“It’s hard when you realize the people that love you the most actually care about you the least. Dad has always been way more focused on the church and his image than he was on what was happening under his own roof. He thought control and dominance was a substitute for love and understanding.” I rolled my eyes at her. “And Mom just follows his lead. There was never room in that house for us to be anything but their little, perfect dolls. We weren’t supposed to individuate, and when we did”—I shrugged—“they just couldn’t handle it. You need to tell yourself over and over again that none of this is your fault.”

“I feel like it all is, though.”

I hugged her again, realizing my sister was going to eventually need some professional help when all of this died down. She had been in the mix of my dad’s machinations and in an abusive relationship far too long for my love and support to be enough to get her head around everything.

“Rowdy wants us to come stay at his place until we know for sure Oliver has been served with the protection order. Royal said when they find him the police will try and convince him the best course of action is to just head back to Texas, but until that happens we’ll camp out at the bachelor pad.”

She grumbled something under her breath and got to her feet in front of me so that she could pace back and forth in front of me in an agitated matter.

“You and Rowdy should be hanging out and enjoying spending time together. It took you a lifetime to finally get together and here I am right in the middle of it once again.”

Not too long ago the idea of her being between him and me would have had me freezing Rowdy out and pushing him away again. The fear that what he used to feel for her would somehow overwhelm what he now felt for me was gone. I could see it when he looked at me now. I felt it in every touch and saw it in every rakish smile he threw my way. When he loved, he loved wholly, completely, and forever. I knew it deep down in my bones, just like Cora had said. What was between us was just right, it had always been. We both needed time to grow up and let it find its way to a solid and healthy place so we could both enjoy it.

“You aren’t in the middle of us, you are surrounded by us because we both care a lot about you and don’t want you to be hurt anymore. We’ve both been protecting you from afar for years. Now we are a united front and God help anyone that tries to get through us.” I lifted up my eyebrows and gave her a hard look. “Mom and Dad included.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and pushed the heel of her hands into them. “I’m just so tired of it all, Salem.”

Who could blame her? I looked up as Cora came out of the office. She had a permanent smile on her face and really, with that pretty ring and the even prettier man that had given it to her, she had every reason to be lit up from the inside out with joy.

“I don’t mean to pry.” Of course she did. It was Cora’s lot in life to be smack-dab in the middle of whatever drama was going on in the Marked world, so I just rolled my eyes at her and got to my feet. “But you both look exhausted and my dad still has my kid, so I don’t need to be home until later. Why don’t you go on and head over to Rowdy’s so you can rest for the remainder of the day?” Her pierced eyebrow danced upward, making her look like a mischievous fairy. “I’ll watch the front and shut down the shop when the last client leaves.”

It was official, I was part of the family. Cora was swooping in to take care of me just like she did the rest of the crew. I could have kissed her for it. I looked at my sister and had zero doubt a nap would do her some good. She had dark circles under her eyes and looked worn down and empty. I could literally see the way her heart and soul were hurting in her shadowed gaze.

“I think that’s a good idea. I’ll call Royal on the way and see if they have any information on Oliver as well.”

Cora told me solemnly, “This isn’t the first time a guy that just couldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer has wreaked havoc with one of our girls. I know how stressful and dangerous the situation can be. You need to take care of her.”

I walked around the lounger and wrapped Cora in a tight hug, and something really struck me as permanent and definite when I told her thank you and she pulled back and told me point-blank, “We take care of our own.”

Poppy climbed to her feet as well and offered Cora a wobbly smile. “I’m so glad my sister found you guys and this place. I really think it was where she was always destined to be.”

Cora laughed and followed us down the stairs as we headed back into the shop. “Of course it’s where Salem was supposed to be. Rowdy is here and I think it’s pretty obvious to anyone that’s been paying attention that they were bound to end up together.”

We went downstairs and I had to wait a second for Rowdy to look up from what he working on. When he did, those summery eyes chased some of the chill of fear and worry away.

“I’m gonna take Poppy to your place. She’s exhausted and hanging on by a thread.”

He looked around me at my rapidly wilting sister and nodded his head. “All right. Wanna give me twenty minutes and I’ll follow you so that I know you’re safe? I can cancel my last two appointments for the day.”

I would feel better with him there, but I figured Poppy and I would be okay as long as we stuck together and we weren’t going to my place but to his. “I think it’ll be fine, but if you want to come home early when you’re done, I won’t complain. Poppy really needs to rest. Can you stop by my place and grab Jimbo and some stuff for her on your way?”

He told his client to give him a second and set the machine he was using down and snapped off the black latex gloves covering his hands. He got to his feet and dug his keys out of his pocket. He fiddled with the ring until he handed two loose keys over to me. He placed them in my palm then bent low so that his mouth was right next to my ear and whispered, “Another first. No girl has ever had the keys to my place before.”

I got hot all over and wanted to kiss his face off, but we were at work and it wasn’t the time. I curled my fingers around the metal and smiled at him. “First and last.”

He lifted his chin in agreement and turned back to finish the impressive geisha tattoo he was putting on his client.

I went back to Poppy and hooked my arm through hers after thanking Cora again as I guided my sister out of the shop. She sort of shuffled alongside me, and once we got to the car she slumped down in the passenger seat and didn’t say anything to me as she gazed out the window. It was depressing and disheartening, to say the least. I just let her be, and once we got to Rowdy’s apartment complex, it was by some unspoken agreement that we planned to hustle inside just to be safe. Neither of us wanted to linger out in the open until we knew for sure the authorities had located Poppy’s soon-to-be ex-husband..