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Presley helped Gia pack her pink suitcase, which was decorated with sparkly unicorns, to stay with her friend. The girl didn’t want to go and tried to convince her that she didn’t need to, but Presley refused to budge. If anything happened to Gia, it would wreck her. She couldn’t even imagine what it would do to Dominic.

Once Gia crawled into bed, Major jumped in with her, circled a few times, and plopped down with a doggy sigh. Presley bid her goodnight and closed the door. She turned and gasped when she found Dominic behind her.

“You scared me,” she accused.

“Sorry.” His breath feathered over her face. “I need to say goodnight to Gia. Then we can talk.”

Presley was leery of spending time alone with him, mostly because she didn’t trust herself around him. He drew her to him like a moth to a flame.

She’d called her bosses earlier and filled them in on the truck that had rammed into them and almost ran them off the road. They told her to send a list of supplies she needed, and they’d overnight them to her. They also reiterated their offer to send Kayne Serruto to assist. Presley had told them to hold off until she could definitively say something was going on. She didn’t want to waste anyone’s time, especially since no one was paying for their services—or at least she didn’t think they were. She guessed she’d find out with her next paycheck.

Presley needed to figure out what equipment she wanted, but her legs carried her into the living room to wait for Dominic instead. What was she doing? She’d crushed hard on this man as a pre-teen. He’d been perfect in her eyes then, and nothing she’d learned about him now changed that perception. He was kind, heroic, and loved his daughter. Dominic Bianchi was, by far, the most appealing, gorgeous man she’d ever met.

“Hey.”

Presley yelped and spun around, her hand automatically reaching for her weapon. While she’d been weaving fantasies of the man in her head, he’d appeared, catching her completely off guard, which was hard to do. Usually, she was hyper-aware of her surroundings.

She cleared her throat. “Is she asleep?”

“Yeah. She tried to fight it, but she had an eventful evening. Would you like a glass of wine?”

“Sure.”

“Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”

Presley chose the brown leather sofa, leaving the recliner for Dominic. He’d started a fire while they watched television, and the flames danced merrily on a chunk of wood. It reminded her of why she was here and what had happened. Three of the original six Cheerios were now dead.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.” It was a different red wine from yesterday but just as tasty.

“Now that Gia is bunking at her friend’s house, there’s no reason you can’t stay here instead of a hotel, your coworker too.”

None, except she was crazy attracted to the man. It wasn’t safe for her peace of mind. If she were smart, she would put down the glass, grab her bags, and flee. Instead, she took another sip and said, “If you’re sure it’s okay. Also, I told my office to hold off on sending anyone until we are sure I’m the target.”

“So, we’ll be alone in the house.”

Presley swallowed and nodded.

Dominic placed his glass on a side table, stood, and took hers from her. Then he sat down beside her. Presley’s heart kicked into a gallop when he slid his hands around her face.

“I’ve wanted to do this since you walked into my office the other day. That brief peck yesterday only whetted my appetite.”

Really, she should stop this. She wouldn’t be here long, and no good could come of an affair. Then his lips touched hers, and all she could think was that Dominic Bianchi was kissing her. After that, her mind blanked, lost in a lust-filled haze of pressing lips and dueling tongues.

She had never been kissed like this. It was sensual and erotic, and she couldn’t get enough of him. Presley didn’t even realize he’d guided her down on the couch until she felt the press of his body along hers, muscular and big. All over.

She was drowning in sensations until suddenly, he was gone. She blinked her eyes open, trying to figure out what had happened.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was gruff. “I’ve got to take this. It’s work.”

Presley sat up and arranged her shirt. She hadn’t even heard the phone ring. She stared at Dominic’s back as he spoke on the cell. When he disconnected, he turned to her with a look of regret.

“There’s a fire. I need to get there.”

Presley leaped to her feet. “Oh, no, is it Jessie or Charmaine?”

