14. Tucker

CHAPTER 14

The images from the envelope are scattered across the island as coffee brews, and my anger grows into a festering pool of rage waiting to burst free. But until I have someone to target with it, I'll keep it bottled up as best as I can. Windsor has been through enough without Tanner and me taking out our frustration on her.

"Any idea who sent these?" Tan organizes the photos by timestamp. It looks as though whoever is watching her began months before we met her. They range from shots from afar in the street to mourning at her mother's gravesite to leaving our building. There are even long-distance shots into her apartment. They may not show any nudity, but there's enough in the shadow of her curtain to tell she was undressing or fresh from the shower.

It's not in me, in us, to allow this type of unwanted attention to continue. The most recent image is from the day we brought Windsor home from the hospital. She was pale, wrapped up in my sweater and holding onto our arms, looking fragile as a baby bird. This is not a moment she will appreciate being memorialized.

"Not a clue," I grit out, grabbing two mugs.

"What's this?" Windsor's cheery voice instantly soothes me until I turn to notice her rosy cheeks and happy eyes dull into fear and trepidation. "Where did you get these?" Her voice is muted, almost unheard.

She's too intelligent for me to lie to. "I found them in your desk yesterday." She picks up the envelope, turning even paler if possible.

"That can't be right," she mutters, looking at the last image.

"They were all in there. You didn't look at them?" Her head shakes in response. "When did you get it?"

She frowns, drawing in on herself. "A few weeks ago. But it's been in my desk. How could this one have gotten in there?" She points to the one of us leaving the hospital. "They would have had to have gotten into the office this week." Realization dawns, and she sways right into Tanner's arms.

He picks her up and walks to the sofa, sitting with her in his lap while I get on the phone with Beau Rogers.

"Detective Rogers here." He answers almost immediately.

"I need you at my place as soon as possible," I growl.

"Why, what's up?" He was already aware of Windsor's poisoning since we'd called him before any of us were interviewed by the police. After explaining the pictures and how they were left for her at her apartment, but then someone added to it after she brought it to our office, he promised to be by this evening with a friend.

Doctoring Windsor's coffee the way she likes, I bring the warm drink over and kneel before her when she takes it from me. "You know we won't allow anything to happen to you, right?" Her head nods as she takes a sip.

"So why didn't you tell us about this?" Tanner speaks up first.

"When I got the envelope, I had a weird feeling about it, and I didn't want to ruin how well things felt like they were going." Her eyes shift to stare into her coffee. "Things don't work out for me very often. My whole life, I've felt like a punching bag, and for once, working for you, it was like the universe was smiling down on me." Her own smile is strained before it disappears. "Then this tragedy happened, and I forgot all about it because I was so wrapped up in grief. I just wanted to forget about it." A lone tear escapes her eye, and the sadness surrounding her is so powerful I feel it to my core.

Brushing my fingers through her hair, I pull her head up so our eyes meet. "I'm so fucking sorry, Windsor." More tears flow as she breaks. Taking the cup out of her hands, I place it behind me and pull her into my chest. "We would shield you from the world if we could." It's overwhelming how much I want to be able to do that.

In all my years of military service, I've never felt as helpless as I do right now. I want to burn the world down for her and keep everything terrible away. It's unrealistic and impossible, but we'll do our best to keep her from feeling this type of heartbreak again.

"Why don't you invite Lux over for dinner tonight? Tuck and I will speak with Beau about this and work on figuring out who might be interested in you, and you girls can have margaritas on the balcony with a fire, maybe figure out how to approach your baby sister." At Tanner's suggestion, she perks up a little bit.

"You'd be okay with that?" She looks between us. I'm shocked she thinks she even has to ask, and I'm frozen for an answer.

"Of course. We'd never deny you spending time with your sister. You both deserve each other and a safe space to get acquainted," Tanner interjects.

"If we thought we could convince you, we'd pack up your place and move you in here tonight." Her eyes widen at my comment. "I didn't think you were ready, but I figure it can't hurt to lay our intentions out on the table."

