She fell asleep before the movie finished. They ended up choosing the first Night of the Living Dead film.

Nick finished watching it by himself because he needed the momentary distraction. Once it finished he went straight back to thinking about the situation with Mia. It got to him that she’d been involved with that guy—some criminal who’d worked his way into her life and took everything from her. But worse, it got to him that she’d actually been involved. Nick wasn’t jealous, he had no right to be, but he couldn’t help it.

Glenn had warned him away from Mia. Him, who always took great care of her. And look who she found herself with. That Alan shit-face had multiple offenses of all sorts. Mia was lucky that all the guy did was con her. It grieved Nick to think of how he must have wormed his way into her life…and into her bed.

That got to him, too—a lot.

Before they went to the station he’d imagined some geeky-type person who was tech savvy. But when he saw the pictures of Alan on the police database, the sight of the guy infuriated him.

Alan was thirty-six years old. Two years younger than Nick. He looked ordinary enough with his buzz-cut hair and sharp brown eyes, but there was a rough creepiness about him that would have given Nick every reason to be wary of him. He wished Mia could have felt the same warning and stayed away from him.

It was pointless thinking about it that way. Pointless and fruitless because it only served to annoy him, and the tension in the house wasn’t helping, either.

Glenn was ignoring them both now, and Nick couldn’t be bothered to try to reason with him when he was in the mood he was in.

When he eventually went to his room he didn’t go to sleep, he spent an hour going over a few of the applications that came in for the secretary job he’d posted. While he was probably okay to do everything himself for the moment, he wanted to set everything up correctly from now.

He didn’t want to suddenly get busy and then find he was swamped with work and had no form of organization. That almost happened last year when he was helping Glenn with a massive fraud case while he was also helping Sawyer out with a murder case. He’d just been granted his PI license. After seeing the skill and technique he employed in his work Sawyer offered him a fulltime job with the police. He thought they could use a man like Nick, especially with his high-level military background and expertise.

Nick had turned down the offer in favor of freelancing. He hated the idea of being tied down to a full-time job, and didn’t want to only work for the police. He’d always had the goal of doing his work solo and saw restriction with a job of that nature.

Being a true private investigator required pushing limits that would be outside an employment contract. It meant going rogue sometimes and operating in that gray area employer’s liability and shit like that wouldn’t cover. He knew that some jobs would require him to be a little rough around the edges, and use methods that would be deemed unconventional. Sometimes he would have to act like a bounty hunter. That was his style, always had been. In the Marines, Nick had managed to tame his recklessness and harness it into something that would make him an asset. He’d be the one that would take that step over the edge of reason and verge on madness when it came to situations like rescuing his comrades, or civilians who’d been caught up in a cross fire, or a bomb blast. Situations that warned you to run and stay the hell away to protect yourself.

He’d be the guy who’d be daring enough to cross enemy territory knowing that he wouldn’t have back up.

Nick would be that guy who’d run out unshielded into the line of fire, bullets blasting from both sides if he saw a way in to protect someone, or fulfill a call of duty. The mission was what mattered and he’d fulfill it at all cost, even if it cost him his life.

To do what he had in mind properly he wanted his mind free of administrative work, so a secretary was definitely on his list. There were ten applications, and of them he found three ladies that sounded perfect for the job. He made a note to email them tomorrow.

The next thing he did was a search of his own on the elusive accountant. He cringed at the picture that came up. The one Sawyer showed them earlier was a mug shot. In this one he looked like one of those slimy creeps who waited around a corner to rob you. His hair was longer and looked dirty, his face and his receding hair line more obvious. When Nick found his website and saw it listed him as a business accountant with a wealth of experience in managing new companies, he snapped his pen in half and filed a report to have the website shut down and tracked.

There were more pictures but he stopped browsing. He’d seen enough.

He had a face to go with the name. All he needed was a location. He couldn’t wait to meet this guy.

Nick went to sleep on that thought and set out the next day with a plan. He went back to the station to touch base with Sawyer. There was some good news, but they couldn’t celebrate just yet. The Florida Capitol police had been in touch to let them know that some of the stolen money had been located in an account in the Bahamas. It would, however, be tied up in the investigation for another few weeks. Sawyer had also gotten some intel about the removal company that was used to get the paintings. They were able to get some CCTV footage from the storage facility that showed the company logo on the side of the van. Nick was looking into that today.

