I shrugged. That's one question I couldn't answer. I'd spent hours thinking about it but couldn't decide. "No idea. To put money toward their place in Florida so he could retire earlier."

It was the only plausible idea I'd hit on in all the hours of stressing about it. My aunt had serious dreams of retirement, but they'd already purchased a dead guy's home. They weren't living like they had drug money coming in. My aunt still clipped coupons for her plug-in air fresheners.

"One more question. Why the name Snowbird?"

I gave him another shrug. Okay, so there was more than one question I hadn't answered. I'd still done a damn good job on the case. Anderson shouldn't point out all my holes.

"Either Florida or the coke," I said. "We'll probably never know."

Anderson grinned. "Oh, I'll find out."

Once I decided on my course of action, I locked my emotions in a box at the back of my brain. Now that I'd completed the deed, the chest broke open. My ribs hurt. It felt like I'd shoved a knife in my chest and now might bleed out on my office floor. I sucked air into my lungs, but it didn't seem to make it. Nothing helped. I'd suffocate, sitting in my office chair.

Anderson stopped before leaving me to die in my office. "Last thing."

"Yeah."

"Do you want an early warning when we enact the search warrant and bring him in? You won't be able to tell anyone, in case he tries to run."

Yup, my heart was bleeding out as I sat there. Lungs collapsing. Blood gushing.

I shook my head before finding the strength to speak. "No, it won't do any good."

At least if I found out about it with the rest of town, I'd be as surprised as everyone else. Almost.

I waited until he left my office and then gave him another ten minutes before I let myself break down. The tears fell on my desk when I didn't bother wiping them from my face.

I didn't have time for a total breakdown. I'd have to schedule that when the rest of my family found out about my uncle's crimes, but I needed a few minutes to just be sad.

I worked for a bit on my next case that I needed to close quickly. My stomach grumbled, and I rubbed it. Working in these conditions wasn't good for my health.

When times became desperate, there was only one person I called.

"Hey, B," I said when Broadrick answered the phone. "I need food. You should get a pizza."

He chuckled. "I'll grab one from Buddy's and bring it to your office."

Pierce would have a shit fit when he found out I'd brought food into his pretty office, but I did not care. I needed sustenance to keep going.

It took Broadrick forty minutes to grab the pizza and get to my office. Great time for the rush crowd at Buddy's.

He pushed open my office door with the pizza box. "Special delivery."

My eyes watered again just at seeing him. Damn it.

He had on his standard Pelican Bay Security company black polo shirt and a pair of dark-fitting jeans. His hair had grown a little since he returned from his mission, but it was still a short style. I wanted it to get another few inches, so I'd really enjoy running my hands through it and pulling on it.

I wiped the tears away with the edge of my sleeve. Where did they come from? I thought I had everything under control. I was better than this. Tougher. Less emotional. Stronger.

"Hey, babe, what's wrong?" Broadrick asked, as he pushed the pizza box to the side of the desk and leaned into the open space.

I sniffled and held my breath to speak without crying. "Tonight was shitty."

"Anderson was here?" He popped open the top of the box and handed me a slice.

The man always knew what I needed.

"Thanks." I smiled, teary-eyed at him. "I put my uncle in jail today."

He finished chewing, and his green eyes held sympathy as he spoke. "Did you put the cuffs on him?"

"No, but without me he'd still be out there." Facts were facts.

"Yeah," he said and nodded. "Selling drugs to children and vulnerable people."

Well. When he put it that way.

"Did you force him to sell drugs?"

I dropped the crust back into the box and grabbed another piece. "No."

"Then it's not your fault, babe." He started on his second piece of pizza. A hunk of green pepper fell off the side and rolled across the floor.

I munched on a piece of sausage. "It sure feels like it."

There went our invitation to Christmas dinner. And Thanksgiving. Easter. Fourth of July.

"Why is my family so screwed up?"

Broadrick never talked about his family, and he certainly wasn't sharing stories of his uncle, the drug lord.

He laughed. "Because they live in Pelican Bay. You wouldn't believe the stuff that goes on in this town."

I peeled off a piece of onion and shoved it in my mouth. "Trust me. I already know."

Small towns were weird. Crazy things happened in small towns.

"Things will be okay. Your family might never find out you're the one who turned him in."

I tried to pretend that might happen. It wouldn't. "Thanks for trying."

There were no secrets in this town. Everyone would eventually find out what I'd done.

"My sister's graduation is in a week. Will my family still allow me to attend?"

He stopped mid-bite and removed the pizza from his mouth. "I don't know what will happen. The only thing I'm sure of is that I'll be at your side."

I sniffled, wiling the damn tears back into my eyeballs. "Thanks, B."

"Sometimes life sucks, but we get up the next day and try again. Sometimes the boat rocks, but as long as it doesn't capsize, you'll be okay."

Was my boat capsizing? I wasn't sure.

There was only one way to find out. I'd have to try it tomorrow morning and see what happened.

"Tomorrow, I need your help on Mick's case."

He glanced up from his makeshift napkin plate. "Anything."

My heart started beating again for the first time since Anderson left my office. I loved this man. He was the only perfect-for-me person on the planet.

I didn't have an exact plan of what I wanted to do, but I still had a few more hours to mull over my options and come up with something. I always had a plan by game time. This couldn't be any different.

"How many cameras does Ridge have on hand?" I asked Broadrick.

Broadrick smirked. "Lots."

Perfect.