place our orders, and when conversation picked up again, Lauren launched into how badly she wanted to see Las Vegas.

“It’s always been on my bucket list,” she explained.

“I’m sure I can get you out there,” Jake promised. “Maybe in a couple of weeks. It might make a nice spring break. It will be after the wedding, so things should be calm by then.”

“Really?” Lauren looked hopeful. “That would be great.”

Jake gave her an easy smile. “We’ll see a few shows and gamble a little. It will be fun.” His eyes flicked to me. “Did you guys consider getting married out there?” It was an off-the-cuff question, but it caused my insides to instantly turn cold. “I mean ... it’s coming up fast. It almost would’ve been easier to get it out of the way while you were there.”

“You’re just saying that because you don’t want to get me a gift,” I groused.

“Oh, I’m going to get you a gift,” Jake promised. “It just won’t be the gift you want. You know I can’t. It’s not only my case. There is a slew of law enforcement agencies involved. There’s nothing I can do to help you.”

That wasn’t what I wanted to hear.

“I’m curious about the wedding thing, too,” Lauren admitted. “I’ve never understood the appeal of getting married in Vegas, but that sounds right up your alley, Avery. I bet they do Star Wars weddings.”

My mouth dropped open as I turned to Eliot. I hadn’t even considered that.

He shook his head. “They used to have a Star Trek Hilton, but that’s the closest thing to Star Wars.” He was calm. “As for getting married there, you’ve met Avery’s mother, Jake. How do you think she would take to missing her own daughter’s wedding?”

“Not well,” Jake replied with a chuckle. “She would completely melt down. Still, that might be reason enough for Avery to want to do it.”

“We’re going to stick to our plans here,” I replied as reality set in. Jake wasn’t going to allow me to manipulate him for answers on the Hypno case. He wouldn’t put his professional reputation on the line and open himself up to ridicule. That meant I needed to get information from a different source, and the only person I could think of to help me was in Tad Ludington’s back pocket.

As if reading my mind, Eliot gave my shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll beat him up after the fact if he’s too much of a jerk,” he offered.

I nodded lamely. “Thanks.”

“Let’s go back to talking about the wedding,” Lauren insisted. “I want to know absolutely everything about what you have planned. Start from the beginning and don’t leave anything out.”

That sounded like the exact opposite of fun, but I obliged. I needed to think, and this was a mindless conversation. It looked like I had only one avenue to pursue, and I really didn’t want to do it.

“My mother is doing most of the heavy lifting, but she’s started sending emails. It sounds like she has things well in hand.”

9 NINE

“DO you want me to go with you?”

Eliot waited until we were finished with lunch — my pants a bit tighter than I was comfortable with in the waistband — to ask the question.

I slid him a look that promised bloody mayhem.

“I’m not saying you need protection,” he said quickly. “I’m just saying that he’s afraid of me. He won’t jerk you around as much if I’m with you.”

We both knew that wasn’t true. “He’s going to jerk me around regardless.” I was morose and resigned to my fate. It was like letting him win, which went against every fiber of my being. “There’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

“You could just let the story go.” He let out a ragged chuckle before I could respond. “Well, someone else could. You can’t. You don’t have it in you.”

“I definitely don’t,” I agreed. “I have to know. I shouldn’t have let the story fall through the cracks like I did. I was distracted.”

“Because I proposed.” Eliot’s grin was wide. “Go ahead and admit it.”

“It’s not your fault. Besides ... the proposal was nice. I liked the music.”

He snickered. “From you, that’s akin to a squeal and a little dance to show off your ring. That’s about as girly as you get unless you’re watching Han Solo and he kicks your lady parts into overdrive.”

“He doesn’t kick my lady parts into overdrive.”

Eliot arched a dubious eyebrow.

“He doesn’t. He kicks my competitive nature into drive. He likes to win too.”

“He does.” Eliot brushed my hair out of my face. It was cold but he wore no gloves. His shop was only a few businesses down so he was in no danger of frostbite. I, on the other hand, had tugged on my shark mittens the second we exited the diner. “Have you decided how to approach him?”

“I’m going to threaten him.”

“That won’t get you what you want. You have to play nice.”

That sounded nothing like me. “Can’t you give me my delusions of grandeur for a few more minutes before I have to go in there and grovel like a weak little girl?”

“You’re not weak, and you don’t have to grovel. You simply have to keep from insulting him every five seconds.”

“That is weak in my book.”

He sighed. “And this is the one thing I don’t think you’ll grow out of.” He leaned over slightly to look directly into my eyes. “You’re good at manipulating people to get what you want. Just think of this as a way of manipulating him and you’ll be fine.”

“He’ll still hold it over my head.”

“He will, but something tells me that by the time you get the story you’ll have figured out a way to screw him.”

I brightened considerably. “That’s something to look forward to.”

“There you go.” As he kissed me, the sound of the diner door swinging open drew his attention. He waved to Jake and Lauren as they exited. “Have a good afternoon.”

Jake’s expression was suspicious when it landed on me. “What are you plotting?”

“How to get the perfect wedding gift,” I shot back. “I have a lot of plans for you.”

Eliot snorted as Jake blanched. “I’m just asking about the rest of her day,” he said. “I have a feeling her mother will show up soon. It’s a weekend, but she’ll figure out where Avery is when she knocks on our door a million times and nobody answers.”

That hadn’t occurred to me. “Crap. You don’t think she’ll show up at the office, do you?”

Eliot shrugged. “If she does, there’s security to keep her out.”

Security wouldn’t keep my mother out of anywhere once she set her mind to it. “Maybe I should work in my car all day.”

“Just do what you need to do.” Eliot was firm. “You won’t get a better chance. You lucked out finding him the first time. Just ... do it.”

“Do what?” Jake demanded. He looked as if he was about to blow a gasket. “What is she working on?”

“A wedding gift from an enemy,” I replied. It was better to get it over with. “I’m going to head out now.” I focused on Eliot. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“Be brave.” He patted my shoulder. “You know how to get what you want. Just ... be nice and sweet.”

Jake made a derisive sound. “If that’s what she’s banking on, I guess I don’t have to worry.”

That only made it more of a challenge. “I’ll call you in a bit.”

Eliot nodded. “Go get him, tiger.”

“Han Solo. I’m Han Solo today.”

“Whatever gets your motor running. I’ll take advantage of that adrenaline rush later.”

Of that I had no doubt.

THE COUNTY BUILDING WAS AS QUIET the second time I entered as the first. I headed straight to Tad’s floor, ignored the woman sitting at the secretarial station, and walked into his office. If he wanted me to knock, he should’ve shut the door.

He was still at his desk, reminding me of a little boy playing at lord of the manor. He smirked when he saw me. “I knew you’d be back.”

It took everything I had not to throw myself over the desk and start strangling him. “Did you?” I was much less effusive when I sat in the chair across from his desk this time. “Why is that?”

“Because you’re nothing if not devoted to your job. It’s your one good quality.”

“If you ask Eliot, I have numerous good qualities.” Why I felt the need to drag Eliot into this was beyond me. I didn’t need a protector. I could take Tad ten times over any day of the week. Still, it gave me a small thrill when Tad paled.

“And how is your fiancé? Yes, I heard about the showy proposal. I would’ve put a stop to it if I’d known it was going down. How he managed to convince Farrell to close down Main Street for that spectacle is beyond me, especially because our esteemed sheriff obviously still carries a torch for you.”

This was not how I wanted the conversation to go. I didn’t like when Tad disparaged the men in my life. “Mount Clemens is dead after six o’clock and you know it. Is there a reason you have to be such a douche nozzle?”

“Many people find me charming.”

“Name one.”

Tad scowled. “Perhaps we should limit our conversation to the topic at hand. We don’t tend to do well when we talk about other things.”

“I’m fine with that.” It was time to get to the nitty-gritty. “We’re going to need some ground rules.”

“I couldn’t agree more. The first is that you’re not allowed to call me names.”

“Oh, come on, Mr. Tiny Penis Man. You can’t expect me just to turn it off.”

He glowered. “No names. It won’t be easy for me to refrain either. You’re not exactly the most pleasant individual.”

“I will try not to call you names.”

We both knew it wasn’t a promise, which is what Tad desperately wanted, but he let it go. “You also may not call my manhood into question.”

Oh, well, that was a step too far. “It’s not my fault you’re bad in bed.”

His cheeks flushed. “I could teach a class I’m so good in that department. I have five children.”

“And an ex-wife who has never been satisfied a day in her life.”

“We’re separated, not divorced. I’ll have you know that she’s rethought her decision and we’re now in counseling.”

That was an interesting tidbit. I’d had a long talk with his estranged wife when he was in the hospital recuperating. She’d also been a suspect. She had very little love for the man and recognized him for what he was. If she’d decided to try to work on the marriage, there had to be a reason. I was fairly certain I knew what that reason was.

“Maybe she’s hoping you’ll tick off somebody again now that you’re back in a position of power and next time the bullet will hit a vital organ.”

His gaze was dark. “It’s not funny to joke about what happened to me.”

“If you were anybody else, I would agree.”

“No calling my manhood into question,” he gritted out. “I won’t tolerate it. I’m so virile I survived a shooting.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”

“It’s a dealbreaker.”

I glared at him for a full twenty seconds and then relented. “Fine. I will try not to call your manhood into question. If you open yourself up to an obvious joke, though, I won’t be able to stop myself, and we both know it.”

He held my gaze for a moment longer and then nodded. “And, finally, I’m in charge of this little operation. What I say goes.”

He had to know I wouldn’t agree to that. “No way. I’m in charge.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Then we’re at a standstill. I will not let you dictate to me.”

“Then we’re done here.” He flicked his eyes toward the door. “You may leave.”

He was wrong if he thought giving me an ultimatum would get him what he wanted. I stood. “Just remember, I will get to the bottom of this with or without you. Without you it might take longer, but I’ll still get my story. When I do, your task force will look as if it’s being run by an idiot and I’ll win again.”

I added a bit of flounce to my step as I headed for the door, a smirk taking over my face when he cleared his throat. By the time I turned back, my expression was neutral. “Yes?”

“Perhaps nobody has to be in charge. We can both collect information, agree to share it, and go from there.”

I considered the possibility. “Fine, but I’m not taking orders from you.”

“And I’m not taking them from you.”

“We both have to agree to share all the information, even if you deem it unimportant.”

“What will you do with unimportant information?”

“You’d be surprised.”

He looked as if he was swallowing an oily turd when he finally nodded. “Fine. We’ll do things that way. If that’s all ... .”

“That’s nowhere near all,” I interrupted, returning to the chair. “I have ground rules too.”

“Of course you do.” Tad shook his head. “What are they?”

“I don’t want to hear a single word about Eliot or Jake.”

He opened his mouth to say something.

“Not a single word,” I stressed. “They’re both ten times the man you are. I will not put up with your insecure crap where they’re concerned.”

“Insecure?” He was furious. “What do I possibly have to be insecure about where they’re concerned?”

“Oh, so many things. For example, they can both find the clitoris. They don’t think it’s imaginary.”

Tad worked his jaw. “I just said you couldn’t call my manhood into question.”

“Well, truth is truth.”

“Oh, just stuff it. I have no interest in discussing either of those morons. The fact that they’re enamored with you just proves that they’re not worth my time.”

“Then it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Is that all?”

I shook my head. “I also don’t want you saying anything stupid just because you want me to say something obnoxious to you.”

“I would never ... .”

“Oh, you would and we both know it. You get off on it. I cannot be held responsible for my natural response if you give me a huge opening. It’s impossible for me to let an insult go under certain circumstances.”

He growled. “That seems like it’s your problem, not mine.”

“And yet I’m making it your problem.”

“Fine. I will do my best not to tempt you into being an ass.”

That also wasn’t a promise. It was the best either of us were going to do, though. “Fine. I want to meet your drug guy as soon as possible. Today would be best.”

“Then I guess it’s good I took it upon myself to call him after your first visit. He’s here now.”

I looked around, sitting straighter when I realized there was an imposing man standing in the doorway of the office. He’d managed to join the party without me realizing it.

“This is Caleb Bates,” Tad offered as he stood and extended his hand for Caleb to shake. “He’s a legend in these parts.”

“So am I,” I reminded him as I stood and shook Caleb’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. That maneuver you pulled on the bridge a few years ago is still talked about.”

Caleb nodded in agreement, as if what I said was the most natural thing in the world and he was used to hearing it. He was younger than I expected, late forties if I had to guess, and had a distinguished face that makes women of all ages go weak in the knees. Not me of course — he had nothing on Eliot — but other women would fawn all over him.

“You’re the infamous Avery Shaw.” He sat in the chair to my right and looked me up and down. “I expected you to be older.”

“I’m young at heart.”

“Immature,” Tad muttered. “I think you mean immature.”

I ignored the dig. “I understand that you have strong contacts in the drug world,” I started. “I was hoping you might be able to tap some and find out what’s going on in the Hypno trade.”

“Tad has informed me of your interest in the subject. I’m curious about what you expect to find. My understanding is that Hypno was a boutique drug that garnered a lot of money for a short time and then died when you took down the operation. That was quite impressive, by the way. Nobody I know would’ve thought to look at the girl.”

“Technically I wasn’t looking at her to start. She found me ... and then things spiraled from there.”

“She went after you in a hospital.”

“She did, but I managed to handle the situation. She’s in the county jail now. I’m not certain what’s going on with her.”

“I’ve made inquiries. Your sheriff isn’t keen on sharing information.”

“He’s holding his cards pretty close. My guess is that’s because multiple counties are working together on this one. At the very least, Macomb and Wayne are involved. It wouldn’t make sense to cut out Oakland.”

“I agree. St. Clair and Monroe counties are probably involved too.” Caleb looked thoughtful as he scratched his chin. “What do you think is happening?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s why I need information.”

“I’m told your instincts are second to none.”

“Oh, Tad, have you been talking me up?” I taunted.

“Certainly not,” Tad replied. “You get around, so people find you interesting, especially given your friends.”

It wasn’t exactly a dig at Eliot, but it bothered me all the same. “Don’t push me,” I warned.

“I didn’t say anything,” Tad protested.

Caleb glanced between us. “I see there are some interesting dynamics here,” he noted. “Tad has filled me in on some of your sources. One of them includes a security expert.”

“He’s her fiancé,” Tad said. “Even if we don’t see him, he’ll be neck deep in this. He can’t stay away from her.”

“I’m intoxicating,” I replied dryly.

“Eliot Kane is respected,” Caleb said. “I have no problem if he’s involved.”

Tad didn’t bother to hide his eye roll. “He’s a menace.”

I jabbed a finger in Tad’s direction. “What did I say? If you can’t keep your teeny tiny from being jealous, this will never work.”

Tad’s features flushed with fury. “And what did I say? You can’t call my manhood into question, you gutter snipe.”

Caleb cleared his throat to stop us before things turned even uglier. “I understand there’s history here, but this is childish.”

“Our history is unfortunate,” I agreed. “We won’t always get along.”

“Or ever,” Tad muttered.

“We seem to need each other on this one,” Caleb pressed. “Ms. Shaw has contacts that we can’t tap. On the flip side, I have contacts she needs. If we want to move forward on this, we need to figure out a way to get along.”

That sounded unlikely, but I didn’t disagree. “We’ll figure it out. What can you tell me about Hypno?”

“Not much. I wasn’t involved. I can ask around.”

“Great.” I stood and dug in my pocket for a business card. “Let me know what you find out.”

“And what are you going to do?” Tad demanded. “You can’t expect us to do all the work while you do nothing.”

“I plan to do what I always do. I’ll dig.”

“You’re reportedly very good at that,” Caleb noted. “I look forward to hearing what you uncover.”

That made two of us.

10 TEN

MY CAR WAS in front of Eliot’s shop so I wasn’t surprised when he walked out to greet me after my meeting with Tad. He’d obviously been watching ... perhaps to see if I would be running and have blood all over my coat.

“How did it go?”

“Pretty much the way you’d expect. We laid out some ground rules — I’m not allowed to call his manhood into question or make up names for him, and he’s not allowed to disparage you and Jake. And I met Caleb Bates.”

Eliot’s eyebrows hiked. “That was fast. What did you think of him?”

I shrugged. I’d been trying to figure that out myself. “He seems ... smart. He was pleasant. He said he’d heard of me. I always like when I don’t have to explain how evil I am to people. It’s best if they already know who I am going in.”

Eliot’s chuckle was warm. “I guess that’s good. What did he tell you about Hypno?”

“He says he has to tap his sources. Apparently, he was outside that whole thing as it was going down. He did give me accolades for being a badass.”

“You are a badass.”

“I am,” I readily agreed. “He has my card. I guess I will see how it goes.”

He was quiet. “What?” I demanded, sensing trouble.

“I just want you to be careful working with Ludington.”

“You told me to work with him,” I protested.

“That’s because we both know you’re incapable of letting it go. You have no choice but to work with him. He will screw you the first chance he gets, no matter what he says.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

“The question is, are you going to screw him the first chance you get?”

I shrugged. “I’m going to play it by ear. I pride myself on holding to my word, but I will screw him if I sense he’s going to screw me.”

“Well, just be careful.” He leaned forward and lightly touched his forehead to mine. “I don’t want you to go to prison because you lose it and kill him. That’ll make this whole marriage thing difficult.”

“Are you saying you wouldn’t wait for me if I get locked up?”

“Oh, I would wait for you. I might need a girlfriend to keep me company while I’m waiting, though.”

I rolled my eyes. “Ha, ha.”

“Of course, it will be impossible to find another mouthy blonde who plays video games in fuzzy Star Wars pajama pants with hair sticking up on end and lives life according to horror movies, so I might have to make do with a vapid model or something.”

“You are so funny.” I patted his chest and then sighed. “I have to head into the office and file my story. I know Fish is there filling in for the normal Saturday editor, so I’m sure I’ll have to deal with him. I’ll text when I’m finished so we can figure out dinner.”

“Okay.” He gave me a quick kiss. “Try not to spend too much time stewing about Ludington. I want to get your blood pressure up for a different reason when we’re alone tonight.”

I STROLLED INTO THE OFFICE AS IF IT were a normal day. Clearly I’d missed the scent of sulfur, because I didn’t realize my mother was in the office until I swung around the corner and headed for Fish’s desk. He looked as if he would prefer being anywhere but where he was — including dead — and then I heard her voice.

“I think a white dress will wash her out,” Mom prattled. “She needs a blush rose dress. It will look better with her skin tone.”

“Oh, well, I’m sure you know best,” Fish said dumbly.

I stopped in my tracks, my mind threatening to speed off a cliff like in Thelma & Louise. What in unholy Mustafar was my mother doing in my office? I worked my jaw, likely reminding my coworkers of a guppy out of water, and debated if I could stealthily flee the room without screaming.

Then Fish spoke.

“There you are Avery.” He dragged out my name a little longer than necessary, his voice bordering on shrill. He was clearly desperate.

I clenched and unclenched my hands — which were still clad in shark mittens — as my mother’s head swiveled in my direction. Her nostrils flared like a charging bull and the acid started riling my stomach. The coneys and chili fries probably contributed to that.

“Where have you been?” Mom demanded. She had a voice that carried under normal circumstances. She sounded like she had a megaphone today.

“I ... you ... .” I had no idea what to say, so I swiveled to stare Fish down. “What is my mother doing here?”

“I was just going to ask you that very question,” Fish shot back. “She says she’s here to plan your wedding.”

I should’ve seen that coming. Eliot’s demand that the wedding take place in a week meant my mother would take out her frustration on me. He said it was best to do everything in the same week, but that was akin to throwing me in a tank with a Great White instead. I had no idea if it was better to get slowly devoured or swallowed in one bite.

“I ... .”

“Which dress do you like?” Mom held up the catalog she’d been showing Fish. “You are severely limited and will have to buy something in stock. There will be no alterations. Thankfully, you’ve yet to put on your winter weight. I think the proposal zapped your normal appetite. That’s about the only thing we have going for us.”

I ran my tongue over my teeth, debating, and then held up my hands. “Go nuts and pick.”

Mom narrowed her eyes. “It’s your wedding dress. You’re supposed to pick.”

“I know but ... .” I’m already married, I fervently whispered to myself. I didn’t have to wear a floofy dress for the real deal. I was still struggling with the fact that I would have to wear one for the fake wedding.

“This is your wedding,” Mom insisted. “You must pick your wedding dress.”

“Fine.” I scuffed my Star Wars Ugg boot against the floor and headed over to her, my shoulders drooped. If I picked the dress, she would go away. Even if I hated the dress, I would only have to wear it for a few hours. I could survive this. I was almost positive that was true.

That feeling stuck with me until I saw the dress she had picked out. “Are you kidding me?” She would have to kill me to get me into that dress. “It has a hoop skirt.”

“You have wide hips,” Mom noted. “That would benefit you if you were having children, but you’re not so ... we have to hide them.”

From the bank of desks behind her, I heard a snicker. I recognized it as belonging to the office tool, Duncan Marlow, and snapped up my head to glare at him, my expression full of warning. I might have to deal with my mother but she wouldn’t be here forever and I was already in a mood.

Sensing trouble, Fish jabbed a finger in Duncan’s direction. “Stay out of this.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Duncan protested. “It’s not my fault Avery’s mother decided to invade our workspace and distract everybody.”

Before I could fire off a hateful insult, Mom fixed her attention on Duncan.

“I’m not distracting anyone. I have a list to get through. Do you have a problem with that?”

“I ... don’t know.” Duncan looked caught off guard to be addressed by my mother. She was imposing, but he was one of those guys who must always have the last word. That wasn’t going to work on my mother. I’d learned some of my interrogation techniques from her, and Duncan was out of his depth.

“Well, how about this?” Mom started. “Why don’t you focus on your work and mind your own business? If I want your opinion on things you might know something about — like, perhaps, excessive use of hair gel and looking pasty in the winter — I’ll interrupt your work.”

I pressed my lips together. Duncan looked positively apoplectic ... and maybe a little frightened. My mother was funny when her ire was directed elsewhere.

“I didn’t say anything,” Duncan muttered as he focused on his computer. “I don’t know why you’re giving me that look.”

“Something tells me everybody gives you this look,” Mom shot back before focusing on me. “I think this is the perfect dress for your body type, Avery.”

I was willing to give my mother leeway on the wedding because I didn’t want to deal with it, but nothing, including Bigfoot on steroids, could get me into that dress. “No.”

“Okay.” Mom didn’t act surprised that I vetoed the choice. She flipped to another page. “How about this one?”

The second dress wasn’t nearly as terrible, but it was still a hard no. “The collar looks Amish.”

“It’s modest. There’s no need to put your assets on display in a wedding dress.”

“I agree, but all that dress is missing is oppressive patriarchs with beards. Not going to happen.”

She sighed and turned to a third page. “How about this?”

The third dress wasn’t that bad: simple lines, a skirt that didn’t flare and spaghetti straps that held up a beaded bodice. It wasn’t too ornate and it didn’t make my skin itch. “I ... .”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Mom beamed at me. “This wouldn’t be my first choice, but we’re on a limited timetable so we have to compromise. I’ll order it. You’re still an eight, right? You haven’t been overdoing it on the doughnuts?”

“Just hot dogs,” I responded, instantly wishing I’d kept my big mouth shut.

“Those are terrible for you,” Mom announced. “Do you have any idea what’s in a hot dog?”

“I don’t think that’s the sort of hot dog she was talking about,” Duncan offered. “She always goes for the inappropriate.”

Mom froze him in his spot with an icy glare of death. I’d seen it numerous times while growing up. Clearly Duncan didn’t understand what he was dealing with or was simply too stupid to care. “Do you have a diagnosable condition?” Mom queried. “Like ... Tourette’s Syndrome? Are you incapable of keeping yourself out of conversations that have nothing to do with you?”

Duncan’s eyes went wide. “I just ... she’s the one who said something about hot dogs.”

I decided to press my advantage because ... well ... that’s what I do. “I had coneys for lunch. I was just stating a simple fact. I can’t believe you would turn something so innocent into the ghastly. That’s just ... terrible.” I turned an imploring look to my mother. “I feel sexually harassed.”

That was one of Mom’s trigger terms. I knew I was putting a match to the dynamite when I said it.

“Young man, women have been marginalized by men in the workforce since they were finally allowed into it,” Mom announced. “Women had to claw their way into positions of power because simple-minded individuals believed they were incapable of doing the same thing men were capable of doing. Do you want to know why?”

Duncan blanched. “I was not sexually harassing her.”

“It didn’t sound that way to me.” Mom’s tone was clipped. “The reason women are treated so abysmally is two-fold. For one, men believe that women are incapable of rational thought because they menstruate. It’s a despicable belief.

“Secondly, men are so fragile that they need to keep women in a box to make themselves feel better,” she continued, not taking a breath. “They want women to stay at home, cook dinner, clean the house, and worship the breadwinner when he comes home. If women are breadwinners, too, then that worship diminishes.”

I risked a glance at Fish and saw he was following the conversation with rapt fascination. He hated Duncan as much as I did. While Fish clearly wasn’t comfortable with my mother’s presence, there was little he loved more than watching Duncan wilt in the face of his own convictions. It happened all the time and was always amusing.

“Now, I don’t know anything about you, but it’s clear you have an attitude with my daughter,” Mom supplied. “I believe it’s because she’s doing her job, and likely better than you. Instead of trying to do your job better, you want her to fail so you look better. That’s just plain laziness, and I can’t abide laziness. You need to grow up.”

Duncan’s eyes went wild. “I’m very good at my job.”

“Then shut up and do it.”

Because he was Duncan, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. If he’d just focused on his work and stopped engaging, she would’ve fixed her evil eye on me. Of course, he wouldn’t be the man we all loathed so completely if he was capable of that.

“I’ll have you know that your daughter sexually harasses me,” Duncan snapped back. “She’s been called down multiple times because she refuses to respect me and my workspace.”

Mom glanced at me. “Is this true?”

“I told him Civil War reenactments were gay,” I said. “That was bad on my part because the word ‘gay’ should never be used as an insult. It slipped out.”

“Well, you’ve learned.” Mom flicked her eyes back to Duncan. “Civil War reenactments are an insult to people of color. I don’t know what thrill you get from dressing up and exalting a war that was fought to keep people of color in a position of servitude, but you might want to rethink your position on life and be a man instead of an insecure little mole.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, my daughter and I have some decisions to make,” she continued, inclining her head toward reporters' row. “Let’s go to your desk, Avery.”

That was the last thing I wanted, but I nodded, resigned. I couldn’t stop myself from casting a smug look over my shoulder at Duncan. His eyes blazed and I knew that he would be on me the second my mother left. He was too terrified to risk messing with her again, though, so I was safe for now.

“Let’s do this.” Mom took the empty chair from Marvin’s desk and boxed me in my cubicle. “Let’s talk flowers. You’re not a fan of roses. How do you feel about lilies?”

Now that Duncan was no longer being tortured, I found I was no longer amused by my mother’s presence. “Lilies are fine.”

“Great.” Mom marked something off her list. “What about music?”

“Anything but Nickelback.”

“You and Eliot need to pick a song to dance to.”

“I ... will ask him about it tonight.” Eliot and I didn’t talk about music much. “I’m sure we can come up with something.”

“Good. Here’s a list of potential songs if you find yourself stuck.” She handed me a sheet of paper containing about ten song titles. I barely glanced at it. “What about bridesmaids and groomsmen?”

Well, crap. That was something I hadn’t even considered. “Um ... I don’t know that we need them.”

“You need at least one attendant on each side.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

Well, that was good enough for me. “I would say Carly, but she just had the baby and she won’t want to deal with standing up for me on top of a newborn who won’t sleep.” I knew the baby wasn’t sleeping because Carly had texted me in the middle of the night to tell me just that. It wasn’t so bad when we were in Vegas because of the time change, but I’d taken to turning my phone to silent since we’d returned. That made Carly angrier, but I needed sleep. “I guess Lexie can stand up for me.”

“I figured as much. I’ve already picked out a bridesmaid dress for her. It’s simple and something she can wear for other occasions. What about Eliot? Who will be standing up for him?”

I had no idea. “I don’t know.”

“Who is his best friend?”

“I think I am.”

Mom’s stare was withering. “I expect a text this evening. I want to know who will be standing up for him so I can call that person and coordinate tuxes. Speaking of that, Eliot’s shop is my next stop. I have a tuxedo picked out for him. I hope he can fit into a standard size because there’s no time for alterations.”

“I’m sure it will be fine.”

“I’ll also be requesting he cut his hair for the wedding photos.”

My breath caught in my throat. I’d never seen Eliot’s hair any length other than what it was. I was a big fan of the length. It gave him a dangerous look I adored. “Um ... I don’t want him to cut his hair.”

“He looks like a long-haired hippie.”

“I happen to like it. You can’t ask him to cut his hair.”

Mom worked her jaw as she regarded me. To my surprise, she let loose a sigh. “You two are your own people. Fine. I won’t bug Eliot about his hair. But he must be clean shaven for the wedding. I won’t budge on that.”

“He’s big on compromise. I’m sure he’ll be okay with it.”

“Okay then. Invitations aren’t an issue because I have to call everyone. The last question is about who will officiate. You’re not religious. Who do you want to conduct the ceremony?”

“I ... um ... don’t know.” I was baffled. “What are my options?”

“A non-denominational pastor or a judge will work.”

“I think I like the idea of a judge.” I knew most of them and only a handful would agree to conduct our wedding.

“That will be more expensive.”

“That’s what I’m comfortable with.”

“I will leave that to you and Eliot. You have to arrange for the judge. If you don’t, and I throw this wedding and there’s nobody there to marry you, I’ll be very angry. You need to get your wedding license too.”

I swallowed hard. “We’ve already handled that part.” I knew I was going to have to find a judge who would be fine with the farce of a wedding ... and keep his or her mouth shut about the fact that we were already married. That seemed a tall order given everything else I was dealing with. “I’ll find a judge.”

“Okay then.” Mom got to her feet. “That’s all for now. I will be in touch again tomorrow. I’m off to talk to Eliot.”

“Have fun.” I waved as she took off down the aisle. A nice girlfriend — er, wife — would call and warn him. I wasn’t feeling particularly nice. “Show him some really ugly tuxes before you get to the one you want, like you did with me and the dresses. You’ll get your way faster.”

“That’s the plan,” Mom agreed. “Get to work. You shouldn’t loaf around when you’ve got that jerk to beat.”

It was as close to an affirmation of my lifestyle as she would ever offer. “I’ve got it under control.”

“I know you do.”

11 ELEVEN

I HAD a hankering for the Mexican place that only accepted cash and texted Eliot that I would pick up dinner. He was just getting home when I pulled into the driveway. He helped me carry in the food, dropping a kiss on my mouth at the garage door as he held it open.

“This is kind of wifely.”

I scalded him with a dark look. “I could’ve picked up food for just myself. You’re lucky I care enough to make sure you’re fed.”

“Like I said ... wifely.”

He was ruining my mood, which wasn’t very good to begin with. “You’re a butthead.”

He chuckled as he wrapped his free arm around my back and walked me into the kitchen. A plaintive cry from the middle of the room revealed a petulant Rocky. “Oh, look, our son missed us. Do you think he finds you wifely?”

The question irritated me and I lightly elbowed his stomach to get away from him. “I’ve had a rough day, Eliot. I’m not in the mood for you to make it rougher.”

Rather than apologize, he placed the food on the counter and folded his arms over his chest, waiting.

“What?” I demanded, suddenly defensive.

“I get that things aren’t the way you want them right now. You’re dealing with a lot. But you can’t take it out on me.”

“I’m not.”

“No?”

“No.”

His expression didn’t change, and I found feelings of guilt were suddenly encroaching on me. “I mostly wasn’t taking it out on you,” I said. “I just ... my mother came to my office.”

That had a smile returning to his face. “I know. She showed up at the shop. She said she’d just left you. If the positions were reversed, I would’ve called to give you a heads up that she was on her way.”

Well, that showed what he knew. “If I get tortured, then you get tortured. I don’t make the rules, I simply abide by them.”

“Uh-huh.” He smirked as he ran his hand over my hair, which was a mess thanks to the knit cap I’d tugged off once in the garage. “She asked if I wanted to rent or buy a tux.”

“Um ... rent. When are you going to wear a tux again?”

“I thought about that, but then I went and bought one.”

“You did?” I couldn’t contain my surprise. “How did you get one today?”

“It was easier than I thought. And they do alterations right there. They’re taking up the arms of the jacket an inch but otherwise it fit perfectly.”

“Oh, well ... that’s not fair.” I couldn’t stop from complaining. It was simply the sort of mood I was in. “She showed me two really ugly dresses. I’m not joking when I say one of them looked Amish. Then she showed me one that wasn’t terrible. That was the one she wanted all along, only I didn’t realize it because I was so surprised to see her in my office. Now she’s ordering that dress and I have to wear it.”

He smirked at my morose expression. “Do you like the dress she picked?”

“I just told you it wasn’t terrible.”

He waited.

“I kind of like it,” I conceded. “I don’t want to like it because she picked it.”

“That’s very you.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “It’s one day, Avery, and we’ve already done the hard stuff. We’re married. What happens next is just a formality.”

“I know but ... .” I blew out a sigh. “So far today it feels as if Tad and my mother have both won and I’ve lost.”

“You only think that because you like to win and make people cry.” He opened a can of soft food and dumped it in the kitten’s bowl before grabbing our dinner and directing me into the living room. We only ate breakfast at our kitchen table. Otherwise, we ate in front of the television like proper heathens. “Tell me about your meeting with Tad. You didn’t go into specifics earlier.”

“There’s not much to tell. Caleb said he would ask around, and we’ll leave it at that.”

“Yeah, but you and Ludington hammered out some sort of deal. I want to know exactly what you said to one another.”

“I told him he had a tiny penis and could never satisfy a woman. He told me that he’s in counseling with his wife and having five kids is proof that he can wow the ladies.”

“I wasn’t referring to that, but okay. Did you know he was talking about getting back together with his wife?”

“I did not. The last conversation I had with her seemed to indicate that she was done with him.”

“Maybe the shooting changed that.”

“This was after the shooting.”

“Well ... maybe she’s doing it for her kids.”

That thought had already occurred to me. “It also looks good for a divorce if you make an attempt at reconciliation. Tad strikes me as the sort who would try to nickel and dime her if they start dividing assets.”

“He’s a jerk,” Eliot agreed as we settled on the floor around the coffee table in the living room. “A real man would teach his children to respect their mother and not try to hide assets. He would willingly give of himself to make sure his children and the woman he loved enough to marry were comfortable. Ludington isn’t a real man.”

“No. He’s feeling on top of the world, though. He thinks absolutely everything is going to work out for him.”

“That’s because he’s already figuring out ways to screw you.”

“You’re really worried about that.” For some reason, it bolstered my mood. “Don’t worry. I won’t embarrass you and lose to that schmuck.”

“That’s not what has me concerned.”

“What then?”

“If Ludington gets one over on you, you’ll be unbearable. I can’t deal with that on top of your mother randomly dropping in to make wedding arrangements.”

I scowled. “I’ll have you know that I’m a prize.”

He smirked as he opened the salsa container. “You feel like a prize, but it has been pointed out that I might be a glutton for punishment.”

“Who pointed that out?” I inhaled the heavenly scent of Paco’s combination plate as I opened my container. “Now that’s the stuff.”

His grin widened. “Your mother was not the only one I had a visit from today.”

The way he phrased it had me freezing, worrisome possibilities flitting through my head. Had Andre really followed through and tattled on me? Had someone associated with the Hypno trade decided to play the heavy and pressure Eliot? Was it somebody else entirely?

As if reading my mind, Eliot let loose a dry chuckle. “It’s not as bad as you clearly think. It was Jake.”

“Oh.” I let out a breath. “What did he want?”

“To know what you’re up to. He’s suspicious.”

“That’s hardly new.”

“He’s also worried. I know him well enough that I can read it in his face. He doesn’t want you digging. He went so far as to point out that with the wedding coming up, you should be focused on that rather than digging for the story.”

“If only he realized we’re already married and I have all the time in the world to dig, huh?”

“He’s afraid,” Eliot stressed. “That makes me think something is going on that he’s desperate to keep you out of.”

“He always wants me out of his cases.”

“This feels different.”

