Page 29 of Shattered

“You’ll keep your foot elevated and iced for the next twenty minutes.” She grinned and nodded, even though I hadn’t posed a question.

I stood, lifting her into my arms, then carried her a short distance to the kitchen. After depositing her in one of the chairs with her leg propped up on another, I returned to the other room, fully prepared to take a verbal lashing from Keaton. What I did not expect was the thunderous look on his face.

“If you hurt her, I’ll help Henley bury your body.”

“What the fuck? So much for the bro code.”

“The bro code doesn’t keep me warm at night.”

“You know I’d rather cut off my arm than do anything to harm her.”

“Why so quick, Koen? And why the secrecy?”

Ambling to the bookcase, I lifted a frame off the shelf and traced the picture inside with my finger. The photo was several years old; a candid shot of a younger, carefree Jade with Jett and their gran. Her smile was so damn electrifying.

“Oh, shit,” he swore. “You’re in love with her.”

There was no point denying the truth, so I didn’t. Nevertheless, those words would only be said out loud to my Angel, and only when I knew she was ready to hear them.

Setting the frame back in its place, I crossed the space between us, needing to change the subject, but also not wanting our conversation to be overheard.

“Do you have connections with any top-of-the-line security companies around here? Cost doesn’t matter, so long as they’re safe. I want the best and I want it yesterday. Camera, motion sensors…the works.”

“I know a place, but you’ll have to go through Duncan or Waverly. I wasn’t exactly on good terms last I saw them.”

“Not exactly a chat I’m looking forward to.”

“You screwed the pooch there, my friend,” he grinned smugly. “You can deal with the consequences. Family doesn’t keep secrets, especially ours.”

And we were…family, that is. When all was said and done, I trusted my team with my life. Now I had to trust them with my heart.

Jade

“I’ve held my tongue long enough.” Henley closed the lid on the first air fryer after filling it with buffalo wings. “Spill the tea.”

Sighing, I drummed my fingers against the outside of my thigh. “We got married at the courthouse last Friday afternoon.”

“Hold up.” Jett’s head swung around. “Who got married?”

Swallowing past the thickness in my throat, I croaked, “Me and Koen.”

“Badass,” Phoebe proclaimed with her fist raised in the air.

“Why the hell wouldn’t you tell me?”

“That’s two, Jett Mica.”

“Well, if we’re counting, I may as well go for the trifecta,Jade Amber,” he snarled. “What the actual fuck?”

His anger was palpable, though it was nothing compared to the sting of betrayal I saw reflected back at me through his eyes. It was nearly my undoing. Throughout his whole life, I’d been the barrier between him and anything aiming to cause him harm. Now I was the one inflicting the pain. It cut deep. So deep I could practically feel the blood oozing from the wound in my chest.

“They threatened you, didn’t they?” My lack of response to his accusation led to a fourth round of cursing. “Son of a bitch, that’s it, isn’t it?”

“It's not tha?—”

“Just give them whatever they want so they’ll leave us alone. You didn’t have to get married.”

“They wantyou,”I shouted, immediately regretting the harsh delivery.

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