"You can't come with me," he repeated. "It's too dangerous."

Dangerous? I almost laughed, but knew if I did, I'd sound as crazy as I was starting to feel. Did he really think I'd be safer on my own? I'd grown up in one of the city's rougher neighborhoods. I knew how to fend for myself, but the thought of one of those mob thugs coming after me was enough to make me sick to my stomach.

Luke made me feel safe. He kept me safe. He'd proven that several times. And I knew that if he got on his bike and left now, I might never see him again. I didn't know where he really lived and although I had his cell phone number, I didn't know if it was a temporary one. With that realization came a sinking feeling in my stomach. If he disappeared, I'd have no way to find him. It would be up to him to find me.

And I wasn't sure I believed that he would ever really come back for me.

That thought hurt me more than I'd thought possible. The pain in my chest was so severe that, for a moment, I wondered if something physical was wrong, but there wasn't anything wrong with me. I was just fully beginning to understand the depth of what I was feeling for him. I'd never meant to get in this deep, and it was too late to try to turn back now.

"But...but..." I tried to think of an argument that would work. "No one will even know about me."

"I need you to stay here, Dani." A strand of hair had gotten free from my ponytail and he reached up to tuck it behind my ear, his fingers trailing down my cheek.

I swallowed around the lump in my throat. "Please." The word came out in barely a whisper. "Let me come."

"I'll be back for you," he promised.

Tears burned against my eyelids. He sounded sincere when he said it like that, but I still didn't know if I could believe him. My heart was hurting enough as it was. If I trusted that he was going to come back for me and he didn't, I wasn't sure I could take that heartbreak.

He put his hand on my cheek, his thumb catching a tear that had escaped. "You don't know these men, Dani. They'll stop at nothing to get what they want. They took my daughter, a nine-year-old kid, just to get to me. If you come, you'll just be one more way they can hurt me. You'll be leverage, and I'll have to do what they want, because there are two people in this world that I care about enough that I'll do whatever I'm told." He paused, and then added, "Believe me, whatever it is they want me to do is not going to be a good thing, or something honorable, something that will be easy to live with. And having you there will just make it harder. Do you understand?"

I did, but it didn't mean I liked it. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I turned my face away as the tears spilled over. It hurt too much to see the pain in his eyes as he spoke.

"We're not going to be able to communicate. Even texting is too dangerous."

I closed my eyes as a fresh wave of doubt washed over me. If I didn't have any way to reach him and no way of knowing when he'd make contact, he could slip away and I'd never know it.

"Dani." He said my name softly.

I didn't look at him. Then I felt his finger hooking under my chin and gently turning me back to face him.

"Bruno doesn't know you have the money. He thinks I lost it, that I'm hiding from him."

I was confused. Why was he telling me this? It didn't matter if Bruno thought Luke hadn't found me. A black-hearted guy like Bruno would never stop looking.

"He wants me to go back and fight again. He said if I do it his way, it'll square the debt and I'll get Lacey back. Bruno will be out of my life once and for all." He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. "When it's safe, I'll come back for you. Count on it."

He lowered his head and kissed me then, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck and pulling me in hard. I clung to him as he thrust his tongue into my mouth. This wasn't a promising kiss, one that was going to lead to better things, or even a short good-bye kiss that said we'd see each other again soon. I could feel Luke's desperation in the line of his body where it pressed against mine, in the frantic way his lips crushed into mine, like he was claiming me, trying to memorize every detail. I could taste the salt from my tears on his lips and it was as bitter as the moment.

When he finally released me and stepped back, we were both gasping for air. The look on his face was one of satisfaction as he dragged the back of his hand across his mouth, wiping off my strawberry lip gloss. Without a word, he took my bag off of the bike and set it on the sidewalk. I was rooted to the spot as I watched him don his black motorcycle helmet. He climbed onto the bike, flipped down the face shield and rode away. And just like that, he was gone.

Chapter Two.

