I wore a figure-hugging black dress with heels, and styled my hair in loose waves. Alexis even had her parents babysit Oliver for the night so she could come. My BFF never turned down free food, even if she had to drag herself away from her adorable newborn for a few hours. This was her first night out since giving birth, and I was glad she was getting the chance to let her hair down.

Reya came, too, looking stunning in a dark blue dress that hugged her curvy form. She’d slotted herself right back into Trevor’s friend zone, but there was no reasoning with her. Trevor had an energetic sort of charm that could become addictive, especially for an introvert like Reya. She got to live vicariously through his extrovert behaviour. In any case, he and his group of traceurs had won their competition and were headed off to Thailand for a month of sightseeing and mountain climbing. Since the two of them had been spending so much time together, I wondered how she’d handle his absence.

Lee had been at the restaurant all day, preparing for the party, so I hadn’t seen him since the night before. Arriving with my two friends, I saw him standing by the service window, a row of plates lined up before him as he okayed the dishes. He looked busy so I left him to it, accepting a glass of white wine from the waiter carrying around a tray.

A little while later I excused myself to use the bathroom, and bumped into Liam on my way back out. He was sitting on the staircase, nursing a glass of whiskey. His eyes grew wary when he saw me, knocking back the last of his drink and slamming down the glass.

“Not feeling the crowds?” I asked, hovering close by.

“Big parties aren’t really my thing,” he said, and I took that as an invitation to sit down.

“Yeah, mine neither.”

I felt him looking at me curiously as we fell into a silence.

“Lee seems happy these days,” said Liam after a time.

“I like to hope he is.”

Turning his body, his voice and face were serious as he said, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Do you think I’d make a good cop?”

He couldn’t have surprised me more if he’d asked if he’d make a good micro-pig farmer. My brow furrowed as I hurried to reply, “Oh, well, sure, I think you could be a good anything if you put your mind to it, Liam.”

He turned away again, his gaze levelled on his hands. “That’s a pat answer, Karla. Give it to me straight. I want your honest opinion.”

“Is this something you’ve been thinking about?” I asked. I was still trying to get my head around the fact that Liam was considering joining the police. I wasn’t an easy person to surprise, but this certainly took the biscuit.

“I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t,” he said, his voice low and uncertain. It made me wonder if he felt insecure about opening up to me.

“Liam, I think you’d make a fantastic cop, and that’s the God’s honest truth. But you’ve got a record. You could find it difficult getting your application accepted.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he said glumly.

I studied him, my eyes tracing his handsome profile and short brown hair. Liam was the Cross brother I’d spent the least time with. But looking at him now, I was beginning to think he was the most self-serious, even though he was the youngest. I thought maybe he pushed himself harder to prove his worth to his older siblings.

Nudging his shoulder with mine, I said, “I could help you, you know. Put a good word in. It can’t hurt matters. And if it doesn’t work, there’s always the army.”

Liam shook his head. “Nah, the army’s not for me.”

“So why the police?”

He lifted a brow. “Honestly? It’s got a lot to do with all the stuff we used to be involved in.” He paused and sighed. “I just feel like stealing’s the only thing I’ve ever really been good at. It’s the thing I know best, but I can’t do it anymore. So I thought maybe I could switch it around, use all the stuff I know about thieving and be the prevention instead of the cause.” He glanced at me. “It’s stupid, I know.”

I grasped his shoulder. “It’s not stupid, not at all. I actually think it’s very noble. Half the cops I work with got into policing because it’s a government job with a steady paycheck, and those are the good ones. You don’t even want me to get started on the bad.”

Liam seemed hopeful, and a little embarrassed at my compliment. “So you think I’ve got a chance?”

“I do. And I’ll do everything I can to help.”

A few minutes later, I crept up on Lee in the kitchen as he stood typing out a message on his phone. I slid my arms around his waist and squeezed tight.

“Hey,” I murmured. “Everything going okay?”

He let out a breath and twisted in my arms. “Yeah, we’ve run out of beer, though. I was just texting the supplier, seeing if he can get another delivery in before closing.”

I nodded. “Fingers crossed he can. Hey, I was just talking to Liam.”

Lee’s brow furrowed. “What did he say? He’s been a moody little sod the past few weeks. I don’t know what’s going on with him.”

“He told me he’s been thinking about joining the police,” I said, my words coming out in an excited rush.

Lee shot me an arch look. “Is this a wind-up?”

“Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are. But no, it’s not a wind-up. I think he’s been considering this for a while.”