Page 46 of Forbidden Wish

Ford disappeared into the breakroom, and she couldn’t even manage a smile. A duvet landed at the end of the bed. Jagg was somewhere behind her at the closet.

“This is wrong,” she whispered.

His fingertips trailed down her arm until they twined with hers and he came in close, giving her something to lean on.

“Us?”

She sighed. “I have a brother caring for me. A boyfriend looking out for me. Protecting me.” Her eyes closed. “And Mila’s laying in a hospital bed all alone.”

“She has you looking out for her.”

“What a lot of good that did her today.” Damn, she wanted to punch herself. “I knew it was dangerous. I knew—”

“Genny…” Turning her around, he set both hands on her shoulders. “What happened to her is not your fault.”

“We’re having sex and sleeping together, talking about pizza. Life shouldn’t just go on. I told Mila we’d find whoever killed her friend and instead the same people got to her.”

“There’s nothing you can do for her tonight. We’ll go see her tomorrow.”

They. We. The concern in him only highlighted Mila’s isolation.

“Do you think she’s safe? If they meant to kill her—”

“I’ll send a couple of the guys over,” he said.

“What’s the hold up?” Ford’s voice joined them again.

Peeking over her shoulder, he only leaned into the room.

“Genny’s worried Mila might still be in danger.”

“If they meant to kill her, she might be,” Ford said. “I’ll send a couple of the guys to the hospital.”

As her brother disappeared, her smile caught on Jagg. “You are so alike.”

“Not in the ways that count.”

He surprised her with a quick kiss, then spun her around to guide her out of the bedroom, his hands on her shoulders.

In the breakroom, Ford tossed his phone onto the island. “Done.”

“Did you send real men?” she asked. “People with actual focus. Not the idiot who hit on me when I came to see you.”

Walking past her, Jagg paused. He and Ford made eye contact.

“Dime,” Ford said, answering his friend’s unasked question. Wow, talk about attuned to each other. “He didn’t hit on you, and he’d go out with a wingnut if he could stick his dick in it.”

“You two really employ the best, don’t you?”

She went to sit on the couch.

“We only have beer,” Jagg said.

Ford already had three. One for Jagg, and he popped the cap off hers before handing it over.

She didn’t really want beer. She didn’t want anything. Except her phone. Dragging her purse across the coffee table, she plucked it out.

“Did you send Sutherland?”

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