Page 32 of Broken Love

He picks her up and walks to the sofa, sitting with her in his lap while I get on the phone with Beau Rogers.

“Detective Rogers here.” He answers almost immediately.

“I need you at my place as soon as possible,” I growl.

“Why, what’s up?” He was already aware of Windsor’s poisoning since we’d called him before any of us were interviewed by the police. After explaining the pictures and how they were left for her at her apartment, but then someone added to it after she brought it to our office, he promised to be by this evening with a friend.

Doctoring Windsor’s coffee the way she likes, I bring the warm drink over and kneel before her when she takes it from me. “You know we won’t allow anything to happen to you, right?” Her head nods as she takes a sip.

“So why didn’t you tell us about this?” Tanner speaks up first.

“When I got the envelope, I had a weird feeling about it, and I didn’t want to ruin how well things felt like they were going.” Her eyes shift to stare into her coffee. “Things don’t work out for me very often. My whole life, I’ve felt like a punching bag, and for once, working for you, it was like the universe was smiling down on me.” Her own smile is strained before it disappears. “Then this tragedy happened, and I forgot all about it because I was so wrapped up in grief. I just wanted to forget about it.” A lone tear escapes her eye, and the sadness surrounding her is so powerful I feel it to my core.

Brushing my fingers through her hair, I pull her head up so our eyes meet. “I’m so fucking sorry, Windsor.” More tears flow as she breaks. Taking the cup out of her hands, I place it behind me and pull her into my chest. “We would shield you from the world if we could.” It’s overwhelming how much I want to be able to do that.

In all my years of military service, I’ve never felt as helpless as I do right now. I want to burn the world down for her and keep everything terrible away. It’s unrealistic and impossible, but we’ll do our best to keep her from feeling this type of heartbreak again.

“Why don’t you invite Lux over for dinner tonight? Tuck and I will speak with Beau about this and work on figuring out who might be interested in you, and you girls can have margaritas on the balcony with a fire, maybe figure out how to approach your baby sister.” At Tanner’s suggestion, she perks up a little bit.

“You’d be okay with that?” She looks between us. I’m shocked she thinks she even has to ask, and I’m frozen for an answer.

“Of course. We’d never deny you spending time with your sister. You both deserve each other and a safe space to get acquainted,” Tanner interjects.

“If we thought we could convince you, we’d pack up your place and move you in here tonight.” Her eyes widen at my comment. “I didn’t think you were ready, but I figure it can’t hurt to lay our intentions out on the table.”

Windsor

Move in with them.

Tucker made the suggestion so casually that I couldn’t formulate a response, and then they just let it go like they didn’t drop some huge bombshell on me.

I’ve been sitting on it all day as I spend some time answering emails from their home office. Nothing is pressing that can’t wait until I go back to work next week, but I want a head start, and I’m getting bored.

I’m still struggling to accept what happened and why. The not knowing who would poison me is the hardest part. I’ve lived a relatively quiet life; school and Mom had always been my focus. Aside from two serious boyfriends and a couple of bad dates, I haven’t had too many other people in my life.

“Knock, knock.” The feminine voice draws me out of my misery, and a giant smile crosses my face when I see Lux in the doorway. “You look a hundred times better than the last time I saw you.”

Getting up, my instinct is to give her a hug, but I don’t know if we’re there yet, so I pause a few feet away. “Thank you, I’m feeling better.”

She eyes me before doing what I wanted to and pulls me in for a sisterly embrace. “I don’t know if we’re here yet, but I feel like we both need it.”

“You read my mind,” I whisper as I wrap my arms around her back.

“Good, because I think we need to ignore the awkwardness that could present itself and move straight into the fact that we’re sisters and don’t need to be separated because of our dick of a dad.” We share a laugh at her description.

“I really like that idea.” Hooking my arm through hers, I begin walking us out to the front rooms. “I was going to order everyone takeout for dinner, but I have no idea if you have any allergies or what you like.”

“I’m not picky at all, and no allergies to worry about.”

Entering the living room, Tanner is opening the door to Detective Rogers and another man who, by looks alone, intimidates the crap out of me. “Holy shit,” Lux whispers and stops dead in her tracks.

“What?” I keep my voice level even with hers.

“I know them. Well, I’ve seen them around. Working cases on some of my patients over the last couple of years. They sure know how to get a girl going.” My brows raise at her comment and the dreamy look on her face.

“Soooo, have you asked them out yet?” She quickly shoots me a horrified look, like I asked her to kick a puppy or something. “What?”

“You do see them, right?” I look back towards the men again. Beau is classically handsome, with a small scar on the underside of his chin. He’s as tall as my own men and slightly more muscular. The other man, he’s less put together, less professional, I suppose. His hair is just a little too long on top, while the sides are shaved close to his head. His nose is crooked, probably broken once or twice. He’s tall like Beau but built heavier. There’s an air of danger surrounding him, too. I’m still not seeing what Lux is.

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