Dominic shook his head. “It’s an abandoned building on the west side of town. I’m not going to ask you to look after Gia, so I’ll call—”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, I’ll watch her.”

Dominic sighed. “Thank you.”

Then he closed the distance between them and kissed her again. He packed a massive punch into the contact. Presley sighed into the embrace and almost stumbled when he pulled back. It had been brief but equally mind-blowing.

“To be continued.”

She watched as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door.

“Be careful,” she called out.

He gifted her with a wicked smile. “I will.”

Then he was gone.

#

What the hell was Dominic doing practically attacking Presley in his house, with his daughter only steps away? The thing was, he wasn’t thinking. When he was around Presley, his brain short-circuited. All he knew was that he had to kiss her. It’d become almost an obsession.

The more time he spent in her presence, the more he liked her. The more he wanted her. Now, he was about to send his daughter away, leaving them alone in the house together. His heart beat faster with excitement. Judging by her reaction to the earlier kiss, she wouldn’t object if he tried again. And he would.

Traffic was light as he made his way to the fire. He checked for any tails and was happy to see there were none. It was easier to monitor when there were no other cars around. He supposed they could be driving a phantom vehicle, meaning no lights, so he stayed vigilant.

Smoke filled the sky as he neared the address where a blaze was raging. There had been more fires in Serenity Shores in the past few days than in the last five years. It’d been over a decade since one resulted in a fatality. Now they had two, possibly three. He didn’t tell Presley about a potential victim. That was the reason he was headed to the scene. If it were only an abandoned building fire, his team was more than capable of handling it. Dom wanted to make sure it had nothing to do with Margy Binder and Nancy Baker Babcock’s deaths.

Several fire trucks, including units from neighboring cities, were pumping thick ropes of water on the flames. The cavernous warehouse had been abandoned for years. Thankfully, a parking lot surrounded the structure, so no other buildings were affected.

Dom parked behind a police car on the street and grabbed the extra gear he carried in his SUV. He found Charlie Gardner, one of his lieutenants, overseeing operations.

“Hey, Charlie, what do we have?”

“Hey, Cap. One fatality. They’re bringing the body out now.”

Dom walked with Charlie to where a crew pushed out a stretcher with a black body bag.

“Any identification?” Dom asked.

“No, but he didn’t die in the fire.”

“You’re sure?” Dom asked.

The woman unzipped the bag to show the neat round hole in the center of the forehead. That wasn’t what drew Dom’s gaze. It was his Fu Manchu mustache and the scar bisecting the side of his face. He took out his phone and snapped a picture.

It was up to the medical examiner to decide if the deceased had perished in the warehouse or if the body had been dumped. The fire was already categorized as arson, started with gasoline, most likely to cover the murder.

Once the blaze was under control, Dom left his crew to deal with the cleanup. Reggie Branch arrived on the scene to investigate. Dom pulled him aside to let him know his suspicions that it was the same man who had been asking around town about Presley.

“I hadn’t heard about that.”

“He approached Jessie King and Tamera Wells.”

“What did he want?”

“He told them he was researching his family tree and Presley was on it.”

“Seems suspicious,” Reggie said. “I’ll look into it.”

On the way home, Dom glanced in his rear-view mirror to see a pair of headlights gaining on him. He sat up straighter and tightened his grip on the wheel as his heartrate accelerated. He let out a sigh of relief when the car flipped on a signal and turned. At one time, he’d have thought he was being paranoid. Not anymore.

There were no more close calls as Dom arrived home and parked in the garage. When he entered the house, Presley jumped to her feet. He had a feeling she never slept deeply. Maybe he could wear her out enough—

“Hey. How’d it go?”

“Routine structure fire.”

“Good.”

“There was a fatality.”

A hand covered her mouth. “Oh, no.”

He took out his phone and showed her the picture he’d snapped of the deceased, clearly evincing the jagged scar from the corner of his mouth to his ear, just as Tamera had described.

#

Presley studied the photo, relieved it was a man instead of a woman. She still mourned the loss of a life, but it wasn’t one of her old friends.

