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“We don’t mean to. It’s just that Max… We’re real happy for him. And you,” Emerson rushed out. “He can be…”

“Difficult,” I supplied.

“I was gonna say, withdrawn. But difficult works, too.” She giggled. “We’re so glad you decided to stay.”

“I am, too,” I confessed. But I wasn’t ready to explain all the reasons I was happy to be staying in Maryland. Maybe when I got to know them better, I would admit I couldn’t imagine going back to Florida and leaving Max. “But now there’s so much to do. School starts in a few weeks and I have to enroll Liam. Find a new pediatrician. Figure out daycare for Eli so I can find a job.”

“What’s this about a job?” Max’s voice startled me.

Anaya’s eyes rounded as her gaze slid to the other women.

We were out back watching the boys on the play set and I hadn’t heard Max come outside—not that I was trying to hide my plans from him, but his presence was unexpected.

“Huh?” I glanced over my shoulder.

“A job?”

“What about it?”

In a split second, Max’s guard slammed down, leaving the mask I hadn’t seen since the dinner where my car had exploded firmly in place.

What in the world?

“What’s wrong?” I probed.

“Nothing.” The snappy answer told me he wasn’t telling the truth but I didn’t want to push him in front of company. “I was coming out to tell you that Tex called.”

“He did?” I stood and faced Max.

Tex had called a few hours ago to tell us that the team he had tracking down the hitman was moving in. I wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, but Max told me it was a good thing and we should be getting good news by the end of the day that the threat was eliminated. I didn’t think that was good news, I thought that was the best news.

“The team took him out.”

“The hitman?”

“Yes. It’s over.”

It’s over.

My legs buckled and suddenly Max was there and I was in his arms. The relief was so overwhelming I couldn’t stop my body from trembling.

It was over. We were safe. Finally.

* * *

A few hours after Max had delivered the news that my life was no longer in danger, everyone left. But not before we celebrated my new status. I was no longer marked for death. Now anything was possible.

That was why I snuck off to my bedroom with my phone.

Now I was pacing. I had to do this. I’d practiced what I wanted to say a hundred times in my head. But now that I had the phone number dialed and all I had to do was hit send, I wasn’t so sure I should make this call.

What if they didn’t want to hear from me? What if I should just let bygones be bygones?

I couldn’t stop pacing. I was wrought with indecision, my stomach twisted, and my hands shook as I stared at my phone.

Pull it together.

Before I could change my mind, I tapped the green button and slowly lifted my phone to my ear.