“Did you find anything on his hard drive?” I asked, trying to change the subject back to something cold and clinical. The investigation.

“Some stuff, nothing too important. He’s very thorough, but it’s nothing about his job, at least not on the surface. I’m sure he’s encoded some stuff deeper, and I’ll find it. He’s smart.” She nodded. “Give me a little more time? What are you going to do with the information once I find it? It’s not like you can give it to your boss. You got it by breaking into his place.”

“I know,” I nodded, grateful that she’d stopped using his name. “It won’t be admissible in court, but it might lead me to something that is. Everyone’s counting on me now. I have to succeed.”

Chelsea’s frown worsened. “Seems like you’re trying to make everyone else happy. But what about you?”

I blinked at Chelsea. “Being a detective will make me happy.”

“Are you sure?”

“Jesus, Chels. Please get off my back.”

She threw up her hands. “I’m just asking you to look at things, that’s all.” Penelope meowed, interrupting our argument and the tension that had started to grow. “Yeah, your Papa’s here, being an ass.”

I scooped Pen up into my arms, and he was over his hissy fit. “Don’t listen to her. She’s crazy.”

Chelsea threw shredded lettuce at my face. “Shut up, or I’ll kick you out.”

“You hear that? She’ll put us on the streets, Pen.”

“Not him,” she said. “Just you.”

I scoffed. “What a dick.”

Chelsea smiled, and I returned the expression. No matter how hard life was, I needed to remind myself that I gave a damn about her. It wasn’t her fault my life was a cosmic shit show.

* * *

I searched under the mat for the key I knew was under there somewhere. Rourke kept my uniform at his place, which was a good thing. I couldn’t let my bosses know I was slumming it. They would think I couldn’t handle my shit. I mean, I couldn’t, but I had to pretend I could.

“Found you.”

I snagged the key and shoved it into the door. Quietly, I shut it behind me. Rourke and I had to work together anyway, but if he was still asleep, I didn’t want to wake him up. I made my way down the hall and paused as I heard a voice.

Guess he’s already awake.

I balled up my fist, ready to knock on his door, but paused. Whoever he was talking to, I couldn’t hear them. He was on the phone.

“No, tonight isn’t good. I need to take care of shit.” Silence. “Get off my ass!” Rourke snapped. “I know what the fuck I need to do. You do your goddamn job, and I’ll do mine! Fucker.”

I jumped at Rourke’s yelling. Since when had he ever lost his temper like that? He’d been getting on my ass since we met, but that was just him. This? It was something different.