Shelby was silent during most of the ride to her house.

It made me uneasy.

“How much further is it?” I bit out as I took a deep breath and pulled her honeysuckle scent into my lungs. My chest tightened. “Is it on the right or left?”

She huffed out a breath. “In that much of a hurry to get rid of us?”

Her question was unexpected, and it knocked me off kilter. “What?” I glanced over at her to find her staring out the window. Lucca was silent—probably asleep—in his car seat. “Why the hell would you ask me that?”

You don’t have a damn clue, do you, sunshine?

She shook her head and tightened her hands on the edge of the seat. “Don’t worry about it.” She nodded out the windshield, an expression I couldn’t read plastered on her face. “It’s only another mile or two more.” She paused, shifting in the seat. The small movement made her heavy breasts sway the slightest bit.

I barely held back a groan.

Sex was the last thing I should’ve been thinking about, but Shelby had the ability to bring men to their knees. I didn’t know a single man that wouldn’t jump at the chance to have her in his bed for just one night.

With the face of an angel and the body of a siren, she was a walking aphrodisiac.

“It’s on the right. Just look for a field full of trailers. You can’t miss it. After that, there will be a small road. Turn there. My duplex is the last one on the left.”

My chest burned. I’d known she lived next to a trailer park but the way she said “field full of trailers” caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. I had a bad feeling…

“You live by yourself?”

She nodded again. “Yeah. It’s just my little man and me.”

Her tone was short, clipped. It was apparent her head was somewhere else. No doubt it had something to do with what had gone down earlier.

I needed to find out what that was about. If she was in danger, I needed to fix it. I’d have to be sneaky about getting answers though. I’d dealt with enough victims to know they didn’t talk until they were ready to. If I asked her outright, she probably would’ve told me to go fuck myself. But if I could use my interrogation skills, then maybe I could get answers.

Slipping into cop mode, I let the questions that were burning the back of my throat flow. “You ever have any trouble living out here?”

My eyes were glued to the road so I didn’t see her reaction to my question, but I felt her gaze burning the side of my neck and face. “Not really.” She cleared her throat. “Just idiot neighbors throwing wild parties and crap. Typical stuff I suppose.”

Her words from earlier hit me. We’re both exhausted from not sleeping last night.

“That why you didn’t get any rest last night?”

I looked over in time to see her lean her head back against the seat and close her eyes. As gorgeous as she looked with her eyes closed, I wanted them open. I wanted those brilliant blues locked on me at all times. “Yeah. Stupid jackasses next door were up partying till after three. The walls of my duplex are paper thin so we heard everything. Lucca didn’t sleep; I didn’t sleep. It’s made for a long fricken day.”

My anger flared, and my hands tightened on the steering wheel causing the leather to squeak under my unrelenting grip. “You call the cops?”

“No.” Her reply was quick. “They wouldn’t have come out if I had.”

“What?” Confused, I looked over at her for a brief second. “What do you mean?”

Turning in her seat, she faced me. My heart hammered against my lungs when her eyes met mine for a second before I had to focus back on the highway. “Don’t you know?” I shook my head, shifted in my seat and placed my elbow on the center console. I needed to be closer to her. “Well, let me explain it to you then. Toluca county cops don’t come out this way for nuisance calls.” She drummed her fingers on her thigh. “Face it, Anthony. The other cops you work with are nothing but a bunch of deadbeat, lazy ass dickheads.”

My jaw ticked. It looked like I’d be making a stop at the station on my way home because that shit was unacceptable. Fucking pieces of shit. None of them had the right to wear a badge or call themselves police officers.

“You ever had to call them for something else?” I exhaled in agitation. “Something more serious?”

She turned forward in the seat again and pointed out the window. “There it is. My street is coming up. Might want to start slowing down.”

Flicking on my turn signal, I waited to see if she’d answer my question.

She didn’t.

That wasn’t good; wasn’t good at all.

