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AUDREY

“YOU’RE FROWNING AGAIN.” Maddox angles a brow at me as he slides his laptop into its sleeve. “You can’t stay in Memphis, sweetheart.”

“I know.” I sigh as I pack the last of my clothes into the suitcase Maddox bought to hold the clothes I’ve accumulated while we were in the hotel. “I just feel bad leaving Becca behind.”

“You told her she could come with us.” Maddox comes to stand in front of me, smoothing his hands down my arms. “She wants to stay here until they find her sister.”

The frown I’ve been sporting since Becca refused to come to Nashville with me deepens.

“But you still haven’t figured out who came to her house that night.

If it wasn’t Trevor trying to get to her, then it was someone above him.

” I swallow hard, worry for my friend clogging my throat. “What if they figure out where she is?”

I understand there’s a bunch more people here now to keep her safe.

A ton of guys from Alaskan Security—including Zeke—showed up not long after Maddox, Luca, Owen, and Butch saved me and Becca from Trevor and the trio of idiots who took us.

It would have been great if they arrived just a little earlier, but at least they were around to help clean up the mess.

And there was one heck of a mess.

“They won’t,” Maddox tries to reassure me. “But if they do, they’ll end up where Trevor is.”

That isn’t super helpful. “I don’t know where Trevor is.”

Maddox flashes me a smile. “No one does. That’s the point I’m trying to make.”

Coco scratches at my foot, wanting to be picked up. I crouch down and scoop her into my arms. “When is Pierce coming in?”

I know the owner of Alaskan Security is planning to come to Memphis so he can help sort out the mess happening here.

I didn’t initially understand why Pierce cared so much about the police department, but then Maddox explained how inconvenient it is for them to operate when the local cops are uncooperative.

Everything runs much smoother when there’s an understanding that they’re both on the same side.

They just go about things a little differently.

At least they’re supposed to be on the same side. Right now the Memphis PD is a crapshoot. Some of the cops are like Butch. They want to do good and work hard to make Memphis a safer place.

But many of them are bad. Really freaking bad. In bed with men like Trevor and only interested in money and power.

“Tomorrow.” Maddox zips up the bag holding all his belongings. “He wants to talk to Butch before making any decisions on our next plan of action.”

Understandable, but I hate the delay. Not as much as Becca does, I’m sure. Which circles me back to my friend. “Can you make sure Becca gets a phone so I can call her and check in?”

My own phone has been replaced with an Alaskan Security issued device. It was evident Trevor hadn’t told anyone—outside of the three thugs he hired—about the flash drive. Since they’re all dead, I’m no longer in danger.

Mostly.

Apparently being connected to Maddox—and by extension Alaskan Security—means I’ll always have to be on guard since I can be used against him. Against them. So I get the same untraceable devices as everyone else. I also get to have a long talk with Heidi and Harlow about internet safety.

I don’t mind. I want to do everything I can to stay safe. The haunted look is just starting to leave Maddox’s eyes and I don’t want him to ever have to fear for my life again.

“I believe Pierce is bringing her a phone and a computer so she can continue to work at some capacity.”

That stalls my hands. “I don’t even know what Becca does for a living.” Now I feel even worse about leaving her here. “Maybe we could?—”

“No.” Maddox comes over to flip the lid of my suitcase closed. “You’re going to Nashville to keep Savannah company while Zeke’s here.” He zips the bag closed and hauls it off the bed. “Do you want to stop by your apartment to pick anything up before we head out?”

“I can’t think of anything I’ll need in the next few days.” A team is there now packing everything up so it can be shipped to my new home.

Maddox’s home.

But while I don’t feel the need to say goodbye to my apartment, there is someone I’d like to see before I go. “Can we go to Ivy and Birch?”

I’m still struggling to come to terms with Dane’s betrayal.

I knew there were people who wanted to hurt me, but I never would have suspected he was one of them.

Sure, I knew he was interested in running a store one day, but to be willing to hand me over for his own gain?

Especially to a man he knew had hurt me in the past?

I didn’t see it coming. And that made it hit even harder.

“We can go anywhere you want.” Maddox wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close while being careful not to squish Coco between us. “As long as you’re sleeping in my bed tonight.”

I hate leaving Becca. Hate that she’ll be here on her own.

