Page 59 of One Kind Soul

“Nothing in the file suggests they’re getting off for good behavior. Let me check one more thing.” It was quiet for a few moments before Randall said, “Fuck. There’s an APB out on Lynda Broaks. She’s been labeled as escaped since last month.”

“Escaped!” Nicole gasped.

Christian stepped into the store, not caring about bee stings. “What’s happening?”

Nicole snapped her head up. “My sister is out. She must know I’m here.”

“Get some people on looking around here for Broaks, Randall. I’ll call you back in a few,” Donovan said then stashed his phone in his pocket. “Nicole, tell me why you think your sister is here and why she’d do this.”

Nicole’s shoulders slumped and Christian hated how defeated she looked. “She could be close by still. Maybe she’s watching us.” She gripped Donovan’s T-shirt. “You have to find her.”

“If she’s here, we’ll find her.” He nudged her toward Christian and they all went outside again. “Why would she do this to Christian’s store?”

Tessa rubbed her friend’s back and Christian wanted to pull Nicole into an embrace and never let her go. He kept his distance though, sensing she might need a few minutes to be able to tell them what she thought was happening.

“Lynda and her husband went to jail because I blew the whistle on the many illegal schemes they had going on. My sister already hated me so this didn’t help matters.” Nicole gulped in a breath, her hands trembling as she wiped tears from her face. “I figured she’d serve her sentence in jail and enough time would have gone by that when she finally got out, she wouldn’t know where to find me. I’d hoped she wouldn’t want to find me. She always seemed so desperate to be rid of me. How does she know I’m in Vermont?”

“We don’t know if it was her who did this.” Tessa gestured to the store.

“Do you know anyone around here who has it in for you?” Nicole asked Christian.

He shook his head. “I’ve never had any problems with anyone.” He looked at Donovan. “Although you said not everyone likes me.”

“Dude,” Donovan said. “Totally ball-busting. Everyone loves you.”

Under other circumstances, Christian would have celebrated over Donovan saying that.

“I’m so sorry. I brought this to you.” Nicole swiped at her tears.

Christian did go to her now. He pulled her up against him, wrapping his arms tightly around her shaking form. “None of this—and I mean none of this—is your fault. If your sister did do this, you aren’t to blame. She is.”

“She wouldn’t have come here if I wasn’t here though,” Nicole said into his shirt. “I should go.”

He tightened his hold on her. “No way. That’s what she’d want. She’d want to get you out of our circle. Not happening.”

“I have to agree with my wise brother,” Donovan said. “Better for you to stay put with us where we can protect you. If you travel alone and your sister is around, it’ll be easier for her to get to you if that’s her goal.”

“I’ll third that,” Tessa said. “You’re safer with us.”

Nicole cried into Christian’s shirt and he hated seeing her so upset.

“It’s going to be okay, Nixen,” he whispered against the top of her head. “She won’t hurt you.”

“I’m more worried she’ll hurt you.” She backed up. “Any one of you. I’d never forgive myself.”

Christian looked at Donovan. “It’s time for those security cameras you suggested.”

“I’ll send my guy over tomorrow.”

Nodding at his brother, Christian turned to the police car pulling into his driveway. He looked at Nicole. “Do you want to go back to Tessa’s house tonight? I can deal with this and then—”

“I want to stay with you,” she interrupted. “If you don’t want to send me back to Hawaii, I want to stay with you, Christian.”

Tessa gripped Nicole’s shoulders. “Why don’t we go up to the loft and make some tea while the guys talk to the police?”

“Okay.”

Christian mouthed the words thank you to Tessa then joined his brother with the police officer at front of the store. Keeping a wary eye out for bees, he reported what had been destroyed and items were collected to check for fingerprints. Donovan had people investigating whether anyone with Lynda’s physical description had made travel arrangements to Vermont, but of course, with a rap sheet like the one Nicole’s sister had, the woman had probably changed her appearance and covered her tracks well.