When Rayne follows Jacob into the conference room the following afternoon, I catch her eye and shoot her a reassuring smile. She glances around the table at the members of the team, minus Ronin and Grisham, with a nervous smile before sitting down in the big leather chair beside mine. Reaching for her hand under the table, I give it a small squeeze to let her know that I’m going to make sure everything will be all right.

Every member of NES will.

“We’re ready to take action on your case, Rayne.” Jacob indicates the screen, which displays the findings in my and Sayward’s report.

Rayne’s body goes tense and rigid in her chair. I stoke her leg, trying to surge warmth and reassurance from my body into hers. “What are you going to do?”

Jacob aims a pointed glance at me, and I point to the screen. “As I told you yesterday, Sayward and I were able to find a way into the Horton Tech server. And this morning, we found what we needed. We tried not to leave a trail, but time isn’t on our side here. We don’t want Horton to catch on that we have what we need before we pick him up. We want him neutralized before we call in the authorities, for your safety first and foremost.”

Her big blue eyes are blinking rapidly as she processes what I’m saying. “You did it? You found the proof?”

Nodding, I smile. “Yeah. You were absolutely right in what you saw. He’s a slimeball thief, and there’s proof there in the system. We downloaded what we needed this morning, and we can hand it over to the SEC when we’re ready. I also want to pass on the threats he used against you to the police so he can also be charged with stalking and attempted kidnapping. The asshole is going down, darlin’.”

Relief breaks across her face and her smile curves softly on her lips. “That’s…oh, my God.” She glances around the table. “All of you are so amazing. Thank you.”

Jacob offers a tight smile. “Don’t thank us yet, Rayne. The bastard’s still out there. Ronin and Grisham are out right now, tailing the P.I. guy to see if he’ll lead them to Horton’s hideout. When we get him, we’ll let you know.”

She glances at me, and the worry is back on her face.

“I’m staying by your side, Rayne. Until this is over.”

And for a lot longer after that.

“And Decker? He’s unprotected at school.” The anxiety bleeds through in her voice.

“We’ll have someone situated outside the school within the next few minutes. Our son will be safe, Rayne.” That’s something I’ll always make sure of.

Relaxing, she nods. “Sounds good to me.” She glances around the table once again. “Is there anything I can be doing to help?”

Dare shakes his head. “Nah. This is what we do. Your man there is the brains behind the tech. He loves gadgets and all the things that make a mission fun. Makes sure we’re outfitted with the most up-to-date materials. Ghost is practically a tactical genius. I can fix and drive just about anything…better than most stuntmen can.”

He swivels his chair to face me at my snicker. “What’s that, Teague? Something to say?”

Clearing my throat, I flick a hand at him. “No, of course not, Wheels. Carry on with your descriptions.”

With a confident, crooked grin, Dare smoothes his dark hair back from his forehead and continues. He gestures toward Jacob. “Boss Man here is the best there is. He’s seen it all, and he’s taken down monsters worse than Horton. Dude picked the wrong woman to mess with when he came after you, Rayne.”

Rayne has been listening to all of this with an amused expression, rapt with curiosity. She places her elbows on the table, leaning forward. “And what’s Ronin’s…I mean, Swagger’s specialty?”

I roll my eyes skyward while Dare mimics her position, leaning in. He keeps his face completely deadpan. “Swagger? He’s an interrogation expert. He excels at all the ways to torture a man without killing him.”

Rayne’s quick intake of air has me pushing back from the table. “Are we excused, Boss Man?”

Jacob nods, and I pull Rayne up from the table. I keep her hand wrapped up in mine as we walk back to the lobby.

Standing in front of Rayne’s desk, I wrap my arms around her. She settles into me, her sigh muffled against my chest.

“This is all really going to be okay?” Her voice is full of uncertainty that rips through my insides like wildfire.

“It is.” I pull back, holding her out from me a little bit so I can get lost in the dark blue ocean of her eyes. “I told you that you and Decker were safe with me, and I meant it.”

Her tongue runs across her plump lips as she nods, and there’s a dark, sweet stirring in my chest. I let my hands slide down her shoulders, caressing her arms. Her smooth skin is exposed thanks to her sleeveless top, and I catch her hands in mine.

“Hey,” I murmur. “Call Macy. Let’s go out for a little bit after work today. Not too late, just something to help take your mind off of this while the guys are rounding things up.”

Her face lights up. “Really? You want to take me on a date, Jer?”

Chuckling softly, I rub my head. “The fact that you sound so delighted and surprised about that means I’ve been doing something wrong. So yes. Drinks after work to start making up for the lack of dates so far.”

Her smile turns coy. “Well, things have been complicated. And hectic. And I mean, maybe taking your baby mama out on a date…”

Spluttering, I pull her against me. “Please do me a favor and don’t ever call yourself my baby mama again.”

She smirks. “I want fancy drinks. Like ones in glasses that’ll break if we drop them and that have snazzy names I’ve never heard of.”

“Snazzy?”

She gives a firm nod. “And then you have a deal. I won’t call myself your baby mama anymore.”

“God…it’s like negotiating with a terrorist. Deal.”

The restaurant, a classy establishment located just steps from the beach, is close enough to NES for us to walk. In the warm orange glow of the dusky sun, I hold Rayne’s hand, and I can’t remember the last time I felt my stomach shifting with nerves.

