On the other hand, Deck had wasted no time installing her security system. Her windows were done and now Max was pulling together a bid to see to her garage. And while Deck worked on the system, Emme worked beside him, patching the walls around her wiring.

That evening, they were heading out to a ranch outside Gnaw Bone to have a look at Rottweiler puppies.

They had a plan, but better, they were wasting no time moving ahead on it together. And Deck wasn’t dragging Emme along with him.

She was beside him all the way.

This meant his laughter was heartfelt in more ways than one.

“Usually you say ‘hi-yah’ right before you break boards with a karate chop,” he informed her after he quit laughing.

“I also say ‘hi-yah’ to give my man advance warning I’m about to attack, something he apparently doesn’t need.”

He felt his brows rise. “Apparently?”

She grinned at him and stated, “Don’t think I’ll ever be able to flip someone ass over head over my head. So, first, that was awesome you doing it. Second, heads up, I’m so totally attacking and doing it repeatedly so you’ll do it again. And last, even in defeat, I’m taking this opportunity to brag that at least I took my instructor down last night on try three. Though not by flipping him over my head as he’s six one and may weigh twice as much as me.”

“Well done, Emme,” he muttered distractedly, not really listening as he was suddenly remembering he was only wearing a towel, noting she only had on his shirt, and as she always played it that way, it was doubtful she had on any panties.

“Jacob,” she called, and his eyes that had drifted to her lips, drifted up just as his hand drifted down her side.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Your oatmeal is on the kitchen counter,” she told him.

He dropped his lips to her collarbone and slid his hand up the shirt at her hip then in over her belly. “It’s too hot to eat now.”

“”Honey, we just finished,” she reminded him.

“An hour ago,” he murmured against her throat.

“I have to go to work.”

“You can be late.”

“I can’t.”

“Your dad’s the boss,” he told her jaw.

“Precisely why I can’t be late. He depends on me.”

Deck lifted his head, looked down at her and at something she saw in his face, hers changed.

And Deck liked that change.

So he grinned and murmured, “Quick.”

“Quick,” she whispered, already lifting her mouth to his.

He didn’t make her go far.

* * *

One hour later…

Deck and Buford stood in his garage watching Emme pull out.

But she stopped in the driveway, rolled down her window and stuck her head out.

“Persephone!” she yelled.

Deck smiled huge and tipped his chin up at her.

Before she left, after he’d kissed her and she climbed up in her Bronco, they’d had words about her truck’s name, now with her word being the last.

Her head disappeared but he saw she was smiling through the windshield. She waved after she turned out of his drive and before she rode away.

Yeah. Emme’s light was beaming, unrestricted.

And blinding.

Deck looked down to his dog. “How you likin’ this Emme, pal?”

Buford’s tongue lolled and his tail started wagging.

He liked her before so the point was moot.

Deck bent, gave Buford a rubdown, and as he was straightening, his phone rang.

He pulled it out of his back pocket and saw the display said “Chace calling.”

“Yo, man,” he greeted, at the same time moving toward the button that would close the garage door.

He was facing computer work that day. That afternoon, with no other options open to him as nothing was leading to anything with Prosky, staking out the high school. Then off to look at dogs.

Not a fun day, until the end.

“Where are you?” Chace asked, and his voice made Deck stop thinking about his shit day that at least would end well, and he stopped dead.

“At home. Why?” he answered.

There was nothing from Chace for a long moment before he asked, “Those prints you gave me to run, where’d you get those again?”

Deck’s blood turned cold right before it ran hot.

Not hot the way Emme made him feel.

Hot the way he felt that night Chace had told him Faye was buried alive.

“Why?” he asked back.

“Just tell me, Deck.”

“My nightstand,” Deck answered tersely and again got silence. He moved to the garage door button, hit it, the door started sliding down and he and Buford moved into the house as he pressed, “Chace. Talk to me.”

“I’m gonna preface this by sayin’, we’re on this. I’m callin’ it in to Mick and—”

“Stop f**kin’ with me. Say it,” Deck growled.

He heard a sigh then, “Three prints you lifted and gave me to run. Yours. Those belonging to Emme, probably in the system because they were put there sometime after she was kidnapped. And Dane McFarland’s.”

Deck instantly turned on his boot and started back toward his garage.

“Deck, listen to me—” Chace began.

“Jerkoff’s been in my house,” Deck bit out.

“Man, seriously. Listen.”

He kept Buford back with a foot, entered the garage, closed the door and hit the button again for the door to go up.

“Emme was pissed, went off on one, took her shit, left,” Deck shared. “He was following her, Chace. She asked Donna to look after Buford. Donna told me the security system had not been engaged the first time she came in after Emme. He got in,” Deck told him.

He yanked the door of his truck open and swung in.

“Do not lose your cool,” Chace warned.

“There is no cool in this, Chace. That ass**le has been in my house. He took my f**kin’ kaleidoscope.”

Chace sounded confused when he asked, “Your what?”

“My kaleidoscope. That box I kept on the mantel?” Deck asked, shoving his key in the ignition.

“Sorry, Deck, I don’t—”

“There’s a kaleidoscope in it. Emme gave it to me.”

Just turn the dial.

Deck closed his eyes.

McFarland had a piece of his Emme.

That f**king ass**le.

He clenched his jaw and opened his eyes.

“How would McFarland know that?” Chace asked.

“How the f**k do I know?” Deck shot back.