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  “The bullet that killed your father and was removed from your chest came from the same gun that killed the five other sniper victims. Do you see the problem here, Em?”

  She willed the morphine from her system. Focus.

  “Maybe I read the situation wrong.” She shook her head a second time. “But I didn’t. Dad was scared for me, and Simba was in total attack mode.”

  Alec grabbed the railing with such force, the bed shook. “Then how do you explain—”

  “It doesn’t make sense the sniper would go after a cop, especially one as well liked as Dad. He had to know every cop in the tristate area would be after him.”

  “Maybe that’s what he wants. Kill a great cop and his daughter in one shot. Piss the world off, and you’re sure to get a bullet in the head.”

  “If that’s his plan, why doesn’t he put his own gun to his head?”

  Alec let out a heavy breath. “That isn’t as easy as it sounds.” He straightened his spine, his shoulder muscles tense. “But this is a cop killing and you’re collateral damage. Joe’s last request was to keep you safe. That’s what I’m doing.”

  “I know him. He’s familiar, and I’ll figure out who he is. But if he wanted Dad dead along with an eyewitness, why did he keep himself hidden, especially after the sniper fired?”

  “Think about that one for a minute, Em.”

  The harshness in his tone cleared the muck from her brain, and the puzzle pieces fell neatly into their slots. “The man is working with the sniper.”

  “And?”

  Emersyn swallowed. “Dad knows a least one of the partners personally.”

  “I promise you, Em, with my last breath, I’ll find who killed Joe.”

  She rested her head against the pillow and stared at the foot of her bed as she mentally repeated her father’s words. Listen to me. “Trauma can cause memory loss. I won’t mention the man in the shadows to keep the bastard off guard. But know one thing, Alec. I will not hide away in the forensic lab. I’m finding my father’s murderer and nailing him to the wall.”

  Chapter Three

  Alec entered the elevator and moved to the back, leaning against the wall as others got on. The small space soon filled with the scents of warm pastrami, spices, and tangy sauce. Fat chance his stomach was the only one that rumbled on the ride to the next floor of the State Forensic Lab building.

  It was Em’s first real day on the job. She wasn’t a patient woman and had fought like crazy to get back on her feet. The piercing hatred for the one responsible for Joe’s death drove her. That made two of them.

  He’d kept a close eye on Em the last two months. Some might accuse him of stalking. But it was what Joe had expected, and Alec wasn’t going to let him down. Not this time. Altering his hours allowed him to work the case while she was tucked away safe inside her home. The rest of the time, while he kept his distance, he watched her like a hawk. The few times she’d caught him weren’t pleasant experiences. She barked, and he backed down and found another way to watch out for his partner’s daughter. Today, though, he was overstepping his role in her life.

  The lift jolted to a stop, and the door swished open. The lab door was ajar. She must have felt someone near because she shifted in her chair, and their eyes held. No smile, no softness in her expression, but no get the hell out, either.

  He stepped into the lab, the door hitting his shoulder. His squad room had an ever-present smell of burnt coffee and the stench of a men’s locker room. Emersyn’s workplace was bright, airy, and organized, with no noxious odors. And quiet. The five lab technicians worked silently, their attention focused on examining pieces of evidence. This wasn’t the atmosphere where someone shouted at the top of their lungs to their partner across to room.

  Emersyn swirled back and forth, her upper teeth lightly biting her lower lip. Alec couldn’t avert his eyes. Her movements were so much a part of her personality, at least before Joe’s death. Sassy. Spirited. Alive.

  “I brought lunch,” he said, lifting the bag.

  Her shoulders tensed, and he could almost hear her defensive walls drop into place.

  He lowered his arm to his side. The weariness that edged into her expression was his doing. The cop in him understood that the sniper would have hit his mark regardless of whether Joe was on that bike trail or not. It could have happened anywhere, anytime.

  But his heart cried another story.

