It still would.

She tilted her head back and offered up an uncaring shrug. aDo what you want. Iam going home.a She got into her car and pulled out of the parking lot, refusing to check and see if he followed.

She already knew he would.

What would happen when they got to her house?

Shead turn him away. Or maybe head just drive right past when he saw she was fine, which of course she would be.

Just f.u.c.king fine.

Yeah, she was fine, all right. So fine she buried herself in her work to avoid alone time. Because alone time meant thinking about her life.

Or lack of one.

Wasnat that why she worked her a.s.s off, agreeing to pull extra s.h.i.+fts all the time? So many of the guys had families and commitments. She didnat, so why not work?

Things might have been different for her if Dante hadnat left.

Then again, maybe they wouldnat have been different at all. Maybe their teen romance would have run its course and she would be right where she was now.

But she couldnat change the attack, couldnat change what had happened to her that night. And hadnat she always wondered what it might have been like if Dante had stayed? If shead had him to hold on to, would she still feel so lost, so empty inside?

Ugh. Could she be more dramatic?

Lost and empty. Please. Her life was just fine.

And there was that fine word again, that word that seemed soainadequate and unfulfilling.

She pulled into the driveway and opened her car door, so deep in thought she startled when Dante appeared right next to her.

aJesus. How did you sneak up on me?a He smiled. aI guess you are tired.a He took the keys from her hand and headed toward her front door, making her run to catch up to him.

aHey, I can do that,a she said, fighting him for the keys.

aIam sure you can.a He stepped up to the front door, twirling her keys.

And stopped so fast she tumbled into his back.

aDammit. Why donat you look where youarea" What are those?a aI donat know. Got a boyfriend?a aI already told you I didnat.a She crouched down to pick up the flowers that had been left lying in front of the door.

aDonat touch them.a aWhat?a She tilted her head back to stare up at him. aWhat are you talking about? Theyare just roses.a Dante bent down to examine them. aThereas a card. You see what it says?a She hadnat noticed the card tucked in with the flowers. It was typed, not handwritten.

Did you like the gift I left you in the alley?

Her skin broke out in goose b.u.mps, nausea bubbling up inside. She leaped up and backed away from the porch.

aOh, s.h.i.+t. G.o.dd.a.m.nsonofab.i.t.c.h. Who did this?a She whirled around, her hand on the b.u.t.t of her pistol.

aWhoever it is might still be here, hiding, watching to see your reaction.a She saw Dante reach behind him, lift his s.h.i.+rt, saw him pull out a Glock. A few minutes ago shead have asked him if he had a permit, would have used it as an excuse to find out more about him.

Right now she was glad for the backup.

aCall it in,a he said. aAnd donat go inside. Iall look around.a aDonat get in the gra.s.s. There might be footprints.a He turned to her. aIam not an idiot.a She c.o.c.ked her head to the side as she lifted her phone. aI donat know who the h.e.l.l you are, Dante.a aYeah, well, weall talk about that later.a Yes, they would.

She made the call, then started walking around the porch, looking for any evidence like footprints or discarded cigarette b.u.t.tsa"any lucky clue.

Usually there werenat such things, but sometimes one got lucky.

aI donat see anyone lurking around the bushes or around your neighborsa houses. I checked your backyard and the alley. Thereas no one.a Anna looked down the street, then up. This wasnat going to happen to her again. Shead suffered the most incredible fear shead ever known. Nothing would ever scare her like that again.

aI donat know what kind of game heas playing, but Iam not joining in.a Crime scene techs showed up. Anna directed them to the flowers and card. They photographed and bagged the evidence. Anna had them wait outside and directed them to check for footprints and fingerprints while she unlocked her front door.

