Erin stared out over the property, thankful that Scout was by her side, and blinked away tears. “That’s only because he doesn’t know where I am.” Or so she hoped.

“I’m going to point that out. But I have to warn you, I’ve read his rebuttal and his attorney’s statement. They’re pretty convincing,” Renee warned.

“He’s a master at manipulation.”

“Most narcissists are. Look at it this way . . . once the order is lifted, his ‘reasons’ for not signing the divorce documents are out of the way.”

“He won’t sign them.”

“He will eventually.”

Her gut said differently. “Do what you can, Renee.”

There was silence on the line. “Do you really think the restraining order is the only thing keeping him away from you?”

No. She knew from the beginning that the order was never going to stop Desmond from coming after her. But once it was off the table, there was one less emotional security blanket she could hold on to.

“He doesn’t know where you are, Maci.”

“That isn’t my name anymore.”

Renee sighed over the line. “How are you holding up? Are you meeting new friends?”

“So they can learn about my true past?”

“You can’t be a hermit. It’s not healthy.”

“I’m fine, Renee. Thanks for your concern.” Scout lifted his head off his paws, stood, and put his head in her lap. “It’s okay, Scout.”

“Scout? Is that a pet?”

“A dog.”

“Dogs are good. Great companions, perfect alarms for bad guys.” Renee’s voice was hopeful.

“When is the hearing?”

“Next Friday. I already postponed once. The judge will throw it out if we don’t move forward. I’m going to fight hard. You know that, right?”

Erin ran her fingers over Scout’s head, scratched behind his ears. “I know. Call me when it’s over.”

“I will.”

They hung up, and a single tear dripped off her cheek.

What if Desmond knew where she was all along and was waiting for the restraining order to go away? What if he’s been watching her all along, and the hair on the back of her neck standing at attention wasn’t just her imagination. What if he showed up and hurt Parker or went after Austin?

Scout added a paw to his nose in her lap.

Erin looked down at the dog. “You’re too big to be a lap dog.”

A second paw jumped into her lap as Scout tried to prove her wrong.

She’d have to leave. If Desmond showed up, she’d have to leave to protect the people she was starting to care for. Because he would use them to get to her. Just like he promised to do to her sister. Which was why it was best Helen didn’t have any contact with her at all.

A year ago, before she moved to Santa Clarita and found refuge in Parker’s tiny guesthouse, she thought she would be running for the rest of her life. Only the past six months had given her hope that she could set down roots, at least shallow ones, and try to live a real life.

If she knew for sure Desmond wasn’t looking for her.

But he was.

“If you leave me, I’ll hunt you down, and I will find you. When I do, you’ll know just how disappointed I am.” These words were delivered in her ear as he pounded into her after a fight. Although she couldn’t call what they did fighting.

He hit.

She cowered.

She looked at her hands, remembered the wrist splints, finger splints, and arm cast.

Her head started to pound and forced her to think of something else.

But first, Excedrin.

Matt and his crew spent much of their day driving their route and checking weed abatement on commercial and residential properties. Most of the time people greeted them with smiles and handshakes, but there was the occasional homeowner who decided it was none of the fire department’s business if their weeds were three feet tall and resting against their homes.

No matter how diplomatic Matt’s team was, those property owners always made the biggest noise and screamed the loudest when a fire actually blew through.

It was a part of his job he didn’t enjoy in the slightest.

Putting water on fire, running into a burning building to save a life . . . he’d take that any day over policing people’s gardening habits.

May first had been the cutoff for brush clearance, so on this round they simply gave out warnings. They already had a map of residents that needed yearly reminders, followed by a warning, followed by a date the city or county would take action. In cases where the homeowner didn’t comply, men were hired to do the job and a bill given to the resident. All in an effort to keep them safe.

They were climbing back in their truck after a less than friendly interaction when Tom started to bitch. “Well, that was fun.”

“He pisses and moans every year. By July he makes an effort,” Captain Arwin told them.

“How long have you been on this route again?” Matt asked.

“Ten years at this station. Been in the valley for almost twenty. The only time we have less complainers is after a big fire. The fact we’ve only had a few today is proof that last year’s fire made an impression.”

Tom shook his head. “They’ll forget by next year.”

Jessie climbed in last and closed the door.

“Only a couple more hours of this and we can call it a day,” Arwin said.

Matt moaned and reached for the headset as Tom started the massive truck. As he did, their radios signaled a call.

“Oh, thank God,” Matt sighed.

Tom turned in his seat to look at him with the same smile on his face.

A fire was a hell of a lot better way to spend the day than knocking on doors. As sick as he knew that sounded, it was why they all became firefighters to begin with.

A brush fire off the interstate in Stevenson Ranch had broken out, and since the area was dense with residential homes, dispatch was sending in half a dozen trucks.

Before they got there, the fire had consumed ten acres and was racing up a hillside toward a tract of homes. There were already crews on the south flank, and their rig was diverted to the structures that would come in contact with the flames first.

The neighborhood was like most in the Santa Clarita Valley. Lots of cars parked on the streets in front of homes. And right now many of the residents were standing in the street with their cell phones in their hands capturing the fire to post on the internet later.

For him and his crew, they were in the way.

They pulled up between the first two homes on the fire front and jumped out of the rig. Once their personal protection was covering them, from helmet to boots, they strapped respiratory devices onto their backs. The captain hustled between the homes to visualize the flames.

The speed at which he ran back told them they needed to hurry.

“Movin’ fast, men. Let’s go.”

Matt held his fist out to the men. “Let’s rock and roll.”

Two fist bumps later and they were running line, connecting hoses, and rushing in.

Matt’s pulse jumped and he knew it wouldn’t come down until it was all over.

Damn, he loved his job.

Erin saw smoke billowing up across the valley. It was too far away to be concerned that it would reach her, but that didn’t stop her from worrying about Matt. She opened the app on her phone to see if his station had been dispatched. When she confirmed that he had, her nerves soared even higher.