Windsor

Move in with them.

Tucker made the suggestion so casually that I couldn't formulate a response, and then they just let it go like they didn't drop some huge bombshell on me.

I've been sitting on it all day as I spend some time answering emails from their home office. Nothing is pressing that can't wait until I go back to work next week, but I want a head start, and I'm getting bored.

I'm still struggling to accept what happened and why. The not knowing who would poison me is the hardest part. I've lived a relatively quiet life; school and Mom had always been my focus. Aside from two serious boyfriends and a couple of bad dates, I haven't had too many other people in my life.

"Knock, knock." The feminine voice draws me out of my misery, and a giant smile crosses my face when I see Lux in the doorway. "You look a hundred times better than the last time I saw you."

Getting up, my instinct is to give her a hug, but I don't know if we're there yet, so I pause a few feet away. "Thank you, I'm feeling better."

She eyes me before doing what I wanted to and pulls me in for a sisterly embrace. "I don't know if we're here yet, but I feel like we both need it."

"You read my mind," I whisper as I wrap my arms around her back.

"Good, because I think we need to ignore the awkwardness that could present itself and move straight into the fact that we're sisters and don't need to be separated because of our dick of a dad." We share a laugh at her description.

"I really like that idea." Hooking my arm through hers, I begin walking us out to the front rooms. "I was going to order everyone takeout for dinner, but I have no idea if you have any allergies or what you like."

"I'm not picky at all, and no allergies to worry about."

Entering the living room, Tanner is opening the door to Detective Rogers and another man who, by looks alone, intimidates the crap out of me. "Holy shit," Lux whispers and stops dead in her tracks.

"What?" I keep my voice level even with hers.

"I know them. Well, I've seen them around. Working cases on some of my patients over the last couple of years. They sure know how to get a girl going." My brows raise at her comment and the dreamy look on her face.

"Soooo, have you asked them out yet?" She quickly shoots me a horrified look, like I asked her to kick a puppy or something. "What?"

"You do see them, right?" I look back towards the men again. Beau is classically handsome, with a small scar on the underside of his chin. He's as tall as my own men and slightly more muscular. The other man, he's less put together, less professional, I suppose. His hair is just a little too long on top, while the sides are shaved close to his head. His nose is crooked, probably broken once or twice. He's tall like Beau but built heavier. There's an air of danger surrounding him, too. I'm still not seeing what Lux is.

"I don't get it?"

"They are way too good-looking for me," she groans, and I laugh, drawing everyone's attention over to us.

"Hi." I lift my hand in a wave like I don't belong when I know I do. "We were going to order dinner; any requests?" The awkward silence relieves the stress I've been carrying around all day as I watch Beau and mystery man react to Lux and then each other because her gaze darts between them like a startled kitten. "Pizza it is." Nodding, I grab Lux and drag her to the bedroom I'm not sharing with Tanner and Tucker before closing the door.

We fall onto the mattress together, me in a fit of giggles because her blush is adorable and Lux screaming into a pillow. I wait until she's finished before lifting the edge and peeking under to find her face flushed and her eyes sparkling.

"Feel better?" She sticks her tongue out at me. "Care to tell me the problem, then?"

"How do you do it? With Tanner and Tucker? Like…how?" She appears so confused.

I shrug as I sit up. "We're still pretty new together. There's still a lot to figure out with each other, but I think honesty is the key." Without it, I don't know what we'd do. "This week has brought us closer together. Tragedy has a way of doing that. Cutting through the bullshit and exposing our biggest fears and insecurities."

Feeling her hand grasping mine, I glance over to see a look of sympathy in her eyes. "I am so sorry you guys lost him or her." My throat closes, and I can only nod as I choke up at the remembered pain.

"I wouldn't have gotten through it without the two of them," I confess bluntly. "I've lost a lot in my life, and if I'd lost them too, I wouldn't have survived in a million years." Lux rests her head on my shoulder in silent support.

