by L-J Baker
"Detective Ward, how nice to see you. Is something wrong?"
"Have you seen your brother?" Desperation didn't look good on her, but Luc felt bad for the woman. He wanted so badly to tell her the truth, that Az was dead and he was never coming back. But he had to respect his brother's last wishes.
"I haven't. I'm sorry. He can be a flake sometimes, but it's only because he really cared about you. It scared him, ya know?"
She nodded, but there was no sign of recognition.
"Az has a serious fear of commitment. Always has. I'm so sorry you got caught up in that."
"But when will he be back?"
Luc closed his eyes and let out a soft breath, then he did something he rarely did. He put his hand on the side of her face and spoke in a soft, soothing, tone. "He's not coming back. He's a jerk, and you still care about him, but it's time to move on. You can't just wait around for someone who isn't here. If he was, it would be different, but he's not." Luc dropped his hand and she blinked a few times. "You're going to be okay."
She nodded. "I'm okay." She stood in front of Luc a few more seconds, then turned, and headed out the front door.
It hurt Luc to watch her go. It was like saying goodbye to the last piece of Az. He cared about that woman. For maybe the first time ever, Az had found someone he wanted to be with for more than a few nights. He might even have loved her. But none of that mattered now. He was gone and she needed to move on.
"Did you just use your powers on her?" Harley grabbed the back of Luc's shirt and pulled him so he turned to look at her.
"Yeah. She's not part of the game, so I didn't break any rules."
"Even if you had, I'd still be proud of you." It was the closest Harley came to feelings and Luc understood how much that meant.
It's what Az would have wanted, what he would have done for Luc if the situation was reversed. His brother was gone, and as hard as that was to accept, all he could do now was honor him. He would do that by finishing the game and looking out for the woman he cared about. He would do it by living his life, finding his soul mate, and not letting tragedy take everything from him once again.
Luc finished off his drink and pushed the glass away. He was ready for a new start. With two more sins to go, he would give it his best shot, or at least the best he could manage. He couldn't let Michael ruin the game that Az was so excited for. He had to get to the end, then he would ask Harley which sin Az knew he'd pick, because Luc already knew he would be right.
Thank You for Reading!
Thank You for Reading!
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Books by LJ Baker
Ages 13+
Save Me (Life After the Outbreak, book 1)
Find Me (Life After the Outbreak, book 2)
Hold Me (Life After the Outbreak, book 3)
Stand Alone Books
Time Curse
The Clinic
18+ Only!
Undeniable (Bound Together, book 1)
Inevitable (Bound Together, book 2)
Unavailable (Bound Together, book 3)
Incapable (Bound Together, book 4)
Intolerable (Bound Together, book 5)
Unbearable (Bound Together, book 6)
Taking Chances (Learning to love, book 1)
Wrath (Seven Deadly Sins, book 1)
Gluttony (Seven Deadly Sins, book 2)
Greed (Seven Deadly Sins, book 3)
Sloth (Seven Deadly Sins, book 4)
Lust (Seven Deadly Sins, book 5)
Pride (Seven Deadly Sins, book 6)
Envy (Seven Deadly Sins, book 7)
Acknowledgments
Out of all the books in this series, this was the one I was both looking forward to the most, and dreading. Losing someone you care about is hard. It wrecks your whole world. It takes everything away from you. Finding a way to move forward after that seems impossible. There are a few people that I have to acknowledge that have made it possible for me to start to find that place in my own world.
As always, I need to thank my bratty kid, Jennylee, who lets me talk about my crazy characters and drone on about my ideas, even when she would rather not listen. She manages to read my books and help me whip them into shape so that I can share them with all of you. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be writing this right now.
I also need to thank my other brats and husband for being in my life and providing an endless source of amusement, irritation, and general emotional background to draw upon when I need to write about feelings. You idiots have made sure I can relate to just about any feeling the devil himself might need to experience. I love you.
Lastly, I need to throw in a thank you to my therapist, who never ceases to see the world in a much better light than reality casts upon it. Without him, I probably wouldn't have anyone to argue with that didn't hold it against me. He might get paid to talk to me, but he's worth every penny.
About the Author
L J lives on the Jersey Shore with her husband, bratty kid and two crazy cats. Though writing has always been her first passion, she got a degree in psychological counseling and worked in the mental health field for a while, which she finds very helpful in dealing with her crazy family. She is a lover of all different types of music and books, switching between genres so wildly it sometimes makes people wonder if she has multiple personalities. She is most likely to be found writing romance stories of all kinds (contemporary, erotic, new adult, young adult, fantasy, paranormal, etc.). When she's not writing, she prefers to spend her time reading, taking photos, watching way too much television, or spending time with her family.
She would love to hear what you think of her work or answer any questions you might have. Please feel free to visit her and say hi.
Facebook.com/AuthorLJBaker
Twitter: @AuthorLJBaker
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www.lj-baker.com.
