Page 91 of Always Right

I let out a humorless laugh and muttered a “yup” before I drank more of my coffee.

“We think it’s connected as well as the break in a few months ago.” Blake’s eyebrows shot up. “And our private investigator—"

“You hired a PI?”

I nodded. “We did. Figured it was the way to go since we don’t know who it is to present it to the police. Besides, there’s no threat being made, per se.”

Blake scratched the back of his head, still staring at the pictures in his hands. He was livid, I was sure, especially seeing how he was such close friends with her.

“I need you to take care of her for me,” I said, standing up and setting my cup in the sink. Blake sighed, placing the pictures on the table. “Hannah trusts you and you’ve taken care of her this whole time while I was away. I need you to keep doing that while we figure out what’s going on.”

“Well, it can’t be good,” he muttered, tapping his fingers on the table.

“I know.”

The words lingered in the air. There would be no other reason for following her around other than hurting her in some way and we all knew it.

“I’ll be there,” Blake finally answered. “If she needs anything or if you need me to be with her when you’re away, I can be here for her and the girls.”

I nodded, feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I needed everyone close to her on the same page, willing to protect her.

“Hannah really cares for you,” I said. Blake let out a small laugh and nodded once again. “She trusts you and that’s a very hard thing for her to do.”

“I know.”

“I know what she did after our fallout.”

“You do?”

“She told me after all this—" I waved my hands over the pictures, “—happened. In many ways I think you kept her alive, kept her from giving up.”

“She would have done the same for me.”

She would have, in a heartbeat. I heard her soft steps behind me and turned around, watching her as she appeared. A soft smile adorned her face as she tightened the robe around her body before she reached up and kissed me, whispering a quiet good morning. Her hair was a mess, but she didn’t seem to care.

“He brought you bagels,” I replied, nodding over to Blake.

Hannah grinned, and walked over to her best friend, also embracing him. He was her confidant in the midst of the storm, and I could accept that, as long as he kept her safe.

They picked up the bag of bagels and headed to the patio, sitting outdoors to chat.

The day that this was all over couldn’t be here fast enough.

Chapter 33

Hannah

“Are you sure you want to be here?”

I sighed, leaning my head back against the headrest as I turned to look at Derek. He’d asked the question so many times I was beginning to think he was the one that wanted to avoid Evie. I hadn’t seen her since that day we found out about Nathan’s gallery, but after all the uncertainty, I craved some normalcy.

These family reunions had become an essential part of my life.

“I’m fine,” I replied.

Derek reached over, caressing my face before leaning in for a kiss. It was those moments, the quiet, tender moments that made everything okay. I didn’t know what to say as he pulled back and realized how dark his eyes were, stormy...like he had the same fears in his mind that I did.

“I swear, I’d lock you up in a tower to keep you safe if I could,” he whispered. “You and our girls are everything to me.”

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