First Darcy’s face flushed scarlet, then the blood receded, and she turned milky white. Her vision blurred for a moment and a wave of nausea flooded over her. When she realized she was still holding the phone, she tossed it on the table like it was a venomous viper.

“Okay, Darcy, it’s okay.” Nick’s voice seemed to come floating through a fog. “We’re going to take care of you.”

“Do you promise, Nick? Can you promise me I’ll live through this?” Her brown eyes were huge and intense, and she reached out and grabbed his lapels. “I don’t want to die.”

“I promise I will not let you die. I’ll die before I’ll let you die.” Nick’s face was serious, his eyes icy and silver. “One thing is for certain now. You’re not staying here alone tonight.”

“I agree.” Nate stepped up laid his hand on Darcy’s shoulder. “Consider yourself adopted by the Bakers. Now the question is, where are we going to keep her?”

“And Warlock,” Darcy hurried to add.

“And Warlock,” Nick agreed.

“How about Mom’s?” Nate suggested.

“Mom’s would be great. I hate to call her now, though. You know she gets scared as hell when the phone rings after ten.”

“Should we try the twins?”

“I think that would be best. After all, they are cops.”

“Wait,” Darcy interrupted. “Who are the twins?”

“They’re our sisters. Our twisted sisters.” Nick said with a smile. “You’ll love them. They’re about your age, and they love cats. In fact, they have two of their own.”

“I’m not sure how Warlock will feel about that, but he’ll just have to adjust, I guess. And hopefully, we won’t be there too long.”

“I hope not too, Darcy.” Nick pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. Apparently, the call was answered immediately.

“Hi, Nora.” He greeted his sister then walked away to continue the conversation.

Darcy shook her head as if to shake off the confusion settling over her. Everything was happening so fast. Just a few hours ago she had been happily passing out candy to kids, and now she was preparing to evacuate her home. Panic started to swell within her.

“Hey, Darcy, it’ll be okay. Don’t flip out on us now. Keep your cool.” Nate slipped his arm around her and hugged her. “You’re a hero, you know.”

“I don’t feel like one. I feel like a cowardly wimp.” She leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes, trying to slow her breathing. He felt comfortable, soothing.

Nick walked back in the room at that moment and raised a single eyebrow when he saw her snuggled up against Nate’s chest. “Okay, it’s all set. Nora and Natalie will be happy to put you up.”

For some reason, Darcy felt guilty for being in Nate’s arms. She didn’t know why. There was no spark there, despite how hunky and handsome Nate was, but feeling Nick’s eyes on her, she felt uncomfortable.

“I better go pack,” she muttered, moving away from the shelter of Nate’s presence. She scurried from the room and ran upstairs and started packing. It almost felt as if Nick was still staring at her, a bit of hurt in his eyes. That was silly, though. They barely knew each other.

Darcy didn’t even know what she packed but eventually made her way downstairs toting a suitcase and a duffel bag crammed with clothes, hair dryer, shoes, and laptop. She didn’t know how long she’d be gone or what she needed, so she packed all kinds of things. The last thing she grabbed was Warlock, who she stuffed in his crate. She was immediately rewarded with a haughty look and a snarl.

“I know, Warlock, I don’t like this any better than you do,” she assured him. Throwing the duffel over her shoulder and grabbing the crate and suitcase each in one hand, she headed downstairs to leave her home.

“Just one more thing.” Nick stopped her before she walked out the door. She turned and looked at him. “You might want to get rid of the wart.”

 

Nora, Natalie, and Darcy sat around the kitchen table, lingering over coffee and muffins. Nora was off today, and Natalie didn’t have to work tonight, so no one was in any hurry. Nora and Natalie had made Darcy feel so comfortable that she’d gotten up early and made the orange pineapple muffins as a treat.

She and Warlock had been here for two days. Darcy wasn’t given a chance to feel uncomfortable or out of place. As soon as she walked in to the twins’ condo, she was welcomed and made to feel right at home. Warlock had come out of his carrier and strutted around surveying his new kingdom and allowed Peaches and Cream, the twins’ female cats, to sniff him then swaggered away to claim his place on the windowsill.

Darcy studied the twins across the table. They looked identical, except Natalie wore her hair in a short pixie cut and Nora’s hair was shoulder length. They both had sparkling eyes like their brothers and the same dark hair as Nick. The family resemblance was amazing. They were a feminine version of their brothers, both fit and slim.

“You know, not only do you two look alike, you look just like your brothers.” By then Darcy knew that the third man at the piano bar with Nick was also his brother. Noah was the youngest of the three boys and was, like his brothers, also a police officer. The entire family was cops. “There are really strong genes in your family.”

“That’s thanks to Daddy,” Natalie noted confidently. “We all look just like him.”

“Except we’ve got Mama’s eyes,” Nora added. “And Natalie and Noah have her curly hair. But we’ve all got the one dimple and high cheekbones like our dad.”

“Daddy’s a police officer, too. A captain.” Natalie spoke through a mouthful of muffin.

“It’s a tradition. Grandpa was CPD, too.”

Darcy shook her head in wonder. “How does your mom stand it? The stress, I mean. My dad was a cop who got killed on duty. My mom fell apart afterwards. I can’t imagine worrying every day about your entire family. I’ll never get emotionally involved with a cop.”

Both twins’ eyes flew wide open, and they exchanged a conspiratorial look.

“Are you sure? Not even if it was a match made in heaven?”

“Not if it was the last man on earth,” Darcy resounded stoutly. “Nothing could make me put myself under that kind of stress.”

The twins looked at each other and inexplicably giggled. Darcy didn’t get the joke. She meant every word she said. She was just about to emphasize her point when her cell phone rang. She didn’t think to look at her caller ID because Sophie was due to call when she got back in town. It was probably her.

“I know where you are,” was the first thing she heard after she answered the phone.

“What…what did you say?”

“I said I know where you are. You’re staying with those cop sisters.”

“Who is this?”

“Oh, you’re going to play dumb again are you? Let me tell you something, lady. You can run, but you can’t hide. I’ll find you, and you won’t be able to testify against me.”

“Why don’t you just leave me alone?” Her voice rose as she talked, and she felt herself begin to shake.

“Just keep your mouth shut, bitch, or I’ll shut it for you…permanently.” The words were snarled just before the line disconnected, and Darcy wrapped her phone in a death grip. The twins had come to stand on either side of her, both laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Call Nick,” Natalie ordered her sister. “Tell him to get his ass over here.”