didn’t seem to matter how many times she reassured him it wasn’t his fault, he still blamed himself.
Strolling out into the autumn sun she smiled as he looked up at her and he returned it. Sitting on the garden lounger, she pulled her heavy slouchy cardigan closer around her body and tucked her feet beneath her. Clay moved to sit beside her, angling himself so he faced her.
“How are you doing today?”
“I’d be better if you’d stop fussing.” Callie softened her gripe with a smile, not wanting him to feel any worse than he did.
Clay clenched his jaw. “I could have lost you, Callie.”
Her heart ached at his words. They had always been close. Despite being years apart and having different mothers, they had a natural affection and closeness which she loved. Reaching out, she took his rough hand in hers and waited for him to look up at her. “But you didn’t, and I’m safe now.”
Clay tilted his head to the side and kept watching her for a second. “He called you sunshine.”
Callie’s gut churned and her heart broke anew at her brother’s words, or at one of them; the name Reid had given her. She rubbed her chest as pain washed over her, and glanced up as Clay touched her arm gently.
“He loves you.”
Callie stood and paced to the edge of the balcony where she looked out over London. The view was one of the things she’d miss when she sold this place, as she’d decided to do. The air tickled her hair, and she let the cool breeze wash over her as she blinked back the wetness from her eyes. He didn’t get to have any more of her tears. She felt Clay behind her and stubbornly stayed facing away.
“If he loved me, he wouldn’t have treated me like he did.” Her words were quiet, but she knew Clay heard them.
“I told him to stay away.”
Clay was looking out over London as she spun to him, his words not making sense. “What?” Her voice was gruff, the pain in it unmistakable.
Clay fully turned to her. “I told him he wasn’t good enough for you, that he should stay away if he loved you.”
Callie shook her head in utter disbelief. “Why would you do that?”
Clay looked pained, a frown marring his face as he turned away, gripping the railing, his knuckles almost white from it. “He didn’t protect you.”
“How could he?” she said as she faced his side, her body sizzling with more betrayal. “She had her gun on a child. Do you think I could have lived with myself knowing a child had died because of me?” She flung her arm out in question.
“I know, I was wrong. I blamed him when I should have blamed myself. I set up your security, and they weren’t good enough. I blamed Reid when my anger should have been internal.”
Callie’s anger faded as quickly as it came. She moved to Clay and slipped her arms through his, leaning her head on his shoulder. The familiar feel and scent of her brother soothing her pain. “It wasn’t your fault. I’m a grown woman. I should have kept a better eye on it myself. You don’t have to baby me, Clay.”
He turned to her then, a small smile playing at his lips. “You’ll always be my baby sister, Callie.”
She kept quiet, knowing arguing with him was pointless. He was her protector; he always had been. He was like their father, who had called her every day since the news had broken. She’d had to downplay it, so he didn’t fly over. She felt terrible but the thought of two overprotective men watching her every move was more than she could take.
“What will you do about Reid?” Clay asked.
A huge sigh left her body then, and she thought on it for a few moments before she gave him an answer. “He didn’t fight for me, Clay. I need a man who’ll fight for me, not run at the first hurdle.”
“Reid has demons you don’t know about.”
“Oh?” She lifted her head and looked at him in question.
“They’re not mine to share but suffice to say Reid believes he’s not worthy of you, of anyone. He has the misconception that he lets people down like his old man did, when all he ever does is give to those he loves.”
“He’s a good friend.”
“He was.”
Callie hated that a rift had formed between the two men she loved the most in the world. “It will heal,” she