“Sorry,” she murmured to them all.
“Fuck that.” Xander wrapped his arm around her tighter. “You shouldn’t be sorry. I’m not.”
“What a shock,” Logan drawled.
“Don’t sidetrack him, water boy,” said Jack. “We’ve got business to clear up.”
“You’re a buzzkill, ground pounder. And Army Rangers will never be better than Navy SEALs.”
Alyssa groaned. “This argument again?”
“I think all that water has affected your brain,” Jack quipped. “But enjoy your delusion.”
“Can we continue this incredibly pointless argument later?” Xander snapped. “Logan said you’ve been working with the police. And . . .?”
All levity in Jack’s expression disappeared. “Right. Buckle your seatbelts. Here’s where we’re at, and it’s bumpy.” He walked in the room and shut the door behind him. “The Mexican police found Carlton’s body after a little tip-off—” Jack cleared his throat. “And they’re investigating, but McConnell already found everything you needed to know, right?”
At Xander’s nod, London frowned. “Who is Carlton? How are the Mexican police involved? What does this have to do with whoever attacked me?”
Jack shot Xander and Javier expressions that seemed to ask their permission. To finally tell her what the hell was going on? Xander cursed under his breath.
“Oh, no. If you know something, I want to know, too. I deserve to know, damn it.”
“You do.” Javier sat on the bed beside her. “What happened today . . . It’s why I apologized, little one. You did nothing to warrant this attack, except be meaningful to me. Carlton is a former employee who was selling me out to another man who once worked for me, Chad Brenner. He invented some of our most lucrative products, then sued us when he wanted more money for his intellectual property than his employment contract allowed. He left bitterly, lost his lawsuit, and decided to get revenge.” He grabbed her hand and sighed heavily. “But I swear, if you’ll let me, I’ll do everything to—”
“We,” Xander cut in.
“We.” Javier nodded. “Yes. We’ll do everything in our power to keep you safe. But it’s largely my fault you’re in danger, London.”
“Were in danger,” Jack was the one to correct Javier this time.
Everyone turned to him, hanging on his every word.
“Explain,” Javier growled at Jack.
“I was getting there. When the police arrived at your office to arrest Valjean—”
London gasped and whirled to Javier. “Valjean, the assassin who killed your wife?”
He nodded tightly. “The same, yes. I just found out myself.”
Shock ricocheted through London’s system. “Brenner hired this Valjean to kill me in order to get back at you? The same way he did Francesca?”
“You got it,” Jack said. “And the moment the police took him into custody and started grilling him, he was all too happy to give up details. Of course their threat to turn him over to the FBI might have had something to do with it.”
“So he confessed?” Javier demanded.
“He did. And he gave up Brenner’s name pretty easily.” Jack sighed, and London knew that what followed wouldn’t be good news. “Then when they tried to transfer Valjean to a higher-security facility, he jumped his guards and killed one of them. So the others had to shoot him. He’s dead.”
“Fuck!” Javier jumped to his feet, every muscle tense, looking like he restrained himself from hitting the wall. “So he can’t testify, and Brenner will probably walk. No doubt he’ll hire someone else to come after London. She’s not safe.”
“I’m not done with the story.” Jack crossed his arms over his chest. “It takes another turn. The Lafayette PD called the FBI. Interestingly enough, Brenner had been a ‘person of interest’ for some time. They liked Valjean’s taped confession and sent local Florida cops in to arrest Brenner. He went without a peep. I’d say he’s looking at several consecutive lifetimes for all the illegal shit he’s done. And just to make it more fun, the government is seizing all his funds. Apparently the CIA wants to talk to him, too. Seems they’ve got proof that he’s been developing some nuclear ideas for the Iranians.”
Hunter whistled. “And depending how deep he is, that might be construed as treason.”
“The feds will bury him for the rest of his miserable life.” Logan nodded. “Awesome!”
“So it really is over?” London heard her own voice trembling.
Jack crossed the room to her and sat on the other edge of her bed, taking her hand in his with an incredibly gentle grip. He was almost painfully handsome. She was completely in love—times two—and didn’t want anyone else. But no denying that he made her damn nervous.
“Yes. Valjean is dead, and Brenner will never see the light of day again. Take a deep breath. That goes for you two, as well.” Jack eyed Xander and Javier. “She’s safe.”
“Beautiful. Thank you.” Xander wedged in between them. “Now get your hand off our woman.”
Jack rolled his eyes and stood. “If you’re going to be that territorial, man, you need to put a ring on that finger. That’s what I did when I realized that I didn’t want anyone else touching Morgan.”
London wished a big hole would open up in the floor and swallow her up. They were not going to marry her after knowing her for a week, especially when she’d closed part of herself off from them.
But she wasn’t going to let them slip through her fingers without trying to show them how much she wanted and loved them.
“Thank you for the update, Jack,” she rushed to say. Something had to cover up that awkward silence. She turned to Alyssa. “Did the doctor say when I could leave?”
“They’re getting your discharge papers now,” her cousin said.
“Shouldn’t be too much longer, sweetie.” Luc sent her a reassuring smile.
As if on cue, the nurse appeared and cut through the small crowd with a disapproving frown. She handed London her discharge papers. “You’re free to go. The doctor advises a day or two of taking it easy. Keep up with the meds your doctor in California prescribed. All of them. Call your doctor if you become disoriented, have trouble with your balance, or if those cuts on your fingers become infected.”
She nodded. “Thank you. I will.”
“No. We will.” Javier took the papers from her hands and scanned them before addressing the nurse again. “We’ll take care of her.”
