Page 58 of Duplicity

“She’ll want to walk, but she needs a blanket.” He touched her shoulder and started to shift at the same time. “Hey, sunshine. Time to wake up.”

Why did he say that? Except right now, all the light they could find to fill the dark places and cast away the shadows was welcome.

She stirred, pushing up on one hand. “Ack.”

“Let’s get your wrists looked at.” He helped her out of the car. “I’ll be there every step of the way.”

Peter closed the door and then rushed to hold the lobby doors for her. The elevator opened, and Violet held it. Blake was right behind her holding a blanket. “Come on. Everything is upstairs.”

They rushed over as fast as Cat wanted to go. Simon took the blanket and settled it around her.

Violet had gloves in her other hand and tugged them on as the elevator doors slid open. In the harsh light overhead, Simon saw the state of her wrists.

Violet turned her arms so she could see all of it. “Okay, I’ve got just the stuff for this. We can take care of it, no problem.”

She lifted her gaze to Cat, who stood in front of Simon so he couldn’t see her face. If only he could tug her against him and slide his arms around her, if she wanted him to, but there wasn’t time.

Violet asked, “Anything else we need to look at or talk about?”

Blake and Peter had stepped away from the two women about as far as they could get in the enclosed space. As soon as Violet asked, Cat took a half step back—which meant she slammed into him. He touched her waist.

She leaned against him. “They didn’t hurt me.”

Violet asked, “Aside from what I can see?”

Cat nodded. “I’m good.”

His hand tightened reflexively on her waist. The elevator door opened, and they all spilled into the main office. It hit him then. This place that had been his sanctuary for years now. He’dbrought Cat here so she could find peace in the place he’d found his so often.

When he needed it, and when he didn’t know he did.

“Over here.” He led her to his desk, beyond which a couple of armchairs rested by the windows. Something he and Destiny had come up with a few weeks ago. Kind of like a reading nook off to the side of all their cubicles. They worked long hours, and sometimes, a change of scenery helped.

She sank into the chair, and Violet sat on the edge of the table in front of her. Blake put a heavy duffel packed with medical supplies beside her.

Peter squeezed the side of Simon’s neck where it met his shoulder. “Her dad is here.”

Simon tore his eyes away from watching her get patched up and turned to see her dad and Romeo coming over from the elevator. Off to the side, where the hall led to Clare’s—Jasper’s—office, Blake stood with Destiny and Jasper, all of them in an intense conversation.

Cat’s father made it to him, leaning heavily on his cane. “Son?”

Simon waited for the hammer to fall.Stay away from her.This was your fault.He braced for it.

Warren nodded. “Thank you.”

TWENTY-THREE

“Thanks.” Cat tossed the pills in her mouth and drank enough sips of water to get them down. Both her wrists were bandaged now, after Violet had slathered some gel cream on them. Maybe it would numb them. If only she could numb everything. Climb under all the blankets on her bed, where she could cover her head and pretend there was no fear.

Destiny shifted in the seat, not just because she was quite distinctly pregnant—something Cat wasn’t going to point out. She wasn’t an idiot. Besides, Destiny looked great. Happy. They’d explained all the connections. How Jasper and Blake had worked SWAT together at the Benson PD. She’d seen them and heard of them but hadn’t met them.

Blake and Destiny were siblings.

Now Blake was married to Violet, and she’d come over from the fire department to work for Vanguard. Jasper had come from the PD also. Now he was the CEO of Vanguard, or COO. Or something that meant he ran the place. He was Simon’s boss.

Destiny and Jasper were also married. Cat couldn’t blame the woman for looking so content being married to a man that good-looking.

Destiny asked, “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

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