“I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you. I should’ve—”
“You didn’t even have a gun. There was nothing you could do.”
He dropped her hand and jammed his fingers into his thick, dark hair. “I’m a fucking Marine, shit was going down. I shouldn’t have stepped away from the house without a gun. I was just in such a fucking hurry that day. I didn’t even fucking think.” He shook his head. “I’ll never forgive myself for that.”
“There’s nothing to forgive.” Lia swallowed, unable to believe she was about to say what was on the tip of her tongue. But it was the truth. “Besides, if things hadn’t happened the way they did, I would’ve never met Cam and Travis, and that...”
Jack looked up at her. “Lia, I know this world is crazy, but two—”
“I’m in love with them.Bothof them. And yes, this world is crazy, and maybe that craziness gave me the courage to follow my heart, but I wouldn’t change a thing. You don’t understand how happy they make me. Howsafethey make me feel.” She reached back out and grabbed his hand. “I never thought I’d feel safe again after what happened to me, but … I do. And it’s because of them. Instead of growling about the oddity of our relationship, you should be thanking them.”
Jack’s brown eyes—so much like her own—met hers. “I know. But I’m still your big brother, and today has been a hell of a shock for both of us. I just … need some time to get used to the idea, okay?”
“Speaking of time, do you have plans? How long can you stay?” Lia started to panic. “I don’t want to lose you when I just found you again. That would be too much to handle. I can’t—”
“Hey, hey. No reason to get excited about it. I’ll talk to the guys and see if they can put me to work in exchange for letting me stay. I don’t want to be a drain on resources. I’ve got skills to offer up.”
Lia hadn’t even thought of that. “They’ll let you stay, I know they will. I won’t let them make you leave.” She didn’t have any pull, but Cam and Travis did, and she wasn’t above begging. In creative ways.
“We’ve got a lot to catch up on. You want to go first, or do you want me to?” The question was the last one Lia really wanted to answer, but this was her brother. She could tell him most of it. Okay, maybe not most, but a little. Very little, when it came to Cam and Travis.
“How about you go first?”
He nodded. “Well, I woke up not knowing where the fuck I was…”