Page 58 of One Kind Soul

“The door was open,” Christian told Donovan. “I came in and this is what we found.”

Donovan crouched by a broken Mason jar on the ground. “You guys didn’t touch anything, right?”

“Only the light switch. And we did walk around.” Christian pointed to the maple syrup corner. “There are bees over there, so I’m going to wait outside.”

“Shit, yeah,” Donovan said. “I don’t want to jab you with epinephrine.”

“I’d like to avoid that too. I’ve taken enough of a jab with this mess tonight.” Christian stepped outside, but he wanted to punch something. He’d only kept his shit together because Nicole was here. If he’d been alone, he would have let his rage fly. The fact that some jackass—or perhaps multiple jackasses—had come onto this land while he wasn’t here and had ripped into the store infuriated him. Rada was going to be crushed. She took such pride in the little shop and they did bring in some solid cash with the wares they sold there.

Nicole ran over to him, her dark eyes wide. “Where’s Donovan?”

“Inside.” He arrowed a thumb over his shoulder. “The bees are still in there.”

She raced past him and ducked into the store.

“What’s got into her?” he asked when Tessa came over.

“I’m not sure,” Tessa said. “We were talking then she bolted over here.”

Christian neared the door of the store. Peering in, he found Donovan and Nicole standing together amidst the mess near the display cases.

“Can you check?” Nicole asked his brother.

Donovan pulled out his phone. “How do you spell her last name?”

“B-r-o-a-k-s,” Nicole said. “And it’s Lynda with a y.”

Her sister?

Tessa gave him raised eyebrows, but she said nothing so they could listen more.

“Hey, Randall,” Donovan said, his phone on speaker. “Can you check on a Lynda Broaks? She’s been jailed in California for about ten years.”

“Sure. Hang on,” Randall said.

Tessa grabbed Christian’s shirt. “Her sister is in jail?”

He nodded.

“Wow,” she said. “I knew Nicole hated her sister, but I had no idea she was in jail.” Tessa peeked at him when he didn’t reply. “You knew?”

“She told me about this beast of a woman.” He gripped Tessa’s arm. “I don’t think she planned to tell me. It just happened.”

“I’m glad she told someone. A person shouldn’t have to carry something like that around all by herself.” She rubbed Christian’s back. “You’re so good for her.”

He wanted to be good for her. He wanted to be everything she ever needed. When they’d talked in Donovan’s driveway earlier tonight, Christian had desperately wanted to ask Nicole to stay in Vermont. To be with him. So he could . . .

So he could love her.

She needed to be loved the way he could love her. From what she’d told him about her sister, she hadn’t received pure sibling love—one of the greatest forms of love. He and his brothers busted each other’s stones every chance they got, but he loved each of them with his whole heart and knew they felt the same about him. He couldn’t imagine not having them in his life. They always had each other’s backs.

Case in point right now as Donovan had gone into full investigation mode the moment he’d heard about the store.

“Okay, yeah. I have her file up,” Randall said. “Wow, there are a lot of charges here. She and her husband, Tim, received sentences at the same time, but Tim got five more years for being the lead in their criminal shenanigans.”

“Any news about early release for either of them?” Donovan asked.

As she stood across from Donovan, Nicole’s brows were creased with worry, her mouth a thin line as she clenched her jaw. Christian wished she were out here with him so he could touch her and talk to her. Why was she having Donovan check on her jailed sister?