This can’t be happening.

I blink, looking around as though I forgot where I parked. But I didn’t. I know exactly where I parked, and it’s gone. Gone.

People walk up and down the street but no one makes eye contact. There’s a kid on the corner playing for tips on a couple of five-gallon buckets. He must have just set up shop, because he wasn’t there when I parked.

“Hey! You!” I call out, interrupting his drum solo.

He looks up at me. “What?”

“Did you see an old Bronco across the street?”

He twirls his drumstick and shrugs.

I suck in a breath and reach into my purse to pull out a five and shove it at him. “Did you see it?”

“Maybe.”

With an animalistic growl building in my throat, I grab a twenty and hold it just out of reach. “Come on, kid. This matters.”

He bounces up quicker than I expected and snatches it from my hand. “It was there. Now it’s gone.”

“Who took it?”

Another shrug. “Don’t know. Didn’t pay much mind to it.”

“You saw nothing? At all?”

He tilts his head to the side. “It’s a fuck-ton safer for me to see nothing, lady. I gotta live out here. You don’t.”

My entire body practically vibrates with helpless rage. “Fine.” I pull out my business card and drop it in his hat where he’s collecting tips. “If you remember anything, call any number on there.”

He rolls his eyes. “Yeah. I’ll get right on that.”

I turn and walk away, my eyes smarting with the need to let tears fall. My best shot at my dream just disappeared with whoever drove away with my fucking car.

I pull out my phone and hit Rafe’s number. It goes immediately to voice mail, doesn’t even ring. What the hell? I hang up and call again. Same thing happens. This time, I leave a message.

“Rafe. I need you. Please. Call me.”

I hang up and immediately dial a number I deleted long ago, but still know by heart.

He answers on the first ring and skips the polite greeting. “You change your mind?”

“I need your help.”

* * *

I trudge back to the gallery with nothing but Elijah’s promise to make some calls to see if he can find my car. Valentina pops her head out of the back room when the front door chimes signal my entrance, and her face creases with confusion.

“Couldn’t find the spot?”

“Not exactly.” I’m not proud, but that’s the moment a few of my tears finally sneak free. “Someone stole my car.”

“Oh shit! Honey, I’m so sorry.” This woman, who I barely know, crosses the room and throws her arms around me. “It’s okay. It’ll be okay. I’ll call my husband. He’ll get the cops on it, and they’ll find it.”

I jerk my head up at the word cops. Where I’m from, we don’t call the cops. And working at the distillery, that’s certainly not my first inclination either.

“Cops?”

Valentina steps back and tilts her head to the side. “Yeah, unless you’ve got a bunch of illegal weapons or drugs in it. If that’s the case, definitely don’t tell me.”

Shockingly, her statement rattles a laugh out of me.

“No. Nothing illegal. Just . . . my sculpture. Which no car thief is going to want. They’ll probably toss it out as garbage.”

“And then we’ll kill them. I mean, catch them. Hold on.”

She walks to a desk at the back of the gallery and picks up her phone. She taps out something on the screen.

When it rings moments later, she answers, “That was quick. Can you come to the gallery? No, everything’s fine, but I need a cop and I don’t want to call the precinct.” She pauses. “I’ll explain when you get here.”

When she hangs up, she looks at me. “My husband will be here shortly. Just has to pack up the baby gear first. In the meantime, is there anyone else you want to call?”

I think of my brother, who is undoubtedly doing something illegal, and then my boss . . . who is most certainly on a plane right now. “Not really.”

“Then I think you need a drink.”

“I should probably say no . . .”

“Pshh. Stop that. You need it. You’re practically shaking. Now, sit.” Valentina nods to the chair in front of her desk before she disappears into the back room. A few moments later, she returns with a wine bottle and a champagne flute. “I know this is more of a hard-liquor situation, but prosecco is all I have at the moment.”

“Thank you.”

She pours the wine with a steady hand, and I try to stop mine from shaking.

“I just can’t believe . . .” I trail off and take a sip.

“Honey, this is New Orleans. I’m sure a car gets stolen down here every day. Rix doesn’t work that beat, but I’m sure he could back me up with figures.”

As I drink in silence for a few minutes, she tells me a few stories about artists whose pieces are for sale in the gallery, including her part-time employee who’s in art school.

I’m halfway through my second glass of prosecco when a beautiful man who could practically double for Shemar Moore walks in the door with a baby strapped to his chest. His silver gaze cuts to Valentina, and he wastes no time closing the distance between them.

“What’s going on? Who do I need to kill for interrupting the little man’s dinner?”

Valentina rises. “There are my two favorite guys. Thanks for coming down so quick.”

He pulls her in close to his body and leans down to press a kiss to her lips. “Always, duchess. What the hell is going on?”

I stare at them with a longing I didn’t know I could feel. This beautiful badass of a man is charging to her rescue, complete with a smiling baby. My ovaries are toast.

“This is Temperance. She works at—”

“Seven Sinners, for Mount’s woman,” he finishes for her, his eyes narrowing on me.

I nod, not feeling the same welcome in his tone that came from Valentina. “That’s right.”

“You here to cause trouble? Because we don’t need it,” he says, and a shaft of disappointment shoots through me.

“Rix!” Valentina smacks him on the shoulder. “Be nice. She’s had a crap day. She came to show me a sculpture, and someone stole her car.”

He studies me with suspicion rolling off him in waves.

“It’s okay. I’ll get help from someone who doesn’t look at me like I’m a criminal.” I lower the glass to the desk and grab my purse. “Sorry to waste your time, Valentina.”

I’ve taken two steps when he speaks.

“Why didn’t you call your boss? Pretty sure you’d find your car a hell of a lot faster that way.”

I look over my shoulder. “They just left to go on vacation. This isn’t an emergency worth bothering them over. I can handle it myself.”

His brows dive together. “Really? Pretty sure Mount would have heads rolling for this.”

“Not necessary, but don’t worry. I’ll figure it out. I’ll head to the precinct to file a report and call my insurance company.”

“Oh no. You’re not leaving. He’s helping you, and he’s going to be nice about it too.” Valentina’s voice brooks no disagreement.

“Is that right?” He reaches out and clasps his wife’s hand with the baby between them. “She one of your people now? Adopting her?”

I’m not sure what he means, but when Valentina nods, his face relaxes and he smiles at her.

“Shoulda figured. Only for you, duchess. Only for you.” He presses a kiss to the back of her hand and releases it before turning back to me. “Give me all the vehicle details and I’ll get a BOLO out. If it’s rolling around, we’ll get a call. I’ll let my boys know it’s priority.”

“Make sure you tell them that there’s a very valuable piece of artwork in the back, and I will personally bake cookies for whoever makes sure that sculpture comes back unharmed,” Valentina tells him as she presses a kiss to the baby’s head.

Rix smiles again, this time laughing. “Duchess, I thought you wanted them to bring the art back, not make sure you never see it again.”

Valentina growls at him and reaches for the baby, and my heart pangs with envy.

I want that.