He stayed at the station all day researching and looking through the information they had on them. They worked across the country doing mostly home removals and delivering office supplies. He got contact details for the guy who owned it and he confirmed the van registration information that had picked up the paintings. However, it just so happened that that van was listed as being on a job and had been for the last few days. Since they didn’t really do jobs that lasted as long as days unless there was a special booking, the van was reported as stolen. And with that, Nick was able to get a report out to keep an eye out for the van.

It was a lot to organize, but Nick had a good feeling about this and felt progress was being made. The more eyes they got on the van, the better it would be. All he had to do was hope that the paintings hadn’t been sold off.

The one thing you could trust with criminals who were into theft was that they’d try to get either the highest price for whatever it was they stole, or the thing of most value in exchange for it.

Those things took time. According to what Mia had explained, Alan knew about the money and was stealing with the intent to get that money. The passwords for the storage facility and paintings were a bonus. A good bonus that the guy would never have had time to plan for. With the amount that Mia said the insurance company valued the paintings at, Nick knew Alan wouldn’t be dumb enough to sell off the paintings at the cheapest price.

By the time he got home he was exhausted and ready to hit the bed, but a conversation caught his attention.

It was Mia. She was in the living room talking on the phone.

“Do I have to do topless? I mean, couldn’t I just be in my underwear? That’s still stripping.”

That was what she said, he was sure of it.

He stopped in the corridor and listened in as she continued.

“Of course I know what stripping is, I was just asking because I’m certain the same effect can be achieved with underwear. I wear Victoria’s Secret, the lacey kind, so you can see most of my breasts. I just don’t want to be completely naked.”

Jesus, what the hell was she saying? Nick pushed the image of her in her lacey Victoria’s Secret lingerie straight out of his head and rushed into the room, startling her.

She actually jumped and dropped the phone, which he grabbed before she could retrieve it.

“Hello?” came a man’s voice when Nick pressed it to his ear.

“Who is this?” Nick asked.

“Nick, give me my phone back now.” Mia tried to take the phone from him but he moved away from her. “Nick! Don’t you dare mess this up for me.”

“This is Billy from Hogan’s Whores; can you pass the phone back to the broad?” He spoke in a thick New York accent that only infuriated Nick further.

“No.” Nick would have put the guy in his place there and then but he was trying to fend Mia off.

“Come on, man. Her picture passed. Looks like she has a great pair of tits that will bring in business here.”

It was such a shame this guy was on the phone. If he’d been in front of Nick, he would have knocked his teeth down his throat.

“Go fuck yourself,” Nick barked and hung up, cutting off the man’s next words.

“Why did you do that?” Mia cried looking horrified.

“You’re asking me that?” he retorted. “Seriously, Mia. Why the hell would you be calling Hogan’s Whores?”

“I need the money. I have to find a way to get Glenn’s money back,” she answered.

He shook his head in disbelief. She was saying that like she’d found the answer to the problem. “By stripping? In a strip club?”

“Don’t say it like that, as if you’ve never been in that kind of club. I know you have.”

He didn’t know what got to him more, the way she looked when she said that or the tear that ran down her cheek.

“Mia, we’re not talking about me.” He wouldn’t lie and make himself out to be some saint, she’d know he was lying. “Stripping is not an option.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she flared, wiping the tears away from her eyes with the back of her hands. “Or pretend you care.”

“You know I care.” Surely, she must have known that. He’d shown nothing but care for her in the last few days.

“No, I don’t. Up until a few days ago I never even knew you were back in Chicago and living here. If you cared that much you would have told me. Maybe if you responded to my letters I would have known.”

“Mia… I…” He was stuck on how to respond because it was never that he didn’t want to respond to her, he just felt like it was best he didn’t because of Glenn.

“It’s fine. I get it. I got it years ago.”

“Mia, what are you talking about?” he asked because she seemed to be talking about something else.

“It doesn’t matter,” she snapped.

“It does matter,” he insisted. “Are you mad that I didn’t tell you I was back in Chicago?”

“Nick, I’m mad about everything. Now give me my phone back.”

“Like fuck I am. You aren’t doing it,” he said firmly.

“Yes I am.”

