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T he voice on the GPS announces my upcoming destination at the same time a text pings through on my phone. Now that I have more than one contact, it’s harder to know what to prioritize.

The minute I’m stationary, I’m going to change Everly’s tone to something sexy.

Just as I’m navigating around a tight curve, a pair of high beams hits me full in the face. I lay on the horn, barely avoiding sliding into the ravine, while the oncoming car swerves into its own lane just in the nick of time. Adrenaline hits my bloodstream, kicking my heart rate into high gear.

“I really hope this asshole shows his face,” I mumble to myself. White knuckled, I turn into the parking lot of a seedy motel, where a man we connected to Vincent was last seen. If I wasn’t already in a bad fucking mood, now I’m really feeling the need to beat someone into the ground.

We scored a tip that led me to this dive a little over an hour south of San Francisco, with good reason to believe my target is directly correlated to the lab where we were kept a year ago. Since I’ve made it my personal mission to take every last one of them out myself, I had to check it out.

Hopefully, he’ll have some information on the man I’m really looking for, because I’m prepared to extract it by any means necessary.

Leaving the city has me on edge, but things have been quiet since I arrived. I upped my personal surveillance around Everly, convinced a retired officer I know from the precinct to watch her, and ignored the little voice telling me everything was going to go to shit the second I left.

I park in an area of the lot that gives me a good view of anyone coming or going and turn off the engine. Judging by the people milling around outside, this place is clearly a hub for an interesting crowd. Several working women loiter near open doors while transients stagger through the parking lot.

And there’s definitely a drug deal going down a few yards away. They’re not even attempting to be subtle; the local precinct has obviously given up on this place.

A few people gave me the side-eye as I pulled in, but it’s nothing concerning. I’ve always had the ability to blend in anywhere I go.

Once I’ve gotten settled, I retrieve my phone, pleased to see Everly’s name on the lock screen. I wonder what it would take to convince her to send me a dirty picture…

Though her text is innocuous, I’m distracted enough that I barely process the person approaching my vehicle before there’s a knock on the window.

Get it the fuck together, Porter.

“Hey, sweetie, you looking for some company?” A scrawny woman wearing a cocktail dress better suited for a teenager headed to homecoming in 1991 stands on the other side. Shaking my head, I wave her away and turn back to the missed message.

Bee

Checking in. Did you get there safely?

Me

I’m here.

Bee

Good. I took a sleeping pill, so I’m fading fast.

Me

Look for me in your dreams. I’ll be the one with the massive cock.

She sends an eggplant emoji followed by a pink heart, and a ridiculous grin spreads across my face. Fuck, when did I get so damn sappy?

You know when.

Me

Night.

I back out of her text thread and switch to Garrison, the guy I’ve reluctantly tasked to keep an eye on her while I’m here. Though I don’t really trust many people other than Tanner, I’ve worked with him before. He’s a decent person and has been instructed to act as backup while keeping his distance.

Also, I’m paying him well, and he’s too familiar with my temper to risk fucking around.

Of course, I still have the camera trained on her doorway, my tracking app connected to her phone, and she knows to check in with me often. But even with all those safety measures, my gut has turned into a pit of paranoia.

Garrison messages that all is well, and I send Tanner a text to keep him updated. Just as I’m ready to toss my phone to the side and settle in for a potentially long night waiting outside this shithole, I catch a notification I missed.

It’s another message from Everly sent ten minutes ago.

I’d lost track of time.

Bee

If I’m quiet tomorrow, don’t worry. I’ve decided to do the modeling show I told you about—I think it will be good for me. Maybe I’ll never do one again, but at least I won’t wonder what would happen if I had. I’ll check in whenever I can. Hopefully you’ll be back tomorrow night, and I’ll see you soon?

Wait…

What in the fuck?

I read the text over, biting down on my tongue until a coppery tang registers. I wasn’t thrilled about being out of town as it is, but I’m only an hour away, and Garrison is watching…

There’s a growing pressure just over my eyebrows. My thumbs itch to type a hundred thoughts at once, but I finally settle on one.

Me

I didn’t think you were doing that show.

She wasn’t—was she?