Dante put on a pair of gloves and nestled in right by her side.

aYou arenat coming in with me.a aYouall have to arrest me to stop me, because for all we know he could be inside waiting for you, and youave got n.o.body backing you up.a aAnd you arenat a cop.a His deep blue gaze bored into hers as he lifted the Glock and pointed it inside the house. aTrust me when I tell you I know how to use this gun. Either call for backup or let me go in with you.a Her teeth hurt from grinding them. She nodded. aFine. Stay behind me and do exactly what I say.a She caught the slight lift of his lips. aYes, Detective.a She waited for the techs to dust and lift prints from the doork.n.o.b, then turned the k.n.o.b and nudged the door open with her foot. Light streamed in from the gauzy curtains in her dining room, making it easy to see inside the living room.

aNothing looks out of place,a she whispered to Dante. aIam moving inside.a She felt Dante on her left flank as she stepped in, her gun pointed slightly down, her finger poised on the trigger. She made a sweep left, then right, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. While she moved to the right, Dante swept to the left, opening the closet door while Anna headed into the kitchen.

Once they cleared those areas they went together down the hall and checked the two bedrooms and bathrooms.

Everything was clear.

aNothingas been touched. Nothing even looks like itas been moved even an inch. He wasnat inside.a aOr heas good at putting things back in place.a She sighed. aIall let the techs in and have them dust for prints, but I donat think he was in here. Iad know.a aYeah? How would you know?a aInstinct.a He nodded. aThat I understand.a aIam going to have to give my captain an update on all this. This sucks.a aFirst you need to get some sleep. There are dark circles under your eyes.a He reached out, swept his thumb across her cheekbone.

His touch sent shock waves through her body. Unprepared, she took a hasty step back and stumbled. Dante caught her with his arm wrapped around her, tugging her against him, which only made things worse. He was warma"solid, and not at all what she wanted.

This was all too much.

aYou okay?a aYeah. Fine.a She jerked away from him and turned around, headed outside to the techs and led them into the house.

While they worked making a dust bowl out of her entire house, she contacted her captain and left him a message, letting him know about the flowers and card, then told him shead give him a full report when she came on duty again.

Dante kept his distance, but she felt his gaze on her, as warm as his touch.

She didnat like the familiarity, the sense of closeness he wanted when she knew so little about him.

She had too many questions. Like why he had a gun and head swept through her house like a cop who knew what he was doing. Those were answers she was going to get from him.

He moved in next to her. aI know youare tired. And the tech guys are done now, so you can get some sleep.a She looked up and realized the CSU team had packed up and were leaving, shutting the door behind them. She hadnat even noticed.

aOkay, good.a She walked to the door and waited. He came toward her and stopped in front of her.

aIf youad like, I can stay.a aStay and do what?a His lips curled, and warning bells rang. Shead walked right into that one. She really was tired. aI donat need you to stay.a aHe could come back.a aIf he does, I can handle it.a Dante surveyed the double dead-bolt lock on her door. aI guess youare secure.a Anna felt anything but secure at the moment, especially since she was leaning against the door and Dante was about a quarter of an inch away from her, all that testosterone sending her libido firing in a way it hadnat sincea Since the last time theyad been alone together. Shead been full of raging teen hormones back then, which she sure wasnat now.

Now she was a competent adult capable of taking care of herself, yet here he was, trying to act as if she was in need of saving.

She hadnat needed saving in a long time. These days she saved herself.

aYou need to go.a He laid his palm against the door above her head, his body hot and enticing as he stared down at her with sea-blue eyes that made her want to dig her teeth into his s.h.i.+rt and rip it off, then bury her face in his neck and lick the bead of sweat that had formed there.

aIs that what you really want?a he asked.

His breath blew against her hair, and she was ten seconds from either self-combusting or grabbing him by the s.h.i.+rt, planting her mouth on his and taking him up on what he was so obviously offering.

aYes, itas what I really want.a He paused, his lips curling in a smile that told her he knew it wasnat at all what she really wanted.

He slid his hand behind her, his touch making her tremble as his fingers swept across her back.

