“But you can, Jade. If you’re truly in love with my brother, you need to talk to him and work this out.”
“It can’t be worked out. He was upfront with me. He told me he could never love me, and I believed it when he said it. I have no reason to assume that has changed.”
“That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Talon may be quiet, and he may have some struggles in his life, but he’s as capable of love as anyone is. He’s a wonderful brother, and he would do anything for me or Ryan or Joe. I know. He has a lot of love to give, Jade. Don’t give up on him.” She squeezed my hand. “Plus, I would love to have you as a sister-in-law.”
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “That will never happen.”
“Never say never.”
But I did mean never. “Marj, something is eating Talon. I mean that seriously. Something is constantly gnawing at him, poisoning him. I don’t know what it is, and even if I asked him about it, he would clam up like he always does. Until he can face what’s eating him alive, he can’t love me. He’s incapable of it. He was telling me the truth when he told me he wouldn’t love me. I went into it knowing. I just didn’t expect to fall in love with him.”
“I don’t think Talon’s ever had a girlfriend,” Marj said. “Even back in high school. I remember Joe and Ryan dating, but I never remember Talon bringing a girl home. I was just a kid, around five, so I could easily have missed it.” She cleared her throat. “And I know he has women in the city.”
There went the dagger into my heart again. I knew about Talon’s tarts in the city. He’d made that pretty clear when he told me how he had his blood tested every six months for STDs and always used condoms. That was one sexually active person. Why else would he be so obsessive-compulsive about getting his blood tested so often?
I bit my lip.
“I’m sorry,” Marj said. “I didn’t think about how hard it would be for you to hear that.”
I shook my head. “It’s not news to me, believe me. He was upfront with me about how he views women. He takes what is offered and then leaves. I knew that when I went into it, as I said. I shouldn’t be surprised by any of this. I had just hoped…”
“What? That you could save him?”
A tear trickled down my cheek as I nodded.
“Oh, Jade. I’m so sorry. But you know as well as I do that no one can save Talon except for Talon.”
Is that what I had wanted? To be the savior of Talon Steel?
For the first time, I admit
ted it to myself. Yes. I had wanted to save him. Whatever was eating him up inside, I wanted to be the one to free him from it.
And I had failed.
I turned into Marjorie’s shoulder and cried.
Larry called me into his office as soon as I got in the next morning. He sat at his desk, blond and balding as ever, wearing a navy blue blazer that looked too tight across the shoulders. I took a seat across from him.
“Are you doing okay today, Jade?” he asked. “Your eyes are a little red.”
I cleared my throat. Since I had cried half the night, my eyes looked like hell. “I’m fine. I had an allergy attack this morning, but I took an antihistamine, so I’ll be fine soon.”
“An antihistamine?”
“Don’t worry, the non-drowsy kind.”
“Good, good. I have a new assignment I want you to work on. I need some heavy-duty investigation.”
New assignment? Sounded great to me. Anything to get my mind off my troubles. “Happy to help. What do you need?”
“I need you to dig up whatever information you can find on the Steel family.”
I jerked in my chair but caught myself. So much for getting my mind off my troubles. “The Steel family? You mean Marjorie and her brothers?”
Larry nodded and took a sip of coffee. “Yes.”
“May I ask what case this is for?”