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Her eyes went wide. “Wait. You were at Max’s ranch when they were attacked?”

“I was in the truck with the guy who wanted to eliminate Kenna before she IDed him to the cops.”

“But that means you knew he killed Kenna’s friend and was after her. Why didn’t you stop him before he tried to kill her?”

He raked his fingers through his hair. “Because he’d been hired to get something from her. And the FBI was trying to get to her brother and another man. Bleaker wasn’t supposed to kill her friend. Things went sideways. When he went after her, I let her protective detail know he was coming. I had backup on the way. Like today, I expected my brother and his team would arrest us at the scene, Kenna would ID Bleaker as the killer, then I’d be free to go back to the MC and finish my case.”

She narrowed her gaze, a furrow appearing between her dark brows. “But it didn’t go as planned, and Kenna got shot.”

He regretted that more than he could say. “And I took out Bleaker.”

Understanding dawned in her eyes. “To save Max and the FBI agents.”

“Yes.” He scrubbed both hands over his face. “I’m sorry she got hurt. You have no idea how relieved I was that she survived.” He laid his head back on the couch and stared at the fire.

Lyric turned next to him, one leg bent at the knee on the couch. “Max had to have seen you. He knew you and I had something going. He never said anything.”

He rolled his head and stared at her. “Because the FBI agents with him told him they had an undercover agent with the suspect, and my cover had to be protected.”

“Or you’d lose your chance to finish your case.”

Or my life.But he couldn’t say that to her. “People were dying.”

She brushed her fingers through his hair. “Max is the one who encouraged me to be with you.”

That surprised him. “He did?”

“I told him I didn’t think you were what everyone thought you were. He told me to trust my gut. The way he said it, he sounded so sure that I was right.”

He needed to thank Max for keeping his secret and nudging Lyric his way. “You were right. Now I get a chance to prove it to you.”

“You already have.”

He sighed, knowing he needed to get it all out in the open. “There’s more I need to tell you.”

She shook her head. “You’re wiped out. Go take a shower, then come to bed.”

Oh, how he wanted to wrap her up against him and love her. “Angel, this is important.”

“It can wait. You’ve worked really hard these last many months. I can see the toll it’s taken on you. So give yourself a break, and let me take care of you.”

That sounded amazing. So he took the reprieve, vowing silently to tell her everything in the morning. “Are you sure?”

“That I want to make you feel good? Yeah.” The sexy smile made his gut tighten and his dick swell.

“I won’t be long.”

“Take your time. Let the hot water help you relax. I’ll do the rest.” That suggestive smile tied him in knots and undid him all at the same time.

He wanted her so damn bad it hurt.

He kissed her, letting her feel his desperation and desire, then broke the kiss, grabbed his wine, and headed for the shower, because the least he could do was wash away this day and spend the night showing her how much he appreciated having her in his life.

The second he closed the bathroom door, he downed the last of the wine and stripped. His cut shoulder protested every movement, but he ignored the stingingpain, turned on the shower, and stood under the spray, letting the hot water work on his tense muscles.

He used the bar of soap instead of the body wash she always smelled like. He shampooed his hair and scrubbed the stubble that was more a beard now. He wished he had a razor, but that would have to wait.

Rinsed and feeling better, anticipation riding him hard to be back in Lyric’s arms, he debated pulling on his jeans or just sticking with the towel around his waist. He went with the easier-to-remove option, opened the bathroom door, and stopped dead in his tracks and just stared at the beautiful woman sitting in bed across from him, her legs bare, hair down. She wore nothing but a simple white T-shirt, the V-neck showing off a lot of cleavage.