William took me home the next morning and helped me clean up the mess. We went through my house, sorting and putting things away. Whoever had broken in had stolen the usual things thieves target—mostly electronics and other items they could sell. It looked like they’d gone through drawers trying to find cash or jewelry. Fortunately, I didn’t have any of that at home. My dad had given me my mother’s wedding ring, but I kept it in a safety deposit box, along with all the paperwork from my dad’s estate.

I had to go back to work, but William insisted on staying the night with me. I certainly wasn’t going to argue. I came home that afternoon to find him installing a new back door. I hesitated in the doorway before he heard me and watched him work. He was so sexy. There was something about a man who was good with his hands.

He’d also installed cameras at my front and back doors, as well as motion-activated lights. He showed me how to access the camera feeds from my phone, and he could check them from his too. That made me feel a little safer.

He went home, but between the cameras, the lock he’d installed on my back gate, and Edgar, I felt safe. I did have trouble sleeping, but it wasn’t due to fear. I missed him—missed the warmth of his body next to mine. The feel of his arms around me, his lips on my skin.

The next day at work I was still busy catching up. I had papers to grade, which was always time-consuming, and a number of my students stopped by my office asking for help on their latest assignments.

Mid-afternoon, a man appeared in my doorway. He was dressed in a nondescript polo and slacks. “Are you Ivy Nichols?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Eric Andrews from Homeland Security Investigations.” He pulled out his wallet and flashed his ID. “Can I speak to you for a few minutes?”

I closed my laptop, not bothering to disguise the confusion on my face. “I suppose so. Is something wrong?”

He came in and closed the door behind him, then pulled up a chair on the other side of my desk. Leaning back, he pitched his fingers together. “Do you know a man who goes by the name of William Cole?”

A sick feeling wormed its way through my stomach. “Yes.”

“What can you tell me about him?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” I said. “Is William in some kind of trouble?”

“I’m just looking for some basic information,” he said. “Do you know where he lives?”

“Yes,” I said, and he raised his eyebrows, gesturing for me to continue. “He has an apartment near Westlake.”

“How long has he lived there?”

“I’m not sure,” I said.

“What about family?” he asked.

“He doesn’t have any family.”

“None?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

I sighed. “Yes, I’m sure. And I’m the same. I have no living relatives. It happens.”

“Has he said anything about having moved recently?” he asked. “Do you know how long he’s been in the area?”

“I don’t know.”

“What does he do for a living?” he asked.

“He’s a model,” I said.

“Does he have an agent?”

I didn’t want to get into the intricacies of his arrangement with James. “I don’t really know. Have you talked to William?”

“Does he speak any foreign languages?” he asked.

“Not that I know of. Can you tell me what this is about? Has William done something?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.” He stood and pulled a business card out of his pocket, then set it on my desk. “Just in case.”

“Just in case what?”

“I apologize for being vague,” he said. “Sometimes that’s the nature of my job. Keep that. If you need to call me, don’t hesitate. Thanks for your cooperation.”

He walked out of my office, leaving me bewildered. What had just happened? I slid the business card across my desk. If you need to call me, don’t hesitate. Why would I need to call Homeland Security about William?

The things I didn’t know about William pinged through my mind. He said he had no past—that nothing came before last year. I knew something had to have come before, but what? Who was he? James had said he had no documented identity. No birth certificate, Social Security number, nothing. I hadn’t pushed him for details about his past, but what was going on that Homeland Security was involved?

I got up and shut my door, then called William.

“Hi, Ivy,” he said.

Just the sound of his voice eased the knot of anxiety in the pit of my stomach. “Hey. I’m sorry to bother you in the middle of the day.”

“No, you’re never bothering me.”

“Something odd just happened.” I walked over to the small window and looked out.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “Are you at work? I can be there in twenty minutes.”

“No, I’m okay, you don’t need to come,” I said. “But someone from Homeland Security was just here. Do you know anything about that?”

“No,” he said. “What happened?”

“A man came to my office and asked me questions about you.”

“About me?” He sounded genuinely confused. “Did he say why?”

“He wouldn’t tell me,” I said. “He asked what I knew about you. If you had family. How long you’ve lived in the area. What you do for a living. That kind of thing.”

“Did you answer his questions?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Good.”

“I was thinking… James told me you don’t have any identification. If that’s true, they might think you’re in the country illegally. Although someone would have had to report you for Homeland Security to be investigating.”

He was quiet for a moment and when he spoke, his voice was different. Harder. “You’re right, they probably think I’m here illegally.”

“Could someone you work with have reported you?” I asked. “Obviously it wasn’t James. Is there anyone else who would have done this?”

“No, it wasn’t James,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”

“Don’t worry is a ridiculous thing to say when I just had a government agent in my office questioning me,” I said. “Of course I’m going to worry.”

“I know,” he said, his voice back to its usual nonchalant tone. “I’ll talk to James and we’ll get it all sorted out.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “Do you have a way to prove who you are?”

“James and I will come up with something,” he said.

“This could be serious,” I said. “I can’t imagine they investigate any random tip they get. William please, if there’s something I need to know…”

“I’ve always been honest with you,” he said. “I don’t have anything to hide.”

“No, I don’t mean I think you’re not telling me the truth,” I said. “I’m just wondering if there’s something going on that I don’t know about. I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”

“I know. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding,” he said. “James and I will get it all straightened out. I’m really sorry you had to deal with that.”

He sounded so sure, although I sensed an undercurrent of anger in his tone.

“It’s all right,” I said. “Just… be careful.”

“I will,” he said. “Can I come over tonight? I miss you.”

“I miss you, too,” I said. “Yeah, I’d love it if you came over.”

“Good,” he said. “I have a photo shoot tomorrow afternoon. Do you want to come with me?”

“I’d love to, but I don’t want to be in the way.”

“You won’t be,” he said. “And mostly I’m just looking for an excuse to spend the night.”

I laughed. “You don’t need one. I want you to.”

“I like hearing that,” he said. “Okay, baby, I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“Bye.”

I put my phone down, still feeling unsettled. I hoped William was right, and he and James could get this sorted out. I was getting more of a sense of why James had decided to take care of things for William. His existence was complicated, and I could imagine what William would say if he were to be questioned. He’d tell them everything. I didn’t think he had a dishonest bone in his body.

But in this case, I was worried the truth would only get him in trouble.