it’s your fault.”
“If I hadn’t—”
“Katie, we could all spend our lives thinking about what we could have done differently, but none of us can go back. You and I go to the same church. I’ve spoken to Martin a few dozen times, and I never would have imagined he was capable of murder.”
“You’re right. I know that.”
“Then, stop feeling guilty for the actions of a sick individual. There is nothing you could have done to keep him from becoming fixated on you. Even if you hadn’t gone out with him, he may still have stalked you. He’s unhinged.”
“Maybe so.” She smiled, but her eyes were sad. They’d been that way since Jordan’s death.
“Exactly so,” he replied, and some of the sadness left her eyes.
“You’re always a cheerleader, Tony, and I appreciate it. But, I’d appreciate it a lot more if you would bring me to see Ivy and then drive me home.”
He should have refused.
Noah had already told him to get treatment and to return home to rest. There’d been nothing in his directives about visiting Katie or taking her home. But, Tony had never been one to blindly follow someone else’s lead. He was off the clock, and he knew how to protect Katie.
He’d bring her up to see Ivy, and then he’d check in with Jordan’s brother Carter, who was still recovering from being shot several months ago and had only just returned to the office part-time. The other two Jameson brothers, Noah and Zach, were hunting Martin while Carter stayed at the hospital with Ivy and their father.
“All right,” he agreed.
Her eyes widened, and she offered the first real smile he had seen in months. “Really?”
“Did you think I’d refuse?”
“Everyone else has.”
“I’m not everyone else.”
He touched her shoulder, brushing aside a thick strand of hair. She looked exhausted, her cheeks hollow, her eyes red-rimmed. In the few years that he’d known her, she had always seemed energetic and enthusiastic, her outlook optimistic. She had a clear-eyed, pragmatic view of life that had attracted Jordan and intrigued Tony. He had grown up in a family filled with silence and unspoken resentment. His mother had gone to the grave bitterly resentful of his father’s career. An NYPD homicide detective, Dillard Knight had devoted his life to law enforcement. He’d had little time for his wife or his only child. Even when Tony’s mother had been dying of cancer, Dillard had spent more time working than he had at home.
Jordan and his family had been Tony’s escape from that, and when Katie had entered the picture, the joy she took in the simple things in life had captured his attention. That may have dimmed after Jordan’s death, but she had kept her focus on the future and tried hard to stay positive.
He didn’t want that to change.
Not because of someone like Martin.
“It’s going to be okay, Katie,” he said.
“Ivy told me that right before Martin showed up,” she responded, stepping away and walking into the hall.
He followed, staying close as they walked to the bank of elevators that would bring them up to Ivy’s room.
Jordan had never been one to ask for much.
He was more likely to give than to expect to receive help.
Tony once again thought about how Jordan had pulled him aside on the morning of the wedding and asked him to look after Katie if anything happened to him.
She’s strong. She can go it alone, but I don’t want her to have to. I know my family will be there for her, but I want to know that she’ll have someone on her side who knows what it’s like to grow up without a firm support system in place. She’s like you, man—just looking for a place to belong. You two will understand each other better than any two people I know.
Tony remembered the words as if they’d been spoken seconds rather than years ago, and he remembered his response. That he’d be there if Katie needed him. Always. For a lifetime. If that’s what was necessary.
Right now, she needed him.
Whether she realized it or not.
For as long as that was true, he’d be there, ready to do what Jordan couldn’t—keep her and the baby safe.
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