  The fucking dance had been intended as a playful move, a way to finally lower the walls between them. How had he forgotten there could never be anything playful between Em and him? Had he come up with a reason to stay away from the family gathering, Em would have been at home where she belonged and Joe would be alive today, sharing this moment with her.

  You deliberately put another wedge between us. I hate you.

  Shit. They had always been like oil and vinegar, but arresting her and those drunken jerks at a campus frat party her freshman year had built a cement wall between them. He had been doing his job. Em would rather have her tongue lit on fire than admit that. It had taken years for her and Joe’s relationship to return to normal. Maybe there was no coming back from something like that and he should stop trying.

  “Are you coming in or holding up the door?”

  A grin spread across his lips. The woman had a smart mouth. How he wanted to shut it, his lips locking on hers until she made him forget.

  Em D’Azzo was sexy cute; two adorable dimples graced her cheeks, and freckles sprinkled the top of her nose. He ached to finger the honey-blond waves that framed her face. Her smoking-hot curves were distributed in perfect symmetry. And when she graced him with one of her smiles, it made a cold-hearted bastard like him believe maybe the world wasn’t as fucked up as he thought.

  “Alec, stop staring. I’m fine. What did you bring me?” she asked, nodding at the brown paper bag.

  He set the sandwiches on her workstation.

  “Is this what I think it is?” She peeked inside then met his stare. “Of course, you would know about . . . ” She swallowed, lowering her head. “Every first day since grade school, Dad dropped whatever he was doing and brought me this sandwich for lunch.” She faced him. “It was our thing, you know?”

  He could only nod.

  “This was sweet of you. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Alec had arrived prepared for another fight. Instead, tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the bag. Grief. She wasn’t dealing with the loss any better than he was.

  “You want to join me?” She hopped off the stool and headed toward the small break room. She opened a refrigerator and grabbed two cans of Dr. Pepper. Handing one to Alec, she sat at one of the round tables and dug into the bag. As he had seen her do numerous times before, she ripped the top off the Lay’s potato chips bag, eating two without blinking before passing the bag to him.

  “The first two chips are the best.” She smiled and licked the salt from her lips.

  Pure need stroked him hard. The woman made him feel almost human. He’d cut off his emotions years ago, but she ripped through the layers with one lick. “And you could have shared one with me.”

  “I’m sharing my D.P. with you.”

  He took a moment to watch her eat. Food was her pleasure. But his hands could circle her waist. Where did she put it all?

  “So, how is the case coming?” Em asked.

  “Fine.”

  She glanced at him, her eyebrows raised. “And?”

  “And nothing. Ask me anything but that.”

  As she finished half of her pastrami sandwich, Alec could almost feel her blood steaming beneath her skin. The fight he’d been expecting the moment he stepped into her workplace was seconds away. He took several large bites of his sandwich, finishing it in record time. Swallowing his food almost whole had been a skill perfected in the group home. You either ate fast, or you lost your plate to a meaner kid. Being a cop only reinforced that bad habit.

  Wiping his mouth with a p
aper napkin, he tried to ease the tension. “I have my orders, Em. I can’t share anything with you.”

  “Bullshit. That’s a choice, and you know it.”

  The friendly truce formed moments before evaporated into thin air. “You have your orders too. Stay out of this case.”

  Her eyes grew stern. “So, it’s okay for me to withhold evidence for you, but you get to follow the letter of the law. That’s rich, Pearce.” She crumpled her sandwich wrapper and shoved it into the bag. “You never change.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean? Damn it, we both agreed to keep the man in the shadows a secret until I have a chance to figure out what is going on.”

  “And you have had over two months.” She ran her fingers through her short waves. “And I can’t figure out who Shadow Man is.”

  “Is that what we are calling him?”

  She nodded. “You’re welcome to come up with a better code name. We need to talk about him, not keep him a damn secret. And I need to know if you or the team has found anything. It may just jog my memory. Have you thought of that?”

