“Oh, honey.” Marjorie offers an embrace, but Zephyr shrinks against me, and the office manager’s eyes widen. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Zephyr says quietly. “No one but Ronan’s touched me in a long time. Unless they were trying to hurt me.”
Her openness shocks me, but over the past few days, she’s started to relax. To believe that our future together is real.
Marjorie’s eyes shimmer, and she presses her hand to her mouth briefly before warmth replaces the sadness written all over her face. “Well, everyone here will make damn sure that never happens again. You’re part of the family now. A very welcome addition. Ronan,” she nods at me, “hasn’t looked this at peace…ever.”
Heat licks up my neck, but no one notices, thank God, because Marjorie takes one of her cards from her desk and scribbles something on the back. “If you needanything, Zephyr, you call me. Any time. I don’t have the skills the others do, but I can bake whatever you can think of, and I’ve lived in Boston all my life.”
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” Zephyr lets me take the card, and when I move to do so, I feel the little flinch in her shoulders.
In most every way, she’s recovering. But the few times we’ve left the apartment, she’s been jumpy. Afraid. Always looking around for a member of the cartel or anyone else who might be out to hurt her.
“You’re very welcome, honey. The office door is bulletproof, and I see everyone who comes from the elevator and the stairslongbefore they get here.”
With one sentence, Marjorie puts Zephyr at ease in a way I never thought to and I mouth,“Thank you.”
“Now, go on. Everyone’s milling about the break room. I’m pretty sure even Dax is out there with them.”
Dax anywhere but in his office or in a client meeting is rare, and my eyebrows shoot up. Marjorie leans in and whispers, “You know how he feels about family, Ronan.”
I do. Family shows up. Always.
We’re halfway down the hall when Dax turns to face us. The rest of the group—Ford and Joey, Trevor and Dani, Clive, Ella, and Tank—gather behind him.
“You work withall these people?” Zephyr hisses in my ear.
“Evianna is Dax’s wife. You know HomeAssist?” Zephyr nods. “That’s her company. She designed the damn thing. And Dani? She’s with Trevor. But she’s also a reporter for the Boston Globe. The coup in Venezuela last year? That was us. And Dani.”
“Oh, my God. I heard about that.Everyoneheard about that.”
Dax clears his throat. “Stop makin’ the woman nervous, Ronan.” His gentle Southern accent puts folks at ease unless he’s in full blown Special Forces mode, and I feel Zephyr settle a little more against me.
After introductions all around, someone—Trevor, I think—offers Zephyr a cup of tea, and Ford shows her around the office. By the time she returns to my side, she’s smiling, and some of the light missing from her eyes since her ordeal returns.
Before long I notice Zephyr cradling her right hand in her left and sticking close to the old wall-mounted radiator, so I wrap my arms around her, being careful not to exert too much pressure on her back. She rests her head on my shoulder with a sigh. “Let me take you home, luv. There’s somethin’ bein’ delivered at five for us, and you’re knackered.”
“Maybe a little,” she admits. “But I can’t stay inside forever. Even if a part of me wants to. And, um…Evianna invited us for dinner at the end of the week.”
Dinner. With my boss. And his wife. This will either be brilliant or a complete disaster. “We can catch a movie tomorrow. Go out to lunch first. If you want.”
“I think I’d like that.” Zephyr presses her lips to mine, and suddenly there’s a whole other reason I want to get home.
Sweeping my gaze over the family gathered around us, I can’t believe how lucky I am. My entire life, I felt like an outsider. But every one of these men and women would risk their lives for me.Didrisk their lives for me. For the slightest chance to save the woman I love. And they’d do it again.
They rallied around Zephyr this afternoon, welcoming her into the fold without a second thought. And Dax has already told her he, Ry, and Austin are willing to fight for the privilege of having her on their payroll.
Zephyr clasps my hand gingerly, and I bring her knuckles to my lips. “I love you,” I whisper against them. “Let’s go home.”
Epilogue
Two Weeks Later
Zephyr
As soon asI step into the apartment, I stop and gape. All the lights are off except for the twinkling multi-colored bulbs on our Christmas tree.
Ourtree. The one Ronan had delivered the day I met his Second Sight family.
