Liza had been the only person he’d trusted with knowledge of Tory while they’d dated. They’d shared secrets and hopes. He’d even told her when Tory got pregnant.
But not so much after that. Tom had been in love, blind to the rest of the world. And then he’d been in shock, grieving. And then he’d been focused on getting justice for his love and their unborn child.
He’d shut Liza out, albeit unintentionally. He’d never even told her that Tory was dead. She’d found out when she’d arrived home from Afghanistan last Christmas Day. She’d come fully expecting to meet the woman he’d wanted to spend his life with.
He still remembered the shock in her eyes when he’d told her that Tory was dead. Then the hurt that he’d kept it from her.
“But she seemed fine after that,” he told Pebbles, who stared up at him. “She was happy.” Until she wasn’t. And when did that really start? Now he couldn’t seem to remember. Distracted by the danger Mercy and Gideon were in, he hadn’t been paying attention. “I don’t know what to do,” he confided. “What do you think is wrong?”
Pebbles simply wagged her whip of a tail, her tongue lolling to the side.
“You’re no help at all.” He leaned down to rub her ears. “But you’re still a good girl.”
She licked his face and he abruptly straightened, grimacing. He’d nearly broken her of that habit, but Liza let her do it.
He sank back into his chair, glumly staring at his screen. He’d created a project file for Eden a month ago, when Ephraim had been intent on kidnapping Mercy Callahan. It was still pathetically thin.
He heard the car engine a second before Pebbles began to bark. She sounded fierce, even though she’d most likely just lick a burglar’s face.
He shushed her, then checked the window again, frowning when Rafe Sokolov and Mercy Callahan emerged from the Subaru parked in his drive. Leaning on his cane, Rafe escorted Mercy up the front walk, keeping his body between hers and the street every step of the way.
A glance across the street revealed a black SUV with Agent Rodriguez behind the wheel. His shift would be over soon and his replacement would take over guard duty. For now, the man was watchful, giving Tom a slight salute before resuming his surveillance of the street.
Mercy quickly disappeared into Liza’s side of the duplex, as if Liza had been holding the door open. This made him want to march down there and remind her that she’d witnessed an attempted murder only hours before.
He’d be giving her a lecture on proper security when her guests left. For now, Rafe was with them, and that was more than good enough in Tom’s eyes. The homicide detective was savvy and knew his way around firearms. He wasn’t a sharpshooter like Gideon’s girlfriend, Daisy, but he was more than capable of protecting Liza.
Except Rafe didn’t go inside. Blowing a kiss to Mercy, he stepped back from Liza’s doorstep, aiming a look up at Tom’s window before crossing the grassy patch between their two front doors. His knock had Pebbles barking again and Tom went downstairs to open the door.
“Hey,” Rafe said, his eyes taking Tom in. “No offense, dude, but you look like shit.”
Tom smoothed his hair, which had to be standing every which direction. “I’ve been working,” he said stiffly.
“I figured as much.” Rafe pointed inside. “Can I come in or do I need to tell you stuff standing on your front porch?”
“Oh. Sorry.” Cheeks heating, Tom stepped back to allow Rafe to come inside. “My mother would be very upset with me. Can I offer you something to drink? I have beer, water, and pop.”
“How about a beer? Mercy and Liza will be busy for a while, so I don’t need to drive for a few hours. I can have one.”
Tom walked to the kitchen, Rafe following behind him. “Busy doing what?” he asked.
“Talking.” He smiled. “And talking, and talking some more. I’m thankful for Liza. Mercy needed a friend. She misses Farrah.”
Farrah was Mercy’s best friend from New Orleans. Tom liked Farrah. She was funny and smart and had a heart like his mother’s. “I guess she does.”
Rafe perched on a stool at Tom’s kitchen island. “Liza seemed . . . off today. Mercy was worried. I told her it was probably the shock of seeing a sniper, but Mercy had to check for herself to make sure Liza is all right.”
“She seemed fine when