Author's note:

Hey everyone, just wanted to say thank you soo much for reading my story so far - I am letting you all know that Raphael and Brooke's adventure is coming to an end soon. I have 2 (I think) more chapters left. Will they finally find Leo? Is Sergei and Sidorov gonna get what's coming to them? What's going to happen to Raph and Brooke's relationship when all of this is over?!

Enjoy, review, subscribe, follow, favorite (or whatever lol) :)

An hour later, Raphael and Brooke arrived at the rendezvous point Wilson had chosen. Casey pulled up beside them in his truck. Ahead of them, nestled among mature oak and beech trees, sprawled a massive stone house. The garage was a separate three-car affair set at an angle to the main driveway. At the back corner of the property stood a separate white building that looked as if it might be a workshop.

Standing in the fading evening light, Raphael saw a man in his fifties emerge from the building. He possessed the tanned skin and strong physique of a laborer, and he crossed the yard, pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with cement bags.

The agent jerked his chin at Raphael. His eyes not widening at the turtle in front of him. Familiarity. "I thought you were coming alone."

"Casey and Brooke helped me find you."

After acknowledging them with a curt nod, Wilson said, "Show me the card."

Raphael held up the slim square in the palm of his hand. "There's enough evidence on it to get a warrant for Sidorov. Where's Leo?"

"Inside."

Raphael's heart sped up. "I wanna see him."

The man set down the wheelbarrow and dusted off his hands. "First, I should tell you what happened"

"Leo can do that," Raphael said, already turning toward the house.

"Unfortunately, he can't."

Every muscle in Raphael's body squeezed tight, including his heart, which struggled to keep beating. Please, let my brother be okay. He turned back, his expression grim. "Why not?"

"Because he doesn't remember what happened."

"I ain't followin'. He lost his memory?"

Wilson wiped his sweaty brow with his forearm. "The only way to explain it is to go back a little. When I learned about Danny's murder, I was sure Sidorov had been responsible. That got me worried about a particularly large turtle I had been working with. Another liability."

"My brother."

"Yes. The last time we'd met, Leo had told me he was talking to a girl named Marisa Sidorov who wasn't afraid of him. I figured, with that last name, she had to be related, and Leo needed to know one of her family members was dangerous."

"So ya went to the house where Leo was workin'."

Wilson nodded. "We talked for a while upstairs. Then I headed into the washroom. When I came out, I heard voices. Leo's voice got very low...and dangerous. I crept along the hall and saw Chernov with a gun, saying he was there to make sure Leo didn't touch Sidorov's daughter ever again. Calling him a freak and other things. There was a hammer at my feet. I didn't think, just picked it up and threw it. I nailed him good, but as he went down, the gun went off."

Raphael's mouth was so dry he could barely speak. "Leo was shot?!"

"A bullet nicked him. He didn't cry out or fall down. I didn't even realize at first that he was injured."

Wilson's story was out of whack with what Raphael knew. "I searched that room up and down. There was no bullet holes in any of those damn walls."

"I know a shot was fired," Wilson insisted. "Wait a minute. There was a window open. The bullet must have gone outside."

Raphael's patience was wearing thin. "What happened after?"

"Chernov tried to get up. He still had the gun, so I fought him. I screamed at Leo to help me disarm the guy, but he was holding his head, stunned. That's when I realized the bullet had grazed him. Finally, my shouts must have got through to him because Leo shook his head and came over to help me. Together, we worked to subdue Chernov and keep his weapon pointed away from us. While I held him down, I used some sheets near him."

"Ya smothered him?"

"We weren't intending for him to die... Leo kept repeating a mantra under his breath that I couldn't quite hear," Wilson said, scratching his head.

Raphael nodded, Splinter taught each of his sons a mantra to repeat when they found themselves in a situation they couldn't control. Raphael's was, 'I control my anger, nothing controls me'.

Wilson continued, "He was trying to kill us though. That's why I wanted you to see the video. It proves the guy would have maimed or killed Leo if I hadn't intervened."

"What happened next?"

"Leo barely made it downstairs before he passed out. I... struggled to drag him to Chernov's truck, then went back for Chernov. I thought about contacting the police, but after what happened to Danny, there was no way in hell I could trust them to keep us safe from Sidorov. Instead, I sent him a text from Chernov's phone, saying the job was done."

