All of a sudden, I felt as if there were an invisible countdown clock hanging over my head. I wanted nothing more than for this killer to be caught and brought to justice. But what would I do when that happened? Would I have to leave? Find somewhere else to tuck myself away? It was the last thing I wanted.

Brody tugged at me, taking us down so that we were flat on the couch, my body on top of his. “You doing okay?”

“This has been a no good, very bad day.”

He brushed the hair away from my face. “I want you to think about something for me.”

I searched his face, looking for any hint about what might be to come. “I can think.”

His mouth curved the barest amount, but it didn’t stay put. “Think about leaving with me. We can go anywhere you want. Italy, Australia, the UK. Let’s get out of here until the dust settles.”

I stiffened against him. “You want to leave?”

His roughened fingertips skated along my skin. “I want to keep you safe. I want you to be able to live freely, not looking over your shoulder every second.”

“I don’t want to run away.” I didn’t want to leave these islands. As much as I’d used Harbor and Anchor for a hideout, they’d also become my home. I’d built a life here. One I’d be giving up if I took off for somewhere halfway around the globe. “This is my home.”

Warring expressions flashed across Brody’s face. Ones that spoke of pride, frustration, and a hint of fear. “You’re ready to fight.”

“I’m not going to give this place up.” It had given me too much. It was where I had truly healed, where I had begun to live again for the first time in decades. Something in the sound of the water, the scent of the air, brought me immeasurable peace. And now that I thought about it, I couldn’t imagine making my home anywhere else.

Brody pressed his lips to my temple. “Then we stay. But we stick together. And that includes all the chores you’ve got going on every day. I don’t want you alone.”

I arched a brow. “That means you, too. No sneaking off to the studio alone if you can’t sleep.” More than once over the past couple of months, I’d woken to an empty bed when I turned over. The next morning, there was always a new canvas in the works.

Brody’s lips brushed the side of my face, moving closer to my ear. “It’s no hardship staying in bed with you.”