But holy cow is the idea of sleeping in Maddox’s bed appealing. “I can agree to that.”

“Good.” He presses a kiss to my head. “Let’s get going then.”

As we walk down the hall, my eyes find their way toward the room Becca used to occupy, and my throat goes tight. “She’s going to be okay, right?”

“She’s going to be way better than the men Pierce has guarding her.” Maddox grins. “Sounds like she’s full of questions.”

I think back on her ponderance over Alaskan Security’s yearly body count.

“I think she just likes to know things.” Becca will be thrilled to have internet access again.

She about peed her pants when I whipped out Maddox’s tablet so we could play Scrabble while we drank wine and ate French fries.

“FYI, if you end up coming back here to help, don’t play Scrabble with her. She’s impossible to beat.”

“I think I’m going to be sticking around Nashville.

Zeke knows I’m almost as protective of Savannah as he is, so if he can’t be there with her, I’m the next best thing.

” He stops at the car we’ll be taking home and loads all our bags into the back.

Then he helps me into the passenger seat, pressing a kiss to my lips before getting behind the wheel and aiming for my requested destination.

Nerves bite at my insides as we drive to Ivy and Birch.

I don’t know how I’m going to feel walking in there.

Facing the place I last saw Dane before he threw me to the wolves, knowing they’d eat me alive.

But I want to see Ginny. I want to thank her for working so hard.

To wish her luck as the new store manager.

To hug her for refusing to tell Trevor anything about me.

After I identified the fourth man at the rundown building Trevor had me brought to, Heidi, Harlow, and the rest of Intel started digging. And what they found still turns my stomach.

Dane had been feeding Trevor information about me for months.

They’d exchanged dozens of emails covering everything from what kind of car I drove to where my apartment was to the new hair color deepening my blonde locks.

Every week he sent him my schedule and an approximation of how much money I made.

It was violating and disgusting, and if it wasn’t for Becca, I would have left Memphis that minute.

We arrive at the shopping center where I work—used to work—and Maddox keeps me close as we go inside. I hold my breath as I walk in, waiting for whatever emotions are coming for me.

They hit, but not as hard as I expected. I’m sad, sure. Disappointed. Mad even.

But more than anything, I can’t wait to leave. To get away from this place and this city. To put it all behind me and move forward.

It’s only a few seconds before Ginny sees me. Her expression is guarded as she approaches, a stack of jeans piled in her arms. “Hi.”

“Hi.” I don’t know what comes over me, but I grab her in a hug, my throat tight. “I just wanted to say bye and I know you’re going to do an amazing job.”

Ginny stiffens for a second before freeing one hand to pat my back. “Thanks.”

I lean back, hit by a wave of appreciation for the young woman in front of me. “You’re a good person and I hope you get everything you want out of life.”

Ginny’s mouth softens into a slight smile. “You too.”

I don’t know what I wanted to get out of this, but I feel like I have it. Maybe it was closure. Maybe it was to see the person who shut Trevor down from the start. Told him if he reached out again, she’d call the cops.

Should she have told me he contacted her? Probably. But I don’t fault her for not wanting to get in the middle of my mess. Actually, knowing what I know now, I’m glad she didn’t.

Because if I’d known Trevor was watching me, I would have reached out for help sooner. And it wouldn’t have been Maddox who was sent to save me.

So, as weird as it sounds, there’s nothing I would change about my life. Everything I went through is what brought him to me.

And my Murder Maddox is worth every bit of it.

Maddox

“Who wants cookies?” I carry the tray of warm baked goods into the great room where Audrey and Savannah are piled on my couch, snuggled under blankets, watching television.

“Me.” Savannah pokes one arm out from under her blanket, raising it high enough she can snag a cookie from the tray as I pass. Taking a bite, she moans. “These are so good.”

“They should be. You taught me how to make them.” I’ve never been more grateful for the cooking skills Savannah taught me than I was when I brought Audrey and Coco home. They were both underfed and in need of the nourishment a home-cooked meal provides.

And I’m not just talking about calories.

Coco’s little nose lifts in the air as I reach where she’s curled on Audrey’s lap, her eyes lighting up when she sees me.

“I’ve got a cookie for you too.” I dig into my pocket, pulling out one of the homemade dog treats I make up every Sunday, passing over the crunchy square of sweet potato and peanut butter before giving her a gentle pet.