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T hane leaned against the deck railing and sipped his beer. He stared at the low-hanging moon, shining bright in the star-filled sky. It was a beautiful evening. It wasn’t too hot, nor was it humid. A slight breeze rippled across the air, bringing with it all the scents of summer. It was fresh. Floral. With a dash of rugged tossed in for good measure.

“You’re deep in thought.” Odessa’s sweet voice cut through the open space. It landed on his ears like decadent chocolate melting over a graham cracker. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, babe. You were great.” He set his beer aside, inched closer, and wrapped his arm around her body. He’d been in awe of how she handled herself the second they walked in the door. The way she directed the conversation. How she mentioned she remembered everything about that night, without saying what happened.

She dropped Grant’s name three times, but she didn’t say he did anything. However, she tossed his name at precisely the right moment. He’d believe every word if he didn’t know she was acting.

He had to admit, that freaked him right the fuck out.

He pressed his lips against her temple and inhaled sharply. She smelled like a mix of peaches and coconut. It was intoxicating. He missed that scent.

He missed her.

“My insides haven’t stopped trembling.” She dropped her head on his shoulder. “Reading some of the fake texts I supposedly sent made me realize how insane Grant really is. That he could be capable of… of…”

“I know.” Thane hugged her closer. “Lincoln is inside making sure the last of the information we want fed to Grant is done. The police department contracted Stormi to deal with Grant’s phone. She’ll prove you didn’t send those messages within the hour. And the warrant covers a lot of ground, so she can dig pretty deep into his computer system.” He waved his hand toward the house. “That means she could be homing in on those listening devices as we speak.”

“Is that what Lincoln’s doing now? Helping her with that?”

“No. But he’s sitting in my living room chatting on the phone with her, putting the final touches on our plan. When they are done, Grant should be worried about what we and the cops know.”

“Right now, we don’t know much.”

“Either Grant is going to lose his shit and fuck up, leading us to what we need to know or?—”

“I don’t want to know the or.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Thane whispered. “I’m going to protect you. We will get to the bottom of this. And Grant will pay for whatever crimes he’s committed.”

“I fear he’s worse than I thought.” She leaned into Thane’s strong frame. Loving him had been easy. He’d been her best friend. Her confidant. The one person who understood everything about her, maybe even better than she did.

Letting him go had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. They’d been so young and Thane only eighteen when he joined the Marines. He hadn’t a clue as to what he wanted to do or be. He thought the military would give him direction.

He had no idea it would give him passion.

She’d been thrilled that he found his calling. A career that stuck to him like a second skin. No way could she stand in the way of that. He’d resent her in the end if she did. But a few years and two Marine bases later, Odessa realized as much as she loved him, she resented the lifestyle. She didn’t hate the military. No. She valued it. Respected it. But no fucking way could she live within its boundaries. Not at twenty.

She wasn’t mature enough.

And she hadn’t found her own calling. She hadn’t a clue as to who she was or what she wanted.

So, she dropped out of college, broke up with Thane, and went to Europe for a year. It had to be one the best—and worst—years of her life. When she returned, she went straight to the base Thane had been stationed at and begged for him to take her back.

The next two years was more heartache. She would visit Thane, and he would come to Fallport. But she couldn’t commit to moving because if she did, that meant she would be alone. Thane was already working for a special unit. He was deployed half the year. Odessa was insanely proud.

And at the same time, depressed, lonely, and needed something else out of her life.

Once again, she called it quits.

At twenty-six, they tried again.

Same thing.

By the time Thane was twenty-nine, he brought home a twenty-one-year-old. A year later, he was married. The worst part was Odessa could tell he truly loved Tonia.

And they were happy.

Odessa had to wonder if they would still be together if Tonia hadn’t wanted something different from their sex life.

That stung.

“Hey.” He tipped her chin with his thumb. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours.”

“You don’t want to know.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Yeah, I do.”

“A world of regret.” She tilted her head. “I picked the right man the first time, but I couldn’t commit to your world. I thought I could after spending time abroad, but?—”

He pressed his mouth over hers. His tongue swirled around hers like a wild tornado before abruptly breaking off the kiss. “We were young and I didn’t make it easy on you. I all but demanded you leave the comforts of home.”

“Maybe, but it hurt more when you brought home a young girlfriend.”

“I’m sure it did,” he said. “But in my defense, you were dating someone at the time and I knew it before I even took out Tonia.” He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “The past is just that. The past. We can’t change it. It’s a part of who we are and we both hurt each other. I’m sorry that I was so lost. That sticking around this town wasn’t something I could do at eighteen. But if I had, I would have been miserable, and I suspect we would have broken up anyway. We weren’t ready for each other.”