I picked up the mini burrito, dunked it in the salsa, and then shoved it in my mouth as I considered the possibilities. When I glanced at Eliot, I found him chuckling as he used a fork and knife to carefully cut into his burrito. “I need to think about it,” I said after swallowing. “You’re right about something going on, but I don’t want to go off on a tangent. I need to stay focused if I want this figured out by the wedding.”

“Why does it have to be figured out by the wedding?”

“Because I say so.”

“Of course.”

“We also have the honeymoon,” I reminded him. “Speaking of that, what are we going to do about a honeymoon?”

“Your mother asked that same question. She expects us to take off right after the wedding, but I told her you have to secure time off from work.”

“I doubt Fish will give me grief. I never take all my vacation days, so I have a bunch of them banked.”

“I figured. You’re going to start taking your full vacation.”

“Says who?”

“The husband who wants to take trips with you. There’s more to this world than Macomb County.”

I shot him a scowl. “I’m well aware.” I was curious. “Where do you want to go?”

“On our honeymoon? A nice warm beach sounds good.”

“No, I mean in general. Where do you want to travel?”

He shrugged as he moved on to his tostada. He always ate that second, whereas I saved mine for last so I could mush it up properly. “I’ve always wanted to see Ireland. I’ve been to London but nowhere else in Europe.”

I tilted my head, considering. “I wouldn’t mind going to London,” I said. “I’ve always wanted to ride on one of those kitschy tourist buses ... and I think Stonehenge would be awesome.”

“I think you’d like Bath too.”

“That’s not for a honeymoon.”

“Definitely not,” he agreed. “That would be something we would do in the summer, when the weather is better there. What about you?”

“What about me what?”

“Where do you want to visit? It doesn’t necessarily have to be for the honeymoon, although we should pick a destination for that. Just in general. We can make a list and visit places.”

That sounded kind of fun. “Well ... I’ve always wanted to go to Estes Park in Colorado.”

He made a face. “What’s in Estes Park?”

“The hotel they used for inspiration for The Shining. The interiors were filmed on sets, but the outside was filmed at a hotel — it’s called The Stanley — and is supposedly haunted.”

He wagged his head. “Only you. Where else?”

“New Orleans. I went when I was in college, but we camped. I didn’t care about the cultural stuff when I was there. I only cared about the drinking.”

“And now you care about culture?”

I shrugged. “I would like to see the cemeteries. I think the voodoo folks would love me. The music is supposed to be great ... and the food. There’s the river and parades. It was just something I’ve been thinking about.”

His hand moved to my back. “New Orleans sounds kind of cool. I went there on leave when I was in the service. We did what you did, drank the entire time. I wouldn’t mind seeing the rest the city has to offer.” He hesitated a moment. “The weather there is good this time of year. We could go there on our honeymoon.”

“Really?” Containing my surprise was impossible. “I thought you would want a tropical location with a beach.”

“That would be fun for a few days. I can’t be certain, but I’m almost positive I’m a tiki bar guy. I know you’re a tiki bar girl.”

I almost choked on my food as a laugh bubbled up.

“We could do both. We could do one week in New Orleans and one week in Florida or the Caribbean.”

Something occurred to me. “Could we go to the new Star Wars place at Disney if we go to Florida?”

He nodded. “I was wondering if you would bring that up. We could do that. They have really nice resorts at Disney, with great food. You can see the Star Wars place. I want to see the Harry Potter theme park.”

“I’m for all of that. Can we find a hotel with a lazy river? I love a lazy river.”

“I’m betting that’s more than doable. I’ll get on it tomorrow. You need to secure the time off with Fish and text me the days you can go.”

“He’ll probably be glad to get rid of me so I don’t expect a problem.”

He stretched his legs out in front of him and cast me a curious look. “How are you feeling about being married? I mean ... you’re not regretting it, are you?”

And that, I realized, was his biggest worry. He’d eased me into living together. He’d eased me into the proposal. We’d rushed into the marriage. I knew it would kill him if I said I regretted it. I didn’t. For some reason, doing it backward had eased all my fears.

“It’s kind of fun that nobody knows,” I said as I rested my legs on top of his. “It feels like we’re putting one over on everybody, and you know how I like that.”

He laughed.

“As for the practical stuff, the day-to-day, you were right. Nothing is different.”

“Excuse me.” His tone was taunting as he poked my side. “Did you just say that I was right? I’m shocked. Absolutely shocked.”

“Keep it up,” I warned. “I’ll pick all the vacation destinations if you’re not careful.”

“No you won’t.” He sounded sure of himself as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “You’re getting really good at the compromise thing and you would feel bad if you did that. Sure, you’re still a work in progress, but you’re finally starting to understand how a relationship works.”

“Only because you don’t give me a choice.”

“There is that,” he agreed, rubbing his hand over my knee under the table. “We’re going to make this work, Avery. I don’t want you making yourself sick worrying about us being married.”

“I’m not making myself sick, and we’ve already worked it out.” I gestured toward the food. “You’re the only one I would go out of my way for to pick up takeout. That has to mean something.”

He barked out a laugh. “It means you’re really trying and I’m really proud.”

“Well, as long as you’re proud.” I forked up some Spanish rice. “I told Mom that Lexie will stand up for me, but only because I thought it would be too much for Carly given the baby won’t sleep. Do you think I should call and tell Carly why it’s going down the way it is?”

“You’re becoming a better friend on top of everything too.” Eliot took me by surprise when he grabbed my cheek and gave it a jiggle. “Who is becoming an adult?”

I glared at him. “Don’t ever say that. You know I don’t like it when you say that.”

He laughed again. “Call Carly and explain. She probably has too much on her plate to worry about a wedding, but she gets worked up over weird stuff.”

“Yeah. I’ll call her tomorrow.” I decided to change course. “Speaking of that, my mother wanted to know who was going to stand up for you. I felt like a bit of a dolt because I don’t know who your best friend is. When she asked, I said it was me.”

“You are my best friend.”

“Mom says I can’t marry you and stand up for you.”

“She told me the same thing. I don’t really have a best friend. I mean, I’m friendly with a lot of people but there’s no one person, other than you, that I’m glued to.”

“So who are you going to ask? I can probably get Marvin for you in a pinch.”

Eliot made a face. “I am not having that weirdo stand up for me. The last thing I want is some enraged husband shooting up the wedding because he’s hot on Marvin’s tail for sleeping with his wife.”

He had a point. “What about Mario?”

“I already asked someone.” Eliot’s expression shifted to one of trepidation. “Jake stopped in right after your mother left to make sure I kept you out of trouble and ... well ... it kind of slipped out.”

The revelation should’ve bothered me. At least that’s what I thought deep down. In truth, though, it seemed to fit. Jake might’ve been my ex-boyfriend, but the relationship Eliot and Jake had built over one mutual bond — me — had turned into something important for both of them.

“That sounds good,” I said. “I just hope it’s not weird for him because of the whole ‘he was the first guy to see me naked’ thing.”

“Ugh.” Eliot grimaced. “Do you have to bring stuff like that up?”

I shrugged. “You were the first to see me in adult Star Wars Underoos. That’s way better. Trust me.”

“I’ll take your word for it. As for Jake, he said he was happy to stand up with me. Then we had a few mushy man words about how glad he is that you’re going to be my problem forever and that I’d better take care of you. Then he warned me to keep you out of trouble. It was all very basic.”

We’d completely circled around to the original topic. “He must be working on something big if he’s trying to keep me out of it this badly.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

“I’m going to find out what it is.”

“I expect nothing less.”

12 TWELVE

WE CRASHED AFTER WATCHING ALIEN. I was dead to the world when a beeping next to the bed woke me. I sat up and looked at the window, confused.

“I know it stays darker later this time of year, but this is ridiculous,” I groused.

“It’s not morning.” Eliot rolled out of bed and rummaged in his nightstand. I saw only his silhouette thanks to the alarm clock next to the bed, and that’s when I realized it was only a little after one o’clock in the morning.

“What are you doing?”

“That’s the alarm system,” Eliot replied grimly. He had his phone in his hand, studying the screen as he armed himself.

“Are you saying someone is trying to break in?” I was muddled when I woke at a decent time. Being roused in the middle of the night had my brain struggling to catch up, especially after eating Mexican and dreaming about horrible monsters bursting through my chest thanks to the heartburn.

“Stay here.” He started for the door.

“Um ... I’m not staying here.” Was he crazy? I scooped up Rocky, who seemed annoyed to be woken, and followed.

Eliot was already in the living room when I caught up. “I told you to stay in the bedroom,” he growled.

“I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that’s not a good idea. We can’t be separated when Michael Myers comes through the sliding glass door.”

In the limited light shining into the living room windows from streetlights at the front of the house, Eliot’s face showed annoyance. “You are going to start watching stuff besides horror movies.”

“I watch science fiction too.”

He pressed his finger to his lips and headed toward the kitchen.

“Did the thing on your phone tell you where to look?” I asked as I crept behind him.

He didn’t respond.

“If so, that’s handy,” I added.

“I told you to be quiet,” he hissed.

He wasn’t being an alarmist. If his security system said we had a problem, then it was likely someone was outside. Even though I knew it was prudent to keep my mouth shut, I was too nervous to listen to that inner voice trying to silence me.

“Who do you think it is?”

“You are going to be the death of me,” he muttered. He held his gun in his right hand and extended his left arm to keep me behind him. It was a protective move, something he’d done before, and it irritated me on about eight different levels.

“I don’t think ... .” Before I could finish, a loud bang jolted me. Someone had thrown something against the sliding glass doors in the kitchen with enough force to rattle the glass.

Rocky, who had been protesting being carried, clawed at my hand so viciously in his haste to escape that he drew blood.

I let out a shrill “eep,” but it wasn’t enough to draw Eliot’s attention from the sliding glass doors. He strode in front of the kitchen table and flicked on the outside light, leaving us mired in darkness but illuminating a figure on the patio.

Whoever it was wore a mask, was dressed all in black, and appeared to hold a gun. He raised it but didn’t fire because Eliot hit the emergency button on the security panel he’d installed next to the door, activating a piercing alarm and flashing lights in the backyard.

The shadow on the patio bolted into the yard. Eliot threw open the sliding glass door and raced into the darkness.

I stood rooted to my spot like an idiot, and then gave chase. I was on the top step when I heard a gun go off, the sound rocking me backward.

My first instinct was to check myself to see if I’d been shot. I didn’t feel any pain, but I could’ve been in shock. My next instinct was Eliot, and I’m more than a little ashamed to say I screamed his name.

I was barefoot, as was he, and the ice on the patio hurt the tender skin on the bottom of my feet. I pushed it out of my mind and hurried toward the pool house. I had no idea what I would do. I had no weapon or phone, and if Eliot had been shot ... . I couldn’t even finish the thought. It was too horrible to think about.

“Eliot, if you’re hurt I will kill you,” I threatened. “I mean ... there will be blood ... and other stuff. I will set your pants on fire and make you massage me for six hours straight.” A sob rose up when I didn’t see any movement. Even though the lights on the back of the house were flashing like strobes, the pool house cast a long shadow.

“Eliot.” I headed toward the fence, cringing when my feet made contact with the snow. I didn’t care, I had to find him.

Finally, I saw movement. I would’ve recognized Eliot’s silhouette anywhere, and he barreled toward me.

“What are you thinking?” He grabbed me around the waist and lifted me off the ground, not setting me down as he navigated the covered pool and dragged me toward the house. “Are you stupid?”

He had me inside before I could find my voice again. “Are you okay?” I started patting his chest looking for a wound. “I’ll call 9-1-1.” I tried to remember where my phone was, but my mind refused to work.

“I’m not hurt,” he reassured, pulling the sliding glass door closed and flicking on the indoor light. “You don’t have to call 9-1-1. I sent an emergency request through the security system before we even left the bedroom.”

It took my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the brightness. I blinked like an owl several times and then went back to checking him for injuries. “Are you sure?”

He carefully set his gun on the table and caught my wrist. “I’m sure.” He pulled me to him for a hug. “Are you okay?”

“My feet hurt.”

“That’s because you walked on snow and ice barefoot.”

“So did you.”

“Yes, but I’m manly and the cold doesn’t bother me.”

He was full of it and we both knew it, but I couldn’t muster the energy to yell at him because I was so relieved he wasn’t hurt. “I think we need a better protocol if attacked at home again.”

He moved his thumb to my cheek and brushed it against my skin. It was only then that I realized I was crying. “We’ll come up with a plan tomorrow if that will make you feel better.”

“I just ... .” I had no idea what to say. It wasn’t like me to fall apart. “It would be best if you didn’t die on me,” I said finally. “Just ... don’t do it, okay?”

He managed an amused smirk. “I feel the same about you.”

“I’m not being wifely. Just pragmatic. I ... if you’re gone, nobody will watch Alien – or Aliens – with me and recite the dialog.”

When he pulled me in for a second hug, I didn’t resist. “We’ve gone and done it now, huh? We’re actually married.”

“Yeah.” I ran my finger under my nose as I rested my cheek against his chest. “We’re toast, man.”

He let out a laugh in response to my spot-on delivery of the Bill Paxton line from Aliens. “We are most definitely toast.”

I WAS STILL IN MY FUZZY PAJAMA PANTS when the police arrived. We lived in Macomb Township, which was patrolled by the sheriff’s department. Eliot explained what happened to the deputies, who searched the backyard and spillway beyond.

I was not expecting Jake, who arrived three minutes later. In jeans and a T-shirt, his hair disheveled, he was apoplectic when he stormed into our house.

“Are you guys okay?”

One of the things I liked best about Jake is that he asked the important questions first. Even though he was clearly irate about being woken in the middle of the night, our safety was paramount.

“We’re fine,” Eliot said as he rubbed my feet, which were propped in front of the gas fireplace. “I’m just making sure that Avery doesn’t have frostbite.”

“I wasn’t in the snow that long,” I groused. “You were out there way longer than me.”

“Why would she have frostbite?” Jake asked blankly.

“I chased the guy who tried to get into the house and she followed. Neither of us were wearing shoes.”

“Oh, well, that’s smart.” Jake shook his head as he lowered himself into the chair next to the couch. “Are you sure you guys are okay?”

“We’re fine,” Eliot reassured him.

“Good, because I’m going to kill you.” He slapped at Eliot’s shoulder hard enough that the noise echoed throughout the room, causing Rocky to poke his head out from under the coffee table. That’s where he’d raced off to hide when he ran from me. I hadn’t attempted to collect him yet because he was obviously worked up and I had no intention of being scratched a second time. “What were you thinking?”

Eliot was calm as he abandoned my feet and leaned back on the couch. He’d pulled on a shirt once we came inside, but that was the extent of his primping. He had bedhead — as did I — and seemed resigned to a Jake rant. “I was thinking that someone tried to break into my house and hurt my wife ... to be.” He added the last part a little too late for comfort. Thankfully, Jake’s focus was elsewhere.

“Tell me what happened,” the sheriff prodded in a no-nonsense tone. “You’d better hope I think you had no choice but to fire that gun. I don’t want to have to arrest you.”

“You’d better not arrest him,” I warned. “I will make your life a living hell if you do.”

The threat cracked Jake’s facade. “Just tell me.”

Eliot laid it out, including the part where I refused to shut up. “I was trying to see if he ran for a car when I followed him. I didn’t plan to shoot him, but he looked as if he might rush back toward me once he was at the fence. I fired to frighten him off. I wasn’t aiming at him. I pointed it skyward.”

“That’s something at least.” Jake’s tone was grudging. “How are your feet? You shouldn’t have been running around in the snow. You should’ve stayed in the house.”

Eliot extended his hands. “I couldn’t do nothing. We’re talking about my home.”

“And your woman,” Jake surmised.

That caused me to frown. “I’m not property. I’m my own person.”

“You’re an idiot who followed him outside,” Jake shot back. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that I couldn’t just leave him to risk his life alone!”

Perhaps sensing I was about to lose it, Eliot grabbed my hand and squeezed. “She wasn’t thinking. She just reacted. She even got emotional when we got back inside and made me promise never to die because it would ruin her life.”

Well, that was a bit of an exaggeration. “I don’t think that’s exactly how I phrased it,” I said, annoyance bubbling up.

“It’s okay. I’m your whole life now. You can admit it.”

I glared at him. “Keep it up and you’re sleeping in the guest room.”

Eliot snickered and turned his eyes back to Jake. “I was angry when I found her out there. She’s safe. There’s no sense giving her grief.”

“You’re just a big softie where she’s concerned,” Jake complained. “You let her do whatever she wants. In fact ... .” He trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he turned to me. “Why would someone break into your house in the middle of the night?”

I shrugged. “This is a ritzier neighborhood.”

“This is a middle-class neighborhood,” Jake corrected. “Compared to that dump where you used to live, it’s a gated community. That still doesn’t explain why somebody picked your house to break into.”

“It’s probably all the lawn gnomes,” I offered. “They give the house personality.”

“It’s winter,” Jake argued. “I know for a fact that Eliot packed up all the gnomes and put them in the pool house until spring.”

“Well, maybe whoever it was saw them in the fall and couldn’t stop thinking about them. I’m an awesome exterior decorator.”

“You’re a crappy liar,” Jake shot back. “What have you mixed yourself up in that has people coming here in the middle of the night?” He straightened, his eyes flicking to the security panel on the front door and then the newer one Eliot had installed in the kitchen. “And why has Eliot upped your security? What did you do?”

I wasn’t fond of his accusatory tone. “Why is it always something I do?”

“I don’t know, Avery. I ask myself that ten times a freaking month. What did you do?”

I risked a glance at Eliot and found his face impassive. I had no idea what I was supposed to do.

After silently glaring at me a full twenty seconds, Jake turned to Eliot. “I know you want to keep her safe,” he said. “It’s a full-time job and you’ve managed it so far. You need to let me help. If she’s gotten herself into trouble, you need me to help you get her out of it.”

I was insulted that he would dare suggest anything of the sort. “I can get myself out of trouble.”

“Ha!” He jabbed a finger at me. “I knew you were in trouble.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You did.”

I looked to Eliot for help. “Tell him I’m not in trouble.”

Eliot looked like an animal caught in a trap. “I would really rather not have to pick sides in this one.”

“Tell me what’s going on and I will help you,” Jake insisted. “An armed man tried to break into your house tonight. Just tell me.”

Eliot swallowed hard and then shook his head. “This is Avery’s thing.”

“You’re going to be her husband.” Jake refused to back down. “I know you want to find balance. That’s what you told me. Balance for you, balance for her, balance for the two of you together.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little jealous about how you’ve seamlessly seemed to meet her needs and yours at the same time,” he continued. “It’s ... miraculous in some ways. You can’t always let her have her own way, though.”

That had Eliot stirring. “She doesn’t always get her way. Just because I don’t always agree with you doesn’t mean I kowtow to her, but this is her thing. If she wants to tell you, it’s up to her.”

Jake made an exasperated sound I’d become all too familiar with over the years. He looked as if he wanted to strangle someone ... maybe even himself. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me,” he said evenly. “You know you can trust me. I think I’ve proven that.”

“You have proven that,” I agreed. “I just ... don’t know.” I rubbed my hands together, debating. “I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell Derrick.”

“I hate when you say things like that,” Jake whined. “That means it’s bad.”

“It’s actually not as bad as you’re envisioning,” Eliot countered. “But in some respects, it’s worse.”

“You have to promise,” I insisted.

Bitterness twisted Jake’s features, but he ultimately nodded. “I won’t tell Derrick. Lay it on me.”

I laid everything out for him without embellishment. I left Andre’s name out of it but knew he would have no trouble figuring out who had warned me. When I finished, Jake sank down in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You’re on a hit list?”

“I don’t know that it’s an actual list,” I hedged. “It’s possible someone just said, ‘Hey, you know that Avery Shaw? She’s a real pain and we should kill her.’ It would be stupid to actually write a list.”

Jake shook his head and glared at Eliot. “How do you live with her?”

Eliot’s smile was small but heartfelt. “She’s always entertaining. She brought me dinner tonight and we watched Alien. She’s the perfect woman.”

“Yes, if you want to have an aneurysm,” Jake said. “I can’t believe this. You can’t get involved with this. It’s not safe.”

“I have to do what I have to do.” I insisted. “I can’t just ignore it.”

“You have to.”

“No.”

Jake ran his tongue over his lips and stood. He looked as if he was ready to smother me with the couch pillows. Instead, he started for the door.

“Where are you going?” I demanded. “You can’t just leave without sharing information.”

“It’s late.” Jake sounded beaten down. “I need some sleep — as do you — and to think. I’ll be in touch tomorrow.”

He couldn’t just leave it like this. “I need more than that.”

“You got what you get for tonight. I’m not doing anything until I think it through.”

I opened my mouth to argue but Eliot clamped his hand on my shoulder and shook his head. The message was clear: Pushing Jake wouldn’t get me what I wanted. Letting him leave wouldn’t get me what I needed.

“We’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Eliot called out. “Try to get some sleep.”

Jake threw open the door and then looked over his shoulder one last time to glare at me. “You’re going to give me an ulcer and you’re not even my responsibility. How is that fair?”

I held out my hands and shrugged. “My greatness draws in everybody around me.”

“I might kill you tomorrow,” he warned.

13 THIRTEEN

JAKE ASSIGNED a patrol car to stick to our neighborhood. I watched from the window as he sat in his truck for a good ten minutes. He just sat staring.

“He’ll calm down in the morning,” Eliot said as he wandered up behind me to see what I was looking at. “He’s just ... working things out in his head.”

“He’s angry.” I knew Jake better than Eliot. They were friends, but the connection Jake and I had spanned a lifetime. “He’s ... really, really angry.”

Eliot chuckled. “He loves you.”

I groaned.

“He does,” Eliot insisted. “It’s not the same sort of love we share, but it’s there and denying it does you no good. He’s worried. Whatever he has, it’s eating at him. He’s afraid that you’re going to be hurt in all of this and he’s desperate to stop it.”

“He can’t stop it.” I was matter-of-fact. “I’m incapable of turning away and he’s incapable of keeping me out.”

“That’s why he’ll come around to our way of thinking.”

I glanced over my shoulder, taking in Eliot’s tired features with a mixture of guilt and amusement. “I love that you now think like me on stuff like this. Our way of thinking.”

“I don’t know that I would say I think exactly like you,” he cautioned. “I will say that I understand your point of view, and that’s important. As for Jake ... he’ll be okay. Just let him freak out all night. By morning, he’ll have calmed down.”

“Yeah.”

“We should go to bed. That guy isn’t coming back tonight.”

I tucked my hand into his and when he looked down, he noticed the scratches on my arm. “Rocky didn’t like the noise when that guy threw ... whatever that was at the sliding glass doors,” I explained.

“That would be the plastic bucket you promised to put away two months ago.”

“Oh, right.” I smirked. “I guess it’s good I left it out there. If the bucket hadn’t been there, he would’ve looked for something heavier and the glass might’ve broken.”

“Yes, your laziness saved us.”

“You laugh but it totally did.”

He killed the lights in the bedroom and waited until I rolled to rest my head on his shoulder to speak again. “Try to turn it off. Morning will come soon enough, and I guarantee Jake will be on our front porch with breakfast right about the time you’re downing your first shot of coffee.”

I had no doubt that was true. “Do you think I can text him a Starbucks order or is that taking it too far?”

“I would forego the Starbucks order.”

“That’s what I figured.” I let loose a sigh. “I guess I’ll let it go ... for his sake.”

“You’re a saint, baby. Sometimes I think you might be an angel.”

“I do have a way about me.”

I HOPPED IN THE SHOWER BEFORE ELIOT. I was still muddled from disjointed sleep when I padded into the kitchen to start the coffee pot. I wasn’t surprised to hear a knock at the door before I opened a can of food for Rocky. The cat followed me with plaintive screeches as I abandoned his breakfast to let Jake into the house.

“Good morning.” I didn’t bother to close the door behind him, returning to the kitchen to finish serving Rocky breakfast. The cat was pouty when I lowered his bowl to the floor. “What did you bring?” I eyed the two bags of takeout Jake clutched in his hands. “I take it you didn’t pass a Starbucks?”

Jake’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not your delivery person.”

“Definitely not. My delivery person always brings the Starbucks.” I took the bags from him and peered inside. “Greasy hash browns. I can’t wait.”

“Your eating habits will kill you,” Jake groused as he studied the kitten.

“You brought the food,” I reminded him. “You can’t blame this on me.”

“I can blame whatever I want on you.” He moved to the coffee pot. “There’s no caffeine?” He sounded abnormally whiny, his tone reminding me of myself when I desperately needed a jolt first thing in the morning.

“Give it a few minutes,” I chided as I threw the empty cat food can into the garbage can and grabbed a rag to wipe off the counter. “It won’t take long.”

Jake didn’t respond, and when I turned to see if he’d wandered out of the room, I found him watching me with a befuddled expression.

“What?” I was instantly self-conscious.

“You fed the cat,” he said.

“He won’t shut up if you don’t feed him. Oh, and he’ll die. I don’t want him to die.”

“You threw the empty can away and wiped down the counter.”

I was confused. “So?”

“So, you’re turning into an adult. Sure, you’ll never be a real adult, but you’re doing more than going through the motions now.”

I stared at him, unsure what to say. “Jake ... .”

“I just don’t know when it happened,” he continued, not making eye contact. “You’re still you, but you’re actually doing responsible things occasionally. It’s like a small miracle.” Slowly, he lifted his chin. He looked tired, and I wondered if he’d slept at all. “Eliot has been good for you.”

“I’ve been good for Eliot,” I countered as I went to the cabinet for coffee mugs. “His life was boring and devoid of color until I entered it. He’s so much more fun now. He breaks the law with me, chases stories with me, and only melts down once a week on average when I do something stupid.”

Jake’s chuckle was raspy. “Maybe you’re good for each other.”

“I think we are.”

“Yeah, well ... I still want to smack both of you around. How could you not tell me that a credible threat has been made on your life?”

I shrugged as I went to the refrigerator to grab the half-and-half. “Is it a credible threat? My source heard my name mentioned in passing.”

“Your source is that hood rat you’ve been hanging around with. He’s dangerous.”

“Don’t be racist,” I warned. “I don’t like that.”

“It’s not about the color of his skin. There are plenty of white hood rats. It’s about what he does for a living.”

“We’ve really never talked about his employment situation. I’m not quite sure what he does.”

“Oh, don’t even.”

I exhaled heavily. “He’s not a bad guy, despite what he does. He was raised in that area. It’s not as if he could just waltz off to college or something. I know you don’t like him, but he has a code. And he’s not a threat to me.”

“I definitely don’t like him. As for his code, be very careful, Avery. He might like you, find you amusing, but that doesn’t mean he won’t sacrifice you to save himself if it comes to it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind if I decide to start dealing drugs,” I said dryly. “Until that becomes a reality, I’m not too worried about Andre turning on me.”

“I’m going to leave the Andre lecture for Eliot. He’s likely the only one who can get through to you. Speaking of Eliot, where is he?”

“Right here,” Eliot replied, breezing into the room. He was freshly dressed, his hair still wet, and he looked pretty perky for a guy who ran outside to stop an armed prowler from breaking into our house in the middle of the night. “Sorry it took so long, but I needed to wake up.”

“We had a long night,” I offered Jake. “But you look more whipped than us.”

“I didn’t sleep well.” Jake grabbed the takeout bags and moved directly to the table. “I had a lot to think about.”

“What solutions have you come up with?” I asked. “Are you going to tell me what you’re working on in regard to the Hypno?”

“No.”

I frowned. “You have to tell me. If you cut me in on the information, I can tell Tad to stuff it. I really want to do that. I might hire a band to get my message across.”

“Your deal with Ludington is the least of my worries.” Jake nodded in thanks as Eliot handed him a mug of coffee. “I never thought I’d see the day when you would willingly work with him, but that’s on you.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” I prodded. “You can share the information you have and I can tell Tad to take a flying leap.”

“That’s not going to happen. I can’t help you with Ludington.”

“What can you help her with?” Eliot asked as he slid a mug of coffee in front of me and then sat in the chair to my right. “You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want to strike a deal.”

“I didn’t sleep,” Jake replied. “The few times I managed to nod off I had nightmares. Do you want to know what those nightmares were about?”

“I really don’t,” Eliot answered. “I had my own nightmares to deal with, including one in which she froze her feet solid and then shattered them against that bucket she refuses to put away. Do you know how much grief I had to listen to in my dreams because she could no longer wear Converse?”

Jake cracked his first real smile of the morning. “I can just imagine.”

“It was ugly. I’m sure your dreams were bad. Mine weren’t great either.” Eliot was serious. “What do you want to do about this?”

“I want her to chase a different chase.”

“Um, that’s not going to happen.” I used a fork to flip my eggs on top of my hash browns and started mashing everything together.

Eliot agreed. “You can’t expect her just to give this up, especially after someone came to our home. She’s worked up.”

“I’m worked up too.” As if to prove it, Jake tugged the collar of his shirt. “She’s going to give me an ulcer.”

“I believe we’ll be able to buy bulk antacids,” Eliot noted. “You’re hardly the only one facing that.”

“So ... make her drop the story.”

“I can’t make her do anything,” Eliot countered. “You know that as well as anybody. She’s going to do what she’s going to do. The only thing I can do is help keep her safe. That’s why I upgraded the security.”

“That was smart,” Jake said. “But if someone wants in this house badly enough the security won’t keep them out.”

“But it will alert me and give us a fighting chance.”

“I want to give you more than that.” Jake leaned forward, his eyes on me. “I know you won’t go around with uniformed deputies on your tail.”

“That would be worse than the other things you can get on your tail,” I said.

“What about an undercover bodyguard? I could talk to Fish, put one of my deputies in plainclothes and supply him with a camera. It could work.”

I shook my head. “Did you just fall off the stupid truck? I’m not going anywhere with a cop.”

“If you don’t break the law, you have nothing to worry about.”

“I can’t guarantee I won’t break the law. I jaywalk all the time, for crying out loud. I don’t want to end up in a cell the week before the wedding. That would be really difficult to explain to my mother. Although ... .” I trailed off, an idea forming. “If you do arrest me, make sure you call her to post bail. That might be funny. It would stop her from obsessing about dresses and flowers.”

“I prefer you not risk going to jail,” Eliot said. “As for a bodyguard, you know that won’t work. She’ll melt down.”

“I would rather have her melt down than die,” Jake insisted.

“So would I, but she’ll do something stupid to get away from anyone you put on her and that could distract her enough that she won’t see when real trouble is stalking her. I don’t like it.”

“Fine.” Jake threw his hands in the air. “What do you suggest? There are people out there who mean business, and apparently Avery is on their list.”

Eliot didn’t raise his voice. “She won’t just start doing what we want her to do. We need to work with her, not unilaterally cut her out.”

“It also might help if you stop talking about me as if I’m not here,” I offered as I shoveled more food into my mouth.

Eliot cast me a sidelong look, his lips curving. “Have I mentioned that I love it when you talk with your mouth full of food?”

“No, but I don’t really care.”

“I didn’t think you did.” He briefly rubbed his hand over my back and then focused on Jake. “You can’t dictate to her. You should know that by now. Deep down, I think you do know that. I’m not sure what you hoped to accomplish with this visit.”

“I want her safe,” Jake replied. “Things are about to get bad on the street. I can’t tell you why or how I know but I need you to believe me.”

“I do believe you, but she can’t be anyone other than who she is.”

“I really can’t,” I agreed as I reached for a slice of Eliot’s bacon.

He lightly slapped my hand before I could encroach on his breakfast. “You have sausage. You don’t need my bacon.”

“Bacon is bad for you,” I pointed out.

“I don’t care. It’s mine. Eat your sausage.”

Jake shook his head as he watched us banter. “You guys are ... very annoying.”

“I think we’re cute,” Eliot teased with a wink. “In fact, we’re downright adorable.”

“You’re morons is what you are,” Jake insisted. “I’m telling you that she’d be better off with an undercover shadow.”

He was so intense I decided to take another look at him. The shadows were definitely pronounced, and they were the result of more than one night of bad sleep. That’s when I remembered something from the Hypno case.

“There was an undercover deputy who died with the Santas,” I said. “He was one of your guys.”

It was impossible to miss the way Jake’s shoulders stiffened. “So?” he barked.

“So, you hadn’t heard from him before he died and he was overdue to check in.”

“I’m well aware,” he gritted out.

“You think he turned? You think that he told all the others about how you guys operate and that there’s another group out there that has replaced the first group.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jake’s tone was cool and clipped. “My deputy was laid to rest with full departmental honors.”

And that right there was the corporate line. Jake was saying something without really saying it.

“You think he turned at the end,” I mused, my mind busy with possibilities. “You think he was working with them and either we didn’t get all of them or another group has picked up where the other left off.”

“I told you that I can’t talk about it,” Jake muttered, rubbing his forehead. He looked positively morose. “What don’t you get about that?”

I glanced at Eliot. His expression told me he’d picked up on the same thing I had.

“Fine. We’re done talking about it,” I said. “I won’t put up with a bodyguard, so let that go and allow me to do things the way I want to do them.”

“It’s because you’re a pain.”

“It’s because I’m independent,” I corrected. “I’ll be fine. I have Eliot.”

“You definitely have me,” Eliot agreed. “You will be learning to do what I say in a crisis situation from here on out. I don’t want any more nonsense where you chase me out of the house in bare feet. That won’t happen again.”

“Definitely not,” I agreed. “I’m going to place some boots at the sliding glass doors. I will be better prepared next time.”

“Or you can just stay in the house like I tell you,” Eliot suggested.

“Or I could put boots at the sliding glass door.”

Eliot didn’t respond, instead eyeing me through slitted lids. He was annoyed but there was no point arguing. Under no circumstances would I allow him to race into the darkness and potentially die without me, and he knew it.

“Hopefully it won’t be an issue again,” Jake said to break the tension. “I plan to have deputies conduct regular patrols around here. And before you whine, Avery, you should know I’m well within my rights to order increased patrols. You don’t have control over the streets.”

“If they follow me, I’ll do something to embarrass you in front of a bunch of people,” I warned.

“Fair enough.”

“If they arrest me, Eliot will send my mother after you,” I added.

Jake blanched. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”

“That would be a nice change of pace,” Eliot grinned as he bit into his bacon, giving me the slice I’d tried to steal a few minutes earlier. “So, let’s have a nice breakfast and go from there. I’m sure it’s going to be an eventful day.”

14 FOURTEEN

“WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?” Eliot asked once Jake was gone. We’d finished the breakfast dishes and were gearing up to separate for the day.

“I’m thinking that the dead police officer, the one who was undercover, is the key,” I replied as I grabbed a notebook from the drawer next to the refrigerator.

“Why?”

“Why am I thinking that, or why is he the key?”

“Both.”

I shrugged. “Jake is hiding something big. He was hiding something the last go-around too, and it was the fact that there was an undercover police officer with the Santa group. He didn’t want me to know.”

“He didn’t want you to know because there was concern the guy had shifted allegiances.”

“I think he had. Jake has never come out and said either way what he believes in regard to that guy.”

“So ... what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to find out more about the dead undercover cop. He’s been exalted as a hero, but there’s something off about Jake whenever he’s mentioned.”

“Do you know his name?”

“Perry Thomas. They set up a GoFundMe page for his widow. I think I can track a home address for him.”

Eliot didn’t look thrilled at the prospect. “And then what? What’s the plan here?”

“I’ll talk to his widow.”

“What do you think she’ll tell you?”

“I want to feel her out. If her husband was dirty, she likely knows.”

“And you think she’ll just volunteer that information to you?”

“Likely not, but I’m going to try. I’ll know if she’s trying to keep something from me.”

“How?”

I shrugged. “I have a sixth sense when it comes to these things.” I narrowed my eyes as I regarded him. “Aren’t you the one who said that I have to do what I have to do? I believe that was you, unless you’ve been taken over by an alien or cloned in the last thirty minutes.”

“I meant what I said. I just ... I’m a little worried. I believe that’s allowed.”

“I don’t want you to worry.” I meant it. “I just think this is the best way to go.”

He clenched his jaw. “Okay, do what you need to do. Just be careful. If this widow did know her husband had switched sides, she might’ve helped him.”

I’d already thought of that. “It will be fine. I’ll make sure to tell her the sheriff’s department has given me an undercover bodyguard right out of the gate.”