"Was it fear that really kept ya from callin' the police?" Raphael asked, crossing his arms. "Sounds like you'z were afraid the police wouldn't believe ya story."

"Especially since Leo couldn't back you up for being who he was," Brooke added.

Wilson looked away. "After the adrenaline wore off, I was shaken by what we'd done," he admitted. "I knew our actions were justified, but I wasn't willing to risk that I'd be arrested and Leo possibly caught. The President would have my head... and would want to be inside Leo's."

Raphael cringed at the visual. Wilson laid his hands on in front of him, "The ravine behind the warehouse seemed like a lucky break. So I pocketed the gun, wrapped the body in plastic and dragged it down to the ravine. I figured the body wouldn't be found for a long time, if ever."

Casey stabbed an accusatory finger at Wilson. "I get why ya ain't go to the cops, but ya should have done more to help Leo's injury."

"I wanted to take him a hospital, but I couldn't take the chance of raising alarms and attention. Hiding his identity from the CIA isn't easy. When I came across him, it took me a while to... accept wha- who he was."

"Concussions, left untreated, can kill," Casey countered.

"I saved his life and brought him to a safe place to recover," Wilson shot back defiantly.

Wilson had a point, Raphael. Without the agent's help, Leo could have been dead. Instead, it was the hit man sent to kill him who was lying in the morgue.

"How is Leo now?" Raphael asked.

Wilson took a moment to answer. "At first, he suffered from terrible headaches, disorientation, nausea, but he's on the mend, just weak. I have... swords sitting here against the chair. He almost took my arm off during one of his disorienting moments. He doesn't remember what happened, and I haven't been able to bring myself to tell him. Hell, I wish I could forget as completely as he has."

"So, what does he think happened?"

"He remembers I hired him onto my team, and something hit him hard that's making him forget. He's been mostly out of it. He hasn't mentioned Marisa or her father. I'm not sure he's even aware of what day it is."

That explained why he hadn't called April, Brooke thought. "You've done an awful lot for a turtle who isn't really your employee. To trust him so fast," she said.

Wilson shrugged. "He's a turtle, yeah. But his skills are unwordly. He refused when offered a gun, and said, 'I don't kill'. He's the best fighter I've ever seen. He's hardworking and resourceful. I liked him the moment we met.

Raphael crossed his arms over his chest again. "Almost as if he was the son you wish ya had."

"Leo and Sam may be around the same age," Wilson said tightly, "but that's where their similarities end. Sam only ever worked hard at defying me."

"Your son isn't a headstrong teenager anymore," Brooke said. "He's a successful artist and businessman. And I suspect you haven't given up on him completely or you wouldn't have answered your phone so fast when he called."

Wilson stared at the ground. "Yeah, you're right. I miss him."

"You might want to tell him that."

"You'z can do that later," Raphael said, his Brooklyn accent thick with emotions. "Right now I wanna see Leo."

Wilson motioned for them to follow him and resumed pushing the wheelbarrow across the yard. He set it down next to an eight-food trench that circled the house. "Watch your step," he advised. "My other company I do on the side was hired to fix the foundation along with other maintenance work."

The only way across the trench was to walk single file over a narrow board that led to the front door. Brooke went last, her breathing accelerating as she realized any misstep could result in a painful fall.

Wilson led them past a curved staircase to a darkened room. Following a soft click, the glow of a lamp hit a large illuminated figure lying face down on a pull-out couch made up with sheets and a blanket.

Brooke had expected Raphael to head straight for the makeshift bed, but he surprised her by hanging back and letting Casey go first.

"You've got company," Wilson said, shaking the figure's shoulder before moving aside.

The large individual rolled onto his back... or his shell, and Brooke caught her breath. Raphael's brother was also huge like him, bigger than Donny. A blue bandanna wrapped around his head, like Raphael, and his green skin was much lighter. The muscles on his arms mimicked Raphael - they were both almost equal in size from what Brooke could gather. A small square of gauze was taped to his temple. He squinted against the glare of the lamp at the person nearest him.

"Casey?"

"Damn, I'm happy to see ya!" Casey said, his voice thick with emotion. He clasped his friend's hand between both of his and held on for a long moment.