Luke This sucked. Normally, I had a sense of freedom as my bike took me from one place to another, but today it was taking me back where I didn't want to go. I'd loved the city once, but in those last few months before I'd left, it had felt like a prison. When I got to Summerville, I'd felt like that guy in that movie, the one where a wrongly-accused man takes years to tunnel out of prison, and when he finally comes out and it's raining...well, for the first time, I really got it. And then I met Dani, and everything had changed. I knew I was supposed to get the money, no matter what ugly thing I had to do, but I hadn't been able to bring myself to hurt her.

Until today. I knew my leaving hurt her, but I had to do it. If Bruno found out who she was, he'd kill her, and he wouldn't do it fast. If he thought she was someone special, someone I cared about, he'd hurt her to get to me. He'd proven he didn't have any problem taking the people I loved.

My jaw tightened and I rammed the throttle. The bike responded with a loud, belching roar and lurched forward. I couldn't think about Dani right now. Whatever Bruno was going to force me to do, it was going to be vicious and painful, and I might not make it out alive. I couldn't afford distractions, and Dani was definitely a distraction. I had to keep my attention focused on one thing, one person.

Lacey.

Bruno was manipulative and evil. When he handed her the phone and I heard that sweet voice on the other end say, "Daddy," my blood ran cold. I'd been holding on to the hope that Bruno had been lying, but that had been my little girl on the phone.

I gritted my teeth until my jaw ached. I was going to make Bruno pay for what he'd done. Nobody messed with my daughter. She was my world, my everything, and I wasn't about to let that fucker have his way. Come hell or high water, I was going to get her back. And then I'd make sure every person involved regretted they'd ever touched my little girl.

My eyelids drooped and I lifted the face shield on my helmet, hoping the fresh air would keep me from falling asleep, when I saw the skyline appear on the horizon. Adrenaline coursed through me, pulling me out of the dangerous half-dozing state I'd been driving in. I should've stopped, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Every minute I waited was another chance for Bruno to hurt Lacey. So, I drove straight through, counting on caffeine and sheer willpower to keep me going. Apparently, it worked. I was almost home.

Home, shit. What was that? Just a place to crash and get some sleep. I wove my bike through the tangle of traffic as I headed through the tunnel. The thought struck me as odd. If my apartment in the Bronx was home, shouldn't I have missed it while I was gone for two months? I hadn't. I'd missed Lacey and had talked to her as often as my ex-girlfriend had let me, which hadn't been much. But as much as I liked my place, I hadn't really thought about it when I was in Summerville.

I pulled into the alley next to my building and saw that no one had taken my spot. That was good. I hoped my reputation had managed to keep my apartment intact while I'd been gone. It wasn't exactly the best neighborhood, but it had been the only two-bedroom I could afford and I'd needed one so Lacey had a room when she visited. My ex, Cindy, was a real bitch when it came to visitation and since we'd never gotten married, it wouldn't take much for her to kick me out of Lacey's life for good. She'd threatened to do it more than once.

I trudged up the stairs, my heavy riding boots hitting each step with a thud, my legs stiff after being on my Harley for so long. I could barely lift my feet and my brain was in a sleep-deprived fog, but before I did anything else, I had one more thing to do. I needed to check in with Cindy's neighbor, Angie. I paid Angie to keep an eye on Lacey, to make sure Cindy wasn't neglecting or abusing her. Just because it hadn't happened in the past didn't mean it wouldn't happen in the future. Cindy was too unpredictable. She had once only been a drinker, mostly recreational, but with the occasional bender. A couple years ago, she'd gotten into heavy drugs. I didn't trust her not to keep spiraling and taking our daughter with her.

I wanted to file for full custody, but I knew as long as Cindy kept it together and could fool a judge into thinking that she was a better parent than me, someone who lived in this neighborhood and worked as an underground MMA fighter, I didn't stand a chance.

I opened the apartment and wrinkled my nose. The place had that vacant smell I hated. It smelled like loneliness, like there was no happiness or joy within these walls, like the kitchen was just a holding tank for greasy, tossed out fast food wrappers. It wasn't a place of warmth and belonging, just a gray empty place.

I opened the windows to let in the cool, early morning air. It'd be sweltering by the end of the day, but right now, the breeze was nice.

