The darkness around her was filled with the nighttime song of the frogs and crickets. A cool breeze stirred her dark hair and felt soothing as it caressed her skin as she held a glass of wine in one hand and the nine-millimeter bullet in the other. A bullet meant for her. The brass round in the palm of her hand glinted in the dim ambient light, and the same chill that slithered down her spine the second she saw the bullet sitting on the porch of her cabin washed through her again. The message of the bullet on her porch was abundantly clear. Even clearer to Spenser, though, was the identity of the man who’d sent the message.

For weeks and months, Alex, the brother of her former partner, Derrick, and the man she believed was responsible for murdering her husband and leaving her for dead had been waging a campaign of psychological warfare. Leaving the bullet on her porch had been the latest salvo. A warning that he was coming for her.

Derrick was corrupt and deserved to be tried for his crimes, but the Bureau and US Attorney’s office were wrongly prosecuting him for Trevor’s murder. Spenser believed Derrick was being railroaded and had lodged her objections. She put them onto Alex but had no proof of her claim, so they’d dismissed it out of hand. And when they tried to pressure her into testifying on their behalf, she’d dug her heels in and resisted. She was not going to be bullied into participating in what she believed was a sham trial. Derrick had committed plenty of crimes… but not the one he was being prosecuted for, so she’d told them to pound sand.

And yet, despite her refusal to participate in that kangaroo court, Alex believed she was responsible for what was happening to his brother. In a series of threatening and intimidating phone calls, he’d told her if his brother went to prison, he was going to make sure she paid for it. And now, he was apparently in Sweetwater Falls. Although she hadn’t yet laid eyes on the man, there was nobody else in town she could think of who might leave a bullet on her doorstep.

Sure, she’d made some enemies who would probably be happy, if not overjoyed, if she stopped breathing. She was the town sheriff, so she’d come to expect a level of dislike for her. It was the nature of the beast. But she didn’t think there was anybody she’d wronged so badly they’d take active steps to help usher her into the next life. But the world was growing darker and more violent by the day, and people were snapping for all kinds of reasons. People seemed more willing than ever to pick up a gun and express their disapproval, so who really knew?

“I don’t think that bullet is going to do anything, no matter how long you stare at it.”

Spenser turned to see Ryker step out onto the back deck with a glass of wine in his hand and a sly look on his face. She laughed softly and slipped the bullet into her pocket. He stepped over to her and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. Spenser nuzzled against his strong, firm body, relishing Ryker’s warmth and solidness.

“I’m glad you agreed to stay here in the main house with me until this nonsense has all been sorted out,” he said, planting a gentle kiss on the crown of her head.

“It’s not like you gave me much of a choice. I mean, you packed my bags.”

He shrugged. “I wasn’t trying to be demanding—”

“Yes, you were.”

The grin curled the corners of his mouth. “Okay, maybe I was. But if I was, it’s only because you’re sometimes way too stubborn for your own good.”

“I wouldn’t consider refusing to hide from this piece of garbage being too stubborn for my own good. It’s saying I’m not afraid of him.”

“You do realize you can send the same message without putting yourself at unnecessary risk, right?” he asked. “The cabins are a little isolated and remote. If something were to happen, I wouldn’t be able to get to you in time to stop it. Assuming I even knew something was happening to you, to begin with.”

“I know, I know,” she replied. “I’m already here. You don’t need to make your case again.”

“You sure? I can make it again if you’d like.”

Spenser laughed softly. “I’ll pass. But thanks for the offer.”

“Whatever I can do to help.”

She took a sip of her wine, a seriousness settling down over her. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “You’ve always been so good to me, and I appreciate it.”

“You’ve been just as good to me.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do,” he said. “If not for you, I might still be shut into this place. I’ve told you before that you’ve really helped me make a lot of progress in my life. You’ve helped me grow. Helped me lower the walls around me… at least a little. And I’m grateful for that. For you.”

Spenser gave his hand a squeeze. She had seen such incredible growth in Ryker in the time since she’d first met him. When she’d first moved into the cabin on his property, he’d been withdrawn and isolated. He didn’t like anybody—including her. But as they got to know each other, they’d found common ground in a familiar experience—his fiancée had been murdered like Spenser’s husband had. That shared grief had forged a bond between them was unbreakable.

And from there, their relationship had grown. Had become more personal, more intimate, and had helped them both grow and evolve as people. It had allowed them to stop identifying themselves as victims. It had shown them it was okay to live again. To open their hearts again. Showed them both that they were both capable and deserving of somebody else’s affection. And their relationship, as it grew, showed them they could both love again.

“What are you going to do about Ricci?” he asked.

Spenser stared off into the darkness that enveloped the land. The night was moonless, making it seem even blacker than normal, which, in turn, made it seem eerie. Visions of Ricci lurking in the thick wells of shadow around them, lining her up in the crosshairs of a sniper’s rifle, danced through Spenser’s head, making the skin along the back of her neck tingle.

“I can’t do much until he shows himself,” Spenser replied. “Right now, he’s making phone calls and leaving bullets on my porch. Even if I could link him to it, no DA would prosecute for what amounts to nuisance crimes.”

“It’s only a matter of time before he shows himself and tries to kill you,” Ryker said.

“Maybe. But until he does, I’m powerless to do anything to stop him.”

A crease formed between Ryker’s eyebrows as he frowned. It was a look Spenser was all too familiar with—he was about to say something she wasn’t going to like.

“I think you should take a little time off,” he said. “Keep your head down and have Amanda and the rest of your team find this guy. If he’s in town—”

“I can’t do that,” she cut him off. “I won’t.”

“Spenser—”

She shook her head, not letting him get a word out. “It has taken me a long time to get to where I am right now, Ryker. It’s been forever since I’ve felt this good. This happy. This is my home now, and I finally feel comfortable here. More importantly, I feel comfortable in my own skin again. I’m not going to let him strip me of that by forcing me to hide from him. This animal has already taken enough away from me.”

“I understand where you’re coming from. I understand how you’re feeling. But I also know you well enough to know that sometimes, especially when your blood is up, you dig your heels in when you should probably take a step back. I mean, discretion is the better part of valor—”

“I’m not sure that applies here.”

“It does.”

“I’m not going to hide, Ryker. I have a job to do.”

“Don’t think of it as hiding. Think of it as—”

“It doesn’t matter how I let myself think of it or what euphemism I want to apply. The bottom line is that if I take time off and lock myself away in your house, he wins.”

“Guess what? If he puts a bullet in you, he wins.”

Spenser shrugged. “Sounds like a damned if I do, damned if I don’t kind of situation.”

“Maybe.”

“I’m always going to choose the more proactive path. You know that about me.”

“You could get killed, Spenser. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Spenser squeezed his hand again and offered him a gentle smile. “I know you don’t, and I appreciate that. Don’t take this the wrong way, but this isn’t about you. This is about Alex Ricci and needing to bring him to justice once and for all.”

“And this is about you being the one to bring him in.”

“Yeah. Maybe,” she replied. “But I can say with all honesty that as good as Amanda and the rest of my deputies are, they aren’t equipped to handle somebody like Alex Ricci. Not yet. He’s an animal, and he doesn’t play by the rules. I’m not going to let any of them take the punishment that’s meant for me.”

Ryker exhaled, his expression tight and drawn. She knew he wouldn’t hide from danger any more than she was willing to. Especially not when somebody was running around out there threatening his life. It was one of the many ways they were cut from the same cloth.

“Please promise that you’ll be careful, Spenser. Promise me you won’t take any unnecessary or stupid risks.”