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“All I’m saying is you might want to decide what’s truly important.Josh and Aidan don’t put up with in-house bullshit.If you don’t fit into the team, you’ll be out the door.”

I sigh, lean back in my chair and purse my lips.

Goddamn it, Liam is right.

I left the US Marshal service to progress my career.To take a different path where I thought I could make a difference.A real difference that might actually help more kids.I can't fuck this up.Plus, Josh is highly respected in this field, and if I get booted out, that’s going to severely hinder any future job opportunities.

Anywhere.

For a woman who will eventually boot me out of her life.

We both know it.

Even if we’re pretending otherwise.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t respect her or have feelings for Caylee.I do.I’m just trying not to.

My family situation is complicated.

Really fucking complicated.

If it weren’t for that, I would make that beautiful woman mine before she—or her damn brother—knew what was happening.

I’d put a baby inside her and write her goddamn name along my fucking cock if that’s what it took.

But I can’t do those things.

I have no rights.

“She’s not just some girl,” I say out loud, mostly to myself.

I can never take her home.

I can never introduce her to my family.

A relationship can only go so far when you put boundaries like that in place.Still, I’m going to take as much of her as I can until we reach that place.

For once, I want something for myself.Caylee is that thing.

That makes me a fucking jerk.

But I’m doing it, anyway.