Eliot’s lips curved down. “You turned down the protection.”

“She doesn’t need to know that.”

He stroked my hair. “You’re very smart. Sometimes I like it.”

“And other times?”

“You terrify the crap out of me. We’ll figure this out and have a nice wedding.”

“It will kind of be a relief to tell everyone that we’re married,” I admitted.

“I’m going to get a T-shirt made up that says ‘Mrs. Eliot Kane’ and make you wear it on the first day of our honeymoon.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

“Oh, it’s going to happen. That’s your punishment for following me out into the snow barefoot last night.”

“I don’t deserve to be punished for standing with my man.”

“When your man, who is a security expert, tells you to do something in a fraught situation, you do it.”

I shook my head. “I don’t like being bossed around.”

“It’s not bossing you around, it’s protecting what I love most.”

Almost every woman I knew – and probably the majority of those I didn’t – would’ve gone weak at the knees at the statement, ripped off her panties, and jumped him. I was not most women.

“You were bossy and arrogant. If you want me to do something, you must ask nicely and not sling orders like a king.”

“I definitely didn’t act like a king.”

“It sure sounded that way.”

“Whatever.” Eliot shook his head. “Do me a favor and text me the address for this woman when you find it. Then text me when you arrive and leave, just so I know you’re safe.”

“And if I don’t?”

“I’ll tell your mother we got married in Vegas.”

My mouth dropped open at his diabolical threat. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

“That’s ... blackmail.”

“Yup, and I’m fine with it. I would actually term it extortion because I’m getting something out of the deal, but that’s neither here nor there. I want to know that you’re safe. I’ll make myself sick with worry all day if you don’t check in.”

“You could’ve just said that and guilted me into doing what you wanted. You didn’t have to go the blackmail route.”

“You tend to react better when I bully.”

“Well ... that is just crap.”

He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss, which I did not reciprocate. “You’ll live, which is the point.”

“Whatever.” I stalked to the garage. “I’m mad at you, just in case you’re confused.”

“I look forward to making up later.”

IT TOOK ME A SOLID HOUR TO FIND Perry Thomas’s address. Most police officers don’t broadcast where they live — for obvious reasons — so I had to tap a source in the sheriff’s department’s secretarial pool. One of the older secretaries owed me because I helped her terrorize her brother-in-law when he cheated on her sister — a well-timed personal ad can be used as a weapon, in case you’re wondering. She reluctantly came through, though she wasn’t comfortable returning the favor.

The widow’s name was Emma Thomas. She had two small children — both under the age of eight — and she looked harried and sad when she opened the door.

“Can I help you?” Her suspicious stare told me she thought I was selling something or perhaps doling out some religious recruitment to really ruin her day, so I immediately launched into my spiel.

“My name is Avery Shaw. I’m a reporter with The Monitor. I was hoping to do a retrospective on your husband, a huge piece, and laud him as a hero for going undercover.” It was always smart to go big when trying to sell a story to a grieving widow. “We want to honor him correctly for his sacrificing for the community.”

“Oh, really?” Emma was young, late twenties. She had soft brown hair that hung around her shoulders and almond eyes offset by some of the biggest shadows I’d ever seen. She didn’t look as if she’d been sleeping. “That’s ... really nice. I think Perry would like that. It’s just ... .”

I waited, feigning patience.

“I’m not sure I’m supposed to talk to the newspaper,” she said. “Maybe I should call the sheriff and make sure it’s okay.”

I bit back a curse. If she called Jake, told him what I was doing, there would be hell to pay. He would come down on me, hard, and things would get ugly for a time. “You can do that.” I did my best to look helpful. “This is the sort of thing that falls on you, though, and not the department. I’ll be quoting the sheriff at some point — I’m certain he’ll want to talk about how dedicated Perry was — but this is really a story about what a good man he was and how much he’ll be missed.”

Emma looked over her shoulder and then pulled the door open. “The house is kind of a mess.”

“That’s okay.” I kept my smile in place as I stepped over a child’s toy train engine. “My house would always be a mess if my boyfriend didn’t clean and if he didn’t constantly hound me to pick up after myself.” In truth, I was a total pig. I contributed very little to the household upkeep. Eliot didn’t seem to care either way.

“We can sit in the kitchen.” Emma cut through the house to a homey room with big bay windows. “Would you like some coffee?”

It seemed rude to turn her down, but I didn’t want to add to her workload. “If you’re having some, sure. If not, it’s fine.”

“I have a pot.” She flicked a smile toward me before pouring two mugs and then joined me at the table. “I don’t know how to start this. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“It’s okay. I’ll lead you through it.” I beamed at her before sipping the coffee, which wasn’t exactly my taste but I choked it down. “So, let’s start with the basics. That will kind of be like an icebreaker.”

“Sure.” Emma bobbed her head. “What do you want to know?”

“For starters, how did you and Perry meet?”

“It was at college. I was going to MCC for a nursing degree and he was going to the police academy, the program through the school.”

I nodded. “I’m familiar with the program.”

“We were both on campus, at the main building where they have the deli. We ran into each other in line. A twenty fell out of my purse and he picked it up and handed it to me. We got to talking and ... well ... we just hit it off.”

“You were attracted to each other from the start,” I prodded.

“He was so nice. He walked me to my class after we ate together.”

“So that was kind of like your first date.”

“I guess you could say that.”

“How long did you date before you got married?”

“Oh, let me see.” She tapped her bottom lip. “It was right around two years before he proposed. He took me by surprise because we were both graduating from our programs and were still young. I thought he would want to move in together first, but he said he knew that I was his forever and he didn’t want to ever be without me.”

She broke off, a sob catching in her throat. I considered myself hardened to the realities of death — I had to cover it often — but Emma was really mourning. If she was hiding the fact that she knew he was dirty, she was very good. So good, in fact, that she’d likely missed her calling and should’ve become an actress.

“We got married one month after he proposed,” she said as she regrouped. “My mother thought we were crazy. She wanted to plan a big wedding for a year later, but I refused. Sometimes you just know, you know?”

I nodded, thinking of Eliot. “Yeah. It was probably still daunting to get married so soon after college.”

“You would think so, but we got along really well. We fit together. I got a job as a nurse at McLaren and he started work at the sheriff’s department straight away.”

Now we were getting somewhere. “He was always with the sheriff’s department, I take it?”

“Yeah. He worked in the jail at the start. Then he moved over to patrol.”

The next part of the interview would be tricky, and I needed to ease into it. “Were you nervous when he joined the detective bureau?”

“Yeah. It meant more money and he was really excited about it, but I knew it could be more dangerous. He was one of the youngest members of the detective bureau and was truly interested in being undercover.

“The first time he went under I was pregnant with our oldest, Hannah,” she continued. “He didn’t like being away, but there wasn’t much we could do about it. Thankfully it was a short assignment and he made it back in plenty of time for the birth.

“He was a good father,” she insisted. “When he was here, he spent all his time with the kids. He helped them learn to ride bikes and watched movies with them. His presence was more sporadic because of his work, but after an assignment he would be home for several weeks, and he would really bond with the kids and give them all of his attention.”

“That must’ve been a relief for you,” I prodded. “You could take some time for yourself when he was back on the grid.”

“I did schedule things like doctor appointments and hair appointments when he was home, but I was always so happy to see him that it didn’t matter. We spent a lot of time together when he was home, and I learned to adjust when he was gone.”

“Did he always want to be a police officer?” I asked. “Most of the people I meet who strive for upward mobility at a young age in the department always knew exactly what they wanted to do with their lives.”

“He definitely wanted to be a police officer,” she replied. “He told me that he saw a movie when he was a kid — I don’t remember the title, but I can ask his mother — and apparently from that moment on he always wanted to be in law enforcement.”

“What about friends?” I asked. “Were all his friends in the department?”

“He had friends outside of work. He liked to golf with some childhood buddies. He did have a lot of friends from the job, though. They bowled and there were a lot of family barbecues.”

“That sounds nice.”

“It was. He even had friends from other departments. Some of them went to the academy with him and ended up getting jobs in other counties, but they stayed close.”

“I’m assuming they’re helping you,” I asked. “I mean ... you’re not going this alone?”

“Oh, no.” Emma fervently shook her head. “They’ve all been amazing. The sheriff came to see me, offered as much help as I needed. The thing is, I don’t want to rely on them too much. I promised Perry I wouldn’t turn out like his mother.”

“I don’t understand. Didn’t you just say you were going to ask his mother about his favorite movie?”

“I should’ve been more specific. I was talking about his stepmother. She essentially raised him and he considered her his real mother. His birth mother left him with his father when he was three. The family was really poor at the time — my father-in-law has since become a welder and built a nice life for his family. His mother decided she wanted more and took off.”

That was interesting, although I was uncertain how it played into things. “Did she ever come back?”

“Twice that I’m aware of. She came back when Perry was ten or so and wanted to take him, said she’d met up with some guy and wanted to be a mother again. Perry’s father refused. He’d remarried and Perry was very close with his stepmother. He always called her ‘mom’ and loved her with his whole heart.

“She came back again not long after Perry graduated from high school,” she continued. “This would’ve been about a year or so before we met. We were really young when we hooked up, barely in our twenties when we got married. Perry told her to go away and never come back.”

Could the mother play into this? It didn’t feel right and yet I couldn’t completely rule it out. “I’m guessing he wanted to make sure his kids had a better life than the one he had those first few years without his mother,” I mused.

Emma managed a smile. “He did great things for me and I’ll make sure our children always remember what a good father he was. He tried really hard. Now he’ll always be remembered as a hero.”

“Right.”

The interview continued. I made sure to ask all the appropriate questions. Emma seemed much more relaxed when she showed me out of the house.

“When do you think the article will run?” she asked.

“I don’t know yet but it will likely be on the weekend. This will be a big spread. I’ll call to tell you when I know the exact date.”

“Thank you so much.” She leaned forward and gave me a hug, which I did not encourage. “I appreciate you doing this for him.”

Feeling awkward, I patted her arm and pulled back. “It’s my job. I ... .” I forgot what I was going to say when a framed photograph on the table by the door caught my attention. I picked it up without asking, staring at the image. “Is this Perry at the academy?” I ignored my pinching heart as I held the photograph up for Emma.

She nodded. “Yeah. He absolutely loved that photo ... and those guys. Those are his best friends. Do you know them?”

I knew one of the faces. “I’ve seen them around,” I replied. “It’s good he had such a close-knit group of friends.”

“They were the absolute best of friends,” she said. “They all loved each other. They served together and would’ve died for one another.”

The question was, would they also have broken the law together? “Well, thank you so much for your time,” I placed the photograph back on the table. “Don’t forget to email me the photos you like for the story.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Emma promised. “This will be something to always remember him by.”

I just hoped, for Emma’s sake, that I wouldn’t have to follow it up with a different sort of story. She seemed like a nice woman. The truth about her husband would likely level her, and I didn’t want to see that happen.

“I’ll call you when I know the publication date,” I said again. “If you need anything between now and then, just give me a call.”

“Thank you so much. We should be fine. Perry always said I was strong. I guess I’m proving that to myself now.”

“Keep it up. I’m sure he’d be proud.”

“I hope so. That’s all I want.”

15 FIFTEEN

“WE HAVE A PROBLEM,” I announced to Eliot as I strolled into the shop.

He was with a customer, a man looking at watches, and he slid a warning look toward me.

“I mean ... you’re the best guy in the world and your wares are top notch,” I added. “I’ll wait over here.”

I leaned against the display case on the opposite side of the shop and kept a smile on my face even as my mind raced. Ever calm, Eliot didn’t pressure his customer to make a selection, and I was forced to wait for a full fifteen minutes. Once the man left, apparently happy with his purchase, Eliot focused on me.

“What have we talked about?” he prodded by way of greeting.

“I’m the prettiest maiden in your harem,” I replied. “You don’t need to say it again, though it’s always nice to hear.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know why I even bother sometimes.”

“Me either.” I moved directly in front of him. “I just interviewed the widow.”

“You told me this morning that was your plan. Thanks for the text when you arrived, by the way. I take it you forgot when you were leaving.”

“I was coming straight here, so it seemed unnecessary.”

“What would’ve happened if you were attacked after leaving her house?”

“It would’ve sucked.”

“And I wouldn’t have had a place to start looking for you if you’d gone missing.”

He was such a whiner sometimes. “I’m clearly safe ... and with you. Do we have to fight when I’ve got a favor to ask? It’s going to mean I have to negotiate your services from a position of weakness and you know how much I hate that.”

“I do,” he agreed. “Fine. Tell me what you found.”

“I think the wife is on the level. She seems genuinely upset and is proud of her hero husband.”

“Why do I hear a hint of cynicism in your voice?”

“Because I have trouble believing that she couldn’t know. She’s too sweet. She’s got two kids and talks about how he was a great father when he was home. She also dropped a tidbit regarding Perry’s mother. Apparently she was a low-life who took off when he was a kid. His father eventually remarried and the stepmother was a gem, but the birth mother tried to come back into Perry’s life twice, once when he was eighteen.”

“Do you think that has something to do with what happened to Perry?”

“I can’t quite push the idea out of my head. It feels as if there’s something there. I’ll go through the effort of finding the mother, though it’s likely a waste of time.”

“And how are you going to do that?”

“I’m going to offer up coneys in bed if you’ll do it for me.”

He chuckled, amusement lighting his eyes. “You do know the way to my heart.”

“I also would like to request your services for a mission this afternoon.”

Eliot wasn’t an idiot. His arched eyebrow told me he was suspicious ... and rightfully so.

“Yes. I have need for a strong, swarthy man to protect me.”

“Tell me what you have planned — and don’t embellish.”

“I saw a photo on my way out,” I explained, sobering. “Perry and his best friends. That’s how the wife referred to them. They were all cops who hung out together.”

“Okay.”

“One of them was Andrew Mahorn.”

Eliot’s forehead creased. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

“He’s the detective who responded to the halfway house both times we were there and trouble popped.”

“Oh, the jerk.”

“That would be the one.”

Eliot was quiet for a long time and then nodded. “You think that this Mahorn guy was involved with the Santas.”

“Detective Mahorn said he was called to the halfway house more than once. He would’ve known if his close buddy was undercover there.”

“Good point.”

“It’s worth checking out. I want to take a photo of Perry — his wife provided me with a few for my article — and show it around that area. People down there know how to identify a bad guy.”

“But ... what will that tell you? You already suspect he was dirty.”

“Suspicions are not facts. I need proof.”

“And you want me to go with you.”

“I have no problem going alone. I figured you’d want to go. This is simply a way to head off the inevitable argument we would’ve had when you found out I went without you. You want me coming to you when I need help. That’s part of the deal, isn’t it?”

He looked caught, which was my intention. “That is part of the deal,” he agreed after a moment. “I do want you coming to me when you need help.”

“No questions asked. I think you mentioned that once or twice too.”

He sighed. “Let me call Mario and get him in here to cover the shop. It shouldn’t take him more than thirty minutes.”

I flashed him a bright smile. “I’ll get some coffee while I’m waiting.” I headed toward the door, pausing before pushing it open. “This compromise thing between spouses is great. I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying it.”

“You can stop laying it on so thick. We both know I have zero intention of letting you go to that area of Detroit without me.”

I didn’t respond with snark, instead gaily skipping out. “I’ll bring you back a danish.”

“Make sure it’s cream cheese.”

“As if there’s any other kind.”

ELIOT WAS NOT A FAN OF THE HALFWAY house. Shots had been fired at the location multiple times during our previous investigation, and he was leery when he got out of his truck.

“It’s quiet today,” he noted as he met me on the sidewalk, his eyes busy. “There were more people on the street last time we were here.”

“Which resulted in death and destruction,” I reminded him. “Maybe the locals are afraid of this place.” I eyed the desolate house. It looked as if it might fall down at any second. “It does look haunted.”

“Are people staying here?” Eliot squinted at the second floor. “I don’t see any lights.”

“Given what happened, I wouldn’t be surprised if they shut this place down. I don’t plan to get my answers here anyway.”

Eliot tugged on his gloves. “Who do you plan on getting answers from?”

I craned my neck, searching the street until I found who I was looking for. “Some old friends.”

Eliot followed my gaze, grinning when he caught sight of the brightly clad women. “I remember them. What were their names?”

“Sally Anne and Chantelle,” I replied. “They work these streets, which means they’ve seen a lot of faces.”

“And probably provided hand-jobs to more than a few of them.”

I shrugged, unbothered by his tone. “They have to do what they have to do to survive.”

“I’m not shaming them.”

“They’re good sources. They helped us before.”

“And I’m sure they’ll help us now ... for a price.”

“Don’t cast aspersions on them until they’ve earned it. You brought your wallet, though, right?”

Eliot nodded. “You’re going to owe me onion rings and fried cheese curds in bed to go with the coneys if I have to pay for information on top of everything else.”

“I’m sure we can work something out.”

THE WOMEN, WHO called out to anybody who passed them on the street, waved when they saw us. They seemed excited ... and more than a little hopped up on something other than their bubbly personalities.

“I wondered if we would ever see you again,” Chantelle drawled as we closed the distance. “You popped into our lives and right back out without saying goodbye. It was hurtful, wasn’t it, Sally Anne?”

The second woman, wearing a colorful feather boa around her neck, nodded in agreement. “I was very hurt, like, terribly so. My heart hasn’t recovered.”

“That’s too bad.” Eliot sent her a sly wink. He was good when it came to flirting with sources for information. I, on the other hand, couldn’t pull it off with the opposite side no matter how hard I tried. “Maybe we can help your heart recover.”

Sally Anne’s smile was wide, and if I wasn’t mistaken, she’d lost a tooth since the last time we’d seen her. In fact, upon closer inspection, her right cheek was bruised.

“What happened to you?” The question was out of my mouth before I thought better of it. Women who made their living on the street like these two were constantly at risk.

“Oh, this?” Sally Anne fluttered her fingers over her cheek. “It’s nothing. I had an ... incident ... a few days ago.”

“She means a jerk got a little too enthusiastic,” Chantelle volunteered. “She did a car job, which is never a good idea, but it was so cold the other day she didn’t have no choice but to get it over with.”

“At least there’s heat in the car,” Sally Anne said. “I figured I could spend fifteen minutes getting him hot and unfreezing my tootsies at the same time.” She did a little dance, drawing our attention to her feet. “He wanted a twofer because he finished so fast and figured that was my fault. Said I purposely wanted it to go fast — which I did — but then he tried to make me stay for a second round and I wasn’t having none of that.”

I felt sick to my stomach. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t suppose you got his license plate number?” Eliot asked.

Sally Anne snorted. “What good would that do? It’s not as if I can call the cops and tell them what went down. I’d be the one ending up in jail.”

“I’m not the cops,” Eliot reminded her. “If you had a plate number, you could’ve shared it with me. I could’ve run it and paid this guy a visit.”

“Then you would’ve gone to jail.”

“Not likely. He wouldn’t want to explain what we were arguing about.”

“Good point!” Sally Anne shot him a cheeky grin. “I like your style. This will heal. Well, not the tooth. Don’t know what I’m gonna do about that.”

I had an idea. “There’s a dental school in Macomb County. They fix things like that on the cheap. I can place a call if you want. I did a story about the school not too long ago. I bet they’d be willing to help.”

Sally Anne hesitated before nodding. “I guess that couldn’t hurt.”

“Good.” I dug out my reporter’s notebook and jotted down the information before tearing out the sheet and handing it to her. “I’ll call as soon as we get back to our side of town.”

“Thank you.”

“Speaking of your side of town, what are you doing here?” Chantelle prodded. “I would’ve thought that you guys would want to be free and clear of this area for good now that the halfway house is gone.”

Well, that answered that. “When did they shut it down?”

“Not long after the shooting. I saw on the news how you caught the people who killed all them poor Santas. They had a photo and everything. You looked good.”

I forced a smile that I didn’t really feel. There was little I hated more than becoming the focus of the news story. It wasn’t supposed to be that way, yet it happened repeatedly. “Thanks.”

“They moved the guys who were left in the house. There weren’t many,” Sally Anne explained. “I guess there was some question about whether the two newest guys understood what was going on, so they were transferred to another house. The rest were hauled in.”

“That’s because they were moving drugs,” Eliot noted.

“Oh, no doubt. There was always people going in and out of that house. It was way too busy to be on the up and up.”

“That’s one of the reasons we’re here,” I said as I dug in my pocket for my phone. “We’re still chasing a few loose ends on the Hypno. Do you recognize this guy?” I showed her a photo of Perry.

Sally Anne tapped her bottom lip. “Do you have a photo of him doing the deed? That’s usually how I recognize people. I need to see the white man’s overbite.”

I wasn’t certain I understood what she was saying. “What’s that?”

“Oh, you know.” She raised her fist and started gyrating her hips, her upper teeth on full display as she mimicked a sex act. “Most of the time I get three minutes of that, but it’s enough to be able to pick somebody out of a lineup.”

I glanced at Eliot and found him staring at the ground, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Clearly he was going to be no help.

“I think I recognize him,” Chantelle offered, changing the subject to something mercifully more comfortable. “I’m almost positive he lived in the halfway house.”

I nodded. “We believe he did. He’s one of the individuals who was found near the train tracks.”

“I definitely remember him.” Chantelle bobbed her head as she handed back my phone. “He was there a few months at least, maybe six.”

“He was there a decent amount of time,” I agreed, debating my options. Ultimately, I decided to go for it. Perry Thomas couldn’t die twice, so there was no reason to keep his secret. “He was a police officer.”

“No way!” Chantelle’s eyes went wide, her mouth dropping open. “Why would a police officer ...?” she trailed off. “The cops knew there was something horrible going on at that house.”

“I believe they did,” I said. “At the very least, they knew a dangerous new drug was on the street and were trying to figure out where it was coming from.”

“And they sent that dude to do it?” Chantelle tilted her head. “I knew there was something off about that guy when I first saw him. When people end up in places like the one on the corner, they like to talk ... and not about what they have planned and the like. They just want to talk in general because they’ve been locked up with the same people forever and it’s a lonely existence when you’re trying to stay alive by any means necessary.”

“And you’re saying Perry didn’t talk.”

“Was that his name?” Chantelle pursed her lips. “I don’t think that was his street name. He went by something else.”

“Do you know it?”

“I ... um ... think it was an animal.” She looked to Sally Anne for confirmation. “An animal, right?”

“Yup.” Sally Anne nodded in agreement. “I know the guy you’re talking about. I never would’ve pegged him for a cop. If he was undercover, he was awesome at his job, because he didn’t set off alarm bells. He definitely had an animal name.”

“Badger,” Chantelle volunteered.

Sally Anne shook her head. “That wasn’t it.”

“What about Wolf or Bear?” Eliot asked. “Those seem like the sort of names that would demand attention out here.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t a common animal.”

“Shark?” I offered. “I mean ... there is no more terrifying animal. Or how about a Megalodon?”

Eliot rolled his eyes. “What are you thinking?”

Chantelle snapped her fingers and enthusiastically nodded. “That’s it.”

“Megalodon?” For some reason, I was hopeful.

“No, he called himself Jaws.”

“And do you think Jaws was really in on the action or just playing to get information?”

“I don’t know for certain that he was playing both sides, but it would hardly be the first time that happened,” Chantelle said.

“If you ask me, that dude was dirty.”

Which begged the question, how many people in Perry’s inner circle knew he was dirty? Did any of them offer to help? Drug money could be intoxicating.

16 SIXTEEN

ELIOT WAS quiet for the drive back to Mount Clemens. He was working things out in his mind.

“Do you think he was dirty?” I asked once we hit the exit to North River Road. We would have to return to his shop long enough for me to collect my car.

“I think the odds are good,” he replied after a moment. “I don’t want to jump to that conclusion because it seems unfair if he died in the line of duty, but ... it doesn’t make a lot of sense for him not to be dirty at this point.”

“And Jake is covering it up,” I mused.

“Jake is ... doing what he has to do to protect himself and his department. He’s not purposely working against you.”

“I know I shouldn’t take it personally ... .”

“You shouldn’t,” he insisted.

“I still hate it when he hides information from me.”

“You know why he does it.”

“To drive me crazy.”

“Because it’s his job.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I finished the rest of the ride in silence and waited until we were in front of his shop to speak again. “I have to write a piece on the news conference and talk to Fish. It shouldn’t take long.”

Eliot’s smirk was sly. “It’s very wifely of you to give me an update like that.”

I tried to jab a finger in his face but I was wearing a mitten, so all he got was a face full of crocheted shark. “Don’t push me.”

He caught my wrist and leaned in for a kiss. “I will push you later ... maybe over dinner. How would you feel about eating something that’s not covered in chili and onions?”

That didn’t sound nearly as good as he probably thought it did. “I don’t want to get dressed up.”

“I was thinking the Thai place. You love that weird dish with the mushrooms and tomatoes.”

“I do, but the wife mentioned there’s going to be a candlelight vigil tonight in front of the courthouse for Perry.”

Eliot straightened and looked around. “I hadn’t heard anything about that.”

“Emma said it’ll be full of cops and politicians. She’s excited about that because she doesn’t realize that most of them are doing it for a photo op. I’m curious enough about who will be there that I kind of want to drop in.”

“That’s quite the day for you, longer than a normal shift,” he noted. “Will you be asking Fish for comp time to make up for it?”

Oh, geez, he just wasn’t going to let it go. “Probably not, but I will stop at Human Resources long enough to ask for an accounting of the outstanding days I have so we can plan another trip. How does that sound?”

“Like more compromise.” He leaned in and gave me a playful kiss, lightly biting my bottom lip before pulling back. “You’re really getting the hang of this compromise thing. I can’t tell you how glad I am about that.”

That made one of us. “I kind of liked it when I did whatever I wanted and answered to no one.”

“You would miss me if I was gone.”

Because that was true, I let loose a sigh. “Fine. I would miss you.”

“Also, you don’t ever want to contemplate a life without me.”

That was also true. “I’m kind of used to you,” I agreed.

“You would curl into a ball and die if you lost me,” he said.

“Don’t push it.”

He grinned and ran his hand over my head. “I think it’s fine if you want to stop at the candlelight vigil. I’ll go with you. We can eat in the shop, whatever takeout you want, while you’re writing your story if it works out that way.”

He was far too agreeable sometimes. He always went out of his way to make sure things worked out for me. If it was in his power, he gave it to me. “Thank you. Maybe we can still eat the Thai.”

“I’ll be fine with coneys. Just stop in here when you’re done and we’ll go together.”

It was a simple request and yet I knew what had him worried. “You’re afraid that Mahorn will be there and I’ll say something stupid.”

“I’m afraid that someone bad is going to be there and with so many people present you’ll need an extra set of eyes. It’s nothing more than that.”

“Well, then I guess it’s good I have you.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

FISH WAS AT HIS DESK WHEN I STROLLED INTO the office. He looked intent on his computer screen, which likely meant he was working on the daily news story budget. He glanced up when he realized I was encroaching on his space and lifted an eyebrow.

“It’s been a crap day for news,” he said by way of greeting. “Tell me you have something good.”

“I have the news conference this morning, which is nothing. I can pad it out to a ten-inch story if you need it, but it’s really just a brief.”

He sighed. “Give me the story.”

“I also interviewed Perry Thomas’s widow extensively today and will have a feature piece for this weekend.”

Fish’s eyebrows drew together. “You don’t normally enjoy doing the feature pieces.”

“Yes, well, I’m a work in progress.”

“You’re up to something.”

“I ... am poking my finger in a variety of pies.”

“And which ones am I going to be interested in?”

“Likely all of them. I need more, though.”

“Then I will wait for you to get more. Anything else?”

“I want to cover the candlelight vigil tonight.”

“You hate candlelight vigils.”

“I know, but there will be a ton of people there and I would like to get a feel for some of them. Covering the vigil gives me an excuse to get things done.”

“I’ve already assigned the vigil to someone else.”

I was instantly alert. “Who?”

“Sabrina.”

Oh, well, of course he did. “Now you’re giving her assignments?” I knew I sounded whiny — and judgmental — but I couldn’t help myself. “Why would you possibly give her a story?”

“Because she asked to cover a story and nobody else wants to work nights. Marvin is here, but he’s covering a city council meeting in Warren. It’s supposed to go until two in the morning. He’s needed elsewhere.”

“Yeah, but ... you didn’t ask me.”

“You’re getting married in less than a week and hate vigils.”

“Um ... what does getting married have to do with anything?”

“Your mother has you on a short leash and I don’t want you distracted to the point where you ignore her and she comes in here again.”

“Definitely not,” Duncan called out from the back of the room. “Don’t let that woman back in this building. The only thing her visit did is show us, in no uncertain terms, that Avery’s evil came from a specific source.”

“I’ll make sure to tell her that when I see her,” I shot back. “I’ll also let your address fall out of my pocket so she can conveniently find it.”

“Don’t you dare!”

I shook my head and returned my focus to Fish. “I really think I should be the one to handle the vigil. Sabrina has never covered anything this big.”

Fish’s eye roll was straight out of a movie. He was the sardonic boss in a romantic comedy who likes to poke the heroine for nonstop entertainment. “All she has to do is get three quotes, including from Jake, and call it a day. She’ll be rehashing the stories that have already been written on this subject to fill it out. It’s actually the best sort of assignment to give her.”

I felt otherwise. “Yes, but ... I want the story.”

“I can’t help you. I promised it to Sabrina, and she’s very excited. She ran home to get extra layers so she can be outside for the duration without getting cold. I suggested she get mittens like you but she seemed opposed to it.”

I glanced down at my sharks. “They’re lovely conversationalists,” I drawled. “They’re also people pleasers when I’m out on a story. Everybody asks about them.”

“That’s because other adults can’t believe that you would dare wear them in public and they’re trying to ascertain if you’re special.”

“Whatever. I seriously want the vigil story.”

“You can’t have it. I promised it to Sabrina and I’m not going to break that girl’s heart. She’s very excited. Besides, we need to know what she can do. It does no good for us to have an intern who can’t pull her weight. I would like to give her more stories.”

“Why?”

“Because then she would be on her own and not following you around.”

Oh, well, that did sound like an improvement. “Fine. Give her the story. Just be forewarned, I’m heading up there and I’m going to be poking around no matter what.”

“That’s on you, but don’t put in for overtime for it.”

“Also, it’s likely that I will be putting in a few requests for time off in the upcoming weeks. I ... um ... also need two weeks for a honeymoon.”

Rather than complain and moan — which is what I was hoping for because I knew he would be bereft without me — Fish looked amused. “I figured. Do you want the two weeks directly after the wedding?”

That seemed a little soon for my taste. “Um ... actually I can work the week after the wedding and then take the two weeks after that.”

“I’ll mark it down. Where are you going on your honeymoon?”

“Looks like New Orleans and Florida.”

“Sounds fun. I’ll handle the Human Resources request. You just focus on keeping your mother out of this office.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Do way better than that.”

I RETURNED TO ELIOT’S SHOP EARLIER than he anticipated, and apparently listening to me complain wasn’t on his afternoon to-do list. Ultimately, he locked me in his office and told me to pick a movie to watch, refusing to let me out until fifteen minutes before the vigil.

“There’s the love of my life.” He opened his arms when I slid out of the office, as if I was actually going to give him a hug.

“You’re a bad man,” I muttered, glancing around the store. “Where’s Mario?”

“He left early because I called him in early. I believe he’s heading to the vigil to scope out for chicks.”

That sounded just like him. “You can’t pick up chicks at a vigil. It’s tacky.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem to think so.”

“That’s because he’s a moron.”

“You’ll get no argument from me.” Eliot handed me my coat. “Are you ready to stalk some cops?”

“I’m ready to smack you around,” I replied. “You’re supposed to listen to me vent. That’s the whole reason we got married.”

“I believe we got married because we love one another.”

“No.”

“That’s why I got married.”

“You got married because you were drunk.”

“True, but I was going to marry you regardless ... because I love you more than anything.”

What did he expect me to do with that statement? “You’re just trying to soften me up.”

“Is it working?”

“Not really.”

“Well, I’ll keep at it.” He handed me the shark mittens. “Are you ready to see who you can torture? That always puts you in a good mood. I’ll buy you spring rolls after if you’re a good girl.”

I grabbed the mittens and glared at him. “They’d better be really good spring rolls.”

THE AREA IN FRONT OF THE COURTHOUSE WAS packed with people. Most of them I didn’t recognize — probably random residents who felt as if they’d been touched by the stories in the news and wanted to mourn Perry with those closest to him — but there were a number of law enforcement representatives and politicians.

“What are you doing here?” Jake asked when he saw me. He was with Derrick, their heads bent together, the rest of the world tuned out, until I strode into view.

“That’s not the way to greet me if you want me to be nice,” I chided. “You’ll have to try something different if you want me to be pleasant.”

“I don’t really care if you’re pleasant.” Jake looked to Eliot. “Why did you bring her? The Monitor sent an intern. She introduced herself about five minutes ago. She’s very ... perky.”

“She’s very annoying,” I corrected. “Next time you see her, shove her in front of a car or something. That will remove a very big annoyance from my life.”

“You’ll have to excuse Avery,” Eliot offered. “She’s in a mood.”

“I believe that’s her common state,” Derrick said.

“Yes, well ... .” Eliot patted my back, something I could barely detect because my coat was so thick.

I knew Jake wasn’t going to give me the information I needed, so I scanned the crowd for someone of interest. I landed on Mahorn. Apparently I didn’t hide my smirk nearly as well as I thought because Jake picked up on it right away.

“What are you going to do?” he demanded.

I pretended I didn’t hear the question and tugged on Eliot’s hand. “I see an old friend.”

“Oh, yeah?” Eliot looked in the same direction as me. “I see him too. Do you want to wait it out or go after him right now?”

“What do you think?”

Eliot offered Jake a half-hearted wave. “I think that means we’ll be seeing you guys later.”

“Wait.” Jake started after us but then fell to a standstill. “Where do you guys think you’re going?”

I opted not to respond. If he was going to torture me by hiding information, I planned to do the same to him.

I wound through the crowd, not stopping until I was directly in front of Mahorn. He was with a small group of men — several of whom I recognized from the photo in Emma’s house — and he briefly registered surprise when he saw us.

“I know you,” he said as he glanced between our faces. “You were at the house in the city ... more than once.”

“We were,” I confirmed. I saw no reason to explain myself. “I didn’t realize you knew Detective Thomas.”

“We were in the academy together.”

“Were you friends?”

“We were friendly,” Mahorn replied. “It’s important to come out for all my blue brothers and sisters.”

“That’s very nice,” I said in my most condescending tone. “I’m sure you were upset to hear there was an undercover police officer — one that you knew from your academy days — in the same house you stopped at numerous times.”

Mahorn didn’t overtly react but it was impossible not to notice the way his shoulders tensed. “It was an interesting development,” he acknowledged. “I don’t know that it matters. There’s nothing I could’ve done to change what happened. I had no idea what was going on in that house.”

“None?” I didn’t believe that for a second. “I was under the impression that there was some joint task force going on because of the Hypno trade.”

“That doesn’t mean I was a part of it.”

“But they didn’t even make you aware?” I refused to let it go. I wanted to hammer him as hard as possible. “How are you supposed to do your job if you don’t know what’s going on around you?”

“I’m not paid to make the big decisions. Those higher up than me make those decisions, and they’re good at them.”

“I guess.” I folded my arms across my chest and regarded him. “Are you going to say anything about Perry? I mean ... you did know him from years ago. I assume the people here would love to hear something about his younger days.

“I interviewed his wife this afternoon. She has a broken heart but is proud of what her husband accomplished in his time with the sheriff’s department,” I continued. “She said that he loved his academy friends best of all.”

Mahorn narrowed his eyes slightly but refrained from snapping at me. “I remember Perry being a diligent student. He was devoted to law enforcement. His wife has every reason to be proud.”

“Are you proud of him?”

Mahorn let loose an exasperated sigh. “I’m proud of all my brothers and sisters when they die in the line of duty.”

“That’s a weird thing to be proud of.”

“I can’t explain it to you — nor would I want to because I believe you’re limited in what you can absorb — but giving your life for the cause is something that will always be remembered.

“Detective Thomas died at a tragically young age,” he continued, “but his legacy will carry on forever.”

“How nice for him,” I drawled.