  “No.” He fought an enormous belch caused by the Dr. Pepper. All this time, and they were still at square one.

  “Then maybe I should get my memory back,” she said and tossed her trash in the bin. Digging into her messenger bag, she removed her cell and punched in a number.

  Alec stood, cornering her. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Calling Oliver Gates.”

  “Give me your damn phone,” he said under his breath, swallowing the roar in his throat. Joe had spent hours teaching him that a command delivered in a calm voice held more power than a screech at the top of his lungs. “You can’t call Captain Gates.”

  “Watch me.”

  Alec yanked the phone from her grip. She fisted her hands but kept them at her sides as she shifted around him.

  He blocked her path. “You stated on the record that you didn’t remember anything after leaving the bar. You’re safe and no longer a threat to anyone. Stick to the plan.”

  “I’ve played that game. And my father’s killer is still walking the streets.” This time, she tried to dart to his left, and again, he stood in her path.

  A knock sounded on the door behind them, and they both turned.

  “Pearce, what are you doing here?”

  Shit, how much did the man hear?

  Alec faced his commanding officer. “I dropped in to see how Emersyn’s first day is going.”

  A hint of disapproval flashed across Gates’s expression until he masked it. He wasn’t happy Alec was alone with Em. Joe had been of the same mindset. Alec was good enough to be a family friend, but that was where the line was drawn. The abused became abusers. Joe had trusted him as a partner and respected the man he had fought to become. But his daughters deserved better.

  Em moved into Captain Oliver’s arms for a quick hug. “What are you doing here?”

  “Special day.” Sadness edged into his eyes. “Joe would have been so damn proud of you.” He scanned the lab across the hall. “You’re not rushing things, are you?”

  “I’m doing great, honest. Mom wouldn’t let me out the front door if I wasn’t.” She shot Gates a hard stare. “Did she send you here to check up on me?”

  “No, of course not.” He paused. “How is she holding up?”

  “Mom’s a rock. There are moments when it hits her, but with me around, she puts on a smile so as not to upset me.”

  “It’s going to be hard for a long time. I’m available if you ever need a fresh shoulder.” He shifted, placing his hands in his pockets. “So, I assume Angela is keeping you busy?”

  Em had met Angela McCain, who directed the Trace Evidence Unit, at a job fair, and talked nonstop to Joe about the wonders of McCain for months. But Alec had run around with Angela when she was Angie. They’d met in the group home and were each other’s first in almost everything from sex to grand theft auto. By the time Angela left the home, they weren’t on good terms. So, he had purposely stayed clear of this building. Of course, that was impossible now.

  “She has me going through a small mountain of manuals, learning lab procedures, things like that. Feels like I’m right back at school.”

  “Before you know it, you’ll be knee-deep in cases,” Gates replied. “Enjoy the stress-free moments for as long as they last.”

  “I need to work to get my mind off . . . everything.”

  Alec let out a breath. Em had shut the window on sharing what she’d seen on the trail. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his commanding officer. In fact, he held a great deal of respect for Gates and his ability to place the needs of the case before his personal relationship with Em. Regardless, the information needed to be contained.

  Alec was breaking the law. But it was his only option. If he ended up losing his badge and serving time, so be it. Joe had stuck his neck out for him too many times to count.

  Gates placed both of his hands on Em’s shoulders. “Don’t think I don’t understand your need to be in the thick of your father’s investigation.” He shot a glance at Alec. “Every cop in the tristate region wants this guy. When we get him, I don’t want the district attorney throwing out the evidence because you handled it. We’re doing this by the book.”

  “I just want to know how things are going. Did you find anything from the sniper’s nest in the tree? Was there a connection between my dad and the other victims?”

  “The sniper’s position was clean. You can ask your boss to verify.” Gates didn’t hold back the defeat from is voice.

  “As for a connection, there isn’t one between the other victims and Joe, except that he worked their cases,” Alec added.