“Oh, good, not Jessie or . . . wait.” She grabbed the phone from Dominic’s hand and scrolled in. The man had obviously been murdered. Her mouth dropped open. She slowly looked up at him. “It’s the man Jessie and Tamera described, the one who has been asking about me.”

Dominic nodded and removed the cell from her limp hand. “Yeah.”

“Who was he?”

“No identification yet.”

“Text me the picture, and I’ll send it to my office. They’ll have an ID by morning.”

“Seriously? They’re that good?”

“Better.”

Dominic sent the snap to her, and her fingers flew over the keys as she forwarded it to Tyler Redmond. She had no doubt his crew would identify the man and produce his background quickly. Once she finished, she looked at Dominic. “This means it’s all about me. Someone killed Margy and Nancy, hoping to coax me to come home.”

“Why go to that much trouble?” Dominic wondered.

“Because it’s impossible to get to me where I live now. Our compound is completely secure. No one can get in, nor could they trace me. Someone wanted to lure me out into the open.”

Dominic brushed a strand of hair from her face, and she tried not to shiver. “Do you have enemies, Presley Parrish?”

“Apparently. You rack them up pretty fast when you’re a cop. People don’t . . .” A thought struck. There was one person who certainly had a vendetta against her. Ed Smith, her former boss. Though it hadn’t happened right after he’d drugged and attacked her, she was responsible for him being fired, courtesy of her boss, Luke Colton.

“Presley, where did you just go?” Dominic asked.

She shook her head. “Sorry. I was trying to think of people who might want to harm me.”

Dominic studied her. “There is someone. I can see it in your eyes.”

“It’s a long story, and it’s late. I need to get some sleep.”

Dominic glanced at his watch. “Me too. I need to drop Gia off at school and meet her friend’s mom to transfer Major and her things. You’re not off the hook. I want to hear that story in the morning.”

“Thanks again for letting me stay here. Goodnight.”

Presley started to turn, but he grasped her arm and slid his hands around her face. “You’re welcome.”

Then he kissed her again. As had happened last time, she was powerless to resist. He fogged her brain. If anyone asked her right now, she couldn’t recite her own name.

Presley wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for the ride, letting his masterful lips coax more and more from her, including a whimper when he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

“Good night, Presley.”

“Um.” It was all she could manage. Frankly, she wasn’t sure her noodle-like legs would hold her upright. Thankfully, they did, but she collapsed to the bed as soon as she shut the door to the bedroom.

Presley was here for funerals and now to hunt a killer that might have her in his sights. Despite how her heart thumped like hummingbird wings whenever Dominic was around, she didn’t have time for an affair. It was a physical attraction, nothing more.

Okay, if she was being truthful, she genuinely liked him as a person. He was honorable, strong, and a great father. She wasn’t sure she could resist him for long. Didn’t even know if she wanted to. Life was short. Why not embrace the good when she could?

#

Dominic woke early after another evening spent tossing and turning. More erotic dreams plagued his sleep, leaving him turned on and frustrated. He would deal with that later. His daughter was leaving soon, and he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

After showering and shaving, he dressed and headed to the kitchen, where the coffee was already brewing, thanks to a timer. He planned on making Gia’s favorite breakfast: waffles. He’d have to wake her up earlier than usual to get her to school in time.

He poured a cup of java and gathered the ingredients. The waffle maker was in the pantry, so he grabbed it. Dom was mixing the batter when he felt the air around him shift. He knew without turning around that Presley was nearby.

“Good morning.”

He glanced over his shoulder to greet her, but the words died in his throat. There was absolutely nothing provocative about her outfit. A floral top and blue jeans. But her blonde hair was down around her shoulders, and her blue eyes sparkled. His nocturnal dreams came rushing back at him, where he was running his tongue down her very naked body.

“Can I help?”