I dug my phone out of my pocket and opened my contacts. Dani's name was right there below Bruno's and my heart twisted when I saw it. I wanted to call her and let her know I'd gotten here safely, ask her if she was okay. Hell, who was I kidding? I just wanted to hear her voice. I raked a hand through my hair. I'd never been this way with anyone before. I had women throwing themselves at me all the time, and when I wanted sex, I fucked them. When I didn't, I ignored them. I didn't let anyone get close enough to touch my heart. Somehow, though, Dani had.

With an almost vicious stab, I pressed Bruno's name instead.

"Yeah?"

I scowled. It figured one of Bruno's goons would have the phone.

"Hey, put Bruno on, will you?" I tried to make my voice polite. If I sounded threatening, I'd never get through.

"Who's this?" He barked out the words like he was bothered by the interruption.

"Luke Romero. I need to talk to your boss."

Now the guy was flat-out annoyed. "Mr. Costello can't come to the phone right now. I'll give him a message..."

The sharp metal edges of my phone sunk deep into my skin as my fingers curled into a fist. The bastard took my daughter to get me back here and now he was going to let some goon blow me off? I spoke slowly and deliberately, holding my temper, and said, "Tell him I'm back in town and I need to see him. Now."

"Hold on."

I didn't know if it was my tone or if Bruno had told his guys to only take calls if I was in the city, but I didn't care as long as I got what I needed. I could hear muffled voices, but not well enough to tell what was being said.

After a minute, the goon came back on. "Mr. Costello will meet you at five. Come to the Ninth Street gym. Don't be late."

The call ended and I was left looking at a blank screen, wanting more than ever to call Dani. I didn't, though. I still had to locate Lacey and make sure she's okay. So I punched up Angie's number on my cell instead. I needed to know why Bruno had Lacey and why the hell Cindy let this douchebag spend time our daughter.

No one answered. I scowled at my phone. It was early, but Angie was usually up by dawn. I tried Cindy next with the same result. Damn. That figured. What a bitch. She doesn't even care about her own daughter. I would've thought that she'd be answering every call, barely able to sleep, worried to death for Lacey's safety and yet, this was how she was, so goddamn irresponsible. Our daughter was gone and, as far as I knew, Cindy had no idea where Lacey was. How could she not answer her fucking phone?

I almost threw the thing across the room but restrained myself. I was exhausted and I needed to sleep, but I couldn't, not without finding out what had happened. I slammed the windows shut, locked them, grabbed my helmet and keys and headed back down to my bike.

It didn't take me long to get to Cindy's apartment building, but I had to wait almost five minutes before someone finally buzzed me in. I took the steps two at a time, the knot in my gut growing with every passing minute. Neither Cindy nor Angie had answered my buzz. That wasn't a good sign.

I banged on the door, not caring how early it was. "Cindy!" My palm stung as I slapped it against the door over and over and I roared, "Cindy!"

"Keep it down out there, son. Someone's going to call the cops."

A creaky, old voice came from behind me. I turned and saw a frail-looking, elderly woman peering up at me. She looked a little nervous, but I couldn't exactly blame her. I must've looked like a psycho, standing there with dark circles under my eyes and stiff helmet hair. I forced my voice to be calm.

"I'm looking for my daughter, Lacey. Have you seen her or her mother, Cindy?"

The old woman's eyes narrowed and with a little glint of recognition, she raised a thin eyebrow. Finally, she said, "Lacey has your eyes."

I hoped that meant she wasn't going to call the police. "Have you seen them?"

She shook her head. "Not for a while. No one's been here in weeks. Manager's all in a tizzy about it, too. Says Cindy skipped out on her back rent."

"What about Angie?" I gestured towards the apartment next to Cindy's. "Does she know where they are?"

The old woman shrugged. "Doubt it. Angie's been in the hospital for almost a month. Car accident."

"Dammit," I muttered. I glanced at the old woman, heat in my cheeks. "Sorry."

She shrugged again. "Nothing I haven't heard before." She gave me a once-over. "You look like you're about to drop. You should get some sleep."

