Dani squared her shoulders, straightened her spine, and schooled her features, turning to him with an expression that was prim but firm. She was getting ready to say it again. Getting ready to tell him to find someone else. And he couldn’t stand to hear it.

Abruptly he pushed to his feet, overwhelmed by the panic clawing at his gut. Because this wasn’t enough. I’m not enough. This wasn’t real. None of this was real and he’d been a fool to pretend that it was.

Dani stared up at him, brows crunching together in consternation, and he knew he needed to say something, because the words he dreaded most were about to fall from her lips.

So he said the first thing that came to mind. “Thank you.”

She tilted her head warily. “For what?”

For letting me pretend for a little while. “Not giving me a hard time about protecting you. I know this is temporary for you.” He drew a deep breath that sliced at the inside of his chest. Temporary. Michael had been right. They were all just temporary. Hell, Michael had a better chance of permanence here than Diesel did. “I know you asked me to stay because of the kids. And that’s okay.” No, it’s not okay. Not at all. I’m not okay. “But thank you for taking my need to protect all of you seriously.”

Her mouth had fallen open, and he waited, hoping she’d tell him that he was wrong, that this wasn’t temporary, that she wanted him there as much as he wanted to be there. But she didn’t. She sat staring up at him, a host of emotions warring in those beautiful mismatched eyes.

She wanted him. He knew that. But she still didn’t want to want him.

Hurriedly he packed his laptop in its case. “If you can call Kendra and Trip, I’ll call Scarlett and Marcus.” Then he’d get out of this sweet, cozy house and do what he did best—catching sonsofbitches who hurt people.

Harrison, Ohio
Sunday, March 17, 4:30 p.m.

Cade stared down at the man lying in the fetal position on his basement floor. Andrew McNab was a lot tougher than he looked. And a lot more honorable.

Cade was reluctantly impressed. The guy had not given the kid up. Hadn’t said a word other than that he wasn’t going to divulge any client’s business. For the first half hour, anyway.

That had changed when Cade had broken one of McNab’s ribs. Then the man began to chant that he didn’t know, over and over.