It feels just the way it did the first time I ever took her out, back in high school. And that’s probably the last time I was so ripe with nervous energy. Everything is so different now—we’re adults, we have a kid together, and I’ve been all the way around the world and back again more than once. But yet, staring down at her with the backdrop of the ocean behind us, my vision is filled with everything I ever wanted and never thought I’d get.

Holding the restaurant door open for her, I place my hand on the small of her back and guide her inside. Strolling up to the bar, I pull out her stool and signal the bartender that we’d like to order a drink.

“What do you want?” I ask her as she peruses the wall of liquor bottles before us.

The glass-topped bar is sleek, just like the rest of the place, and glancing around I take in our surroundings with meticulous precision. Date or not, I haven’t forgotten that Rayne was almost snatched out from under me once already. I need to make sure every aspect of her life is safe until the bastard Horton is brought in. My fingers twitch, itching to grab my phone and check in with Ghost and Swagger, who are still staking out the sleazy private investigator.

When I glance back at Rayne, she’s holding a cocktail menu in her slender hands.

“Hey. What sounds fancier? A sloe gin fizz, or a Delancey?

Deciding that all the patrons in the bar area seem unsuspicious enough, I focus on her. “Definitely the Delancey. I mean, from the name of it, you can’t even tell what kind of alcohol is in it. That’s the true trademark of a fancy drink.”

She nods, solemnity on her face. “Absolutely. And what will you have?”

The bartender appears in front of us, tucking a towel into his black slacks. “What can I get you two?”

Inclining my head toward Rayne, I smile. “A Delancey for my lady. And a Yuengling for me.”

Rayne gasps. “Um, excuse me? We’re going fancy, Mr. Teague.” She zeroes in on the bartender, her hair swinging over one shoulder. “He’ll have a Bowery Fix.”

I bite my lip around a groan. “Darlin’, I don’t even know what’s in that.”

She shoots me a devilish smile. “Exactly. Live a little, Baby Daddy.”

The bartender’s eyes bug a little, but he smiles and turns away to fix our drinks.

I clear my throat. “I thought we had a deal?”

Rayne nods. “We sure did. I agreed that if you took me to a fancy place for drinks I would not call myself your baby mama anymore. But I said nothing about calling you my baby daddy.”

Gripping the back of her neck, I pull her toward me until I can taste her. Moving my lips against hers, I nip and suck until the bartender returns and sets our drinks down in front of us, disappearing discreetly. Glancing down at them and then returning my attention to Rayne, I take her mouth once more.

When we finally pull away, she’s breathless and my heart is thumping wildly against the cage of my chest.

“Were you trying to shut me up?” she asks, her eyes bright, her lips plump from my kiss.

My whole body now wide awake thanks to the taste of her, I shake my head. “Maybe. Either way, it worked for me. How about you?”

She grabs her drink and sips without breaking eye contact with me. “Works for me.”

She watches me while I take my first sip. “How is it?”

Screwing up my face, I blow out a breath. “It tastes like it looks. Very yellow.”

Rayne gives me a doubtful look. “How can a drink taste yellow?”

Taking another sip, I shiver. “This one does.”

Turning toward me, she crosses her legs. The movement catches my attention, because the skirt she’s wearing has ridden up to midthigh. I turn toward her and place my legs on the outside of hers.

“Jeremy…” Her tone grows serious.

“Uh-oh.”

Slapping me gently on the thigh, she smiles and my hand engulfs hers. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Rayne.”

She sighs. “Why? Because you feel obligated to take care of me?”

Whoa. Is that what she thinks?

Holding her chin in my hand, I hold her stare. “There is no obligation when it comes to you. There is no obligation when it comes to my son. All there is, is love.”

Her eyes go wide. “What are you saying, Jeremy?”

I pick up my fruity drink and drain it in a gulp.

Taking a deep breath, I let the words fall from my lips. Not only because she needs to hear them right now, but because I need to say them. There’s a pressing need to make sure she knows what’s inside of me, and how vital she is at this point. Losing Rayne is not an option.

“I love you, Rayne. I never stopped. I never will.”

When I glance at her again, her eyes are glistening. Her voice is nothing but a whisper. The bar around us, the buzzing of the bartender, the chatter of the patrons, it all drains away. Fades to black. “I thought I’d never hear you say those words again. At one point, I had convinced myself that I didn’t need them.”

She sniffles, and I lean forward so that our foreheads are touching. “And what do you think now?” My voice is rough with emotion.

“I think that I’ve never needed anything so much in my life. I love you, too, Jer.”

I’m saturated with feeling. The feeling of her skin touching mine. The feeling of my heart filling up with all things Rayne. The feeling of my tongue growing thicker in my mouth and my head buzzing with rain clouds.

Wait…what?

Pulling away from Rayne, I overshoot the movement and almost fall backward off the stool.

Rayne frowns. “Jeremy? What’s wrong?”

Shaking my head to clear it and finding out that I can’t, I glance around me. Everything in the bar has gone hazy.

Somewhere in my mind, my instincts try to lock down, attempting to help my brain wrap around the situation.

My words are thick. “Something’s wrong, Rayne.”

Alarm creeps into her expression, her eyes stark with fear. “Are you sick? What can I do?”

Glancing around me once more, there’s a man only two seats away from me. When I look at him, he smiles and touches the brim of his baseball cap.

“Rayne.” I try to infuse the urgency I feel into my voice, but I come off sounding tired. “I’ve been drugged. Call Ronin. Don’t leave the bar. Call now.”

It’s the last thing I remember.