back here two years. I guess we all need to come home eventually, huh?”
Dante smiled at that. “Ellen asked me to come back for her and George’s anniversary.”
“Man, that shit sucks for her.”
“It does.” He didn’t even want to think about it. “Anyway, I agreed to come back because I figured it was time anyway.”
Gabe nodded. “So we both left right after the attack.”
“Looks like it. Roman and Jeff never left, though?”
“No, they both stayed.”
“Nothing is like I expected it to be,” he said.
“Why? Because you didn’t get a big welcome-home party?”
He shot Gabe a look. “No. I don’t know what I expected. Sure as hell didn’t expect to find out Anna was a detective. And, Roman, too. That’s a shocker. And you—look at you. All tatted up and gone biker. A real badass now.”
Gabe laughed and stretched his legs out in front of him, then popped his black shit-kicker boots up on the table. “The one thing I found out when I came back? The world around here didn’t stop turning just because I left.”
It sure as hell didn’t. Didn’t make Dante feel any better, but he’d done what he’d been asked to do, and he’d done it for Anna’s sake. At the time it seemed like the right thing to do.
It had been the right thing to do.
But at the time he’d thought Gabe would be around to watch over her. The others had been younger, not as well equipped to be her protectors.
“I didn’t know you were leaving,” Dante said. “I might have stuck around otherwise.”
“I didn’t know you had left, either. Sorry, man.”
Dante shrugged. “Not your responsibility. Anna managed okay, though. She had her dad to take care of her. How’s she seemed the past couple years since you’ve been back?”
Gabe grinned. “Feisty. Driven. She’s out to get the bad guys in a big way.”
In the short time he’d seen her at the crime scene, he could see that about her.
“Which means what, exactly? That the two of you meet up more often than not?”
“You might say that.” Gabe chuckled.
Curious, Dante leaned forward. “Something else going on with you and Anna I should know about?”
“Like what?”
He didn’t want to ask. But he needed to know. “You have something going on with her?”
Gabe frowned. “Why would you think that?”
“You showed up at her house this morning.”
Gabe let out a soft laugh and shook his head. “You dumbass. It’s not like that. I look out for her.”
“Maybe you’re not the right person to be doing that, considering what kind of business you’re in.”
“Yeah, and you think you’re better equipped to do it, mystery man?”
“Hell, I don’t know.” Dante stood and walked to the window, raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m talking out my ass, Gabe. I’m tired. I’ve been up all night.” He turned to face his onetime best friend and brother. “It’s good to see you. I’m glad you’re here. And thanks for giving me this place to stay.”
Gabe stood. “Get some sleep. I’ll check in with you later.”
He held out his hand. Dante clasped his arm and pulled him in for a tight hug.
He never got close to people, hadn’t since he’d left here. Gabe and the others had been the only people he’d truly counted on. They were the only ones he’d ever told his secrets to. He trusted them with everything without question.
Or he had at one time.
Like Gabe had said—everything had changed in twelve years.
“It’s good to have you home again,” Gabe said.
“It’s good to be home.”
He was surprised to discover he actually meant it.
Anna was armpit deep in the thing she hated most—paperwork—when Dante strolled into the squad room and made a beeline for her desk.
She frowned. “Who let you in?”
“Some guy named McClaren.”
“Remind me to withhold his donuts.”
“Funny.”
He made himself at home by sliding into the chair next to her desk, extending his long, lean legs out in front of him. He wore a dark gray T-shirt that stretched tight across a very well-developed chest, his muscled biceps peeking out from the hem of the short sleeves.
And just like before, the stupid sex chemicals in her body roared to life. God, now that he’d grown up he was devastating, which she would have already been well aware of if he hadn’t left her twelve years ago.
She refused to be attracted to him. She intended to stay angry. His reappearance had brought unpleasant things, just like the last time she’d seen him.
He might even be considered a suspect. She wasn’t about to be attracted to a suspect.
She turned her attention on him, determined to remain cool and aloof.
“Something you want?”
He gave her a half-lidded look that made her squirm in her chair, so she chose to ignore him and concentrated on her paperwork instead.
“I take it you’re busy?”
“Master of the obvious, aren’t you?” she replied while not really studying the file in front of her.
“Want me to help?”
She lifted her gaze to his. “You a cop?”
He smiled at her. She’d always loved his smile. He’d made promises to her with that smile. Promises he hadn’t kept.
“Not a cop, no.”
“Then you should leave and let me be one.”
“I thought I’d hang out with you awhile and we could catch up. Maybe we could go grab something to eat.”
“I’m on duty, Dante.”
“You’re doing paperwork, Anna. Unless your captain thinks it’s a bad idea for me to be here and throws me out.”
