Alex stopped himself. Roxy was not his woman. She was just a friend. His friend, but that was it. Even after all that kissing. And he understood.

But it was getting harder to remember that when he was around her.

He shoved a hand through his hair. He didn’t have time to dissect what he was feeling. He had to find out if her ex was in town. And if he was, what to do about the jerk.

He grabbed his cell phone and dialed. He’d get one of the deputies on shift to run Thomas’ record, but as for locating him, well, if there was anyone who could handle that job, it was Birdie Caruthers.

“Nocturne Falls Sheriff Department, Birdie speaking.”

“Birdie, it’s Alex. I need your help. Actually, Roxy St. James needs your help. But this is strictly confidential. One word of this gets out, and she’ll move out of this town so fast—”

“I won’t say a word. Butter my biscuit and slap my face, I swear it. Whatever can I do?”

“She thinks her ex-husband might be in town. I need to know if he is.”

“That bugger. How dare he?” Birdie growled softly, her werewolf self clearly aggravated, and Alex knew he’d gone to the right person. “You just give me everything you know. I’ll track that lowlife down.”

“Sure thing. Then I need to talk to whoever’s on duty.”

“Jenna’s here.”

“She’ll do nicely. This is what I know about Roxy’s ex…”

Ten minutes later, Alex hung up. Birdie was looking for Thomas and Jenna Blythe had promised to email whatever she found out about the man.

Satisfied that he’d have everything he needed shortly, he took a hot shower and then planned on getting enough sleep to make Roxy happy. Then he’d do a little investigating of his own. If Thomas was watching Roxy’s place, he couldn’t be too far away, and this was Alex’s neighborhood. People would talk to him.

Hmm. Pandora Williams might be a good one to touch base with. She was the number one realtor in town and lived just a few blocks away. She was out and about a lot. She might have seen something. Or even had someone inquire about houses for rent in the area. Roxy’s ex had to be staying somewhere.

Alex’s brain kept running scenarios and processing possibilities as he changed into sleep pants. Then Diego called out his name from the hall.

“Yo, Alex, you still up, man?”

“Yes,” Alex called back. He went to see what his brother wanted. Diego stood in the door of his bedroom, dressed in tan pants and a Howler’s black polo. A packed duffel bag sat at his feet. “What’s going on?”

Diego grinned. “You’re getting your wish, bro. I’m moving out.”

Alex frowned. “Already? How much money did you make last night?”

“Bank. That place is a cash machine, dude.”

Alex shook his head, his focus on Roxy clouding his thought process. “So…you made enough to move out and you already found a place?”

Diego shrugged. “Yeah, something like that. I’m moving in with Shanna.”

Alex’s mouth fell open. “Shanna? The twenty-year-old server that works at Howler’s?”

Diego rolled his eyes. “She’s twenty-three.”

Better than twenty, but not by much. “And you’re thirty.”

“So? Don’t get all weird. It’s cool. We’re both adults.”

Yeah. They were. And Alex had bigger fish to fry. He nodded. “You’re right, you are. I hope it works out.”

Diego looked skeptical. “I’m sure.”

“No, I mean it. Everyone deserves to be happy.”

Diego’s expression softened. “Thanks, bro.”

Alex jerked his chin toward the kitchen. “Your seventy-five bucks is in the jar on top of the fridge. I’m going to bed.”

“You haven’t slept yet?”

“No. Roxy’s having some issues with her ex.”

Diego’s eyes narrowed with concern. “Sorry to hear that. You need me for anything, you let me know.”

Alex nodded. “Thanks, I will, but I’m sure it’s not going to be a big deal.”

“All right. I’ll leave my new address on the kitchen counter. And you can keep the seventy-five dollars. I owe you more than that anyway. Now get some sleep, dude, you look like hell.”

“Thanks.” Alex gave him a wave and went in to bed. He crashed onto it, exhaling in exhaustion as he sank into the mattress. But even as sleep tugged at him, his mind stayed focused on Roxy.

The thought that her ex might be up to something had ignited an urge to protect her unlike anything he’d felt before in his life.

Unless you counted the way he felt toward his family.

If Thomas touched a hair on her body, Alex was going to put him in a world of hurt. The kind that left a lasting impression and made sure the idiot never attempted anything against her again. Alex might be an officer of the law, but he was a shifter first. And his kind had their own laws when it came to protecting those they loved.

Love. Was that what he was feeling? He let the word roll around in his brain as he turned onto his back to stare at the ceiling. His eyes began drifting closed and he stopped fighting it, the last thought on his mind that while Roxy might not believe in soul mates, he did. In fact, he was starting to believe in them more than ever.

“Ooo.” Roxy let out a moan that she was powerless to stop.

Delaney snorted. “You sound like you’re having a very different massage than I am.”