“Now you sound like my therap…” She took a step back, pressing her hand on the center of his chest. “We need to get a couple of my therapy sessions to the police.”

“Excuse me?” Thane held her stare. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I started seeing a therapist before my parents died. I struggled with getting my life on track.” She covered his mouth. It killed him that he had anything to do with any negativity in her life. But he’d keep his thoughts to himself if that’s what she wanted. “When my folks died in that car crash, I felt so alone. Your mom was great, but it wasn’t you.”

“I called. I came home. You shut me out.” Thane didn’t want to have this conversation. He feared it would lead to a fight. One that he never wanted to have. It no longer mattered. He understood more than he wanted. He also forgave Odessa.

He loved her and what he wanted was for her to get her life back.

While he wanted to be in her life as more than a friend, he would take her as a friend because that was better than nothing.

“I know and that was because of Grant,” she said. “I didn’t expect you to comfort me, even though that’s who I wanted. Maybe even who I needed. I spoke with my therapist about it. She was all about me making a decision. You were a free man. Divorced and not dating anyone. I wasn’t dating Grant yet. But he’d made it very clear what he wanted. He showered me with gifts. He was always there for me. He was really sweet in the beginning. Too bad it was all an act.”

“I don’t mean to be an asshole, but I’m really glad to hear you say that about that jerk off.”

She chuckled. It wasn’t really funny, but she appreciated the sentiment. “Anyway, I continued to see that therapist for months. I talked a lot about my conflicting feelings about you leaving the military—knowing you were going to move back. About dating Grant and how much you hated him and how I struggled to understand the pull he had on me.”

“What did the therapist have to say?”

“That is what’s interesting to me,” Odessa said. “In the beginning, she mostly listened. She prescribed me antidepressants when my folks died. However, I didn’t like the way they made me feel and after a few months, I stopped taking them. Grant tried to push them on me, but I couldn’t bring myself to take them.”

“They aren’t for everyone,” he said. “Why did you stop seeing the therapist? Did Grant make you?”

“You know, outside of the ‘happy pills,’ as Grant called them, he thought seeing a shrink was weak. That’s what he told me. When he knew I was going, he’d tell me I should cancel and take up golf or tennis and stay away from you. That those things would make me happy. That and lose ten pounds, change my hair color, among other things.”

“I really hate that man,” Thane muttered.

“Thing is, he never flat-out demanded I stop. But slowly, my therapist encouraged me to choose. She told me it wasn’t fair to lead Grant on. But she never once mentioned what it was or could be doing to you. And I was texting with you. We saw each other often when you first moved here. And she knew all that. Instead, she focused on what I was doing to the man who was taking care of me.”

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, because again, I despise Grant, but that therapist does have a point. I mean, if I were in Grant’s shoes, I might actually be jealous, and I’m not a jealous man. But that might give me a reason to be. Especially with our history.” He smoothed his hands down her back, cupping her ass, heaving her close to his chest to prove a point.

“I get it. But I stopped seeing her not because anyone asked me to, but because I didn’t feel like I was getting anything out of it. I felt as though I had been pushed into a relationship with Grant. That I was being pushed into moving out of my parents’ home. Into selling it.”

“Wait a second.” Thane took a step back and raked his fingers through his hair. “If that’s the case, why did you call and schedule an appointment?”

“I didn’t, Thane.” She pursed her lips. “At least I don’t remember doing it and I have most of those memories back.”

Thane yanked his cell from his back pocket. He had two calls to make. The first one might not go over too well. He tapped his screen and hit the speaker button.

“You’re calling Jenna?” Odessa glanced between him and the phone.

He didn’t get a chance to answer.

“Why the hell are you calling me so late?” Jenna asked. “Is Odessa okay?”

“She’s fine,” Thane said. “She’s standing right here. You’re on speaker.”

“Oh. Okay. What’s up?” Jenna asked, a little calmer.

Thane arched a brow. He had a few fatal flaws. One of them was something he hated Grant for being: controlling. Another one was he tended to speak for others.

In this moment, he combined his two worst traits together. It didn’t matter that he’d done so because he loved and adored Odessa. Nope. But it could backfire.

She nodded, as if she understood his thoughts. “I didn’t make that appointment with Doctor Borden. If I were to go back to seeing a therapist, I’d go to anyone but her.”

“Why?” Jenna asked. “She’s got a good reputation.”

“That may be true. But I don’t believe she had my best interests at heart during my sessions and I want to know if we can get her notes,” Odessa said.

“I’ve already asked for them. But I figured she and I would sit down and have a discussion.”

“That’s probably not going to happen.” Odessa sighed, leaning against the railing. “A few months ago, I remember seeing the good doctor with Heath, and they looked awfully cozy.”

