Mary Jane sat quietly in the state trooper’s vehicle. After the long night, she was mute. Wulf dreaded that the last couple of days had been wiped from her memory, because she was shrouded in the same hopeless demeanor from when they first meet. He sat in the back of an ambulance as a medic applied a dressing to his lower abdomen. When he refused a hospital visit, the EMT ended by compressing his abdomen. His eyes were glued onto Mary Jane.

The entire area of Beasley’s home had been rushed by the troopers and SWAT. He’d been told that the same was happening at The Petting Zoo. Then the FBI entered the scene as the morning sun came over the horizon.

“All right.” Wulf flashed at the EMT to stop the poking and prodding. The last of the binding was done. His eyes had never left Mary Jane’s. She’d been the first one to be looked over by the medical team, but after a few bandages around her calf and a few Band-Aids to her forehead, she’d gone to sit in the car.

He slowly stood up, his heart heavy and sullen with thoughts of Gracie—the young girl so in love, she didn’t rationalize that her life meant more. Peter had been literally preparing to feed Mary Jane to the dogs. Why would she be so concerned about his welfare? While medics assessed her, Quincy had mentioned that she was Peter’s wife. In the field, he’d seen women take back husbands who’d beat them black and blue, some refusing to press charges. But this takes domestic abuse to another level.

He was thrust back into a world of caring for a woman who loved too hard—the wrong man, that is. Only Gracie had reminded him of a wayward foster sister. Her situation should have been recompense for not helping the only family he’d known as a child. And Mary Jane, their complicated relationship, well, it all still pulled at his emotions. When the FBI came to take her statement, she kept staring at the road. The very same spot the ambulance had sped away from with Peter Grienke’s chewed on body.

Wulf nodded to Robertson and Juarez, the male and female FBI agents on the scene, who’d thanked him and Jones for their rundown of the crime scene a while ago.

“They want me to stick around, but forget that.” Jones patted his shoulder, stepping away from a dark-blue SUV. “I’ve been, at the very least, requested to keep my phone on for further contact.”

“Yeah.” Wulf nodded, knowing where the conversation was headed.

“Shelly wants me home asap. She chewed me out, and I have orders to bring you back with me.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” The left side of Wulf’s mouth turned upward, while he continued to stare at Mary Jane.

Quincy’s gaze went toward Mary Jane too. “She’s hot as hell, Dylan, but you know what I’m thinking, right?”

Wulf gave a slight nod.

“All right, I’ve given my two cents,” he replied. “One of the squad cars is going to drop me off at your place on their way to The Petting Zoo. I’m taking a quick nap. The next plane leaves this afternoon if you want to come back to reality too. So far, Shelly has kept your mom from knowing what’s going on but they’re women. They worry. And shit, apparently, they have reason to.”

Wulf handed Quincy the keys to his trailer. His mind was already on Mary Jane, once again. He walked around the red sports car and the swarm of cruisers to the one that she sat in after giving her statement. Her eyes slowly lit up at the sight of him. His tension eased, even though he felt like crap.

“Wow,” she cracked a smile, “I should’ve known it’d take a lot to get the big guy down.”

“You’ve surprised me today too.” He tried to kneel between the car and door, but his body screamed. He leaned against the fender instead.

“How so? I brought down an animal, a mad scientist, and a fat psycho all by myself.” She jokingly grinned.

“Yes, all the credit belongs to you, Mrs. Mallory Grienke,” he said, peering into her eyes.

Mary Jane bit her lip for a second. “I might not be her.”

She recalled learning more about Peter Grienke and that he’d had a scientific discovery on facial products. The twin’s only distinguishing characteristic had been Megan’s scarred face. Ironically, drugs had done nothing to rot her teeth, but her face had become haggard from drug use. After using Grienke’s products, Megan had returned to her youthful look, except for the anger that lay dormant in her heart and soul. Now, nothing separated Mary Jane from being either twin.

“But Quincy told me you’re married to Peter Grienke.”

Mary Jane stared at Wulf. There was something just behind his eyes or maybe it was the reflection of the sun rising in his pupils. “Let’s keep this between us. The FBI and state police have verified me as Mallory Portman-Grienke. So we’ll just keep it as that for all intents and purposes. But I might be Mallory Portman-Grienke, or I might be Megan Portman, Mallory’s identical twin.”

“That’s why you didn’t want me to extinguish Peter while he was a deadly threat to you?” He refused to give her a pass.

