Waiting For Wren (Book Five In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series) by Beauman Cate

Author:Beauman, Cate [Beauman, Cate]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-10-14T18:30:00+00:00

Wren sat on the chaise lounge, gazing into the fire as the horrid crime scene photos played through her mind. She shuddered, thinking of dark, bruising marks around pale throats and wide, staring eyes.

She’d seen death before—in fancy funeral homes, but not like that. A mortician hadn’t had his opportunity to brush away Staci and Alyssa’s horror with makeup and a pretty casket. The peace and comfort of eternal life was nowhere present in the dozens of photographs lined up on the coffee table.

A deep, weighing sadness consumed Wren as she remembered Staci’s beautiful smile in the long-ago picture by the pool. Poor Staci. All this time Wren had been sure Staci collapsed from some sort of undiagnosed heart condition, but Staci’s fate had been far crueler. She died horribly right here in this house. And Tucker… Tucker found his sister naked, violated, and strangled to death. How had he survived? How had he been strong enough to go into a profession where he relived his nightmare every day? She admired him and ached for him, as much as she was leery.

There was a knock at the door, and she sighed. She didn’t want him here when she was all mixed up.

Tucker peeked in. “They left.”

She nodded. “Okay.” What else could she say? Her first instinct was to get up and go to him, to offer any comfort she could, but she stayed where she was. Tucker didn’t want to be soothed.

She studied him in the doorway, yearning, despite his weary eyes and tense shoulders, realizing she’d been right to keep her guard up. As much as she wanted to deny it, he’d hurt her when he pushed her away. He told her he needed her, but when push came to shove, it wasn’t true. Tucker didn’t need her the way she’d craved to be needed since she was a little girl, desperate for her parent’s attention.

All her life she’d wanted to belong, to feel that cozy acceptance she experienced with very few. And maybe somewhere deep below the recesses of denial, she’d always hoped someone special would walk into her life and prove they were worthy of the affection she had to give.

Tucker Campbell was not that man. Perhaps for a foolish moment she believed he might be, but she’d been wrong. He had spoken of feelings, of wanting to see where they could go, but he was confusing lust with genuine emotion. In the end, Tucker wasn’t any different from most everyone else out there.

I’ve never met anyone as completely jaded as you, darling, Patrick had said on more than one occasion. Maybe so, but she was less of a fool because of it. There was no such thing as a soul mate or happily every after, and this rude refresher was serving as her wakeup call. Tucker had almost worn her down and made her believe in possibilities, but no more.

“I’m sorry, Cooke, about earlier.”

She shrugged. “No big deal.”

“Yeah it is.” He walked to the chaise and sat next to her.

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