Page 49 of Duplicity

“Hey.” She pressed her lips together.

“I’m fine.”

Sure, except for the fact he slurred his words. Did he have a concussion? “You should go to the hospital.”

He turned away from her and paled slightly but said nothing. That was about as much argument as he had the strength to muster up right now. Which was a serious problem. Her brother was supposed to be strong. Tough enough to withstand anything. The times when he wasn’t what she needed him to be, Cat was left floundering. She had to shore up her own strength and figure out how to help on top of that.

She needed to do better. Be Stronger. On her own. But when she was so used to having strong men in her life, she had to face the fact she had taken it for granted. She’d failed to find her own strength, all too reliant on the fact they would always be there.

And in the next moment, her whole world rocked. Like when he’d been in the hospital.

Now it was happening again, all the worry that he would have to leave the police department. That something might happen, and he would never be the same again.

Simon said, “Although, if you’re up to it maybe you could show us what happened.”

“What do you mean?” Cat turned to him. “He was attacked.” They were here to support Romeo. Why did it seem like Simon wanted to work the scene or something? “This is a police matter. Romeo needs to give a statement, and he needs to get checked out by a doctor. And not necessarily in that order.”

Simon’s expression shuttered, and he nodded to the side.

She stepped away with him, out of earshot of anyone. “What is it?”

“My program pinged.” He still had his laptop under one arm, though he had the lid closed. “The address for this place showed up as a no go.”

“Like warning people to stay away?” What was he getting at?

“Maybe.” He shrugged.

Behind him, Cat spotted Peter talking to a police officer she didn’t know.

Simon said, “We need to look inside.”

“Okay. Do you think it’s connected?”

“We need to find out.”

Someone called out, “Cat!”

She spun to see her father making his way to the ambulance, using his cane to steady himself. Lately, it seemed like it was a fail-safe more than a necessity for him to use it. She tugged Simon’s elbow toward her father, and when her dad came near enough, she gave him a hug, feeling the scratch of his cheek against hers. His shoulders were broader like Romeo’s, and he carried the tension there.

“Hey.” She gave him a quick squeeze and stepped back.

“Is he okay?”

“Looks like a nasty scratch on his head and a bump. He’s a bit out of it.”

“No, I’m not.” Romeo passed her and hugged their dad. “Did you introduce him to Simon yet?”

“What?”

At the same time, her dad asked, “This is him?”

Simon’s eyes widened. “Uh…” He cleared his throat and stuck out his hand. “Simon Olson.”

Peter strode up beside him, as if drawn there by some mystical twin tractor beam. Her dad shook hands with Simon, then his brother, who said, “Peter Olson.”

“The twins that work for Vanguard, right?”

They both nodded, simultaneously muttering, “Yes, sir.”

---