We were just about to kiss when Cruz hesitated. “Did you hear that?”

“What?”

“I think it’s Franklin.” Cruz placed me on my feet and headed for the stairs.

I followed him, hearing a series of grumbles coming from the main floor. “Sounds like he’s frustrated.”

“He probably found something!” Cruz clapped his hands in excitement before he slid down the banister.

I shook my head before sneaking into the bathroom and stealing the first aid kit. I knew that if I didn’t tend to his wounds, then he never would.

Once I reached the living room, the two men were practically forehead to forehead. The light from the computer screen reflected off their faces, illuminating their features. They were worlds apart. While Franklin was fair with a soft, round face, Cruz was darker, his cheeks sharp and crisp.

Somehow, Cruz managed to look sexier every time I looked at him…

“Are you sure about this?”

“VanGuard’s database is the most comprehensive in the world. If you want to know anything about anyone, this is the way to do it.”

“Why didn’t my sister tell me she was a special ops detective?”

“Wait… Heidi was in the special ops?” That couldn’t be. Heidi was a fashion blogger. She spent most of her days at home, lounging around in pajamas. Then again, she was unusually fit for someone who had a sedentary job…

“That’s what it says. She joined the academy five years ago and was rewarded for her phenomenal police work with an early promotion…”

Cruz frowned. “I should have apologized to her when I had the chance…”

I rested my hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. “Hey, there’s no point beating yourself up over the past. There’s nothing you can do to change all of this.”

“Look here. During her last mission, she was sent undercover to a casino front for one of London’s biggest mafias. A day later, she was pronounced dead.”

I moved closer, looking at the screen, trying to digest all of the information. “What if the mafia found out who she really was and poisoned her?”

“You think they would do that?” Cruz asked. “But for the paramedics to claim she died of a heart complication, that would mean that they are working for the mafia as well.”

Franklin started to type furiously, pulling up a bunch of different windows that flashed across the screen for a moment before disappearing. His eyes shifted back and forth so quickly that it hurt my head just trying to keep up. “Here we are. The Gravanos.” He pulled up a page with the word CLASSIFIED stamped across the top. “I really shouldn’t be doing this…” he whispered to himself. “If Mr. Robison finds out…”

“Screw that asshole. I found him groping Amelia on the street. Damn near killed him.”

“About that…” I bit my lip. “That has nothing to do with you.”

“Of course it does. He found out we were dating and went after you to get to me.”

I shook my head. “No, that’s not why.”

“Then, why?” Cruz asked, his dark eyes intensifying.

“We used to date.”

His expression fell. “Oh…”

“It was a long time ago. I told him we were through. I never thought we would see each other again…”

“So, when he saw you… he tried to force himself on you?”

I nodded.

“That makes him an even bigger creep than I’d thought,” Cruz growled. “There’s something about him that isn’t right. He’s hiding something. I know it.”

“It seems that he is…” Franklin interjected. “It seems that Mr. Robison is the owner of the casino…”

“You mean he’s the owner of the casino my sister had investigated as a drug front?”

“Yes. And… not only that. He seems to have a habit of hiring a certain John Gardner as his hitman.”

“You mean a member of the Gardner family?” Cruz’s fingers twitched in his lap, obviously agitated.

“What does that mean?” I asked, feeling helplessly confused. A part of me wanted to take out my notebook and write all of this down.

“The Gardner family is an elite family of snipers. They almost never miss their target. Many of them join the black ops and help take out big ticket targets, but a few years ago, one of the Gardner’s went rogue. He kidnapped his son and disappeared somewhere in Serbia. It seems that son has returned to work for Mr. Robison.”

“Which means that he’s the one who put out the hit on me.” Cruz ran his fingers through his hair as he paced the room. “But why?”

“He must have known you would dig into your sister’s past and figure out his secret. Taking you out would just be a precaution.”

“Well, now he’s going to regret ever having messed with me.” Cruz’s nostrils flared. His eyes were so dark that they looked like two pieces of onyx fixed into his skull. I half expected him to punch a wall to let out his pent-up fury. “Tell me where the casino is. I’m going there. I’m exposing him for the rat he is.”

“Are you crazy?” Franklin and I asked in unison.

“You’re going to get yourself killed,” I added, already worried that he was going to do something reckless. I couldn’t lose him…

“I’m not. I’ve been trained for situations like this.” He took my hands and squeezed them tightly. “You have to let me do this. I have to get to the bottom of my sister’s death. I need justice.”

His words shook my very core. For years, I had tried fruitlessly to understand why someone had murdered my parents. I had tried and failed. Cruz, on the other hand, had a legitimate chance of avenging his sister’s death. I couldn’t take that away from him. “Fine, but I’m going with you.”