I made a sharp right onto a small, unmarked road.

“It’s the last one on the left.” Unbuckling herself, she scooted forward in her seat. “Make sure you don’t run over my flowers, please.” Her voice sounded softer, sweeter. “Lucca and I planted them when we first moved in almost a year ago.”

I parked beside her house and did a quick survey of the area.

While her side of the small brick house duplex was clean and tidy, the other side wasn’t. Flowers lined Shelby’s half of the shared drive, her lawn was cut, and a small swing set sat in the middle of the yard. The other side though… it made my blood boil just to look at it. Her neighbor’s half of the yard was littered with trash and beer cans, an overturned, busted lawn chair and a broken wheelbarrow turned on its side.

Whoever lived beside my girl was the epitome of trash.

My hackles rose, and my skin prickled.

She and Lucca deserved better than this.

“How long have you lived here?”

“I just told you we’d been here a little over a year.” I opened my mouth to say something else, but she cut me off by continuing to speak. “Look, I know it isn’t much, but it’s the best I can do right now.” She swallowed and intertwined her fingers in her lap. “And it will be for another couple of years. At least until I can finish my degree and move us into a bigger place.” Her voice quieted. “Into a nice place… a safer place.”

“Shelby—”

“I’m in college you know.” Her gaze moved to meet mine. “I take classes online but only part-time. I can’t handle a full course load on account of working and being a mom so it’s taking me longer to finish.”

Wanting to keep her talking, I asked, “What are you going to school for?”

“Social work.” Her gaze stayed locked on me. “I mean it’s what I do already, but with a degree, I’ll get paid more. Not to mention, I’ll be able to take more of the shelter’s responsibilities off Maddie’s shoulders.” Running her hands up and down her thighs, she kept talking. “Because I’ve got a feeling she won’t be working full time much longer.”

“Why not?”

“She’s about to get married. About to have a baby. And knowing Maddie like I do, I know she won't want to leave her baby with a sitter while she works. Not that I blame her. Heck, if I had that option…” Her voice trailed off, and she looked over her shoulder at Lucca’s seat in the back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to start talking your ear off.”

My fingers twitched with the need to touch her. “Never apologize for something like that. Besides, I like hearing you speak.”

Her brows rose, and a playful look crossed her face.

My damn heart melted at the sight.

“Yeah? And why is that? You find my accent funny or something, Detective Moretti?”

She was teasing me.

The little shit.

“No, baby, I don’t find it funny.” I considered my next words. “Sexy as hell maybe, “I replied honestly, rubbing my palm down the side of my cheek, “but not funny.” The truth was, ever since the first time I heard Shelby speak, I’d wondered if her accent would be as pronounced when she screamed my name as I pounded into her.

I fucking hope so.

Her eyes sparkled, and she turned her head to look out the side window again. “I like your accent too.” Even better because few people liked my accent. I’d never cared before, but when it came to Shelby, I cared a hell of a lot. “You remind me of one of those mob bosses on TV.”

At that, I laughed. “Mob boss, huh?”

“Yeah. Kinda like those guys on the Sopranos.”

This girl… “You’ve got to—”

I stopped speaking when a shadow appeared from beside Shelby’s house. I couldn’t make out the person's face, but I could tell it was a man, and he was doing his best to remain hidden. Before I had time to stop and think, I ripped off my seat belt, opened my door, and jumped out.

Shelby’s face dropped when she followed by gaze. “Anthony don’t—”

I slammed the door and moved around the front of my SUV. I didn’t know who this man was, but I didn’t like that he was lurking in the dark by my girl’s house.

Shelby’s door opened, and she ran towards me. “Anthony, wait!”

No damn way.

I wanted—no, needed—to know who this fucker was and what he wanted. If he was there to harm her or Lucca, I’d kill him on the spot.

