Secret Weapon

She fiddled with her ring. Could it be that she was wrong, not Sloan? Was her obsessive refusal to consider any other lifestyle a refusal to grow and evolve? Should she be moving on to a different type of relationship? Thinking about settling down and embracing one love?

She certainly didn’t follow a traditional way of doing things, and if she chose to settle in and follow the norm … it would certainly make life easier.

And she could be with Sloan. Make him happy. And herself, too, since she really did love him.

Could she make it work with Sloan?

* * *

Sloan watched Liam step through the glass door into the rustic restaurant. He glanced around, then spotted Sloan and walked over. He slid onto the upholstered seat across from Sloan in the wooden booth.

“How’d you know I was at Janine’s?” Liam asked.

“I saw your car in visitors’ parking.”

Sloan had come by to talk to Janine this morning, to see if he could square things with her. When he’d seen Liam’s car, anxiety had gripped him. Liam’s suitcase was still in the backseat, which meant he probably hadn’t gone home. If he’d stayed the night, Sloan was sure they hadn’t spent the whole time talking.

The waitress came by and poured Liam a coffee and offered him a menu.

“Just coffee,” Liam said.

So, he’d already had breakfast.

Jealousy washed through Sloan, but he knew he had to conquer it. Liam spending the night didn’t mean Janine was in love with him. It just meant she’d probably had sex with him. That was part of the arrangement, and Sloan had to get past his obsessive jealousy about it. Anyway, it wasn’t really the sex that bothered him.

Whether Janine was in love with Liam or not, he was a reality in her life, and Sloan had to get over it.

Liam pushed the steaming coffee to one side, folded his hands on the table, and leaned forward. “Sloan, Janine and I were talking this morning and…” He shook his head. “I didn’t realize who Janine is.”

“What do you mean who she is?”

“I mean, I didn’t realize she’s the sister of your old friend. That she’s the one you’ve been in love with for a long time.”

What the hell? How did Liam even know about his feelings for Ben’s sister?

“Come on, Sloan. I know you don’t open up much, but when you told me about your friend … when you talked about his sister … it wasn’t hard to figure out.” His lips compressed. “I knew you were in love with her. I just didn’t know she and Janine were the same person.”

Sloan’s eyes narrowed. “So what are you saying? That you’ll step aside so I can have the girl?”

* * *

Janine paced back and forth across her living room carpet.

God, she loved Sloan. Settling in with him in a one-on-one relationship would simplify her life, and she’d really be able to give him the time and attention he deserved.

But would she be able to make it work?

She wasn’t sure, but the one thing she knew was that it beat the alternative. She couldn’t imagine life without Sloan.

She stared at her cell phone. She had sent several more texts to Sloan after Liam had left, but he hadn’t yet responded. Was he still angry about last night? Still too hurt to talk to her?

She understood he’d probably need some time to figure things out, but she was starting to worry. She toyed with her ring. Memories of that horrible night when she’d heard about Ben … when they’d told h

er he’d been shot and killed …

Sure, Sloan hadn’t been on duty, but he’d left on foot. He could have been hit by a car. Robbed and shot by some thug.

Oh, God, what if something had happened to him?