In Seconds

Myles gave him a somewhat hesitant nod—his agreement stemmed more from curiosity than anything else —and held the door. “If you want.”

After a quick glance at the light glowing in Vivian’s kitchen, Rex frowned and stepped inside. Then he looked around and gave a grudging nod. “Nice.”

Oddly enough, Myles got the impression that compliment was sincere. But a bitter note also rang through what Rex had said, and that stopped Myles from offering any kind of thanks. “I assume you didn’t come over to check out my place.”

“No.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, probably to hide the shaking. “I came over to ask you a favor.”

Myles had to catch his jaw to keep it from dropping. “You want something from me? ”

The facade created by Rex’s I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude and that tough-guy toothpick routine cracked when he had to reach for a wall to steady himself. Myles almost felt sorry for him. Vivian’s friend, or whatever he was to her, was too proud to be in this position. “You need a doctor,” he said. “You know that, right?”

“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

“Doesn’t look like you’re doing a very good job.”

A self-deprecating smile twisted his lips. “Yeah, well, not all of us can be like you.”

“If you hate me so much, or what this uniform stands for, why are you in my living room?”

“To tell you this.” He grimaced, whether from pain or a general reluctance to continue, Myles couldn’t tell. Humility didn’t come easy for this guy. The only reason Myles could imagine he’d come over was that he had no other choice.

“I’m waiting.”

“Vivian needs you. I can’t…I can’t protect her right now.” His eyes grew watery, another sign of weakness he no doubt despised, but it was this subtle evidence of caring that evoked enough respect to temper, somewhat, Myles’s previous opinion of him. At least Rex was sincere. At least he was worried about someone other than himself.

“What is she to you?” Myles wished this question wasn’t so transparent, but…there it was.

Rex studied him before responding. “I’m a friend. We used to be more, but…” He shook his head. “We’re no good as a couple. I’m no good for her,” he clarified, being more honest. “She needs someone like you, someone who could be the father her children deserve, someone with a decent job and a house.” He waved at the trappings around them. “You care about her, don’t you?”

There was no arguing that she meant something to him, but Myles wasn’t willing to examine what, not in front of Rex. Nor did he appreciate the idea that he might be some sort of consolation prize. “I don’t want to see her hurt, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Then you’re going to have to do your part.”

Myles rested his hands on his hips. He’d taken off his utility belt. That thing weighed about twenty pounds and he didn’t like lugging it around the house, but he hadn’t changed out of his uniform yet. “What is my part, exactly? Is this where you tell me about her abusive ex-husband?”

Rex wiped the sweat beading his upper lip. “No, this is where I tell you that someone’s trying to kill her.”

He was serious. Dead serious. Suddenly Vivian’s bringing that gun home from the bank made a whole lot more sense. So did her fear after hearing about Pat’s murder. “And it’s not her ex?”

“No.”

“How do you know?”

“The threat isn’t new. We’ve been in WitSec for four years. Well, we were in for two, until we left D.C. When The Crew found us there and came after us again, we figured there had to be a leak. So we abandoned the program and split up, hoping we could finally shake them.”

“Who are The Crew?”

“They’re members of a relatively new prison gang in California. Her brother and I used to belong.”

“That doesn’t tell me much. Why do they want her dead?”

“Payback. It’s a long story, but basically they’re determined to avenge a couple of deaths they blame us for, as well as a few convictions that wouldn’t have been possible without information we provided.”

“And how did she get involved in that?”

“They were trying to get to us through her and the kids, and some shit happened.”

If he thought he could get away with such a short summary, he was mistaken. “Maybe you could explain what shit.”

Besides being ill, Rex was clearly anxious, agitated and eager to get back to Vivian. “Shots were fired. People died. Others were hurt permanently and will never forget.”

Myles couldn’t imagine Vivian associated with any of that. But he’d never expected her to be associated with someone like Rex, either. “And how did you and her brother come in contact with this prison gang?”

Rex’s chuckle held no mirth. “How do you think?”

It was as he suspected, then. “You’re an ex-con.”

He didn’t confirm or deny it, but he didn’t have to. His silence spoke for him. “She’ll have to tell you herself. I can’t stay. She won’t be happy that I came over here. I just…couldn’t leave town without knowing I’d done all I could for her.”

“You’re leaving Pineview?” Myles couldn’t believe how glad he was to hear this. Evidently he felt more threatened by Rex and Vivian’s history than he wanted to admit, even to himself.

“Yeah. Tomorrow morning. I’m taking Jake and Mia with me. They’ll be staying with their uncle for a while. They’re not safe here.”

“If The Crew’s trying to kill Vivian, she’s not safe, either,” Myles pointed out.

“She won’t leave. That’s why I’m depending on you.”

“Why won’t she go?”

“This place matters to her.” Rex’s gaze flicked over him again. “She’s not willing to give it up.”

Was Rex intimating that he thought Myles played some part in Pineview’s appeal? And, if so, was it true? “So…let me get this straight. She’s planning to defend herself?”

“She’ll have to if she stays. And she’s aware of that. She knows what these people are capable of. She’s seen it before. I gotta go.”

Myles followed him to the door, stopped him at the last minute. “But you still love her, right?” In the midst of everything else, Myles wasn’t sure why he wanted to know this, but he did.

“I wouldn’t be standing here if I didn’t.”

At least he was honest. Myles had guessed correctly, but that only confirmed everything he’d been telling himself. He’d been stupid to get mixed up in Vivian’s love life. For his own good, and Marley’s, he needed to stay out of it in the future. But now that The Crew had come to his community, there was a lot more at stake than protecting his heart. “Where does her brother live? How will I be able to reach you?”

“You won’t.”

“You’re asking me to look out for her, but you don’t trust me enough to tell me where to find you?”

“The less you know, the better. Just in case.”

Myles shook his head. “You don’t have much confidence in me.”

“I could say the same.”

There was no answer to that. They regarded each other with equal distrust.

“You’re a small-town cop who’s probably never come up against people like this,” Rex added. “The odds aren’t in your favor.”

Myles stopped him once again. “Before you walk away, tell me what you know about the men who’re coming after her.”

“I’m guessing there’re two. They busted out of a California prison ten days ago.”

“What makes you think they’re coming here?”

“That Realtor dude who was killed, for one.”

“What connection does The Crew have with Pat?”

“None. Except for how senseless the killing was. Whoever did it was probably looking for a place to stay or