When she mentioned that gig, I wasn’t thrilled over the thought of her getting back into a world where her ex-husband still exists. But it hadn’t sounded all that serious, so when the subject was dropped, I forgot about it. I just assumed…

I wouldn’t have left town if I’d known.

After a minute of staring at my phone, there’s still no response. I keep staring for five more minutes. Then ten.

Has she already gone to sleep?

Am I making a big deal about nothing?

No… This is a big, public thing. She’s more vulnerable there. I would have doubled up on security. I would have?—

The pressure builds. My teeth grind. I jab my fingers on the digital keys.

Me

We needed to discuss this first.

I wait two more seconds, listening to the pulse pound in my ears. Then?—

Me

I don’t want you going.

My chest is tight.

She needs to respond, goddammit.

After five more minutes, I start calling. There’s no answer, but that’s not surprising; the sleeping pills her therapist has her taking do a good job of knocking her out. She told me it’s the only way she’s been able to sleep alone since she’s been free.

I should be there with her, making sure she knows she’s safe. She doesn’t need to dope herself up when I’m lying there next to her. She knows I’ll kill any motherfucker that thinks of touching her.

Fuck. Why did I think it was okay to leave? I should never have left.

If I squeeze the phone much harder, I’m going to crack the screen. I’ve lost track of the world outside of this car.

I check the tracker to make sure it still shows her at home, even though I’m positive she is. I’m so pissed, I can barely see straight. She can’t go—not while I’m out of town. She knows I’m trying to protect her.

She fucking knows.

I jam my finger on the call button again, knowing it won’t do any good. Then I send a text I know is pointless.

Me

Answer your goddamn phone, Everly.

Maybe I should go back.

There was no mention of what time she was leaving, or the venue—only that it was local—which means I should be able to hang out here and keep an eye out for my target a while longer. See if this douchebag shows up.

An hour goes by before I stop obsessively checking my messages. I spend the rest of the time trying to talk myself off a ledge, while keeping one eye on the hotel room.

The parking lot stays quiet for the rest of the night, which is probably for the best, since there’s a war going on inside my head. A hundred voices scream for attention:

What are you waiting for? March your ass over there and tell her she’s absolutely not going.

But it’s local, and public. Garrison can follow. She’ll be fine.

Look, dumbass, she didn’t include you in the decision for a reason; she doesn’t give a shit what you think. Take a hint.

Calm the fuck down. It’s not that big of a deal.

She’s definitely going to die the second she leaves the apartment.

Maybe you’re being too controlling. She’ll probably appreciate being given a little trust.

Yeah, that last voice is a fucking pussy. Ignore.

By the time the sun has risen, I’ve sent Garrison a message to drive down here and take my place. There’s still no sign of the guy I’m waiting for, and I can’t sit here all day and wonder what’s happening with Everly.

Just before I get on the highway to head north, I send her a message:

Me

See you soon.

It’s still early when I set foot on the cracked pavement outside Everly’s complex. Thanks to my tracking app, I’m confident she hasn’t gone anywhere, but there’s nothing but fucking crickets in our text thread.

I inhale slowly, filling my lungs with early morning fog, laced with a tinge of exhaust. I’m sleep deprived, irritated, and judging by the looks I got when I ran into a mini mart for coffee, I look every bit as shitty as I feel.

God help the next person who?—

Mrrooww.

Several parking spots away, the cat that’s adopted my girl is rubbing against the back tire of a silver Porsche.

“Hey, cat.”

He blinks at me like I’m an idiot.

“You happen to see Bee this morning? She’s not answering me.”

Ignoring me, he aims his furry balls at the wheel, his tail high, and wets it with a spray of urine.

Oof, wouldn’t want to be the owner of that car ? —

Wait.

When I get a better look at the driver, I have an overwhelming urge to give the cat a high five. Jasper Cross sits with a phone in one hand and a cup of overpriced coffee in the other, oblivious to the feline christening his six-figure penis extension.

Fantastic.

I stride over to the vehicle and look down. “I owe you one, kitty cat.”

This animal is getting a free supply of tuna for the rest of his nine lives.

After giving the tire a sniff of approval, he takes off, pausing to look over his shoulder at me before disappearing into the bushes.