“It is nice. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I see someone I need to talk to.” Mahorn didn’t wait for me to respond, instead slipping around me and heading into the crowd. I had no idea who he was going to talk to but had no doubt that he was desperate to get away from me.

“What do you think?” Eliot asked in a low voice close to my ear.

“He’s lying about how well he knew Perry.”

“I picked up on that. Why do you think that is?”

“I have no idea, but I’m going to find out.”

17 SEVENTEEN

WE PICKED up Thai to take home, stripped to our underwear and ate in front of the fireplace. When we’d finished, Eliot tucked me in at his side, wrapped a blanket around me, and put on Jaws to lull me. I knew what he was doing — he needed time to think and was afraid I would get too far ahead of him if I didn’t shut down for a bit — but I allowed him to soothe me into slumber.

At some point, he’d lifted me off the couch and carried me to the bedroom. I had a vague recollection of him murmuring that I should go back to sleep. I didn’t open my eyes again until it was morning.

The first thing I noted was that Rocky had positioned himself on top of my pillow after I rolled my head onto Eliot’s shoulder, which meant I couldn’t roll it back and retake my territory without the threat of his wrath. The second thing I discovered was that Eliot was awake and watching me.

“Hey,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes. “How long have you been up?”

“Just a few minutes.” He shot me a smile as he brushed his fingers against my neck.

“Were you just lying there and watching me sleep?”

He nodded. “You look like an angel when you sleep.”

A snort got caught in my throat and I nearly choked. “Excuse me?”

He laughed at my reaction. “You do. You have all that blond hair and it fans all over the place. You’re relaxed in sleep, not overtly plotting the demise of anything or anyone. All you’re missing is the halo and wings.”

It was the stupidest thing I’d ever heard. “I plot in my sleep too.”

He chuckled. “I love that you think I was insulting you.” He slid lower under the covers until we were eye to eye. “It’s okay to be an angel.”

“I much prefer being a devil.”

“I’m pretty sure the devil was a fallen angel.”

I shrugged. “I guess. I don’t want to be an angel, so you’ll have to pick something else to compare me to when you want to get romantic.”

“Anyone in particular?”

“I’m fine with Katniss Everdeen if you want to go that route ... or Wonder Woman.”

He laughed, the sound causing Rocky to open one eye and glare.

“I’ll call you Wonder Woman for the rest of our lives if you wear the outfit.”

“I’ll consider it.” I rested my hand on his chest and looked to the window. The sun was just starting to make its presence known. “I hate that it’s so dark in the winter.”

“That’s what makes the summer so much better.”

“I need to come up with a plan in regard to Mahorn. He was lying to us yesterday.”

“I’m not certain he was lying to you about what you think he was lying about. It could be that he was lying about his ties to Perry because he knows that the cops are looking at him.”

He had a point, loath as I was to admit it. “I didn’t like that guy from the moment we met him at the halfway house.”

“I remember.” Eliot lightly trailed his fingers up and down my spine. “He wanted to take us in that night. Jake stopped him.”

“He wanted to take us in both nights he saw us,” I pointed out. “Jake managed to make sure that didn’t happen, but now I have all these ideas.”

“Like what?”

“Well, for starters, I’m curious about why Mahorn was assigned the cases at the halfway house. Both of them. He seemed familiar with the people in the neighborhood. If he’s been with the force as long as he has, you would think he would be removed from crap areas ... and yet he’s still there.”

Eliot’s eyes lit with intrigue. “You think he volunteered to cover the halfway house.”

“It makes sense. Given that neighborhood, he would’ve been able to shuffle the assignments off on a newer detective. The fact that he didn’t means he wanted to keep the halfway house under his purview.”

“What if he wanted to do it because he knew his friend was undercover there and he thought it was a way to protect him?”

I hadn’t considered the possibility. “I ... .”

“Oh, you’re speechless.” Eliot tickled my ribs and kissed me before I could squirm away. “It’s an Avery Shaw miracle. I love it when I get one of those.”

“Keep it up,” I warned darkly. “I’ll show you another sort of miracle if you’re not careful.”

“There’s little I love more than a threat,” he teased, giving me another kiss before settling. “As for Mahorn, I think it’s possible the lie we both picked up on was him trying to protect his friend.”

It was possible, I conceded. Still, I remained bothered by Mahorn’s reaction to us. “I think it’s more than that.”

Eliot stroked his hand over my hair and nodded. “I think so too. I don’t want to encourage you to chase after this guy, because I believe he’s dangerous. But it’s pretty clear that he’s up to something. He wasn’t happy to see us.”

“So the question becomes, how do I safely chase him and get the information I want?” I mused.

Eliot shook his head. “We.”

“What?”

“We,” he insisted. “We’re chasing him together.”

“Is that because you think I’m incapable of catching him if I don’t have you backing me up?”

“Oh, don’t even.” Eliot’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “You’re the most capable person I know. But this guy ... .” He trailed off. I could see him gathering his thoughts. “If Mahorn is involved, he’s covered himself really well. Otherwise they would’ve arrested him by now.”

I nodded. “I don’t disagree.”

“I don’t think he’s managed to cover his tracks as well as he has without a bit of help,” Eliot said. “He doesn’t strike me as the world’s smartest guy. He’s not stupid by any stretch, but he’s no genius.”

“You think there’s someone higher in the department helping him ... and therefore helping Perry before he was killed.”

“I think the Hypno trade travels a long road with a lot of forks,” he said. “It’s possible someone high on the food chain in the Detroit department is involved and has been from the start. It’s possible that multiple mid-level cops from various departments put together a network that covered them all. That would still leave a smart person organizing it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a chief or captain.”

“Right.” One of the reasons Eliot and I meshed as well as we did is because he understood the mind of a criminal. Much like me, he could break things down. In fact, he often managed to break things down better than me because he led with his head rather than his heart. Of course, that was something I would never give him credit for. “Can you run a check on Mahorn?” I asked.

He nodded. “I can. I ran the mother like you asked yesterday. She’s a dead end. She’s been in the Alabama state prison for two years. That rules her out as an accomplice. As for this, I think it’s a good idea too.”

I hesitated and then smiled. “I’ll marry you and love you forever if you do it and keep it on the downlow.”

He smirked. “Seems like a fair trade.”

“Breakfast first?”

He nodded and kissed me again. “And a shower. You smell like Thai food and licorice. It’s giving me ideas, but not the sort we have time for.”

“Shower and breakfast it is,” I agreed. And then we’ll start digging, I silently added as I let him pull me toward the bathroom. There was something here. I just had to figure out what.

ELIOT TACKLED BREAKFAST. APPARENTLY he wasn’t keen on another round of Eggos. That was his loss. Eggos are great and so easy. Of course, the scent of hash browns on the stove had my stomach growling and drool pooling ... and then there was a loud pounding on the front door.

I started for the door, but Eliot caught me around the waist before I took more than two steps.

“How about you watch the hash browns?” he suggested. There was a warning in his eyes, as if he was daring me to argue.

“It’s morning,” I reminded him. “I doubt anyone who wants to kill me is going to knock first.”

“It also sounds like someone is angry. Didn’t you flip off the guy who lives across the road the other day?”

“He was parked in the middle of the street talking on his phone. I couldn’t get around him.”

“I didn’t say he didn’t deserve it. I said you flipped him off.”

“And he flipped me off back and called me a stupid witch.”

“I believe his comment was a little stronger than that.”

“And yet that’s what I heard. How weird.”

“Stay here.” Eliot shook his head as he headed for the door. I craned my neck to see who had come calling. I didn’t have to wait long because the second the door opened, I heard a familiar voice.

“Where is she?”

Jake. I grabbed the bag of hash browns and added more potatoes into the pan. I retrieved the spatula Eliot left on the counter to make it look as if I was focused on cooking and offered up a bland smile when Jake stalked into the kitchen.

“Good morning, sheriff. This is becoming a regular thing. How would you like your eggs?”

“You only know how to cook eggs one way,” Eliot noted as he grabbed the spatula from me. “Over hard with broken yolks.”

“I can cook other types of eggs,” I argued, making a face when he nudged me from the stove. “I grew up in a restaurant family.”

“Yes, and from all the stories I’ve gleaned since we hooked up, you spent very little time working in the restaurant because you’re a menace in the kitchen.”

He stated it as an insult, but I didn’t take it as one. “I’m a reporter, not a chef.”

“You’re ... something.” Eliot maneuvered me closer to the sink, placing himself between Jake and me. It was obvious he was worried about whatever had brought Jake to our house so early in the morning. It was completely unnecessary. Jake may rant, rave and carry on like a child, but he would never hurt me.

“We need to talk,” Jake announced, lifting his phone. “I need you to explain this to me.”

I should’ve waited for him to show me what he wanted explained. Because I was me, and therefore incapable of doing the smart thing when there was a chance to irritate someone directly in front of me, I opened my big mouth instead. “If you’ve contracted a virus from downloading porn, there’s nothing I can do for you.”

Jake narrowed his eyes to annoyed slits. “It’s not porn.”

“Oh, too bad. Porn might make you less rigid. Just a thought.”

Jake extended his phone to show me a photo. It was me standing directly in front of Mahorn. Someone had snapped the photo the previous evening. Given our postures, it was clear we weren’t engaged in pleasant conversation.

“I really should get a different winter coat,” I noted as I frowned. “That one makes me look fat.”

“Fluffy,” Eliot corrected. “You look fluffy in it. It’s more important to be warm than to look thin.”

That showed what he knew. “I’m still going to look.”

Jake growled. “You’re skirting the question. I’m not leaving until you answer it.”

“You haven’t actually asked me a question,” I pointed out.

“Okay.” Jake’s tone told me he was struggling not to strangle me. “What were you and Detective Andrew Mahorn talking about last evening?”

“It was a vigil for Perry Thomas. We were talking about him.”

“And what did he say?”

“He said that he always shows up for his brothers and sisters in blue when one of them goes down in the line of duty.” That wasn’t a lie.

“Why were you questioning him?” Jake prodded.

“I don’t know that I would say I was questioning him. I was simply ... interested in his ties to the deceased.” It was a clinical response.

“I see.” Jake returned his phone to his pocket. “What would you say if I told you that Detective Mahorn was ambushed and killed on his way home last night?”

My heart skipped. “What?”

“You heard me. What would you say to that?”

“I ... don’t ... know.” I looked at Eliot, who looked just as perplexed.

“I need to know what you were talking to him about, Avery,” Jake stressed. “It’s important.”

There were plenty of things I found important about the revelation. I needed time to sort my thoughts though, and there was no way Jake would give me that time.

“Baby, you should tell him,” Eliot said, drawing my eyes back to him. “This is big. Sharing information is important.”

I didn’t like that he was siding with Jake. “Well ... I need a moment to think.”

“Then you tell me,” Jake demanded of Eliot. “Tell me what she has cooking and I’ll help.”

Eliot shook his head. “I can’t do that. I won’t betray her.”

“It’s not a betrayal,” Jake snapped. “Don’t think of it that way. Think of it as protecting her.”

“I would die for her,” Eliot replied calmly, “but I won’t betray her. You have to understand that I’m not capable of hurting her that way.”

Jake yanked his hair back. “I don’t want you to hurt her. Can’t you see that I’m worried about her?”

“I can,” Eliot said. “But I can’t hurt her.”

“I just ... you guys are absolute pains in my ass!”

Jake was frustrated and terrified, never a good combination for him. That’s why I made the decision I did.

“I interviewed Emma Thomas yesterday,” I volunteered.

“I’m well aware. She called me not long after you left.”

“She’s very nice. We did a long interview about her husband. She mentioned that he was extremely tight with his academy buddies, that they spent a lot of time together, and that he was a good father.”

“And?” Jake was at the end of his patience. “Tell me why you were so interested in Mahorn.”

“He was one of Perry’s academy buddies,” I replied. “He was called to the halfway house twice, which you know because you argued with him that one night. It seems to me that he would’ve known his friend was undercover there.

“Now, maybe it’s just a case of him wanting to protect his buddy so he volunteered for that crap detail, but it feels like more than that,” I continued. “I think he was involved in the Hypno trade, just like Perry was.

“Emma told me that Perry was determined to make sure his kids were never poor like he was. I think he decided to make a little money on the side. Whether Mahorn dragged him in or vice versa, I believe they were working together. I think there were more cops involved.”

Jake shook his head. “What proof do you have?”

“Not much,” I admitted. “That’s why I’m going to start digging harder. I have another meeting with Tad and Caleb today.”

“I don’t suppose you could just let this go and let me handle it?”

And this was why Jake and I would always butt heads. He loved me but could never truly accept who I was. “I don’t suppose so,” I agreed.

“Son of a ... !” Jake viciously swore under his breath as he started pacing the hallway between the kitchen and garage. He didn’t look at Eliot or me, instead keeping his gaze on the floor. When he did speak again, it was Eliot he focused on.

“You can’t let her keep digging on this,” he said. “It will go badly.”

Eliot calmly dished out hash browns and eggs on three plates. I hadn’t even noticed that he’d fried eggs during the conversation. He was smooth and stealthy when he wanted to be. “It’s already going badly for us,” he pointed out. “A man tried to break into our home. I have no doubt what he was interested in.”

“Avery,” Jake agreed. “They want her dead.”

“Because they know I’m a threat,” I interjected. “That must mean I’m closer to answers than I realized.”

“You probably are,” Jake said. “I can’t tell you either way. What I can tell you is that it would be better for me if you let this go.”

Part of me wanted to give him what he needed. The other part recognized that it was the exact opposite of what I needed. I couldn’t sacrifice myself to make him feel better. “I can’t let it go.”

“Of course you can’t.” Jake looked morose. “You drive me nuts.”

“That’s part of the wonder that is me,” I said as I took the plate Eliot handed me. “You could help us. If we all worked together, we would have answers faster than anybody else.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why?”

“You know why.” He shook his head as Eliot pressed a plate into his hands. “You guys eat the unhealthiest food.”

“We like what we like,” Eliot said. “As for this ... Avery is incapable of letting it go and you know it. She started it, thought she’d finished it, and then learned otherwise. She has to finish it to let it go. You should understand that.”

“I understand it,” Jake countered. “I can’t agree with it. The people out there who want to hurt her mean business.”

“And they won’t stop even if she drops it,” Eliot said. “The only way to keep her safe is to take down the entire operation. You’re right about me loving her. I have to keep her safe. The only way I know to do that is to help her.”

Jake was resigned. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

18 EIGHTEEN

I STOPPED at the coffee shop next to Eliot’s shop because I needed the jolt to deal with Tad. Eliot didn’t offer a warning when I set out, instead giving me a thumbs-up and an air kiss that made me laugh. He knew I needed time to settle after Jake’s visit.

Later, he would sit me down and make me talk through everything with him. For now, he was letting me do my thing without annoying me, and for that I was grateful.

The county building buzzed with activity. It took me five minutes to get through security, and when I finally reached Tad’s floor, I found a guard waiting for me.

“Ms. Shaw?” He was tall, burly, and looked to have the sense of humor of a guy with perpetual diarrhea.

I was naturally leery. “Yeah.”

“I’m to escort you to Commissioner Ludington’s office.” He started down the hallway, not waiting to see if I followed.

“He sent an escort?” Every time I thought Tad had hit his limit on douchery, I was proved wrong. He could always get worse, which was saying something given the peaks he’d already reached. “Why would I need an escort?”

“I don’t make the decisions,” he replied. “I simply follow orders.” He was grave as he stopped outside Tad’s door. “You’re to knock.”

It was so typical that he would try to force me into a weaker position. This was Tad’s way of trying to force me to conform. “Of course.” I flashed a fake smile and raised my hand as if I intended to do just that. Instead, I twisted the knob with my left hand and pushed open the door. “Oh, hey, it’s open.”

The guard’s eyes went wide but he was too late to stop me.

“Thanks so much for the stimulating conversation,” I said, grinning as I crossed the threshold. “You should see if they’re looking for a new daytime talk show dodo. You’d be a big hit.”

Rather than respond to me, the guard turned an apologetic look to Tad. “I’m so sorry, Commissioner Ludington. She ... faked me out.”

Tad sat behind his desk and waved him off. “Don’t worry about it, Sheldon. She’ll never follow the rules no matter what precautions are put in place.”

Sheldon? How could a guy with thighs as big as my shoulders be named Sheldon? That was so wrong.

“Please have a seat, Ms. Shaw,” Caleb said as he stood, gesturing toward the chair immediately in front of me. His expression was difficult to read. He almost looked amused at what had transpired, though it was essentially akin to two elementary school students fighting for supremacy of the jungle gym. I, of course, always won those fights.

“Thank you.” I took the seat he offered. It was closest to the door, so I could beat a hasty retreat if Tad decided to go supervillain.

“How are you doing?” Caleb asked.

I wasn’t used to niceties in Tad’s office. “I’m fine. How are you?”

“It has been an interesting few days. I understand you’re getting married.” His eyes drifted to the engagement ring on my finger as I pulled off my shark mittens. “That’s a very impressive ring. Two karats, white gold. That must’ve run your fiancé a good twenty-two thousand dollars.”

I sat for a moment, dumbfounded, and then glanced at the ring. “Are you kidding me?”

Caleb’s expression never changed. “Why? Did he tell you it was worth more than that?”

“He didn’t tell me anything.” I was horrified. “I could buy a car for that amount of money.”

“Not a good one,” Tad muttered.

I shot him a glare. “Not everybody needs a car shaped like a penis to prove their manhood.”

“What did I say?” Tad jabbed a finger toward my face. I refused to flinch. “You can’t call my manhood into question.”

“I didn’t say anything about your manhood. I cast aspersions on your car and said you needed it to prove your manhood. There’s a difference.”

“No, you said I needed a specific car to feel like a man.”

“Do you still drive a Camaro?” I asked, not missing a beat. “That is the ultimate Shrinky-Dink car.”

“I will have you thrown out of this office,” Tad seethed.

“Then you won’t be able to participate in my takedown of area drug lords,” I said. “Go ahead and try. We both know I’ll beat you to the story. I always do.”

“I have Caleb now.” Tad gestured toward the man now sitting to my left. “He’ll beat you to the information every day of the week ... and twice on Sunday.”

“My grandfather just called and wants his saying back,” I drawled.

“I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot here,” Caleb interjected before Tad could respond. “Perhaps we should focus on the information we have to share and let the petty bickering fall by the wayside.”

Tad looked properly abashed. “Of course. I apologize. Avery knows how to press my buttons and she gladly does it.”

“I’m not sorry about it. If you think we’re going to get through this conversation without sniping at one another, you’re giving us too much credit. We live by the ‘I know you are but what am I’ playground rules and there’s no way we’re going to suddenly start being professional around one another.”

Caleb’s lips twitched. “Fair enough. Still, we should focus on something of substance now that we’ve meandered. Don’t you agree?”

I waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. We’re here for a specific purpose. I’m willing to share. I assume you guys are too.”

“We are,” Caleb agreed.

“You go first,” Tad prodded.

“Why should I go first?”

“Because we have better information.”

That was unlikely, but there was no way I was going to drop everything I had on them. It was best, I decided, to parcel the information out. “I’ve heard from a few sources that Hypno is still a big deal,” I started.

Caleb was shaking his head before I could continue. “That’s not the case. I’m sorry. If there is Hypno out there, it’s only in small doses. There is no widespread Hypno trade.”

Was he joking or did he seriously not know? The problem with this arrangement was that I couldn’t trust Tad to tell me the truth, just like they couldn’t trust me to dole out everything I had. “I’m not sure where you heard that, but my sources say otherwise.”

“Who are your sources?” Caleb asked.

There was no way I was answering that. “I know people,” I replied. “I’ve been in this business a number of years and have met many people. I get tips the same way police officers do.”

“You mean from weasels,” Caleb surmised. “I’m curious what these people believe you have to offer them.”

“Some like being part of the story. It’s a mental illness of sorts. They need to be seen as big deals and will volunteer information accordingly.”

“That’s an interesting observation,” he noted. “It makes sense, but your sources are wrong in this matter.”

“I’m assuming Avery is dealing with penny ante criminals,” Tad said. “We’re talking dime bags on the corner and ancient acid from the seventies.”

I wanted to explain to him just how wrong he was, but I could not burn my sources. “I’m just saying that Hypno is still out there.”

“That is very odd.” Caleb made a tsking sound and shook his head. “I’ve talked to at least twenty people in various cities since I last talked to you. All of them agree that Hypno is behind us.”

Something occurred to me. “Wait ... are you just talking to law enforcement sources?”

“Who else would I talk to?”

“Um ... people on the street. You know, the people who actually are in the know. The cops are always the last to know when it comes to things like this.”

Caleb let loose a raspy chuckle. “I beg to differ, and I’m not just saying that as an individual who worked in law enforcement for twenty-plus years. I understand that it’s difficult to know exactly what law enforcement representatives know when you’re stuck on the outside, but they often know more than the criminals.”

That was ludicrous. “If they know so much, why can’t they stop the trade before it gets a foothold? I mean, if they’re that omnipotent, why would Tad’s task force even be necessary?”

Caleb’s cheeks flooded with color. “Are you suggesting the criminals know more than law enforcement?”

“On so many things.”

Caleb held my gaze a beat longer and then turned to Tad. “Do you hear this?”

“I do, and as much as I don’t want to admit it, she has a point,” Tad hedged, clearly uncomfortable. “If law enforcement knew as much as they claimed, there would be no need for my task force. The task force is going to change the crime game in this county.”

That was also a load of crap, but because Tad was weighing in on my side this time I had no choice but to ignore the low-hanging fruit. “I’m not saying law enforcement is stupid,” I said. “But you guys are outnumbered, and dealers have a distinct advantage over you.

“To survive, they have to be innovative,” I continued. “You guys are always chasing and can never get ahead. You do the best you can, but you’re certainly not ahead of the game.”

Caleb’s frown was pronounced. “We’re taking down a dealer on the other side of Gratiot in an hour. He thinks he’s smarter than everybody, has only two arrests when he was a teenager. We’re ahead of him enough to break his entire operation.”

Something niggled in the back of my mind. Hadn’t Andre mentioned to me one day when we were shooting the breeze that he’d only been arrested twice? “You’re busting someone in Mount Clemens today?” I asked, forcing myself to remain calm. “That sounds ... interesting.”

“It is,” Tad agreed. “It was also supposed to be a secret.” His glare was pointed when it landed on Caleb.

“I’m sorry.” Caleb held up his hands in apology. “I wasn’t thinking. I just ... I don’t like it when people think that law enforcement representatives aren’t intelligent.”

“I’m pretty sure I never said anything of the sort,” I countered. “I simply said that the dealers have the upper hand because they have to innovate to survive.”

“Yes, well, survival won’t be on the table much longer for the individual we’ve targeted. He runs an extensive operation across the river, and we’re putting an end to it.”

I glanced at Tad, debating my options. “You should take me with you,” I said finally.

“Not bloody likely.” He looked insulted at the suggestion. “Why on earth would I do that?”

“I can have a photographer wherever you’re going in fifteen minutes and shoot your new task force in action. I assume you’re doing this without the support of the sheriff’s department.”

Tad’s eyes narrowed. “We have our own responders. If you call and tip off Farrell ... .”

“I have no intention of calling Jake.” That was true. That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to use my phone the first second I could manage to place a text. “I just want to be the one to cover the story.”

Tad hesitated. “We were going to supply the television stations with footage from our videographer.”

“Why not use The Monitor’s professional photographer on top of that?” I suggested. “It would be a nice package, and it’s not as if I will have it in print before the television crews get it on the evening news.”

Tad hesitated and then nodded. “Fine. If you’re a pain in the butt, though, I promise this will be the last time I invite you to anything. You’ve been warned.”

“I promise not to be a pain in the butt,” I replied. “I’ll call my photographer. What time is this happening?”

“One hour from now,” Caleb replied. “Can you get your photographer here before then?”

“Absolutely.”

I TEXTED ANDRE FROM THE BATHROOM. It could be construed as aiding and abetting, but I wasn’t particularly worried about Tad figuring out that I’d tipped off Andre. He would have to pull my phone records and there was no reason for him to do that. Still, it felt somehow wrong to help Andre avoid the cops given what he did for a living. Of course, Tad wasn’t Jake. If Jake had been running the operation, I would’ve removed myself from the situation. Beating Tad at his own game was only one of the benefits of sending the text.

Jared and I were in a company vehicle parked around the corner with the raid team. I’d promised Tad that Jared would snap the photographs without getting in the way. I’d also promised that I would be far behind the men with weapons in case shots rang out. That seemed an unlikely outcome thanks to what I’d done.

Tad gave the go-ahead for his men to storm the property. I cast a quick look to Caleb. He seemed excited, exhilarated really.

Word came back within seconds from the initial rush, and it took everything I had to keep my expression neutral as I stood on the street corner a block away.

“Sir, there’s only one vehicle in the driveway,” a voice crackled over Tad’s radio.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Tad insisted. “Maybe the other vehicles are parked down the street.”

“That’s just it, sir. All the vehicles we saw when we were watching the property last week aren’t present.”

For the first time, Tad looked as if he was considering the possibility that his plan wasn’t going to work. This was supposed to be the big coming out party for his new task force. A dud raid without an arrest would make him look like a buffoon. Sure, he always looked like a buffoon, but he was determined to erase the mistakes of his past.

His eyes landed on me. I didn’t say anything or react, but there was fury in his eyes. He wanted to impress me even more than he wanted the public accolades.

He gave the order to continue.

“Take them down,” Tad instructed. “We’ll find the evidence we need once they’re all in custody. Just ... take them down.”

IT WAS OVER IN FIVE MINUTES. Nobody in the house put up a fight. In fact, there were only Andre and his girlfriend present. I saw them as they were marched toward one of Tad’s task force vehicles.

As if sensing me watching him, Andre lifted his eyes. A small smile played at the corner of his mouth. That told me he wasn’t worried about any charges being filed. Did that mean he had a plan to empty his house if word came down that a raid was imminent?

“Sir, we haven’t found anything.” I managed to put a face to the voice on the radio when a man in his forties, fully decked out in riot gear, appeared at Tad’s side.

“What do you mean you haven’t found anything?” Tad bordered on shrill. He’d been watching things play out with absolutely nothing going his way.

“Just what I said, sir,” the man replied. “We’ve been through the house and there’s nothing. It’s just a house.”

“But ... that’s not possible,” Tad snapped. “You were watching him last week and said it looked like a drug house.”

“It did, sir. It had all the markings of a drug house. But everything is clean now. The garage is empty. There are no drugs on the main floor or in the basement. There’s just ... nothing.”

Obviously Tad was hoping for different news. “Well, look again. We’re not leaving until you find something. Do you understand me?”

I risked a glance at Jared and found him merrily snapping photos. He hated Tad almost as much as I did. He would enjoy sharing photos of Tad’s disgrace.

“You don’t seem surprised that this fell apart,” Caleb noted as he took up position beside me.

I shrugged. “I wasn’t sure what to expect. Obviously Tad thought differently.”

“Obviously.” Caleb’s expression was thoughtful as he regarded me. “I would like you to put me in contact with your Hypno sources.”

“I thought you said that Hypno was dead.”

“I was wrong about this. Perhaps I’m wrong about that.”

“Perhaps,” I agreed. “I can’t put you in touch with my sources. I promised anonymity.”

“I don’t want to bust your sources. I just want information.”

“Yes, well, I promised.” I smiled at him. “I never break my promises.”

“Find something!” Tad screeched as he stomped his foot. “We’re not leaving until I have something for a news conference.”

19 NINETEEN

MARIO WAS PUTTING on a show for Eliot at the pawnshop. I couldn’t figure out what he was doing. He stood in the center of the floor, moving his arms like a bird, and then occasionally lifted a leg and acted as if he was kicking an invisible someone.

“What is that?” I demanded, causing Mario to jolt and pitch forward.

Eliot’s lips quirked at the sight.

“That is your cousin Mario reenacting what he saw when he was hanging out with your cousin Chip this morning,” Eliot replied. “Apparently it’s karate.”

“Not karate,” Mario countered when he’d regained his footing. The look he shot me was dark. “You shouldn’t surprise me when I’m exercising. I might pull something that can never be put back in place again.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said dryly as I slid out of my coat and dropped it on the counter. “Why are you doing karate?”

“It’s not karate,” Mario snapped. “It’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.”

I studied him. “Why are you doing that?” I asked finally. I felt as if I’d walked in on a conversation taking place in a different language.

“I’m not. Chip is.”

“Well, Chip is ... special.” Chip was our younger cousin, born to my grandparents’ late in life, an “oops” son. We rarely saw that branch of the family. They were irregular, even by our standards. They were extremely interested in church and touted themselves as libertarians. They also tried to start political arguments whenever they saw us. Chip was eleven years younger than me, which made him substantially younger than Mario. I couldn’t figure out what they had in common, or why they were hanging out together.

“Chip is special,” Mario agreed. “He’s a chick magnet.”

That seemed unlikely. “He has the same bowl haircut he had when he was two. What sort of chick is into that?”

“The chicks from his church.”

“And where did you see them?”

“Chip stopped by the restaurant to see Grandpa. He wanted to know if he would sponsor his BJJ team.”

Now I was genuinely baffled. “What’s a BJJ team? I can’t imagine that’s sanctioned by the church.”

“Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I just told you.”

“Oh.” That was not what I was picturing. “I thought you were talking about something else.”

“That’s because you have a perverted mind. If you weren’t my cousin, I would applaud it. There’s little I love more than a woman with a perverted mind. But you’re my cousin, so it’s gross.”

“So is whatever you’re talking about,” I said. “What does Chip visiting Grandpa have to do with us? We haven’t even seen the kid in like a year.”

“He wanted Grandpa to sponsor his BJJ team.”

“You already mentioned that.”

“Those chicks are on his team.”

“So?”

“So ... I like those chicks. They’re all blond and cute. They smile a lot. Oh, and they giggle at my jokes. They’re connoisseurs of comedy.”

“Or their heads are empty and you’re really animated so they just assume you’re funny,” I countered.

“They have good taste.” Mario wasn’t one to let an insult slow him. “I’ve decided I’m going to become a BJJ expert.”

I had to press my lips together to keep from saying what I was really feeling.

As if reading my mind, Eliot smoothly slid in and took control of the conversation. “Tell her the rest of it,” he prodded Mario.

“There’s more?” Seriously, my head would implode if I didn’t get to say something snarky soon.

“There is,” Eliot confirmed, grinning. “The second part is even better than the first.”

I couldn’t wait. “What is it?”

“Chip has been taping himself for videos on the internet,” Mario said.

I looked at Eliot, desperate. If I was about to hear that Chip was doing weird BJJ porn, I really would never be able to stop laughing.

“Just wait for it,” Eliot said.

“He calls it the Ministry of Spicy Taekwondo,” Mario offered. “He takes his shirt off, pretends to hit invisible enemies with his hands and feet, and the chicks go crazy for it.”

That explained the dance he was doing when I entered the shop. “Why does he film himself shirtless?” I asked, buying time.

“The chicks love it.”

“The chicks love a pasty dude without muscles doing a weird dance?”

“He’s not fat,” Mario argued.

“I didn’t say he was fat. I said he didn’t have muscles ... and he’s really white. He’s so white he looks like an albino with his blond hair. The only thing that makes him seem less like a potential Dan Brown murderer and more like a geek with a bad hairdresser is the bowl cut.”

“It’s a smart look,” Mario insisted. He’d started losing his hair when he hit twenty and would likely be bald by the time he was thirty.

“Well ... I think it’s a great idea,” I said finally.

“You do?” Mario’s initial reaction was to smile. He knew me well though, and his expression turned into a frown straightaway. “Why is it a good idea?”

“I think anything that gets you shirtless and flailing on the internet will make me laugh,” I replied honestly. “I mean ... that’s a goldmine. You should start your own YouTube channel.”

“I’m way ahead of you. I’ve already done it. I plan to start next week, after we dig out the food truck for your wedding. I’ll be reeling in naive girls who think being a BJJ god is something to behold.”

I flicked my eyes to Eliot, desperate. “You have got to stop him from saying BJJ.”

Eliot snickered and shook his head. “It’s not my fault your mind goes to a dirty place whenever he says it.”

“She’s a pervert,” Mario said.

“She’s definitely a pervert,” Eliot agreed. “It’s a good thing I like my women perverted, huh?”

Mario shrugged. “If that’s your thing.”

Something Mario said suddenly struck me. “Wait ... did you say you’re dusting off the food truck for the wedding?”

Mario nodded. “Your mother made the request this morning. Actually, it was more an order. She said that the food truck was supposed to be at the park early and that we were to upgrade our menu to include shrimp, stuffed mushrooms and crab legs. Grandpa said no. She said yes. Then they stared at each other for thirty minutes without saying a word. Then Grandpa changed his mind to yes. She provided him with a laminated menu. He’s been complaining for hours.”

I was dumbfounded. “It’s the middle of winter.”

“So I’ve noticed.”

“It’s the middle of winter,” I insisted. “You can’t get the food truck out in the middle of winter. What is she planning on doing in the park? There’s snow.”

“She’s going to melt it.”

“With what, her witchy powers? This is just ... unbelievable.”

“She rented a bunch of heat lamps and tents. She plans to have people eat in the tents. She says she’s tested them and they stay warm. We just have to remember to lift the tent flaps every thirty minutes so people don’t pass out from the exhaust of the heaters.”

My mouth dropped open as I swiveled to face Eliot. “Do something!”

“Actually, it sounds fun.” He was calm, which rankled. “I love the food truck and I like tents. If it’s done correctly — and knowing your mother she’ll settle for nothing less — it should be fine. It sounds kind of cozy.”

“That’s because you won’t be doling out lobster tails from a food truck in sub-zero weather,” Mario groused.

“You could do it shirtless and post it on your YouTube channel,” Eliot suggested. “I just bet women everywhere will go wild at the prospect of you suffering so your cousin can have a beautiful wedding.”

Mario brightened considerably. “Hey now, you have a point. I need to get started on my YouTube channel right away. Can I use your office?”

Eliot made a face. “No.”

“Why not?”

“The last time I let you use my computer there was weird furry porn on it. I mean ... who knew there were adults out there who not only enjoyed dressing like animals to do it, but also enjoyed filming and broadcasting it for everybody to see?”

“Don’t kink shame,” I teased, my mind still on the tents. If Eliot wasn’t worried, I told myself, I shouldn’t worry. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a bad idea ... and not just because my mother had come up with it.

“Why do you need my computer?” Eliot demanded. “Why can’t you use your computer?”

“Because my computer is at home and yours is here.”

“Yes, but you’re not working today. It’s your day off.”

“Oh, right.” Mario bobbed his head. “I don’t have to be here. Why am I here?”

“I ask myself that question daily,” Eliot drawled. “You definitely don’t have to be here. Thank you for the update on the food truck. As for your new endeavor, it sounds like a great idea.”

“Totally. I’m going to score some chicks.” Mario headed toward the door.

“Good luck on your BJs,” I called to his back, still mired in thought.

“BJJ! Don’t be gross.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I waited until Mario was gone to unload my worries on Eliot. “Caleb Bates thinks Hypno is no longer a problem, which means he’s an idiot. I’ve likely hitched my wagon to Tad’s horse and we’re all going to end up starving in the mountains during a blizzard and having to eat each other to stay alive.

“On top of that, they let slip they were about to conduct a raid on the other side of the river and I did something bad,” I continued. “I didn’t want Tad to win, so I texted Andre and gave him a heads-up. By the time Tad’s team arrived, Andre had managed to hide everything. They have absolutely nothing on him.

“Also, I think that tents and a food truck sound weird, but we’re weird so I don’t know if it’s really okay or not or if you’re only saying that because you want to get the wedding behind you,” I said. “My mind is a freaking bear trap right now.”

Eliot stared at me for several seconds, his jaw working, and then he smiled. “Okay, that’s a lot to unload. As for Bates, I can’t say I’m surprised. He has a stellar reputation, but it’s because he organizes all the law enforcement groups to come together. They do all the work and he gets all the glory.”

“You could’ve told me that,” I hissed.

“I was wondering if he would come up with something,” Eliot admitted. “There was a possibility that he would come through. Besides, you don’t take it well when I disagree with your methods. You need to fail or achieve on your own.”

I didn’t like it that he had a point. “Is that all you have to say? What about the rest of it?”

