“Is everything okay?” Mom had run into the den as soon as the front door slammed shut. “What happened? Where’s Ember?”

I shook my head. “I’ve got to go after her.” I couldn’t explain because I didn’t really know the whole of it myself. “Can you look after Rosie? And don’t let her come in here. I’ll clean this up when I get back.”

She nodded, a distraught expression entering her gaze as she peered at the mess around me. “Okay, baby,” she choked.

I winced. “Mom–”

“Go,” she said. “You need to go. I’ll go check on Rosie.”

Nodding, I hurried out the front door, catching sight of Emberlyn hunched over one of her bushes, her back and shoulders heaving violently.

Fuck!

I didn’t hesitate. Rushing to her, I wrapped my arms around her middle and held on to the sobbing woman, who in turn began to scream like a banshee.

“Let me go! Help! Someone–”

My hand snapped up to cover her mouth, and I bent my head to the bucking woman’s ear. “Shh,” I whispered as she continued to fight me. I got a kick in the shin, causing me to groan. “It’s Shane, Ember. It’s me. I’m here.”

Her body went slack, but shock set in almost immediately and she began shaking like a leaf, her sobs resuming.

“Let’s get you inside, sweetheart.”

She didn’t argue. In fact, she didn’t say anything or physically acknowledge me.

Bending down to pick up the tiny purse she’d dropped to the ground, along with her keys, I made to pick her up in my arms.

“I-I can walk,” she said, teeth chattering.

“Okay,” I said softly. “How ‘bout you hold onto me and we’ll take it slow. I’m not liking your color right now.”

I didn’t realize how extreme her fear was until I’d closed the door behind us, and attempted to usher the woman toward where I knew the living room would be, but she shrieked, “Lock the door!”

After that task was done, we made our way to the couch.

Emberlyn quickly backed into the armrest, curling her knees up to her chin. I grabbed the throw off the back of the sectional and draped it over her.

“Let’s get you a glass of water,” I told her, heading toward the kitchen.

In case you were wondering, this wasn’t my first time inside this house. I’d been here plenty while growing up, but it sure had changed. Emberlyn had put her mark on her grandmother’s old place, and it was a warm and pleasant one with a more modern flare to it. I approved.

Glass in hand, I set to run the water until it was nice and cold, filling it from the tap.

When the floor creaked beneath my feet on my return, Emberlyn jumped, panic in her eyes until they settled on me. She melted into the cushions almost immediately with palpable relief.

She didn’t waste time, grabbing the glass from my hands, chugging its contents immediately. I took the glass from her and settled it atop the one coaster I saw on the coffee table before crouching down in front of her.

“Better?” I asked. She nodded. “Want to talk about it?” She shook her head, no. “Do you want me to leave?” Another shake. This had me standing to sit next to her, but not too close, since I didn’t want to make her more uncomfortable than she clearly was.

That plan was squashed as soon as my ass met the cushion and she launched herself at me.

“Whoa! Calm down, sweetheart. You’re okay,” I whispered my reassurance into the side of her face, one arm wrapped around her back, her legs over my lap, and the other sifting into her hair. I couldn’t help myself. I pulled the pin that held her hair together, chucking the thing onto the coffee table, and resumed stroking her.

For a long moment, we sat together, neither of us saying a word, when so much remained to be said. Then she opened up.

“He used to call me baby,” she told me what I already knew. “My husband…that’s what he’d call me, when he tried to gain my forgiveness after he’d beat me.” My blood began to simmer. “Trevor and I had a very volatile relationship. I would do everything he asked of me, and he’d never be happy. I learned to be subservient to him early on. Mouthing off only got me punished. So I did what I had to until I could get out. I just didn’t do it fast enough.”

“Sweetheart, I know,” I said against her hair.

“You know?” she whispered, pulling back so she could look at me, then realization must have hit her. “You’re a cop, of course you’d know.”

“Detective.” I smirked.

Her brown scrunched up. “Huh?”

“I’m a detective. I wouldn’t know about your case, but since my girls have been spending time with you…I just hope you’re not mad that I had someone look into you.”

“No.” She forced a smile, but it was nice seeing something other than tears in her stormy gray eyes, despite my apprehensiveness to her reaction that I might have overstepped my bounds with her past. “You have a daughter…a family to protect. I’d have done the same thing.” Settling in against my front again, her hand came up to lay on my chest. “Thank you, Shane.”

Swallowing the large lump in my throat, I rasped, “You’re welcome.”

Then silence enveloped us once more—not awkward—comfortable.

Something stirred me awake, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was until I saw a blanket being draped over me.

“I’m awake,” I husked.

“I’m sorry. We fell asleep, and–”

Grabbing her wrist to stay her movements, I did an ab curl to sit up. Emberlyn’s free hand sifted into my hair. She was standing between my legs, looking down as she massaged my scalp. Fuck, it felt good. I closed my eyes to enjoy the intimacy of the moment. So much so that I gripped her hips.

“I should go,” I whispered, my eyes opening to meet hers.

“Yeah.”

“It’s late.”

“Uh-huh.” Her head bobbed up and down with her words.

This made me smirk, and confess, “I don’t want to leave you.”

“Rosie’ll need her father tomorrow morning,” she rationalized.

“Fact, but it still doesn’t make me want to go.”

Her smile showed her pleasure at my words. “I’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure?” I asked.

“Pinky swear. Go home, Shane. Your family needs you.”

That had me smirking. “If you need me, you know where I’ll be.” I guided her back, so I could get up, curling my hands around the sides of her face, then tilted it forward so I could touch my lips to her forehead. “Walk me out?” When my feet hit her front steps, I gave her one last assessing gaze.

“I’ll be fine.” She giggled nervously. “Thanks again.”

I smiled, then bent to kiss her cheek. “You’re welcome again,” I whispered, then left, but not before I heard the clicks of her front door locking.