M y heartrate spiked.

Panic settled in .

Time was of the essence .

We needed to go. And now .

Frantically, I hurried to gather my things. My mind raced to remember where I’d last had my purse. On the couch? Next to the fridge? On the island counter? My head swiveled fast on my shoulders as my eyes strained to keep up .

“Kendra, slow down.” Alex followed me around. “What do you mean Kelly has been arrested ?”

Shoving my hands through my hair, I shook my head and mumbled, “I don’t know .”

Finding my purse on the kitchen counter—exactly where I’d left it—I still couldn’t believe the news. How could this be? Kelly said that he was on his way into work, that something big had happened, that he needed to attend to it .

Taking both my shoulders into her hands, Alex asked, “Who were you talking to ?”

My eyes closed as I swallowed down a heavy breath .

“Was that Kelly ?”

Peeling her fingers off of me, I scrambled across the room and picked up my cell phone. As my fingers swiped over the screen, Alex ripped it out of my hand. “What the hell ?!”

“Slow down, Kendra .”

But I couldn’t. Blood rushed between my ears and my palms were sweaty. Kelly needed me. I didn’t have time to explain. “Didn’t you hear what I said? Kelly has been arrested. He needs me. I need to go .”

“Was that him ?”

“What?” I barked, not listening to what she was saying .

“Was that Kelly you were talking to?” She stepped forward and lowered her voice. “You said you were calling him, so was it him ?”

“No.” My head shook as I rubbed the back of my neck. “It was Giselle. I talked to Giselle .”

Seeing the bottle of vodka still sitting next to the sink, I hurried to it, swiping it off the counter. Popping the top, I tossed it back and forced down several thick gulps, hoping to find some kind of relief. The alcohol burned on its way down and warmed my insides. A tingling calmness worked its way over my body but it didn’t last .

“Let me drive,” Alex said without reservation .

“Maxwell is outside waiting. He’ll take me .”

“Then I’m coming along .”

“I can’t ditch him.” I glanced at the vodka once more. “He probably doesn’t even know. Shit, I need to tell him.” My feet started to move again .

“Whoever you think will get you to Kelly quickest.” Alex nodded as she began collecting her things, readying herself to leave .

Without hesitating, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her neck. I needed somebody to hold—someone who I could share my anxiety with. Squeezing her tight I whispered, “Thank you .”

I felt her head nod on my shoulder and a second later we were closing the front door, leaving the fresh smells of Alex’s apartment behind. Getting lucky with a short wait at the elevator, we found ourselves jogging through the lobby, pushing our way outside in no time .

Maxwell was exactly where he said he’d be waiting. Sitting behind the wheel, he had his head down in the newspaper, reading .

“Maxwell! Maxwell!” I yelled, waving my hands above my head .

He tipped his head back and I saw his eyes widen. Without asking or having me explain what was happening, he turned the key and started the engine before stepping out to open the back door so Alex and I could easily jump inside .

“Kelly’s been arrested,” I said, digging my heels in as I approached. “Giselle told me. Have you talked to her?” Maxwell shook his head. “We need to go get him out .”

Maxwell simply nodded, helping Alex and me into the back of Kelly’s SUV. We both buckled in as Maxwell slid behind the wheel. He pulled the parking brake and squealed into traffic. I could appreciate his sense of urgency and I liked not having to worry about convincing him to drive fast .

My eyes were wide and my senses on high alert as I stared out my window. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. Kelly wasn’t supposed to get called into work. We were supposed to be rolling between his sheets, laughing into the ceiling through labored breaths of orgasmic bliss. The morning was supposed to be filled with romance and climax. Yet, here I was, stuck wondering why—and how—Kelly could have been arrested .

Feelings of regret quickly consumed me .

I should have done more to make him stay. Rephrased my words to make a more convincing argument. But, because I hadn’t, he was sitting behind bars instead of enjoying a luxurious lunch with me .

As if reading my thoughts, I felt Alex’s hand reach over and blanket my own. Turning my head, I found her staring back with a quizzical look. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but do you know why Kelly was arrested ?”

Frowning, I shook my head .

Her fingers clamped over my hand and squeezed .

My thoughts were fuzzy and nothing made any sense. I wished I did know why. Wished that I could think of something, could have seen the warning signs coming. But I hadn’t .

Turning my head back to the window, I closed my eyes. Remembering the past week, I replayed everything I’d done inside my head, trying to pinpoint a moment Kelly may have broken the law. After several minutes of uninterrupted thinking, I still had nothing .

Kelly was mourning his wife, Nora, on the fifth anniversary of her death, and I was finding ways to avoid having to confront my rapist uncle. If Kelly had broken the law I didn’t see it .

Alex pulled her hand back into her lap. She fidgeted and squirmed like she had something she wanted to say. Then she sighed as she turned to look at me. “Could it be related to Madam ?”

Everything stopped .

My last breath of air caught in my lungs .

My eyes slowly closed .

A part of me wished she hadn’t said it. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think that Alex could be right. It had me scared to think Madam would do such a thing. We both knew what she was capable of, and that certainly included this .

As my heart slowly beat against my ribcage, I feared that if Madam was behind Kelly’s arrest then maybe I was next to be taken in. “I don’t know much about their relationship,” I mumbled in a low voice before turning to look at Alex .

