“What?” Nora asked, dread pooling in her stomach.
“Judge denied the search warrant. Said there’s still not enough probable cause.” He set the phone down harder than necessary. “Eugene’s lawyer is good. He’s blocking every move I make.”
“So what do we do?”
“I keep digging. Keep building the case. Keep you safe until I have enough evidence that no judge can deny it.” Carson’s jaw clenched. “Even if it takes weeks.”
Weeks. Of hiding here. Of living in Carson’s space. Of this growing tension between them.
Nora wasn’t sure if the prospect terrified her or thrilled her.
***
That evening, Carson ordered pizza and they ate on the couch, watching an action movie neither of them could focus on.
Nora kept sneaking glances at him. The way his jaw worked when he was thinking. The way his eyes tracked every movement in the movie like he was analyzing it. The way he’d unconsciously moved closer on the couch until their shoulders almost touched.
“You’re staring,” Carson said without looking away from the TV.
Heat flooded Nora’s face. “Sorry. I was just...thinking.”
“About?”
About how safe I feel here. About how you make me feel seen and believed and protected. About how I’m starting to want things I shouldn’t want.
“About what happens after,” Nora said instead. “When you catch Eugene. When this is over.”
“You go back to your life. Your apartment. Your work. Everything goes back to normal.”
“Does it?” She turned to face him. “Because I don’t think my life will ever feel normal again. Not after this.”
Carson finally looked at her, and the intensity in his eyes stole her breath. “You’ll heal. You’ll move forward. You’re stronger than you think.”
“And what about you? Do you just move on to the next case? The next victim to save?”
“That’s my job.”
“Is that all this is to you? Just another job?”
She shouldn’t have asked. Shouldn’t have pushed. She already knew the answer. But the need to know—to understand what this connection between them meant—overpowered her sense of self-preservation.
Carson’s expression shifted, something raw and unguarded flickering across his face before he locked it down. “Nora—”
“Never mind.” She stood abruptly. “I shouldn’t have asked. I’m going to... I need to call Lila back. Let her know I’m okay.”
She fled to the guest room before he could respond, closing the door and leaning against it.
Stupid. That was so stupid.
She’d just made everything awkward. Had revealed too much. Had shown her hand when she should have kept things professional.
But as she sat on the edge of the bed, phone in hand, all she could think about was the look in Carson’s eyes before he’d shut down.
Like he’d wanted to answer. Like he’d wanted to tell her this was more than just a job.
Like he felt it too.
Nora took a shaky breath and dialed Lila’s number.
