Then he stated, “His shit is comin’ to trial. Word on the street is they got a fuckin’ great case. Word also on the street is, he’s scramblin’. This means he’s either gonna rat on factions higher than him, which makes him a marked man, and with the scum he worked for, they’ll make certain he won’t live to see trial. Or it means he’s gonna go down and when he does, that’ll be for a while. You gotta live with this a little while longer, Tess. But, one way or another, it’ll be done. It just depends on how permanent that done’ll be.”

Hmm.

“Which way do you think he’s leaning?” I asked.

“Man moved up fast. He isn’t dumb. No way he’s stupid enough to rat.”

Conflicting news.

I didn’t want to think I was the kind of person who wanted to see her ex-husband dead regardless of how hideously he’d treated me. But I was bone tired, standing outside my bakery, waiting for the police in the dark cold of the night. And this was the second official complaint I would make in a day when many people lived their whole lives without making even one.

Granted, a seriously hot guy was standing beside me but he didn’t happen to be mine. Mine was arriving imminently and he was probably going to show pissed.

Therefore, although I couldn’t exactly say I wanted Damian dead, I could say, when this was done, I wanted it to be done the permanent kind of permanently.

“That conflict you got workin’ on your face,” Vance said quietly and I focused on him, “we all got that inside us. Either way it goes down for Heller, he bought that trouble. That’s on him and it’s outta your hands. What I want you to take away is, soon this shit is done for you and it’s done for Slim. Hold onto that, be smart, and stay strong.”

I nodded again.

Then I looked down at his hand and saw a wide, shiny, gold wedding band proudly displayed.

I looked back into his eyes. “You’re married?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed.

“She’s lucky,” I whispered and he grinned his shit-eating grin again.

“Sorry, Tess, that’s me.”

Great freaking response.

So great, I felt my face go soft and I smiled. “Bet she thinks differently.”

His face went soft too and he replied, “Yeah, she does. One of the many reasons she makes me lucky.”

I heard the sirens and I suspected he was a man on the move and wouldn’t hang around long enough for me to offer him gratitude cupcakes.

So, quickly, I said, “Thanks for stepping in tonight.”

“Slim wanted you on radar, you’re on radar. You got eyes on you often but definitely anytime you lock up alone. He called and told us tonight you were lockin’ up alone.”