But then she heard the click of the doork.n.o.b. She moved to the side as the door opened.

aOkay, then. See you later.a Her heart rate skipped double time, her palms were wet and her body tingled with the awareness that she was so affected by Dante she was shaking all over. And just as fast as he had her primed and ready to throw him to the floor and have her way with him, he was gone.

She wasnat over him at all. Not at all.

She hit the dead bolts, rubbed that spot on her chest with her knuckles and headed toward the bedroom, but she was d.a.m.n sure not going to sleep now.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

Five.

Dante stood at the end of Annaas driveway and leaned against his car. He needed a few minutes to cool his body down, and the summer heat wasnat helping any.

So, okay, he figured following Anna home would p.i.s.s her off. Maybe thatas what head wanted to do, just to get a reaction out of her, to fire up that cool control that she wore like body armor.

He was glad head followed her, that head been here to see those flowers and that card.

What he hadnat counted on was the heat that had flared up between them.

Twelve years ago theyad had pa.s.sion, but it had been younga"intense yearning with nothing to show for it.

What pa.s.sed between them inside just now had been very adult, very hot, and nothing like what theyad had when they were younger.

But that wasnat what head come home for.

In fact, it had been a stupid move to go inside her house, to allow himself to even think he could get close to her again. Head crossed the line and pushed the limits and become that almost-eighteen-year-old boy again, totally crazy over the sweet innocent girl he loved but knew he shouldnat have.

Now he was thirty years old and he still couldnat have her.

The rumble of a motorcycle turning down the street caught his attention. He walked toward the driveras side of his car as Gabe pulled to a stop and cut the engine on his Harley.

aReminiscing about the good old days?a Gabe asked.

aMore or less. What are you doing here?a aTaking a ride. Thought I might find you here.a Gabe looked up at the house, then slanted a glance back at Dante. aThough I kind of figured youad be smooth enough to get inside.a aI was inside.a Gabe arched a brow. aDone already?a Dante laughed. aa.s.shole. Listen, someone left roses and a note on the front porch for her.a Gabe grinned. aSecret admirer?a aNo. The note said, aDid you like the gift I left you in the alley?aa Gabeas demeanor changed in an instant, harsh anger slas.h.i.+ng across his face. aSon of a b.i.t.c.h. The killer is stalking her?a aI donat know. Her CSU team took the flowers and note in for Forensics to go over, and they dusted the place for prints.a aAny sign of forced entry? Was he in her house?a Dante shook his head. aDoesnat look like it.a as.h.i.+t. What the f.u.c.k is going on, man?a aI donat know. We need to get everyone together to talk about it, though, figure this whole thing out.a They both went silent then. Dante thought about George, about why head gotten mixed up in all this.

aYou find a place to stay yet?a Gabe finally asked.

aNo.a aHow long you plan on hanging out here?a Dante c.o.c.ked his head to the side. aI wasnat going to stay long, but now that this thing happened with George I might have to change my mind about that. Why?a aBecause if youare staying a few days or a week you can put up with a hotel. If itas going to be a long visit, I could maybe help you out. If youare looking to stay permanentlya"a aIam not staying permanently.a aSo which of the other two is it?a aI hate hotels.a Which wasnat an answer to Gabeas question, but Dante didnat have an answer. He didnat know how long he was going to be here. It had been an impulse to come in the first place. He wouldnat have, if not for Ellen asking him. And then George was killed. And now head seen Annaa Gabe nodded. aYeah, I hate hotels, too. Follow me. I have some friends that just built some condos. Some arenat sold yet and I can hook you up.a aThatad be great, thanks.a Dante climbed into his car and followed Gabe. The one thing head always loved about St. Louis was that it didnat matter what your destination was. Nothing was very far away. You could get from the city to the country in a matter of fifteen minutes, minus rush-hour traffic.

