11. Tucker

CHAPTER 11

Rat poison. That's what nearly killed our woman. It wasn't hard to deduce that the poison was planted in the cheesecake that she'd been so excited to eat. Our brothers-in-law are already looking into who had access to her food at the hotel and how they were able to impersonate staff at such an upscale establishment when we checked on their security measures before even taking Windsor there, to begin with.

This shouldn't have fucking happened, and I'm livid that it did when we should have protected her. There's nothing we wouldn't do for her, and feeling as helpless as we have isn't something I want to experience again.

"You need to cool down, brother." Tanner's hand on my shoulder is meant to be reassuring as we watch Windsor sleep for the second day in a row. At first, it was because they hadn't been able to remove all the poison from her body—some had already been absorbed. And then, it was due to medication keeping her comfortable and calm. Now, she's flat-out exhausted.

"I can't," I grit out through clenched teeth. "She needed us, and we failed her."

"How?" We both spin around at the sound of our father's voice as he enters with a vase of flowers and a teddy bear in his hands. "How exactly did you fail her when you had no idea there was a threat?"

His logical question gives me pause. "We should have been more cautious."

"Are you telepathic, Tucker? Can you read minds?" Christ, why is he trying to free me of the guilt? "Because I'm telling you right now, that unless you can somehow see into the future, you're only ever going to be able to figure shit out in the moment."

"Bad things happen, Tuck. We can't control everything." I close my eyes and breathe deeply at Tan's conviction while playing that day over in my mind for the hundredth or more time.

We had ordered lunch to be brought down to our cabana at a specific time but hadn't requested dessert because we knew Windsor wasn't huge on sweets. We hadn't run into anyone who would have been insulted or hurt by anything one of us said or did. There was no rhyme or reason to her attack.

Which means it must be personal.

The question is, is it her or us this person is after?

Logic dictates it's us because we make enemies from business deals all the time. People hate our success. They want it for themselves, and when we outbid a competitor for clients, they can get pissed and vindictive.

Windsor hasn't had a chance to hurt another living soul in her life. We know she's been all about her mother and the woman's illness for years. Before that, she was focused on school and getting good grades so she could earn scholarships.

It would seem impossible to be about her, right?

"Excuse me, gentlemen. I need to pop in to have a look at our patient." A pretty, blonde nurse, whose eyes are eerily familiar, smiles at us as she moves to Windsor.

I keep my eyes on her as she moves to grab the chart. "This is Windsor James?" The shock in her tone brings me to attention.

"Yeah, why?" Tanner's every bit as suspicious as I am now.

"It's just we met a few weeks ago. She was looking for her sister." The nurse's face has drained of all color as she stares back at us.

"What's your name?" I suddenly ask. Windsor hasn't shared much about her sisters, but we know their names.

"Lux James." Her eyes move back to Windsor, who has woken up at the interaction. "Am I the sister you told me about?" Tears fill our woman's eyes as she slowly nods her head. "Why didn't you tell me?" Lux sits on the side of Windsor's bed.

Licking her lips, she opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. Grabbing the pitcher of water, I pour her a glass and pop the straw in before bringing it to her lips. Brushing a finger gently down her cheek, I offer my silent support.

"I didn't want to intrude." Her feeble voice is filled with more emotion than I've ever heard before.

"I see." Lux writes a few things on Windsor's chart before getting to her feet again. "I'll be back to check on you in a few hours, but the doctors think you'll be ready to go home in the morning."

The torment on Windsor's face kills me because we know her, we know her kind heart, and losing her sister before she ever gets the chance to know her will eat her up inside.

"I'm sorry, Lux." The nurse nods before leaving.

Kissing Windsor on the forehead, I follow the other woman out. "Lux, wait, please." It's hard maintaining a lowered tone so I don't disturb other patients or draw attention to the woman when I want to bark commands at everyone around me.

"Yes?" Her professionalism is back in place.

"She didn't want to hurt you. Or disrupt your life. She wasn't even going to seek you out, but I think the loneliness got to her," I try to explain.

"I'm not angry, Mr. Graham, I'm shocked. Because if what she told me when we first met is true, then we have another sister out there somewhere, and I can't imagine how Windsor held it together when we spoke. Knowing what she knew and keeping silent about it must have been incredibly difficult for her."

"You're not writing her off then?" I want Windsor to have all the happiness in the world, and if that means convincing Lux to forgive her, I'll do it.

