I hated this. Absolutely hated it, from the drive to Caldwell's office, to the debriefing with Grizz and the gang, and every moment in between. My stomach roiled, my mind raced with a million 'what ifs, and my heart leapt into my throat whenever I thought of Noah going in there alone.

I knew it had to be done. Brett was too unpredictable, too unhinged to take chances with. If I showed up alongside Noah--or in his place--he might kill Liz on the spot. Instead, I had to gamble with Noah's life. The life of the man who'd come to mean so much to me over the years. The life of the man I loved.

But I'd be damned if I was going to take any more chances than necessary.

"This is a GPS tracker," I said, handing him a dummy key fob. "Put it on your key ring and keep it on you at all times. We need to be able to see where you're going."

"Fancy," Noah said, fingering the buttons. "Is it connected to anything? Maybe a brand new Maserati?"

He beamed hopefully, batting his lashes in that dramatic, over-the-top way he'd coined in public. He'd been acting differently with me, I realized. More subdued. More authentic.

My chest ached as I thought of what it meant to get him to that point, and how little it would take to undo all that.

"Oh, no," Daya said, her laptop set up in front of her, the tracking app already active, "Gregory Caldwell doesn't do foreign cars."

Noah made a face. "Lord. Hearing that name's like seeing your parents have sex for the first time. I've lost my innocence."

Daya laughed, and even Warren--who was readying a starter kit of self-defense items--cracked a half-smile. My expression didn't change. I just watched Noah; watched as unease blossomed behind his beautiful eyes, even as he struggled to cover it up with theatrics.

Avery brought a box from the other room. It was pretty new, judging from the packing tape and the protective foam, and I tried to remember what he might have purchased recently. As Noah and I both watched, he pulled out a small wired microphone, and then something that barely looked bigger than a watch battery.

"We're setting you up with audio and video. The camera has both built in, so the mic is just a decoy."

My brow furrowed as I considered his words. "So if Brett finds the wire, he'll think he's in the clear."

"Exactly," Avery said. "Lift up your shirt."

Noah did so, giving everyone a show. Under different circumstances, I might have felt jealous over how much he flaunted his naked torso, but I knew he was just trying to work through his own nervous energy.

I also knew that once we were on the other side of this, he was mine.

Avery taped down the mic, then set up the tiny camera so it blended almost seamlessly with his watch. If I hadn't known where he placed it, I was positive I wouldn't have been able to find it.

Once the electronics were hooked up, Daya tapped into the feeds. One of her giant monitors saw what Noah currently saw, and he took it on a nausea-inducing trip around the room by spinning his arm in a quick circle. The other camera was static, though, and pointed at what looked like a foreclosed house.

"Is this the address?" I asked.

"Grizz has a car set up in the driveway of a house that's catty-corner to that one," Warren explained. "He went down there to talk to the owners right after we got your call."

Relief washed over me at the thought of Grizz having Noah's back. He'd been a cop for most of his adult life, and if anyone could pull Noah out of a dangerous situation, it was him. But the fact that he'd chosen to take point on this also sent a current of fear slicing through me.

It wasn't that Grizz didn't treat every case with the seriousness it deserved, but he rarely took on assignments himself.

Warren pulled Noah aside and started to go through the items he'd prepared. I kept an eye on them both, until Daya caught my attention, gesturing me to come look at one of the monitors.

"See that intersection?" I nodded. "There's a small street that feeds into it. That's where you and Warren will be set up, with full access to the camera feeds and the microphone."

I let out a breath, my eyes closing briefly. "Thanks, Daya."

"Don't thank me," she said with a warm smile. "The boss said you'd lose your mind if you weren't close to the scene, so here we are."

He was right about that. I was afraid I'd be stuck in this office while Noah was all the way across the city, walking into what could be a trap. I wouldn't have been able to handle that. I wasn't even sure if I could handle this, but for Grizz's sake, I had to try.

