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We were ready to land next to the rugby field.

I turned to CeeCee, who looked pale and shaky. “I’m calling Declan now. He’s an undercover cop and in charge of this operation.”

She drew back in surprise.

Declan answered on the first ring.

“Hey, it’s me. I’m in a helicopter with CeeCee.

We’re landing in the next field. I was right about everything, except it’s not Snow—it’s CeeCee.

Janey’s death was an accident. Sarge knew but persuaded her to cover it up.

CeeCee’s going to turn herself in and give you a statement.

We have the last shipment. Not sure if the heroin is real, but the poppy seems to be very precious. We are both okay.”

“Ask him not to handcuff me in front of everyone,” CeeCee said.

“I heard that,” Declan said. “Tell CeeCee we will keep it as low-key as we can. God, Isla. So glad you’re back and okay. I already have our team on standby, so I’ll change the target. I’ll drive CeeCee to The Mount police station to take her statement.”

As we hovered above the ground, I saw Declan peering up, his hand shielding the sun from his eyes, waiting with Mum, Dad, and Fred. The sight of them sent waves of relief through me. After landing, CeeCee shut off the engine. I made sure she’d gotten out before I opened the door and ran to them.

“You and CeeCee look awful.” Mum hugged us both gingerly. “Are you hurt? What on earth happened?”

“We’re both okay. I’ll tell you later,” I said. Dad hugged us too.

“Thank God you’re alive,” Declan whispered in my ear. He squeezed me tight and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

Declan turned to CeeCee. “Will you come with me?”

CeeCee nodded. “Yes. No handcuffs here.”

Mum and Dad looked confused. “Handcuffs?” Dad asked.

“Let’s walk this way.” Declan pointed through some trees. “We’ll be out of sight. I have a car waiting. Isla, you come too. We’ll get you both checked out at The Mount hospital before the interviews.”

“We’ll follow you to the hospital,” Dad said.

I was worried about his reaction when we explained everything. He’s going to be shocked. I hope it doesn’t affect his heart.

Declan gave a code via his walkie-talkie, sirens sounded, and men and women milling around the periphery surrounded the field, some running toward Sarge.

I didn’t see Declan for most of that day as he was in meetings. The arrests were made, and he planned to fly out in two days to supervise police interviews in London.

We were at The Mount hospital when Motu erupted, only five hours later than predicted. Scalding steam and ash pounded into the air around the island. It was accompanied by a violent 7.0 jolt that slammed furniture through windows and split hundred-year-old trees.

*

I was lying in the hospital room next to CeeCee’s.

We each had private rooms with police guards—CeeCee because she’d been arrested, and me because of the potential fallout from the arrests of the drug ring in London and Tasmania.

We’d arrived back on the mainland with severe dehydration and suffering from shock.

Our doctor, who, of course, turned out to be the same Aroha who’d picked me up in Te Urewera, said we’d be in for at least two days.

DOC cameras captured the eruption—boiling water spurted from all over the island, soil and sand wrenched apart.

The sea rose and surged from the island toward ōhope Beach, enough water to wash over the road, ruin front gardens, tumble umbrellas and outdoor furniture down the beach, and destroy the old cottages in the sand dunes, like Snow and CeeCee’s.

Mum and Dad’s front yard was wrecked, their floors waterlogged, though they’d been lucky in comparison to their friends, who’d lost their homes.

Still confined to my hospital bed, I spent hours on the phone, making sure everyone I knew was all right and commiserating about the damage to their homes.

Around midnight, I started to write up my story. Even though I was sore and hurting, I had to file as soon as I could.

The next day, I told Mum and Dad that Declan and I wanted to speak to them alone. Declan joined us in my hospital room, taking a quick break from his interviews at The Mount police station. He was heading back to London the next morning to supervise interviews there.

I took a deep breath. “In order to work on this case together, we agreed to be fake dating.” Mum and Dad only smiled. I’d have to spell it out more clearly. “We pretended to be girlfriend and boyfriend.”

Mum and Dad kept smiling as if they hadn’t heard.

“We’re so sorry we were deceiving you,” Declan said. “We had to do it for the sake of the case.”

Mum shrugged like it wasn’t true. “We know what we saw.” Dad nodded his agreement.

They took Fred out for a walk, a short one, as Dad still tired easily.

“So the arrests have been made,” Declan said, sitting beside my hospital bed. He held my hand, his thumb brushing my pulse. I was propped up by pillows, and I’m sure I looked like hell. “You know what that means? Can’t wait for you to be back in London.”

“Are you sure the dishwasher stacking isn’t a deal breaker?” I teased. “I thought I was atrocious.”

His lips parted with a slight smile, and I imagined running my finger along his bottom lip. Then my tongue.

“Yeah, you fucking are,” he rasped out, his Irish accent strong. He had no idea how sexy that sounded.

Or maybe he did. I was banged up and bruised, but his heavy eyes blazed into me, and his chest rose and fell, making my robe feel too tight, my skin on fire. Somehow, his eyes conveyed what he wanted to do to me when I was better. And I wanted him to. So much.

“I’ve got my next assignment.” He bit his lip. “You know I can’t say where and what for. But I’ll make sure I’m all yours when you get back to London after Christmas.”

My heart stumbled. Can’t say where and what for.

Who would he be on this next job? Maybe he’ll even be fake-dating another woman.

I’d never know. I was trying to change, bash down my walls, be more open.

But change didn’t mean accepting less. It meant expecting more of myself but also of the other person.

“I got that promotion,” he said.

I forced a smile. “Congratulations. You deserve it.”

“Shorter jobs. I’ll be at home more.”

His eyes were hopeful. We’d already discussed what this job entailed.

“But, yeah, it’s still undercover.”

I couldn’t hold the forced smile any longer. “You know how I feel about you. I want to, but I can’t.” My face crumpled. “You working undercover means I can never trust who you say you are.”

Pain darkened his eyes.

“You said you were disillusioned with your job,” I said. “It seemed like you were questioning your life and whether you were making a difference.”

“I did say that.” His tone and his face were strained, his breathing shallow. “But…” He swiped a hand over his face. “Undercover is what I know, what I’m good at. I’ve worked so hard to get where I am.” His voice was soft but final. “This job is part of me.”

My insides felt ripped up. He’d chosen.

The nurse came in, asked me how I felt, and measured all my vitals. Declan fisted his hands at his side until she left. It felt like there was a room’s distance between us, even though he was standing right beside my bed.

“I’m gutted, but I understand.” He scraped a hand through his hair. “This has been an amazing time we’ve had together. In some ways, I feel like we’ve lived five years of our lives with each other, so much has happened. You’re incredible, and I’ll never forget you or this place.”

I held my hand up to my trembling lips, spilling tears as I gazed into his green eyes, knowing I had to memorize every small fleck of blue in them, like polished pāua shells. I would not allow myself to be bitter or angry or regret him.

“Thank you for saying that. You’ve made such a difference in my life.

I learned to forgive, and that’s set my heart and mind free.

There’s no more wonderful gift anyone could give.

And you made me feel I could cry.” I ran my hands over my face, laughing, weeping.

“And now I can’t stop. I’ll never forget you. ”

We were quiet for a while. “I’ll say goodbye to your parents now,” he said.