I was only fifteen steps away from the man when I felt Shelby’s warm hand wrap around my bicep. I stopped at the feel of her touch. “Anthony.” The way she spoke my name caused chills to race down my spine. “It’s just Felix.” I didn’t have time to ask her who Felix was before she continued. “He’s harmless.” Her hand tightened on my arm more. “He’s just hungry.”

Hungry?

Shelby released my arm and stepped in front of me, creating a barricade between the man and me. “Evening, Felix,” she called out. “Sorry I’m late, honey, but I had car trouble.”

The man, Felix, stepped out of the shadows, giving me my first good look at him. His old and worn clothes were in tatters. He also looked like he hadn’t bathed in months. It was obvious he was homeless.

“I need to get Lucca inside, and then I’ll get supper started. Eggs and grits okay with you?”

The man took off the ripped hat he was wearing, revealing his grey hair, and nodded once. “I’m fine with anything, Miss Shelby.” His voice was kind. “I watered your flowers for you and carried your trash cans to the back. Also swept off the patio.”

Shelby smiled. “You didn’t have to do all that but thank you, friend.”

Felix’s tired eyes softened. “You know I’d do anything to help you out.”

“I do know that.”

Looking up at me, she said, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

I nodded, took her hand in mine, and pulled her back over to my car. Stopping beside the passenger’s door, I turned around to face her again.

“Um…” She twisted her hands in front of her belly. “I wanted to say thanks for bringing me home.” She narrowed her eyes. “Even if you gave me little choice in the matter.” At that, I thought she’d rip me a new one, but she didn’t. Instead, she chuckled. “Never had a guy threaten to handcuff me if I didn’t get in a car with him. First time for everything I reckon.”

Pressing her face to the car's window, she peeked in at Lucca. He was still sleeping. “Anyway, I can offer you some cash. I don’t have a lot but—”

My temper flared. “Shelby”—I said her name in a hard tone—“you better not finish that sentence.”

Leaning away from the window, she rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she retorted, “just know I don’t like people helping me without paying them back somehow.” For what felt like the tenth time that night, she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment as she mulled something over in her head. “I can’t believe I’m about to ask this but—” she blew out a breath “—do you want to come over for supper tomorrow? I don’t have to work late so I’ll be home by five. Since you won’t let me pay you, feeding you is the least I can do.”

My back straightened, and I didn’t waste a second in replying. “What time?”

Shelby thinned her lips in amusement. “Six-ish okay with you?”

Anytime was okay with me. I didn’t care if she wanted me to drag my ass over there at three in the morning, I would. “Yeah, baby, it is.”

“Alright.” She nodded once before opening the car door next to Lucca. “I guess I’ll see you at six-ish then.”

I grinned like a fool. “Sounds like a plan. Want me to bring anything?”

Tilting her head to the side, she scrunched up her nose. “No. I’ve got it covered, I think.” She held up a lone finger and pointed it at the center of my chest. “But I’m telling you now if you don’t drink sweet tea you better bring your own beverage because it’s all I keep in the fridge.”

“You don’t think I’ll drink your sweet tea?”

She shrugged. “Never know with y’all Northerners. Last I heard y’all don’t put sugar in your tea, and you don’t eat grits.” She scoffed. “How either of those things is possible, I don’t have a damn clue.”

Totally missed that innuendo, sweetheart.

Climbing in the car, she unlatched Lucca from his seat and pulled him to her chest. I tried my best to not stare at her ass—which was less than two feet from my face—because if I did, my cock would have been harder than steel in two seconds flat.

“Alright then,” Shelby said, moving to stand back in front of me, “guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I nodded. “Tomorrow.”

“Well,” she said, beaming, “thanks again.” With that, she took a step back. Her gaze stayed locked on mine, and if I didn’t know better, I could’ve sworn she was having as hard of a time breaking it as I was.

“I’ll get Lucca’s seat out and set it on your front steps.”

“Okay.” She took another small step back. “Don’t forget about tomorrow.”

Like that would ever happen.