Leo gave him a small, tired grin. "I'm happy to see you, too, despite the fact that you look like you've been partying hard while I've been flat on my ass. What're you doing here?"

"When you didn't call April on Sunday, she hit the panic button and sent out a search party."

"What?" Leo sat up more, his hand immediately went to his head. While Leo was grimacing at his pain, Brooke saw how taut Raphael's muscles were as he was watching... and hearing his brother.

Casey continued, "Yeah bro, you've been MIA for maybe a week. We all thought something bad had happened to you."

"What? Really?" Leo's facial expression showed confusion, it was obvious he wasn't following. "Things have been foggy since I.. hit my head." He frowned. "How did you find me? Did Wilson contact you?"

Leo's questioning face turned to Wilson who was leaning against the wall on the other side of the room. Giving everyone space.

Casey shook his head. "We pieced togetha' he was the last person to see you and called him."

"We?" Leo interrupted, frowning. "Who is we?"

"Well, me, my sister, Donny, Mikey, and Raph-"

Leo's whole body stiffened, his face twisted to anger, his eyes gone blank. "What do you mean, Raphael? He wouldn't care if I left and never came back. He's made it clear he doesn't need me around."

The resentment that infused his words was so different from his easy banter with Casey that Brooke felt sick. The happy family reunion she had envisioned was unlikely to take place. Because while Raphael's attitude toward his brother may have undergone a huge change in the past few days, Leo was still harboring a whole lot of hurt.

"Ya wrong, bro," Raphael said, moving forward into the light so Leo could see him. The urge to twirl his Sais was high - facing Leo after all this time got Raphael nervous.

The eldest brother's eyes widened and filled with shock, but he quickly covered the emotion with a distant look... a look of indifference. "Familiar words coming from you... Raphael."

Casey cleared his throat. "I think you two could use some time alone to catch up."

Brooke agreed wholeheartedly. Although she'd been looking forward to meeting Leo, the introduction could come later. The brothers needed privacy to patch things up, assuming Raphael could find the right words to show he'd let go of the past. Ideally, Leo could be convinced to do the same.

After giving Raphael a look of support and squeezed his arm with her hand, she followed Wilson and Casey out of the room and closed the door. It would be wonderful if Raphael could fix his relationship with his brother. The fact that he was even willing to try gave her hope he might be willing to work on their relationship. Because if not, she had to face up to a tough, irrefutable truth: leaving Raphael was going to tear her heart out.

Raphael barely noticed the door closing because his attention was focused on Leonardo. His brother's green tone was noticeably lighter and his face shown exhaustion and pain. There was even dark shadows under his eyes. Nothing a few meals, some extra sleep, and some sparring couldn't remedy, he hoped. Leo was one lucky turtle, considering he had been the target of a hit man. Only Wilson's fast action with the hammer had spared his life. A life Raphael had been slow in realizing he valued very much. But how was he supposed to get that message across when Leo's defiant eyes promised to misinterpret every word he uttered?

"I've thought a lot about us over the past few days," he said, pulling up a chair so he was on the same level as Leo.

"I find that hard to believe since you've been ignoring me for months."

"I ain't denyin' I was angry, and I had every right to be, man... but now I wish I wasn't so hardheaded and accepted your apology."

Leo stared at Raphael hard, his mouth in a grim line. "You missed your chance, Raph. I'm done apologizing. We aren't little kids anymore. You're right what you said before a while back - dad isn't around to keep us together."

His brother wasn't making this easy, but Raphael forced himself to continue. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. "I was wrong to just blame ya for what happened between you'ze and Ashley. She hardly was innocent."

In fact, though he'd denied it at first, he'd come to believe she was the one primarily responsible for the chain of events that had led to the estrangement between Leo and him. After all, she could have went and fucked any other human male, but she picked Leo. She didn't have to come on to Leo - if Raphael was to believe his brother's story.

Leo kicked off the sheet but remained sitting, his shell resting against the upper section of the couch. "Wow, I never expected those words to come out of your mouth."

Raphael's head came up, "Why did ya do it? It's in the past... I just wanna hear the truth."

Leo's normally perfectly restrained face fell and self-disgust replaced his features.

"Talk to me, Leo."