"Is there jealousy?" I recognize the concern in her tone.

"Not yet. Not that they've expressed around me. They're definitely competitive, and if one is getting a kiss or hug or affection of any kind, then the other wants it, too. But they don't fight to be the first to get any of those things, and they encourage me to offer it to the other."

"How are they competitive then if there's no jealousy?" I'm instantly tomato red and ready to be fried in the sun. "Ohhhh." She grins at me when she realizes what I could mean.

"It's, uhm…well…there's no complaints." I can't hold back my smile even as I turn redder. Who knew it was possible?

"I think there would be jealousy with those two. They've worked together several times before. Beau is a strictly by-the-book kind of guy. He likes order and routine, while Gabe breaks the rules all the time. He likes to come and go with a bang."

"You sound like you know from experience." I make the comment but don't expect Lux to turn as red as I was a moment ago.

"Sort of, but it was more to get under Beau's skin." Her teeth sink into her lip, and I see sadness enter her eyes at the memory.

Turning to face her fully, I grab both of Lux's hands in mine and demand, "Spill."

Blowing out a deep breath, she starts, "A few months ago, a missing woman was brought in, and I was her nurse. Beau was on her case, but Gabe was hired by the family to find her. He broke all kinds of rules that Beau couldn't. They got into a huge fight right in the middle of the nurse's station, and I stepped in to break it up." I nod, encouraging her to keep going. "Beau wrapped a hand around my waist to hold me so I didn't get knocked over. I think it was just reflex because he hadn't realized he'd done it until he dragged me back from Gabe locking lips with me."

"Sounds intense." And enjoyable if not for the jealousy.

"It was. They don't know this, but Gabe was my first-ever kiss, and boy, did he leave a mark. But then they fought again over Gabe kissing me and Beau's possessive hold on me, until security literally kicked them out of the hospital. I didn't hear from either of them again after that." Her eyes move to the door I closed, and longing overtakes her pretty face.

"Did they know your name?" I'm hopeful it was a case of they couldn't find her.

"Yeah, they knew."

Dragging her in for a hug, I hold my little sister for a few minutes before drawing back and saying, "They need to be kickstarted into coming for you, then."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you want them both, right?" Her head moves sheepishly up and down. "Then they need to get their asses in gear and on the same page. So how about a date?"

"Wait, what? A date? With who?" Her back straightens at my idea as I explain about a guy at work who is sweet, harmless, and I'm almost positive he's gay but hasn't come out yet. "I don't want to lead him on. That feels cruel."

"You wouldn't. I think he has a crush on the guy working at the coffee cart downstairs; it might give them both the push they need as well. But just to be sure, we'll let him know what the plan is, and if he doesn't want to do it, then that's okay too."

"If you're sure."

"About ninety percent certain he'll go along with it." We order dinner and begin making plans for the middle of the following week.

Tanner

Laughing and little screams of delight could be heard from the bedroom shortly after the women came out to get their pizza and the wine Lux had brought. I'm curious as hell what they're talking about, given how flushed they appeared when they were grabbing their things.

"They're talking about us," Tucker grins confidently. "The only reason our woman would be blushing like that is if she were talking about sex." I snort at his observation, but I doubt he's wrong.

"So, they're sisters, huh?" Gabe asks, chugging the rest of his beer. "Didn't know Lux had any siblings."

"Neither did she until last weekend," I fill him in.

"Shit, seriously?" His gaze wanders down the hall before turning a glare on Beau, who is also looking for Lux to appear.

"Yup. Windsor's mom confessed the dirt on her death bed. She's been struggling with it for months. There's another little sister also. I don't think they've decided how to approach her yet." At least not that Tucker and I know of.

"The pictures," Beau interrupts. "There's nothing of significance on them to indicate who they're from. However, I've got men combing the footage in front of the hospital to see if we can't get an idea of who we're looking for, at least. Probably take a few days."