“No. I’m not letting you do something like that.” It was bad enough imagining her with that Alan creature, but to allow her to go off and strip so every man with eyes in Chicago could see her was out of the question.

“The pay is good, and I could give Glenn some of his money back.” A tear ran down her cheek.

“Fuck the money, Mia. What happened to make you think you should do this?”

“Glenn. He called me a whore, he said if I wasn’t such a whore I wouldn’t have lost our money.” She covered her mouth as she broke down.

Nick bit down hard on his lip.

This was wrong. He understood the anger, and Glenn was his friend, but Nick couldn’t stand by and allow him to treat Mia this way. He took hold of her shoulders and tried to calm her.

“Babe, I’m sorry,” he offered. “Mia, if I had two million dollars I’d give it to you. Since I don’t, we just have to leave the police to do their work. Stripping or whatever mad idea you’ve come up with isn’t an option.”

“I can’t live like this anymore. He just blames me, all the time. If Claire was here I would have gone to stay with her, but I have to be here with Glenn hating me.”

“Mia, I told you I’d take care of you.”

“No,” she replied, surprising him. She pulled in a short breath and shook her head, looking seemingly more distressed. “I don’t want you to.”

“Why?” He couldn’t imagine why she would say that. “Mia,” he prodded.

“Because, being around you is too confusing,” she blurted, stepping backwards out of his grasp. “I can’t do it.”

She was already crying, but the next tear that ran down the smooth skin of her cheek got to him, and the anguished expression that filled her green eyes couldn’t have spoken louder than if she were shouting her feelings to him.

He held her gaze, feeling torn because he didn’t need clarification on what she meant. He understood perfectly what she meant, because he felt it too.

The confusion.

The confusion was the same for him. Being around her and wanting to do what his mind, body, and soul told him to do, and resisting. Having to hold back, having to touch her and remind himself that it couldn’t mean anything.

Having to remember that his loyalty should lie with a friend that had always been there for him, a friend that had stood by his side when Nick went through the darkest time in his life. And Mia was the one thing he was told he couldn’t have.

The confusion overwhelmed him sometimes, but just now it consumed him because it was the first time that Mia had ever given away any indication of what she felt for him.

He opened his mouth to say something to her, he wasn’t sure what the hell that would be, but he never got the chance.

The sound of a door slamming made them both turn. It was the front door.

“Miaaaa!” Glenn roared. The sound of his voice echoed around the room.

“Oh God. He knows. He knows about the paintings. He knows.” Mia winced, starting to shake. She clutched her hand to her chest and looked at him with wide, terrified eyes. “Nick.”

Instinctively he cupped her face and gazed into her eyes. “Leave it to me.”

“Mia!” Glenn thundered, storming into the room. He looked even more angry when he saw Nick holding her.

Mia jumped back and backed away into the wall.

“The paintings. They’re gone!” Glenn cried.

“Glenn, it’s in hand, we went to the police and they’re trying to track them,” Nick offered.

“We?” Glenn whirled around and faced him. “You knew about this and didn’t tell me?”

“I was investigating. It was something that came up.”

Glenn turned back to Mia. “Did you know there was a chance the paintings could get stolen before you came to Chicago?”

Mia gazed at him and nodded. “I’m so sorry. I was scared to tell you. I didn’t want to disappoint you any more than I had.”

“I can’t even laugh at the absurdity of that. You’ve always been a disappointment to me.”

In all the years that Nick had known Glenn he’d never gotten so mad with him that he felt like hitting him. Until just now.

While Mia broke down in floods of tears, Glenn turned and walked away.

Nick looked over at Mia wanting to say something, but couldn’t find the right words. Instead he walked out of the living room and followed Glenn right into the gym.

“What do you want, man?” Glenn turned on him, squaring off his shoulders like he was ready for a fight.

“Why are you acting like such a prick?” Nick squared off, too.

“Stay out of it. This is a family matter, it’s none of your business.”

“It is my business when you act like this. I told you the police were dealing with the situation. Mia’s a victim in this and she came home for your support.”

“Why does she need mine when clearly she has yours?” Glenn accused. “You’re supposed to be my friend. Mine. But every time she’s around you turn into some kind of fucking fool.”

“Glenn, this isn’t you. It’s not, and I’m not going to speak to you when you’re like this.”

“Good, then fuck off,” Glenn balked.

