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to find someone like that so soon. When he wasn’t doing investigative work, he spent hours at the garage fixing up classic cars. If he was honest, he liked being single.
    He looked in on her again. She was hurting, and damned if he could hold himself back from helping her.
    His plans for tonight fizzled like a shaken pop can opened too soon. He gave her a few moments, and when she failed to pull herself together, he walked into the kitchen. She sniffled, wiping her cheeks and hiding her face.
    “Rocki?” He laid his hand on the back of her neck. “Everything okay?”
    She cleared her throat. “I’m fine. Just give me a second.”
    Fine . He’d heard that word before. It definitely meant the complete opposite. Women had their own definition and, unfortunately, they kept the meaning secret from him.
    “You’re not fine.” He squatted beside her chair, making her face him. “You know who I am. If you’re in trouble or someone is upsetting you, I can make sure you stay safe and get the help you need.”
    She shook her head. “Don’t…please.”
    “Sweetheart…” He cupped her face. “Trust me. I will protect you. All you have to do is say the word, and no one will touch you.”
    Her chin wobbled, and her eyes filled with tears. She shook her head, clamping her lips together. The pleading gaze was his undoing. He could no more force her to talk than turn her away when she cried.
    “Shh, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” He picked her up and cradled her in his arms.
    Her face went to his neck, and she let the tears win. He simply held her as he walked to the bedroom.
    He flipped the light switch off with his elbow, deposited her on the bed without letting go, and curled his body around hers. Her back to his front, he soothed her while absorbing her sobs.
    Every time she gasped for more air and her body stiffened, he wanted to demand she tell him the truth. He could fix whatever problem she had. She only had to tell him, and he’d do anything to make her smile at him again.
    He had no idea what the fuck was going on with her, and his first instinct was to call her superior and demand answers. There was a chance she was working double, playing both sides, with her badge on one side, Darrell on the other.
    He questioned why he still found himself attracted to her, because someone who used people for their own good was someone he wouldn’t want in his life. He ran his hand down the back of her head, murmuring words he’d had no idea he knew. His gut told him that she needed him and he wouldn’t turn away from her yet.
    A long time later, she quieted and fell asleep. He continued to lie with her, holding her, and keeping her safe. Whatever trouble she’d gotten herself into, he was going to make sure she sought help in the morning. Then he was going to find out why she’d lied to him.

Chapter Four
    A soft snore startled Rocki awake. Her pulse raced and she blinked into the dark, trying to gain her bearings. She was at Tony’s house, in his bed, and—she wiggled her toes inside her shoes—fully dressed. She laid her head back on the pillow, her heart pounding.
    She peered at the nightstand. Four forty-five in the morning.
    Tony snored lightly behind her. His arm thrown around her waist, holding her tight against his chest, seemed intimate and surprisingly wonderful. His legs bent in the crook of hers, cradling her body. She lifted his wrist, rolled, and slid out from his embrace. A shiver crawled along her spine at the loss of his body heat. She paused, kneeling on the floor, and counted to sixty.
    Coming home with Tony last night was a huge mistake. Once she found out he was a private investigator and best friend to Kage, she should’ve called off her job. She could’ve lied to Darrell and kept Tony clean. Instead, she was helping bring Darrell’s attention to a man she’d instantly respected for his career of choice and the way he stood up for her around Janie.
    He’d gone out of his way twice to make