I dug into my oysters, wishing I had all the answers. Or hell, at least something that would make me sound like less of a loser when it came to my plans. Ari was smart, successful, and knew exactly what she was doing with her future.

“If you could do anything, no limits, what would you do?”

The question was so completely Ari, it was almost predictable. Even so, it took me off guard. I had no frigging clue what I wanted to do next, and that ate at me. I lowered my fork and thought for a minute.

I was taking this day by day.

“Right now, I want one thing—answers. I need to know the truth about what happened with my father, and I’m not going to let it go until I figure it out.”

Ari nodded sagely, obviously no longer a girl in awe of every word coming out of my mouth. She was the one who had it all together and I was the mess, but there was no judgment on her face. She was unapologetic about knowing what she wanted, methodical and driven in going about achieving it. I’d never realized before how sexy that could be or how much I envied it.

“When you find those answers, will they affect what your future looks like?”

Another logical question I hadn’t taken the time to consider before. I bought myself time to think by taking a bite of my dinner and she did the same, although I could tell she was eagerly awaiting my response.

Would the truth about my dad affect my next steps? If it came out that he was framed and was exonerated, would I want to rejoin the force?

I had my answer before I even finished chewing. I’d never go back to the department. Something in me had changed irrevocably. I couldn’t carry a badge anymore, because it didn’t stand for what I thought it did before. And if I couldn’t believe in it, I didn’t deserve one.

“I’m done being a cop.”

“I wondered. I can’t say I’m completely surprised either. It would be hard to go back now. I couldn’t imagine going to work for anyone else now that I’ve been working for myself for so long.”

When she said that, it occurred to me that she understood something that I hadn’t consciously realized yet. I’d gotten a taste of freedom, and I didn’t have the patience for department politics anymore.

“How did you know I’d feel like that?”

Ari finished chewing a bite and swallowed. “You’re a leader, Rhett, not a foot soldier. I can only imagine that you’d be happier with complete autonomy.”

Her insight hit me like a round to a bulletproof vest, slamming into me with shattering force.

I never thought I’d be this glad to be off the pedestal Ari had put me on because she saw me clearly. Maybe even more clearly than I saw myself.

I grinned at her in awe. “You’re right.”

One side of her mouth tilted up in a quirky smile. “Don’t sound so surprised. I am a genius.” She winked, and it broke a laugh free from my chest.

“Smartass too.”

She shrugged. “Never said I wasn’t.”

There it was again, the confidence I always thought might be hovering beneath the surface, but she’d never shown before. And it was hot. My sexy little genius. Before I could go further down that line of thought, she picked up with the questions again, forcing me back to the subject I’d been avoiding.

“What does that leave? PI work? Do you enjoy it?”

Did I? I let myself answer honestly. “I don’t want to follow cheating spouses around ever again. I’ve had enough. Sure, it pays the bills, but it blows.”

She abandoned her fork on her plate and leaned her elbows on the table, dropping her chin on her hands to study me. “But you liked tracking down that guy’s family. That meant something to you.”

Hell yes, it had. Absolutely. That had given me just as much satisfaction, if not more, than closing a case as a detective ever did.

I nodded.

“Have you considered focusing on missing persons? You have the skills, and you’re building the independent résumé on top of the experience you had at the department.”

It was like a light bulb going off in my head, and Ari had flipped the switch.

Help people locate the loved ones they refused to let go of, and get them answers? The work could be just as hard as chasing down cheating spouses, just in a different way. But when the outcome was positive, it was a hell of a lot more rewarding. The more I turned the suggestion over in my mind, the more I liked it.

“That’s a damn good idea.”

Ari’s face lit up with a wide smile. “I’m glad you think so. Finding something you enjoy makes all the difference. I wouldn’t work as much as I do if I didn’t love it. You could change lives by helping people in a way that only you can.”

I soaked up her enthusiasm. “It’s something to think about. But first, I have to figure out . . .” I stopped short because we both knew where I was going.

“Is there any way I can help? I have skills, you know. Maybe not perfectly legal ones, but they’re helpful in the right situation.”

My gaze sharpened on her. “You’re talking about hacking into the department, aren’t you?”

With her chin still perched on her hands, she lifted her shoulders to her ears and dropped them. “It’s not like it would be hard. I got into Heath’s work computer in about twelve seconds, but that’s only because he’s not creative with his passwords. If there’s information on the inside that they’re not being up front about, you need to know. You deserve to know.”

I thought about what she was saying. Not so very long ago, my perspective on the world was very black and white. Things were either right or wrong, and I didn’t spend much time considering shades of gray. But that was before. Now I realized that life was more blurry gray lines than anything at all.

The department was holding something back. There was a lot more to the story than they were saying, and Heath’s position in IA meant that he should know what it was. Or he would if he hadn’t requested to be removed from the case due to a conflict of interest.

“What exactly are you proposing, Red?”

Her brain was wired differently than mine, so I couldn’t help but wonder what she planned. I could swear excitement lit her eyes at the question.

“Just some snooping around. See if maybe there are files they’ve tried to bury. Digital footprints are everywhere, even when you think you’ve erased them.”

“You don’t think they know how to cover their tracks?”

She lifted her chin and tapped her index fingers together with a sly smile. “I don’t think you realize how good I am at what I do.”

That smile. That confidence. This woman. She was the full package, and beyond intoxicating with that light shining in her eyes. And her loyalty—willing to do whatever it took to help me find answers—that was even sweeter.

“What do you need?”

“Only your permission.”

My grip tightened on my empty glass. “Do it.”

It was as if those words unleashed something in the universe, because at that moment, Ari’s phone rang.