“The tents are a cool idea,” he replied. “They’ll allow us to step outside and get some air when your mother sucks up all the oxygen. We’ll also be able to escape with minimal fuss if things go south, which is always possible when your mother is in charge.”

Another good point. I hated when he so easily managed to grasp things that I struggled with. “And that’s all?”

“As for the Andre stuff ... .” He hesitated and looked down at his hands. He only did that when he was trying to refrain from barking at me.

I waited.

“Do you think you should feel guilty?” he asked finally.

“Yes.” There was no question about it. “Andre and I have never talked about what he does for a living because ... well, because. I don’t really care about pot. I never did.”

“It’s legal now anyway.”

“Yes, but I guarantee that’s not all that he’s slinging.”

“I guarantee you’re right.”

“I couldn’t seem to stop myself.” I’d given this a lot of thought as I watched Tad melt down after his failed raid. “It’s because it was Tad. I wouldn’t have tipped him off if Jake was conducting the raid.”

“Jake wouldn’t have been stupid enough to tell you about any raid he planned.”

“Tad is a moron,” I said. “I just ... didn’t want him to win.” And that’s what bothered me most. “I’m not pretending that Andre is a good guy. He does things that I don’t approve of. I try not to think about them, though, because he’s helped me more than once.”

“He has, and I believe if you were ever in a fraught situation together he would do his best to make sure nothing happened to you,” Eliot acknowledged. “I also believe that if he had to choose between you and him that he would take care of himself and leave you to die.”

“I would never be in a situation like that.”

“I do feel guilty.” It wasn’t easy to admit. “I guess I’ll just have to live with it.”

Eliot smiled. “Is it easier to live with because you got to screw Tad in the process?”

“Does that make you think less of me?”

“No.”

“Then ... yeah. I had fun watching him freak out. He completely lost it. He wanted to take Andre and his girlfriend in anyway. Caleb had to talk him down and explain why they couldn’t. I think Tad had grand delusions of marching Andre into the sheriff’s department and lording his big score over Jake. He didn’t get the chance.”

“And that makes you happy.”

“I enjoy Tad being screwed. I still feel I might’ve done something wrong.”

“Well, as you said, you’ll have to live with it.” He strode out from behind the counter and offered me a hug. “I still love you.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m not sure I would’ve done anything differently in your position. Andre breaks the law daily. Ludington is a tool, though, and it’s always funny when he gets his comeuppance.”

“Yeah.” Briefly, I shut my eyes, letting out a sigh when I heard the door open behind me. “I guess you have to get back to work.”

“I think this is your work calling,” he countered.

I turned, frowning when I saw Sabrina. “Oh, geez,” I muttered. “Now what?”

“Avery, I’m so glad I found you.” Sabrina’s face was flushed, whether from the cold or excitement I couldn’t say. “Someone dropped off an envelope for you at the office, said it was a big tip. Duncan tried to open it, but Mr. Fish stopped him. He said I needed to find you. He also insisted I didn’t open it and said he would ask you if the envelope was opened when I delivered it, so ... I expect you to tell him it wasn’t opened when you received it.”

“Fine.” I snagged the envelope from her. When she didn’t leave, I pinned her with a pointed look. “Do you need something else?”

“I want to know what story we’re going out on.” She inclined her head toward the envelope.

“We’re not going out on any story.” I knew she wouldn’t leave unless Eliot physically pushed her out of the shop or I showed her the contents of the envelope, so I started tearing at it. When I opened it, I was more than a little surprised.

“What the ... ?” I pulled out the sheet of paper containing letters cut from magazines and pasted onto it. It was like a bad ransom note from a 30-year-old Lifetime movie.

“That’s ... old school,” Eliot noted as he read over my shoulder.

I nodded and absorbed the message. It was a meeting time and place. Nothing else. “Shadyside Park at seven o’clock,” I mused. “That’s kind of civilized.”

“It’s dark by six o’clock these days,” Eliot noted. “It doesn’t need to be midnight to take advantage of the darkness and kill you.”

“Somebody wants to kill you?” Sabrina’s eyes widened. “Why?”

“You’ve met me,” I replied. “Do you think I should go?” I asked Eliot.

He was annoyed by the question. “No.”

“I think I might have to go.” I didn’t see a way around it. “I mean ... it might have something to do with the list.”

“What list?” Sabrina demanded.

I didn’t respond to her. “I know you don’t like it, but you can go with me.”

“And cover an entire park by myself? No.” Eliot was grim as he shook his head. “If you’re going, we’re taking this to Jake.”

I immediately balked. “No way.”

“Yes way. That’s how it’s going to be or you’re not going.”

I glared at him. “How do you plan to stop me?”

“I’m bigger than you and will wrestle you down. I also have cuffs and a taser, so I can keep you captive indefinitely. There’s a coney right around the corner. Taking care of your bathroom needs will be gross, but I’m prepared to make it happen.”

I was horrified. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.” He was deadly serious. “This isn’t a game. You can’t do this alone. You either bring Jake in on this or you’re not going. That’s simply the way it is.”

“I don’t like being dictated to.”

“Then use your head and don’t make me dictate to you. You have a choice, Avery. Either way, I will have a say in the outcome.”

I didn’t have to test him to know he meant what he said. “Fine. I don’t like you right now, though.”

“I can live with that, especially if you’re still living at the end of the night. Don’t push me on this. I’ll do what it takes to make sure you don’t end up dead. That’s the part I play in all this. Your part is to be smart. The smart thing to do is tell Jake.”

“I already said I would.”

“I’ll be waiting right here while you make the call.”

20 TWENTY

AS EXPECTED, Jake didn’t take the news well. When he arrived and saw the way the note was delivered, I thought he might actually lose his mind for a brief moment. He growled, shook his head, and then agreed to help us. At first I thought he might demand that we not visit the park, but after staring at Eliot for what felt like a really long time, he acquiesced.

I had to change clothes if I wanted to be incognito in the park. Thankfully Eliot had kept the apartment above his shop to use as an office for his security work and the closet contained clothing for both of us ... including muted black.

“It’s kind of weird we have undercover clothes here,” I mused as I tugged a black shirt over my head. “I guess it goes to show how often we sneak around dressed like ninjas.”

Amusement lifted the corners of Eliot’s mouth and he nodded. “I’ve been on more than one adventure with you.”

“Do you ever regret it?” I was serious. “I mean ... if I hadn’t walked into your shop that day, we might never have met. Your life would be quieter.”

He was so quiet I had no choice but to look at him to gauge his reaction. I found a frown. “Do you really think I could regret it?”

“I know I couldn’t, but you give me more than I give you.”

“You give me plenty.”

“Do I?” This was not the time for this conversation, but tipping off Andre about what was to come had me thinking about my actions of late. “Sometimes I think you deserve better than me.”

“Only sometimes?” He was going for levity but it fell flat.

“And sometimes I know I’m awesome and someone would have to be crazy not to see it,” I said. “I usually have pretty good self-esteem. It’s just ... .” I trailed off.

“You were afraid that getting married would ruin your idea of yourself,” he supplied. “You thought you would lose who you are. You didn’t. Very little changed. You’re not Mrs. Eliot Kane. You’re still Avery Shaw. That has you wondering if you’ve picked the wrong things to worry about the entirety of your life.”

I was flabbergasted. “How can you possibly know that?”

“Believe it or not, I know how your mind works. You have to chew things over until you can come to peace with whatever it is that’s bugging you. You thought getting married would bug you. It turns out that you’re more bugged by the fact that you helped a criminal and hurt Tad in the process. That has thrown your entire thought process into a tailspin.”

I didn’t like that he could read me so well. “I’m not upset that I hurt Tad.”

His chuckle was low and warm. “I love that you’re contrary even when you agree with me. It’s fine, Avery. Andre will get caught eventually. I think you’ve learned a valuable lesson about letting it happen. As for what’s about to go down with Jake ... I don’t know what to tell you. I can’t imagine whoever sent that note is one of the great thinkers of our time. If we’re lucky, Jake will be able to take him into custody and question him.”

“Do you think we’re that lucky?”

He cocked his head as he studied my face. “I know you’re not thrilled about Jake accompanying us on this little trip but there’s something else that has that busy brain of yours grinding. What is it?”

“What if this isn’t an ambush like you think?”

“I don’t think it’ll be an ambush.”

“Um, yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t.” Eliot was calm. “If I thought this was going to be an ambush there’s no way I would let you go. I would wrestle you down and sit on you all night and let Jake’s men tackle the situation.”

“If you don’t think it’s an ambush, what do you think it is?” I asked.

“I think it’s likely that someone wants to get their hands on you to question you. You know what’s going on in this county — maybe more than you even realize — and I’m guessing somebody wants to know what you know.”

“So, you don’t think they want to kill me,” I mused. That was somewhat of a relief.

“I didn’t say that.” Eliot was grim. “I think it’s very possible that someone wants information from you. Once they get that information, what’s the point of keeping you around?”

That was less of a relief. “So, what? You think they’ll kidnap me, torture me for information, and then dump me in the Clinton River?”

Eliot’s face drained of color. “I won’t let that happen.”

“Because you love me to distraction?” Now I was the one bucking to lighten the mood.

He nodded, even managing a smile. “God help me, I do love you. There are times I think you’ll be the death of me, but I can’t imagine loving anyone more.”

He took a step toward me. “You said something a few minutes ago that pushed a few of my buttons.” His fingers were gentle as they brushed my hair out of my face. “Don’t bother arguing about it. We both know you did. I want to tell you something.”

My heart gave a little lurch at his serious expression. “I was just feeling sorry for myself,” I muttered. “We don’t have to turn this into a big thing.”

“Apparently we do.” Eliot refused to back down. “I love you because you’re a mouthy pain in the behind who never quits. I admire you for the same reasons.

“Do you drive me crazy?” he continued. “Every single day of our lives. Do I want you to keep driving me crazy? Every single day for the rest of our lives. You give more than you think, Avery. The only reason you think you don’t give anything is because you’re determined to see yourself as some gangster superhero. You’re nowhere near as bad as you paint yourself.”

It was a warm sentiment, and it meant a lot. It also irritated me to no end. “I happen to think I’m a badass.”

He chuckled. “You’re a badass. You’re not a bad girlfriend ... or wife for that matter.” He let loose a sigh as he rubbed his hands over my shoulders. “You give me everything I need ... plus a little extra.”

“Is that the potential ulcer you’re talking about? The little extra, I mean.”

This time his grin was full. “See, you do get me.”

“Yeah, I’m a regular psychic wife.” I let him pull me in for a hug and then rubbed my cheek when he stepped back. “So ... how do you think this is going to play out?”

“It’s going to be a total mess.” Eliot grinned as I frowned. “Jake’s going to foul up everything by going in too strong.”

“But ... .”

“I would do anything to keep you from being hurt.” He was stern. “That means potentially losing whoever this is. I can’t watch an entire park by myself. We need Jake’s men.”

“But you just said Jake’s men will foul it up.”

“There are tradeoffs for everything.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

JAKE HAD A PLAN BY THE TIME we joined him in the living room of the apartment. He’d somehow managed to get a map of the park, and even though it was a small parcel of land there were numerous places for people to hide.

“She can’t go into that park alone,” Jake insisted. “She could be grabbed. On top of that, anybody who has spent any time following knows that you two are a package deal. I’m hoping that means you will go into the park with her as an added layer of protection.”

“She’s definitely not going alone,” Eliot agreed. “The plan was always to be with her, but we’re not enough. I’ve been to that park. There are trees everywhere ... and there are a lot of exits to the street. Someone could shoot me and take her and flee in any direction.”

I froze at the haphazard way he tossed out the words. “I don’t like this plan,” I offered out of nowhere. “I think we should abort.”

Jake shot me a narrow-eyed glare. “You were gung-ho about this twenty minutes ago.”

“Yeah, but that was before ... .” I couldn’t finish, instead gesturing toward Eliot. “I can’t put him at risk.”

Jake blinked several times and then shook his head. “Since when is that your motto? I thought you believed the world revolved around you.”

“Oh, I still believe that. I just know that I can’t put myself first if I don’t have him. I’ll be sad and pouty. I won’t shower, probably ever again. I’ll start eating cookie dough right from the plastic container.”

“I think that might be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said about me,” Eliot said with a soft smile.

“Yes, she’s a real peach,” Jake agreed dryly. “She’s also a pain in the ass. We need you to go into that park and draw this guy out.”

“I will. But Eliot should stay behind.”

“Nope.” Eliot fervently shook his head. “We’re going together. That’s all there is to it.” He held out his hand to me. “Just ... have a little faith that we’ll be fine because we’re together.”

That was a tall order because I trusted almost nobody ... but him. “Okay.” I nodded and accepted the black knit cap he handed me, frowning when I realized it was the wrong one. “Where’s the one with Jason Voorhees’ face on it? I know I left that one here the last time we ... went out for a walk at night.”

Jake rolled his eyes at my bad attempt to cover for some of our more rambunctious activities. “You’ll stick with her,” he said to Eliot. “You’ll drive separately and park in the lot so we can see you. Once you’re out of your vehicles, we’ll close in on the park from all sides to see if anybody shows.”

“You don’t think anybody is going to show?” I couldn’t contain my surprise. “Why?”

“Somebody would have to be an idiot to arrange a meet like this. I think it’s far more likely someone is messing with you, but we have to be sure.”

I thought back to the letter with the glued magazine letters. “If someone is messing with me, they went through a lot of trouble to do it.”

“Would you go through that much trouble to mess with someone you dislike?” Jake challenged.

I nodded without hesitation. “Good point. Let’s do this.”

NERVES HAD ME BY THE THROAT AS we entered the park. Eliot parked in the lot, as Jake insisted, and then gathered me on the passenger side of the truck. We were both full of antsy energy for the walk to the center of the park, where the benches were located. Once there, we sat ... and waited.

Nobody came. After thirty minutes — a period made even more tense thanks to the cold and the ominous naked trees littering the boundary, Jake called time on the operation.

“Do you think he knew we weren’t alone?” Eliot asked as he hauled me into the passenger seat of his truck. He’d used the remote starter to fire it up and directed the heating vents at me as he stood in front of the open door.

“It’s possible,” Jake replied as I pulled my shark mittens off and waved my hands in front of the vents. “It’s also possible that somebody really was messing with her.”

“You thought that from the start,” Eliot noted.

“Well, she has a reputation for irritating people. It could’ve been Duncan Marlow for all we know.”

“Duncan wouldn’t have the balls to try something like this,” I argued. “He’s paranoid and knows he’d get caught.”

“Just an example,” Jake countered. “Who else have you messed with today?”

I thought of Tad. “Nobody that I can recall off hand,” I lied.

Eliot’s expression didn’t change but I knew what he was thinking. “She didn’t necessarily have to tick somebody off today. It could’ve been another day. It hardly matters.”

“I am slightly bothered by it.” Jake met my gaze, his expression serious. “You’re on a list of people that a certain group reportedly wants to exterminate, Avery. This could’ve been a test to see if you can follow instructions. If somebody was following us, they’ll know you can’t.”

“And what does that mean?” I asked, trying to shake off the chill that had permeated my bones.

Eliot moved closer to me and held my hands still so they could absorb the heat. “That next time they’ll try something different to get you away from the pack, including shooting you from across Main Street.”

Oh, well, that was a sobering thought. “What do you want me to do about it?” I was serious. “I can’t just magically wave a wand and fix it.”

“No, but you could stay in your house and out of trouble for a week or two,” Jake suggested.

“No, I can’t.” I was furious. “I refuse to be trapped in my own house because other people are jerks.”

“We’re getting married in a few days,” Eliot reminded him. “Hiding in the house isn’t an option. We need to figure this out. I would rather this not be hanging over our heads when we get back from our honeymoon.”

“I would rather you not be dealing with that, too,” Jake said. “Although ... .” He looked thoughtful. “Maybe you guys should leave right now for your honeymoon. You’ll be safer out of town.”

“Um ... I think we have to get married first,” I reminded him.

“Get married in Florida, or wherever it is you’re going.”

I shook my head. “My mother would kill me ... and you if she found out it was your idea.”

“Who’s going to tell her it was my idea?”

“I will so you can serve as a distraction while I run to escape her wrath.”

Jake rubbed the spot between his eyebrows. It was obvious he was tired. “Just do me a favor and be careful.”

“We will,” Eliot promised. “You don’t have to worry about her. I’ll protect her with my last breath.”

“That is what I’m worried about.” Jake’s smile was rueful. “If something happens to you, I’m going to have to pick up the slack.”

“I think he just said he was going to replace you if you die, Eliot,” I warned. “That could be taken to a perverted place.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “No, it couldn’t. Don’t start trouble.”

Eliot’s chuckle was hollow. “I will get her home. If something else happens, we’ll let you know.”

“I guess that’s all I can ask.”

“It pretty much is,” I agreed.

RATHER THAN STOP TO PICK UP MY car, Eliot left it at his shop, promising he would drive me into town the next morning. We made the trip out to our house in relative silence, and when Eliot pulled into the driveway, I was ready to suggest a sexy bath and horror movie to ramp up the romance.

His attention was on the front porch rather than me.

“What is it?” I asked, instantly alert.

“Somebody dropped something off.” Eliot craned his neck to look in every direction, up and down the street, and then shook his head. “I don’t see anyone.”

“Maybe it’s just some flier from the locals,” I suggested. “Or maybe it’s a threat from that guy I flipped off.”

“Maybe.” Eliot was serious as he flicked his eyes to me. “You wait there until I get you out of the truck.”

Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. I waited until he’d hopped out to open my own door and join him on the sidewalk. He was furious. “Oh, like you thought I was really going to sit in the truck and wait for you to collect me like a trained dog,” I muttered.

He shook his head and pushed me in front of him, herding me toward the front door. Once we were both in the sheltered area under the front eave, he snagged the envelope on the porch.

“It has your name on it,” he said grimly.

I took it from him and felt it. “It’s flat. I don’t think there’s anything but paper inside.”

“What were you expecting?”

“Um, someone tried to torture a cat on our front porch,” I reminded him. “That’s how we got our son, as you call him.”

Eliot smirked. “That’s true. I guess we don’t have to worry about a cat being in there.” He kept his eyes peeled as I opened the envelope, searching the shadows for hints of movement.

I used my phone as a light to study the papers inside. They appeared to be maps with lines traced along them. “What are these?”

“Maps,” Eliot replied.

I offered him a “well, duh” face. “You don’t say.”

“They’re maps with routes on them.”

“I figured that out myself. What kind of routes?”

“I have no idea.”

“We should go inside so I can study these.”

“Oh, no. You can study those tomorrow. You owe me a sexy bath and a Friday the 13th movie.”

“Why that franchise?”

“Because it gets you going.”

I’d had worse offers. “Okay, but you’d better prepare yourself, because we’re tackling those maps over breakfast tomorrow.”

21 TWENTY-ONE

I WOKE RESTED and relaxed despite the anxiety I’d been feeling the previous day. Eliot was passed out beside me, one arm thrown over his head. His hair was tousled. He’d slept on it wet, like me, but somehow his bedhead made him look rugged.

“You shouldn’t stare first thing in the morning,” he murmured, not opening his eyes. “You’ll give yourself indigestion.”

“We haven’t eaten yet,” I reminded him.

“Yes, but I’m just that yummy.”

I couldn’t contain my laughter and when he finally opened his eyes, he offered me a sleepy smile.

“You’re kind of a goof,” I noted.

“I’m sure you mean that in the manliest way possible.”

“Pretty much,” I agreed. “I know I don’t have much experience in this department, but you’re a pretty good husband.”

He smiled. “You’ve gotten used to us being married faster than I thought. I figured you would be full of nerves until the night before the fake wedding and then settle after. You seem pretty calm, though.”

“I am. You were right.”

“What was I right about? For the record, you’re supposed to say that I’m right about everything.”

“Yeah, you might not want to push it.”

“Fair enough.” His hand stroked my hair. It was meant to be sensuous, but my hair looked like the place monsters went to die and his fingers got tangled. “What are you thinking?”

“What makes you think I’m thinking anything?”

“I know you.”

“I’m thinking that map contains drug routes.”

He turned to face me directly. “I have pretty much come to the same conclusion.”

“Why would someone drop off a map of three drug routes?”

“I have a few ideas.”

“Is one of them that it’s a trap? Because after what happened last night, I can’t quite shake that idea.”

“That’s one. The other is that whoever dropped off the map set up the meet in the park to make sure we were out of the house.”

“So ... it was a way to make sure that he or she stayed hidden.”

“Yes.”

“Is that good or bad?”

He pinned me with a speculative look. “What do you think?”

“I asked first.”

“You’re the one with the infallible instincts.”

That was a bit of a stretch and we both knew it. “I’ve made mistakes with my instincts.”

“You have, but in general your first instincts seem to be right.”

I puffed up a bit at the comment. “I am pretty smart.”

“You’re also a pain. You’re blind to winning sometimes, which is what I believe got you in trouble yesterday.”

“Yeah, maybe just a little. I think that’s why I’m so nervous.”

“I want to hear what you think. If I disagree, I’ll tell you.”

He’d never held his tongue with me before, even when he didn’t want to argue. That was one of the reasons I respected him. Other people let me walk all over them because they feared me. Eliot never compromised his beliefs to assuage me.

“Okay.” I licked my lips. “I think it’s possible that somebody wants to help us. That doesn’t necessarily mean they have good intentions. They could be trying to get us to take out the competition for them.”

“A very interesting idea.” He scratched his chin with his right hand and rubbed my back with his left. “Who would go this route?”

“I don’t know. I don’t hang around with a lot of drug dealers.”

“You hang around with one.”

His tone was dark enough to cause me to balk. “We don’t talk about what he does for a living.”

“He likes you,” Eliot pointed out. “I’d go so far as to say he has a thing for you.”

I almost choked. “He does not. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not saying he believes a relationship could work,” Eliot stressed. “He’s not an idiot. In some ways, he’d be less worrisome if he was an idiot. Then I could just write him off as a lovesick sap.

“He’s a good businessman, which is how he’s managed to stay in the game as long as he has,” he continued. “I’m guessing that when you guys first crossed paths he was curious about you. That curiosity has grown into something more. He’s genuinely fond of you.”

“That doesn’t mean he wants to bone me.”

Eliot chuckled. “Only you would use that word.”

“I’ve heard plenty of people using that word.”

“That just means you’re getting old. Only people of a certain age say ‘bone.”

“That’s not the way to get me to dip myself in chili and rub myself all over you.”

He laughed harder this time. “And you thought you brought nothing to the relationship.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead and then sobered. “Here’s the thing: I don’t think Andre would drop the map off at our door. I especially don’t think he would lure you to a dangerous park at night. I think he would’ve done it differently, including just handing you the map. You’ve proven you’re trustworthy.”

I nodded in agreement, although there was a small, niggling part of me that thought Andre would do things exactly this way. He would find amusement in making a game out of it. “So it has to be someone else. Who, though? I’m pretty sure I haven’t crossed paths with any drug dealers in the past few weeks. I’ve been busy with other stuff.”

“Just because you don’t know who it is doesn’t mean other people don’t know you. You’re famous in certain circles.”

“I am awesome.”

“Not always,” Eliot cautioned. “From my perspective — and certainly your own — you’re an unstoppable force and should be worshipped. From the perspective of others, you’re a busybody annoyance that should be eliminated. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried that someone delivered this map as a way to lure you into trouble.”

I was quiet a beat, contemplative, and then sighed. “There’s really only one way to find out. We need to follow the map.”

He nodded. “I don’t see a way around it.”

“Are you up for it after breakfast?”

He nodded. “I won’t let you do it alone. We’ll carb load and then head out. I prefer we stay in the truck unless there’s no other choice. You know, just in case.”

I could live with that ... for now. “You’ve got it. Do you want me to cook you Eggos or are you going to tackle breakfast?”

“I’ll play chef this morning.”

“You’re kind of judgmental about the Eggos, man. They’re good.”

“I’ll cook. You should hit the shower. Your hair is frightening even me this morning.”

“Where did the love go?” I lamented.

“It will be back when your hair isn’t sticking up in eight million different directions.”

ELIOT DROVE, SO I TOOK it upon myself to navigate. That had us snapping at each other within five minutes.

“You have to give me notice before I’m supposed to turn,” he complained after the third time of overshooting what should’ve been an easy right. “You can’t just suddenly say I’m supposed to turn when I’m halfway past the road.”

“It’s not my fault your reflexes are slow,” I shot back.

“My reflexes are excellent.”

“Whatever.” I blew out a sigh as he drove through a rough neighborhood and got us back on track. A freeway bridge ahead of us had me narrowing my eyes. “Do you know where we are?”

“Um, Hell?”

I ignored the snark. Besides, it was my job to drop the one-liners. There was no need for him to take it upon himself to be sarcastic. He was totally stealing my thunder. “No, the Crocker freeway bridge.”

“What?” He looked in the direction I indicated with my chin. “Huh. You’re right.”

“We’re on the other side of the river and we didn’t even realize it.” I stared hard at the map. “They don’t mark the river on here.”

“Why is that important?”

“I don’t know that it is.”

“But it’s a big landmark and the map doesn’t acknowledge it. That’s weird,” he said.

“I like that I don’t have to explain things to you. I don’t know that it’s important. They might’ve left it out because it’s not important to them.”

“Or they might’ve left it out because it is important to them and they don’t want you to know.”

“Yeah. I like that you get how my mind works.”

“There’s no need to insult me.”

“Ha, ha.” I pointed toward the street sign directly ahead. “Turn right here.”

“Okay.” He didn’t comment on the fact that I’d given him plenty of time. When he turned, I finally recognized our surroundings.

“I don’t ever enter this neighborhood from this direction.”

“I prefer you never enter this neighborhood at all.”

“The good Mexican place is here.”

“The place that won’t take credit cards? That’s not suspicious at all.”

“I don’t hear you complaining when you’re inhaling the combination plate.”

“They have amazing salsa,” he said. “I just ... don’t understand. Where does the map end?”

“The church.”

He stared at the church in question. It was small in comparison to the other churches across Macomb County. It was rundown, the roof sagging in the rear. It looked quiet and deserted, no cars in the lot.

“Have you ever been inside?” he asked.

“No.”

“Do you want to go inside?”

“Not particularly. I mean ... I know I should, but churches make me itchy. Fish says it’s because I’m the Antichrist, but I think it’s because religious people are naturally predisposed to dislike me.”

“I think that your forceful nature would likely put off some people, and a lot of those people might attend church regularly.” Eliot pulled over so he wasn’t impeding traffic, picking a spot where we could watch the church without garnering too much attention. “I know nothing about this church. I don’t even see a sign with a name. Do you know the name of this place?”

“No, but I noticed it didn’t have a sign either. Maybe it’s not a church.”

He made a face. “It has one of those spire things.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s a church now. All that means is it was likely designed as a church. Maybe there’s no sign because it hasn’t been a church in a long time.”

“That is ... diabolical and ridiculously smart. I bet you’re right. I can pull the property records when I get back to the office.”

That was a decent idea. I had another. “Or we could meet with Andre. His place is about four blocks that way.”

“That’s a terrible idea.” Eliot was firm. “Don’t you think Tad is watching his house? After what happened yesterday, he’s going to be all over Andre.”

“I could text Andre and ask him to meet us someplace else. I guarantee he knows how to shake a tail in this neighborhood.”

Eliot hesitated and then nodded. “Okay, but only because I’m with you.”

“That’s fine. Andre likes you.”

“No, he certainly does not.”

“He’s at least afraid of you.”

“That’s what I’m counting on.”

ANDRE MET US TWENTY MINUTES LATER. He looked amused when he saw us in the parking lot of the Mexican place — it seemed like the safest spot for a meet — and he hopped into the backseat of Eliot’s truck without invitation.

“There’s my favorite girl in the world.” He beamed at me as he squeezed my shoulder. “What you did yesterday, girl, I kind of want to add you to my team permanently.”

My stomach constricted. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said.

“I don’t either,” Eliot said. “In fact, I prefer she didn’t involve herself in your business a second time.” There was a bit of flint in Eliot’s gaze. “She shouldn’t have done that.”

“I can see why you would think that.” Andre offered amiably. “I don’t want to get her in trouble. You probably don’t believe that because ... well ... why would you? I probably would’ve been okay if she hadn’t texted. She just made it so I was really okay. I know my business.”

“That’s great.” Eliot didn’t bother with a smile. “She’s the most important thing to me, and she didn’t choose to be in your world. Make sure she stays away from your business.”

“I’m not her boss.”

“She can’t help herself sometimes. You need to be the adult and not put her in a bad position.”

“And what are you going to do for me?”

I sucked in a breath at the question. Was Andre bucking for a beating? “Listen ... .”

Eliot held up a hand to silence me. “It’s not a request. Don’t pull her into your crap. If you want something from me in return, here’s what I’ll give you ... I won’t turn you in myself. I won’t work with the police to take you down. I’ll allow things to progress along their natural course. That’s what I’ll give you.”

Andre was silent for a long moment before letting loose a low chuckle. “You’re funny, dude. You’re a good match for her. You obviously don’t let her dictate, and that would be her natural state.”

“She’s a bully when she wants to be,” Eliot agreed. “She’s also a good person. She has a soft heart, though she’ll likely fight me over that. Just ... don’t drag her into your crap. That’s what I want from you.”

“A fair request. I’ll make sure not to draw her in. Just know that I didn’t ask her to do anything for me this time.”

“And she knows better than to insert herself again.”

“I still appreciate the heads up.” Andre flicked his eyes to me. “I owe you one. I take it you’re here to collect.”

“I have questions.” I handed him the map. “Do you know what this is?”

He furrowed his brow as he regarded it. “Looks like a map.”

“Yes, but do you see the route indicated on it?”

“There are three routes.”

“And they all end — or I guess start, depending on which way you’re looking at it — in the same place.”

“Woodsborough Church.”

“I didn’t realize it had a name,” I said.

“That’s the old name. It hasn’t been a church in about eight years.”

“Who shut it down?” Eliot asked.

“Circumstances, man. The people in this area love their church, but they don’t have money to keep one going. They need what little they have to keep food on their tables and a roof over their heads. The church was a casualty of circumstances.”

“Who owns it now?”

Andre shrugged. “I don’t know. Never seen a deed or anything. I’ve seen some rough dudes going in and out, but I’m not sure who their commander is.

“For years, the neighborhood ladies used the church as a meeting place,” he continued. “They would go in there and knit and stuff, hold little luncheons. They kept up the building as well as they could. About six months ago, someone ran them out.”

“And you don’t know who?” I demanded. “This is your turf.”

“I don’t want a war. Those dudes are armed, and I would rather not engage in a gunfight in the middle of Crocker. As long as they stay away from me, I stay away from them. That’s how it goes.”

“But someone has to be in charge,” Eliot prodded. “Are you really telling me that you don’t know who that is?”

“Sorry.”

“Can you dig?” I asked.

“I can try, but I have other things to worry about.”

“What about the map? Can you give me any insight on that?”

He sucked in a breath and then blew out a sigh. “It feels like narcing, but I owe you so I’ll give you this one as a freebie. Then we’re square, okay?”

I nodded.

“This is the old route.”

I waited for him to expand. When he didn’t, I held out my hands. “I don’t know what that means.”

“The guy who was running this turf before me used these routes to move product. He used the church because his mom was always inside. I don’t think the other women realized what the back room was being used for.”

“What happened to the guy who had your turf before you?” Eliot asked.

“He lost interest in the cause.”

“Uh-huh.” Eliot didn’t look convinced. “Is he dead?”

“Nobody’s seen him in three years. I didn’t kill him. I did try to scare him. I’m not interested in asking questions.”

“What about the routes?” I asked. “Does anybody use them now?”

“No, but you’ve got me wondering if somebody intends to start using them again. I’ll ask around.”

“And get the information to me?”

He nodded. “That’s part of the deal. I don’t know what to think about this, but be careful, girl. If you keep hanging around this neighborhood, you’ll draw more attention to yourself.”

“You be careful too,” I warned. “Tad wants you bad after yesterday.”

“That dude couldn’t find his own unit with a microscope and sticky gloves. Don’t worry about me and him. Worry about yourself. Things are ... tense ... in these parts.”

“I’ll take care of her,” Eliot promised. “Don’t forget our agreement. I don’t want her involved in your mess.”

“Believe it or not, dude, neither do I.” With those words, Andre hopped out of the back of the truck and disappeared on the other side of the restaurant.

“What do you think?” I asked when he was gone.

“I think that’s a man who doesn’t know everything that’s happening in his own territory.”

“Do you think he’ll find out?”

“Yes, but I don’t believe his information will help us all that much in the end.”

I was right there with him. Andre was officially on his own, and I still needed more information.

22 TWENTY-TWO

“I DON’T WANT to be a pain …,” I started as Eliot headed toward downtown Mount Clemens.

“But you will.”

“But I will,” I readily agreed. “I don’t need you to tell other people to stay away from me. I’m fully capable of doing that myself.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t.”

“And yet you warned Andre away.”

“And I would do it again. It’s not safe for you to be around him. I’m willing to give you leeway on just about anything — and it’s not just because I love you but also because I have faith in you — but I won’t budge on this. If you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time with him, you’ll end up dead. I cannot deal with that, so I’m exerting a bit of control.”

“It feels like more than a bit of control.”

“That’s because you’re used to getting your way no matter what.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

He cracked a smile. “I will always have your back, but I won’t always cave to your demands. We need to come to a meeting of the minds on Andre. This time, I’m getting my way.”

I wasn’t so certain that was true, but for now I was willing to give in. I wasn’t all that keen on hanging out with Andre right now either. “Fair enough.” I frowned when he blew past his shop and kept going, driving his truck toward the residential area on the other side of Gratiot. “Where are we going?”

“Where do you think?”

“Did you find a restaurant here or something? All I can think about is that hole-in-the-wall coney that’s by the sheriff’s department. I hate that place because it’s full of cops. The sheriff’s department takes it over daily, and all the cops who are transporting prisoners stop too. I don’t want to eat there.”

“We’re not eating there.” Eliot was calm. “I’ll take you someplace good for lunch after.”

“After what?”

“After we talk to Jake.”

“What are we talking to Jake about?”

“Our meeting with Andre ... and the map.”

“Oh, no we are not.”

“Yes, we are.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I said no!”

“Well, then you can sit in the truck while I talk to Jake. Just know I will be taking the keys with me and I know you’re not a fan of the cold.”

“You can’t leave me in the truck.” Something akin to panic reared up inside of me. “You’ll get arrested. It’s illegal to do that with dogs and babies, and I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to do it with adults too.”

“And yet something tells me the deputies will ignore the fact that you’re the one left in the truck.”

“Eliot ... .”

“The decision has already been made. I’m talking to Jake. If you want to come with me, that’s up to you. If you don’t, I’ll be back before you freeze to death.”

And just like that, he’d seized control of the situation. I was no longer in charge.

I really hate it when I’m not in charge.

I WANTED TO SIT IN THE TRUCK AND POUT — part of me thought Eliot might back down — but the look he shot me as he exited the vehicle told me it simply wasn’t going to happen. To save face, I waited three minutes. I figured Eliot would’ve been shown to the back corridor much faster than I usually was, because most of the deputies hate me. He was waiting in the lobby when I stomped through the front door.

“Took you long enough,” he said as he looked up from his phone.

I glared at him. “I’m not here for you. I’m here for the warmth.”

“I can warm you up.”

“Um, you’re not warming me up ever again.”

His smile was cocky. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself to get through this.” He stood and inclined his head toward the door, to where Jake was waiting with speculative eyes. “I told him you would be about four minutes behind me. I was off by a minute.”

“I hate you,” I muttered as I dragged my feet. “I mean ... I really hate you.”

“I love you too.”

Eliot thanked Jake the minute we crossed into the corridor and the security door shut behind us. “I know that you probably have your hands full, but we need to talk to you.”

“I always have time for you,” Jake said as he led us to his office.

“That’s not what you usually say to me,” I pointed out.

“I was talking to Eliot.”

“Oh, well, maybe you two should be the ones getting married.”

“He’s not much different from you when you get right down to it,” Jake said. “I don’t think I could live with him, just like I know I couldn’t live with you. I’ve seen how messy you are.”

“No, you really haven’t,” I argued. “You’ve only seen our house after Eliot cleans up.”

