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  “You are confident we’ve found him?” Darek needed to hear him out one more time before he breathed a sigh of relief.

  Sam smiled. “I am, but I know my Lizzy. She’s got this Virginia idea in her head, and it’s not going to stop bothering her until she’s scratched that itch. So, what do you think about going to Virginia?”

  “With all due respect, sir, I think it’s a waste of time. I know that she’s hellbent on the idea, but I don’t think it matters so much anymore.”

  Sam nodded, and Darek wondered if anything didn’t just roll off his back. “Well, perhaps it might matter to the dead girl’s family. I think this once, I’m going to indulge Lizzy’s obsession. She’s done some great work, and I owe her a few favors.”

  “Favors, sir?” Darek couldn’t believe that Sam was going to let her go and that he seemed almost pleased that he could do this one thing for her. There had to be a reason.

  “Yeah, she took really good care of my old partner, Robert Donnelly, when his health was failing, and she’s a good girl. She’ll see that this trail won’t lead to anything, and she’ll get off of it. The only way to get her to drop it is to let this play out. She’s a stubborn one. She won’t take my word or yours until she sees it’s a dead end all on her own. Besides, she might be wanting to go home and just doesn’t know how to ask me for the time off. This way, she gets to kill two birds with one stone.”

  “Go home? You mean she’s from Virginia?”

  “No, she’s from Maryland, but close enough. I reckon she’ll want to stop by and see the old place on the way.”

  “Oh, I see.” Darek was interested in seeing where she grew up. It might give him some more insight into her upbringing, as well as the time she’d spent with the old man. The woman was incredible and had the agent wrapped around her little finger. She was truly amazing.

  “I guess I’m off to Virginia,” Darek said.

  “Yeah, I hope that’s not going to interfere with your personal issues. I heard that you’re going through a divorce.” Sam lifted his chin and looked down his nose.

  “Yes, sir. It shouldn’t interfere with anything, though. I’m dedicated to my work.” Darek hoped that Megan’s bullshit wouldn’t mess with his chances of getting into the FBI.

  “Obviously.” He gave Darek a nudge, and the statement took him by surprise. “I mean no offense, but it’s the reason many of us are divorced.”

  “Yes, sir.” Darek wanted to correct him and tell him that his divorce was because he’d married the spawn of Satan, but he decided to let it go. “I just hope that my personal life won’t affect me getting chosen.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it. I have a feeling that you’re going to be approved, which is why I wanted to come down and talk to you a little bit.”

  “I appreciate it.” Darek offered his hand, and the agent took it with a firm grip.

  “Well, you come highly recommended, you know? Lizzy has been raving about you.”

  “Has she?” He was surprised to hear it. Maybe he should lay off her for a while and let her breadcrumb chasing wear her out, instead of fighting against it too hard.

  “Oh yeah, If I didn’t know her better, I might think she was smitten with you, too, but I know my Lizzy, and she’s all business.”

  Darek couldn’t help but wonder if this was also some kind of warning. “Yes, sir. I’m sure that’s all it is. She’s very professional.”

  “So, you two will be approved to go down to Virginia for two days, but then I want you back and onto the next case. Keep her steered in the right direction, and make sure she isn’t getting too hung up there. She has a way of letting things become an obsession, just like Robert used to.”

  “What else was he like?” He hoped that the man might give him other clues.

  Sam shrugged. “He was a good man. Took her in when her father was abusive. Some of us thought he was crazy for it, but he was dying and didn’t have any kids. Now, she’s his legacy. She’s a damn good girl, that one. Held his hand until the moment he died and then sat with him an hour after until the coroner arrived. He left her everything.”

  “Wow, she sounds like something special for sure.”

  “Oh, don’t you ever think she’s not, son. She’s the best of us, for sure. Now you know why I find it hard to tell her no. Robert made me promise to look out for her. That’s why she’s under my watch. Other’s have tried to snatch her up, but I’m going to fight to keep her.”

  “I don’t blame you.” Darek knew he’d fight for her too.

  “So, I’m going to let you go in there and tell her that you’re going to Virginia. I can’t let her know I’m that easy. Tell her you fought for it, and she’ll appreciate it.”

  Darek laughed. “She’ll never believe that, sir. I’m afraid I’ve made it perfectly clear how I feel about chasing down roads to nowhere.” Although, he wondered if it might just warm her up to him even more.

  “Well, that’s what I’m going to tell her, son. You may as well learn to play along now.” He chuckled and gave him a pat on the back. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Sam turned and left, and Darek headed back to his office where he found Lizzy poring over the medical reports.

  He walked up behind her and stopped to look over her shoulder. “Did anything good happen while I was gone?”

  Lizzy shrugged and stayed turned away from him. “Nope.” Her short and clipped response matched her pouty look. “Did Sam leave?”

  “Yeah, he wanted to talk to me about my application.” Darek didn’t want to brag too much, especially since he knew she’d had a hand in it.

  “That’s great. I told him you were a shoe-in.” She looked up and met his eyes. “That’s the kind of thing that friends do for one another; they support each other. Whether it be ideas, leads, or promotions.” She turned her head back to the work in front of her.

