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“Was it the same guy from the other night?”

Chase paced along an invisible line running through the middle of Scottie’s cozy living room. While she showered upstairs, he filled Lucky in on what had transpired at the shelter two hours before.

“No,” he answered Lucky without hesitation. “That guy was thinner and had darker skin.”

Too bad that was about all he’d seen of the man.

“Still pisses me off that I couldn’t get more for you on that front,” Lucky offered sincerely. “Bastard was smart, I’ll give him that. Parking in just the right spot to avoid the streetlights and then using a phony license plate on a non-descript vehicle…turning onto a street with no CCTV…”

“Kind of sounds like something a pro would do,” Chase mused.

“You still think it was one of Dawari’s men?”

“No way to know for sure, but who else could it be? You checked that same night and confirmed that Scottie’s stalker…what was his name?”

“Dustin McVey.”

“Right.” Chase remembered. “So you confirmed McVey was still safely locked away inside that mental institution in SoCal, and I know for a fact the asshole from tonight wasn’t him. The only thing that makes sense is maybe Webb was wrong and Dawari is still targeting us.”

“That’s my thought, too,” Lucky agreed. “Of course, we’ve pissed off a lot of people since we signed up for this whole Eagle’s Nest gig. Could be someone from one of the cases the firm’s already taken on.”

“Problem is, without more to go on, we’re basically stuck with what we know. Which, at this point, is jack shit.”

The good news was Chase hadn’t seen the guy from the car since that night outside the restaurant. And he’d damn sure been looking, too.

Everywhere he fucking went.

“I don’t suppose Scottie has any thoughts as to who he was?” Lucky asked after a brief pause in conversation.

“She didn’t see him. Not really. And I didn’t tell her about him taking our picture. Didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily, you know?”

“Makes sense,” Lucky agreed. “Don’t want to freak her out for no reason.”

My thoughts exactly.

Though the man from the car had definitely been acting suspiciously, it was possible Chase had simply overreacted. Perhaps the guy hadn’t really been watching them at all, but rather his unusual demeanor was a direct result of Chase’s alpha male behavior.

Either way, it had been over a week since the strange interaction had occurred, and there’d been nothing more on that front since. So his focus tonight needed to remain one hundred percent on Scottie and making sure she really was okay.

“All right, so if tonight’s shining star wasn’t the same guy from the other night or Dustin McVey, who was he?” Lucky didn’t let him even try to articulate an answer before jumping back in with an added, “More importantly, why the hell did he go after Scottie?”

“That, I do know,” Chase sounded as confident as he felt. “Name’s Tommy Gallo. Apparently, his wife and daughter are former residents of the shelter, and the abusive prick thought he could force Scottie into telling him their current address.”

“Jesus.” Lucky blew out a breath. “Does Scottie even know where the wife and kid moved to once they left the shelter?”

“She doesn’t have a clue, but she wouldn’t have told him, regardless. Scottie said the woman and her daughter were at the shelter one day and the next…they were gone.”

A slight pause filled the phone’s speakers before the other man spoke up again.

“You know…rumor has it Sloane runs some sort of underground relocation system out of Liberty House. Maybe that’s what happened here.”

“Underground system?” Chase frowned. “You mean she does stuff like gives them new names?”

“New names, new town, new jobs…” Lucky trailed off. “Basically, she’s like WITSEC but without all the bureaucratic bullshit.”

An underground relocation system designed to help abused women start a new life away from torment and fear? Damn. Chase felt even more respect for Sloane than before. And that was saying something.

“Anyway, Gallo’s behind bars, and from what Knox said before he left the scene, the guy won’t be getting out any time soon.”

Travis Knox was a detective with the SPD who, over the course of the past year, had proven himself not only an asset to Eagle’s Nest but also a trusted ally. It was pure luck that he responded to tonight’s call, but Chase had to admit he was damn happy to know Knox was the one handling the case.

“No bail?” Lucky sounded surprised.

“It’s not a done deal until he’s arraigned in the morning, but Travis doesn’t think it’ll happen.” The decorated detective had better be right. “Said even without Gallo’s priors, the man admitted to intentionally cutting the power to the shelter’s security gate, which, is programmed to automatically open in the case of a power outage to prevent the residents from being unable to leave in an emergency. So he’s not only being charged with trespassing and assault but also destruction of private property.”

“Well, I guess, at the very least, you know he’s locked up for tonight. Hopefully that will bring Scottie a small sense of comfort. Speaking of…how’s your girl doing with all this?”

“She says she’s fine.”

“You don’t believe her?”

“Would you, given her history?” Chase referred to Scottie’s past dealings with her stalker.

He’d shared that part of Scottie’s past with his teammate solely for the purpose of ensuring her safety from any and all possible threats.

“Probably not, but you can’t force her to talk about it if she isn’t ready.”

“I know.” He fucking hated it, but he knew. “She did agree to let me sleep on her couch tonight. I’m hoping she’ll sleep better knowing she isn’t alone.”