“It’s true,” Eliot replied to Jake’s questioning look. “She’s a complete and total pig. Why do you think we have maids?”

“I really don’t want to think about it,” Jake said as we settled into the chairs across from his desk. I didn’t miss the fact that he shut his door, making sure that anybody intent on eavesdropping wouldn’t have an easy time of it. “Did something happen last night after you left the park?”

“You could say that.” Eliot wriggled in his chair to get comfortable. “Someone visited our house while we were out.”

Jake’s brow furrowed. “Was it vandalized? Did someone break in? Should I send a tech team out there?”

“Nobody broke in,” Eliot reassured him quickly. “I mean ... at least that we can tell. The security system would’ve alerted my phone if anybody breached a door or broke a window.”

“Then how do you know someone was there?”

“There was a package on our doorstep.”

Jake was calm, his face a bland mask. If somebody didn’t know him, they wouldn’t have recognized the almost imperceptible freezing of his shoulders. I’d known him longer than most, and I was well aware that he was reacting badly to the news. “What was in the package? Not another cat.”

“Thankfully no,” Eliot said. “It was something else.” He slid his expectant gaze to me.

“Oh, don’t bother,” I shot back. “You’re the one who decided on this course of action. It’s all down to you.”

He frowned and then sighed. “Just remember, I’m not doing this to hurt you but to save you.”

“If that’s your story.” I was bitter about what was about to go down. There was no way around it.

“There were three sheets of paper inside an envelope,” Eliot explained. “All of them featured a map of Mount Clemens with various routes highlighted.”

“What were the maps of? I mean … the routes. Where did they lead?”

“We followed one of those routes today. It led us to the area by the Crocker bridge.”

Jake was a master at hiding his emotions and that was on full display now. “You should’ve brought the maps to me before you followed them What do you think they were trying to show you?”

“After tracking the route, I wasn’t a hundred percent certain what we were supposed to see,” Eliot said. “We both had ideas — drug routes were the obvious answer — but no confirmation. There was no explanation in the envelope as to what we were supposed to be looking at.”

Jake nodded in understanding. “Okay, does that mean you’re going to turn the maps over to me?”

“No,” I answered. “We are not giving you the maps.”

“We are,” Eliot countered, ignoring the glare I murdered him with. “We tapped a source to get answers on the routes. The ending point for all three routes is a church.”

“Or the starting point,” I muttered. “The church could’ve been where everybody started and the three other locations could’ve been drop-off points.”

“She’s right,” Eliot conceded. “The church could be the starting point. It makes sense both ways. If the church is the drop-off point, that would mean a lot of dealers are stopping there to pick up their goods. That would draw attention. It makes more sense for the drugs to be amassed there and then distributed.”

“And then dropped off at the other points on the map,” Jake said. “I need to see the maps.” He extended his hand.

“Before I give you these maps, you have to promise to cut Avery in on whatever plan you have to move on these routes,” Eliot insisted, taking me by surprise.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one caught off guard by the demand, because Jake immediately started shaking his head. “I can’t include her and you know it.”

“Actually, I don’t know it.” Eliot was firm. “She’s in over her head here. You obviously have something going below the radar. You need to acknowledge that Avery is a part of this and include her.”

“No.”

I was so annoyed with both of them that I couldn’t decide which insult I wanted to unfurl first.

“Then I can’t show you the maps.” Eliot was matter-of-fact. “You seem to want us to share with you but aren’t willing to do the same. So we’ll be taking the maps and leaving.”

I was flabbergasted. For him to come all this way, dangle the maps in front of Jake, and then withhold them ... well, it was beautiful to behold. If I wasn’t so agitated about being shoved aside in my own operation I would’ve stood and applauded him. Instead, I remained in my chair.

For his part, Jake looked furious that Eliot would dare back him into a corner. “I thought you wanted to keep her safe.”

“I do,” Eliot said. “More than anything. But I can’t take something away from her and give it to you. She needs to be involved in this. You need the information. I need her to be safe. There’s only one way all of us get what we want.”

Jake leaned back in his chair and regarded Eliot with solemn eyes. “I could order deputies in here and have you strip searched. Then the maps will be mine and I won’t have to do a single thing to include her.”

“You could,” Eliot replied easily. “If you do, though, you know she will never work with you again. Not only that, I’ll stand with her whenever she shuts you out. And, before you say you won’t need her, think back over the past year and tell me that she’s not important to your operation.”

A muscle worked in Jake’s jaw and I could see the fury wash over him. “I don’t know what I can offer her,” he said finally. “I’m not in charge. I’m one of several people with an opinion.”

“You can promise to do your best,” Eliot pointed out. “If you do that, she’ll trust you.”

“I ... will do my best,” Jake gritted out. “I just can’t make promises. Things are tense.”

“I’m sure they are,” Eliot said as he dug in his pocket and returned with the maps. “These are the originals. We’ve made copies, so there’s no chance of shutting us out of this, just in case you want to try.”

Jake collected the maps and sighed as he stared at them, growling as he turned them upside down to orient them. “All the routes lead to that church. Nobody can get near that place without causing the people inside to scatter.”

“Apparently those are old drug routes,” Eliot offered. “They were being used before the current regime took power.”

“How do you know they’re old drug routes?”

I shot Eliot a warning look.

“We asked someone,” Eliot replied. “I have a source. I won’t tell you who, so don’t bother asking.”

He’d put the onus of the conversation on himself, protecting me and Andre. I was thankful for the effort, but Jake would have to be an idiot to believe the story Eliot was spinning.

“You mean Avery’s little buddy owed her one after Ludington’s raid fell apart yesterday,” Jake said.

The pressure in my stomach doubled and I suddenly felt ill. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, don’t even.” Jake wagged a finger as he smoothed the maps on his desk. “I heard that Ludington went there with the intention of making a big arrest. He was feeling good about himself, convinced he was about to get all the adulation he believed he deserved. He had a very recognizable blonde with him and a photographer from The Monitor. All anybody could talk about yesterday was how things fell apart on him.”

“That doesn’t mean I had anything to do with it,” I challenged.

Jake looked more sad than angry. “It’s obvious you were involved. I’m not happy about it, but I know why you did it.”

That made one of us, because the more I thought about what I’d did, the angrier I got ... at myself. It was definitely a mistake. The problem was, I had no idea if I’d be able to make a different decision under the same circumstances even knowing what I now knew.

“We’re not here to talk about that,” Eliot said. “We wanted you to know about the maps. I don’t believe they’re being used by the current regime. That indicates someone from the old regime is trying to regain power or simply spreading the wealth to upstarts who might want to take over the territory.”

“It’s a good bet,” Jake agreed, rubbing his forehead.

“Maybe it’s the new Hypno route,” I suggested, watching his face closely for a reaction. “We all know that’s still out there. I’m guessing that Perry and Mahorn were working it together — something you still haven’t confirmed, by the way — and that there are others involved.”

“There are definitely others involved, but I can’t confirm anything for you.” Jake’s gaze was murky as he leveled it on me. He didn’t last long in the staring contest, however. “I can say that your instincts are rarely wrong — and now isn’t the time to start doubting them.”

“I never doubt them.”

“I’m going to do what I can to get you involved, Avery,” Jake promised. “Some of the people I’m working with will not like the idea of involving a reporter, even if I vouch for you. Still, I’ll try. You’ve shared information, however grudgingly, and I’ll do what I can for you.”

“I guess I’m supposed to say thanks,” I muttered.

Jake pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. “I don’t expect you to say anything. I wish I could do more for you. I just ... I’m doing the best I can.” He looked to Eliot. “I’m sorry to you too.”

“Don’t apologize for doing your job,” Eliot said. “I’m not going to apologize for doing what’s best for my wife. We need to work together. I think everything will be okay if we can come to a meeting of the minds.”

Jake nodded, and then his forehead creased. “You mean your fiancée. Or are you already referring to her as your wife just to mess with her?”

Eliot shot me a quick look and then cleared his throat. “Oh, well ... .”

Jake’s eyes widened as he looked between us, realization slowly dawning. “You’re already married.”

“I didn’t say that,” Eliot protested.

“You’re not denying it. You guys got married in Vegas.”

There was no sense denying it now. “We did, but you can’t tell anyone. If my mother finds out, she’ll melt down.”

“That’s why you’re pushing the wedding so fast. You’re already married and you don’t care.”

“We want to have the ceremony for friends and family,” Eliot said. “We’ve already done the heavy lifting. It’s kind of a relief. I mean ... we’re married and nobody knows it. That allows us to adjust without the pressure.”

“That is so you.” Jake stared directly at me. “I wasn’t sure you would make it down the aisle. I was wrong. Congratulations.”

“I don’t remember making it down the aisle,” I admitted. “But there’s video. Elvis was there.”

That earned a hearty laugh. “That really is you. I’m happy for you.” He clearly meant it. “I’ll do what I can to get you on our team. I can’t promise anything, but I really will try.”

“That’s not my wedding gift,” I warned. “I expect a new salad spinner or something from you.”

His grin widened. “I can make that happen. Thank you for bringing me this information. I’m not sure what the next step is, but we’ll figure it out.”

23 TWENTY-THREE

JAKE’S CALM in the face of the news that we were already married did little to soothe my frayed nerves.

“I can’t believe he’s fine with it,” I muttered as I sat in Eliot’s truck and aimed the vents directly at my face. “He didn’t care at all.”

“Did you want him to care?” It was cold enough that even Eliot was warming his hands before the vents. “I thought you were over him.”

I shot him a withering look. “I don’t want him to be jealous.”

“What do you want?”

That was a fair question. “Fine, I don’t want him to be overly jealous.” Throwing in the qualifier somehow made me feel better. “If he was a little sad that he’d lost me forever, I wouldn’t be heartbroken.”

Eliot snorted. “I love that you can say that and mean it. As for Jake, he knew it was happening. The hardest part for him was hearing we were engaged. Once you accepted my proposal, he knew it was time to put it in the past because the better man won.”

I slid my eyes to Eliot and shook my head. “And I’m the one with the ego issues? Good grief. He put it behind him long ago. He really is happy for us, which I hate. I would prefer he was just a bit jealous.

“I mean, I don’t want him ruining his relationship with Lauren or anything, but come on,” I continued. “He’s supposed to cry or something. Then he’s supposed to do a cleanse and wish us well. He jumped straight to wishing us well. Where’s the cleanse? Where are the tears?”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to wish pain on your friend,” Eliot said.

“Not pain. Just ... a lot of self-reflection. I want him to look back on his life, wonder what he could’ve done to make me happier, and then realize that I’m where I’m supposed to be ... but only after consoling himself with a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and a box of Kleenex. He should probably watch some sad movies, too.”

“I see you’ve given this some thought.” Eliot snagged my hand and held it up to study my engagement ring. “I am glad you believe you’re where you’re supposed to be.”

“I am.” I saw no reason to deny it. “I still think there should’ve been tears, and even though Jake has one of those metabolisms that allow him to eat his weight in birthday cake and not gain weight, if he bloated for a week on ice cream it wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

Eliot barked out a laugh and captured my face in his hands, planting a loud smacking kiss on my mouth before releasing me. “I love you so much. That right there is exactly why. You just can’t stop yourself from saying what you really feel.”

“What would be the point of that?” I leaned forward so the heat was blowing my hair. “There’s no point being anything other than yourself.”

“I don’t disagree. Other people feel differently. There are people out there who just want to fit in and not rock the boat. I never have to worry about that with you.”

I was quiet a beat. “Jake knows I tipped off Andre.”

Eliot’s smile fled. “I’m sure he figured that out yesterday when he realized you were with Ludington when his raid went bust.”

“Do you think he’s disappointed?”

“Do you care?”

“I ... maybe a little.”

Eliot blew out a sigh and moved his hand to the back of my neck so he could rub at the tension pooling there. “I’m sure he’s a little disappointed. I also don’t think he’s surprised. Ludington is one of those guys it’s impossible to rally behind.”

“Yeah, but I still tipped off a drug dealer.”

“You did, and there’s no taking it back. All you can do is decide if you’ll ever do it again.”

“Definitely not.” I was firm on that. “Well, unless it’s another drug dealer who might try to steal Andre’s territory. Then I might tip him off so he doesn’t get ambushed and killed.”

Eliot’s expression was quizzical. “In this little scenario you’ve cooked up, who is the rival drug lord that is going to tell you about his plans to take down Andre before he actually puts them in motion? More importantly, why are you hanging around with him in the first place?”

He was trying to trip me up. That wasn’t going to happen. “His name is Moe the Schmo and he’s been watching the rival gangs tear each other apart for years. He’s a little old to be a drug dealer, but that doesn’t mean he’s not gung-ho. He’s decided to unleash an army and take out all his rivals, and because he wants to be lauded for his actions, he kidnaps me when I’m getting coffee one day and unloads his diabolical plan.”

Eliot stared at me for a long moment. “I take it you’ve been thinking about this for a long time.”

“Nope.” I shook my head. “It just came to me when you asked. I didn’t want to disappoint you. I have a great imagination.”

“And that right there is a scary thought.” He leaned over the console and rested his head against mine. “I would appreciate it if you would stay away from drug dealers for the foreseeable future. We’ve had a run of them of late and they freak me out.”

“I’ll try to find a serial killer next time,” I promised.

“Now we’re talking.” He brushed a kiss against my temple and then straightened when he saw Jake walk out the side door of the department. Suddenly, he was no longer lovey-dovey and instead fixed and focused. “Do you want to follow him?”

I was taken aback. I thought I was distracting Eliot long enough to see if Jake would leave so we could follow him. Obviously he was on the same page and I didn’t even know it.

“Here’s what I like about you,” I started.

“I take that as a yes.” Eliot fastened his seatbelt and jabbed a finger toward me to make sure I did the same. He exited out of the second driveway instead of the first so Jake wouldn’t be suspicious. By the time we reached Groesbeck Road, there were two cars between us.

“Where do you think he’s going?” I asked after two miles.

He shot me an incredulous look. “Obviously I don’t know. That’s why we’re following.”

“Yeah, but ... we can’t follow him forever. What if he’s going to Oakland County or something? What if he’s going to Wayne County?”

“I guess we’ll find out.”

Eliot was more patient. He didn’t utter a word of complaint as we cut across Macomb County. I figured we were heading for Oakland County until Jake pulled into a diner parking lot.

“Well, that’s a disappointment,” I lamented. “Here I thought he was going to meet with his secret law enforcement buddies. He just wants lunch.”

Eliot pulled into the lot and parked at the far end, making sure he was nowhere near Jake but could still see the door.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I just want to see.” Eliot collected my hand and held it as he watched the door. “I don’t think he came this far out for lunch.”

Now he had my full attention and I eagerly watched the door with him. Sure enough, after about three minutes, a familiar figure strode up the sidewalk. “That’s Ezekiel Potter,” I noted. “He’s the undersheriff for Wayne County.”

“Do you know him?”

“I’ve met him,” I replied. “He seems decent enough. I really like their sheriff. She’s ballsy and mouthy. You know how I feel about people like that.”

“Yes, you love yourself to distraction,” Eliot said.

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think I’m particularly in love with myself.”

“The only person who loves you more than you is me.”

“Aw, that’s kind of sweet ... and corny.”

His eyes sharpened when another person headed up the sidewalk toward the restaurant. “Do you recognize him?”

I nodded as I rubbed my chin. “That’s Leonard Watkins. He’s a county commissioner.”

“Is he fixated on crime?”

I thought hard about all my dealings with Leonard. “Not really. His big thing is pork and graft in government. That’s his whole platform. His signs say, ‘I like Leonard,’ and he drags around this stupid freaking pig that’s the size of our house. It’s supposed to represent government spending.”

“So, he’s a numbers guy,” Eliot mused. “Why would they want a numbers guy with them?”

I could think of a few reasons. “Maybe they need county commissioners but want to make sure they have people who won’t leak information to Tad.”

“I would think most of the county commissioners hate Ludington,” Eliot countered.

“They used to. But then he was shot. That made him a martyr in the county. If they’re openly against him now, before he does something stupid to paint a target on his back again, they’ll look like bullies.”

Eliot nodded in understanding. “I take it Leonard doesn’t have that problem.”

“Leonard hates Tad. He thinks he wastes taxpayer money on his stupid plans.”

“So, maybe that’s it.”

“Maybe.” It didn’t quite all fit together, but then I recognized another face heading for the diner door. “That’s Lucien Prince. He’s the new hotshot prosecutor in Oakland County.”

Eliot followed my gaze. “He’s young.”

“Thirty-two.” I remembered from the profile I’d read. “His father used to be a police chief in Ferndale. He had a bad reputation. People say he embezzled. When he killed himself during an investigation, they didn’t finish it out.”

“Do you have any opinions on the kid?”

“He’s hot.”

Eliot frowned. “That’s not what I was asking.”

I had to chuckle at his response. “I don’t know what to feel about him,” I said. “As for him being hot, don’t worry, you’re way hotter. All the female reporters are panting over him, though. They think he’s something special, and because he’s so young he has a lot of earning potential.”

“What about you? Do you think he’s something special?”

I couldn’t hide my smile as I turned back to Eliot. “Are you jealous? That’s cute.”

“I’m not jealous. I don’t get jealous.”

“Oh, you’re jealous.” For some reason, it made me go warm all over. “It’s so cute.” I poked his cheek and laughed at his obvious discomfort. “As for me, alas, I’m already taken. Even if I wasn’t, he’s a bit too polished for me.” I went back to staring at the door, frowning when I realized Lucien was holding it open for someone. “Is that ... ?” I leaned forward to study the woman in question.

“Do you know her?” Eliot was back to watching the show too.

I nodded, thoughtful. “That’s Ruth Shepperly.”

Eliot’s forehead creased. “I recognize the name. Why do I recognize it?”

“She’s Jessica Shepperly’s mother. She’s the woman who gave me the information on her daughter and the Hypno ring before everything came tumbling down.”

“Oh, right.” Eliot’s eyes lit with intrigue. “So ... what is she doing meeting with our sheriff, Oakland’s prosecutor, and Wayne’s undersheriff?”

“That’s a very good question.” I had many more. “I kind of want to hang around to see if I can talk to her when they’re done. Do you have time?”

“I do, but I’m starving.” Eliot craned his neck. “There’s a McDonald’s across the way. I’ll head over there and get us something to eat. Do you care what I get you?”

“I want a steak, egg and cheese bagel.”

He scowled. “I told you they stopped making those.”

“And yet if you get me one, I’ll love you forever.”

“You’re going to love me forever regardless.”

“If you get me that bagel it will double my love.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

THE GROUP WAS IN THE RESTAURANT FOR an hour. I inhaled the steak-and-egg bagel, hash browns and a Diet Coke while we waited, and when they finally started emerging I was ready.

“How do you want to do this?” Eliot asked as he watched Lucien and Leonard head to their vehicles. Jake remained in front of the restaurant talking to Ruth.

“I was hoping Jake wouldn’t see me,” I admitted.

“Well, Jake is parked over there and Ruth is in the side lot. Maybe if we walk around the back of the building we can catch her.”

It was the best option we had, and I nodded, zipping my coat. “Let’s do this.”

We circled the building and positioned ourselves next to Ruth’s car. When she finally broke away from Jake and headed in our direction, she looked surprised. She masked it quickly, but there was no welcoming smile when she saw me.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re here,” she said as she removed her keys from her pocket. “Did you follow me?”

“The sheriff actually,” I replied. There was no reason to lie. “I am curious about what you’re doing here.”

“I’m helping.” She didn’t expand.

“You’re helping point them toward others who might be involved in the Hypno trade. I guess that makes sense.”

“I’m helping any way I can. With Jessica in jail, someone has to fight for her.”

It took me a moment to realize what Ruth was saying. “You’re trying to broker a deal. You think if you can get some of the bigger players arrested, that will play into Jessica’s favor.”

Ruth stared straight ahead. “I’m doing what I can for my daughter. I had no idea when I helped you what would happen, or what it would mean for my daughter.”

Eliot stirred. “No offense, but don’t you believe that your daughter should pay for what she did? She threatened to kill Avery, and in a hospital no less. There should be ramifications for that.”

“I don’t believe otherwise.” Ruth’s delivery was flat. It was apparent she didn’t want to talk to us. She was the sort of woman who wasn’t keen on making a scene, though, and it was unlikely she would start yelling. “I expect Jessica to do hard time. Her life, as we had it planned, is over. She’ll never be able to truly move beyond this.

“That doesn’t mean she can’t pick herself up and start over again when she’s released from prison,” she continued. “I would like to make sure that happens before she’s an old woman. If that makes me an idiot or fool, so be it. She’s still my daughter.”

“I understand,” Eliot reassured her. “You want to see her rehabilitated.”

“That would be nice,” Ruth agreed. “I don’t know what I can offer the police, but I’m doing my best.”

“You’re doing the right thing,” I assured her.

“I don’t really care what you think,” Ruth shot back. “You’re the reason we’re in this mess. I thought you were trying to help but ... you’re not. You’re the reason my daughter is in prison, and I have no intention of helping you again. You’re wasting your time with this ... whatever this is.”

I remained calm. This was hardly the first time somebody had informed me I’d ruined their life. “I didn’t mean for you to get hurt in all of this. I had no idea Jessica was the guilty party until ... well, until things fell apart at the end.”

“On top of that, Jessica went after Avery in the hospital,” Eliot reminded the resolute mother. “Avery had no choice but to protect herself.”

“That’s the problem I have with all of this,” Ruth lamented. “My daughter isn’t the type to kill someone. That makes me think something else is going on here.” Her gaze was dark when it landed on me. “I don’t know what Ms. Shaw’s part in all of this is, or how she plans to benefit, but I will be fighting for my daughter. It’s all I can do.

“Enough families have been hurt by this,” she continued. “Lives have been torn apart and ruined. I want that all to end here.”

“I think we all want that,” I agreed.

“I don’t want to know you.” Ruth’s eyes were sad. “From my perspective, you tore apart my family. I need you to stay away from me. If you don’t, I will file a complaint with the sheriff. I’ve gotten to know him and wouldn’t feel guilty in the least for messing up your life for a change.”

Eliot worked his jaw. “This isn’t Avery’s fault. Your daughter did this.”

“Jessica is certainly guilty of a number of bad decisions,” Ruth agreed. “But the fact of the matter is that Ms. Shaw is the reason she’s in jail. You can’t convince me otherwise. I neither want to help you nor feel the need to further your agenda. So ... that’s it. Have a good day.”

I watched, helpless, as the woman climbed into her car. She was clearly a lost cause. Still, despite what she said, I didn’t feel guilty. The person who hurt Jessica was Jessica. I couldn’t go back in time and fix that, and I doubted she would bother putting in the effort if she could.

24 TWENTY-FOUR

EVEN THOUGH WE’D eaten in the truck, I stopped at the diner by the pawnshop with Eliot for chili fries. He could tell I was bothered by what Ruth had said, but didn’t immediately comment on it. When I’d made it through the entire meal without saying a word, he broke the silence.

“You can’t fix her life, Avery.” His voice was soft. “You know that, right?”

I held out my hands and shrugged. “I still feel bad. She’s a nice woman.”

“Her daughter isn’t so nice. She wanted to kill you.”

“I’m well aware.”

“The only reason you’re okay is because you’re smart and figured out a way to get her outside. You kept everyone in the hospital safe. You’re a hero.”

“Let’s not go overboard.” I was tired. Oh, so tired.

“Carly and little ... what did she name that kid again?”

“Carlyle.”

“I take it they both kind of won the name game.”

“Yeah.”

“The only reason she has her family together, safe and whole, is because of you.”

“She keeps texting to wake me up whenever she’s up. Why do you think I’ve taken to silencing my phone at night?”

“The baby will start sleeping.”

“Let’s hope so. I’ve been dodging her calls because that’s all she wants to talk about. I mean … I really don’t care about Carlyle’s diaper rash or the noise he makes when he wants to drain her boob. That’s how she described it, by the way. It was too horrific for even me to stomach.”

“I know. She’s taken to calling the shop to complain about you not returning her calls.”

I jerked up my head. “Seriously?”

He nodded. “I didn’t think dealing with Carly at the same time you were dealing with this stuff was a good idea. Your brain can only take so much before it fries ... and then it gets ugly for me. Nobody wants that.”

“I might want that.”

“No, you don’t.” He rested his hand on top of mine. “I love you, more than anything. You can deal with Carly in a few days. We’ll buy a gift and go over to see the kid.”

That sounded like a bad way to spend a day. “I would rather stay in bed and eat potato chips. Besides, we’re getting married in a few days. There’s no way we’re going to wedge in a visit to see that baby on top of everything else.”

“Look how convenient that is. Marrying me has all sorts of perks.”

“When we get back from the honeymoon she’s going to be all over me.”

“You can hold the baby when she asks. It won’t kill you.”

“Um, I’m not holding that kid until he craps in a toilet and doesn’t have snot running out of his nose.”

“So ... never?”

“Ding, ding, ding.”

Eliot squeezed my hand again and released it. “Try not to let Ruth’s grief wear you down. You didn’t cause this. Her daughter did. Eventually, she’ll have to take responsibility for it and accept that her daughter isn’t the person she thinks.”

“I guess.” I flicked my eyes to the clock on the wall. “I should head into the office. I’m sure there’s something Fish will want me to do.”

“Are you going to tell him about the maps?”

I hesitated and then shook my head. “Not yet. I want to see what Jake comes up with.”

THE NEWSROOM BUZZED WITH SHOUTING. Numerous reporters shouted out to Fish. It took me a second to realize there was a police situation somewhere in the county. Wherever it was, it was big.

“What’s happening?”

Fish flicked his eyes to me. “The sheriff’s department is conducting a raid by the Crocker bridge. We’ve got a photographer on scene and Marvin is heading out. Apparently they’re dragging people from inside that old church.”

My stomach sank. “Are you serious?”

Fish obviously couldn’t read my distress. “Apparently there are about fifty sheriff’s deputies out there, as well as SWAT people from other counties. We’re trying to sort it all out.”

My fury could not be contained. “When did this happen?”

“About twenty minutes ago.”

“I’m heading out.”

Irritation cascaded across Fish’s features. “I just told you Marvin is handling it.”

I wasn’t so far gone that I couldn’t manipulate Fish into giving me what I wanted. “Yes, but this will be the main story on the front page and it’s going to need sidebars, reactions from the neighbors, that sort of stuff.”

Fish’s eyebrows drew together. “And you think Marvin can’t handle it?”

“I want to check out the scene. It’s close to where Tad tried to conduct his raid yesterday. I want to see what’s going on.”

“Then you should’ve just said that.” Fish’s gaze was probing. “Knock yourself out. The intern is with Marvin. I’ve put her on neighbor reactions. You can wander around and look if you want. You don’t need to file anything.”

The only thing I was going to file was my foot in Jake’s behind. “I’ll call in if I see anything worth another story.”

I DIDN’T HAVE TO FOLLOW A MAP TO KNOW where I was going this time. I parked on the street about a block down from the church and slammed my door so hard it echoed. I didn’t care. I was on a mission.

I found Marvin and Sabrina standing outside police crime scene tape that had already been erected. There were at least twenty people spread out in the snow in front of the church. They were on their knees, handcuffed, many of them spitting threats at the deputies.

“What are you doing here?” Marvin asked. “This is my story.”

“I’m not here to take your story.” That was true. I was too angry to write anything. “I’m just ... checking it out. I wasn’t working on anything else.”

“I’m helping,” Sabrina volunteered, her eyes sparkling. “Marvin is letting me interview people.”

“Good for him.” I folded my arms over my chest and took in the scene with incredulous eyes. “I just ... can’t believe this.”

“I know.” Marvin was terrible at reading the moods of others. He completely glossed over the fact that I was furious. “It’s freaking amazing. This story will have ramifications for days ... and it’s mine.”

He meant it as a dig, but I couldn’t make myself care. “Where’s Jake?”

“Sheriff Farrell?” Sabrina wrinkled her nose and glanced around. “He must be inside the church. I saw him a few minutes ago.”

“There’s no way he’s leaving before he holds a conference,” Marvin added. “He’ll be the talk of the state in a few hours. Look how many dealers they have in custody.”

I nodded in agreement as I studied the faces of the people on the lawn. Many of them weren’t wearing coats, yet nobody was moving them to the police vehicles. It made for an interesting photo op. “Have you seen anyone else here?”

Marvin’s face was blank. “Like who?”

“Ezekiel Potter from Wayne, or Lucien Prince from Oakland. Were either of them here?”

“Oh, um ... you know what?” Marvin nodded, his face thoughtful. “I did see Lucien here. I’m not sure where he went. He’s likely in the tactical van.”

I switched my gaze toward the vehicle parked on the main road. They all were likely there, including Jake. I couldn’t get inside the church. I could, however, get inside the van.

“I’m going to look around,” I said. “I’ll let you know if I see anything good.”

“Yeah. Totally.”

Sabrina looked torn, as if she couldn’t decide if she wanted to stick with Marvin or chase me. Ultimately, she played the better odds and stuck with Marvin. If she had tried to shadow me I would completely lose it, something she likely recognized.

At the tactical van, I debated knocking. That would’ve been the polite thing to do, but I was feeling anything but polite. Instead, I grabbed the handle and threw open the door, stomping up the steps.

Faces turned in my direction, shock evident. I ignored all of them and lasered in on Jake. “We need to talk.”

He paled two shades, nodding as he dragged a hand through his hair. “Let’s step outside.”

“Great.” I growled when Derrick opened his mouth. I figured there was a threat in there somewhere, maybe an admonishment. One look at the set of my jaw told him not to bother, and he moved to stand against the wall, shaking his head as Jake followed me out.

The door wasn’t shut and I heard Lucien speak. “She looks familiar.”

“She should,” another voice said. “That’s Avery Shaw. She’s the Devil.”

“She has quite the reputation,” Lucien enthused. “Is she covering this?”

“I think she’s trying to bury Jake,” Derrick countered. “I saw Marvin Potts outside. He’s covering this. I don’t know what she’s doing here.”

Jake firmly shut the door of the van so I couldn’t hear more of the conversation and fixed me with a grave look. “If you’re going to yell ... .”

“You bet I’m going to yell,” I hissed, clutching my hands into fists in my shark mittens. “You have no idea how much I’m going to yell.”

“Then we should move away from the crowd. That will be best for both of us.”

“You mean it will be best for you,” I spit as he led me to a huge pine tree and placed himself on the far side of it. We weren’t cut off from all prying eyes, but nobody would be able to claim they heard anything.

“I did what was best for my community,” Jake replied once we were alone. “Now, I’m certain that you’re upset, but there’s nothing I can do for you.”

I blinked several times, stupefied, and then ordered myself to calm down. I was like the Hulk. When I decided to blow, things got smashed. All I could think about smashing now was Jake’s face. “You said we were working together.”

“No, I didn’t. I told you there was nothing I could do for you.”

“That’s not what you said.”

“It is. You refuse to listen when it’s something you don’t want to hear.” Jake’s fury was palpable. “I’m sorry you’re upset. I tried to broach the subject of allowing you to cover the raid, but they shot it down in seconds. I’m not the only one involved in this operation.”

“Yes, you’re working with Wayne and Oakland ... and Ruth Shepperly.”

His eyes narrowed. “Who told you that?”

“It doesn’t matter. I know she’s passing you information in an effort to get a plea deal for her daughter. I have to wonder if our prosecutor is in on this. I know Oakland’s is, but he has no jurisdiction over what happened here.”

“She’ll likely be tried in Oakland County first,” Jake replied calmly. “We’ve ascertained that drugs were moved through that area. The prosecution will start there.”

I could read between the lines. “And she won’t be prosecuted in Macomb County at all.”

Jake didn’t immediately respond. It didn’t matter, because I knew what was happening.

“So, let me get this straight.” My voice was icy cold, and there was a bitterness permeating through me that I knew I would likely never be able to swallow entirely. “You’ve made a deal with Jessica Shepperly’s mother, and if she comes through, then Jessica will only be prosecuted in Oakland County. She’ll probably get less than five years and will be out on parole in less than three because of jail overcrowding.”

“I don’t make the deals with the prosecutors,” Jake reminded me. “I have little say in them.”

“No, but that’s what’s happening.” My mind was busy. “You took the information I gave you and moved on these guys because you needed a feather in your cap. You need a big bust, so when news of Jessica’s deal hits you’ll be able to say, ‘Look what I did,’ and hide the fact that you screwed me in the process.”

“This isn’t about screwing you,” Jake shot back. “None of this is about you. Why can’t you see that?”

“Because I was the one in that hospital,” I replied. “I was the one trying to protect my best friend and her baby from a maniac, and now you’ve cut a deal that will allow a murderer back on the street in a few years.”

“I just told you that I don’t cut deals,” Jake gritted out.

Staring at him now, I felt as if I hardly knew him. “You used me.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.” That was the part that hurt the most. “You looked me in the eye four hours ago, told me that you would do your best to include me, but all the while you knew you were going to screw me.”

“That is not what happened.”

“No?” I didn’t feel I could believe anything he said, something I never would’ve said about Jake before. I always trusted him, even when he made me angry or tried to boss me around. Never once did I think he would betray me, not on purpose. “Are you saying you didn’t know you were going to screw me when you met with Ezekiel Potter, Lucien Prince, Leonard Watkins and Ruth Shepperly at the National Coney Island on Groesbeck right after you met with Eliot and me?”

Jake’s face, already pale, drained of the remaining color. “You followed me.”

I nodded. “We knew you were up to something.”

“How am I supposed to trust you when you do things like that?” Jake was beside himself. “You can’t follow the sheriff. I mean ... who does that?”

I was done listening to him. “I trusted you, and that’s on me.”

“Avery ... .”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to hear what he had to say. “What’s really sad is that Eliot made the decision to give you those maps earlier.”

“Don’t take this out on him,” Jake insisted. “It’s not his fault.”

“It’s not,” I agreed. “He believed in you. He’s always telling me I should have faith in you, trust the system. When I tell him what you did, he’s going to hate himself. He’s going to blame himself for helping you betray me.”

“You don’t have to look at it like that,” Jake insisted. “I didn’t betray you. I just ... moved on information I was provided.”

“Information I gave you. Without me, you wouldn’t have had that information.”

“Do you want me to thank you in the news conference or something?”

I shook my head. “I don’t want anything from you.” I took a step away from him. I was no longer angry as much as hurt, and I wasn’t used to that emotion storming through me. It was frustrating on multiple levels because it made me feel weak.

“Avery, this isn’t about you,” Jake noted for the second time. “These people were a threat to the community.”

Something occurred to me. “You knew you were going to order this raid when we were still in your office. That’s the only way you could’ve organized it so quickly. You ordered your people to prepare themselves when you were still in your office and then you headed out to your late breakfast.

“Once there, you filled them in and they called their people to join the team,” I continued. “You knew when I was sitting across from you. You knew when you were swearing you would do your best by me.”

Jake looked anguished. “I did my best. You’re still standing, aren’t you? Those people are no longer a threat to you.”

Oh, he wasn’t going to use that excuse to get out of this. “You can tell yourself whatever you want. I no longer trust you. Don’t worry about me bringing information to you again.” I took another step away from him.

“Avery, I don’t want that. I just ... I had to do what I had to do. This is my job.”

“I have a job to do too. You just screwed me, but I still have a job to do.”

“I won’t apologize for doing what’s right for the people of this county.”

I flashed a tight smile. “You’re the hero of Macomb County. You should find a crown to wear or something.” I turned my back on him.

“What are you going to do?” Jake called out.

“You don’t have to worry about what I’m doing from here on out. We’re done here ... for good.”

“Avery, don’t say that.”

“It’s done. I need to talk to Eliot now. You owe him the biggest apology. He believed in you even when I didn’t. You betrayed him as much as me.”

“Avery.”

I didn’t engage again.

“Avery!”

25 TWENTY-FIVE

I WENT BACK to the office and filled my afternoon with busywork. I didn’t say a single word to anyone, but I had a feeling Marvin filled in Fish regarding the fact that Jake and I were outside the raided church talking for a long time. My boss sent me a questioning look, but I stormed out of the office without uttering a single word.

I was done with this day.

Once home, I changed into fuzzy Star Wars pants and plugged my Switch into the television. I was knee-deep in my Friday the 13th game when Eliot came home. He had takeout bags in his hands and an angry look on his face.

