He merely shifted, wrapping his muscular arms around her tighter. “You’re strong. Stronger than you know. You’ll get through this,” he reassured her. “And I’ll be here for you. Whatever you want or need.”
The distinct sound of someone clearing his throat sounded, and she jumped, her gaze darting toward the door to her room.
“Isn’t this cozy?” Keith slurred, lounging in the doorway, glaring at Maxie and Lucas, who stiffened but didn’t make a move away from her. “Your message said it was an emergency, but looks like situation normal to me.” He made his way into the room, weaving slightly on his feet.
God, she didn’t need this right now. Her husband was obviously drunk. His clothes were wrinkled, and there was a noticeable red lipstick stain on his collar.
Under any other circumstances, she’d want to die of embarrassment, that Lucas was seeing what her marriage and life were really like, but she’d lost the only thing that mattered and that had bound her to Keith. She couldn’t bring herself to care about his feelings now.
“I’ll handle him,” Lucas whispered into her hair.
“No need to handle anything, brother,” he sneered. “I’ll handle my own wife.”
Maxie closed her eyes and let the tears fall. For the baby she’d lost and the life she could have had… if only she hadn’t married the wrong brother.
Chapter One
Nine months later
Lucas poured himself a cup of much-needed coffee after a ridiculously late night with Derek and Kade, his best friends and partners in Blink. He brought the drink to his mouth only to be interrupted by a knock.
He placed his cup on the counter and headed for the door, swinging it open, shocked to find his sister-in-law standing on the other side. As usual, he forced himself to use the term he’d had to get used to over the years—because it put up an automatic barrier between them. One that said hands off.
He often wondered whether, if he’d managed to make a move on her years before, he’d have had a chance with the girl of his dreams. If he’d only believed in himself enough to try. Didn’t matter now. Even with his brother gone, having died in a car accident six months earlier, Keith was still between them. It was too late.
He shook himself out of his brooding about the past and focused on the woman at his door. “Maxie.”
“Hi, Lucas.” A flush stained her cheeks. Dark circles framed her eyes, and she had no makeup on her pretty face.
Realizing she was the subject of his scrutiny, she self-consciously pulled at a strand of blonde hair that had fallen from the messy knot on top of her head. She looked tired and fragile. She’d been through more than her fair share of shit with Keith, and Lucas sensed there was much he didn’t know about their marriage and her life.
“Come on in,” he said in the wake of her silence.
Twisting her hands in front of her, she walked past him into his apartment.
He shut the door behind her. “This way.” He led her to the kitchen. “Can I get you a cup of coffee?” he asked, taking a long sip of his own. He sensed he was going to need it even more than he’d originally thought, because judging by her behavior, something was up.
“No. Thank you. I’m hopped up enough.”
She didn’t seem hopped up, but deflated. He knew she’d suffered from severe depression after losing the baby, but she’d seemed to be coming out of it lately and behaving more like herself.
He placed his cup down, grasped her hand, and led her into the den, where his wall-to-wall television and electronic sectional sofa were located.
Maxie was a year younger than him, and they’d been inseparable from the time his family had moved in to the Long Island neighborhood. Over time, the feelings he’d felt for her had become more, but he hadn’t been the confident man he was today. He’d been the geeky younger brother who struggled with school, liked his video games, and wanted nothing more than to be in front of the computer screen. As opposed to his overachiever, sports-oriented older brother. Four years his senior, Keith was competitive to the extreme and thrived on Lucas’ insecurities. Despite the lack of rivalry on Lucas’ part, what Lucas had—or wanted—Keith had made it a point to take.
And that had included Maxie.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her, knowing she wouldn’t be here otherwise.
Although his brother had bought the apartment downstairs, another fuck you to Lucas that forced him to watch Keith with Maxie close up, he and Maxie had kept their distance after the marriage. And she’d pulled further away after losing the baby.
She opened her purse and pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to him. The word FORECOSED jumped out at him, stamped on top.
His gaze shot to hers.
She nodded, tears in her eyes.
“I don’t understand. Keith was a partner at a top New York law firm. He had to have left you well off. With insurance.”