TORMENTED_ Jani Kay - Jani Kay Page 0,66

and kissed me, then settled in with her cheek against my chest for a hug.

God, I’ve missed this. How long had it been since I’d given my baby sister a decent hug? Ashamed of admitting to myself that I couldn’t even remember when the last time was, I hugged her to my chest and planted a soft kiss in her hair.

“I’m glad to be back.” I held her at arm’s length and met her gaze. “I’m sorry for being such an asshole. I’m sorry for everything that happened between us. I can never make it unhappen, but I promise to be the big brother you deserve from now on.”

Jade’s mouth dropped open. Fuck.

“I was that bad, huh?”

She smiled and shook her head. Her eyes glistened, and she blinked fast. “No, you were just being protective. It’s what you do.”

I took her hands in mine. “I’m really sorry. Can you forgive me?”

Women were so strange. She nodded, smiling at the same time as tears trickled down her face. How was that possible?

“I love you, Harrison. Nothing will ever change that.” Her voice hitched as she wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.

“I’m a lucky man,” I said simply. There weren’t enough words to describe how damn much.

Ryder had come outside too. He wrapped an arm around Jade and pulled her against his chest. “Jesus, why do you make Jade cry?” The annoyance was clear in his voice.

She turned in his embrace, and placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him. “It’s okay. We were just making up. It’s all good.”

“Oh,” Ryder said, but he still shot me a warning glance over her head.

Finally, I got it. Sometimes we hurt the people we loved the most because we were too dumb to know any better. At least, that was too true in my case. It took a bigger person than me—my baby sister—to show me that. I could feel her unconditional love, even though I was responsible for one of the worst things that had ever happened to her.

“Let’s go inside. Tell us what you found out about Eva.” Ryder sounded anxious, and deep worry lines marred his face. With his hand protectively on the small of Jade’s back, he steered her back indoors.

The way Ryder treated Jade, as if she were the sun and moon and stars to him, made me swallow the thick lump in my throat. I wanted that, too. Only I’d been too busy wallowing in my own darkness to realize how much.

It was strange how when we suddenly became aware of something new, we saw it everywhere around us. Love was strong in this home. Just the way the two of them were around one another answered all my questions about whether I was capable of having that in my life.

I want it more than anything. With Eva.

“Why are you smiling?” Jade was sharp, and her eyes missed nothing.

I wiped the smile off my face. This wasn’t the time. Eva was still in danger, and Ryder was watching me like a hawk. “I’m not.”

“Tell us what you found out.” Ryder was straight to the point. He didn’t mince words or fuck around.

“Can we sit down? I have some photos to show you.”

Ryder arched an eyebrow, the one with the odd slash through it. “Sure.”

He pointed to a seat before he sat on the couch and pulled Jade into his lap. He stroked over her stomach, keeping his hand on her pregnant belly as if he were protecting his unborn child from me. I got the message loud and clear. Ryder didn’t trust me anywhere near my own sister.

Clearing my throat, I produced the pictures. “Eva has been abducted. Nolan fucking Parker and his minions at work.”

Ryder grabbed the pictures from my hand and studied them intently. His normally suntanned complexion turned pale. His jaw clamped tightly as he looked through the pictures one by one.

“The motherfucking piece of shit!” The way his voice boomed made both Jade and I jump. Senator Parker had chosen the wrong two men to fuck with.

Jade took the pictures from Ryder. With shaking hands, she studied them up close.

“What did they do to her? She looks drunk or passed out. Oh my God.” My sister sounded as if she was on the brink of tears, and I wasn’t sure how good that was for the baby.

I gently took the photos from her and slipped them into my pocket. “She’s probably drugged. For that alone, I’m going to cut