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“One of these days, you’re going to be carried home,” he grumbles as he cleans up the needles and bandages. He hands me a cloth to wipe my fingers off.
I take it and toss the used tissue onto the small pile of garbage he’s collecting. “Today is not that day.” I grin and flex. “Still big and strong.”
“And dumb,” he adds as a good little brother should. “For god’s sake. You had a gun pointed at you.”
“It was in the middle of the street. The gun was for show. He had no intention of using it.”
“You don’t know that.”
“It was an educated guess.” I reach over to knock him upside the head as a good big brother should when Marco’s face appears in the doorway.
“I’ve got some information,” he says.
I fall back into my chair. “Come in. I’m all ears.”
Marco steps inside and closes the door. “The license plate is registered under the name of Coal Works, Inc.”
“Never heard of it.”
“Me neither,” chimes my brother.
“The general partner of Coal Works is also the head of a real estate investment trust for Blackstone Management.”
The grin on my face slides off. Next to me, Ezra stiffens. “Did you say Blackstone?” I ask.
Marco nods grimly. “As in Edward Blackstone. I can’t be sure it’s his firm. Security will check it out in the morning when the corporate records secretary clocks in for the day, but it seems plausible. I wasn’t sure how the girl was connected, but I did a quick search, and this came up.”
He hands me a sheet of paper that contains a wedding announcement between one Edward Blackstone and Aurora Langley. Wordlessly, I pass the paper over to Ezra. He scans it quickly and then crumples the paper in this hand. My feelings precisely.
“Thanks, Marco. Let me know first thing tomorrow what you find about Blackstone Management and Coal Works.”
“No problem.”
“Do you need Ezra to look you over?”
“No. I’m good.” He nods slightly before leaving.
My brother lets out a long sigh when the door is closed.
“When I told you to find someone to marry, I thought you would look for a woman at a party, not pick her up off the street,” he says after a long, silent moment. He’s been saying I need to find a partner. That I can’t live my life alone. I wasn’t going to marry to just marry. No one ever caught my eye or seemed right. Until now. I understand what I’ve been waiting for.
I brush the hair away from Aurora’s lax face. “You should have been more specific.”
Ezra bundles up the trash and tucks his stethoscope away. “Edward Blackstone hit her and his driver pulled a gun on you? She must be very valuable.”
“She must be.”
“What will you do with her?”
I stare at the girl’s beautiful face, tracing a pattern over her dark brows, the high bridge between her eyes, her criminally full lips. Before meeting her, if I had heard that Edward Blackstone was going to be married, I would have kidnapped her and ruined her, but now… “What else can I do?” I say softly.
“When should I have the priest arrive?” Ezra understands me perfectly.
“When will she be well enough to stand?”
“In a couple of days. A week at the most.”
“A week then, or sooner if Blackstone comes sniffing around.”
“Do you think he knows you’ve taken her?”
“Hard to say. It was dark and raining. I didn’t get a good look at her assailant.”
“The gunman could’ve taken your license number and tracked you down like Marco did Blackstone.”
“It’s possible.”
“If Blackstone calls tomorrow and you aren’t here, what should I tell him?”
“That he should take better care of his belongings so he doesn’t have to go door to door to find things he’s lost. We need to find Aurora’s family. I’m not familiar with the Langley name, are you?”
Ezra shakes his head. “Never heard of them before, but new gangs are popping up all the time. It’s hard to hold territory these days.”
“She’s very young.” I tug the blanket up. “Someone paid off their debt with a sister or a daughter.”
“Do you think we will be able to buy her from Blackstone?”
I thumb Aurora’s cheek lightly. “No. I don’t think so. Would you give up this prize without a fight? For just a few dollars?”
Ezra’s silence gives the answer. No. This is a face that you fight wars over.
“I never liked Blackstone anyway,” Ezra says lightly, telling me that he’s by my side.
I cast a grateful nod in his direction. “No one will mourn him when he’s gone, but it will be a hard battle. You don’t have to fight it with me over a girl we just found.”
“She’s not any girl,” Ezra quips. “She’ll be an Ackles soon. I’m honor bound to protect her. Plus, you’re my brother.”
“That’s right. She’ll be an Ackles soon.” And that’s all that matters.
