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I laugh, but it’s forced. “That’s the thing—I’m not entirely sure. He owns the club, yes, but there’s more. He has connections to the New York mafia, to Nicolo Moretti.”

Rissa takes in a sharp breath. Everyone in law enforcement knows Nicolo Moretti.

“But he’s not like them,” I hurry to add. “He left that life. Sorta. Now he…” I hesitate, wondering how much to reveal. “He works against Nicolo trying to stop a mafia take over in Columbus.”

“By killing Giovanni Costa?”

“By protecting me.” I finally look up at her. “By giving me and Leo a safe place when everything went to hell. Or at least that’s the way it was supposed to be.”

The mention of Leo makes my voice crack, and suddenly I can’t hold back the tears I’ve been fighting. They spill hot down my cheeks as everything crashes over me at once.

“Eve?” Rissa reaches across the table, gripping my hand. “What happened?”

“They took him.” The words come out as a sob. “Someone—someone who looked exactly like me picked Leo up from school yesterday. He’s been kidnapped.”

“What?” Rissa’s grip on my hand tightens painfully. “When? Why wasn’t I notified?”

“Because we can’t go through official channels.” I wipe at my face with my free hand. “Alessandro Costa—Gio’s father—he’s behind it. I know it. It’s revenge for his son. But if we report it—”

“If we report it, we have to explain why the head of a mafia family would target you and your nephew.” Rissa finishes my thought. “Which means explaining your marriage to Zeke.”

I nod miserably. “And exposing his connections to the New York mafia. Which would put an even bigger target on all our backs.”

Rissa is quiet for a long moment, processing everything I’ve told her. The wheels turn in her head, the detective in her cataloging every detail.

“Okay,” she finally says. “Walk me through everything. From the beginning. Don’t leave anything out.”

So I do. I leave nothing out, trustingmy friendwith everything.

My voice is hoarse from talking. “I don’t know what to do, Rissa. I’m so scared they’ll hurt Leo.”

“We’ll find him.” Her voice is firm, brooking no argument. “But Eve … this life you’re living? It’s not sustainable.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Bitter laughter escapes me. “I’m a cop married to a man who operates outside the law. I’m raising my nephew in a house full of secrets and danger. Everything I thought I knew about right and wrong has gone completely sideways.”

“Do you love him?”

The question catches me off guard. “What?”

“Zeke. Do you love him?”

I stare down at my now-cold coffee. “Yes,” I whisper. “God help me, but I do.”

“Does he love you?”

“I … I don’t know.” The admission hurts more than I expect. “He’s protective, possessive even. His actions say he does. But he never says the words.”

Rissa sighs, running a hand through her dark hair. “This life takes too much from us.”

I furrow my brows. “What do you mean?”

She takes a deep breath and gives me a pointed stare. “This is a shitty time to tell you this, but I’ve been thinking about leaving SVU.”

“What? Why?”

“This life … it’s … it’s hard.” She gestures vaguely around us. “The constant darkness, the violence, the toll it takes on our families. Being a single mom and a detective? Sometimes it feels impossible.”

I think about my own struggles with Leo, about how hard it is to balance my duty as a cop with my role as his guardian. “Where would you go?”