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“Among others.” I cup her face, running my thumb along her cheekbone. “Be careful, Evelyn. These people don’t play by any rules. They won’t hesitate to hurt you—or Leo.”

The mention of her nephew makes her flinch. Good. She needs to understand the gravity of the situation. This isn’t just about her anymore. Everyone she loves is at risk.

“I can take care of myself,” she insists, but there’s less heat in her voice now. The reality of the danger is sinking in.

“I know you can.” I press a kiss to her forehead. “But let me help protect you both. Please.”

“I can’t do this.” She pushes against my chest but I don’t let her go.

“Do what?”

Her gaze meets mine. The hurt I see there nearly guts me. “You and me. Not after before.”

I tug her back toward me. She comes willingly, giving me hope. I bury my face in her neck and breathe her in. “Let me make it up to you. Come home with me,” I murmur against her neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent. “I’ll make you feel so good, love. Better than you remember.”

Her breath catches as I nip at her sensitive skin. “No,” she whispers, but her body betrays her, pressing closer. “We can’t.”

“We can.” My hands slide down to grip her hips, grinding her against my still-hard cock.

She moans softly, her fingers tightening in my shirt. “Zeke, please. This has already gone too far.”

“Not far enough.” I capture her lips in a heated kiss, pouring all my need and desperation into it. When I pull back, we’re both breathing hard. “Let me take care of you properly. In a bed this time.”

“Stop.” She places her hands on my chest and pushes away, putting space between us. The loss of her warmth is immediate and painful. “This was a mistake. We can’t do this.”

Her voice is stronger now, more resolved. My window of opportunity is closing fast.

“Eve—”

“No.” She cuts me off, already shifting off my lap. “I mean it, Zeke. This ends now. Whatever this is between us, it’s done. Not after how you treated me last time.”

The finality in her voice cuts deep, but I force myself to let her go. She’s right—this has already crossed too many lines. My dick might disagree, but my brain knows she’s making the smart choice. We need to keep our heads clear.

At least until she’s my wife.

I slammy fist on my desk, unable to focus on the paperwork in front of me. The memory of Eve’s soft moans and warm body pressed against mine torments me. My cock stirs just thinking about how wet she was, how perfectly she fit in my lap.

“Fuck.” I shove away from my desk and pace the office. This is exactly why I walked away from her a year ago. She gets under my skin like no other woman ever has. Makes me lose control.

Raw lust. That’s all it is. All it can ever be. A cop and a criminal—what a fucking joke. Even if I wasn’t still neck-deep in illegal shit with my extracurricular activities, we’d never work. She believes in the system. I know better.

My phone buzzes. It’s Eli with his morning report. “Eve made it to work safely, but the black SUV is still tailing her.”

My jaw clenches. Those fuckers are playing with fire. “Get the car ready,” I bark into the phone. “We’re paying Marcus a visit.”

Twenty minutes later, Eli and I pull up to Barone’s restaurant. It’s early enough that the lunch crowd hasn’t started trickling in yet. Perfect.

“Stay alert.” I tell Eli as we head inside. “I don’t trust these fuckers.”

The hostess recognizes me immediately. She doesn’t even try to stop us as we stride past her toward Marcus’s office in the back.

I find him behind his desk, nursing what looks like scotch.

“Ezekiel.” He doesn’t look surprised to see me. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Cut the shit, Marcus.” I plant my hands on his desk, leaning forward. “Why are your men following my fiancée?”

His lips twitch. “Following? I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”