Page 87 of Fighting for Lucy

“They’re great comfort food and I think we all need a little comfort right now,” Scarlett said, her gaze roaming between them.

That was absolutely the truth. Scarlett had been physically and sexually tortured by Raul Castillo, and before she even had a chance to begin the healing process he popped back up in her life and then one of her best friends was hurt, too. And Lucy had been kidnapped twice, once by the weapons dealer and once by a terrorist. All of that within the last few weeks. Both women had physical and psychological wounds they had barely had a chance to acknowledge.

And worse, so long as the mole was still out there neither of them were safe.

How could any of them hope to begin the healing process when there was the constant threat of someone coming after them again?

They all needed a night off. A night to just chill out and have fun. Eat good food and talk and laugh. And a little family bonding would be nice. He and Tate didn't know each other, and since the man had only recently entered his sister’s life, Tate didn't know Lucy or really Scarlett well either.

Comfort food and hang-out time were exactly what they all needed.

“Zander and I will help cook,” Lucy said, looking hungry for the first time since she’d woken up in the hospital. This might be a distraction from their problems, but nobody said you had to face your problems right away. Sometimes a distraction was exactly what the doctor ordered.

“Only if you don’t overdo things,” he warned Lucy as he moved to scoop her up before she could do something stupid like try to walk on her broken foot.

“Good luck with that, man.” Tate smirked as he slapped him on the back.

“They’re a handful, aren't they?” he said to the other man.

“Hey!” Lucy punched him in the arm, her aim off and there was no strength behind it, but he loved her cute little outraged expression.

“Adorable, too,” he added, laughing when his girl’s eyes shot daggers at him.

This was pure heaven. His girl in his arms, his sister by his side, a man who would likely soon become his brother there as well. Laughter and joy in the air, and a strong sense of love. As a child, this kind of family had seemed so remote from the life he’d lived, but now it was within his grasp.

There would always be a hole in his heart left behind by the seven men who had died horrific deaths in front of him, and there would always be guilt for not saving them. But Zander knew without a shadow of a doubt that every one of those seven men would be smiling down on him right now, glad he’d chosen happiness and light over vengeance and darkness.

For the rest of his life, he’d never have to worry about the darkness consuming him because in his arms he held the brightest of lights.

His light.

His Lucy.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

January 29th

8:18 P.M.

“I’m stuffed,”Lucy said, leaning back in her chair and pressing a hand to her stomach. “That was amazing. I've had your mac and cheese before, and those potato spirals are my favorite, but somehow, they tasted better tonight.”

“That’s because I helped make them,” Tate teased with a wink.

“It’s so cute that you want to learn to cook because Scarlett loves cooking,” she told him,

While Tate rolled his eyes at being called cute, the smile he shot Scarlett was pure warmth and joy. When Lucy cast a glance at Zander sitting beside her at the table, she saw he was smiling at her the same way.

When he smiled at her like that, it was like a lifetime of feeling she had to constantly be fighting to prove herself all melted away, and she felt a peace inside that was so soft and beautiful she wanted to curl her fingers around it and hold onto it so it never melted away. Thankfully, as long as she had Zanderat her side, she didn't have to worry about holding onto that feeling because every time he smiled at her it bloomed in her chest.

“What about you, Zander? Did you inherit that same cooking gene?” she asked, and he immediately made a face and shook his head.

“Cooking and I are not friends,” he told her.

“Massive understatement,” Scarlett added. “In our family, girls cooked, and men ate. Although, my brother, being the sweet guy that he is and the bestest brother a girl could ever ask for, did try to help me out one time when I was sick. I think we were about nine, and I had a stomach virus. In both our parents’ and grandparents’ minds, that was nothing that required staying home in bed so I was sent to school. The school sent me home anyway, though, and when I couldn’t get out of bed to make dinner, Zander did it for me. Well, he tried, but it was a massive fail. He set the oven on fire and we both got into trouble.”

“Aww, it’s so sweet that you were looking out for your sister,” Lucy said, leaning over to kiss Zander’s cheek even as her heart broke for the two neglected children they had been.

“Hate that you got punished for being sick, sweetheart,” Tate said, pulling Scarlett’s chair closer so he could scoop her up and put her on his lap.

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