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A scream echoed in my head, along with the desire to punch Rourke in the face. The violent thought was brief but strong. I sucked in a breath. Where did that come from?

Enzo. The answer was quick and clear. Ever since I’d met him, I started going backward. Yeah, I left the drugs alone, but I was back to being impulsive, short-tempered, and wild. Enzo had done this to me.

“Yeah,” I answered, feeling waves of apprehension wash over me. “I could.”

Rourke searched my face. I felt like at any moment he would call bullshit and yell at me for my stupidity. However, he nodded and passed me a beer after cracking it open.

I took it and gulped down half the bottle before pulling it away from my lips. Rourke stared at me. “Long day,” I muttered.

“We have work tomorrow. It might be a good idea for you to turn in early.”

“Do you think he’ll find me here?”

“Yep, and soon,” Rourke said. “These guys are not only smart, they have scores of people that will do whatever they tell them to do. I’m sure they know we’re close. Finding my place won’t be that hard.”

“Then I need to go,” I said, standing up. “I’ll look into staying somewhere else.”

“Sit down,” Rourke cut in, waving a hand. “No matter where you go, you would be in danger. At least here, it’s us against them. No one innocent will get hurt.” He shook his head. “This is an even bigger reason to shut the Vitale’s down and throw their asses in prison for a long time.”

I nodded, but my mouth felt like it had been glued shut. Enzo would be behind bars, and I wouldn’t be able to see him again. Was the last time we spent together really going to be angry sex and unspoken words?

My throat felt like sawdust was clogging it, and I swallowed down more beer to erase the feeling. I already knew that things between us wouldn’t end well. So, why did it hurt so damn bad?

Penelope meowed, hopped on the couch, and rubbed against my arm. I scratched behind his ears and moved to stroking the length of his body fast and hard the way Enzo did it. He instantly began purring, the sound so loud it rivaled the noise of the TV.

“What are you going to do with that cat?”

“Pen?” I asked. “I need to get him a few supplies, but he’ll be okay here.”

As I spoke, Penelope trotted over to Rourke. My partner frowned, lifted his hand, and tried to pet Penelope. A growl echoed from Penelope’s throat before he hissed at him. Penelope’s back raised, his tail high as he reached out a paw and struck out at Rourke.

“Goddamn it,” Rourke yelled, jumping from his seat as I joined him. “You need to take that thing somewhere else!” He looked at his bleeding hand. “Shit, that burns. I need to clean this. Find somewhere for him to stay until we finish this case.”

“He didn’t mean it,” I said. “He’s just stressed.”

“Yeah, stressed,” Rourke muttered. Turning on his heels, he walked down the hall. “I mean it. Find somewhere for him to stay. I’m allergic anyway.”

I gazed down at Penelope. “Why’d you do that?” I muttered. “You’re supposed to be a good boy.”

He grumbled again, the sound bordering on a growl. Shaking my head, I deposited Penelope back into his crate, but this time he went willingly. I knew where I could take him. Chelsea loved Pen and wouldn’t mind protecting him until the case was over.

The thought of Penelope not being by my side only made my shoulders slump more. Enzo was gone. Penelope was about to be sent away. All I had left was my dream staring me in the face if I solved this case.

Do I even want this anymore?

I stuffed that thought down hard and fast. Being a detective was everything I wanted. I couldn’t allow anyone to get in my way.