"Gosh, no. I've wanted sisters my whole life. Now I have one and another who doesn't know we exist. Our father is a real piece of work." The last part is growled with frustration.

Which makes me think of something. "Have you heard from him lately? He called Windsor last week, but she didn't want anything to do with him."

"Couple weeks ago, he called, but I was on shift. Haven't called him back. My mom was pissed. I think if she sees him again, she just might kill him. Especially after I tell her I have two sisters." Lux's smile is genuine this time; she's thrilled to know about Windsor. "Please tell her I'm happy to have her as a sister; I'm just in shock. I will be by later, but my patient load is heavy today." She's off again, and I know Windsor will be happy to learn that she's a welcome surprise in the woman's life.

Windsor

I feel like I'm drowning in a dark abyss with no bottom in sight as I wait for Tucker to return. Tanner lies beside me, stroking my hair and holding me tight to his chest. If I'm honest, he's the only reason I haven't exploded into a panic attack over the thought that all my fears about my sisters are coming true.

There is too much going on for my mind not to conjure up the worst possible scenarios and how much Lux must hate me. I deceived her from the moment we met, but everything I said was filled with so much truth and heartache. She just didn't know it was all about her.

"You're working yourself up, baby." Tanner's lips on my hairline are the only thing keeping me centered right now. "Breathe slowly."

As Tucker returns, I hold my breath until he settles into the chair next to my bed. It's too small to fit all three of us, much as I'd like that to happen, and I can only be happy about going home tomorrow.

"Lux is excited but shocked," he starts. "She wanted you to know she's not mad at you, just surprised she was one of the sisters you spoke to her about." Silent tears slip down my cheeks as I nod at him, offering up a watery smile. "Rest now, sweetheart. We need you strong before we take you home."

A weight lifts from my heart, and I feel like I can breathe again. It's not perfect, but it's more than I'd hoped for, and I feel as though things can work out for the better now. "Home," I murmur, wondering if they mean theirs or my tiny, little apartment.

All that night, sleep is erratic for me. Between my tumultuous emotions, disturbing dreams, and hospital noise, I don't think I get an ounce of rest before being woken up in the morning by a doctor who takes a seat in the chair that Tucker has occupied since I arrived.

"Miss James, we need a word before I discharge you today," she says with a sympathetic smile. Tanner and Tucker pace on the other side of me near the foot of the bed, waiting for the woman to speak what's on her mind. She glances back at them and gives a faint nod, which brings the two men to sit on the bed with me—Tucker at my hip and Tanner at my feet.

"What's wrong?" I've been around enough doctors to know when there's bad news.

"I'm very sorry to say this, but the poison caused your body to reject your fetus. You've had a miscarriage, Windsor." I blink blankly at her, struggling to make sense of her words.

"But… I wasn't pregnant." I realize how stupid it sounds, but I can't bring myself to accept what she's saying.

"You were, for a very brief time. Only a few weeks. The poison, however, took the fetus before it had a chance to grow and alert your body to its presence. I'm terribly sorry." She continues talking, offering mental health options, assuring me that I can try again in a few months' time. I don't listen to a word of it.

Someone hates me so much they tried to kill me, and they took a baby I never knew existed, let alone that I wanted, away from me. They stole a life worth ten times my own. They stole the one pure piece of me that was also part of Tanner and Tucker.

Sinking further into the bed, I turn away from the brothers to stare out the window as the doctor leaves. Grief consumes me as I think about the life I was unable to protect. Rationality has no place with me right now. It doesn't matter that I had no idea I was pregnant; I knew the possibility existed because we hadn't used protection our one time together, and I never did make it to the pharmacy.

"Windsor, baby." Tanner lays down behind me, pulling me in close to his chest as I silently cry. "This isn't your fault."

Yes, it is, I want to scream but can't find my voice at the moment.

"Sweetheart." Tucker appears in front of my face, scooting close on the chair, and I register the anguish in his eyes. He's hurting, too. They both are. "Much as I hate it, we can't control everything. Nobody could have known that you were going to be poisoned." He wipes the tears from my cheeks and rests his chin on the pillow a few inches in front of my face, his concerned eyes searching my own.

"I didn't know," I whisper. "I should have." They both make disagreeing sounds of protest. "It's my body; I should have known." Closing my eyes, I allow the grief and guilt to consume me until I'm too exhausted to stay awake any longer.