“Yeah.” Mary Jane cocked her head, wondering where the animosity came from. No, wait, she wasn’t the meek type. “Peter was about to tell me the entire truth. Now he’s fighting for his life. Guess it doesn’t matter now.” Mary Jane shook her head and huffed. “I’m taking the Benz convertible that belonged to me or my sister, and I’m hitting the road. Stop looking at me like that. I’m driving ’til the gas runs out.”

“How will you support yourself?”

“I knew you’d ask.” She laughed wickedly, and then she silently mouthed, “Are there cameras or recorders in this car?”

He shrugged then held out a hand.

She grabbed it, got out, and they walked toward the perimeter of the war zone. When a cop gave him the eye—indicating that it wasn’t safe for them to leave yet—he put his hand up, signaling that they just needed a little room. They leaned against the wrought iron gate.

“While I sat in that car, Jake passed me this.” She dug her hand into her bra and handed him an envelope.

“Jake?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Yup, Jake knows how to look out for a girl. He gets around well too.” She shrugged. “He had on a State Police windbreaker.”

Wulf opened the envelope. Out slid a set of keys and a note. His gaze couldn’t take in the words fast enough.

It’s beyond me why I love you. But I know keeping you around won’t end well. Stay as far away from me as possible.

Take these keys to the train station at the edge of town.

–Jake

At the bottom of the note there was an address for a train station and a number to a locker for her to check. “See.” Mary Jane grinned.

“Yes, the undertones imply obsession bordering on murder if you don’t take heed.”

“Oh, shut up, Wulf. Don’t be jealous because Jake is dangerously hot,” she said. He elbowed her softly and she chuckled.

“What are you going to do with this key, Ma—?” He stopped abruptly, not sure what to call her.

“I prefer Mary Jane. And I’m going to get my money.”

“Of all the conclusions, how did you determine there’s money in the locker?”

“Oh, so technical, Wulf. I don’t know. Only money can pacify how I’m feeling right now. If it’s money, I can roam around doing nothing.” She enjoyed his cringing as she spoke. “If it’s not, I think I’ll steal a few wallets on my way down to Mexico. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

“I don’t fucking wear panties. What’s your plan, MJ?” He was serious. Mary Jane could be delusional if she wanted, redirecting the craziness of these past few days, but he needed to know everything.

“If Jake left me money, I’m set. On the chance that he didn’t, then call me Sticky Fingers. I’ll nab just enough money to buy a small villa on the beach. Damn it, Wulf, you’re still looking at me with those cop-eyes—extra judgy.”

“Judgy, really? So your plan ends with a small villa on the beach,” he retorted.

“I’ll grow my own fruit and vegetables and live off the land. It’s a simple plan, a simple life.”

“That’s not a plan.” He gave a soft chuckle to her joke, trying to keep it light for the sake of his abdomen.

“It is. Although I don’t know how I’m going to steal a cow when I decide I’m done being a vegetarian.” He followed as she started walking back toward Beasley’s mansion. Her index finger to her lip, she really considered her options. “Wulf, I don’t have a life to return to. I’m sure just improvising will outshine this current crappy life of mine.”

“MJ, you’ve transitioned a good amount in the past seventy-two hours. You went from arguing and talking too much about shooting me. Now, we’re discussing cows and chickens. How is it that you talk so much, but you never really say anything?”

She laughed. “How is it that I know your anal ass didn’t mean to joke, only offer an assessment, but I’m dying right now?”

His lips never cracked a smile. “Joking under the current circumstances?”

“Yes. Go ahead, keep looking at me like I’m crazy. You can go crazy with me. Come with me.”

“I am,” he ordered, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward him. His eyes held a note of pain from the movement, but Wulf didn’t complain.

She gazed into his eyes. He’d travel the world with her. They’d have hot sex on the beach, and in the jungle, and in the sea. If Jake didn’t leave any money, she’d steal and survive like she did as a kid, but that didn’t matter. Wulf would be with her.

“Stop looking at me like that, Mary Jane. You can’t talk me out of going with you to the train station. I’m going, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.” When she pulled away, eyes narrowed, he added, “Why are you so hardheaded? This might be a trick. Agent Juarez indicated that Jake’s the only henchman unaccounted for that Beasley employed from The Petting Zoo.”

She grumbled, trying to hide her disappointment of her assumption that he was going with her for the long haul. No, Wulf had only promised that their last stop together was the train station.