  “I know. Look, I just wanted to say thanks. So, when he told me that you put in a good word for me, I asked him if we could make the Virginia run.” He hoped like hell this little white lie wouldn’t come back to bite him in the ass, but since Reed had insisted, he’d play along.

  Lizzy’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  Darek shrugged. “I know it means a lot to you, and even though I disagree, I wanted to return the favor. Besides, I could stand two days away from the office with you.”

  “We get two days?” Her smile was so big that he understood why Reed liked to make her happy. It was much better than the cold shoulder.

  “Yes, two whole days. So, you need to make the arrangements, and you can choose where we stay. If you saw the shithole motel I’m living in, you’d thank me.”

  Her eyes softened, and she reached out to stroke his beard. “I could kiss you. I won’t. But I could.”

  “Right. But you will?” Darek had to try.

  She gave a quick shrug. “I’ll never say never, Detective.”

  11

  Logan

  Logan was excited to finish a small piece of art, which he considered a practice piece for the big one coming his way. He’d taken some scraps and made a small tabletop sculpture, a steampunk heart, that he thought might look good upstairs if it didn’t sell.

  He was just laying down the last bead when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He lifted up his mask and looked down to see Hannah’s name on his screen. He put down his torch and answered. “Hannah, how are you?”

  “Hey, I’m glad I caught you.”

  He could hear the tears in her voice. He wanted to break things off with Hannah gently, but he wanted to be her friend, too. He just didn’t know how to tell her about Lidia or that he was going through his own problems. “I’m just finishing an art piece.”

  “Yeah? What is it?” She seemed genuinely interested.

  “It’s a steampunk style heart. I’ve cut and welded all day.” He wiped his brow and walked over to the drink he’d poured hours ago on his last break.

  “It sounds beautiful. Maybe I could see it sometime.”
>
  “Maybe so.” He liked that she was interested in his art. He wished Lidia had taken more of an interest in it. “So, I can tell you’re still melon-colored.”

  Her laughter was just what he intended. “Yes, I suppose I am. I think it’s funny you remembered my typo.”

  “Got to love autocorrect.”

  “Yeah, totally.” She sighed, her breath sending static through the phone. “I think I’m okay one minute, and then the next, it’s like he’s here in his room, and I’m waiting for him to come out and go to the kitchen. I notice the cookies are going untouched, or the toilet seat is down, or his laundry isn’t underfoot. I just wanted someone to talk to. I hope it’s okay.”

  “It’s fine.”

  “Look, I had fun the other night talking. I thought maybe you’d help me get out of this house a bit, and we could grab a coffee or something and talk in person.”

  He raked his hand through his hair and thought that he should end this now, but part of him wanted to see her. He didn’t want to end it. He didn’t know what he wanted. He’d been all done with Lidia, and then when she had revealed her illness to him and told him about the will, he felt like he couldn’t leave her. Not when she had so little time left. And if he was honest, he knew he’d be set once she was gone. Maybe that was the only positive coming from losing her.

  “Yeah, I’d like that,” Logan said. “Have you ever heard of The Firehouse Donut Shoppe?

  “Home of the spicy donut? Hell yeah. It’s one of my favorites.”

  “We can meet there if you like?”

  “I’d love that. It’s such a cool place. It was an actual firehouse at one time.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He didn’t want to tell her that he was right upstairs. This was just going to be a friendly visit on neutral ground, nothing flirty or sexual, just two friends talking about loss and melon-colored feelings.

  “How about half an hour?”

  “Sounds great. I’ll meet you there.” He ended the call and then stepped back to take a look at his clockwork heart. His own heart felt like a big hunk of non-functioning metal. Why was it so hard to figure out what you wanted in life?

  He looked at his phone and then took to the stairs, knowing he had to clean up and change so he could meet her downstairs.

  Twenty minutes later, he walked out his door and took the thirty or so steps to the donut shop. Hannah hadn’t made it yet, but he grabbed them a table and messaged Lidia to tell her that he wouldn’t be over until later. She responded by telling him that her friend Millie was coming over. The two ladies liked to play cards, drink wine, and talk about the old days together, which was perfect. He wouldn’t be expecting her to pop in on him and Hannah.

  Five minutes later, she opened the door, and the entire place lit with her smile. He stood up to greet her as she approached. “Sorry, I’m a few minutes late. I got stuck across town. There was a terrible accident.”

  “It’s no problem.”

  “I thought you might have been stuck in it, too.”

  He felt his cheeks warm. “Actually, I cheated. I live right upstairs.”

  Her eyebrows raised in surprise. “That’s awesome. This is such a cool building. I love the firehouse theme in here.”

  “Gene has an amazing shop for sure. I’ve even got the original firepole next door, but I never use it.” He knew he should probably get off the subject of his house. “Do you want to order?”

  “Yes, let’s. I’m always up for a spicy. The way they’re both sweet and have that touch of spice, it’s—”

  “A work of art.” He liked that she had his taste in pastries and knew he wouldn’t mind sharing a box with her.

  “Right!” She giggled.

  They walked up to the counter, and even though Gene wasn’t there, Logan knew the kid on duty. “What can I get for you, Mr. Miller?”