Nick didn’t bother to answer him, he walked away before he lost his cool and hit him. He went back to the living room to see if Mia was okay but she wasn’t there. He went to the sitting room, kitchen, downstairs bathroom, and her room, but she wasn’t there.

When he went to her room again and he saw that the little travel case she’d brought with her days ago was gone, he panicked.

“Mia!” he called out, but there was no answer.

He called for her again and looked in the other room and on the terrace, but there was no point because it was clear that she’d left.

* * *

Mia couldn’t take a taxi. It was wise to save the hundred dollars she had until Claire transferred more money to her account.

If she hadn’t left her phone with Nick she would have called Claire and told her the distress.

God, why didn’t she ask Claire if she could house sit while she was in Spain?

It was because she didn’t think. Subconsciously she’d allowed herself to take comfort in Nick, but not even he could help her with this. She and Glenn had had some real bad arguments in the past, but this was bad and hurtful.

They argued today, and it was terrible because Nick wasn’t there to defend her. Glenn took full advantage and cursed her for her stupidity. She could appreciate his anger before and had tried to reason with him. She was actually trying to tell him about the paintings, but he lost it and never gave her the chance to finish before he unleashed his anger. That was when he called her a whore. He hurt her to no end, but when he said she’d always disappointed him it hurt her deep, down to her core. She’d always believed he was proud of her, especially when she had her business. She’d always believed he was proud of her regardless of that.

However, he’d just confirmed that he wasn’t.

She left because she couldn’t stay. She couldn’t be there anymore knowing he hated her so much. And then there was Nick.

She couldn’t be around him, either. Her emotions were on overload and she couldn’t focus. When she was with him she had to remind herself that they were just friends. She had to put up this barrier to remind her of the boundaries that separated them, and it was becoming exhausting. Mia just couldn’t deal with it now—and it was best that she didn’t have to—or become reliant on him.

It took her an hour to get into the city. It was nearly eight and the area was starting to fill with its night life. She made her way to one of the cheap motels on the backstreets and tried not to look shocked when she saw a group of hookers outside it.

She went into the reception, keeping her bag close. There was a guy behind the desk watching a wrestling match and eating pizza. When he saw her he did the standard thing most men did when they looked at her and gave her a once over look that blatantly undressed her with his eyes.

“Hey, sweetheart. What can I do for you?” the man asked. Now he was looking at her breasts.

One night, maybe two. That’s what she’d book. She could be brave for a night or two and take care of herself. Claire would hopefully transfer the money to her account by tomorrow and she’d find a way to contact Nick, get her phone, and call Claire.

“I’d like to book a room for two nights. Do you have any vacancies?”

“My lap has a vacancy.” He pointed to his lap and the bulge she saw at his crotch nearly made her vomit.

“I’d like a room for two nights,” she repeated, pretending she didn’t see his arousal.

He gave her a wicked, sly grin and straightened up in his chair.

“We have a room. It’s fifty bucks for two nights. I must warn you, it’s discounted because of the murder.”

“Murder?” She could barely get the word out of her mouth.

“Yes, sweetheart, happens in these parts all the time.” He laughed.

She couldn’t believe that, but then she’d always been told to avoid this area of town.

She opened her purse, took out fifty dollars, and handed it over to him. He then handed her some keys.

“Thanks.”

“It’s room fifteen. If you get scared, my lap’s still available.” He leered at her and gave her a creepy smile that made her skin crawl.

She turned away and made her way up to room fifteen.

Inside it was horrible. It looked like a scene from CSI with the chalk drawing of the person who’d been killed still on the floor.

Mia had quite clearly entered the twilight zone. It was official. It had to be, because last month she’d had her dream job, was making money, and she had a beautiful apartment on the coast of Florida.

Last month, if she didn’t call Glenn every day, she’d get a message from him checking in on her to see if she was okay.

Now he hated her and she had nothing.

When she looked around the room and her eyes fell on the dirty bed sheets, fear clouded her mind and she thought of Nick again.

She hadn’t meant to lash out at him like that earlier, but she couldn’t help herself.

Looking around this awful place definitely made her want to kick herself at turning down his offer to take care of her.

But this was best. Mia had to do this.

She sat on the chair by the window to rest her legs from the long walk. In a little while she’d gear herself up to look at the bed. Hopefully all the sheets weren’t dirty.