A few more moments passed before his brother spoke. "Truth is I've always felt the burden of responsibility on my shoulders even more after - after Splinter died. To be the leader you all needed. When I was betrayed by Karai, I felt stupid and incapable. How could I allow this woman distract me? After everything Splinter taught us and I still fell for her. When you pointed out my flaws and said a leader doesn't lead with his 'dick', it was like cold water being poured on me. I haven't been the same since dad left us, this I know. That night when Ashley came and found me, I was... I was drunk, I'm ashamed to admit. So drunk that Ashley's features morphed into Karai so I ended up forgetting it was Ashley by the time we... well anyway. It was only afterward, when I sobered up, I knew I messed up. Huge."

"Ashley wanted to get a story out of me the entire time we were messin' around, but I told her no," Raphael mused aloud, "and sleepin' with you'z was a surefire way to get another story for her blog."

"And I fell for it. She really is good at acting like she cares," Leo mumbled, looking down at at his hands. "It doesn't matter now, but at the time I thought she genuinely liked me."

A voice inside Raphael pointed out there could be some truth to them. Ashley had resented how much Raphael spent sparring, lifting weights, and only going topside to deal with thugs. She had it in her mind that his brothers scoped out on rooftops all day and were like the New York City robinhoods. Raphael laughed in her face when she pointed a finger at him one night after he wouldn't give her information on his dad. Finding her recorder in her purse sealed the deal. She only liked Raphael because of lust and curiousity to find a new story. Boy was she wrong. "Maybe, she really did like you'z more than me, bro," Raphael conceded.

Leo did an obvious double take, swinging in his legs slowly to the side of the bed so that he could settle his feet lightly on the floor. "Hey, what happened to Raphael? This isn't like him. An alien abduction?"

Raphael smiled reluctantly. "Nah."

"Then what? We've never had a civil conversation after dad died, let alone stay in a room together without fighting," Leo's head cocked to the side, eyes squinting at Raphael.

"Ya disappeared, Leo. I thought ya were dead."

Leo began coughing, one hand settled on the bed to keep his balance and the other in a fist against his chest. He started laughing, "You thought I was dead because I didn't check in with April? Does everyone think I was dead, too? Mikey? Don? Seems a bit much."

Of course, Leo would think he'd overreacted. But his brother hadn't spent hours, his stomach churning with agonizing fear, his mind reeling with horrific possibilities, while he waited for the official ID of a corpse he suspected was his own flesh and blood. Raphael could still feel the sweet rush of relief that had hit when he'd learned it was Chernov, not Leo, lying in the morgue. His brother had no idea how plausible his death had seemed - and Raphael was in no hurry to enlighten him. First, he wanted Donny to examine Leo. Then he wanted to understand more about memory loss, if it could be reversed and how. At this point, he wasn't sure if he wanted Leo to regain those lost memories, since they included him helping to kill a man. Out of all the brothers, Leonardo held himself to a standard to never kill. He believed it wasn't his place to take a life, just subdue until authorities get involved. Raphael didn't follow that plan a lot of the time, which was a lot of their problems between the brothers.

Instead of justifying his concern, he said merely, "Some wires got crossed."

Leo snorted. "I'll say."

"Mistake or not, it shook me, Leo. And that's when I realized I wanted to put an end to this ongoin' fight between us."

Leo was silent for a moment. "I don't know if that's even possible."

Raphael swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "Whatchu mean?"

"We butted heads long before Ashley. We'd argue, fight to the point where Donny had to stop us from killing each other, cool off, and then somehow argue some more. It's a vicious cycle."

"We are different, bro, but that ain't mean we stop talkin' or stop carin," Raphael urged. It surprised him at how much he's fighting to keep a relationship with his oldest brother when a few days ago he could have cared less.

"If you say so, Raph." Leo sounded less than convinced.

Raphael racked his brain for another compelling reason to salvage their relationship. "It would mean a lot to April if we could get past this." Hell, even Mikey and Don would be pleased to hear their older brothers were finally getting along.

Leo's non-existent eyebrows kicked up. "Is that emotional blackmail I hear?"

"Maybe."

"And that's the best you can do?"

Knowing that his next words had to be spoken from the heart, if he was ever to break through Leo's reserve, Raphael looked at him straight in the eye, "I love you, Leo. And I want ya in my life always. I'm always gonna be hard-headed and you'z are always gonna be a thorn in my side, but that's life. Ya brothers need you."

