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“I’m going to go see if I can help.” Without waiting for a response, I slide down off the stool and rush into the kitchen right as Maverick slips his phone into his pocket.

“I’m sorry,” he says as he faces me. “I tried to get him to leave, but he insisted on talking to you.”

“It’s okay.” My hands are trembling, so I cross my arms to try to hide it.

Unfortunately, Maverick seems to notice anyway. He crosses over toward me, stopping when he’s a few feet away. “If you don’t want to talk to him, I can do my best to push him out. But you should know that he’s a good man. Honest.”

I swallow hard. The other cops were probably good, honest men, too. And somehow, my attacker knew I’d gone to them that first time. He told me countless times that he had to move up his timeline because I was so unaccepting of his gifts.

“Okay.”

“I’ll be right here with you the whole time. What I said still stands, Sadie. He won’t get you here.”

I believe that you believe that. But I don’t vocalize my doubts, not when he’s so intent on making me believe every word.

So, I just nod.

Maverick moves past me and out into the bar, so I follow.

“Let’s get this over with,” he says gruffly. “Coffee will be here shortly,” he adds.

“Great, thanks,” Captain Leopold says as he withdraws a notepad.

I move around the bar and take a seat on a stool because I genuinely don’t trust my legs to hold up.

“Okay. So, given the caller witnessed a woman who is clearly injured, screaming in panic before being carried off by you—right before you shut the bar down for the night—I’m sure you can understand why they called.”

I close my eyes, that guilt mixing with embarrassment and concern for Maverick. They thought he abducted me. Of course they did. It’s not like I didn’t make a horrible scene right in the middle of a crowded bar.

“Maverick is helping me,” I say.

“Sadie—” Maverick starts.

“No, it’s okay.” I take a deep breath and fully face the Captain. I can do this. “I went to the police before, and it only made things worse, so that’s why I didn’t go to them this time. And why I asked Maverick not to call you when he found me in his alley.”

“How did you get into his alley?” Captain Leopold asks. When I don’t respond, he closes the notepad in his hand and sets it aside. “I can understand your hesitation about trusting the original department that handled your case, Miss Eaton. I looked into you,” he adds quickly. “But I am not them, and we are not a large department with more cases than manpower. You are in my town now. While you are here, you are my family, and I protect my own.”

Family. It’s been a few years since I had one of those to call my own. But is this just a ploy to get me to open up? Or is he being honest? Will he really be able to help me?

The door flies open, and we turn as a very pregnant Anastasia comes rushing in, a tray of lattes in hand, a beaming smile on her face.

The uplifting my heart feels when I see her is just as unexplainable as the connection I feel toward the bartender standing a foot away from me, separated by a bar top. And suddenly, even though talking about this makes my skin crawl, I feel strong enough to do it.

Thank You, Lord. Thank You for bringing these people into my life.

“Oh, I hope I’m not late.” She sets the coffees on the bar and smiles at me. “I thought you could use some support from a woman.”

“Thank you,” I tell her.

“You’re welcome. Here, Mav,” she says, offering him a cup of coffee.

One look at him, and I know he’s the one who called her. Which is also why he didn’t make any coffee when he said he was going to. Because he knew she was on her way.

Thank you, I mouth at him.

He nods and lifts the cup to his lips.

“Lavender latte for you, Sadie.” She offers me a cup.