Rourke is the most feared man in Westhaven, yet by day he plays a harmless mechanic, secretly caring for his “brother-in-law” Leander—actually Marlowe’s husband. Rourke has loved Leander for six years, creeping close each night while Leander sleeps, believing no one knows. One night, Marlowe calls; Rourke answers for Leander, but Leander quietly hooks a finger into his sleeve. The next day, Rourke goes to the Vesper Club—and finds Leander there, holding a bloodied Blackcrest badge from Rourke’s crime. Truths unravel layer by layer: Leander is a long-term confidential police source who spent ten years undercover as Calder’s spiritual adviser. To protect Rourke, he married Marlowe, gaining legal guardianship. Rourke thought he was the manipulator—only to discover he was the one being protected all along.