“Where and what exactly do you mean by cozy?” Thane asked.

“In the parking lot by her office and kissy-face cozy.” Odessa folded her arms. “Why would Grant target me from the beginning?”

“The insurance money. The house,” Thane said, as if that were obvious. “He had a crush on you in middle school. He made his move and it backfired.”

“I embarrassed him.” Odessa closed her eyes.

Thane inched closer. They’d been in the seventh grade. She was madly in love with Thane. And Thane with her. It was time.

But Thane couldn’t do a grand gesture. She wouldn’t appreciate that, so he opted for something a little less subtle. A simple note in her locker to meet him under the bleachers at lunch where they shared their first kiss.

It had been magical.

Then Grant happened.

“Childhood trauma can often shape a person’s life,” Jenna said.

“I’m not responsible for that man’s cruelty.” Odessa blinked.

“That’s not what I’m saying, although it might help if I knew what happened,” Jenna said.

“In a nutshell, Grant purchased a dozen roses from the secret admirer Valentine’s Day thing we did every year.” Thane rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn’t believe they were even discussing this stupid story. “He even made a mixed tape of what he believed were her favorite songs. He didn’t even come close to the music she liked. I mean, first, she wasn’t the kind of girl who wanted a secret admirer. And Grant couldn’t have known we’d already kissed earlier that day. So, when the roses started coming, and she knew they weren’t from me, she simply dumped them in the trash. When the mixed tape was played with a dedication over the loudspeaker for the entire school to hear, she stood up on her chair and made it clear that whoever sent it didn’t know her at all and to leave her the fuck alone. That she had a boyfriend and his name was Thane. Her exact words. She hopped off her chair and kissed me so hard in front of everyone that I too was embarrassed.”

“Like hell you were.”

“Okay, so maybe I wasn’t.” Thane laughed. “But Grant was in the room. He heard her and saw us. But to his credit, he didn’t say a word and acted like it wasn’t him.”

“Dumb question here,” Jenna said. “If the roses were anonymous and so was the tape, how did you know it was Grant?”

Thane took Odessa into his arms, kissing her temple. “Chrissy was our class president. She handled the secret admirer stuff every year. She knew it was Grant.”

Odessa sniffled. “Unfortunately, when Chrissy told me, I got in Grant’s face. Called him a loser and told him I’d never in a million years ever go out with him.” She dropped her head to Thane’s shoulder.

“That’s only because he wouldn’t stop sending you secret admirer gifts with notes that said nasty things about me,” Grant said.

“That’s a weak motive, but stranger things have happened,” Jenna said.

“Yeah, but let’s not forget what Rufus said. The man might be broke, which means he’s going after people who have money,” Thane said. “Sticking it to Odessa—which is also hurting me—is icing on the cake.”

“I’m supposed to see Doctor Borden in the morning. I’ll?—”

“I don’t want you anywhere near that doctor alone,” Thane interrupted Jenna. “Request the files. If she doesn’t hand them over or if you need a face-to-face, let me know. I’ll send someone or have Weston send a cop over.”

“Thanks. I won’t say no,” Jenna said. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Have a good night.”

Thane tapped the screen. He took Odessa’s hand.

Just then, Lincoln strolled through the sliding glass doors, waving his cell. “I’ve got Weston and my wife on the line,” he said. “Stormi found some shit on Grant’s computer.” Lincoln held his tablet in his hands. He set it on the small table and waved everyone over. “First, Stormi can prove without a doubt, those texts were not what Odessa sent on Friday night. As a matter of fact, here’s the text string.”

Thane rested his hand on Odessa’s shoulder and leaned forward, squinting as he read nasty words on the screen.

You’re going to pay for leaving me.

Only that wasn’t from Odessa. It was from Grant.

You better come home, or I’m coming for you.

Bitch, who you do you think you are.

Answer your fucking phone if you know what’s good for you.

I’m tired of this game. I’ve been good to you. I’ve let you have your tantrum. Come home, or else.

You want to play this game. Fine. I’ll play. But others will suffer. He’ll suffer. Your girlfriends, they will suffer.

“Jesus. That’s fucking threatening as hell,” Thane whispered.

“It’s enough for me to bring him in for questioning,” Weston said. “But there’s more.”

“What kind of more?” Thane asked.

Lincoln tapped his fingers across his tablet. “Grant’s broke and he has a coke problem. I’ve isolated texts messages from someone by the name of Tito Vargas, a major drug dealer who Grant owes a lot of money to. Grant could pay off his debts with the scam he’s running with Leslie Anne.”

“I don’t like her, but I feel bad she’s falling for the same crap I did,” Odessa said.

