WHEN EVE STEPPED OUT, COPS POURED OUT OF OBSERVATION, out of the conference room where the monitors had been set up. She saw Roarke with them before Baxter elbowed through, and shocked her speechless by hauling her off her feet and planting a noisy kiss on her mouth.

“Jesus Christ, are you out of your tiny mind?”

“Somebody had to do it, and he always gets to.” He jerked his thumb at Roarke. “I’m already punchy so don’t hit me. You either,” he said to Eve as he dropped her back on her feet. “Call me a sucker, but I get emotional at happy endings.”

“I’m going to be calling you in the nearest hospital if you try anything like that again. All of you who aren’t on regular shift, go home. Dismissed, get the hell…Commander.”

“Excellent job, all of you. I suggest you follow the lieutenant’s orders. Go home, get some sleep. The department is goddamn proud of every one of you. Lieutenant.”

“Sir. I’ll have the paperwork finished and filed within the hour.”

“No, you’ll get the hell out. You’ll go home. I’ll see the paperwork is dealt with.”

“Sir—”

“That’s an order.” He took her hand, shook it. “And consider that I’m going to give you a very large break and handle the media.”

“Yes, sir.”

She didn’t object when Roarke slung an arm around her shoulders. “Why don’t I drive you home, Lieutenant.”

“Yeah, you could do that. Peabody, I don’t want to see you here before ten tomorrow.”

“I am so all over that. Dallas—”

“Don’t even think about hugging me. Is there no end to the humiliation my men dole out?”

“Aw,” Peabody said, but was grinning as Eve walked away.

S he dropped off like a stone the minute she was in the car. Roarke drove with one hand on the wheel, one hand over hers. Halfway home, he switched to auto and let his own exhausted mind rest.

The lights of home were like stars, shining. He took his hand from hers to press his own fingers to his eyes, then climbed out to go around and open her door. But when he reached down to lift her, she batted a hand at his arm.

“No. I can walk.”

“Thank Christ, because I think trying to haul you up at this point would have both of us on our asses in the bloody driveway. Here.” He gripped her hand, gave her a tug. And the two of them stood a moment in the cold, bleary with fatigue.

“We just have to get inside, get upstairs, and fall into bed,&rdqu............