“They told me we had someone transferring in today,” he said, voice dropping into something gentler. “Didn’t think they’d throw you straight into a live case, though.”

~

Matt is forced to balance the pressure of a high‐stakes investigation with the sudden responsibility of keeping a newcomer steady in a unit that rarely gives second chances. As the case intensifies, so does Matt’s instinctive protectiveness, pulling him into a mentor role he didn’t ask for but can’t walk away from.