Get a grip, Bianchi. You’re a grown man. A father, for crying out loud. “Uh, yeah, you can chop the strawberries again. They’re in the fridge.”

Footsteps sounded, and then small arms clamped around his waist. “I don’t want to leave you, Daddy.”

Dom sat the bowl and spoon down and turned to his daughter. “I know, honey.” He hugged her. “I hate to be away from you too.”

“Then why do I have to go?”

He wasn’t about to tell her about the danger. Instead, he said, “I have things I need to do for work and won’t be able to be home. You can’t be here by yourself.”

“Can’t Presley stay with me?”

“Honey, she’ll be busy.”

“But I want to spend time with her.”

“I know the timing sucks.”

Her bottom lip trembled, and Dom was about to call Elaine Chang and tell her the deal was off. He didn’t want his baby upset. Then he remembered the car that had almost run them off the road. “You’ll have so much fun with Tracey. You’ll be back here before you know it.”

“At least I get to take Major. He can comfort me when I get homesick.”

Shoot him now. This was torture.

“Gia, can you help me pick the leaves off the strawberries?” asked Presley.

“Sure.”

Dom nodded at Presley and mouthed, “Thanks.” She smiled in return.

He fixed the waffles while Presley and Gia prepared the berries. They sat down to eat like a family. There was laughter and conversation, dominated mainly by Gia. He noticed Presley didn’t talk down to her, which some adults tended to do with children. Another point in her favor.

A feeling of rightness washed over him. Gia’s happiness made him ecstatic. That was all he wanted for her. After a few rough years, her giggles were a balm to his soul.

“Tell me another Kai Costa joke,” Gia urged.

“Oh, gosh, okay. Let me think . . . okay, I’ve got one. Why do eyeshadow, mascara, and lipstick never stay mad at each other?”

Gia was bouncing in her chair. “I don’t know. Why?”

“Because they always make up.”

Major barked in tune to their guffaws, but Dom’s senses sharpened. It felt as if he’d entered a tunnel with narrow vision and muted hearing.

Everything fell into place. His beaming daughter, his goofy dog, and the woman he was falling in love with, all together. Was it a premonition? Or wishful thinking.

#

While Dominic and Gia gathered Major’s supplies to take to her friend’s house, Presley snuck out to the garage and activated an app on her phone, running it along the perimeter of his SUV. An indicator light confirmed her suspicions. Someone had planted a bug in the rear passenger-side wheel well. It had been a hunch to check for one. Now she was glad she’d followed through. Crouching down, she used the latex glove she’d brought to pry it loose and study it. Nothing fancy. It looked like a generic tracking device. That meant whoever was after her knew where she was staying. That wasn’t ideal, despite the security. They might not be able to get inside, but it made coming and going iffy, especially with only one way in or out.

Presley scanned the rest of the vehicle, but there were no others. She checked her Escalade and it was clean. She called BeBe Davis, the office administrator who practically ran CObrA Securities, and asked if she could find alternate accommodations. Even a hotel room would work if it wasn’t booked in her or Dominic’s names.

Presley returned inside to help carry Major and Gia’s supplies. She offered to drive, and when it looked as if Dominic might argue, she gave him a pointed look. He got the message.

Dominic transferred Gia’s booster seat to her vehicle, and once Major was inside and everyone was buckled in, Presley backed out of the garage. She prayed that whoever was after her wasn’t perched in a tree with a sniper rifle. CObrA Securities vehicles were equipped with bulletproof glass, but she’d rather not put it to the test, especially with Gia in the backseat. Thankfully, the exit was uneventful.

Morning rush-hour traffic was heavy, made more so when they got stuck behind a bus that stopped several times before turning into a subdivision. Presley pulled up in front of Gia’s school. After the girl climbed out with her backpack, Presley hugged her.

“You promise I can come visit you?” Gia asked.

“Absolutely. I can’t wait to show you around.”