“I won’t. Goodnight, baby.”

She blinked before dipping her face towards the ground. Seeing that she was still struggling with the shit that happened earlier gutted me. It gutted me because I didn’t know how to fix it.

“Night, Anthony.”

With that, she turned around and walked away.

Climbing the steps, she looked over at Felix. “Supper will be ready soon, honey. Why don’t you have a seat at the picnic table and I’ll bring you a glass of tea out in a minute?”

Felix nodded as he watched her with curious eyes. Even he seemed to know something was off. “Will do, Miss Shelby.”

Shelby disappeared inside the duplex with Lucca, and I pulled his oversized car seat from my back seat. Once I had it out, I carried it to her front steps where Felix was standing and set it down.

His brows furrowed as he looked at me in confusion. “Is Miss Shelby yours now?”

Standing tall, I slid my hands into my pockets. “Not yet.” I glanced at her closed door. “But she will be.”

Felix looked at the ground and shuffled his feet. “She’s a good woman. A good mother.” His gaze met mine again. “She and her little boy deserve for somebody to take care of them.”

“I know. I’m going to—”

Felix’s tired eyes filled with tears. “I hear her screaming sometimes, you know.”

My heart slowed, and my body stilled. “What do you mean?”

He turned to face the woods next to the duplex. “Happens in the middle of the night when I’m sitting out here watching her door.” Felix paused. “Nightmares… Somebody's hurt her before and whoever did it comes back at night when she’s sleeping.”

He shook his head back and forth. “I can’t stand to hear it. Breaks my old heart into a million pieces to hear her hurting like that, knowing there isn’t a thing I can do to stop it.” A tear slipped down his cheek. “I’d do anything to help her, but I can’t because she won’t talk about it. If I knew who the son of a bitch was that hurt her, I’d hunt him down and kill him myself.”

The more Felix spoke, the more everything clicked into place.

The terror I’d seen on Shelby’s face earlier in the night; the words she spoke when explaining her actions… It all made perfect sense now. The evidence was clear as day. Somebody—a fucking man, and possibly a cop—had hurt my girl.

“Damn it!” I hissed, ripping my hands out of my pockets and running them down the sides of my face. “I fucking knew it!”

Felix stilled and his dark eyes swept up to meet mine. “You going to do something about it?”

I clenched my jaw tight. “Yes.” It was the truth. I didn’t know who had hurt her, but I’d find out and when I did… somebody would pay. How they would pay depended on how they’d hurt her.

He nodded and replied, “Good,” before plopping down on the shaky steps. “But whatever you do, don’t tell her I said nothing. If you do, she’ll take my head off.”

Even though anger sizzled beneath every inch of my heated flesh, I smiled. “She’s a spitfire, isn’t she?”

Felix whistled, low and quiet. “That she is.” Eyes wide, he continued, “Don’t think I’ve ever feared a woman in my life, but that one”—he hooked a finger over his shoulder and pointed at the door—“is at the top of my ‘do not cross’ list.”

The door swung open, and a barefoot Shelby stepped outside with a glass of tea in her hand. “What are you still doing here?” She looked from me to my car. “Don’t tell me you’re having car trouble too.”

I shook my head. “No, baby. Just talking to Felix for a minute.”

I waved in his direction. “Nice talking to you, man. I’ll see you around.”

Felix took the glass, ignoring me.

Taking a step back, I looked back up at Shelby and winked. “I’ll see you tomorrow, sunshine.”

She smiled and leaned against the doorframe. “Tomorrow, stud muffin.”

Grinning like a fool, I turned around and walked back to my car.

Once seated behind the wheel of my Tahoe, I looked at Shelby’s house one more time before backing out onto the main road. A sinking feeling took root in the pit of my guts as I pulled away, leaving her and Lucca behind.

They didn’t belong in that fucking dump.

The only place they belonged was in my house—with me.

And God help me, I wouldn’t stop until I got them there.