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Felicity lifted a hand, threading her fingers through his hair. Her hand drifted lower, her thumb brushing along his cheek, over the roughness of his stubble.

This man. This wonderful, uncomplicated, albeit maddening, man. “There was no good way to tell me.”

She tipped her head back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before looking at him again, meeting that concern head-on. “When?”

“Two days ago.” His gaze held hers. “There was a bit of drama. She witnessed an accident on the way into town. Andy Long’s truck went off the road.” A brief pause. “He didn’t make it.” He shifted slightly. “But yeah … she’s back.”

He looked at her for a long second. “She didn’t tell you she was coming.”

Not a question. But the confusion bled through.

In his world, sisters called. Gave warning. Showed up for each other.

In the Liminov world … not so much.

She shook her head, not ready for the explanation. “No.”

And soon, he’d know the truth.

He’d know all the ugly, horrid details.

But for now…

She just wanted one last uncomplicated night.

“So … that food and beer you were talking about…”

He pushed to his feet, a grin breaking through.

“And Marine—”

“Lissy-love?”

She tipped her head, meeting his eyes. “You can leave the shirt off.”

*

She was in the shower.

After inhaling the steak and roasted vegetables as if she hadn’t eaten in days. Maybe she hadn’t. He wouldn’t know. All he’d gotten from her in the four days she’d been gone was a brief text earlier: Leaving Lincoln.

And now … she asked him to stay.

He could hear the water running through the open window behind him. Hear her move, the soft shift in the way the water hit the tub, the squeeze of an almost-empty bottle.

But his mind was too occupied to linger on the fact that she was only a few feet away, naked. Vulnerable.

It was the last that worried him most.

And it went deeper than exhaustion.

She’d rallied briefly. Shown a flicker of spark when she told him to keep his shirt off.

But it hadn’t lasted.

Through dinner, walking him through the Voss takedown, that spark had faded. She’d spoken by rote. Just the facts.

Voss and Velasco, and their henchmen, were in custody.