“Don’t you return texts anymore?”

I shrugged, keeping my gaze on the television screen. “I turned off my phone.”

“That’s a great idea when you’re on a hit list.”

“I’m fine.”

Rocky, who had curled up next to me, lifted his head when he scented the food. They were Applebee’s bags, which meant Eliot had brought ribs. The kitten let out a plaintive meow, but Eliot’s only greeting for him was a stroke on the head.

“What happened?” Eliot demanded. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What makes you think anything is wrong?”

“Because you’re playing Friday the 13th cooperatively with other people.” He flicked his eyes to the screen. “And you’re Jason, which means you likely jumped into ten games until you got the outcome you wanted. Being Jason means you get to kill people.”

“I like it.”

“I’m well aware, but you only play that game when you’re in a really foul mood.”

“Huh.”

“Avery.” Eliot made a move to grab the controller out of my hands, but I easily evaded him.

“Don’t you dare ruin my game.” I was serious. “I have only two campers left to kill. I’m going to behead both of them.”

“Well, great.” Eliot threw up his hands. “I guess that means I have to sit here and watch you kill people if I want information.”

“That’s probably best,” I said.

Eliot flung himself onto the couch next to me, shooting Rocky a warning look when the small bundle of fur started for our dinner. “Don’t even think about it.”

Rocky looked cross when he raised his leg and started washing himself. He obviously didn’t like Eliot’s take on how the evening was playing out. I knew the kitten well enough to know that he was nowhere near done trying to cajole food. He would go after the rib bones with zeal and race off with one the second he managed to snag it.

“Tell me about your day,” Eliot instructed, his tone softer. “Obviously something happened. By the way, I’m serious about returning texts. I don’t care how angry you are, when you’re on a hit list, you’d better return my texts.”

“I told you my phone was off.”

“It shouldn’t be off.”

“Well, it is.”

Because he knew I was busy stalking camp counselors, he grabbed my phone from the table and booted. I wasn’t particularly worried — it was passcoded — but he inputted my code the second the screen came to life and gained access to all my apps and private documents.

“Hey!” I couldn’t very well abandon the game to wrestle the phone from him. If you’re Jason in Friday the 13th, it’s embarrassing to lose to the campers.

“It seems you’ve missed fifty-seven texts,” Eliot offered as he got comfortable again. “Thirteen of them are from me. Shall I read them?”

“I’m pretty sure I know what they say.”

“Me too.” He furrowed his brow as he continued through the list. “Lexie texted to tell you she’s sorry she had a party at our house. Apparently Derrick tipped her off that he told you. She swears she won’t do it again if we leave her in charge the next time we travel.”

Hmm. I’d pretty much forgotten about that. “She obviously cleaned up. Nothing is broken,” I pointed out.

“Yes, but I guarantee she had dealers in here because those are the sort of people she likes to hang around with. I don’t want dealers knowing what we have in our house.”

“Oh, get over it,” I muttered. “Anyone in this neighborhood has the same stuff. If somebody wants to break in, they’re going to break in.”

“Yeah, we’ll talk about that later.” He continued reading. “Jake texted you thirty times.”

“He’s needy. What do you want me to say?”

“The last three just say, ‘I’m sorry.’ What is he sorry about?”

“He’s a jerk. I think he’s sorry about doing jerky things. It doesn’t matter, because he’s on my list.”

“What list?”

“The list of people I’m never going to trust again. Aha!” I hopped to my feet when I stumbled across one of the two remaining camp counselors in the game. “Eat this!” I pressed the button, unleashing Jason and his machete on the man. His head was gone within a second. “And now we’re down to one camp counselor.”

“How joyous for you,” Eliot drawled. He was still scrolling through texts from Jake.

“I don’t want to point out the obvious, but it’s none of your business what’s in those texts,” I groused. “I’m entitled to a private life ... even if you are my husband.” Something occurred to me. “Oh, I bet Jake told Derrick we were married the second we left his office. Derrick is going to tell my mother and she’s going to go Jason on us. You should lock the doors now.”

“I don’t understand why you’re so upset,” Eliot said. “Jake says he’s sorry. He said he did what he had to do and he’s not sorry for that, but he is sorry for hurting you. What did he do?” There was an earnest nature about the question. Eliot was genuinely worried.

“It’s not a big deal,” I offered. For some reason, I wanted to protect Eliot from the truth as long as possible. It seemed ridiculous on the face of it and yet I was desperate all the same. “It’s nothing. As soon as I find this last camper I’ll be done.”

“No, you won’t be done until you tell me what happened.” Eliot was deadly serious. “What did he do to you?”

I couldn’t pretend that I hadn’t heard the question. Well, I could, but I knew better than to drag things out. He had to know. Keeping it secret wouldn’t help anybody. “When I got into the office, everybody was buzzing about an ongoing police operation.” I chose my words carefully. “It was the sheriff’s department. There was a raid at the church by the Crocker bridge.”

I felt Eliot tense next to me. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“Did Jake call you to tell you before the raid?”

“What do you think?” I was close, I realized. In the game, I was close. I could practically smell the final counselor. I just had to find her. She was hiding behind a tree or cabin. Once I beheaded her, I would feel better. That’s all I kept telling myself.

“So he used the information we provided him this morning, ordered a raid, and cut you out of it.” Eliot was angry.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I agreed.

“I just ... don’t know what to say.”

“There’s nothing you can say.” I was matter-of-fact, my eyes narrowing when I caught a hint of pink on the screen. “Jake did what he did. He’s not sorry. It’s done.”

“But ... how could he cut you out of this?”

“He said he had no choice because the others weren’t open to bringing me in. But we both know that’s a lie. For him to coordinate the raid the way he did, he had to order his men to ready themselves before he left the sheriff’s department. He gave the order before we were out of the parking lot,” I continued, gritting my teeth when I found the final counselor. “He knew he was going to give the order when we were still in the office.”

I started frantically hitting the buttons on my controller, growling when I decapitated the final counselor. The game declared me a winner. I felt like anything but.

“Don’t worry about it,” I reassured him. “I’ve learned my lesson about trusting Jake.” The words were enough to have me burst into tears. I had no idea where they came from. The second the game was over and I acknowledged that Jake had betrayed me to someone other than myself, the floodgates opened.

“Oh, baby, come here.” Eliot took the game controller from me and tugged me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me. “I’m so sorry.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. The tears were too thick to speak through.

“This is my fault,” he continued. “I shouldn’t have made you go in there. I didn’t think that he would do this. I just ... it never occurred to me.”

His contrition was enough to help me regain control of my tongue. “It’s not your fault ... and I told him this would happen.” I was angrier on Eliot’s behalf than my own. “I knew you would feel betrayed and blame yourself. It’s not fair to you.”

“It’s not fair to you,” Eliot countered. “He shouldn’t have done this to you. I never thought he would. I just ... this is so wrong.” He stroked my hair and kissed my neck. “Just ... so, so wrong. What was he thinking?”

“He tried to claim that he did it for me,” I said. “He said that people wanted to hurt me and he was going to make sure they didn’t. He had twenty people in cuffs that he left out there for the photo op. He knew exactly what he was doing.”

“Yeah, bolstering himself on your back. Did he at least act ashamed when you confronted him?”

“He did not. He just kept saying he wasn’t sorry he did it but was sorry my feelings were hurt. As if, right?” I swiped my hand under my nose to get rid of the snot. “He didn’t hurt my feelings. He just made me mad.”

“God forbid he hurt your feelings.”

“I don’t have feelings to hurt.”

“You do, but that’s neither here nor there right now. He shouldn’t have done it. If I’d known he was going to do that ... .” Eliot trailed off.

“Don’t blame yourself.” That’s the last thing I wanted. “You didn’t do this, Jake did.”

“You were angry with me when I made you go in there,” Eliot insisted. “It is my fault. If I hadn’t forced your hand, Jake wouldn’t have gotten the maps. He wouldn’t have had a move to make.”

“Yeah, well, it’s still his fault.” I buried my face in the hollow between his face and neck. “We should egg his house.”

Eliot chuckled. “That’s not likely to change his mind.”

“Oh, he won’t change his mind no matter what. We both know that. He thinks he was right. He said he had to protect the people of Macomb County.”

“And what did you say?”

Honestly, the conversation with Jake was a blur. “I said a bunch of stuff about how he betrayed me. Then I told him we were done. He kept yelling after me as I walked away, but I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t.”

“Because you didn’t want him to see you cry. I get it.”

I was scandalized. “It’s not about crying. It’s about ... him being a butthead. He doesn’t deserve to spend time with me if he’s going to be a complete and total butthead.”

“Fair enough.” He kept running his hand over my hair. “I’m sorry. I accept responsibility for my part in it.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ll do whatever dirty stuff you want me to do in bed tonight.”

That was such a man offer. “What if I want ice cream and hot fudge instead?”

“I believe I just said I would do whatever dirty stuff you want. Hot fudge is likely to get into uncomfortable crevices, but it is what it is. I’ll deal.”

He made me laugh, which I desperately needed. “I’m really mad.”

He turned serious. “So am I. The fact that Jake did this to you ... well ... neither of us will forget anytime soon.”

“Definitely not,” I agreed. “I’m thinking of kicking him in the nuts next time I see him. You should do the same.”

“I’ll definitely consider it.”

I WOKE WITH A NEW PURPOSE THE next morning. My dreams had been of the bloody Jason Voorhees variety and I was officially on the warpath. Embarrassment over the previous evening’s tears lingered a bit, but I forced it out of my mind. What was done was done. Eliot wouldn’t allow me to dwell on it or hold it over my head. It was time to let it go and regain control.

“What’s the plan?” Eliot asked as he set breakfast in front of me at the kitchen table. “How do you plan to handle this?”

“What do you mean?” I was confused. “I don’t know what the plan is yet. I have to think about it ... long and hard.”

“I mean with Jake. You know he’ll probably track you down today.”

“Oh, him.” My gaze turned dark. “I already told you I’m going to kick him in the nuts.”

“There’s no reason to take a path that will end up with you in jail for a night,” Eliot countered. “How about you come up with a different plan?”

“And what would that be?”

“The sort where you don’t go to jail and I won’t be forced to fight with the sheriff if you push things too far.”

That sounded like no fun at all. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I admitted, my bravado fleeing. “I don’t want to do anything. I think I’m just going to avoid him.”

“Because it hurts?”

“Because ... .” Did it hurt? I would be lying if I said it didn’t, but I couldn’t focus on that. “It is what it is. I have to deal with it, so I will. I doubt Jake will track me down and risk a scene.”

“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that.”

“He’s not an idiot.”

“But he’s probably upset with himself. Even if he believes he was doing his job — which I’m sure he does — he won’t be okay with hurting you ... and he knows he hurt you.”

“He didn’t hurt me. I don’t have feelings, so I can’t be hurt.”

“Avery.” Eliot sighed. “You have feelings. That doesn’t make you weak.”

“No, I don’t have feelings.” I was adamant. “I don’t care what he does. I don’t care what he says. I’m done.”

Eliot didn’t look convinced, but he let it go. “You don’t have feelings. We’ll let it go.”

“And to prove I don’t have feelings, I’m going to get a better story and make him look like an idiot.”

“You’re going to keep me in the loop, right?”

“Sure.” Why not? Eliot was on my side. I would likely need him. “As soon as I know what I’m doing, you’ll be the first person I tell.”

“That’s all I ask.”

26 TWENTY-SIX

ELIOT WAVED me off from the driveway. He smiled, but I knew he was upset, at himself as much as Jake. There would have to be a reckoning between the two of them, but there was nothing I could do about that now.

I headed for the office. Yesterday, while I managed to crank out some briefs and a few obituaries, I offered very little in regard to productivity. I consider myself a stellar worker — that was actually my best quality — so I wanted to make amends.

Fish was waiting for me when I walked through the newsroom archway. “The conference room,” he said by way of greeting, pointing.

Uh-oh, this couldn’t be good. I cast a look in Duncan’s direction to see if he was feeling smug as I passed, but he wasn’t in his chair. Whatever was happening wasn’t because of him. That didn’t make me feel much better.

“What is it?” I asked as he closed the conference room door. “Did something happen?”

“I want to ask you that.” Fish folded his arms across his chest. “What happened between you and Jake Farrell yesterday?”

It felt like a trap. “I’m not sure what you mean,” I answered breezily.

“Don’t do that.” Fish wagged a finger. “I know darned well that you two were seen having a very serious discussion at the raid yesterday. I want to know what you were talking about.”

“You know ‘darned well?’” I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. “You should drop an F-bomb every once in a while. It might make you feel better.”

“The only thing that’ll make me feel better is if you tell me what’s going on,” Fish insisted. “What do you know that the rest of us don’t?”

“Oh, so many things.” Even though I thought the rage I’d felt regarding Jake’s betrayal had subsided, it roared back and grabbed me by the throat. “I know that Michael Myers is the superior slasher movie killer because he’s neither superhuman nor magically powered. Sure, the storyline goes a little crazy in some of the later films, but they retconned all of those. He’s just a regular nut in a William Shatner mask.”

Fish’s expression never changed. “Tell me, Avery,” he insisted. “I know you’re neck-deep in something, and whatever it is had you and Farrell going after one another yesterday. What is it?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Then we’ll sit here until you tell it in a concise manner.”

That was easier said than done. I laid everything out as quickly as I could, leaving nothing out but my involvement with Andre. Fish didn’t need to know that. When I finished, he was flabbergasted.

“Are you kidding me?”

“I can’t tell if you’re furious or impressed,” I said.

“Furious.”

“Yeah, that’s how my luck is going these days.”

“I am absolutely furious,” Fish repeated. “I just ... why didn’t you tell me any of this until now?”

That was a good question. “I thought I would be able to get more,” I admitted. “I didn’t want to bring it to you — and risk you assigning helpers — until I knew exactly what I was dealing with.” I thought back to Jessica approaching me in the hospital, how vulnerable Carly had been during labor with a madwoman threatening her. “I don’t want anybody getting hurt because of me.”

Fish shot me a sympathetic look. “What happened with your friend was unfortunate, but you handled it well.”

“Aw, you have a crush on me, don’t you?”

His expression darkened. “There’s no need to take this to an uncomfortable place every single time. You did well at the hospital. But now you seem to be fouling up.”

“Excuse me?” My voice took on an edge. “I didn’t foul up. Jake fouled up.”

“Why did you go to him in the first place?”

I hesitated. I’d omitted Eliot’s part in the tale.

“It was your boyfriend, wasn’t it?” Rather than be annoyed, Fish looked smug. “He wanted you to go to Jake because it would be added protection for you.”

“Pretty much,” I agreed. There really was no sense denying it. “He’s feeling stretched. He doesn’t want to smother me, but he thinks I need more protection. He wanted me to work with Jake so added protection would be built in.”

“And Jake screwed you.”

“Jake screwed Eliot more than me. I didn’t want to tell Jake what was going on. I knew from the start he was unlikely to be able to give me what Eliot wanted. None of this is Eliot’s fault. It’s all my fault.”

“It’s Farrell’s fault,” Fish countered. “If he knew he couldn’t hold up his end of the bargain, he shouldn’t have made it to begin with.”

“He kept warning us that he would do his best.” I was bitter thinking about the conversation. “I should’ve seen then that he was going to screw me. I should have followed him instead of talking to Ruth Shepperly.”

Fish’s forehead creased. “Where did you see her?”

“She was with Jake, Lucien Prince and Ezekiel Potter at a diner on Groesbeck. Apparently she’s volunteering information to them in an effort to get her daughter less time.”

Fish might’ve been a relic from another time, but his mind was sharp when it came to news judgment. “How does that work? Are they going to only prosecute her in one county?”

I nodded. “Oakland. Apparently that’s where the charges will be lightest. Jake hasn’t come right out and said that’s how it’s going to play out, but it’s obvious that’s what’s going to happen. He seemed ashamed when I figured it out.”

“He should be ashamed. Jessica Shepperly could have killed you. And what about your friend and her baby? That is ludicrous.” He shook his head. “We can put the corporate lawyers on it if you want. I’ll have to talk to the publisher, but he’ll be okay with it because it will mean another story.”

“That’s not necessary,” I replied. “When the time comes, I will hit Jake where it hurts — in public opinion.”

“But you’re hoping it doesn’t come to it.”

“I’m not hoping for anything.”

“You’re still loyal to Farrell even after he screwed you,” Fish insisted. “I can see it. You don’t want to hurt him.”

I hesitated and then held out my hands. “I don’t know what I feel right now. I need to take a few days to calm down before I decide whether or not to move against Jake. I need to think.”

“And there’s something I never thought I would hear you say.” Fish sent me an appraising look. “You’re maturing.”

I was appalled. “Take that back.”

He snickered. “You’re actually thinking about what you’re doing before reacting for a change. It’s like a winter miracle. I take it this is your boyfriend exerting his control again. Who knew all it took was long hair and a bunch of muscles for you to go soft?”

I pinned him with a hateful glare. “I’ve had a rough couple of days,” I reminded him. “Do you want me to take it out on you? That seems to be what you’re indicating.”

Fish held up his hands in defeat and chuckled. “I don’t want you going after me. I do want to know what you have planned for the day.”

“I don’t know.” And that’s what bothered me most. “I had a clear path for investigative purposes, but Jake took it away. I’m not a hundred percent sure what I’m going to do.”

“What about Ludington? Can he help you?”

I shuddered at the thought. “I know I agreed to share information with him, but that was a mistake too. Wanting to win can’t be the most important thing in my life, so much so that I’ll partner with the Devil’s imp to get my way.”

Fish snorted, his eyebrows hiking. “Wow ... and even more maturity.”

“Knock it off.” I was at my limit. “I’ll check in with Tad again because it would look suspect if I didn’t, but that’s pretty much it. I don’t expect much to come out of that partnership.”

“Well, you’re in luck there.” Fish said. “Ludington is coming in with a few of his task force cohorts, including Bates. They’re meeting with the editorial board because they want an endorsement.”

“Of course they do,” I muttered. “All Tad cares about is getting his name in the newspaper ... or on television. I’m guessing he called about five minutes after Jake took down that church yesterday.”

“He did,” Fish confirmed. “How did you know?”

“Because Jake stole his thunder.” Something occurred to me. “I wonder if that’s why Jake did it. He knew Tad was gunning for a splash. Maybe this was his way of ensuring it didn’t happen.”

“He still could’ve included you,” Fish argued. “There’s nothing that would’ve bothered Ludington more than having you involved in the takedown.”

“That’s true.” I let loose a sigh. “I’ll hit Tad and Bates up in the lobby before heading out. They won’t be able to help me, though. It was stupid to even get them to try. After that, I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

“I have an idea about what you’re going to do,” Fish said. “You’re going to take the intern with you.”

Yeah, that sounded unlikely. “Um ... no.”

“She idolizes you,” Fish insisted. “She wants to learn from you.”

“I don’t want to teach her. I have no interest in being anyone’s mentor.”

“That’s a little sad,” Fish commented. “You would be the best mentor for a girl like her, one who grew up entitled but doesn’t understand about grit. The one thing that kid is missing is tenacity. She has all the other components of a good reporter.”

“You can’t teach tenacity. You either have it or you don’t.”

“Tenacity comes with confidence,” Fish responded. “You didn’t always have tenacity. You developed it as you got older.”

He was wrong. “Not if you listen to my grandfather. He always said I was born for annoying greatness. He thought it was funny.”

“Your grandfather is clearly a loon.” Fish’s gaze was serious. “Take her with you. I promised she could shadow you today. She’s been begging all week. I could tell you had something brewing so I gave you space, but ... I think you should take her.”

He phrased it as pleasantly as possible. That didn’t mean I was going to simply suck it up and acquiesce. “No.”

Fish slapped his hands on the table. “Avery, why must you be so difficult?”

“I was born that way.” I pushed myself to a standing position and headed for the door. “Send her with Marvin or Duncan. There’s a hit out on me, in case you’ve forgotten. It’s not safe for her to hang around me.”

“That’s kind of a convenient excuse.”

“I’m fine with that. I’ll talk to Tad and Bates and then head out. I have no idea where I will end up.”

“Just keep me posted.”

“I’ll do my best.”

TAD AND BATES SAT WITH TWO OTHER MEN in the lobby.

“Did you hear what happened yesterday?” Tad practically screeched the question as he stood. He looked ready to melt down.

“I did.” I looked to Bates and flashed a smile I didn’t really feel. “It seems he got the jump on us.”

“I want to know how he did it,” Tad insisted. “That should’ve been our bust. Why weren’t you on that?”

He had to be joking. “Me? You’re supposed to be the one with the drug connections,” I reminded him.

“You said you had sources.”

“None that knew about the raid.”

“Then you need to get better sources. You can’t let Farrell beat us again. How did he manage that? Who tipped him off? If I could get my hands on that person ... .” Tad broke off, miming strangling an invisible person.

Bates was more reserved. “People say you showed up at the bust,” he said in a soft voice. “They say you and Farrell appeared to be arguing.”

“They say?” I challenged. I was curious who he’d been talking to.

“There were a lot of people there yesterday,” Bates said with a shrug. “You were seen arguing with Farrell right out in the open.”

“Oh, has the threesome love story ended?” Tad drawled. “Is it down to just you and the muscle-bound idiot now? You must be so sad.”

“What did I tell you about saying disparaging things about Eliot?” I hissed, my eyes narrowing.

“Hey, you missed out on a big raid yesterday,” Tad replied. “Apparently you need me to motivate you. Standing up for that idiot you’re engaged to often does the trick.”

I wanted to shove his face into a pile of horse crap. “Keep pushing me,” I warned. “I’ll make you cry if you’re not careful ... and I’ll do it in public. We both know I’m capable.”

Tad was haughty. “You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you?”

“I know so.”

Bates, apparently tired of the sniping, cleared his throat to shut us up. “You haven’t answered my question.” He was a little more intense for my comfort. “What were you and Farrell talking about?”

Not that it was any of Bates’s business, but I already had a lie lined up for this. “I wanted to know why he didn’t tip me off,” I replied smoothly. “I often hear about these things before they happen. Instead, Marvin got the story and I was cut out.”

“She has to win,” Tad explained. “Jake cut her off at the knees. He doesn’t usually do that. I told you that’s why she was there. Did you make Farrell cry?”

“Not yet,” I replied. “I’m still debating how to do it.”

“Well, make it something public,” Tad said, his eyes flicking to the glass door as it opened. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

I glanced over my shoulder, frowning when I saw Sabrina joining us. She looked frazzled, and I had no doubt Fish had informed her that she wouldn’t be coming with me after all. Well, great. That’s exactly what I needed.

“Did Farrell say anything of importance?” Bates asked, refusing to let it go.

“What?” Distractedly, I forced my gaze back to him. “No. We argued. We went our separate ways. I haven’t heard from him since.”

“I want to talk to you,” Sabrina announced her bottom lip quivering. “I want to talk to you right now.”

Oh, geez, why didn’t I flee from the building sooner? This was really on me. “I don’t have time to talk to you,” I said.

“I’ll talk to you,” Tad offered.

I pinned him with a dirty look. “I thought you were getting back together with your wife.”

Tad’s lips curved down. “There’s been a little snag in that development. It looks like the divorce is back on. That’s neither here nor there. I was simply suggesting that I would love to sit down with your co-worker for an interview.” He sent Sabrina a preening smile.

“She’s an intern,” I shot back. “And you’re a moron.” I held up my hands when Sabrina looked as if she was about to say something nasty. “I’m sorry if things didn’t work out today as you thought they would. Fish and I talked about it. You will do better with Marvin or Duncan. I have other things to do today.”

“I want to go with you,” Sabrina insisted. “I was promised.”

“Well ... life is full of disappointments. You’re an adult now. You need to accept that.”

“That’s true,” Tad said sagely. “My life has been nothing but a disappointment. I’m surrounded by idiots.”

“No, you are the idiot,” I shot back. “As for you ... there’s nothing I can do for you. I have other things going on today.”

“Like what?” Sabrina was determined not to be left behind.

“Like torturing the sheriff and finalizing plans for my wedding. Nothing I have today involves you.”

Sabrina looked crestfallen “I thought you would be chasing a story.”

“Apparently not.” I pasted what I hoped was a “sweet as pie” smile on my face. “Focus on Duncan and Marvin. I can’t help you, especially not today. And after the wedding I’ll be catching up on stuff and then taking off two weeks for my honeymoon. I’m not the mentor for you.”

“But ... .”

“No.” I was firm as I started toward the door. “I’m done here.” I looked to Bates, who watched me with an unreadable expression. He didn’t look happy. I couldn’t help but wonder if word had slipped about me supplying the maps to Jake. If it had, that wouldn’t bode well for me. “I’m sure I’ll see you two around.”

“I’m sure you will,” Bates murmured.

“Wait.” Sabrina chased me to the space between the two sets of glass doors. She clearly wasn’t giving up.

“What?” I demanded, my patience shredded.

“You can’t cut me out of this,” Sabrina demanded. “I deserve a chance.”

“Take it up with Fish.”

“I already did.”

“Then it’s done.” I was sick of talking to her. “Now, I have things to do. I’m sure you do too.”

She waited until I was almost completely through the doors and on the sidewalk to speak again. “I know what you’re doing.”

It was an odd thing to say, but I was beyond caring. “See you around. Good luck with Marvin and Duncan. Don’t let them sexually harass you.”

And that was about as far as I was willing to go as a mentor.

27 TWENTY-SEVEN

I WENT to Eliot’s shop to regroup.

“Fish knows everything,” I announced as I entered. “Well, not everything, but as close as I could get without making myself look like a jerk.”

Mario stood behind the counter and blinked three times in rapid succession. “The frog sings at night.”

Puzzled, I knit my eyebrows. “What?”

His face was equally blank. “What?”

I rolled my eyes. “Where is Eliot?”

“In his office. Is he the fish?”

“Never mind.” I pushed through Eliot’s closed door without knocking.

“I’m not in the mood, Mario,” he responded without looking up.

“It’s not Mario. It’s the love of your life ... and aren’t I breathtaking?”

Amusement flitted over his features and he chuckled. “You’re always breathtaking. I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

“Yes, well, I told Fish everything.”

“Everything?” He was understandably dubious.

“Nothing that made me look like a jerk, but everything else.”

“So you conveniently left out the Andre stuff.”

“Pretty much.”

“Why did you decide to confide in him?”

“I was angry and he asked.”

“Oh, well … .” He rolled back on his desk chair and patted his lap. “Do you want me to give you a cookie?”

“Is that a euphemism? I have no time for sex.”

He laughed. “I have actual cookies in my desk drawer for when you visit. I often need chocolate to get you out of a bad mood.”

“Good idea.” I shrugged out of my coat and dropped on his lap. “I saw Tad and Bates, too. They’re in the office looking for an endorsement from the editorial board.”

“Will they get one?”

Under normal circumstances I would’ve said no but I honestly wasn’t certain. “Tad has a lot of room to maneuver, thanks to being shot. I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Are you going to talk Fish out of it?”

“I don’t know. It would irritate Jake if he got the endorsement.”

“It would irritate you too. I thought we agreed that you were done doing stupid things just to annoy people?”

“It’s a hard habit to break.”

“Ah.” He pulled open his drawer and tugged out a fresh bag of Oreos. “They’re Double Stuf.”

“Yay.” I yanked open the bag and pulled the top off a cookie to lick the filling. “I don’t know what to do.” It was hard to admit. I always knew what I should be doing. Even if I didn’t want to, there was never any question where to look or who to chase. Jake had taken that from me.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. You didn’t do this to me. Jerky Jake did.”

“He called me.”

I froze with my tongue on the cookie filling.

“Do you want to know what he said?”

“Not if you’re going to suddenly be arguing his point of view.”

“I’m not, which is exactly what I told him. He thought if he could get me on his side you would forgive him. I told him that wasn’t happening anytime soon.”

“Ever,” I corrected. “It’s not ever happening.”

“I think you might eventually get over it.”

“No, if you burn me I’m done with you.”

“Okay.” He kissed my cheek. “I told him that I wasn’t happy with him and that what he did was wrong.”

“Did he agree?”

“No. He said he did what he felt he had to do. He claims they’d already been looking at that area, and you gave them a point to focus on.”

“Oh, well, glad I could be of help.”

“He feels bad.”

“He’s going to feel worse.”

Eliot’s chuckle was low and dry. “In this particular instance, I agree he deserves some payback. I’m willing to bet he agrees.”

“Well, good for him.”

We lapsed into silence, Eliot rubbing his hands over my thighs. It was a contemplative moment — with cookie filling — and he didn’t complain when I left the picked-over cookie bookends on his desk after licking them clean. I was in no mood to leave, but the sound of an incoming text dragged me out of my reverie.

“If that’s Jake I’m going to be really mad.” I climbed off Eliot’s lap to retrieve my coat and dug for my phone in the pocket. When I checked the text, I was furious. “Not Jake.”

“Who?” Eliot straightened in his seat, perhaps expecting trouble. “If that’s Andre, I’m going to beat him. I warned him what would happen if he tried to involve you in his crap.”

“Calm down, Roid Rage Guy,” I instructed. “It’s Fish.”

“What does he want?”

“Apparently Jake is holding a news conference as a follow-up to yesterday. Marvin can’t make it in early to cover it, so I have to.” Eliot didn’t immediately respond, so I glanced up to see if I could read his features. I wasn’t happy to find a smile. “It’s not funny.”

“I think Fish also wants you to make up with Jake.”

“Not going to happen.”

“Avery, he’s been in your life a long time. You know as well as I do that you won’t just cut him out.”

I knew nothing of the sort. “He’s a butthead. I don’t consort with buttheads.”

“Just FYI, you’re occasionally a butthead. He’s forgiven you for doing boneheaded things.”

“I never do boneheaded things.”

“If that’s what you need to tell yourself.” Eliot was calm, something I hated in situations like this. “I’m not saying you should forgive him right away. But eventually you won’t be able to stop yourself. You’re too close to cut him out of your life.”

“Says you.” Suddenly, despite the sugar rush, I was agitated. “I have to go to the sheriff’s department. I’ll call you later ... or something.”

“Or something,” he agreed. “We live together, so you can’t avoid me forever, no matter how angry you are.”

“I could move in with Lexie.”

He snorted. “You wouldn’t last five minutes with whatever dealer she’s got in there now. Just ... do what you have to do. I won’t fight you on messing with Jake.”

“You just did.”

“I fought you on the declaration that you’ll never forgive him. You will, and we both know it.”

Unfortunately, I had a sneaking suspicion he was right. That only further ticked me off. “Later, Gator.”

“For the rest of my life, Wife.”

Ugh. He was definitely on my list too.

THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT MEDIA ROOM was filled to bursting with reporters and law enforcement representatives. I was actually grateful for all the media interest for a change. It would be easier for me to go unnoticed.

I believed that right up until Derrick grabbed my arm and tugged me toward the door. “The sheriff would like a word with you.”

I glared at him and slapped his hand. “I’m here for a media briefing. I don’t want to have a word with the sheriff.”

“The briefing can wait.”

“Um, I believe it’s set to start in three minutes. That’s what I was told.”

“It starts when Jake wants it to start. Now ... come on.” Derrick wasn’t gentle as he gripped my arm and tugged.

I gave up. If I fought too hard, there would be a scene. Then everyone would want to know what was going on. I had no interest in sharing information with any of them.

“What?” I demanded when Derrick ushered me into Jake’s office.

“Sit down, Avery,” Jake said with a sigh, gesturing toward the chairs across from his desk.

“I’m good.”

“Sit down,” he repeated.

“I said I’m good.”

“Avery ... .” Before Jake could lose his temper, Derrick grabbed my shoulders and tried to muscle me into the chair.

Derrick and I had grown up together. We’d wrestled more than once, slapped each other around on occasion as children, and even shot each other in the face with paint guns when we were really angry with one another. He wasn’t afraid to put his hands on me because he knew I wouldn’t stop him. It also meant that I knew all of his weaknesses, which is why I went for his weak knee.

“Ow!” He sounded like a mewling cat when I slammed my fist into the joint. It had the desired effect, however, as he immediately let me go to baby his knee.

“Does that make you feel better?” Jake asked. “Does hurting Derrick make things better?”

“Nothing makes it better, Jake!” I exploded. “He can’t manhandle me. He can’t try to overpower me because he’s my cousin. I won’t let that happen.”

“Fair enough.” Jake held up his hands in defeat. “Derrick, please sit down. Don’t touch your cousin.”

“Don’t touch me,” I hissed as I glared at a limping Derrick.

Jake waited until Derrick was seated to address me. “I know you’re upset.”

He didn’t add to the comment. “Um ... yeah, I’m upset. That’s like saying, ‘I know you’re a pumpkin.’ So, I’m a pumpkin. What does it matter?”

My snarkiness was on full display and it was obvious Jake was doing his level best not to fight with me. “Avery, I know you think I betrayed you ... .”

“You did,” I snapped. “You completely and totally screwed me. I wasn’t even certain what I should do this morning. I always know what to do, even if it’s something evil.”

“I’ll vouch for that,” Derrick muttered, still rubbing his knee.

“I didn’t mean to screw you.” Jake’s voice was plaintive. “We were already digging deep on that side of Gratiot. When you gave me the church ... well ... I had to move on it. I really did try to get you included. The other counties’ officials didn’t want a reporter involved. It’s not as if I could demand it.”

“You could’ve given me a heads up. You could’ve tipped me off so I was there and didn’t lose the story. You could’ve made it so I was only fifty percent screwed and not totally screwed.”

Jake worked his jaw. “I considered it.”

“But you knew the others would accuse you of doing it if I was there,” I surmised. “It was about saving face.”

“It was about getting drug dealers off the street.” Jake’s eyes fired. “My first duty is to the county residents. I know you don’t really care about that — and I can’t blame you given the current circumstances — but I couldn’t just sit on the information. I did my best for you.”

“Which was nothing.”

“I still tried.”

“Did you really?”

Jake let out an exasperated growl. “You won’t accept my apology?”

“Nope.”

“Avery, you’re allowed to be angry, but how long do you think you’ll be punishing me?”

“It could be forever. That’s how angry I am, you big butthead.”

Jake looked pained. “I prefer you were angry at me, but this is more. You’re hurt, and that makes me feel guilty.”

“Don’t apologize to her,” Derrick insisted. “You don’t owe her anything.”

“Except he does,” I argued. “He wouldn’t have had the information to move on if it weren’t for me. I didn’t want to share it in the first place, but Eliot was afraid. He thought something was going to happen to me. He figured Jake would try to help him, and Eliot couldn’t see beyond that. It blinded him, and now he feels guilty.”

“I apologized to Eliot,” Jake said. “I called him.”

“He told me.”

“I didn’t realize you’d seen him.”

“He fed me Oreos while I sat in his lap. He didn’t even yell at me to throw the brown part in the garbage can after I licked them. That’s how guilty he feels.”

“And you blame me for that.”

“For making him second guess himself? Yeah, I blame you. Now Eliot will bite his tongue for the foreseeable future when it comes to things I’m working on because his instincts got me screwed. That’s not fair to him.”

Jake stared at me a moment, unhappiness turning to amazement. “You guys really do belong together. I didn’t know if you would ever find someone who would give you exactly what you needed, but he’s done it ... and he’s made you more considerate in the process. I’m glad you guys got married. He will always be your biggest cheerleader, and that’s what you need.”

The conversational shift threw me, which was likely his intent.

Derrick shook his head. “You mean you’re glad they got engaged.”

That snapped me to attention, and I glared at Jake. “You just had to make things worse.”

Jake’s face drained of color. “Oh, geez.”

“You’re already married?” Derrick was incredulous. “I can’t believe it. Did it happen in Vegas? Were you drunk? Does your mother know?”

I wanted to crawl out of my skin. “I’m going to kill you, Jake. I mean it this time. I just can’t even ... .”

“I’m so sorry.” Jake looked on the verge of tears. “I haven’t slept. I just ... didn’t think.”

“Of course you didn’t.” I was grim when I turned to Derrick. “If you tell my mother, I’ll tell Devon all the stuff you’ve said to me about marrying her, all the questions you’ve asked and doubts you’ve expressed.”

Derrick’s gaze darkened. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I would.”

“No, you wouldn’t.” Derrick was adamant. “It would hurt her and potentially hurt our kid. You’re too moral for that. Me, on the other hand, I will make you do some awful things to keep me quiet.”