Standing next to the driver’s side window, I wait a full minute while Jasper’s attention darts between his phone, the door of the complex, and a few nearby cars—completely ignorant of my presence, inches away.

I could easily break this douchebag in half.

It’s tempting.

What Everly saw in this slicked-back pussy, I’ll never understand. She’s way out of his league. Then again, she’s way out of mine, too.

Furthermore, how in the hell did he move on after she went missing? Even if he truly believed she was dead, it’s no excuse. I would have turned the world inside out to find her.

Jasper rubs his jaw and looks at the time, his agitation evident. I suppose a polite person would tap on the window to get his attention, but…

Thunk.

I slam the heel of my hand to the glass, and he jumps so high, his head hits the ceiling.

His attention whips my way, a dozen expressions passing over his face in the space of a second. He’s probably pissing himself. And if he isn’t, he should be.

After another glance around, likely searching for someone to step in and protect him, the window finally slides down. “Something you need, Detective?”

“Yeah, I need you to turn this car around and drive the fuck back to Los Angeles.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but we’ve got a runway show to attend.”

I catch the way his fingers twitch around his phone.

False bravado.

Definitely pissing himself.

I lean an elbow on the roof of his car and look straight down at him. A layer of product glistens in his hair. “She’s not going with you.”

“Try telling her that.” He scoffs. “See how far it gets you.”

“Don’t worry, I—” When his eyes shift to the left of the parking lot, I follow, my gaze snagging on movement at the front door. Everly steps out, her hair piled on her head in a messy bun. A tightness compresses my ribcage. Every time I see her, it’s like being struck with a revelation. I can always find something new to obsess over. Currently, it’s the way she wets her lips with the tip of her tongue as she rifles through an oversized purse, barely looking up enough to make sure she doesn’t trip over anything.

Damn, she’s adorable.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I take a couple steps in her direction, barely processing the sound of the car door opening behind me. When she’s nearly on top of me, she looks up. Stops short.

“Hey.” Crossing the distance between us, I wrap my hands around her biceps and lean down to press my lips to the top of her hair. I’m still pissed off, and I hate her ex-husband with a burning fucking passion, but something about seeing her now, wide-eyed and speechless at my appearance, deflates me a little. I can’t keep myself from touching her. I need it too much.

I’m not sure when this happened, or what this even is, but here I am.

“Isaac, what are you…” Her gaze flits between me and Jasper, who has magically become brave enough to leave his car now that Everly is here as a buffer.

“You can text from the car, Ev, but we need to go.”

She’s visibly flustered—from Jasper and me being in such close proximity, or from my string of unanswered texts last night, I don’t know.

“I’m so sorry.” Her warmth soaks into my chest as she lays her hand there, addressing the man behind me. “I took a sleeping pill later than I should have and didn’t wake up until a few minutes ago.” She looks into my eyes, wary and apologetic. “I didn’t know you were coming back already—I haven’t even had time to check my phone. I’ll message you from the car, okay?”

Jasper taps on the car.

Lifting on her toes, she gives me a quick peck on the lips. “I’m so glad you’re back safe. I’ll head home right after the event, and we can?—”

She’s backing away as she speaks, but as she turns, I grab hold of her wrist. “You aren’t leaving.”

She recoils, caught off guard. “What?”

“Everly.” Jasper’s voice rises with a tinge of distress.

If he thinks he’s taking her away from me…

I shake my head. “Please. You can’t go.” This is when I should tell her that I’m only trying to ensure her safety and can’t do that at an impromptu modeling show I have no details about. That thinking about anything happening to her makes me want to burn down the world. But my defenses overpower my emotions, and I say, “You should have checked with me first.”

Her eyes narrow. “And you would have said…”

“No.”

Her eyebrows arch. She shakes out of my grip.

Jasper huffs a laugh. “Well, now you’ve done it.”

I’m losing control here. It’s crumbling right in front of me, but I keep making it worse. And I’m about to take it to the next level by pummeling this jackass into the ground. “It’s in your best interest to shut the fuck up,” I growl through my teeth, pitching my voice low.

