Page 27 of Fallout

“And you fit the description the victim gave us of her shooter.”

Destiny took a step back.

“Hey, guys. What’s going on?”

She whirled to find her brother and Violet walking down the hall. Blake had his badge on his belt and an unhappy look on his face.

“Wait,” the officer said. “Is this one of your sisters?”

Violet pulled Destiny into a hug. “We should get you out of here.”

She glanced at Blake, who was speaking with the two officers, and then she went with Violet down the hall. Back to where she could see Jasper. “I need to go home.”

“Yes, you do.” Violet wrapped her fingers around Destiny’s wrist.

She looked at the tight placement of her fingers. Her brother’s girlfriend—fiancée, whatever they were—was feeling for her pulse. Her heart rate. “Did Clare send you?”

“She called. We were already on our way.”

Blake turned away from the officers and came over. “You didn’t answer your phone.”

Tears gathered in her eyes.

His expression softened, and he pulled her into a hug. She ended up sandwiched between the two of them, fighting back tears. Until she realized she was safe enough here. She didn’t need to fight. They let her cry for a few minutes.

When Blake eased back, Violet didn’t let go of her.

He said, “Let’s take you home.”

Violet’s phone beeped. She glanced at the screen. “We’re swiping in the two detectives and their witness. She needs protection, and Vanguard is going to provide it.”

Jasper stepped out of their bay. “You heard?”

He barely looked at Destiny, more like just glanced through her.

It was Violet who said, “Yes. You’ll follow us?”

“Will do.” He held the door for Detective Jesse and the witness.

Detective Jesse frowned and asked, “You really aren’t going to stay with your parents?”

Jasper closed the sliding door behind the scared-looking girl. She had a jacket on over the hospital gown, and her clothes were in a bag tucked close to her front.

He said, “I’ll drop you guys and come back. They aren’t going anywhere.”

Blake glanced at Destiny, his expression inscrutable.

“Let’s go.” Violet put her arm around Destiny.

She needed to be alone, somewhere quiet where she felt safe. Somewhere she didn’t have to put on a brave face and try to explain that she hadn’t been in possession of a weapon, hadn’t been the one who shot the senator and his wife, and didn’t know why that woman had accused her of it.

Was Jasper going to settle the issue for her?

Along with not seeming all that surprised, he also hadn’t offered her a reason why his mom might do that. Maybe he had no idea. Or maybe it was exactly the kind of thing she did.

He walked ahead of her, with the witness Vanguard would be protecting and his colleague. Since he’d come out of the room, he’d barely looked at her. So much for spending time with him, hearing stories about his brother who’d died. Getting to know the sibling Jasper had loved and lost.

Violet tucked her into the front seat of Blake’s truck. Destiny leaned her head on her hand and closed her eyes, trying not to think about how much her cheek stung. Whoever that girl was, her deal was more important. Police business was more important. Saving lives took priority over answering her questions.

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