Dominic looked as if he didn’t want to let his daughter go when he hugged her. Presley felt guilty that they would be separated because of her. She’d tried again before they left the house to convince him to let her go to a hotel so Gia didn’t have to leave, but he wouldn’t hear it and snapped that he wouldn’t be discussing it again. That was before she’d found the tracking device. Now, no one was safe staying there until the perp was caught.

Gia’s friend Tracey came running over, and together, they entered the building. Gia stopped, turned, and waved before disappearing inside.

“Hey, Dominic.”

“Elaine, it’s good to see you.” He hugged the woman. “This is my friend Presley Parrish.”

Elaine’s eyes narrowed. “That name sounds familiar—oh, wait, I remember you. You used to do back handsprings down the length of the basketball court. Your tumbling was the highlight of the games back then.”

Presley shook her hand. “Thanks, and it’s nice to meet you.”

“You sure it’s no problem to watch Gia for a few days?” Dominic asked.

Elaine waved a hand. “Absolutely not. Tracey was so excited when I told her she actually cleaned her room.” They all laughed.

“I appreciate it,” Dominic said.

“This has something to do with all the recent fires, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” Dominic admitted. “I’ll be working long hours.”

“Well, Gia and Major will be fine with us. Call anytime.”

“Thank you, Elaine.”

Dominic loaded Major and his supplies inside her minivan, along with Gia’s suitcase.

Once she drove away, Presley said, “I’m sorry.”

Dominic pulled her into her arms. “Stop. This isn’t your fault.”

“But it is. Someone is targeting me, and that puts anyone around me in danger.”

“Tell me who you think it is. I know you have a suspect.”

Presley’s cell buzzed with a text. It was Tyler, instructing her to call him when she could. He’d already identified the man with a scar earlier that morning. Bill Fitzgerald. The name didn’t ring any bells.

“Let’s head to the SUV. I need to call my office.”

“Why did you insist on driving this morning?”

Presley glanced at him while she buckled her belt. “I found a tracking device on your vehicle.”

“Are you serious?”

“I’m afraid so. That means your house is compromised. We can’t stay there.”

“I can get us a hotel room.”

“My office is on it. We’ll stop by your place now to pack. I have to warn you; someone knows I’m staying there. They might stage an ambush by the front gate.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Wish I was. The windows are bulletproof, but the tires aren’t. It could get dicey.”

“Is this normal for you? Tracking devices and snipers and ambushes?”

“Pretty much.”

“Wow. You’re a female James Bond . . . or Wonder Woman.”

Presley chuckled as she shifted the Escalade into gear. “Not hardly, but I’d love to have her royal tiara and magical bracelets. I’d settle for the Lasso of Truth and invisible jet.”

Dominic smiled, showcasing those devastating dimples. She sighed and focused on the drive back to his home. They entered through the gate with no issues.

“One down,” Dominic drawled. “Now we have to get out of here without getting shot.”

Presley couldn’t tell if he was being facetious or not. She parked next to the house. While he packed, she headed to the room she’d been using to gather her things. She hadn’t bothered to unpack, so she was done quickly. Then she called Tyler back.

“Hey, Presley, how’s it going?” Tyler greeted.

“I found a tracking device, but no additional issues, so that’s something.”

“I have a couple of things to tell you. First, the tests on the fluid samples from the medical examiner came back negative.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No. Margy Binder had anemia. Mr. Babcock had dangerously high cholesterol but no illegal substances in any of their systems.”

That was frustrating. She’d been sure they had to have been drugged.

“You trust the lab that was used?”

“As much as I trust anyone.”

That was good enough for her.

“Also, I have more information on Bill Fitzgerald. He’s been arrested dozens of times for a wide range of offenses, from grand theft auto to dealing to assault and battery. He’s been living in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for a few years, but his crime spree started about a hundred miles northwest.”

Dread settled in the pit of her stomach. “Don’t tell me. Wausau.” The city she worked in as a detective.

“Right in one.”

Her hunch had been correct. The person after her was her old boss, Ed Smith.