Police sirens sounded, piercing through the silence that filled the room. She could then hear arguing in the street below.

Was it going to be like this all night? She looked around the room again and decided she’d have to make do with it.

Bad as it was she didn’t have to worry about Glenn here. She stood up and cautiously made her way to the little bathroom, dreading what was inside. She imagined more dirt and it being like one of these horror stories you hear on hotels from hell. But, surprisingly it wasn’t too bad.

She turned on the cold tap and splashed water on her face. It calmed her skin and the coldness made it numb. At least this was okay. She would make this okay for tonight and tomorrow tops. Tomorrow it would be a good idea to find Nick and get her phone so she could speak to Claire. Knowing Claire, Mia was certain she’d find a way to send her whatever money she needed or get someone who had keys to open her house.

That would have been nicer because Mia knew Claire’s house like her own. A shuffling noise brought her attention back to her surroundings. It came from outside the bathroom.

When she heard it again, and felt for certain it sounded like footsteps she went out into the room.

Damn it. That was the complete wrong thing to do because the minute she stepped through the bathroom door she found herself staring face to face with a tall, burly looking man wearing a black leather jacket.

A crude, vicious looking smile lifted his face when he saw her, and it widened on seeing her reaction.

Mia screamed as her heart leapt into her throat. She ran for the door but that was a mistake too.

He grabbed her hard and shoved her up against the wall. The impact shook her and made her feel like something inside her broke. When she tried to scream again he covered her mouth and pushed her head back into the wall, making her feel like she would pass out.

She screamed against his hand but it came out in muffled sounds no one would hear.

It had been a mistake coming here. Another mistake which might cost her life. Another stupid move. The cocky grin on the man’s face told her he had no intention of going easy on her. This guy had the criminal look with his shaved head and a deep knife scar going across the side of his face.

“John was right. He said the babe in room fifteen was hot with a nice rack and a sweet ass.” He looked her up and down the same way as the man downstairs had, who she was guessing was John.

“Let go of me!” she cried against his hand but the words barely came out. To her horror, he lowered and started kissing her neck.

Mia couldn’t believe the awfulness of this. Fear paralyzed her, weakened her, drained her, but she couldn’t allow it to claim her. She made one last attempt to protect herself by biting down on his hand hard.

It worked.

He removed his hand from her mouth and shrieked. “Stupid bitch! You’ll pay for that!” he shouted and tried to grab her again, but she maneuvered out of his reach.

She headed straight for the door, but he, being bigger and faster, got to her first. She was in mid stride when he picked her up and shoved her into the wall near the door so hard she thought she was going to pass out.

Then he was on her again. Shit. He was on her again and was rougher than he had been when he first grabbed her. Mia screamed when he ripped at her top and tore it, but something made him stop.

It was the necklace. The diamond, set in the little teardrop pendant, sparkling. He narrowed his eyes when he first noticed it but smiled when he realized what it was and lifted it up to see if it was real.

“Well, well, looks like I’m in more luck than I thought.”

She screamed again when he ripped it away from her neck. “No, please give it back,” she cried, trying to grab it back. “Please.”

“I’ll tell you what. How about I don’t. I’ll get a good deal for this one.”

She decided she wasn’t going to allow him to have it. She couldn’t. Nick gave her that necklace. It was all she had of him.

In the moment when he was distracted, she kicked him hard in his shin and then his balls. He didn’t go down like she expected, but he did double over for a few seconds.

“Fuck this,” he winced and immediately made the situation worse when he ran through the door.

“Stop, give it back!” Mia cried, running after him.

She followed him all the way down the corridor. He crashed into someone just as he was about to turn the corner and fell back onto the floor.

Mia could have rejoiced when she saw that the someone the guy collided with was Nick.

“Nick!” She brought her hands up to her head and winced.

Nick looked from her to the man that was now on the floor, then back to her. His eyes landed on where her top was torn.

“Who’s this guy, Mia?” Nick asked in a cool, calm manner, looking down at the man on the ground.

“He tore my clothes and took my necklace,” she blurted.

Nick fixed his gaze on the man as he stood up. “Did you touch her?”

“I didn’t mean no harm, man. We were just having fun,” the man replied. Mia couldn’t believe he was going to try and act like he hadn’t done anything.