I nodded. She was right. There wasn't anything else I could do now. I pulled an old gas receipt out of my pocket and scribbled my number on the back of it. "If you see them, could you call me? Please...it's really important." I stretched my arm out, not wanting to get too close. No need to spook her and make her think I was going to try something.

She took the paper in her frail hand. "I'll do that. You go get some rest. Things'll look different when you wake up."

I thanked her, thinking over her words as I left. I hoped she was right, because the black cloud hanging over me was getting bigger and life couldn't get much worse. The adrenaline I'd had coursing through me was wearing off. I needed to get back to my place and crash or I wasn't going to be able to function when I met with Bruno later. For my daughter's sake, I had to get some sleep. As I drove home, my focus was on Lacey. She was the one thing that was keeping me motivated-and awake. I shifted gears and gunned the throttle.

Chapter Three.

Dani A part of me wanted to stand on the sidewalk until he came back. I stared at the gray cement below, shadows across its surface cast from the oak trees above. My heart felt like it had been shot clean through, and I couldn't convince myself that it would be all right, that I'd see him again soon. I must've only been there a couple of minutes, but it felt like forever. Then a car drove past, and the movement broke through the chaotic thoughts in my head. I needed to go back inside and ask Emma if I could stay longer.

Slowly, methodically, I picked up my bag from the sidewalk and turned toward the front steps to Emma's porch. My legs felt like they were made of lead and I dragged my feet as I walked, as if the effort to lift them all the way was too much for me. My shoulders were slumped like I had a thousand pounds weighing on them. I didn't have any physical injuries, but I still felt like I was walking wounded. Thoughts spun in my head, chasing each other so fast that I could barely keep myself focused on putting one foot in front of the other, and my emotions were a train wreck.

I wanted, with all of my heart, to believe that Luke had a good reason not to have told me about his daughter. Maybe he thought since I was on the run, too, it'd be dangerous, but that explanation didn't sit well with me. He said Lacey's mother had just been a fling, but doubts about that explanation pierced my confidence. Maybe he was still hoping to get her back.

I stopped for a moment and closed my eyes. Just stop it, Dani. I couldn't let these doubts turn me into an emotional cripple. I'd never be able to get through the days without Luke if I kept questioning his every motive. I had to be Hanna, and Hanna wouldn't let something like this take over her life. She'd put on a smile, get off her ass, and keep busy until Luke came back. I slowly inhaled, then let the breath out just as slowly.

When I opened my eyes, I was calmer. I still had questions, but I was able to bury them and focus on the moment at hand. I fixed a smile on my face and continued up the wooden porch steps and into the house. Emma was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a book when the screen door banged shut behind me. Her head jerked up, and I saw a flash of panic that was quickly replaced with surprise.

Dammit. I winced as I realized I should've been more careful. After what Emma had been through, loud noises weren't a good idea.

"Hanna, what are you still doing here?" Emma set aside her book and looked up at me with concern. "I thought you and John left. Is there a problem with his bike?"

John. Right. My thoughts snapped to attention. I'd almost forgotten that Emma didn't know our real names. Since Luke hadn't wanted me to know about Lacey, at least not yet, it was a pretty good bet that he didn't want anyone else to know either. Now, I was faced with the decision to add another lie to the stack I had been telling the woman I considered a friend.

"No, nothing's wrong with the bike." I dropped my over-stuffed backpack on the floor. The thud echoed in my ears. Wooden, almost hollow sounding. That's how I felt right now, but I knew I couldn't tell Emma that.

Emma's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Something's wrong, isn't it? It's written all over your face."

So much for my happy-Hanna persona. I tried to blow it off as I rolled my eyes and gave a little snort of a laugh. "It's really nothing. Honest." I tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, but Emma was an expert at convincing others that everything was fine on the surface. It was one of the trademarks of being in an abusive relationship. I'd seen it firsthand. I was an expert, too, but that had been when I lived with my mom. Now, the deceptions were becoming monstrous, building to a massive size, nearly too much to hide.

