Page 48 of Fallout

“Okay, thanks.” She was doing pretty good at staying cool.

Not worrying about if she’d been the target. It wasn’t like that made sense. Now Jasper had been shot? What was going on? Either a very skilled shooter was purposely missing or… She had no idea. Because she had been a waitress up until a few months ago. Following the Lord had brought her to being in the middle of this police investigation. Pregnant. Working for Vanguard.

She spotted him through the window, sitting on the side of the hospital bed with no shirt on. The bruise on his chest was huge. She yelped.

Jasper looked over. His expression softened, and he motioned for her, mouthing,Come here.

She slid the door open. “That looks like ithurts.” The door didn’t want to close behind her. She looked and found Blake right behind her.He wants to see this?Okay. She went to Jasper and looked at the enormity of it. “Did it do more than surface damage?” She touched the edge, up by his collarbone.

Jasper laid his hand on hers. “No bone damage. Which is a miracle. Just this lovely bruise to remember a sweet time.”

She didn’t find it funny.

Blake said, “George got winged like your mother in the exact same spot. You saved his life. Now tell us about your brother that died.”

Destiny frowned. She glanced between them. “They know about Caleb?”

Blake’s brows rose. “Youknow about Caleb?”

She tried to tug her hand from under Jasper’s, but he didn’t let go. He lowered their hands but held on to hers. As though he needed the solidarity.

She said, “Oh, well, it was actually Richard who told me.”

“Thesenator?”

Jasper said, “Bro.” As if it was all that needed to be said. Then, he cleared his throat. “Caleb had leukemia. I was eight when he died. He was seven.”

Her brother paled. “You never said anything.”

“It’s not something I talk about.”

Destiny said, “People are allowed to keep their own confidence if it’s too painful to talk about. Or whenever they want.”

“This isn’t about you.” Her brother looked at her like…

Destiny said, “I know I’m different since what happened in Africa.” And he didn’t know the whole of it. “But you don’t have to look at me like that.”

Jasper reached behind him, tugged on his T-shirt, and stood. Between Destiny and her brother. “She doesn’t need to deal with your judgment.”

“Yeah?” Blake asked. “What made you the guy that stands for her?”

Destiny couldn’t see her brother. Jasper stood between them. If only she could hide here behind his back. Maybe forever. Not because she was scared of her brother. Just because it was Jasper, and being protected by him made her feel safer than she ever had in her life. He knew about the baby, so he wasn’t just protecting her. He was protecting her and her child.

“What’s going on?” Blake asked. “I’m not stupid, Des. Don’t treat me like I am. You haven’t been okay since you got back.”

Jasper shifted, just enough that she could see her brother and he would still be able to intervene. As though he wanted to cover her, no matter what came.

“That’s why I wanted a family meeting.” She had to be able to say it out loud. She’d managed it with Jasper in the bathroom, but that was him. Her brother… She loved Blake, but he had his own ideas about what his sisters should do. Where they should go. Who they should be.

She did what she felt God led her to. But it would never be Blake’s view of “ideal.” Then again, while she’d been gone, he had become a Christian. So maybe God was changing her brother.

“Tell me.” Blake’s expression softened as much as it could.

She could end up driving a wedge between him and Jasper, and that was the last thing she wanted responsibility for. There was already enough on her plate. “I’m pregnant.”

Blake’s eyes narrowed, just a flex. He glanced at Jasper. Glanced at her. “You’re…what?”

She tried to say it. Nothing came out. She had to breathe. Jasper tugged her into his side. His words blurred in her ears. She made a point not to lean against his chest, even though she wanted to more than anything. It would hurt him if she went anywhere near his bruise.

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