He was silent for a long time, so long that Sam wondered if he was going to say anything. “Every time I hear that something’s happened to a cop in this city,” he said in a halting staccato, “I’m going to think it’s you. I don’t want to live like that. I can’t live like that.”

“You’d rather live without me?” Her lips left a trail from his collarbone to his jaw. “Without what we have?” When he trembled, she began to feel hopeful that she was getting through to him. “I love you so much, Nick. So, so much. If you take that away from me, I’ll never get over it.” She sprinkled kisses on his face and encountered dampness on his cheek. “I know you’re sad about Julian. I am, too. I only met him once, but I could see what a special person he was. Let me help you, Nick. Let me love you.”

His lips found hers in a hungry, desperate kiss as he rolled her under him.

Sam clung to him, meeting the thrusts of his tongue with her own, tasting whiskey and Nick.

He tore his lips free. “Things happen in threes. My grandmother always said that.”

“You thought I was the third thing.”

Nodding, he rested his forehead against hers. “I knew you were chasing Reese. I was so sure it was you.”

“Freddie getting shot was the third thing.”

“How is he?”

“He’ll be fine in a few weeks.”

“Did they get Reese?”

“Not yet. But we will.”

“What if he shoots you next time?”

“He might,” she said, knowing this was a time for honesty. “Every time I step foot out the door, it can happen. It’s a risk we all take, but I don’t spend even one minute of my day worrying about it.”

“I can’t bear it, Sam,” he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. “I thought I could, but I found out today that I can’t.”

“Do you know,” she said, tilting her hips against his erection, “that my dad and now Freddie are the only cops I know personally who’ve been shot on the job? And I’ve known a lot of cops in my life.”

“Don’t try to tell me it can’t happen to you. Just since we’ve been together, you’ve been nearly blown up, shot at—twice—you scraped the skin off your chin, arms and knees, took an elbow to the face, got your throat squeezed by your ex-husband who wanted you dead and your partner got shot. Have I forgotten anything?”

Running her hands over his ribs, she fought the urge to giggle at the ridiculous inventory. “That about covers it.”

Exasperated, he flopped onto his back. “And that’s only our first month.”