  “Let’s have four spicy and two coffees?” He turned to look at Hannah to make sure the order met her approval.

  “Perfect. Thank you.”

  Logan nodded. “I hope you can eat two, but if you can’t, you can take it to go.”

  “Are you kidding? I’ve put away half a dozen on my own.”

  “Me too.” They shared a laugh. He carried the tray to their table, and they both got started on the pastries.

  She groaned when she took a bite. “I love sweet and spicy and sweet and salty. Those have to be the two best combinations in the world.”

  Logan thought of a few sweet and salty remarks he could make but decided to keep them to himself. “If you only knew how jealous I am of Gene. That guy has really got it going on with this work of art. I wish I could make one thing that everyone would love, and duplicate it a million times to make a fortune.”

  She frowned. “I don’t think that would make you happy, though. You’re an artist. You would grow tired of making the same thing over and over, wouldn’t you? How boring would that be?”

  He thought of her words. There was a time that it didn’t matter how much money he made, when each piece meant something to him. It wasn’t until Lidia’s criticism had worn him down into thinking the money side of it was more important did he start to think that way. Hannah brought him back to a simpler time when he made art for the pure enjoyment of it.

  “Yeah, you’re absolutely right. Thanks for reminding me.”

  “I can’t see why you’d envy anyone; you’re a great guy, Logan. Thanks again for being a friend in this melon-colored time in my life.” She gave him a half-hearted smile and reached out and touched his hand.

  “Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.” Her smile lit him on fire. “Would you like to come over and see my latest piece?” He knew he shouldn’t read too much into a little hand touching, but since she appreciated his work, he may as well show it off.

  “I’d love to. I’ve never seen an artist’s studio before.”

  “Mine’s a little different,” he said. “I work with metal and torches, not paint and brushes. My mother owns that kind of studio, though. She taught me a lot about art, but I found my passion for metal.”

  He pushed back his chair and got to his feet as she did the same. They took their last donuts to go with their coffees and headed over to his door, which he’d locked, just in case.

  When he opened the door, he flipped on the lights before holding the door for her to go inside. Then he led her to the back where the heart-shaped sculpture stood proudly, with it’s intricate cogs and steam pipes weaving across its front.

  “It’s gorgeous.” She walked around to see it from the back. “I think that’s got to be the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “Wait until you see this.” He walked over and pulled the curtain away from one of his other pieces, which was a metal tree branch covered in delicate cherry blossoms.

  “You’re amazing,” she said.

  “Thank you. I’ve done a few shows, but it’s been years.” He knew he needed to get back out there, and soon enough, he’d have all the time in the world to do it. It was bittersweet, but he loved the feeling of encouragement he had from Hannah. She made him want to get out there and show off his work to the world.

  “I think this is the most I’ve smiled since our texting the other night.” She turned and met him with the warmest smile that made him remember what he’d done the night they’d been texting back and forth.

  “I’m glad I can do that for you.” He looked her up and down, his eyes lingering on her breasts. The perfect orbs of flesh had his cock hardening in his pants. He pulled his eyes away only to see her stepping closer.

  “It’s nice to escape from the world now and then,” she said.

  Before he knew what he was doing, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. He needed the escape as much as she did, and he closed his eyes as he held her close and thought of how special she was. Not only did they seem to have a lot in common, but she had awakened things in him that he thought would never be awakened.

  She looked up over his shoulder and turned
to meet his eyes, and he knew he was going to give in. He brought his mouth down on hers, and she cupped his face, moving her body closer.

  He knew she was vulnerable, but the kiss was amazing, and his body was responding in ways that couldn’t be ignored.

  “Could we go upstairs?” Her eyes were wide, and he could only assume she was just as surprised.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to take advantage of you, Hannah.”

  She shook her head and put her finger to his lips. “Shh. You could never.” She brought her hands to the back of his head and pulled him closer, taking his mouth with what felt like more conviction and determination.

  He wasn’t sure if she was just using him, but he really didn’t care, either. At that moment, he’d have given her anything she wanted. He broke away and took her hand, and while he knew he should stop and explain, he wasn’t going to. He led her upstairs and into his living room.

  “Wow, this place is amazing.” She looked around with her mouth open wide. “Did you do this yourself?”

  There were metal accents all over the interior, and he liked her even more for recognizing that he’d had a hand in the design. “Yes. Thanks for noticing.”

  “It’s amazing.” She turned around and fell back into his arms. “I bet the bedroom is pretty special, too.”

  “Want to see?” He expected her to nod, but instead, she reached down and stroked his bulging erection.

  “Very much.”

  Logan kissed her hard, lifting her up against him, and she responded by wrapping her legs around his waist. He turned and carried her to the bedroom, but she was too busy grinding against him to notice the art in there, or what made it special. He turned and placed her on the bed and then stood to undo his pants as she sat up and stripped off her top.

  He left his shirt on and pulled her out of her jeans and panties and then stroked his hard length as he looked down at her. “You don’t have to do this, you know.” He wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or her. Maybe a small part of him hoped that she’d back out.

  “Will you think less of me if I said I don’t want to stop?” she asked.