Lucky waited for a beat before offering up some unsolicited advice. “From my experience when all that shit went down with Ellie…the best thing you can do for her now is to just be there. Make her feel safe and listen if and when she is ready to talk.”

Chase’s mouth lifted in a sideways smirk, remembering how hard and fast the other man had fallen for the woman who was now his wife. And how over-the-top protective Lucky had become when it became clear Ellie had a target on her back.

“Look at you, getting smart in your old age.”

“Bitch, please.” Lucky scoffed. “I’ve always been smart. Hell, everyone knows I’m the brains of this whole operation.”

It was funny because it was true. Still, Chase couldn’t resist giving the tech genius a hard time.

“Whatever makes you sleep at night, brother.”

“Oh, I sleep just fine, trust me. Especially with my sexy wife lying next to me wearing nothing but a?—”

“La, la, la, la, I’m not listening!” Chase loudly interrupted the man’s moment of oversharing. “Christ, man. I do not need to know what your wife wears…or doesn’t wear…to bed.”

Lucky’s sudden laughter filled the phone’s speaker, instantly easing some of the tightness in Chase’s chest. Which, he assumed, had been the man’s goal.

“Hey, listen.” He became serious once again. “Thanks for looking into all this for me. I’m sure the guy in the car was probably nothing, but just in case, you should probably?—”

“Watch my six,” Lucky finished for him. “Don’t worry, brother. I will. Just make sure you watch yours, too, you hear?”

“Always do.”

Chase ended the call and set his phone down on a nearby end table. The sound of soft footfalls moving somewhere up above him reached his ears. It wasn’t long before Scottie appeared at the bottom of the carpeted stairs.

Barefoot and fresh out of the shower, she’d dressed in a pair of loose, light gray athletic-style shorts and an oversized t-shirt with what appeared to be a faded rock band’s logo on the front. Her hair was still damp, the thick strands hanging loosely around her neck and shoulders, and her face was completely void of makeup.

She looked younger, somehow. More like the teenage girl he remembered. Yet there was a sort of wisdom shining in her gorgeous green eyes. Knowledge only those who’d been licked by the fires of violence and evil possessed.

He hated that for her. Fucking hated it. But as much as he wished he could, Chase knew re-writing the past was an impossible feat.

All he could do now was focus on the present, and the woman currently staring back at him from a few feet away.

“Hey.” Chase walked toward her. “How are you feeling?”

“Like a magnet for psycho jerks.”

Her smile was small, but at least what was there didn’t look forced.

“You hungry?”

She moved closer, crossing her arms at her front. “Not really.”

“Thirsty?”

Scottie shook her head but said nothing.

Sensing she needed something else, Chase stopped walking and held out his arms. “Come here,” he offered softly.

And then, he waited.

His heart filled, and his worry lessened when she obeyed the soft order, willingly moving into his welcoming embrace. A stretch of time went past, but he wasn’t counting the seconds or minutes ticking by.

Instead, Chase relished in the bittersweet moment. He hated the reason for his presence in her home, but was thankful she was allowing him to offer comfort the best way he knew how.

“You’re safe with me.” He kissed the top of her head. Resting his cheek against her cool, damp hair, he closed his eyes and savored the stolen moment.

“I know.” Scottie’s voice was slightly muffled as she spoke with her head tucked neatly beneath his chin. “I don’t think I ever thanked you for tonight.”

She was snuggled up close with her cheek against his chest and her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Holding her like this felt natural. Right. But as much as he wished he could keep her wrapped in the warmth and safety of his embrace, Chase slowly began to pull himself away.

“Look at me,” he whispered, not fully breaking his hold. When Scottie did as he’d asked, he stared deep into her eyes and told her, “You don’t ever have to thank me for that.” A curt shake of his head. “Not ever. Got it?”

“Got it.” She nodded, her weary gaze shimmering with unshed tears. “I’m so glad you were there. I wasn’t even supposed to be the one taking out the trash, but I was already heading out that way anyway, and it seemed silly to waste time searching for Bruce when I could just as easily toss it in the dumpster myself while I was waiting for you, and?—”

“Hey.” Chase cut her nervous rambling short. “Not a damn thing that happened tonight was your fault. Tommy Gallo cut the power to the gate, which he’s since admitted to doing. And then the son of a bitch forced his way onto the property and assaulted you.”

It took everything in him not to reimagine those infuriating moments, but allowing Scottie to see how pissed he still was—or how badly he wanted to race to the police precinct and talk Knox into letting him have five minutes alone with the fucker—wasn’t going to do her any good.

“Are you hungry?” She switched topics, toying with one of the buttons on the front of his shirt.

“Not really.”

When he’d first left the office, he’d been positively starving. But after seeing the woman he loved getting attacked by an abusive prick, Chase’s appetite was pretty much non-existent.

The woman you love? Don’t you mean…loved? As in past tense?

He soaked in the sight of her freshly washed face and those eyes that had always pulled him in, and he realized…

I still love her.

It was probably why he had yet to settle down. Thirty was still young, he knew. And sure, he’d played the field now and then, just as she probably had, too.