The condos were nice. Things sure had changed around here. Progress. Old s.h.i.+t got torn up, and new stuff got built. Thatas the way it had always been, and so Dante expected it always would be. Just because he had a vision in his head of what his hometown had looked like when head left didnat mean time would stand still.

Buildings changed. People changed. Everything and everyone grew.

He followed Gabe to the parking lot of the main office. Gabe got off his bike and Dante got out of his car. aJust wait here. Iall go talk to management and see whatas available.a aSure.a These were pretty high-cla.s.s condos. Gabe, in his worn jeans and sleeveless s.h.i.+rt and with his neck and arms covered with tattoos, didnat seem the type to even know the management. But Dante knew all about labeling people. And a.s.sumptions.

Never a.s.sume anything.

Gabe was out a few minutes later with a grin on his face. aBuilding D. Weall head west down the main road and turn right.a Dante followed him to the building and pulled up in front of one of many cookie-cutter-type condos.

aGrab your stuff. Iave got the key.a Dante pulled his bag from the trunk of his rental car and followed Gabe to the door on the main level, just off the entrance. Gabe slipped the key in the lock and blissful air-conditioning greeted them.

aItas furnished,a Dante said as he walked in. aSomeone live here?a aNo. They keep it available for visiting corporate clients.a aUh-huh.a Dante laid his bag on the floor and checked out the s.p.a.cious kitchen, oversize living room and two bedrooms. Everything he might need was here, from pots and pans to flat-screen TV and even a game console. The beds were freshly made and the place had a new smell.

He walked back out to the living area. Gabe was on the couch, the television was on and he was playing a game.

aMake yourself at home.a Gabe grinned. aI am.a aSo where do you live?a aRight across the walk from here.a aConvenient.a He took a seat next to Gabe and picked up the other remote, started punching b.u.t.tons. It was a war game. Piece of cake.

aWhat exactly do you do now, Gabe?a He lifted a shoulder. aThis and that.a Which was the same answer Dante had given Annaa"totally vague. aWhich means what, exactly? That youare a fry cook at the local burger joint, or that youare an ax murderer?a Gabe leaned to his left, punched a few b.u.t.tons and knocked out Danteas player on the game. aNo, I prefer guns. You donat have to get as close to the victim that way.a Dante laughed. aFunny. But these condos are upscale, so you must be doing something.a aYeah, Iam doing something. Mostly freelance.a Gabe killed Danteas last player. Dante cursed. aFreelance sounds like illegal. What are you into?a aYou sound like Anna, always asking questions.a aIam not a cop, though. And youare working for the Bertuccis now?a Gabe started the next game. aYeah. Paolo Bertucci. He runs the mob here in the city.a aYour boss?a aYeah.a Not the line of work Dante expected Gabe to get into. aFor how long?a aAbout two years.a aGood work I guess.a aIt pays the bills.a Working with the mob could be lucrative business. It could also get someone killed. aWhat do you do for Paolo Bertucci?a Gabe was focused on the game, his fingers flying on the controller. Dante was trying to keep up, but Gabe was kicking his a.s.s.

aJack-of-all-trades. Anything from running errands to enforcer duty.a aYou like the job?a aLike I saidait pays the bills.a Working for the mob also meant you kept your mouth shut, and Gabe wasnat stupid. Stilla aYou think Bertuccias connections in drugs had anything to do with Georgeas death?a Gabe paused the game, s.h.i.+fted his gaze to Dante. aI donat know. He moves drugs in this city. Doesnat mean heas directly involved. He leaves that to the peons.a aLike you?a Gabe laughed. aIam not a drug dealer, man.a Which meant Gabe was higher up on the Bertucci food chain than just a peon.

They used to be as tight as brothers. Real brothers, not the foster brothers they had been. There had been no secrets between them. Theyad known everything about each other, had spent many nights up in their room in the Clemons house where theyad been fostered sharing all the s.h.i.+t theyad been through as kids. It had bonded them because their h.e.l.ls of abuse and s.h.i.+tty childhoods had been so similar.

