Page 87 of Capturing You

Brooklynn had gone quiet, but now she looked up at him. “If the men I photographed the other day work for this network, then…then that means they could be the same people who killed the Ballentine family.”

“That’s my assumption.”

“Wow.” She sounded shocked by her theory. “I mean, I knew they were dangerous, but…” She blinked a couple of times, then gazed at the beauty surrounding them. She licked her lips, swallowed. “You’re saying the people who followed memurderedthree people? Including a child?”

Rosie had been eighteen, so not technically a child, but close enough. “Not the same people,” he said. “Remember, the murders happened almost twenty-five years ago. The people you photographed were too young.”

“You think they work for the same people?”

He was convinced of it. Brooklynn looked frightened, but she needed to understand the peril she was in. “Even if they’re not the same people, they’re dangerous, considering how they searched for you. And what they did last night.”

“Lois is lucky to be alive.”

Brooklynn wasn’t wrong. The thing was, Forbes didn’t understand why Lois was still alive. These weren’t exactly merciful people. But maybe this new…generation, so to speak, was less vicious than the last. Or… “Maybe they thought she’d be more useful alive than dead.”

“Which means she’s still in danger. This is all so convoluted. I thought it would all just…just blow over. But it’s not going to, is it?”

He shook his head, unsure what to say. It seemed Brooklynn was just now coming to terms with the seriousness of the situation. Her optimistic disposition had tricked her into believing all would work out, all would be well.

In Forbes’s experience, nothing worked out for the best. Nothing went well.

She covered her mouth as if the horror had just occurred to her. “Lois could’ve…she could’vedied, and she’s still in danger.” Brooklynn’s eyes filled with tears. “I feel terrible. I shouldn’t have allowed my curiosity to get the best of me when I heard those voices. But”—she waved toward him, her pitch rising to a squeak—“you’re right. I’m nosy. I should’ve just minded my own business. And now Lois is in danger. My sisters, my parents. Thank God they weren’t in town. Everything’s all messed up.”

Her eyes reddened, and tears dripped down her cheeks.

He didn’t think, didn’t consider the ramifications, just wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

She came willingly, burying her cheek against his chest. As if his hug opened a crack inside her, the tears turned to weeping. She circled her arms around his waist and held on.

“None of this is your fault, Brooklynn.”

“Lois is in danger because of me.” Her volume was low, her pitch high. “They’re all in danger because of me.”

She wasn’t concerned about her own safety, just that of her loved ones.

“There’s nothing wrong with being curious.” Unlike hers, his voice was husky. She was feeling overwhelmed with guilt. He was feeling overwhelmed with a thousand other emotions, many of which were inappropriate, considering the situation.

She could worry about others all she wanted.

He worried about her.

It felt right to have her in his arms, as if she belonged there. As if she'd stepped into a void he hadn’t even known existed. Kind and cheerful. Even when her life was at risk, she thought of others first.

She made him want to be a better man. She made him want to be worthy of her.

He inhaled her scent, floral and distinctlyBrooklynn.A subtle scent that overpowered his senses. “You couldn’t have known. You’re the one who’s in danger. You’re the one those killers are after.”

The words didn’t help. Her tears turned to sobs that wracked her body.

He was terrible at this comforting thing. “I’m just saying, you have to keep yourself safe. Worry about yourself.”

That was how the world worked. Take care of yourself. Let others take care of themselves. Because when you tried to help others, you just screwed it up.

Life had taught him that. He couldn’t solve anyone else’s problems, and when he tried, he only made it worse.

It couldn’t happen with Brooklynn. He had to figure out how to keep her safe.

He was going to take care of her whether she liked it or not.