Adrian being the other. Adrian and her status were wound together like a hopelessly snarled ball of Kate’s yarn. She’d need to figure out how to tell Diesel the truth so that he’d know . . . what? That it’s not him, it’s me? That sounded lame, even to her own mind.

As to the issue of the boys . . . She didn’t want to stop being an emergency provider, because there were deaf and hard-of-hearing kids who needed her, but for Michael and Joshua? Maybe I can make it permanent for them.

The storm door opened abruptly and Marcus strode in, his expression forbidding. “Why are you crying?” he asked his wife. Then he realized what she’d shared and he shook his head, his mouth tipped up in an indulgent smile. “You spilled the beans? You’re the one who’s been insisting that we keep it a secret, and you told everyone?”

Scarlett sniffled. “I couldn’t help it. Dani made me cry.”

Marcus raised a questioning brow as he closed and locked the front door.

Dani just shook her head. She didn’t have the energy to go through that again. “Where is Stone? Isn’t he coming in?”

“No. He’s gone to the casino to back Diesel up.”

The casino where Brewer had gambled away first his house, then his stepson. Where he might have crossed paths with his killer. A sense of relief rolled through Dani, because Stone would keep Diesel safe. “Good.” She didn’t want Diesel to be alone.

Even though I will be.

Cincinnati, Ohio
Sunday, March 17, 8:35 p.m.

Cade checked that the ski mask was properly positioned before driving past Dani Novak’s house. For now it covered only the top of his head, but he could yank it down in half a second to cover his face if he needed to. Only when he needed to, though. It wasn’t cold enough to warrant the mask and its presence might make an overly observant homeowner suspicious enough to call the cops. Novak’s quiet little neighborhood seemed the type to have a host of overly observant homeowners, with its tree-lined streets and minivans in every driveway.

Except for Dani Novak’s driveway. Hers looked like an SUV dealership. He counted four in total: a Subaru, an Escalade, and two Jeeps.

Two men stood on the front porch, deep in conversation. Both were tall. One of them was at least Cade’s size. Good to know what he’d be up against.

He wished he’d thought to put his headphones on, because his long-range mike would have picked up their conversation. But it also picked up his engine’s noise, so he’d wait until he’d found a place to park before using the listening device.

The front door was open and he could see a small slice of a living room through the storm door glass. Even with his windows up, he could hear barking.