Protective Secrets (The Protective Series, Book 3)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Corrie's arms tenaciously enveloped my waist, tightening by the smallest fraction whenever I made any sort of movement. She'd been cuddling into me for the past ten minutes, almost afraid to let go in case I vanished into thin air. No matter how many times I tried to convince her I was alright and that I was uninjured, she refused to release me from the safety of her warm embrace.

I gently combed my fingers through the velvety strands of her strawberry blonde hair, resting my chin atop her head. Being this close to my sister reminded me of my childhood days, where I would hold the young bundle of joy in my arms. Mum had told me it was my responsibility to look after the new baby girl, two years younger than me. Every time I looked down into her tiny, doe-shaped green eyes, the biggest smile would take over my face. Mum said every time I got the chance to hold Corrie in my arms, I looked like the happiest brother in the entire world.

Her cuddling me as tightly as she was emphasised the importance of this moment being more for her than it was for me. She needed me, and all I could do right then was let her hold me.

It effectively distracted me from the chaos taking place around us. Sirens blared through the city of LA, and the team of paramedics on the beach were shouting to be heard over the hysterical cries of people crowded around the dead body. Jarmo stood frozen in place a few metres away from Corrie and I, staring blankly ahead in a state of pure numbness as he had been for the past ten minutes. I don't think he ever blinked during that time.

I felt a painful surge pulse through my heart as I watched him, reminded of the night we'd lost Janne under similar circumstances.

Only this time, Mikko wasn't the culprit. And the dead body wasn't Janne.

It was Michelle.

At first, I'd thought Mark's bullet had penetrated the chest of an innocent beach goer standing too close to the thick of the action. As I'd run over to the scene, the severity of the situation became indubitably clear. The body of a young female in her late twenties with sandy blonde hair wasn't just another ordinary civilian; it was our friend, our colleague. And she'd been killed on the job.

"Jed," a gentle voice spoke from beside me, "we need to file a report for the coroner. They're asking what happened here, and we'll need to let her family know."

I lifted my head, meeting Asko's grey eyes. Usually glistening and full of endless energy, they were now dull and empty, almost like someone had pulled the cord out on their light source. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, only now visible to me because of the blinding sunlight spilling over the beach. Droplets of water trickled down his arms and flecked the sides of his face, shimmering a translucent silvery white. Smaller droplets encircled his eyelashes, creating a very unique and very beautiful image.

I shook the thought from my head, clearing my throat. "Could you prepare a report for them? I'm kind of preoccupied here."

He took one glance at Corrie in my arms and inclined his head, patting me on the shoulder in a supportive manner. "I know now probably isn't the best time to mention this, but Dominik's missing. Do you have any idea where he could've run off to?"

I exhaled a sigh. "He just lost the love of his life, Asko. Give him time to mourn."

His eyes lingered on me for a few long moments, before he turned on his feet and walked away. All I could hear was the soft scuffle of his boots against the sand fading further into the distance, leaving Corrie and me alone together.

Dominik had lost almost everything. His mom, brothers and father were all dead. The only living relative he had left was Tina, and she barely spoke to him when he was in the company of the band. For some unfathomable reason, she was never too fond of me, Asko or Jarmo. She could wear a smile on her face, and I would see right through it to the hardened plastic beneath.