  “Maybe I could spot something . . . ”

  “Enough, Emersyn. You can’t be part of this, understand?” Gates kept his tone low, but the order was dead clear.

  Alec could sense the frustration churning through her. Every stone he turned that revealed nothing grated on him, but at least he was out there doing something. Em wouldn’t stay leashed for long.

  Gates gave her a quick hug. “Learn everything you can from Angela. She’s sharp.” He studied her for a moment before adding, “Use this time to help someone else find closure.”

  She took in a deep breath and relaxed her tense fingers. “Helping find closure is why I’m here.”

  After a quick good-bye, Gates left the room, but a chill remained. Alec took a long gulp of his soda and tossed it in the trash. “What’s wrong, Em?”

  “Besides my lying to the man in charge of finding my father’s killer?”

  “Why, all of a sudden, do I read fear in your eyes?”

  She placed her chair between them. “I haven’t a clue. Get glasses.”

  He swallowed the irritation that burned the back of his throat. “You’re safe as long as you keep your nose out of this.”

  “Then I’m not safe at all.”

  Chapter Four

  Emersyn placed her key in the lock and opened the door. She couldn’t remember how many times in the last few hours she’d told someone she was fine. Since it took all her effort to walk up the porch steps, she was anything but fine.

  After setting the lock in place, she took in a deep, cleansing breath; the rich scents of cinnamon from the rolls her mom had made her that morning still filled the air, the wonderful smells of home. After living in dorms and old, mildew-infested apartments the last five years, she would never again take this place for granted.

  Dropping her keys in the bowl next to the door, she slipped her shoulder bag to the floor and gave her tired muscles a good stretch. Her tech brain envisioned a human recharger she could attach to her ear like an earbud. Why hadn’t those been invented yet? She couldn’t be the only one who wished for a way to revive in seconds. She had to find the energy somewhere, because her day wasn’t over.

  Maybe she was rushing the healing process, but so be it. She wasn’t backing down now.

  “Emersyn, is that you?
” Grace D’Azzo asked from upstairs. A moment later, she appeared on the top step, Simba standing guard at her heels. Wherever she was, he stood only a foot away, her protector.

  Emersyn quickly planted a smile on her lips and squared her shoulders. “Hi, Mom. You look lovely. Are you going out?”

  Her mother would never admit it, but she was beautiful. Sprinkles of gray appeared throughout her shoulder-length hair, and she complained it made her skin look washed out. But Dad didn’t want her to touch a thing. It was a constant squabble between them. What Emersyn loved was her mom’s smile and how it brightened any room she entered. She was Mom, her confidant, and had talked her down from several cliffs over the years.

  “First, tell me about your day. I wanted to be a little fly on the wall.”

  A soft laugh escaped Emersyn’s lips as she rubbed the side of Simba’s neck. It had always been this way, since preschool. Her mother wanted to know everything and would probe until she got her play-by-play. It was her way of being part of her children’s world when they were separated.

  She kissed her mother’s cheek. The rose-and-vanilla perfume she wore surrounded Emersyn like a warm blanket. “Let me put on my Dr. Pepper sweats, and I’ll tell you everything.” She slipped out of her shoes and set them next to her messenger bag. “Wait, this is dinner and game night with the aunts, right?”

  “My sisters are picking me up in about ten minutes. I can cancel, and we’ll celebrate your first day on the job.”

  “Don’t do that. I’m beat. You should go out and have a good time. I’m going to pour a glass of red, heat up leftovers, and binge the new season of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.”

  “Oh, Emersyn, you should be out with friends. At your age—”

  “You had Nathan and were pregnant with Tessa.”

  “Yes, but your father and I would put Nate in his crib for the night and dance around this house . . . ”

  The words trailed off, and her mother’s happy expression crumpled. How did someone get over a man like Joe D’Azzo? Her parents had been married for thirty-five years, and Emersyn was clueless about how to remove that haunted look from her mother’s eyes, so she changed the subject.