“What are you getting at?”

“I just want to make sure I’m not transporting drugs in my cruiser.”

My mouth fell open and then snapped shut.

“Have I offended you?” Reyes asked although he was clearly unaffected by my reaction.

“Shepley doesn’t do drugs. He barely drinks. He buys one beer and babysits it all night.”

“What about you?”

“No!”

He wasn’t convinced. “You don’t have to do drugs to sell them. The best dealers don’t.”

“We’re not drug dealers or smugglers or whatever the current term is.”

Reyes pulled onto the shoulder beside the flooded Charger. Water and debris sloshed into the open windows. “That’s going to cost a lot to repair. How is he going to pay for it?”

“He and his dad share a love for old cars.”

“Restoration project for father-son bonding? All paid for with dad’s money?”

“They didn’t need to bond. He’s very close with his parents. He was a good kid, and he’s an even better man. Yes, they have money, but he has a job. He supports himself.”

Reyes glared down at me. He was just … massive. Still, I had nothing to hide, and I wouldn’t let him intimidate me.

“He works at a bank,” I snapped. “Do you really think I’m hiding drugs in this bag?”

“You’ve been holding on to it like it’s made of gold.”

“It’s his! It’s the only thing I have of him besides that drowned car!” Tears burned in my eyes as the realization of what I’d just said formed a lump in my throat.

Reyes waited.

I pressed my lips together and then tore at the zipper, yanking at it until it opened. I pulled out the first thing I grabbed, which was one of Shepley’s shirts. It was his favorite, a dark gray Eastern State tee. I held it to my chest, instantly breaking down.

“America … don’t … don’t cry.” Reyes looked half disgusted and half uncomfortable, trying to look anywhere else but me. “This is awkward.”

I pulled out another shirt and then a pair of shorts. As I unrolled them, a small box fell back into the backpack.

“What was that?” Reyes said in an accusatory tone.

I dug in the bag and fished out the box, holding it up with a huge grin. “It’s the … this is the ring he bought. He brought it.” I sucked in a ragged breath, my expression crumbling. “He was going to propose.”

Reyes smiled. “Thank you.”

“For what?” I said, opening the box.

“Not transporting drugs. I would have hated to arrest you.”

“You’re a jerk,” I said, wiping my eyes.

“I know.” He rolled down his window to flag down another officer.

With the help of the National Guard, the turnpike had been cleared, and traffic was running smoothly again, but as the sun began its descent, another set of dark clouds started to form on the horizon.

“That looks ominous,” I said.

“I think we’ve already experienced ominous.”

I frowned, feeling impatient. “We have to find Shepley before dark.”