"Figured as much." Tucker grabs another slice of pizza. "Any way to look into the residents at her apartment building? They're the only people she's in contact with on a daily basis. Well, was." Tucker and I share a look. She hasn't been back there since we brought her home. If we have our way, she won't be in the future, either.

"I've been running background checks on everyone in her building. So far, no one stands out, but I'm going deeper," Gabe explains.

"What about the hotel? Any leads on who poisoned her?" Tucker directs his question to Beau.

"Yes and no. It's been confirmed that the hotel doesn't even serve the cake she was given. The man who brought the food out to you was spotted on a few cameras, but he knew they were there. There aren't any direct shots of his face, and nobody remembers him. It's dead for the moment, but we're checking nearby hotels and gas stations to see if there's other footage of him." This is a fucking mess.

"How the fuck are we supposed to keep her safe if we don't know who the perp is?" I growl the question, not expecting an answer.

"Don't let her out of your sight." Beau's response only infuriates me more because we know that and don't plan to. Windsor shouldn't have to be shadowed, though. She's an independent woman, and I know it'll kill her not to have any kind of freedom.

"Should we be concerned about whoever this is attempting to take her?" Tucker's staid question ignites a fire in my blood that wasn't there before.

Beau and Gabe share an interesting look that isn't hard to interpret. "You think that's what all of this is leading up to, don't you?" Snaring Beau's gaze with my own, I challenge him to lie to me.

"I do. I think you and she need to be prepared for the possibility."

"What aren't you saying?" Beau's eyes reveal that he is leaving something out.

Shaking his head, he sighs. "I see this often enough to know that if this guy gets his hands on her, there won't be a ransom but a body." Stunned, I sit back as ice-cold fear grips my heart. "I'd suggest getting some kind of tracker on her. Maybe more than one. Something not obvious."

"What else?" I hiss.

"Don't trust anyone else with her safety. You can't control anyone but yourselves. You'd never sell her out, but a hired hand could if there's enough incentive."

Gabe chimes in, "Think about leaving the country with her. Give us time to find this guy while knowing she's safe." That suggestion has a lot of merit.

"I'm not leaving the country." Fuck. "That's not even an option." Windsor's voice is calmer than I would have imagined. "I'll go for the tracking things because that's a good idea, but I won't run away."

"Sweetheart," Tucker moves towards her as she stands in the middle of the room, looking like a little warrior with her hands on her hips and anger in her eyes. "We only want to keep you safe."

"Then use me as bait."

"Fuck no!" we all shout.

"That's a bad idea; too many things can go wrong," Beau explains.

"Baby, we won't risk you like that. You have to know that," I tell her as Tucker holds her against his chest.

"Weren't you guys like super soldiers or something? Can't you just go back to stealth mode and find this asshole?" Lux's anger is warranted. "I just gained a sister; I can't lose her." Her tears match Windsor's.

"It doesn't work like that, darling," Gabe answers softly. "Can't just disappear a man these days."

"Well, why the hell not? People up and leave their lives all the freaking time. Besides, he's probably some loser with no friends. Nobody will care." I snort a laugh at her point and earn a glare.

"I'll pretend I'm not hearing this." Beau chugs down the last of his beer before getting to his feet. "You need a ride home, Lux?" She startles at his question.

She glares at the detective, and it's then I notice the glossiness of her eyes and the way she slightly sways. "No."

"You can't drive like this," he argues.

"I didn't plan to. Besides, you drank. Why are you driving?" Her counterargument is amusing.

"I drank one beer over several hours and ate. You two have devoured a bottle of wine, and I doubt ate much." The girls share a look and shrug. "You aren't safe getting home alone."

"Well, duh. That's why she's staying here," Windsor states but poses it as a question and looks to me and Tuck for confirmation. We both give her a nod, and she smiles triumphantly.

"Whatever." Beau says his goodbyes with a final look at Lux before leaving.

The girls retreat back to their room as Gabe shakes his head and says goodnight as well. "I think we lost sharing our bed," I mutter as we hear them talking quietly with the door still open.