Liam was going to be one solid heartbreaker when he grew up.
His feet got ahead of his small body as he glanced up at Evelyn and he face-planted. Hard. His chin connected with the floor with a hard crack. Ava’s jabber halted. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at her brother’s crumpled figure.
He lay there for a minute, hugging the floor, his tiny body a statue. A whimper escaped his lips as he slowly lifted his face toward Evelyn. His chin quivered and tears collected in his eyes.
Evelyn set Ava down and, in two steps, scooped him into her arms to cuddle him close to her.
“Look at you, little man. You’re okay, sweetheart.” She lightly kissed the red, angry knot on his chin. He whimpered again, fat tears threatening to roll down his cheeks.
“You’re okay. See? All better.”
Evelyn pushed the curls away from his eyes. Liam tentatively smiled up at her. She kissed the tip of his nose and felt his body relax. She looked into his eyes, the stress of the Langdon case gone. She didn’t know how or why, but the tiny man in her arms pushed back the darkness in her world.
Seeing that her brother wasn’t broken, Ava once again launched into chatter about the red-haired boy who sat behind her in class, always pulling her hair. Why did he do that anyway? When no one answered, she embarked onto her next story.
“Kate, can I get a bag of frozen peas?” Evelyn grabbed Ava’s hand, cradled Liam to her chest and headed toward the kitchen.
* * *
RYAN AND EVELYN’S phones beeped at the same time. In tandem, they reached for them. Their delightfully calm and refreshing evening crashed and burned.
Ryan skimmed the text and set down his frosted mug of Guinness. “Son of a bitch.”
“Ryan,” Kate chastised between clenched teeth, casting a quick glance at Ava.
A look of chagrin crossed his face. Kate had a mouth that made the trashiest sailor blush, but demanded clean language around the children. It was one of the many contradictory things about her partner’s wife, and Evelyn knew he loved every single one of them.
Ava giggled at her parents’ exchange, nothing lost on her brilliant young mind, and went back to her favorite meal: cedar plank salmon. Which still boggled Evelyn’s mind—what six-year-old loved salmon? But after one nibble off Evelyn’s plate when Ava was five, the little munchkin was sold. Liam stuffed mashed potatoes into his mouth without the use of his fork, which now lay on the floor. Kate had given up that fight not even five minutes into dinner, as he insisted on using the utensil as a drumstick against the wood. Fearing for her lovely table, she’d left the fork on the floor when it went flying after her son’s last particularly creative drumming session.
Evelyn scanned the message and silently agreed with Ryan’s choice words. She pushed back from the table and ruffled Liam’s curls as she popped another piece of asparagus into her mouth.
“Gotta go, babe.” Ryan stood, leaned over to his wife and kissed her.
Ava scrambled down from her chair and threw herself at Evelyn. “Don’t go, Ev. You haven’t seen my new book yet.”
“I see how I rate.” Ryan chuckled, then shrugged on his North Face jacket.
Evelyn hugged Ava tightly. “Next time, sweets. That’s a promise. Okay?”
After letting her go, Evelyn leaned down to hug Liam, who was reaching up from his high chair. She laughed as he dug his chubby face into her neck and gave her a slobbery, openmouthed, potato-covered baby kiss.
God, she loved this family, these kids. No one could replace her own family. Ever. She ached for them daily, the pain still as fresh as it was fifteen years ago. But the O’Neil clan came a close second.
The gaping wound in her soul healed a bit with every minute spent with them. She didn’t know if she’d ever be whole again—some days, she doubted it completely. But this family made her feel like she had a fighting chance, and she’d do anything for them.
Ryan stood by the door. “Let’s go, Evelyn. The captain will piss himself if we don’t get there soon.”
“Ryan.” A groan of exasperation escaped Kate’s lips.
He shrugged, a sheepish smile crossing his face. It morphed into a smirk as he took a giant step forward and wrapped Kate in a tight embrace, noisily kissing her. Ava squealed in protest. Twisting out of her husband’s arms, Kate blushed and rolled her eyes at Evelyn.
“But he will. Truly. Piss himself,” Ryan said straight-faced. He laughed as he dodged Kate’s playful swat.
No need to remind Evelyn of that. Captain Kessler’s temper was legendary. Hot lava bubbled just beneath the surface of his even, cool disposition, just waiting for the right moment to erupt. It didn’t do so often, but when his temper flared, it was hot and violent.
She tried her best to stay on the easygoing side of his demeanor, but something told her that tonight they just might see him explode. Nothing in the message she’d received alluded to that, yet her instincts screamed that something was amiss. Something big. And ugly.
Evelyn blew out a long breath. So much for time off. She kissed Kate on the cheek. “Thanks for the dinner. Who knows, maybe one of these days you can teach me how to cook.”
Kate smiled. “That’d be nice.”
“You? Cook?” Ryan snorted, pushed open the front door and stepped out. “Not possible.”
Smiling, Evelyn shrugged into her black lightweight North Face jacket, then followed Ryan into the foggy Seattle evening.
IT HAD BEEN fifteen years. Still...she didn’t think she’d ever stop missing the constant sun and warmth of Phoenix. Shivering in the wind, she zipped her jacket, hunched her shoulders against the bone-chilling drizzle that fell from the sky and headed toward the station’s metal double doors. Admittedly, this misty Pacific Northwest weather suited her—the Evelyn of today. The Evelyn who’d once soaked up the golden sun in Phoenix and traipsed through Milan without a worry in the world had gone into hiding a long time ago. Her chest tightened. She wasn’t sure she’d ever see her again, or if she even existed anymore.
The station’s small foyer sat vacant except for the young officer perched behind the front desk. He lifted his head. “Detectives.”
“Sampson.” Evelyn nodded. “What’s going on tonight?”
His brows pinched together. “Sorry, Detective. Haven’t heard a thing.”
She frowned. “Okay. Thanks.”
A sick sense of dread twisted her stomach. She and Ryan rode to the third floor in silence. This was their night off. Being called in, especially after working the Langdon case nonstop, only meant one thing: trouble.
A soft chime announced their arrival. Captain Kessler sat on the desk closest to them—Evelyn’s desk—his face stormy.
“It’s about time,” he said. He pushed his tall, lanky frame off the corner of her desk and glared at them. Has he been waiting for us? Evelyn cast a quizzical look toward Ryan. He shrugged.
“Come on.” Kessler marched down the hall to his office door.
They passed through the bull pen to follow him. It was small, cramped almost. A dozen or so ancient