"Oh, and..." Daya's voice lowered, and I leaned in closer to hear her. "I know it's none of my business, but you and Noah? I like it. I wasn't sure what to think at first. You're so... you." I held in a snort at that. "And you know how Noah is."

"I do know how Noah is," I said evenly, one brow arching. Where was she going with this...?

"But... I was wrong. You're good for each other." She reached up and squeezed my arm, giving me a smile before her expression sobered. Her brows drew down, her lips thinned, and for such a small woman, she somehow made herself look like a massive threat. "Don't you dare mess it up, Cameron. Do you understand? That boy is the living embodiment of sunshine and rainbows, and I swear..."

"I know. I know, You'll kick my ass if I hurt him," I said, putting one hand up defensively. A dry laugh caught in my throat and tapered quickly, then I added, "though you'll have to stand in line."

"Oh, I'm a very patient woman," she said with a wink.

I didn't doubt that. And honestly, if I ever did anything to hurt Noah--to change who he was as a person--I'd let any and everyone take a shot at me. They'd never do anything worse than what I could do to myself, but they were welcome to try.

As Daya switched gears and went into more detail about the camera setup, I found my attention drifting to Noah. He stood across the room, holding what looked like a set of brass knuckles as Warren corrected his form. He must have seen me watching him out of the corner of his eye, because he glanced my way and gave me a small, private smile that made my heart ache.

I didn't deserve him. I'd always known that, but it was even more apparent now. I didn't deserve someone like Noah... but I couldn't stay away, either. I'd spent too many years dancing around my feelings when it came to that man. I refused to do it anymore. If he let me, I'd do every damn thing in my power to be the man he needed me to be.

Once all the equipment was set up and ready to go, I helped Warren load up the hatchback. The back seats were folded into the floorboards, leaving us plenty of cargo space. The plan was for Warren to drive us there while I sat in the back. We'd park a street over, and Warren would join me so the vehicle looked empty. Grizz was the first line of defense, but if Noah needed us, we'd only be a couple minutes away.

As I shut the back of the vehicle, I heard Daya and Noah talking nearby. Their voices were muffled, but Daya gave him a hug and it was easy enough to guess the sentiment. I pulled out my phone, my heart hammering as I checked the time. Soon, a car would pull up for Noah, and everything would be set into motion. No going back.

Noah caught my gaze across the parking lot, and when Daya went inside, he came to me. I didn't hesitate. As soon as he was close enough, I took his face in my hands and kissed him, hard and deep. He was stunned for a moment, but as soon as he got his bearings, he returned the kiss with the same fervor, his hands clutching at my shoulders as if desperate to hold on to me.

Breaking the kiss, I rested my forehead against his and closed my eyes. "Don't do anything crazy. If it looks like the situation's going to turn violent, you get the hell out of there."

I knew the words were wasted. If that happened, Noah would do everything in his power to get Liz out, even at the cost of his own life. The thought of losing him cut deep, and it nearly brought me to my knees. As it was, the wind was knocked out of me and my own grip on him became desperate.

"We have a future together, Noah," I told him, looking into his eyes. "You have to come back."

I couldn't seem to get the right words past the lump of emotion in my throat, but Noah knew what I wanted to say. His eyes brimmed with tears and he smiled at me.

"I love you, too," he said, brushing his lips against mine.

I opened my mouth to speak, to confirm what we both already knew, but tires on gravel signaled the arrival of Noah's car. Pulling him into a fierce hug, I held him tight and tried to keep my shit together. Some part of me kept wanting to tell him I loved him; that I couldn't live without him. But there was a strong, stubborn urge to wait. To tell myself that I'd have every opportunity to tell him later, even if I knew from past experience that it might not be true,

Before I could make up my mind, Noah pulled away. He wiped the tears from his face, reached for my hands to give them a squeeze, then mouthed the words, "See you soon," before he disappeared into the waiting car.