Jesus, I’m losing him. I’m losing him and there’s nothing I can do to stop it!
Riley’s heart broke completely as a giant fissure formed down its center. She thought about the strong, kind man dying in her arms and how hard this was going to be on his family.
Adam’s ‘girls’, as he always called them—his wife, daughter, and granddaughter—would be devastated by the insurmountable loss. A loss that could’ve been prevented had they not been distracted.
This is all my fault. The man who’d become more of a father to me than my own was shot because of me. He’s going todiebecause of me!
The thought was a crushing blow. One she’d never recover from.
Chin trembling, Riley swallowed her guilt and gave him the only thing—the verylastthing—she could.
“I’ll tell them,” she promised, her voice cracking with every word. “They already know, but I’ll tell them.”
“Thanks...kid. Love...y-you....”
Ah, God. Please don’t do this!
Tears poured down her face. “I love you, too, Adam.”
Minutes later, the ambulance pulled in front of the house, followed by three NYPD cruisers. Their flashing lights were bright, their sirens coming to an almost simultaneous halt.
Two paramedics—each with bags in their hands—came rushing up the sidewalk toward him, but...
They’re too late.
Adam’s eyes had already fallen shut. His full and generous heart had already stopped beating.
And Riley was still sitting there, with nothing more to do but hold her partner and think about how his death was all her fault.
Chapter 1
Present day...
“W-who are you?” Kennedy Davis stared up at the man who’d kidnapped her.
He was tall and handsome. His chiseled features and well-built frame were something straight out of a magazine. This was a man who could catch the eye of any woman he wanted.