The salty older woman took in Javier’s proprietary stance and Xander’s possessive hand on her shoulder, then shook her head as if she didn’t want to know. “See that you do.”
“We’ll be here for her,” Xander insisted as the nurse left.
“You already got my advice if you want to keep it that way.” With a mocking salute, Jack ducked out the door and disappeared.
As soon as Jack had gone, Hunter shrugged. “Being a ground pounder, he’s often wrong, but not about this. I married Kata the night I met her. When you know, guys, you just know.” He hitched a thumb in Logan’s direction. “He’s the dumbass who took almost fifteen years to marry the right girl.”
“Hey! I knew at sixteen. It’s not my fault that everything got fucked up. I won her back and married her, didn’t I?” He punched his older brother in the arm.
If the thought wasn’t so futile, she would love the chance to strangle all three of the big, testosterone-laden warriors going on and on about marriage. How embarrassing . . .
London cleared her throat. “Thank you both very much for the rescue.”
Hunter waved her words away.
Logan grinned. “That was fun. Any time you need help out of a scrape—”
“There’d better not be a next time,” Javier growled.
“We’ll be there,” Xander vowed.
London ignored her men and faced the Edgington brothers. “How swell that you enjoyed it, guys. And I’m glad you’re both happily married, but enough already!”
Hunter and Logan frowned, finally having the good sense to look a little self-conscious.
“Yeah, okay,” Logan drawled. “Me and my big-mouth brother will, um . . .”
“Go home to our wives.” Hunter grabbed Logan by the shirt and hauled him out the door.
London watched them go with a shake of her head. They were both crazy wonderful, emphasis on the crazy.
“Why don’t we give you a few minutes to get dressed so we can all get out of here,” Alyssa suggested to her. “Do you need any help? If you’d rather, I can send a nurse in.”
“I can manage, but thanks.” She just wanted to get out of there . . . and plan the best way to get on with her life.
Alyssa stood with a smile. “Let me know if you need any help.”
Luc wandered closer and patted her shoulder. “I’m relieved that you’re okay. Your cousin and I will always be here for you.”
“Thanks.” She swallowed back tears. She was overwrought. God knew it had been an eventful day, and it wasn’t over. So much unsettled . . .
Especially her heart.
“That means the world to me.” She smiled up at Luc.
He smiled back, then turned to Xander and Javier. “Give her a few minutes to get dressed, guys.”
Neither moved a muscle. Both looked like it was going to take an act of Congress to make them leave.
“Please,” she whispered. She wanted to put her clothes on, gather her thoughts. Find her goddamn courage. Figure out how to say what needed to be said. She had so much on her mind, so much unspoken . . .
Javier cursed under his breath and sent her a look that warned her not to step a single toe out of the room without him before he stormed out into the hall.
Xander looked like he wanted to argue. Or plead. It was a close call. Instead, he growled, “Fine.”
He followed his brother out the door, and suddenly she was alone. As she slipped into her pants, the silence should have soothed her. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, weariness tugged at her, all the way to her bones. As she wrestled into her bra and grappled with her shirt, everything felt wrong. She’d spent years alone—in a coma, isolated by her injuries, prisoner of her fears. It hit her that she couldn’t really live as long as she was afraid. She was going to get hurt. Not everyone was going to like or understand her. She might find people who were horrified by her scars. They were the injured ones. The shallow. The ones unable to look past the surface to see her heart underneath.
Once, she’d thought Xander and Javier might fall into that category. But would the men she knew—and loved—reject her for the roadmap of red lines carved into her back? Maybe . . . but probably not. The relationship might not last forever, but she couldn’t know its potential if she didn’t take a chance. Wasn’t risk part of life?
She donned her shoes and tossed her hair out of her face. Then stared at the closed door separating her from them. She was going to have to step out of her comfort zone. London wanted to come to Xander and Javier rested and whole, not coated in her own fear and another man’s violent intent. She wanted them to know that she wasn’t running on leftover nerves or fear. They could have no doubts about what was in her heart. If they rejected her then . . . well, she’d have the comfort of knowing she’d truly tried.
Crossing the floor, she pulled the door open with a breath, then stepped into the hall. Her men stood in front of her, a wall of protective males looking ready to do anything to keep her safe and whole. She smiled faintly. “The door is going to hit me in the ass when I let go if you don’t back up.”
A few steps away, Luc chuckled until Alyssa elbowed him in the ribs.
Javier’s eyes narrowed with warning. If they’d been alone and today hadn’t been traumatic, he’d be plotting exactly how to spank her, then torture her by arousing her unbearably and delaying her gratification. It kind of sounded wonderful.
Xander merely snagged her by the wrist and jerked her against his body. “Now it won’t. You’ll be safe with us, belleza. Always.”
“I didn’t doubt that.” She managed to pry herself out of his embrace.
Looking on, Javier frowned. “Little one, don’t run again. Come with us. Talk to us. We’re sorry for what happened last night in Dallas—”
“There’s nothing to say.” London shook her head, not wanting him to apologize for asking for the trust he needed from her. She’d simply been too afraid to give it, and she would have to work through that before she could come to them whole. “I understand. Just . . . I need some time before I can discuss it. Can you give me that?”
Xander stiffened, looking ready to protest. He whipped his gaze to his older brother, who went just as tense. Some sort of silent communication passed between them, and she stifled a grin. Whatever happened from here out, these two men had one another, and she could think of nothing more important. They might have been out of step for years, but they’d never been truly separate. It warmed every corner of her heart to see them now on the same page.
