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Yesterday, Emmanuel was supposed to be on a flight out of the country to a remote village in Brazil where Forrest had an herbal farm. Emmanuel was going to work there until things settled in Providence. I should hate this guy for dating and terrifying Vanessa, but I’d obtained a new identity card for him to start over.

I opened the file containing recordings of Emmanuel’s apartment over the past few weeks.He’d left the building twice. The first time was to a convenience store a block from his home. He’d been in disguise and returned home safely. The second time was yesterday. He’d been in disguise again and gotten into a ConvientRide. Two recordings from a few blocks away showed the ride had run a red light and was hit by a truck, flipping the vehicle several times. People rushed to pull him and the driver out.According to the police report, the driver was drunk, but my instincts told me it was no accident. The driver was still atthe hospital.I needed to ask the fucker a few questions before someone else got to him.

I reached for my phone and called Detective Farmer. “Do you have anyone watching Sam Thornton, the ConvenientRide driver from yesterday’s car accident?”

“No. Should I?”

I briefed him on the situation.

“Understood. Someone will check on him.”

“I need to ask him some questions. Do you want to meet me there?”

“Be there soon.”

My gut told me Emmanuel’s death wasn’t as simple as it looked. Was his death a warning to anyone who went against The Trogyn?

I walked into Vanessa’s room. “I’ve got to head out for a bit. Do you need anything while I’m out?”

She shook her head. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes.” I stepped up to her. “Just meeting the detective to go over Emmanuel’s death.”

She sighed. “Is he also investigating the man who attacked us in Maui?”

I had to follow up on that later. Shit was erupting all around us.

I wrapped my arms around her. “No. It’s not his jurisdiction. But I’ll get to the bottom of that incident. As soon as I get more information, I’ll let you know.”

She looked up at me. “Promise?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I’ll unpack for you.” She smirked. “Do you have anything in the luggage you don’t want me to see?”

“You have access to everything in my luggage, bedroom, or any room in this house. If you find something interesting, let me know.”

“I’ve got the key to everything?” She waved an invisible key in the air.

“Everything.”

As I left the house, the meaning of “everything” rang in my ears. I meant what I’d said—she had access to everything that belonged to me. No other woman had that. But Vanessa had burrowed into a deep spot in my heart, and I’d do anything to protect her.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

VANESSA

I removedAttikus’s clothes from his luggage and inhaled his musky scent, which comforted me. Emmanuel’s death had unsettled me. My shoulders tightened with anxiety. I wasn’t breathing properly. Though he’d blackmailed me and made my life hell for a while, he was also a victim.

Would the people who’d killed him come after me? What did they want from me?

Stop stressing yourself out.

I concentrated on putting Attikus’s clothes and toiletries away. Then I walked into the office, wanting to see where this complex man worked. We weren’t pretending to be a couple anymore. At least, I wasn’t. One, I didn’t have the energy to pretend. Two, I was falling for him. That emotion, on top of everything in Maui and Emmanuel’s death, sent me into an emotional whirlwind. I tried my best to squash the confusion and fear, but it didn’t help.

I’d made a mess of things by falling in love with him. I’d broken every single rule in the contract.

No kissing. No sex. No crossing boundaries.