“Then Mars came back to town.”
Her fingers clenched Orlando’s fur, but the dog just pressed closer. “Sunni found him two days later, in the dome. He’d OD’d. She found the needle next to him. Track marks fresh.”
She shook her head. “Thing is, hesmokedhis substances, like weed. He wasn’t a heroine user, and yes, sometimes he mixed fentanyl into his pot pipe, but ... he wasn’t an IV user.”
He frowned.
“I don’t know. Maybe Mars put him up to it.” She sighed. “I was working a case in Juneau when it happened. Missing teenager.I’d been tracking her for three days, barely sleeping. When I finally found her—got her home safe—I had six missed calls from Sunni.” Her voice cracked. She closed her eyes.
She felt Jericho lean forward, felt the heat of him even across the space between them. But he didn’t touch her.
“I’m so sorry, Harley.”
She opened her eyes, blinked against the heat. A tear dropped onto her cheek, and she whisked it away.
“That’s why you’re hunting Mars.”
She nodded. “He’s taken everything. My brother. My parents, in a way—they were never the same after Gabe started using. And Mars is still at it. Selling drugs, running guns, destroying lives.” She met Jericho’s eyes across the space. “Someone has to stop him.”
He paused, as if considering his words. Then, “Not alone.” He started to reach for her, then seemed to catch himself, his hand falling back to his knee. “You don’t have to do this alone. Not this time.”
The fire popped, sending sparks up the chimney. Outside, the snow swirled, and in the kitchen, Kennedy laughed.
She stared at him. “This is my fight.”
“Is it?” He leaned back. “I remember that differently.” His mouth quirked then.
And she was right back there, watching him get out of the truck, coming at her full speed, charging Mars before he could hit her.
In truth, she’d been terrified. And yet, she’d never felt more protected.
“I never ... I never thanked you.”
His eyes widened. Then, “I ... I shouldn’t have yelled at you at the hospital.”
“You were right. I was ... impulsive. And I could have gotten you killed.”
He cocked his head and, mercifully, didn’t say anything abouttoday. Then, he drew in a rough breath. “And I was young and stupid and scared too. I said things—”
“It’s okay, Jericho.”
“No, it’s not.” He shook his head. “When your parents died—whenmyparents died—I couldn’t ... I couldn’t stay.”
“I know. You were already deployed.”
His mouth tightened, and he looked at the fire. “Truth is, I was a wreck. I ... ran.”
“And now?”
“I don’t know.” He ran a hand across his mouth, the gesture raking up the past. “I love SAR work. I was in combat SAR in the military, but ... something happened there too, and I just thought, maybe I’ll train dogs. And people. That way I can keep everyone safe without getting too close. But after the avalanche”—he shook his head—“I don’t know what brought me back here, Harley.” He turned to her. “I just am. And ... I’m sticking around until we bring Mars to justice. Finally, right?” He smiled.
The honesty in his voice stripped her. Oh, she wanted to believe him. So, she smiled back. “Right.”
He met her eyes then, and she could see the flecks of gold in the hazel-blue of his eyes, the way they sort of shone. Her heart thumped under the bruise, her breath catching.
What if—
“Dinner’s almost ready!” Hudson’s voice broke the moment. He appeared in the doorway, wearing an apron that read “Kiss the Cook” and bearing sauce stains on his shirt. “I only burned the first batch of garlic bread.”