SARAH Great. As if today couldn’t get any worse. I take the card, forcing a polite smile. She’s the last person I want to be looking at right now, and I need to make sure—completely sure—that she knows it. “Detective, huh?” I glance at the faded lettering, then back at her sweat-glazed forehead. “Did something happen in the neighborhood?” I ask. “Must be the reason you’re going door to door in this heat.” Her lips twitch. I can tell she’s trying to figure out if I’m being sarcastic. I am, of course, but she clearly doesn’t see that. “I was in the neighborhood,” she says smoothly. My gaze shifts to the rickety Toyota in front of my house. Durmont’s police department should be able to do better than this. “I wanted to stop by and ask a few questions.” “Questions? So something did happen in the neighborhood?”I arch a brow, motioning her toward the sitting area with my eyes. “Sure, come on in. I must say I am quite surprised. I was told this is one of the most secure neighborhoods in Durmont, not to forget it’s the closest to my office.” She follows me in, heels clicking against my polished floor. She does have a terrible taste for shoes, I must say. I wheel myself to the living room while she looks around, drinking in the magnificence of the simplicity of my living room. I gesture toward the couch. “Make yourself comfortable, Detective. I would offer you a drink, but…” I stare down at my legs, and she nods. “It’s alright,” she replies, still smiling. “I should probably cut to the chase and let you know exactly why I’m here.” “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Something about her makes my skin itch. The way her eyes never stop scanning—my walls, my bookshelves, the sofa the brothers were just seated in. “You have my full attention, detective.” She crosses her legs slowly, like we’re two girls chatting at brunch. “I’m just trying to piece together a few things. You know how messy these investigations can get.” “Messy? Don’t I know it? My whole life’s been a damn soap opera lately. And if something happened in the neighborhood, I have to move…” Her lips curve. “This isn’t about the neighborhood, miss Wellspring.” “Isn’t it?” I shoot back, shifting in my seat. “What is it then? You didn’t drive all the way here for nothing. What do you want, Detective?” Her eyes sharpen. “I was wondering if you could tell me about your relationship with the HawkThorne brothers.” And there it is, the moment I’ve been waiting for: the dawn of impending doom. My throat tightens. I should have known it’ll somehow find a way to my doorstep. Even in his death, Luke HawkThorne continues to torment me. The room shrinks a little, as though the walls are pressing down on me, leaning in so they too can hear my answer. I take a second before I respond—one beat too long, maybe—but when I speak, my voice is cool and steady. “They’re very dear to me,” I say. “I’ve known them since I was a little girl. Which, of course, you must already know otherwise you wouldn’t be here.” She ignores my last sentence. “Dear?” she repeats with an arched brow. “Family friends?” I think of Ronan’s tongue on my wet cunt, Jaxon’s cock deep down my throat, Malachi’s hands leaving prints all over my breasts. My thighs press firmly against each other as heat floods my face. Swallowing hard, I respond. “You could say that.We’ve been through a lot together.” “And are you… currently in contact with them?” I tilt my head. “Why wouldn’t I be?” “No reason,” she says. “Just… There are rumors. You’ve been seen with them frequently. Some people say you’re more than just family friends.” I blink slowly. “Some people say I’m complicit in my ex-husband’s crimes.” Detective Caroline raises a brow. I roll my eyes. “The point is, detective, people never mind their business and always have things to say.” She leans back a bit, sturdy eyes reassessing me. “So you won’t say you’re romantically involved?”I straighten. “And this matters because?” She hums. “Have they contacted you recently? Since the incident?” “What incident?” My voice stays flat, but there’s a weight in my gut now. A cold, creeping dread because I know where this is going. Her brows rise like she’s surprised I asked. “You really don’t know?” “I wouldn’t ask if I did.” Her jaw tightens just slightly at the name drop. “Luke HawkThorne is dead. Their foster father who disappeared years ago suddenly returned and died shortly after.” My fingers curl into the fabric of my seat. My throat tightens. But I don’t flinch. Not visibly, at least. I gulp down a lump of saliva so hard it hurts, and tilt my head again, faking a mild curiosity. “I saw that on the news.” “You did?” “We all watch the news, don’t we?” She watches me, waiting for more. When I don’t offer it, she goes on. “Do you know anything about what happened?” Lie. “No.” “Do you have any idea of what they were doing on the night it happened?” Look her in the eyes and lie. Luke deserves everything he got for what he did to you. “I do not know the night it happened, detective. So, no.” “Have they said anything to you? About where they were, what they were doing?” I breathe in through my nose and push my emotions down like a pro. “No.” There’s a pause. She studies me like I’m a crime scene. “You’re sure?” I raise a warning brow. “Are you by any chance insinuating I am a liar?”She shakes her head. “I’m just trying to make sense of a tragedy,” Someone has to pay for what happened to that man.” I lift my chin, staring her down. The thought that someone has to pay for sending Luke to the depth of hell where he rightly belongs doesn’t sit well with me. My intestines tie into a thick, tight knot, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. “I wish I had more to tell you. It’s unfortunate I cannot be of help. Luke was a scoundrel, he makes a mess of things and he runs. You should do a little background check on him. He must have ran from something that chased him back to Durmont and killed him.” She taps her fingers against the glass of water. “So you believe they’re innocent?” “I believe that if they wanted Luke HawkThorne gone, they have the resources to not be so careless about it.” “You sound very sure of that.” “They’re billionaires after all. They could make anyone disappear. Why create such a mess?” These are my exact thoughts. Their little game of dare has put us under unnecessary scrutiny. Detective Caroline with her terrible shoes and terrible car, she must have some dislike for people of status. The judgement in her eyes as she takes in the sight of my house, how elegant I look even in a shirt and shorts, tells me all I need to know. You don’t get rid of her type very easily. I could exempt myself from this situation. And somehow, I still sit here. Lying through my teeth. Because loving them has turned me into someone I don’t recognize: a protector. I’ve never had to protect anyone in my life, besides Wellspring Insurance. But I don’t want the fathers of my children in any type of danger or drama. Kevin was right. We will all bend truth for the people we love. I sit back in my chair and sigh, like I’m already tired of her face. “Detective, if there’s nothing else…” She straightens. “You’re feeling unwell?” “Quite dizzy, actually. Might be the heat. She gives me a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll be in touch.” I flash her one of my own. “You do that.” I see her out, watching the back of her stiff blazer as she walks down my porch steps. She turns when she reaches her car and waves at me from a distance. “Take care, Miss Wellspring.”I nod. “You too, Detective.” And when she finally drives off, I close the door, lock it, and heave a sigh. No, she won’t be in touch. I’ll have to make sure of it. I wheel myself to the center table, grab the house phone, and dial Jaxon’s number with shaky fingers. He picks on the second ring. “Baby,” his voice is warm and low. Just hearing it makes the crack in my chest feel a little less wide. One deep breath in and out, before I speak. “I need to see all three of you. Now.”