Sophia’s hands are twisted firmly around the top of the steering wheel, her eyes laser-focused on the highway in front of us. It seems like we’re in route to her place, which is good. I’d much prefer to have her sleep in my arms tonight than to drop me off on her way home.

I just wish she’d say something.

I feel stone sober now. I’m not, but watching Cliff harass Sophia was more than enough to replace my buzz with seething anger.

Fucking Cliff.

He was waiting for me. Waiting to try and pull some sort of bullshit intimidation.

The guy’s a goddam virus. Worse than a virus—he’s the highest and mightiest asshole of the county. And that’s exactly why our operations have worked, but Christ, he’s like my fucking shadow.

And this is the point of no return.

Cliff and Sophia have a history. Yes, he’s her boss, but they have a grudge between them. And if he knows her that well, and if he knows that she’s with me, than we’re both in danger. And Sophia has no idea.

I’m going to ruin her life.

She’s so innocent. She’s beautiful, optimistic, intelligent. Driven to do what’s right, driven to help. Even those that don’t deserve it. Like me.

I should’ve let her go when I had the chance. But I didn’t.

And now there’s no turning back. I’m not risking her involvement anymore—I’ve gotten her involved. I’ve gotten her very involved.

She stirs in her seat and the silence between us suddenly becomes too heavy to ignore. I turn to face her. “I rea—”

“I’m sorry abou—” She looks at me. “What were you saying?”

“No, you go ahead,” I say.

She sucks in a breath. “I’m really sorry about that.”

“Sorry for what?”

“I shouldn’t have gotten so worked up. I hate that you saw that.” She slides her hands irritably down the steering wheel and back up again. “I just… ugh.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Sheriff Vernon put me on administrative leave two weeks ago.” She glances at me, then immediately back out the windshield. “We’re not exactly on good terms right now, but I still shouldn’t have gotten so worked up.”

“Hey,” I soothe, returning my hand to her thigh. “You have nothing to apologize for. You handled that a hell of a lot better than I would have.”

She looks at me. I pull her right hand off the steering wheel and give it a soft kiss before intertwining our fingers, setting our joined hands on the center console.

“I know. But still. I’m a better cop than that and—”

“You did nothing wrong. Honestly, Soph. If anything, I’m the one that should be apologizing for making you drive home. I’m the reason we were in that position.”

She shakes her head. “Not at all.”

“My point is you have nothing to be sorry for.” I pause, but continue before silence can reinvade the car. “Does that kind of shit happen often?”

“What kind of shit?” Her eyes flick over to me.

“You know, the sheriff harassing you like that?” I ask.

“Right? Was that not complete harassment?”

“Absolutely.”

She huffs another angry sigh.

“You know you shouldn’t have to tolerate that, right?” I’m staring at her but she won’t return my gaze. “Hey, I’m serious.”

“He’s just an asshole.”

“That’s not an excuse.”

Sophia shakes her head.

“You’re not the only one dealing with that, are you?” I ask.

“Definitely not.”

“Then what’s the deal? Why hasn’t anyone put that dickhead in his place?”

“The sheriff?”

“Yeah. So?”

All she does is shake her head again. She draws in another breath, but this time it’s slow and steady.

“That guy is the judge, jury, and executioner for the whole county, I swear. He’ll turn any little thing into a power trip. I don’t how the hell he gets elected.” She looks at me. “How do you know Sheriff Vernon?”

It’s the question I’ve been waiting for, but my stomach still twists when it comes.

“Or—Cliff Vernon, I guess I should say,” she corrects. Her expression softens. “His full name sounds so strange to me.”

“I bet.” I muster a fake chuckle as I try to recall Cliff’s explanation. “He’s an old family friend,” I say. “Unfortunately.”

“Oh.” Her expression turns sorrowful.

“More of an acquaintance, really,” I add.

“I’m sorry I badmouthed—”

“Stop. Don’t apologize, Soph.” I squeeze her hand. “My parents died in a car accident when I was eighteen. Cliff’s been—well, he stepped in to help me out.”

“Really?” she asks with both regret and surprise in her voice.

I nod. I want to continue—hell, I want to spill everything to her, but the words feel too far out of reach.

“Oh Noah.” Her face gives in to a somber expression and I can feel the car gradually slowing beneath us. She squeezes my hand, holding her grip. “God, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” I say with as much positivity as I can find.

“I had no idea.”

“I know. But you still have nothing to apologize for.”

She relaxes her grip. I bring her hand to my lips and plant a soft kiss. She turns to me with compassion in her eyes, holding a gentle smile in the corner of her cheeks. Slowly, I rest our hands on the center console as she turns back to the road.

I don’t disrupt the silence when it settles in again. We sit comfortably still, me with my thumb caressing gently over her fingers, her with a much softer hold on the steering wheel. No radio.

Sophia slows to exit the highway. She coasts through the wide roads of her neighborhood, turns into her short driveway and brakes to a stop. I reach for her hand when she begins to unbuckle.

“Hey—” Her eyes find mine and I gape into their sapphire blue, still piercing in the car’s darkness. “Thank you, Sophia,” I murmur.

“For what?”

The smile that grows on my face pushes away the last bit of unease left in my stomach. “You’re more than I deserve.” I brush my thumb over her cheek.

She feigns a scowl. “Don’t say that.”

I brush over her cheek once more before brining my hand to cup the back of her neck as I pull her in for a kiss. Her lips press tenderly into mine and their touch releases every ounce of tension from my body. Our lips slowly come apart.

Then I kiss her again.

Her fingers trickle down my neck and settle on my chest as she catches my lip before we both pull away.

“What do you say we go in and get some sleep?” I whisper.

* * *

This is all fucked.

It’s 8:27 a.m.. I haven’t even made it 5 minutes into my drive home before a surge of guilt catches up to me. I rev the Audi and speed up as if it’ll do anything. My palms are smearing sweat into the steering wheel. I’ve been driving without the radio, but still, everything’s loud.

Sophia deserves to know.

Of course she does—but that’s not going to help anything. Nothing.

So I tell her that I’m a criminal and that she’s at risk just for talking to me, and then what? Then she gets pissed and gets rid of her only means of protection. She’s probably as good of a detective as they come, hell, probably the best. And she may know Sheriff Vernon, but she has no idea what Cliff Vernon is capable of.

I need to get home.

There’s no more time for playing in the gray area, not after last night. Cliff had been there to get to me, but now that he knows Sophia is in the mix…

The sight of my driveway only makes me speed up even more. I’m racing against a clock ticking in my head. I don’t know what it’s ticking towards and I don’t know how fast. But it’s ticking.

I round the corner of my driveway and instantly slam my brakes.

Parked in front of my house is a Marvel County Sheriff’s SUV. Cliff’s SUV.

I should have known.

There’s no stream of smoke drifting out his window this time when I get out of my car. I walk up alongside the SUV and smack my palm on the closed window when I’m close enough.

I throw open his door.

“The hell are—” I begin, but it’s empty.

As I walk toward the house, I graze my hand over the hood of the SUV. Cold. It’s been parked for a while. There’s a stiff silence in the air and I reach absently for my revolver before remembering that I left it at home when I went to pick up Sophia last night.

The first thing that catches my eye is the shimmer of glass shards across the porch. It looks likes Cliff shattered the door’s window to reach in and unlock the handle. I take a long step forward and push through the open door.

I’m partially expecting him to be waiting in the kitchen with a glass of bourbon, but he’s not. I take a several cautious steps forward so I can see the entire kitchen and living room.

But he’s nowhere in sight.