“That’s not the bigger problem.” Lincoln tapped his finger. “A month ago, Grant took out a life insurance policy on Odessa for the amount of five million dollars.”

“He did what?” Odessa jerked upright. “Are you trying to tell me he’s been planning on killing me?”

“Unfortunately.” Lincoln nodded. “But his plan didn’t include your friends. Nor did he plan on doing it this past weekend. However, since you left him, he had to scramble. And he’s continuing to shift his plans. But he’s as a dumb as a motherfucking doornail because he’s left a trail.”

“What kind of trail?” Thane asked.

“Look at these emails he’s sent to Heath, the man he’s hired to do his dirty work.” Lincoln shook his head. “Not only is he a moron for communicating with a hired hitman this way, but he’s a fool if he actually thinks a plan like this would work now.”

Thane reached around Lincoln and lifted the tablet. “That depends on what Odessa’s previous therapist has in her notes about Odessa’s sessions.” He lifted his gaze and let out a long breath. “And that doctor—we believe—is fucking Heath.”

“No shit,” Lincoln said. “Well, then I suppose making you out to be homicidal and suicidal in one breath might not be a stretch.”

Thane turned and stared through the sliding glass doors. “We need to end this. Tonight.”

“I’ve got all I need to bring both Grant and Heath in,” Weston said over the phone’s speaker. “But they won’t talk. They will lawyer up and even though I’m fairly confident I can charge them both with crimes, they will be out of this station in twenty-four hours. It’s then up to?—”

“I know how the court system works and we’re not going to do that.” Thane rolled his shoulders. “We’re going to make sure Grant and Heath make an appearance. Here. Tonight. We’re going to have them come for her.” He swallowed the bile that smacked his tonsils. It tasted like death. He shifted his stance and stared at Odessa.

Her eyes were wide with fear. But there was also a strength behind those baby blues. A resolve. A desire to end this and get her life back.

“We’re going to go inside and give them a reason to storm my house tonight. We’ve already hinted that she knows. That she remembers what happened.” Thane pointed toward the tablet. “Now we’re going to toss some of their plan right back in their faces. We’re going to push their buttons and give them no other choice. And then we’re going to be ready to take them down. I want this conviction to stick. I don’t want there to be any doubt and Grant is just arrogant enough to look me in the eye and let me know he finally beat me.”

“Are you sure?” Lincoln asked. “Because you’re putting Odessa at risk.”

“I know.” Thane nodded. He closed the gap between him and Odessa. He cupped her face. “I’m asking a lot of you. I know you’re scared. I’m afraid too. I know men like Heath. They believe they are invincible. Worse, they don’t have a moral compass. But if we don’t get them to charge?—”

“I’m all in,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “I’d rather this than take the risk he beats the system.”

“That’s my girl.” Thane brushed his lips across her mouth.

“All right. I’ll get the ball rolling and see who’s available for a good old-fashioned sting op,” Lincoln said.

“I can redirect the listening devices to the police station,” Stormi said. “Lucky us, Virginia is a one-party consent state, making all of this fun stuff legal. Talk to you boys in a bit. Honey, I’ll see you at home when this is over.”

“Kiss the kiddies for me,” Lincoln said. “This should be an easy enough plan, but I do have a question for you.”

“Yeah. What’s that?” Thane asked.

“What about Rufus?” Lincoln arched a brow. “You say he’s no longer a part of this and the bugs were exactly where he said they were. But how do we deal with him if we can’t contact him?”

“I left him a burner phone, and he took it. I’ll reach out to him on that.” Thane lifted his cell and texted the number of the burner. “Hopefully, he’ll call soon. I’ll fill him in and he can be our inside man.”

“I hope you’re right because if not, we’re fucked.” Lincoln tucked his tablet under his arm and disappeared inside.

“Before we move forward, I need to say a couple of things.” Thane ran his thumb across Odessa’s cheek.

“Me first.”

“Okay.” He lowered his chin. “I’m all ears.”

She took his hand and placed it over her heart. “I know how you feel about me. I suspect what you want to say is that you love me. That you always have and that you always will.”

“That’s part of it,” he admitted. “But you say that as if it’s a side note and it’s not.”

She opened her mouth.

He hushed her with his index finger. “I love you. I want us to date when this is over. To have a second chance at falling in love again. I know you’re going to need time. Your life hasn’t been easy this last year.”

“Neither has yours,” she said. “You left the only career you’ve ever had. You lost your father and you’ve been taking care of your mom.” She palmed his cheek. “I don’t need time. What I need is you.”

“That you have.”

“Good, because I do still love you.” She kissed him tenderly. “However, you are right. We do need to date.” She smiled. “Falling in love again will be fun. Now let’s go take out the fucking trash.”

“You’ve always had a way with words.”