“Fine.” He throws his hands in the air in resignation. “If you think throwing this barbarian attitude around is going to win her over, then by all means?—”

“Listen, asshole, I’m not exactly sure what your motivations are here, but your life with her is history. It’s time to let her go.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Everly back away

But Jasper stands his ground. “Everly has a mind of her own. She’s not into the bossy type.”

“Oh, I beg to differ.” I smirk. Then I turn toward the woman I’m apparently losing my damn mind over. “Should we tell him how much you love it when I order you to get on your knees? The things you’ll gladly do when my?—”

“ Isaac .” Her eyes flare as a pink tinge creeps into her cheeks. “Please.”

“Don’t leave with him, Bee.”

She gapes at me for a minute, her head shaking with disbelief. “No. You don’t get to make decisions for me—especially not like this.” Then, with her eyes glossy and her expression hard as stone, she yanks on the handle and opens the door. “I can’t do this with you right now; we’ll talk when I get back.” Sliding into the car, she pulls the door closed, yanks at the seatbelt with all the frustration she wants to take out on me, and stares straight ahead.

“Everly.”

“Come on, buddy.” Halfway into the driver’s seat, Jasper pauses to look at me over the roof of the car. “Don’t be a sore loser. She made her choice.”

I meet his eyes with a glare that could shoot daggers.

This. Mother. Fucker.

She’s not choosing this dickhead over me. I refuse to believe that’s what’s happening. Again . I just presented my case wrong. Triggered her rebellious side. This slimy douchebag isn’t my competition. It’s not fucking possible.

“She. Isn’t. Choosing. You ,” I seethe, my attention fixed on the woman in the passenger seat, willing her to look at me. To change her mind and get out of the damn car.

To see me.

My lungs are full of shrapnel. My chest constricts with the forceful memory of something I didn’t know I was still holding on to.

I swallow the desperate words before they can leave me.

Come on, Everly. Don’t choose him.

Not again.

“Looks like she just did.” He dares to look me in the face, his expression full of challenge, and lowers his chin. “And you know what the kids say…” With a fading smile and a peculiar look in his eyes, he delivers the words that clinch his fate: “No backsies.”

He’s a dead man.

The car zips away, and I’m left standing in the parking lot, wondering how badly I just fucked up.

Thirty minutes later, I pace the floor of my room. With every second that goes by, I’m becoming more enraged. As it is, I’m going to owe the hotel for punching a hole in the wall, my knuckles are raw, and the gaping hole in my chest cavity feels no better.

Everly was my light at the end of a long, dark tunnel, and I don’t know how it all went so wrong, so fast, but I sure as fuck know who to blame.

Your own bad temper, you idiot.

Still, that does nothing to absolve Jasper Cross.

Every second of that encounter is on replay in my head. Everly’s face when I chose the wrong thing to say, repeatedly. How her anger was mixed with something that looked almost like heartbreak.

“ Fuck .”

My fist hits the wall again. I’m surprised no one has knocked on my door to see what’s going on. I need to get out of here before I make things worse. Go somewhere far away from people before I take my wrath out on someone who doesn’t deserve it.

Without bothering to change my clothes, I shove my phone into the pocket of my jeans, lock the door to my already trashed room, and jog around the building to the trail out back.

The morning chill sears my lungs as I hit a punishing pace. The steady rhythm of my feet pounding the ground fills my ears. My breath saws in harsh bursts of exertion, leaving visible puffs hanging in the cool morning air.

Since she’s already pissed, I may as well have thrown caution to the wind and flattened her ex-husband before he took her away.

Everly made him sound like some mild-mannered lump of coal, but today he showed me a different side. The verbal jabs, rubbing salt in the wound. Taunting me from the safety of the other side of his overpriced car. He wanted to remind me that he’d won—just like he won the moment Everly said his name in that basement.

He wanted me to remember.

Needed me to?—

My pace begins to slow.

It’s all catching up to me. Pieces of the puzzle I was too angry to analyze. I let my emotions cover the hidden subtext like a fog. But it’s there if you look for it. Something off. Out of character. Like that phrase he used just before they drove away.

My heartbeats and breathing sync.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump…

I’m at the end of the trail. Standing at the edge of a grassy landing overlooking the Bay.

The fog begins to clear.

And I see it.

No backsies.

Shit.