She was back. She never wanted to leave again.

She opened all the windows in her condo and enjoyed the cool ocean air. She paid a pretty penny for the tiny one bedroom on the beach, but she didn’t need a lot of space and it had an ocean view. She had a trusted neighbor—a rarity for her, because she didn’t trust many people—keep an eye on her place, but she didn’t like anyone going inside when she wasn’t home. So she lived sparsely—no plants to water, no pets to feed. Though it was a two-room spread, it was all hers—her sanctuary. She had mail go to a PO Box near the police station; all her bills were paid automatically through her bank; and none of her neighbors even knew she was a cop. She could be anyone she wanted, and she wanted to blend in at home so no one would look twice at her.

But even though she slept in her own bed in her own apartment, she didn’t sleep well, or long. She wondered what Matt Costa was doing, and if she would ever see him again.

Does it matter?

No, she convinced herself. It didn’t matter. Sure, they had fun—but he was also arrogant and judgmental, and she didn’t need to account for her lifestyle or her career to anyone. She wouldn’t mind sharing a vacation with him, however. There was something powerful about having sex with him. And she couldn’t discount that, because she had rarely felt so intimate with anyone.

Yes, it scared her.

Maybe they could spend a week in Hawaii where they could play hard and make love harder. She had been to Hawaii once, alone, loved it. Had always wanted to return; never found the time. Never made the time. One week, then go back to their jobs. She wasn’t into long-term relationships, and neither was he. That would work for her, she figured.

Still. She’d probably never see him again.

Even though she wasn’t technically supposed to be back to work until Monday, Lex had left a message on her phone Friday night.

“You left Spokane? Don’t screw with this case. Call me.”

Instead of calling, she went down to the station at eight Saturday morning and brought Lex his favorite flavored coffee from his favorite trendy coffee shop.

“I’m back!” she announced with a smile and put the coffee down on her boss’s desk.

He stared at her for a long moment, long enough that she knew he wasn’t happy to see her. He was tired, looked like he hadn’t slept in a week.

She slammed his door shut. “I know,” she said, “I can’t come back until Monday, yada yada. But we wrapped things up in Spokane and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to leave. Just give me a case to research, and I promise I’ll spend all my time at the computer this weekend working up a plan instead of in the field.”

“The FBI called me last night. Tony Greer, an assistant director. He runs the Mobile Response Team.”