Page 40 of Shattered

Jade

Mother Nature was unleashing her fury when I stepped out of Over Easy after my shift ended. Had I known I’d be pelted with balls of hail the size of grapes while darting to my car, I’d have waited a few more minutes to leave. Itcould have been worse. At least Huntington was relatively warm in October.

Lightning streaked across the darkening sky, reminding me of the night Henley and I were taken. It was storming that night too. I’d been scared out of my mind through the entire ordeal, not for myself, but for Jett. I was all he had in the world.What would happen to him if I didn’t survive?It might seem silly and insignificant, but when the nightmares reared their ugly heads, it was those thoughts which terrified me the most.

Shaking off the unwanted memories, along with the raindrops, I drove home, avoiding any roads without proper lighting. My grip on the steering wheel didn’t ease until I saw the red Camaro parked out front. Easing into my space, I paused briefly before getting out to take in the man waiting for me on the porch, holding a beautiful bouquet of multicolored roses.

Barefoot and looking completely relaxed in a pair of navy sweats and a worn FBI T-shirt, Koen was the picture of perfection. Drawn to his emerald eyes and the way they sparkled in the glow of the porch light behind him, my insides dipped and twisted with excitement.

This past week, we’d explored the boundaries of intimacy, reaching heights I’d only ever read about in the books I edited. The time had come to let go of my reservations, to open myself up to the possibilities of more. He’d shown me over and over again that he wanted a real relationship. That our marriage wasn’t simply one ofconvenienceto him. Koen was here and, finally, I believed he wasn’t going anywhere.

When I reached the top of the steps, he bent down, kissed the corner of my lips, then handed me the flowers. “Welcome home, Angel.”

The words were on the tip of my tongue. Threelittle words which didn’t even begin to express the extent of my feelings for this incredible man, but I swallowed them down, content to keep them locked in my heart for a little while longer.

“Thank you. So what’s on the agenda tonight?” I asked as he steered me through the door with a hand on my lower back. “Wait. Let me guess. Freaky Friday?”

Throwing his head back, he laughed long and hard. It was distracting, watching his muscles vibrate with the action made me think about other ways those muscles would be shaking.

“Nah, I thought we could start a new tradition, one we had in my house growing up.”

Nudging me forward, my steps faltered when I saw what he’d done to the living room.

“Koen,” I breathed his name.

The couch was pushed back against the wall and the coffee table next to it held a stack of old board games, including my favorite, Monopoly. In the center of the room, he’d created an oasis of sorts; lining the floors with mounds of sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows. But the best part was seeing my brother standing in the middle of it all, holding bags filled with Chinese food.

“Family Friday,” Koen whispered in my ear.

“Oh shit.” Jett frowned. “Her eyes are leaking. Do something, man.”

“Language,” I admonished, wiping an errant tear from my eye.

“Is this okay?” Koen tipped my chin up with his fingers.

“More than. It’s perfect.”

“Then why are you crying?”

“No one’s ever done anything like this for me before,” I admitted. “It’s a little overwhelming.”

“Get used to it, Angel.” He kissed my lips softly. “This is only the beginning.”

“Do not pass goagain, Koen.”

Jett thought it was hysterical every time Koen was sent to Monopoly jail. They made jokes, they ribbed each other…it was the most carefree I’d seen my brother in a long time, maybe ever.

I tried to be what he needed—what he deserved—since the day they brought him home from the hospital. For the most part, I’d succeeded. At least I thought I had. But it was glaringly obvious he was missing something…something only Koen could give him.

Peace.

It wasn’t until he admitted to hacking into the university, for extra money, did I realize Jett had been worried about me as much as I was him. He felt partially responsible for taking care of our family and, in doing so, had nearly landed himself in a boatload of boiling water. Having Koen in our lives had eased some of the burden he was shouldering. It was written in his body language; in the way he immediately relaxed when Koen entered the room. Even his smiles were given more freely. Somewhere in his teenage mind, it had clicked; the understanding we weren’t alone any longer. We’d found someone not only willing to fight for our survival, but protect us with their life, if necessary.

“I still have more hotels on my property than you do, kid.”

“Yeah, but you can’t collect on the mortgage while you’re in the slammer.”

“Fair point. It’s your turn, Jade.” He glanced my way.

---