“Kendra, you do.” Alex’s neck craned. “You read it yourself in the files you stole. Kelly set up Madam’s operation to look legit. Maybe that’s what this is about ?”

Turning my head away, I refused to listen. Maxwell’s calm, inquisitive eyes found me in the rearview mirror and I couldn’t help myself from assuming that he knew more about Kelly than he would ever say to me .

“I still want to go,” I said, getting Maxwell to drop his gaze back to the road. “I have to go.” I turned to look at Alex. “He needs me .”

Slowly, Alex’s head began to nod .

“Kelly deserves to know that I have his back .”

“I just don’t want to see you get dragged down with him .”

Maxwell turned at the next right and immediately hit traffic. “This doesn’t look good,” he said as the car rolled to a complete stop .

Grabbing the back of his seat, I leaned forward to get a clear view of the road ahead. “What are we, a couple blocks away ?”

“One block. It’s just over there.” Maxwell pointed his hand over the dash and slightly to the right .

Reaching my hand across my lap, I pressed the button down to unbuckle myself. Opening the door, Alex snapped, “Kendra! Where are you going ?”

I looked over my shoulder. “I’ll meet you there .”

Alex reached for me but as soon as my feet hit the ground, I started running .

I didn’t have time to wait in traffic. It was backed up and looked like it had been for a while. Road crews worked ahead with their noisy equipment as car horns honked with commuter frustration .

My arms pumped and my strides widened, not knowing what I’d find—or learn—once I got to him. Kelly had shown me that I wasn’t just somebody in a list of personal conquests. We were building a history and he’d proved worthy of being saved. My only hope was that I wouldn’t let him down .

Once the precinct building was in sight, I picked up my pace and came billowing through the front doors. A uniformed officer I brushed shoulders with caught my arm and spun me around. “Hey, are you all right ?”

My chest burned as I hunched over with a sweaty brow, completely out of breath .

His brows pinched as he lowered his head closer, seeing that I had something I needed to say but couldn’t get out. “What is it ?”

“My boyfriend.” I sucked back a breath. “He’s been arrested.” My words cracked as my heart hammered inside my chest .

I wasn’t a runner. I was a girl who preferred to lounge at the spa and go dancing at nightclubs and have sex. My workouts consisted of that and nothing more. As I stood with a dry mouth, all I could think about was how Kelly demanded I eat well, be perfect, and live a healthier life. Promising myself to get in better shape after today, I stammered through several more broken words before the cop finally stopped me .

“Slow down,” the officer said .

Dropping my head into my hand, I pinched my throbbing temples and closed my eyes. I swore, if one more person told me to slow down today I was going to flip my shit .

My eyes opened when he spun me around to face the front desk. “There. The officer behind the desk will assist you .”

Nodding, I heard his heavy boots walk away behind me, leaving me to make the next move .

A large woman with a dark complexion sat behind the window, fixing her gaze on me. Frozen in place, my feet were glued to the floor. Now that I was this close, fear tightened my muscles and I was afraid to learn why Kelly had been brought in. But when the woman waved for me, my body pulled toward her and soon I was floating across the floor until I found myself standing at the counter, staring into her big round eyes. “What can I do for you?” she asked .

I cast my gaze to my fingers gripping the ledge. “I was told my boyfriend was arrested .”

“What’s the name ?”

Swallowing, I mumbled, “Kelly Black .”

Her fingers worked over the keyboard as she searched the system. I watched her eyes scan the computer screen before her brow drew together. “No. No Kelly Black in the system .”

Licking my lips, I said, “Are you sure ?”

She turned to look me in the eye. “Maybe he was brought to another station .”

Shaking my head, I thought back to my conversation with Giselle. “No, it’s this one .”

“Well, there is no Kelly Black in our system.” She folded her hands on top of one thigh .

With one hand rooted into the counter, I turned back to the front entrance to find Alex come flying through. Twisting my spine back around, I said, “Well, can you at least tell me if maybe he’s here but hasn’t been processed ?”

“What I can tell you is that there is nobody who goes by the name Kelly Black in our system .”

Alex hit the brakes as she came to stand next to me. She rested her hand between my shoulder blades and asked, “What did they say ?”

Glaring at the woman behind the window, I stepped away, turned my back, and murmured, “Nothing. He’s not here .”

“What?!”

“His name isn’t in the system.” My emotions were draining my energy and the adrenaline I’d first felt had now dissipated into tears threating to drown out my eyes. “He’s here, Alex. I know he is.” My voice was soft, broken .

Wrapping me in her arms, I latched on, trembling through my fear that Kelly might be in big trouble. “I feel so helpless .”

Alex’s arms flexed and squeezed me harder .

“I can’t lose him. Not like this. And certainly not after what we just went through .”

“You won’t. Not if it’s meant to be .”

“I need to call someone,” I said, stepping away. “But I don’t know who .”

“Giselle. Can you call her ?”

Pulling my cell free from my purse, I searched her name. “I don’t have her number .”

“Then call Kelly. Didn’t she pick up when you called him ?”

Nodding, I worked my fingers over the screen to find his number saved in my favorites list. Pressing the call button, I lifted the phone to my ear and waited .

Alex kept her eyes locked on mine and we both held our breath, hoping that Giselle would answer Kelly’s phone again .