And now they were strangers circling each other, neither of them willing to divulge their secrets.

Dante leaned back on the sofa and dragged his fingers through his hair. aNot much like the old days, is it?a aGuess not.a aYou into something big?a Dante knew he had no right to ask, especially since he hadnat told Gabe s.h.i.+t about himself.

aJust stuff I donat want to talk about. With you, particularly, since I donat know where the h.e.l.l youave been the past twelve years.a aYouave been here the whole time?a aNo. Left right afteraright after the thing went down with Anna. I had to get the h.e.l.l out. That whole scene freaked me out.a d.a.m.n. Gabe had skipped town the same time he had. aI didnat know youad left, too.a Gabe slanted him a look. aI didnat know about you, either, until after I came back. Wheread you go?a aDallas first. Big city, easy to get lost in. Figured I should get out of here, give Anna some s.p.a.ce. I thought if I wasnat around that whole mess would just disappear. Guess you must have had the same thought. How long did you stay gone?a aIave been back here two years. I guess we all need to come home eventually, huh?a Dante smiled at that. aEllen asked me to come back for her and Georgeas anniversary.a aMan, that s.h.i.+t sucks for her.a aIt does.a He didnat even want to think about it. aAnyway, I agreed to come back because I figured it was time anyway.a Gabe nodded. aSo we both left right after the attack.a aLooks like it. Roman and Jeff never left, though?a aNo, they both stayed.a aNothing is like I expected it to be,a he said.

aWhy? Because you didnat get a big welcome-home party?a He shot Gabe a look. aNo. I donat know what I expected. Sure as h.e.l.l didnat expect to find out Anna was a detective. And, Roman, too. Thatas a shocker. And youa"look at you. All tatted up and gone biker. A real bada.s.s now.a Gabe laughed and stretched his legs out in front of him, then popped his black s.h.i.+t-kicker boots up on the table. aThe one thing I found out when I came back? The world around here didnat stop turning just because I left.a It sure as h.e.l.l didnat. Didnat make Dante feel any better, but head done what head been asked to do, and head done it for Annaas sake. At the time it seemed like the right thing to do.

It had been the right thing to do.

But at the time head thought Gabe would be around to watch over her. The others had been younger, not as well equipped to be her protectors.

aI didnat know you were leaving,a Dante said. aI might have stuck around otherwise.a aI didnat know you had left, either. Sorry, man.a Dante shrugged. aNot your responsibility. Anna managed okay, though. She had her dad to take care of her. Howas she seemed the past couple years since youave been back?a Gabe grinned. aFeisty. Driven. Sheas out to get the bad guys in a big way.a In the short time head seen her at the crime scene, he could see that about her.

aWhich means what, exactly? That the two of you meet up more often than not?a aYou might say that.a Gabe chuckled.

Curious, Dante leaned forward. aSomething else going on with you and Anna I should know about?a aLike what?a He didnat want to ask. But he needed to know. aYou have something going on with her?a Gabe frowned. aWhy would you think that?a aYou showed up at her house this morning.a Gabe let out a soft laugh and shook his head. aYou dumba.s.s. Itas not like that. I look out for her.a aMaybe youare not the right person to be doing that, considering what kind of business youare in.a aYeah, and you think youare better equipped to do it, mystery man?a ah.e.l.l, I donat know.a Dante stood and walked to the window, raked his fingers through his hair. aIam talking out my a.s.s, Gabe. Iam tired. Iave been up all night.a He turned to face his onetime best friend and brother. aItas good to see you. Iam glad youare here. And thanks for giving me this place to stay.a Gabe stood. aGet some sleep. Iall check in with you later.a He held out his hand. Dante clasped his arm and pulled him in for a tight hug.

He never got close to people, hadnat since head left here. Gabe and the others had been the only people head truly counted on. They were the only ones head ever told his secrets to. He trusted them with everything without question.