“Just . . . appreciating.” Dani slid under the covers and sighed happily when he wrapped his muscular arms around her. She rested her head on his solid chest, her good ear pressed to his steadily beating heart.

After a minute, she lifted her head to kiss his chin. “I like this,” she whispered.

Lips curving, he drew a deep, contented breath. “So do I.”

But as tired as she was, her brain wouldn’t stop racing. She ran her palm over his skull, his stubble tickling her skin. “Why do you shave your head?”

He opened one eye. “My hair started to fall out after I got hurt, back in the army. Not all of it, just . . . in patches. So I shaved it. Why?”

“Just curious.” She rubbed all over his skull. “You have no bald spots now.”

Both of his eyes were open now. “You want me to grow it out?”

“Only if you want.” She lifted her brows. “Bald is a sexy, badass look on you, but I bet your hair is pretty.”

He snorted. “No. It’s just brown. Not like yours.” He tucked her white streak behind her ear. “Yours is unique. But I have wondered why Deacon’s went completely white and yours didn’t.”

It was her turn to snort. “It did. But you’ll be very discreet and not notice when I go to the hairdresser every few weeks to get the black part . . . re-blacked. My white streaks are the only authentic part of my hair.”

He laughed quietly. “Still, I like it. I’ll be very discreet.” He trailed his fingertips over her lips. “What’s really wrong, Dani? I’m thinking that it’s really not our hair that’s keeping you awake.”

She rested her forehead on his chin for a moment before lifting her head to meet his eyes squarely. “I never told Michael that his mother was threatening to fight for custody of Joshua. Now I’ll have to tell him she’s dead.”

He threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling her down to kiss him. “We’ll tell him together. Now sleep.”

She lay in the dark for a long time, listening to the steady thumping of his heart. Until his breathing evened out and his light snores were a quiet rumble in her ear.

She pressed a kiss to his heart. Now she could sleep.

Chapter Twenty-One

Cincinnati, Ohio
Monday, March 18, 7:45 a.m.

“I understand that you’re searching everyone,” Evelyn said, her tone to the cop patient, but holding a thread of desperation that Cade figured the cop would attribute to her being late for her first appointment. So far she’d been a pro. “But the police searched my house and van already. You can call and ask them.”

“I understand.” The cop was condescending. “I’m sure your first appointment will also understand. We have a manhunt ongoing. That’s a little more important.”