Guilt, grief, and disappointment flashed in his golden eyes. And I thought back to what Warren T. Fox had told me. He’s not the one for you, the old man’s voice whispered in my head. Somehow I pushed my hurt aside, trying to be calm and rational about this. Trying to get Donovan Caine to change his mind. To stay. To give us a fucking chance.

“You know as well as I do that Tobias Dawson was never going to leave the Foxes alone. That he was in deep with Mab Monroe and both of them—both of them—would have done everything in their power to get their hands on those diamonds. Dawson dying was the only way to save Warren and Violet.”

Donovan shook his head. “I just can’t bring myself to believe that, to accept it.”

This was the same old argument we’d had so many times now. Too many to count. It wouldn’t go anywhere, so I decided to try another tactic. “Why is feeling something for me so terrible? Why can’t you just accept the fact I used to be an assassin and that I’m trying to change?”

“Because you’ll never change. Not really.”

“Oh no?”

“No,” he replied in a firm voice. “Think about it. We find out what Tobias Dawson’s doing, and what’s the first thing out of your mouth? You talking about killing him. You don’t consider any other options, you don’t consider anything. You decided you wanted Dawson dead, and you made it happen.”

“I did what needed to be done,” I said in a cold voice.

“Nothing more, nothing less. And there were no other options, detective. Because the police in this town are a joke, and we both know it. The only law, the only justice, in Ashland is what people make for themselves.”

Donovan flinched at my harsh words, but he didn’t dispute them. “I just—I can’t do this anymore. I’m sorry, Gin. But this thing with us, it’s over.”

“So you’re leaving town to get away from me?” I snapped.