Jake spoke before I could. “No, you won’t.” His voice was low and full of warning. “You won’t give her grief on this because I’ll make your life hell if you do.”

“Aw.” Derrick looked legitimately sad. “Do you know how rare it is for me to have something to hold over her head? This is the big one. Her mother’s head will explode if she finds out Avery got married without her. I can blackmail Avery for twenty years with this.”

“Well, you won’t.” Jake was firm. “I owe Avery. I can’t fix what happened. I can make your life hell if you mess with her, though, and I will. You have my word on that.”

“Oh, man. This sucks.” Derrick looked at the floor. “Why does nothing ever go my way?”

“I’m kind of feeling that way too,” I admitted.

“We’re going to talk about this again, Avery,” Jake said. “I’m going to make you see my side of things. I know you can’t right now because you’re too angry, but eventually you’ll see I did the very best I could.”

“And I’m going to make you cry,” I shot back. “Big, fat tears. My punishment will be legendary.”

Jake nodded. “That seems fair.”

“So you’re saying nobody won,” Derrick said. “That’s basically what this boils down to.”

“It does,” I agreed, pushing myself to a standing position. “It sucks wide. Not only have I lost, but nobody else has won. It’s a total waste.”

“The people of Macomb County won,” Jake argued. “There are fewer dealers on the streets now.”

“And when other people slide in to take their place and things are just as bad in two months? What then?”

“We’ll tackle it then.”

“And you’ll be the hero again.”

“It’s not about me being a hero.”

“If you say so.”

THE NEWS CONFERENCE WAS TEDIOUS, AS I expected. After it finished and I had my packet of information — a breakdown on everybody who was arrested — I headed for the parking lot. I was lost in thought, and almost didn’t notice when a car pulled up next to me.

“Get in.”

As far as pickup lines went, it had to be the lamest. “Thanks, but I’m already spoken for. I don’t think my husband would like it if I picked up random men in a parking lot, even if it is the sheriff’s department parking lot. I ... .” Whatever I was going to say died on my lips when I looked up and registered who had issued the order.

My mouth dried and my heart rate picked up. The driver was Caleb Bates ... and he was holding a gun pointed directly at me.

“Get in,” Caleb repeated.

My mind was working overtime. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Get in,” he demanded.

“I would rather not. But thanks for the offer.”

Then I heard it, a plaintive cry from the trunk of the car. The voice belonged to a female, and she was banging on the trunk lid.

“Help me!” The familiar voice caused my stomach to plummet.

“That’s your little buddy from the newspaper,” Caleb said. “Sabrina, I believe is her name. She was following you when you went to your boyfriend’s shop. I brought her along for collateral.”

Crap on toast! What was I supposed to do now?

“Get in,” Caleb insisted. “If you don’t, I’ll shoot her and be gone before you can even alert the cops inside. I know that’s what you’re wondering about. Can you get to Farrell before I kill her? The answer is ‘no.’ So, be a good girl and get in the car.”

It was a stupid move. I knew that. I also knew I couldn’t abandon Sabrina to Caleb. The look in his eye told me he wouldn’t think twice about killing her. That would be on me because Sabrina would still be safe if I’d allowed her to tag along as she’d wanted.

“Fine.” I opened the passenger door and slid in. “I don’t know how you see this going, but it won’t be as easy as you think.”

“You’re wrong about that. I know exactly how this is going to go. Just a hint: You won’t like the ending.”

Before I could respond, the back door of the car opened and another person joined the party. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that Tad was part of this, but I considered him too stupid to ever get in any real trouble. Apparently I was wrong.

“What are you doing?” Caleb demanded, his eyebrows flying up his forehead. “I ... you ... you’re not supposed to be here.”

Okay, now I was really confused. As was Tad.

“I knew you guys were working against me,” Tad hissed. “Well, I won’t let you get the glory and leave me to fail ... again. You’re stuck with me.”

Oh, well, things had just gotten interesting. Tad and Caleb weren’t working together after all. Tad was just a nosy idiot. For once, his stupidity might actually work in my favor.

28 TWENTY-EIGHT

“GET OUT,” Caleb demanded, his fury on full display. “Get out right now!”

Tad, always oblivious, shook his head. “If you think I’m going to let you two conspire against me and steal my thunder, you’ve got another thing coming. This is my task force. I’m in charge.”

“This has nothing to do with your task force,” Caleb insisted. “We’re talking about something ... private.”

Tad’s eyebrows drew together. “Private? What sort of private?”

“The sort that doesn’t involve you.”

I sensed an opening. “Don’t listen to him, Tad. We’re plotting against you. We’re going to break the drug ring across Gratiot and make sure you get zero attention for it.”

Caleb’s expression promised retribution. “Shut up.”

“It’s true,” I continued. “Why do you think I went to you in the first place, Tad?” I had only one card to play and I knew how to use it. “Did you really believe I wanted to partner with you? I just wanted access to Caleb. Once I had it, I turned him to my side relatively quickly.”

“Shut up,” Caleb hissed, his eyes narrow slits of hate. “Don’t listen to her, Tad. She’s making that up. We’re talking about something else.”

What I’d said was enough to have Tad suspicious. “What are you talking about?”

“We’re ... having an affair,” Caleb replied, grasping.

“Oh, ew.” I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. “We are not having an affair. That is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard.”

“We are.” Caleb committed to the lie. “We fell hard and fast for each other. We’re trying to figure out how to make it work.”

I snorted. “I think my husband will have something to say about that.”

“Your fiancé will just have to let it go,” Caleb responded. “You’re not married yet.”

“Except I am. We got married in Vegas. We’re not telling anyone because my mother will melt down if she doesn’t get to throw a wedding. That’s why we’re having it so quickly.”

“She’s lying,” Caleb shot back. “We’re in love. We’re going to run away together. That’s all we’re talking about in here. She just doesn’t want you to know.”

Was that his plan? Was he going to kill me and leave? “We’re not in love. He’s obviously a murdering bastard. Think about it, Tad. Why would I want this old guy when I have a hot hunk of prime rib at home? I mean ... you know me. I’m shallow. I want the prime rib, not ground chuck.”

“You are kind of shallow,” Tad said. “You only dated me because of my looks.”

“Yeah, I only dated you because of temporary insanity,” I shot back. “I was clearly out of my mind. I’m not dating this guy. We’re plotting against you.”

“She’s lying to cover our tracks,” Caleb gritted out. “She doesn’t want anyone to know we’re in love until she tells her boyfriend that she’s not marrying him.”

“You can pull the marriage licenses in Vegas, Tad,” I reminded him. “It’s easy. Eliot and I have been married a week. We got drunk and did it there and have been covering ever since.

“I mean, think about it,” I continued. “Given my disdain for law enforcement — and how they always screw me over — why would I want to be with a law-and-order guy? I’m a rule-breaker, Tad. I’m not going to be with a guy who feels the need to boss me around ... and that’s all this guy would want to do.”

“She has a point,” Tad said, looking to Caleb. He was paranoid by nature and I was feeding his delusions. “I can’t believe you turned on me, and after I helped you save face with the Feds. They were going to yank your credentials, but I worked out a deal with them. I can’t believe this is my payback … you dishonest loser.”

Oh, well, now I was officially intrigued. “Why were the Feds going to yank his credentials?” I demanded.

“Because some of the confiscated product from his original task force went missing,” Tad replied. “He claimed it was miscounted at the start, but the Feds didn’t believe him. There was a lot of discussion about not wanting to tarnish the legacy of a legend, but people were whispering that someone on his team had sticky fingers and he was covering for them.”

Well, that rounded out some of my issues. “So ... drugs went missing from the big bust on the bridge. I’m willing to bet they found their way back onto the street.”

“Shut up!” Caleb snapped, the gun in his lap jerking and causing my heart to skip. “Don’t you just ever shut up?”

“Not really,” I replied calmly. “I’m a superhero in some ways, and my superpower is the ability to run my mouth no matter what.”

“Definitely,” Tad agreed, his eyes on the gun. “I don’t understand what’s going on here.”

“You definitely don’t,” Caleb said, his lips curving into an unpleasant sneer. “You are, without a doubt, the dumbest individual I have ever met. The amount of things you don’t understand is extraordinary.”

“There’s no reason to be rude,” Tad shot back. “You’re the one conspiring with my mortal enemy.”

“I prefer arch nemesis,” I countered. “It has a nicer ring to it.”

Tad shook his head. “I want to know what’s going on here right now ... and then I want it to end. We had a deal.”

Caleb’s cheeks flushed with color as I slid my eyes to him. I recognized the instant he realized he’d completely lost control of the situation. Before he could open his mouth to admonish Tad — or threaten me — Sabrina started screaming in the trunk again, kicking against the walls and carrying on like a true terrified kidnapping victim.

Tad jerked to look behind him. “What was that?”

“That would be my intern,” I replied. “Caleb put her in the trunk as collateral.”

“Collateral for what?” Tad was still trailing behind the conversation.

“I don’t know.” I opted for honesty. “Caleb was just going to tell me that before you hopped in the car. He forced me to get in, by the way. He threatened my intern and pointed a gun at me. He wanted me out of the parking lot ... and then you came along.”

“What?” Tad remained baffled. “I don’t understand.”

“I don’t either.” I held Caleb’s gaze. “I’m starting to figure things out, though. You stole product from your task force busts – probably even the big one you got so many accolades for – and were moving it on the street. The Feds were looking at you and that was enough to have you sweating. But then Tad came along and miraculously made your problems go away.”

Caleb’s smirk was dark. “Even that idiot is good for something.”

“He had a lot of people pulling for him after he was shot,” I said. “They wanted to use him to send a message. If Tad believed in you, the Feds likely thought they could unload you and make you his problem. He’s prone to doing idiotic things, so they figured they would ride the wave of goodwill he’d earned and dump you on him. Then, when Tad inevitably screwed up, he would drag you down with him and it wouldn’t be on them.”

Caleb shot me an appraising look. “You’re smarter than you look.”

“I’m a veritable genius depending on who you talk to,” I agreed, my mind working overtime. There was one angle of this I’d yet to figure out. “Were you involved with Hypno from the start, or did you decide to move in and fill the void after the fact?”

“What do you think?”

“I think you knew the people involved — we’re talking cops here, after all — and you wanted a piece. They cut you in, but you wanted more. Then, when the Santas ended up dead and the others were arrested, you were in a prime position to take over. I bet the supply was disturbed for only two or three days at the most.”

Caleb made a clucking sound with his tongue. “Like I said, you’re smarter than you look.”

And yet I still hadn’t put everything together. There were still a few pieces missing. I was determined to pull them all together ... and buy myself time. I hit the first button on speed dial on my phone hidden between my legs. Thanks to the puffy coat, Caleb couldn’t see it. And because I’d grown annoyed with the text chirps associated with Jake’s apologies, I’d set the phone to silent after leaving Eliot’s shop. I figured he would text me until I had no choice but to stop being angry with him. All I could hope now was that he wasn’t too angry to answer the call, or distracted with a customer. I had only one shot at this.

“Those were your men at the church,” I said. “Jake took down your operation yesterday.”

“He did,” Caleb agreed. “My men will keep silent for a day or two — they’re as loyal as thugs can get — but once deals start getting thrown around, I’m done. I have to leave.”

“So why not just leave?” I asked. “Why risk hanging around?”

“I feel as if I owe you for making all of this happen.”

“How is Avery responsible?” Tad demanded from the back seat. He’d turned unnaturally pale. “What does she have to do with any of this?”

“She told the sheriff where to find my guys.” Caleb’s eyes were dark slits of hate. “That’s why you and Farrell were arguing yesterday. It took me a while to figure out, but it’s the only thing that makes sense.

“I’ve had people following you,” he continued. “I knew you were a threat. I tried to feel Ludington out about you, he only ranted and raved. Over and over and over again. He’s obsessed with you.”

“I am not.” Tad was clearly offended. “Why would you say such a thing?”

“It’s true,” Caleb shot back. “You can’t see beyond her. She’s all you think about. You’re obsessed with winning. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were in love with her.”

“Don’t ever say anything like that again,” I warned, glaring at him. “That is the grossest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Caleb ignored the admonishment. “I needed information on you after what happened with the previous Hypno group. I knew darned well that you were going to be trouble, and I was right.”

“Is that true?” Tad asked, looking to me. “Did you provide Farrell with information that led him to that church?”

We were beyond lying now. “I did.”

“How could you?” Tad screeched. “We had an agreement. You were supposed to share information with me first. I can’t believe it!” He threw his hands in the air. “Oh, what am I saying? Of course I can believe it. You’re not happy unless you’re screwing me. That’s who you are.”

“I am happy screwing you,” I confirmed. “I knew from the start that trying to work with you was a mistake. I thought I might be able to swing it. I didn’t make the decision to tell Jake about the church, though. That was Eliot.”

“I’m confused about how you figured out the bit about the church,” Bates admitted. “Like I said, I’ve been watching you. I’ve been switching guys because the first one went against orders and tried to break into your house because he was bored – old habits and all that. But I’ve had eyes on you the entire time. The night before, you went to a park in Mount Clemens and just sat there with your boyfriend. I thought you were there for a meet, but nobody showed.”

“We were there for a meet,” I acknowledged. “We got an anonymous note asking that we go there. It was actually a sting. Jake’s men were watching the whole thing. Whoever contacted me never showed. When we got home, there was a package on the front porch. It contained maps showing various Mount Clemens routes. The meet was just an excuse to keep us out of the house so they could drop the package.”

Caleb’s brow wrinkled. “And who dropped the package?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Although I did have a sneaking suspicion. It was the same person I’d contacted to confirm what we were looking at on the map. Eliot said Andre would deliver the map to me if he wanted me to have it, but that would’ve opened him to attack. Doing it the way he did, he paid me back for the text that saved him without letting me know that he was the one helping me. It was smart. He’d also ensured that I would be on the trail of his competition. It was a win all around for him.

“How can you not know?” Caleb demanded. “Someone delivered a very valuable piece of information to you, that you then provided the sheriff. He took down my operation. They’re all in custody ... except for me.”

“You’ll be in custody shortly,” I said. “You think your men are loyal, but they’re probably singing for a deal even as we speak.”

“Which is why I’m getting out of town,” Caleb confirmed. “It’s only a matter of time before they come for me.”

“A smart man would already be out of town,” I said. “You stayed for revenge, something only an idiot would do.”

“You’ve got it coming. I let slip that your name was on a hit list to scare you off. I gave you every opportunity to walk away. This is on you. You ruined things for both of us.”

He wasn’t wrong. “I couldn’t just walk away,” I said. “I can’t let a story go. By putting me on the list you lit a fire under me ... and here we are.”

“Well, I’m going to light a different fire under you now,” Caleb growled. “You ruined my retirement plan. I’m going to ruin a few things of yours now.”

“That only seems fair,” I replied reasonably. “Just out of curiosity, why did you kill Mahorn?” That was the only thing I hadn’t figured out. “Did he switch allegiances after the first ring went down? Did he start out working for them and end up working for you?”

“That’s pretty good.” Caleb grinned. “Your mind is sharp when it comes to puzzles. You have zero common sense, but you are sly when you want to be. As for Mahorn, I knew it was a mistake to bring him on from the start. He was never trustworthy. He knew the trade, though, and I thought it would buy me some time.

“Then I saw him talking to you at the vigil,” he continued. “I knew you were sniffing around for a specific reason. Mahorn said he could handle you, but it was obvious he was unnerved. I decided he was too much of a risk and took him out of the equation.”

“And the Santa massacre? Did you have anything to do with that?”

“That was just a stroke of luck.” Caleb grinned at the memory. “That massacre and the fallout opened the way for me. Before then I had the occasional bout of good luck lining my pockets, but Hypno was too good to be true.”

“I knew you were lying when you said the Hypno was gone,” I said. “I couldn’t figure out why, but it makes sense now. That was the moment I decided both you and Tad couldn’t be trusted. Before then, I thought you might be a good guy. You did yourself no favors telling such a bad lie.”

Caleb offered up a haphazard shrug. “Next time I’ll know better.”

“Next time, huh?”

“Yes, next time.” Caleb looked out the window and shook his head. “I guess we should be moving. We can’t stay here.”

“Moving?” Tad was back to being the world’s most annoying man. “Where are we moving to?”

“To a secluded area in the woods so he can shoot us, you moron,” I snapped. “Pay attention.”

Tad balked. “I don’t want to be shot. I’ve already been shot. It was not fun.”

“I’ll do a better job than the last person,” Caleb offered, putting the vehicle in drive. “I’ll make it fast and painless.”

Tad’s eyes went wide as the words registered, and he reached for the handle of the rear door. Unfortunately for him, the car had child locks. He whimpered as he desperately beat against the window. “No, no, no! I don’t want to be part of this. I won’t tell anyone what you do to Avery.”

“You are gallant that way,” I replied dryly, my eyes going to the gun in Caleb’s lap. He was right-handed, which meant he was holding the gun with his dominant hand and trying to navigate with the weaker one. I had an idea.

“I told you to get out twenty minutes ago,” Caleb said. “This is really on you.”

“It really is, Tad,” I agreed, angling myself to look into the back seat. “I blame you for all of this.”

“You two are the most immature idiots imaginable when you’re together,” Caleb noted, his eyes on the parked cars as he drove toward the exit. “You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to strangle you. I don’t know how either of you have survived this long.”

“I can’t speak for Tad, but as for me, you already nailed it,” I said. “I’m smarter than I look.” With those words, I reached over and grabbed the wheel, jerking it as far to the right as I could.

Caleb dropped the gun and grabbed for the wheel with both hands. He was too late to stop what I’d set in motion and the vehicle careened into a parked patrol cruiser. Despite the impact, I grabbed the gun and aimed it at Caleb.

The collision wasn’t enough to injure anyone — although Tad screamed as if he was dying — but the front end of the vehicle was mangled.

“What the ... ?” Caleb’s eyes filled with fury as they met mine.

I pulled back the hammer on the gun and eyed him with cool confidence. “You said yourself that I was smarter than I looked.”

“You ... .” He reached for me, his hands moving toward my neck, but someone yanked his door open and grabbed him from behind before he could lay a finger on me.

When I lifted my eyes, I found a fierce Jake wrestling with Caleb. He’d obviously decided he was going to fight this battle himself.

“It took you long enough,” I groused. “I really thought I was going to have to shoot him.”

“Eliot only called us seven minutes ago,” Jake argued. “We had to get a feel for the situation before we moved on him. We didn’t want you hurt in the process.”

“Yeah, well ... you can’t cut me out of this one.” I handed the gun to Derrick when he appeared on my side of the vehicle. “This is my story.” I thumped my chest for emphasis. “Mine!”

“It’s your story.” Jake agreed. “I ... .”

I shook my head. “We’re still not okay, Jake.” That was the truth. “I’ll probably let you bribe me later to make things okay.” That also was the truth.

He nodded as he pinned Caleb to the ground next to the car. “We’ll focus on this first. Then I’ll bribe you.”

“Sounds good.” I grimaced as I stood outside the vehicle, my back cracking. “I’m probably going to feel that collision.” Then I remembered Sabrina. “Oh, and the intern is in the trunk. You probably want to get her out of there.”

Derrick’s eyes went wide. “Why didn’t you lead with that?”

“I kind of forgot.”

Tad looked dazed as one of the deputies helped him out of the car. “I survived being shot again. It’s a miracle.”

“You weren’t shot,” I pointed out. “You were in a fender bender. It wasn’t even a real accident.”

“I have the luck of the Almighty on my side,” Tad insisted. “I’m blessed.”

“Oh, geez.” I shook my head and looked to Caleb as Jake cuffed him. “You went on and on about Tad’s ego, but you were the one who let his ego bring you down.”

Caleb sneered. “This isn’t over.”

“Oh, it’s over,” Jake countered. “She beat you. You’ll have to learn to live with it. She won and you lost.”

Ah, my favorite words in the English language. I had won … finally, and in more ways than one.

29 TWENTY-NINE

“YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL.” Carly, free of her demon spawn, stared at my reflection in the mirror of the park facility’s bathroom and took on a sappy expression. “Really, really beautiful.”

I shot her a dark look. “I’m a badass. I took down a drug kingpin a few days ago. I don’t want to look beautiful.”

“Oh, get over yourself.” She’d dressed in a pretty dress, something from before the sack collection she’d accumulated during pregnancy. Carly told anyone who would listen she was already back to wearing her pre-baby clothes. Devon took one look at her, glared, and then stormed away to whisper something in Derrick’s ear. I didn’t care what it was as long as she stayed away from me. I was uncomfortable enough.

“Where is your devil baby?” I asked as I smoothed the top of the dress. It fit perfectly despite the fact that I had to wear it off the rack, something my mother fought and yet somehow managed to wrangle to her advantage.

“With his father.” Carly’s expression momentarily darkened. “He’s not a devil. He’s an angel.”

“That’s not what you said when you called me in Vegas,” I reminded her. “You yelled at me and asked why I didn’t tell you that having kids was a bad idea.”

“You’re making that up.” Carly did a little dance before the mirror. “How great do I look? In another two weeks, I think I’ll be thinner than I was before I got pregnant.”

“Awesome.” I slid her a sidelong look. “You’re not upset that Lexie is standing up with me?”

“No.”

I waited, because that seemed very unlike Carly. There was little she loved more than being the center of attention.

“I’m not,” she insisted when she realized I was staring at her. “I’m fine. If I was your attendant, I couldn’t wear an old dress that is like new again and point out that I’m back to my pre-baby weight three weeks after giving birth. That’s way better than standing next to you when you awkwardly recite vows to Eliot.”

She had a point. “Well, thanks for not making a fuss. Eliot wanted to get this done as quickly as possible.”

“That’s because he wanted to make sure that you didn’t run.”

It wasn’t true, but I wasn’t about to argue. It was bad enough that I had to explain our circumstances to a judge and get him to agree to marry us. When I told him the wedding would be fake, he demanded double his normal fee. Eliot was happy to pay, so I agreed. “I wasn’t going to run.” Why I felt the need to defend myself was beyond me. “I was never going to run.”

Carly’s gaze was speculative as she eyed me. “No, you weren’t. Even you aren’t that dumb.”

“Thanks.”

“I mean it. He’s your match. I thought it might be Jake, that you two would somehow find your way back to one another, but Eliot is better suited for you.”

“I’m angry with Jake anyway.”

Carly waved my comment away. “Oh, you’ll get over that. You get angry at the drop of the hat but you always get over it just as fast.”

“Um, no. I’m a mean person.”

“You just like to talk big.” She studied my hair, which was hanging loose. “I take it you don’t want to put this up.”

“No, Mom, I don’t.”

Her grin was lightning quick. “I take it that she also suggested that.”

“Yup, and I told her the same thing I’m telling you. I like it down.”

“Fine.” She held up her hands. “The dress is pretty. I can’t believe you got it so quickly.”

“That was my mother.”

“Your mother did everything, including the tents. I thought it was a stupid idea at first but then I checked them out. They’re pretty cool. There are fairy lights all over the place. It looks like a magical winter wonderland.”

“Am I supposed to be a fairy in that description?”

“No, you’re a demon.”

“Well, at least we agree on something.” I pursed my lips, debating as I studied my reflection. “You’re a good friend,” I said. “You were right when you said only Eliot could put up with me for marriage. You’re one of the few people who can put up with me too, and I’m grateful for it.”

“Aw.” Her face contorted and tears brimmed.

“Don’t you dare,” I hissed, extending a warning finger. “Crying isn’t allowed.”

“But you’re being sweet.”

“I’ll take it back and point out that your butt is definitely bigger than it was before you were pregnant.”

“My butt looks great. There’s nothing you can say to make me think otherwise.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I inhaled heavily and smoothed my dress one more time. “I guess it’s time to get married.”

“Almost,” Carly said, pointing to the door behind me, which had opened to allow my grandfather entrance. He was all decked out in a fancy suit, and what little was left of his hair was moussed to within an inch of its life. “I’ll leave you guys to it ... and see you again when you’re a married woman.”

I returned her smile and waited for Grandpa to speak.

“You don’t look half bad,” he said by way of greeting.

“You either. You clean up nice.”

“I know.” He smiled. “It’s nice that you let your mother do this.”

“I didn’t see that I had much choice.”

“No, she would’ve melted down if she didn’t get her way. It was also nice that you crammed it into a week so we didn’t have to drag things out. That would’ve been torturous to the extreme.”

“I’m nothing if not considerate of my family.”

He snorted. “And the fact that you’re already married makes it even easier.”

I froze, thinking back to the knowing look he’d shot me that night at dinner. “I don’t know what you mean,” I hedged, doing my best to keep my face impassive. “I’m about to get married.”

“Oh, don’t even.” He shook his head. “I knew that night. You were calmer, more settled. Also, you can lie to anyone in the world and almost always pull it off, but you can’t lie to me.”

I considered carrying on the charade. “You can never tell her.”

“I won’t. When she stops talking to you for six months because she’s angry she wasn’t there for the actual event, she’ll be complaining to me constantly. Nobody wants that.”

“Definitely not.”

“He’s a good man.”

“He is.”

“He’s the right man for you, and Lord knows I never thought you would find someone I could say that about. I figured you would marry Jake and make his life miserable or trek it alone the rest of your life.

“Don’t get me wrong, you would’ve been fine on your own,” he continued. “But Eliot balances out your life. He makes things better and he gets you, which seems like a minor miracle. He’s practically perfect ... except for his stupid hair.”

“I like his hair.”

“Of course you do.” He let loose a sigh. “I want you to be happy, kid. Eliot will make you happy without curbing your enthusiasm for mayhem. That’s why he’s perfect for you.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“Then, let’s do this.” He held out his arm. “I’ll walk you out to the aisle and then you can take it from there and do it yourself. That’s what you’re best at.”

I gave my reflection one more look. “It’s time.”

“Then let’s get you fake married.”

BRIDES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DEMURE. At least that’s what television and movies teach us. I couldn’t force myself to be something I wasn’t, and seeing Jake standing next to Eliot at the end of the aisle had me pointing my index finger at my eyes and then him as a warning.

He smirked and shook his head, and by the time I stood in front of Eliot I was calmer than I expected.

The judge ran through the formalities and then turned things over to Eliot. We’d written our own vows, both of us agreeing to keep them short. He was up first, which I was grateful for. I figured I could fix mine on the fly if necessary.

“People asked me if I ever thought this day would come,” Eliot began. “I think pretending I knew we would get here from the start is disingenuous. All I knew about you from the day we met was that you were a mouthy Star Wars freak, which I found intriguing but hardly the stuff of forever. Somewhere along the line you changed my entire worldview, though, and I’m grateful for it.

“I promise to keep challenging you, because otherwise you get too full of yourself,” he continued. “I promise to keep indulging you because it makes me laugh. I promise to love you forever, even if you drive me crazy. You can never get rid of me now. It’s you and me forever.”

His vows were more than I expected despite their simplicity. I forgot everything I was going to say, and it left me fumbling.

“I didn’t think we would end up together that first day,” I admitted, finally finding my voice. “I thought you were hot, but I never thought I needed anyone to take care of me. I still maintain that I can do everything I need to do on my own. I no longer want to be alone, though, because we fit together.”

I sucked in a breath to center myself. “I promise to irritate you every day for the rest of our lives. I promise to challenge you until you think you’re going to break and then hold you up because you deserve it. I promise to love you forever, even when you’re being a controlling butthead and I think you’re wrong.”

He chuckled and squeezed my hands.

“Finally, I promise to try to be an adult at least once a week,” I continued. “I probably won’t be able to accomplish that, but I will try. That’s my gift to you.”

Eliot’s grin was magnetic and I thought for a moment he was going to lean in and kiss me before it was time. Instead, he accepted the ring Jake handed him and slipped it on my finger. “I, Eliot Kane, promise to be loyal and true forever.”

I smiled as I glanced down at the ring, my forehead creasing when I realized it felt slightly different. Before I realized what I was doing, I tugged it off and studied the inside of the band. Sometime in the last week he’d had it engraved. The message was simple: May my love be with you, always. It was from Star Wars, slightly altered.

I felt tears pricking the backs of my eyes.

“Don’t do that,” he admonished. “I’ll be really disappointed if you cry. That’s such a girlie thing to do.”

I blew out a sigh to calm myself and then accepted the ring Lexie handed me. It wasn’t engraved, but only because I hadn’t thought to do it. “I, Avery Shaw, promise to be loyal and true forever,” I said as I slipped the ring on his finger. “I promise to let you win once a week.”

The last part slipped out and made everybody in the crowd laugh.

Eliot swooped in to kiss me before the judge declared us legally bound. It was a formality anyway.

“And you made it without falling apart,” he whispered as he stroked the back of my head. “You’re definitely growing up.”

I half-heartedly scowled. “Don’t insult me on our wedding day.”

“Fair enough. Are you ready for dinner and dancing?”

“I just want the cake.”

“I think we can work something out.”

In that moment I knew things had already worked out. I never saw him coming, but I would be forever thankful for him. “I want a big piece.”

“Of course you do.”

“I might want three pieces.”

“Oh, good, a sugar rush.” He straightened. “There’s little more I love than a sugared-up Avery Shaw.”

Want more? Sign up for my mailing list. It’s for new releases only, no spam.

http://eepurl.com/Y6bkf

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.

If you liked the book, please take a few minutes and leave a review. An independent author does it all on their own, and the reviews are helpful. I understand that my characters aren’t for everyone, though. There’s a lot of snark and sarcasm in my world – and I know some people don’t like that.

Special thanks go out to Heidi Bitsoli and Phil VanHulle for correcting the (numerous) errors that creep into a work of fiction.

If you’re interested in my future works, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or join my mailing list. I do not believe in spam. I only announce new releases or free promotions.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

For more information:

author@amandamlee.net

BOOKS BY AMANDA M. LEE

An Avery Shaw Mystery

Who, What, Where, When, Die

If it Bleeds, it Leads

Buried Leads

Shot Off The Presses

The Preditorial Page

Misquoted & Demoted

Headlines & Deadlines

Misprints & Mistakes

Bylines & Skylines

Off the Record

Unwritten & Underwater

Extra! Extra! Dead All About It

On Deadline & Under Fire

Above the Fold & Below the Belt

Oracles & Obituaries

New Media & Old Grudges

Mayhem & Mistletoe

A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery

Any Witch Way You Can

Every Witch Way But Wicked

Witching You Were Here

Witching on a Star

Something to Witch About

Witch Me Luck

Life’s a Witch

Charms & Witchdemeanors

The Trouble With Witches

Murder Most Witchy

A Witch Before Dying

A Breath of Witchy Air

Witch, Interrupted

Flip the Witch Switch

Witchin’ Around the Clock

To Love a Witch

The Witch is Back

A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short

Careful What You Witch For

Wicked Brew

On a Witch and a Prayer

You Only Witch Once

The Christmas Witch

Bewitched

A Solstice Celebration

Witchdependence Day

Happy Witchgiving

Merry Witchmas

Four-Leaf Clover

Thistle While You Work

Landon Calling

I Dream of Twila

How Aunt Tillie Stole Christmas

A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fantasy

Witchy Tales

A Witch In Time

Make A Witch

A Witchmas Carol

All My Witches

Close Encounters of the Witchy Kind

An Aisling Grimlock Mystery

Grim Tidings

Grim Offerings

Grim Discovery

Grim Reunion

Grim Expectations

Grim Holiday

Grim Rising

Grim Tempest

Grim Vows

Grimlock Family Shorts

Grim Like Me

Grim & The City

Now & Grim

Grim & Bear It

Grim & The Dead

Death Gate Grim Reapers

Only the Lonely

Only the Quiet

Only the Lost

Only the Devout

Only the Strong

A Mystic Caravan Mystery

Freaky Days

Freaky Lies

Freaky Hearts

Freaky Games

Freaky Places

Freaky Rites

Freaky Witches

Freaky Reapers

Freaky Fangs

Freaky Seas

Freaky Mage

A Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery

The Bigfoot Blunder

The Chupacabra Catastrophe

The Werewolf Whoops

The Megalodon Mix-Up

The Undead Uproar

The Incubus Impasse

The Killer Clown Calamity

A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery

Witchin’ USA

Witch Out of Water

Freaky Deaky Tiki

To Spell With It

Hex Type Thing

Brewing Up a Storm

Long, Hot, Witchy Summer

A Spell’s Angels Cozy Mystery

Bad to the Crone

No Crones About It

No Crone Unturned

Cut to the Crone

Romancing the Crone

A Two Broomsticks Gas & Grill Cozy Mystery

Sinfully Delicious

Caffeinated Calamity

Covenant College

Awakening

Whispering

Conjuring

Waxing & Waning

Graduating

Living Covenant Trilogy

Rising Covenant

Dark Covenant

Eternal Covenant

Dying Covenant Trilogy

Haunted Covenant

Desperate Covenant

Everlasting Covenant

2019 Shorts

Wolf on the Job

Luke on the Loose

Cupid in Crisis

Millie on a Mission

Jerry Takes Charge

Elemental Witches of Eternal Springs

Bat Out Of Spell

Spell on Earth

Hotter Than Spell

Spell or High Water

BOOKS BY LILY HARPER HART

A Maddie Graves Mystery

Grave Homecoming

Grave Insight

Grave Delight

Grave Misgivings

Grave Concerns

Grave Discovery

Grave Decisions

Grave Seasons

Grave Holiday

Grave Haunting

Grave Paths

Grave Danger

Grave Missteps

Grave Demands

Grave Wedding

An Ivy Morgan Mystery

Wicked Days

Wicked Dreams

Wicked Times

Wicked Places

Wicked Warning

Wicked Fog

Wicked Season

Wicked Winter

Wicked Hearts

Wicked Wishes

Wicked Whimsy

Wicked Haunts

Wicked Delight

Wicked Respite

Wicked Decisions

Wicked Reunion

Wicked Games

Wicked Wedding

Wicked Honeymoon

A Harper Harlow Mystery

Ghostly Interests

Ghostly Issues

Ghostly Deceits

Ghostly Worries

Ghostly Images

Ghostly Wrecks

Ghostly Asylum

Ghostly Tricks

Ghostly Distress

Ghostly Despair

Ghostly Holiday

Ghostly Ordeal

Ghostly Fears

Ghostly Charms

Ghostly Business

Ghostly Camping

Ghostly Wedding

A Rowan Gray Mystery

Welcoming Seas

Murky Seas

Stormy Seas

Sunken Seas

Choppy Seas

Churning Seas

Dangerous Seas

Perilous Seas

Raging Seas

A Hannah Hickock Witchy Cozy Mystery

The Dirty Coven

A Fistful of Demons

Boot Scootin’ Boogeyman

The Monstrous Seven

Dances With Witches

All the Pretty Witches

A Supernatural Speakeasy Cozy Mystery

The Hexorcist

Witch Confidential

Curse A Brew Streak

Witch is the New Black

Hex, Drugs & Rock and Roll

Crossovers

Wicked Ghosts

Wicked Seas

Ghostly Seas

Grave Seas

True Grit Spirit

Ghostly Graves

Hardy Brothers Security

Deadly Intentions

Deadly Intuition

Deadly Illusions

Deadly Proposal

Deadly Prospects

Deadly Ever After

Deadly Honeymoon

Deadly Questions

Deadly Addition

Deadly Vacation

Deadly Secrets

Deadly Storm

Deadly Dealings

Deadly Christmas

Deadly Desperados

Deadly Arrival

Deadly Rivalry

Deadly Memories

Deadly Adventure

Deadly Reunion

Deadly Conflicts

Deadly Payback

Deadly Waves

Deadly Forever

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

Prologue

1. One

2. Two

3. Three

4. Four

5. Five

6. Six

7. Seven

8. Eight

9. Nine

10. Ten

11. Eleven

12. Twelve

13. Thirteen

14. Fourteen

15. Fifteen

16. Sixteen

17. Seventeen

18. Eighteen

19. Nineteen

20. Twenty

21. Twenty-One

22. Twenty-Two

23. Twenty-Three

24. Twenty-Four

25. Twenty-Five

26. Twenty-Six

27. Twenty-Seven

28. Twenty-Eight

29. Twenty-Nine

Full Page Image

Mailing List

About the Author

Books by Amanda M. Lee

Books by Lily Harper Hart