“No, I don’t know him. He tried to force himself on me and took my necklace,” she said quickly.

When Nick heard that he didn’t give the guy a chance to answer.

Mia saw the man’s mouth open, and then she saw Nick’s head move lightning fast, straight into the other man’s, as he head butted him and sent him right back to the ground in an unconscious mess.

Mia gasped at the sight and looked at them both.

As he hit the ground, his hand opened up and her necklace rolled across his palm and onto the floor.

She went to pick it up but Nick got to it first. Initially, he didn’t recognize it, but just as he was about to hand it over to her he did.

She watched the recognition fill his handsome face and he held it up to the light to look at it properly.

“I gave this to you,” he said, gazing deeply into her eyes.

“Yeah.” She took it when he handed it to her and immediately felt embarrassed. Embarrassed for hanging onto a gift he’d given her when she was eighteen, and embarrassed for all that took place tonight. “Thank you, and thanks for saving it.”

Mia turned around and walked back to the room; he followed.

“Mia. Come back.”

“No. How did you find me?” She couldn’t look at him, because she knew he was thinking about the necklace, and most likely what she’d said earlier about being confused around him. She shouldn’t have said that to him, and now she couldn’t take it back.

“I’m a private investigator, Mia. It wasn’t that hard. Come back to the house with me.”

“No.”

What a disastrous night. Everything was such a mess.

When she got back inside the room she walked over to the wardrobe and looked at herself in the long mirror as she tried to put her necklace back on. One of the links had loosened. She frowned, but knew she should be lucky the latch itself hadn’t broken. The link would still need fixing, just to be on the safe side, but for tonight she could do this.

She held the link out and looped it around the next link that would complete the chain. Mia then squeezed it down so that it closed but was slightly bent. She’d fixed plenty necklaces like that in the past. Temporarily. Her favorite ones, like this with it being so special to her, made it to the jewelers to be fixed properly. She would go as soon as she was able to. For now this had to work.

“I can’t believe you still have that,” he said.

She glanced at him quickly but then turned back to her reflection.

He walked over to her and took hold of her arms. The gentleness in his touch soothed her from the horrible encounter she just had with that creepy guy.

He looked her over, but something in the way he looked at her had changed.

“Did he hurt you?”

“A little.” Her head hurt from where she was shoved into the wall.

“Where, baby?” He held her gaze.

Should she take note that he called her baby instead of babe like he usually did? Was that the same thing?

“It’s okay. I’m okay.” She tried to fight back more tears.

Mia felt like hell, as if she’d been chewed up and spat out. She was far from okay, so very far from it.

“Give me the necklace.” He put out his hand to take it from her.

She looked at his outstretched hand and set the necklace in the center of his palm.

Her nerves scattered when he touched her waist, touching the bare skin where her top had come away. He turned her so that her back was facing him and stood closely behind her. She rested against the hard wall of his chest as he smoothed her hair to the side and set the necklace around her neck.

He clipped the latch and then took a moment to look at them in the mirror.

She did, too. They looked good together, really good, as if they were a couple. She watched his reaction in the mirror as he looked at them and she wondered what he was thinking.

The image of them was highlighted even more so when he slipped his arm around her and pulled her closer, keeping his hand on the flat of her stomach. Now she could feel the rapid beat of his heart against her.

“It looks just as good as it did on you back then. I can’t believe you still have it, and you wear it,” he said in a low voice.

“You gave it to me,” she replied. “Of course I still have it, and wear it.”

He must have known how she felt about him. He had to. There was no way that he couldn’t. She’d made it obvious and, despite herself, she knew she was doing it again now.

Mia could have melted when he pressed his lips to her hair and kissed her head.

“I’m sorry I didn’t write back to you, Mia, or keep in touch. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to.”

She turned and looked up, gazing into those magnetic blue eyes of his. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask what he meant by that but she decided it didn’t matter. The compelling energy that pulsed between them made it not matter.

“It’s okay. It’s in the past now.”

He brushed his face against hers and stayed there, just inches away from her lips. “Come home and allow me to take care of you. Do not worry about Glenn. Baby, please just come home.”

She continued to look at him, taking his words in, then nodded.

He put out his hand for her to take when he stepped out of their embrace. She took it and held onto him.

Something had changed between them in those few moments.