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“Ow!” Jerking back, Nate rubbed the side of his skull. “What the hell was that for?”

“For being a fucking idiot.”

“I’m just saying what everybody knows. If I hadn’t been such a screw-up back then, you would have gone into the FBI.”

“You don’t know that. My choices are my own. There’s always a risk in that line of work. For all you know, something worse might have happened if I’d gone into the Bureau.”

“Yeah. Well. All I know is what happened. What you and your partner went through was because of me.”

“You haveno ideawhat happened.” The words came out in a low, angry snarl. Wade shook his head, a haunted look in his eyes that shook Nate to the core. “What happened to us...no, you can’t shoulder the blame for that. There’s a long list of people who still need to pay, but you’re not anywhere on it.”

Though Nate appreciated the absolution, he didn’t buy it for one hot second. No amount of whitewash could undo history or alter his role in it. “Say what you want—I still know the truth. If I hadn’t been such a fuck-up back then, things would have been a whole lot different.”

Wade shook his head. “If I thought that was even remotely true, I would have beaten the living shit out of you a long time ago. But it’s not, not even close. Yeah, you were a fuck-up, I’ll give you that, but you pulled your shit together and made something of yourself. If anything, you should be proud.”

Without another word, he turned away and strode out the door.

Chapter 14

DORCAS HAD NEVER METa famous person before. Technically, that was still true. And yet here she was, about to spend the night in the house of a movie star.

By the time they left Six Points, the diner where she worked had already closed, which meant she’d have to wait until tomorrow to have that talk with her boss. In a way, she supposed that was a good thing, because it gave her another day to decide whether she wanted to ask for time off or quit.

Inside the garage, Nate popped the trunk, and she grabbed two handfuls of bags. On the way to the house, they’d made several stops, including one at Publix. They bought a lot more groceries than they probably needed, but Nate had insisted on getting enough food to feed a small army.

Then again, considering how much Jackson and Navarre had eaten for breakfast, perhaps Nate wasn’t all that far off.

At the door, he entered a five-digit code and pressed his thumb to the scanner. He hadn’t shaved in a couple of days, and rough stubble darkened his jaw. It looked good on him, too damn good, and it took every ounce of her self-control to tear her gaze away.

Seconds later, there was a chirp, followed by the distinct sound of the lock disengaging. Nate opened the door, flipped the light switch, and motioned for her to go inside.

The faint scent of lavender teased Dorcas’s senses as she walked down the hall to a large living area that was neater than her house had ever been. Not a speck of dust to be seen. Not a single item out of place. The walls were a warm, buttery tint, complemented by dark hardwood floors. A brown couch faced a wall-mounted television, while a single recliner in the same color sat beside a floor lamp. On the mantel, two candles bookmarked a picture of Ryan and Vicky on their wedding day, the bride in a form-fitting cream-colored gown, while Ryan looked dashing in his tux.

It felt a little surreal to be inside Vicky Hale’s home. Correction: Vicky Flint, though she retained her maiden name in a professional capacity. Her recent movie, a World War II action-drama, had opened to critical acclaim and commercial success. Dorcas had enjoyed it, and she wouldn’t be surprised if Vicky received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

She glanced to Nate. “Are you sure this is okay?”