"Bullshit." She used her foot to push out the chair across from her. "Sit and spill."

I sat down, not sure what to say. I could barely explain it to myself, so how could I come up with a convincing lie? Should I just tell Emma that Luke or John was leaving me? He'd promised he'd only be gone a couple weeks while he sorted things out, but it hadn't felt like that kind of good-bye. It had felt like a final goodbye. The twisting feeling in the pit of my stomach sharpened even as I thought it. I had a bad feeling that this wasn't going to be the closure Luke was hoping for.

"What happened?" Emma pressed.

I wasn't good at thinking fast on my feet. I needed an elaborate fabrication that would sound believable, but that was going to be difficult when I had so many other lies to remember. I decided to stick as close to the truth as I could. "He just got a phone call from New York and he has a family emergency he has to go take care of." My lips curved up into a forced smile. It didn't feel as fake as the first one, though it was far from real. "He'll be back when it's over."

Emma studied my face for a moment, and I knew she was trying to determine if I was being honest or not. I wasn't sure if she believed me, but she didn't push for details. She nodded. "I'm sorry about that, sweetie. I hope everything's all right."

I relaxed my fake smile and leaned back in the chair. I desperately hoped everything would be all right. His daughter's life was at stake here. If Emma only knew the half of it...I had to push the thought out of my mind right now.

Trying to change the subject, I said, "I hope I can get my room back."

"You'll always have a room here," Emma said. "Even if I have to sleep on the floor."

This time, my smile was genuine. Tears pricked at my eyelids and I pushed them back. I didn't deserve Emma being so nice to me. I was a thief and a liar and a shameful one, at that. She didn't know why I was really in Summerville or even my real name.

"You know." Her voice took on a teasing note. "If you get bored, I have plenty you can do while you're sitting around waiting for John to come back. There are four more rooms that need decorating before I officially open for business." She grinned at me. "Get out your paint brush again, Dani."

I laughed. "Thanks, Emma. It's good to know I can always count on you to keep me busy." And cheer me up, I silently added. While I was far from okay, I no longer felt like I was drowning. I could do this. "Well, then, I guess I'll go up to my room and unpack." I couldn't believe I was actually looking forward to those crazy, floral print curtains and bedspread, but now they seemed to offer a kind of comfort to me.

Emma gave me a soft smile. "I've got some shopping to do, so Michelle and I will be out most of the day." She stood when I did. Her voice grew serious. "I meant what I said, Hanna. You'll always have a place here."

She headed into the living room before things could get too emotional, and I was glad. The last thing I needed right now was another reason to burst into tears.

I walked up the stairs, my steps considerably heavier than they had been just a short time ago when I'd come down to answer Luke's knock at the door. I went back into the room with the blue rose wallpaper I thought of as mine and began pulling out what little clothing I'd stuffed into my bag. Luke had said to travel light, but it wasn't like I'd had much to begin with. Most of what I'd packed into my suitcase had been cash. Almost all of my clothes had fit into my backpack.

As I pulled out a light blue t-shirt, I smiled. One of Luke's shirts had gotten mixed into my things. It was the soft cotton one I'd put on the other night after we'd had sex. The memory of his body against mine, the way his skin felt next to mine, all of it...I couldn't stop the tears from forming, but I did manage to keep them at bay.

I sank down on the edge of the bed and pressed the shirt against my face. I hadn't washed it and it smelled like him, that musky, almost spicy scent. I breathed in deep, knowing it was just going to torture me. It brought the memories of that night flooding back in full Technicolor and surround sound. I drew in a shuddering breath, my entire body flushing with remembered pleasure. Pleasure that I was sure I'd never experience again. Not like that, not without him.

I reached for my phone, even though I knew there would be no messages or missed calls. Luke was on his bike. There's no way he'd be texting while he was on the road. I checked anyway, like some besotted schoolgirl waiting for her crush to call. I furrowed my brows as I scrolled through the various screens; nothing in the inboxes and no new alerts. I remembered what Luke had said about us not being able to communicate, and I whispered, "Dammit." This was going to be torture.