Before I get two steps away, he grabs my arm. “Luca, wait.”

I look back at him with impatience. “Yeah?”

“Do you think your life is in danger?” he asks. “I saw the way you were this morning. You were…really fucked up. I mean, are they going to be able to tell you what happened?”

“I don’t know, Colin. I’m trying to take everything one step at a time.” I exhale. “No, I don’t think my life is in danger. I think a greedy fucker wanted my stash of jewels and to fuck with me. I’ll be okay, but right now, I need to see Camden.”

He releases his hold on me and nods again with a small smile. “There’s never a boring day with you around, Ms. West.”

I scoff at him. “Shit, Colin. You need to go get laid. I can’t be more boring.”

He laughs out loud and I shake my head at our familiar banter. “I’ll call later,” I yell out behind me, as I make my way up the steps. The police headquarters is a busy place with people waiting, being hauled in, and victoriously walking out. I have absolutely no idea where the hell I am going.

I walk down a long hall to a bunch of doors. When I get to the first door, I open it and notice it is for the filing clerk. I walk to the next door and before I can open it, the door flies open and I run straight into Camden. He looks shocked to see me.

“Luca? Jesus, are you alright? Baby, I’ve been so worried about you all day.” He hugs me harder than I’ve ever been hugged by another human being and I start to cry.

“Fuck,” he mutters out. “What happened? Tell me everything.”

I shake my head and feel so damn stupid. “I feel so terrible for thinking it was you. I didn’t know what to think, Camden. Then when I got to work and found the pearls, I knew it wasn’t you.”

“What?” He looks like he is homicidal. “Someone was in your office at work?”

I nod. “I need to go talk to the police investigator on my case. There’s so much more going on then you know about right now. Will you come and listen to me?” I ask, feeling very naïve and hopeless.

“Of course. I was coming to find you. I am here to protect you. We can talk about all that other bullshit later.”

Why is he being so good to me? I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve his kindness.

Then again, maybe I deserve everything I am getting right now and Camden is just a small consolation prize. I give him a small smile and take his hand in mine as we head into the office.

I recognize the first officer I see as one from the scene of my disastrous dressing room this morning. He smiles up at me and quirks his head to the side, showing me which room we will be going into. Camden starts to follow behind me and the officer clears his throat. When we both look up, he shakes his head at Camden. My face falls.

“Okay, baby. I will be right out here waiting for you. Please, tell him everything you know. Don’t leave anything out, because we are going to find this guy and I am going to fucking…”

I cut him off with a soft kiss to his lips. “I don’t think it’s such a good idea to say such things in a police station.”

He chuckles.

“But Camden? What if the guy that’s after me is someone very close to you?” I ask, pleading with my eyes for him to understand.

He shakes his head in confusion.

“I think we are looking for a man named Heath Landon.”

He goes rigid as I pat his chest, before turning around and heading straight into the investigator’s office.

***

“I’m sorry if this inconveniences you in any way, ma’am, but this is an investigation, at this point everyone is a suspect.” I struggle to breathe. The sudden need to have Camden, Colin, or anyone who I trust in this room with me, as Detective Watts instructs me I cannot go home and I have to close the doors of Divider, until they do an entire sweep of my residence and my office has my nerves worked up.

“I understand.”

These days of lethal injections into my system are more than I can take. I am going out of my ever loving mind. It’s gone, drowning at the bottom of the lake in an undercurrent so cold and deep, I’m toiling with the will to survive. I stand my appearance on the outside resilient to this devious plan of someone out to destroy my sanity or quite possibly my life. On the inside, I’m dreadfully frightened of who this could be. I would bet every dime I own it’s not Mitch or Leo. No god damn way. Those men are just as much a part of my family as I am theirs. Annie and I have had a rough week, but no, she wouldn’t have the resources to invoke this upon me. The gut wrenching urge to break down and cry strikes me hard. I need to get out of here and find somewhere to stay. I will not show my weakness in front of anyone. I can’t. I refuse.

“Jesus, what is going on? I’ve been pacing…” I shut Camden up with a soft kiss to his perfect mouth. The way his arms wrap around me, holding me against him make me feel safe – at home. The steady rhythm of his heart pounding quickly in his chest when I place my hand over it, my palm spread just to feel, to know this man is real.

“I’m so…”

“Shh. No. Not one word. Not here. I have a cab waiting for us. We are leaving. Going where no one can find us, then we will talk.”

Camden totes me behind him, his hand firmly grasping mine, his body protecting me as we make swift, precise movements down the hall and out the door of the police station. For the first time since I’ve moved to Chicago, the blast of the cold air feels good on my overheated skin. I was suffocating in the Police Department.

“Colin, what happened?” I ask, coming to a halt at the bottom of the steps. I hadn’t expected him to still be here.

“I couldn’t leave. I’m your driver and your friend. It isn’t in my job description, as either, to leave you alone. Did you get any answers when you were in there?” he asks, looking pained.

I shake my head in defeat. I can’t remember feeling so out of control about my life ever before.

“Okay, well then, get in the car.” His eyes gaze to the door he is opening for me. While I’m not sure he trusts Camden too much after what he saw that morning in my apartment, he lets him pass.

Of course, the two men size each up like their anchors on a game of tug of war.

“Camden, this is my friend and driver, Colin. I trust him. He can take us wherever we need to go,” I offer up, doing my best to break up this nice little duo of piss meet vinegar on the streets of Chicago.

“I told you, we need to go where no one knows where we are,” Camden whispers in my ear.

“Will be right there, Colin. Thanks for being the true friend I know you are and waiting for me while I was in there.”

Giving Camden my undivided attention, I seek his warmth, wrapping my arms around him. I look into his eyes and see concern. I look back at him, trying to express I will be okay and letting him know I appreciate him, as well. I convey this with a kiss to his cheek, my hands rubbing up and down the stubble on his face. He looks tired and worried. It’s my turn to go into protective mode for everyone; especially Colin. He’s always been there to support me. I won’t have Camden thinking he is any type of threat to us. “I’ve known Colin for years. He would never do anything to hurt me. I trust him with my life, Camden.”

His tone edged with resentment, he replies, “He’s the only one, Luca. No one else can know where we will be.”

Well, I don’t know about that, but I don’t tell him this. I’ll eventually need to tell Mitch, Leo, and Annie. The cold that felt so good moments earlier, has now frozen my ass. After the day I’ve had, all I want to do is go lay in a nice warm tub, erase the grim of today from my body, and call Mitch, Leo, and Annie to let them know whatever work has to be done we must be done from home

“That’s fine,” I concede, releasing his handsome face. His firm hold on my neck shows his possessiveness right along with a hint of jealousy, I presume, as he helps me into the back of the car.