ever.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
—1 John 4:18
To my family. I’m so thankful for all of you.
Contents
Note to Readers
Someone had been watching her. All morning, maybe even for the last few days. Goose bumps would run down Erynn Cooper’s arms at the oddest time. In the grocery store, while she was walking from her truck in the parking lot to the trooper building in the mornings...
And she was afraid she knew who. He—or she—had been responsible for five deaths already, six counting her father’s.
She’d always known he would come for her.
Erynn closed the door behind her, debated locking it, but knew that wasn’t why she was in town. She was not running; she was simply trying to live her life, fill her dad’s shoes in any way she could by bringing criminals to justice, helping people feel safe. And keep her ears out for any leads on the cold case that had led to her dad’s death.
Most days she felt like she could barely fill half of one of Mack Cooper’s shoes. Why had he been the one to die so young?
And what would her life have been like if he hadn’t? She wouldn’t have become a trooper, Erynn didn’t think, but what would she have been?
She’d never had the chance to consider it, not really.
She sat at her desk, shoved aside the little Christmas tree her partner had apparently added while she’d been home sleeping, and poured herself a cup of coffee. She had already told him she wasn’t big on Christmas decorations. Apparently he didn’t care. Every day this week it had been something new. First twinkling lights, then snowman stickers on the windows. Now the tree. Erynn shook her head and took a sip of coffee, startling as her phone chimed the arrival of a text message.
Noah.
You weren’t at the diner last night. Everything okay?
Almost every Saturday night the two of them, along with some friends, played board games at the diner while drinking bad coffee and talking about their weeks. She hadn’t wanted to go last night since yesterday had been odd and she’d felt out of place all day, like something was wrong.
It hadn’t been until this morning that she’d pinpointed the feeling: she was prey and someone was hunting her, or at the very least watching her. But she hadn’t wanted to face Noah when she hadn’t felt her best. Despite her efforts, the man knew her too well. And she didn’t want him getting any closer to her, prying into her life any more.
It would only make things more dangerous for both of them. Her life. His career.
She took a deep breath then a sip of coffee. She had a job to do, and she needed to focus and do it.
Hours
