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She shakes her head. Her gaze flicks down the road again before focusing back on me. “I can’t be seen talking to you.”

“I’m begging you. I need your help to save my sister.”

She sighs, studying me for a moment and I can see the war in her eyes. Rosie wants to help but no doubt she’s scared after the things she’s witnessed in that house.

“We can’t talk here,” she says and relief overwhelms me, almost knocking me on my ass as I’m filled with hope.

“Okay. Where then?”

Rosie shoves her hands into the pockets of her sweater and spares another glance down the road. Streak was right. There is so much more to this than a domestic violence case and I’m anxious to figure out what it is.

“There’s a coffee house three blocks over. I go there every Monday morning and if I just happen to run into you there.” She shrugs and I get the message loud and clear, nodding my head.

“I’ll be there.”

Without another word, she turns and heads into the house as I slide behind the wheel and look up the coffee shop on my phone. After I set the GPS, I pull away from the curb and let out a breath. Finally, we have a little bit of progress. Now, I just need to convince her to help us.

My phone rings as I turn at the end of the street and I answer it, switching it over to speakerphone.

“Hey, baby. How did it go?” Chance asks.

“I’m not really sure yet. She didn’t want to talk at her house so I’m meeting her at a coffee shop a couple of blocks over.”

He’s quiet for a moment. “I don’t like this.”

“What do you think she’s going to do? Sell me out to Julian?”

“That’s exactly what I think, especially if it comes down to you or her. I wish you had let me come with you.”

I sigh as I make another turn. “If it’s really bothering you that much, I’ll text you the address of the coffee shop and you can sit outside.”

“Yeah, do that.”

I can already hear him rushing on the other end of the phone and I roll my eyes as I say goodbye and hang up. I know he’s worried, but I truly believe Rosie is a good person. She risked a lot to bring me the note, so she wouldn’t sell me out to Julian… at least, I hope not.

So, what if she did anyway? It’s not like he’s going to do anything to me. Then again, he could hurt Ivy. The thought makes my heart twist as I pull into a parking space in front of the coffee shop and text Chance the address.

No, I can’t let my thoughts go down that dark path.

Climbing out of the car, I scan the street even though I’m not really sure what I’m looking for and walk into the coffee shop. At the counter, the barista smiles at me.

“Hello, what can I get for you?” she asks.

“Large vanilla latte with a double shot.”

She nods and turns away to make my drink as I wring my hands together and glance out the window, looking for Rosie. The road is relatively clear and I don’t see her car anywhere so I sigh and turn back to the counter.

“Of all the coffee shops in this town,” a voice says behind me and I recognize it instantly, tensing as I turn to face Damian.

“Yes, what a coincidence.”

What the hell is he doing here?

“It would seem coffee shops are our thing.”

I force a smile to my face. “I wouldn’t say we have a thing. We barely know each other.”

“I would ask you to have coffee with me so we could get to know each other better but I have a feeling I’d get shot down… again.”