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“I’m here.”

“Do you have a weapon on you?”

“No.”

“We’re fixing that tomorrow,” I growled. A curse flew from my lips as I jerked the wheel to miss a car that pulled out in front of me. If we wanted to get to Rain in record time and in one piece, I needed to focus. “Talk to Jameson. Stay on the phone with him. Please.”

He took the phone from my fingers the second I pulled it away from my ear. With her taken care of, I pressed down on the accelerator, desperation urging me to get to her in record time. The shit engine roared, the RPM needle hitting the red, the entire frame vibrating as I urged it faster. Every second we weren’t there meant she was alone, vulnerable to an attack. What if whoever broke into her home came back?

What if it was someone who’d targeted her specifically?

What if it was our killer?

Sweat slicked my forehead and dripped down my temples as all the possibilities swirled through my head. All that mattered was getting to her and wrapping her in my arms. Nothing could get to her if she was with me, but I had to fucking get there for that to happen.

The normally short drive to her place felt like an eternity. When we rounded the corner to her street, the strobing red-and-white lights that filled the darkness had me sucking in a deep breath. At least she wasn’t alone, but I couldn’t relax until I saw with my own eyes that she was unharmed.

Not giving two shits about blocking the damn street, I slammed my foot on the brake, the tires locking up, sending the car skidding to a stop. One hand thrusting the gearshift into Park, I shoved the door open with the other, sprinting for the sidewalk the moment my feet hit the asphalt.

I cleared the curb, my quick pace faltering at the sight of her waiting on the lower step of her townhome. Highlighted by the glow of the front porch light, she had her head in her hands, shoulders curled in on herself. My normally stony heart cracked. Rain looked so small. Nothing like the strong, confident woman I was used to seeing daily.

“Rain,” I called out.

Her face snapped up, red-rimmed eyes searching until they landed on me. Palm pressed to the concrete, she started to stand, but I got to her first. Wrapping my arms beneath hers, I hauled her up, securing her much smaller frame to mine. Dark silky strands wove through my fingers as I dove a hand into her hair, pressing her face into my shoulder.

“You’re okay.” I wasn’t sure if I was trying to assure her or myself. “We’re here. You’re safe now, baby.”

The term just rolled off my lips. That made twice tonight, and it felt right. It made her feel more like mine.

After a full minute of my too-tight embrace, I forced my hold to relax, allowing her to pull back enough to angle her face up toward mine. “Are the officers inside?”

“Yeah,” she rasped.

“Rain.” There was desperation in Jameson’s tone that had me releasing my hold on her. Taking the opening, he pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair, his continued words of reassurance muffled with his lips against her neck.

The light blazing through the front windows of her three-story townhome drew my focus. The itch to know what happened and uncover the clues had me rolling my shoulders to shrug off the need for answers. But I couldn’t. I needed to be out here with Rain, making sure she was safe.

But when my gaze swung back to her and Jameson, him still holding her close, I realized that for the first time I didn’t have to hold back, to bear the full weight of taking care of someone alone. His brown eyes met mine in the dark. I inclined my head toward the front door in a silent question and raised my brows.

“I’ve got her,” he responded. Hands on her shoulders, he gently twirled her around, placing Rain’s back to his chest. Both arms snaked around her waist and tightened, holding her against him in a protective stance. A wave of relief slammed into me at the sight instead of making me jealous, shocking the hell out of me. “Go talk to the officers, see what the fuck is going on. Better you than me.”

He was right. They all knew me. Jameson was an outsider in their eyes.

In one step, I was toe-to-toe with Rain. Her smooth skin brushed against my fingers when I wrapped them around her chin, tipping her face up to mine. Emotions warred inside me, hating leaving her but also desperate to find answers for what happened tonight. As I searched her eyes, looking for a sign that she needed me to stay, a pulse of relief hit me, finding the earlier fear gone from her beautiful face.

“Are you okay?” She nodded. “Words, Rain. I need to hear that you’re okay.”

“I’m good. Now that you’re here.” Her head thumped back against Jameson’s chest. “Now that you’re both here.”

Again, I expected jealousy at her admission, but the way she looked up at me, with complete confidence in her eyes that I would take care of everything, that she was safe now that I was here, left no room for jealousy.

She’d called me when she was scared, knew I’d protect her and keep her safe.

Talk about a fucking ego boost.

This strong, amazing, smart-as-hell woman was leaning on me to handle the situation for her. Because she trusted me and knew I would take care of everything. And I would, especially knowing she would remain safe when I turned and walked into that house to get the answers we all wanted.

Without thinking or stopping the urge, I bent low and pressed my lips to her forehead.

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