But in that moment, Chase realized his lack of desire to pursue a life-long relationship had less to do with his age and more to do with the woman in his arms.

“I lied before,” she whispered softly.

“About?”

Scottie held his gaze a beat longer before lifting up onto her tiptoes and pressing her lips to his. “I am hungry,” she kissed him again. “Just not for food.”

“Scottie, I don’t think?—”

“Good.” Her interruption confused him until, “I don’t want you to think. And I don’t want to think, either. Not about Tommy Gallo or Dustin McVey…” She feathered her lips against his in a tantalizing way. “I don’t want to think about anything at all. For once, all I want to do is feel.”

Chase ignored the massive hard-on growing behind his zipper as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “You have no idea how much I want that, too. But?—”

“No.” Her tone grew stronger. More confident. “No buts.”

“You’ve had a helluva night, Scottie.”

“I’m aware.” She didn’t so much as flinch. “It’s not the first traumatic evening I’ve experienced, and in comparison to the first, this was nothing.”

“That man put his hands on you.” The muscles in his jaw twitched with the clenching of his teeth. “You have a fucking knot on the back of your head from where he?—”

“I know exactly what it’s from, and I understand why you’re upset.”

“Upset?” He dropped his hold and took several steps backward. “Sweetheart, ‘upset’ isn’t even close to how I’m feeling right now.” Chase ran a hand over his face to keep the disturbing flashes from tonight at bay. “But more than that, I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine.” She took a step toward him.

“You’re not fine. You’re?—”

“Fine,” she reiterated sharply.

The bite in her tone was admittedly a welcomed one. It also reminded him of how strong she used to be. How strong she still was.

Strong. Resilient. Amazing.

The woman was all those things and more. And she was still walking toward him. Each of her bare, padded footsteps chipping away at his resolve to keep taking things slow.

Sex isn’t what she needs tonight, dickhead. No matter how much you want this, you can’t ? —

“I know what you’re thinking,” Scottie’s sweet voice broke through his internal thoughts. “But you’re wrong.”

“Yeah?” He arched a single brow. “What am I thinking?”

Other than the fact that I’d love nothing more than to strip you down and make you mine.

“You think if we sleep together, you’d be taking advantage of the situation.”

Damn, she was good.

“Tell me how that’s wrong.”

“For starters, I know what Tommy Gallo did to me wasn’t personal.” Another step closer. “He’s an abusive drunk who came at me the way he did because I’m the one who happened to be outside when he got there. Not like Dustin McVey, who specifically sought me out to fulfill some sick, twisted fantasy.”

“Doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to be upset.”

“I know that.” She continued closing the distance between them. “And I had my moment of tears, but that’s over.” Scottie stopped inches from where he stood. “When I left California, I swore I was done letting the shitty parts of my life dictate how I live the rest of it. Same goes for tonight.”

“Scottie—”

“Do you want me, Chase?”

The woman’s blunt question took him by surprise, but he wouldn’t lie. “Pretty sure you know I do.”

“Do I?” She reached for the same button from before, rolling the plastic disk between her thumb and forefinger as if she were contemplating its release.

“I want you” he rumbled the admission. “I’ve always wanted you.”

He never wanted her to doubt that. Not fucking ever.

“I want you, too, Chase.” She brought her other hand to his chest and popped that button free. “I wanted you back in high school.” Another button came loose. “After I left.” The taunting woman pulled the hem of his collared shirt free from the khaki pants he’d worn to work before continuing her efforts to release the rest of the buttons. “In fact, there hasn’t been a time in my life I can ever remember not wanting you.”

The two halves of his shirt fell from her hands as she brought her palms to his bare chest. Chase sucked in a breath, his heart pounding beneath her electrifying touch.

“Scottie…”

That was it. That was all he managed to say. And yet, it felt like…

Everything .

“Make love to me, Chase.” Her hands moved lower, her torturous fingertips tracing the curves of his six-pack as they went. “We’ve waited long enough, don’t you think?”

He’d tried. He really, really had. But he wasn’t a fucking saint.

Tonight was a shitstorm of anger and fear, but still mild compared to other scenes he’d witnessed in the past. All because he happened to show up at the exact right moment. If he hadn’t…

I could have lost her.

And what would he have done then? Nothing, that’s what. He would have done absolutely nothing , because if that had happened…if Tommy Gallo had pulled that fucking gun and used it to hurt Scottie…there wouldn’t have been a damn thing he could’ve done.

He would’ve put the son of a bitch down where he stood. Absofuckinglutely, he would have. But that wouldn’t have brought Scottie back. She’d still be gone.

She’s here now.

Chase reached out with one hand, using the front of her shirt to pull her body flush with his. “You sure about this, sugar?”

“Surer than I’ve ever been about anything else in my life.”

He didn’t wait. Not a single second longer. She’d assured him she was okay, and he could tell she wanted him as much as he did her.

With his next breath, Chase slammed his mouth against hers. Scottie opened for him, the tips of their tongues meeting again in an impassioned explosion of pleasure. And when she reached a hand behind his neck to fill her fist with his hair, he knew she was right.

I’ve waited long enough.