Page 37 of Fracture
“The best ones are, my dear. Including you.”
Lorelei drew a breath, one that hurt her lungs but reminded her she was alive. She was trouble. For the people who wanted to hurt her and others. She wouldn’t rest until she stopped them.
For good.
9
“You look like shit,” Marcus said, shooting a side-eyed glance Vinnie’s way.
Vinnie snorted. “Gee, thanks. It’s nice to see you, too.”
Marcus shook his head and grinned. “It’s always nice to see you. But you and I both know this is above and beyond. What’s going on with you and Lorelei?”
“Nothing. I promise. I kept my hands in safe zones. I didn’t do anything that?—”
Marcus stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
Vinnie stopped talking and looked up at his mentor, the man who saved his life and made him the person he was.
Marcus set his other hand on Vinnie’s other shoulder, his full focus on Vinnie. “I would never, never, assume that of you. You’re one of the most upright and honest men I’ve ever known. I wasn’t asking about that. I assure you.”
“I just…” Vinnie paused to find the right words. “I never meant to upset her.”
“It sounds like you did the opposite of upsetting her. It sounds like you were the reason she got any sleep the first week. But you’ve pulled back. Why?”
“She didn’t know.” Vinnie exhaled, relieved to have someone he could be honest with. “God, when I found her…” Vinnie drew a breath. He could still see her. He pushed down the emotions he felt when he walked into her apartment, but they were right there, beneath the surface. He hadn’t had a chance to feel them until right now.
“I can’t imagine how painful it was for you,” Marcus said softly. “Are you okay?”
“She was the one hurt.”
Marcus chuckled. “And seeing her hurt can be painful. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve seen all those women hurt, and it’s been painful for me. Them and so many others.”
Vinnie nodded. Every month, he donated to Frannie’s shelter. It was a dream of hers and took her a long time to make it a reality. Vinnie was proud to have helped and to continue helping, even if it wasn’t much, and to know his money was going to a good cause.
“Lorelei is a strong woman. She’s not someone who ever let others see when she wasn’t strong. It sounds to me like she’s letting you see that version of her, and that’s a powerful thing.”
“Yeah,” Vinnie agreed. “It is. It’s… Damien called right when I walked into her apartment, right when I found her. I just acted, checking her and letting him know where I was so real help could arrive.”
“You’re not real help?” Marcus asked with a smile.
Vinnie chuckled. “Medics. People who could stabilize her and actually save her life.”
“You saved her life,” Marcus said without a trace of humor. “If you hadn’t arrived when you did, she would be dead and we’d all be trying to figure out what she knew that they killed her for.”
Vinnie shivered at the thought. Lorelei Sloane not on earth anymore would be a tragedy. It ached to even imagine it.
“You care about her.” Marcus wasn’t asking, he was seeing the truth Vinnie didn’t want to admit.
He nodded anyway. He’d never been able to keep anything from Marcus. “I know it’s ridiculous. And I’m not going to do anything. I would never.”
“Vinnie, I’ve already said I trust you. I know you’re not the kind of man who’s going to take advantage of a woman. But you are the kind of man who’s going to pull back when you should be leaning in.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think she needs you. She trusts you. She asked to be here. You have yourself convinced she should be with her cousin, but she doesn’t know Karli. She knows you.”
“No, she doesn’t. I’m the guy she saw when she woke up, so she thought she knew me.”