But I knew.

I could tell myself that again and again and again.

But I’d seen the girls with their guys.

So I could repeat it for eternity, and I’d never believe.

No, Augustus Hero was not a mistake.

The mistake would be if he took a chance on me.

Now that would be a mistake.

Huge.

*  *  *

Lee

His phone went, waking him up.

His wife, Indy, was buried under him.

It was their thing.

It was also a necessity.

His woman was a mover when she slept. If he didn’t pin her to the bed, his shins would be covered in bruises by morning and she’d possibly smack him in the face waking him up in the middle of the night.

Repeatedly.

He rolled off her, reached out, nabbed his phone, looked at his screen and any vestiges of sleep fled.

He took the call.

“Willie,” he greeted.

“Need your time,” Willie answered.

Willie Moses.

A good friend for years, since high school.

A cop, on the beat. A sergeant, never had a dream of detective, he was good with people and the street was in his blood.

“Now?” Lee asked.

“Now,” Willie answered.

“Text me, brother,” Lee told him.

“Got it,” Willie said and then disconnected.

Lee rolled back to Indy.

Before he could give her a kiss, she muttered drowsily as well as irritably, “Remind me again why I married you?”

“Multiple orgasms and we made two super fuckin’ cute kids,” he replied.

“Oh yeah, that’s why,” she said.

He grinned, aimed, touched his mouth to hers, then made certain the covers were still on top of her as he got out of bed.

By the time he returned, she’d be totally tangled up in them.

Which was good, he’d have to wake her to get her untangled, and him, Indy, two sleeping kids, two awake adults and a bed meant he’d get a fantastic welcome back.

He dressed, took keys, phone and a weapon with him to his car, got in and drove to where the text instructed: a dark corner of a parking lot at Mile High Stadium.

Eddie was already there.

Figured.

Lee parked next to Eddie’s truck, got out and moved to Eddie, who was leaning against his front bumper.

“Hank coming?” he asked.

“Since I didn’t know you were coming, no clue,” Eddie answered.

“Got a clue about this middle-of-the-night mystery?” Lee went on.

Eddie shook his head. “Nope.”

They heard it before they saw it.

A car approaching, headlights out.

Both put hands to their guns at hips and repositioned so Lee’s vehicle was between them and it.

It stopped and Willie could be seen in the driver’s seat.

It appeared there was a Black woman with short cropped hair in the seat beside him.

They both got out.

Lee didn’t take his eyes off the woman.

She was tall. Slender shoulders, round hips, dark skin, strong features.