Several long seconds ticked by. Raphael tried to read Leo's expression but couldn't - which always frustrated him. Leo always held his thoughts locked away whenever he made his next moves. Right now, the balls in Leo's court and Raphael just had to swallow his frustration and see what his older brother does. More than likely, didn't believe him. Or if he did, he didn't reciprocate Raphael's feelings.

It had been a long shot. The idea that his brother might want to start over as much as he did. But obviously too much damage had been inflicted in the past. As the last of hope drained away, he braced himself for another of Leo's sharp-edged remarks. However, he'd forgetten his brother's most exasperating - and endearing - trait was his black and white logic.

Without warning, Leo rose from the couch and grabbed hold of him in a hug that felt so solid and so good his eyes began to sting. He couldn't remember the last time they'd embraced, but he knew he was going to make sure they did it more often. A few backslaps later, and a not so rough punch in his arm, the two turtles separated, exchanging sheepish smiles.

Leo wobbled slightly, as if his legs were too weak to keep him upright. With a curse, he sank back down on the couch. "Where do we go from here? I'm done with the CIA business."

"How about we head over to April's place? I know she'll want to see you with her own eyes. Then a trip back to the Lair to see Donny to check out your banged head."

Raphael sent Mikey and Donny a quick update text before Leo said, "Sounds good, I wonder if Donny has any herbal tea left."

"But first, there's someone i want you to meet." Raphael hesitated slightly when he saw Leo's eyes widened again and his lip curled on the edge. He's sneering. So unlike Leo... Raphael ignored his face and went to the door to open it. "Brooke?"

She appeared at the end of the hallway. Her blonde hair laying down on her shoulders framing her beautiful face. His heart sped up and it took some reminding him that he couldn't just take her in the hallway. As she came toward him, he saw uncertainty and concern in her expression, and he remembered the tense exchange she'd witnessed earlier between him and his brother. Fortunately, the reunion had been everything he could have wished for. He smiled because it was the fastest way to reassure her and also because he felt so damn happy.

Brooke's answering smile had him tugging her into his arms and kissing her. His body was instantly molten lava as he inhaled her fragrance in the kiss. He couldn't get enough of her. Passion flared, but acting on it would have to wait for a more opportune time. He nudged her through the doorway and spoke to Leo. "I want ya to meet Brooke Rogers, the PI who helped me find ya."

"A PI, huh? The surprises just keep on coming."

"Glad to finally meet you," Brooke said with a smile. Leo looked much better than he did before. His color was returning, still a lighter green than Raphael's, darker than Donny's. "Your family's been so worried about you."

The leader of the brother's aura was a solid blue, Brooke realized. Similar to Raphael, he gave off power and strength, stability and structure. Even though Brooke had never seen Leo before now, she knew that he was a leader. It was so interesting meeting the brothers and seeing how different each turtle was. Would she ever meet the one called Mikey?

Leo's voice interrupted her thoughts, "I'm beginning to get that. Well, nice to meet you Brooke."

He bowed his head slightly out of respect and Brooke smiled at the old Japanese tradition. It saddened her she would never get a chance to meet their father. The one who raised each turtle to be who they were.

Raphael supplied, "Brooke convinced Wilson's son to call him so I could ask 'bout ya. If she hadn't, we wouldn't be here."

Leo considered what his brother said and turned his head at Brooke. "Martin told me his son and he never talk.

Raphael smiled, his chest oddly filling with pride. "Trust me. Brooke can talk anybody into anything."

"No, I can't," she said indignantly, even though his praise always made her feel good.

"I have evidence against that." He cupped his hand over her shoulder. "Ya talked me into involvin' ya in my search for Leo, even though it was dangerous. Ya talked Keesing into allowin' us into the warehouse. And ya talked Sam into callin' his dad."

"Okay, I guess I can be persuasive at times," she conceded.

"One of ya many exceptional skills." He gave her an affectionate squeeze and was rewarded by the relaxing of her body against his. Her response to his touch was electrifying and unknown territory to him, but he loved it. It was crazy that just her being close to him, could cause him to forget where he was... and who was watching them. Leo is still here, cool it. Her hair brushed against his shoulder. Her scent wafted into his nostrils. His happiness grew to fill every part of him. It was a foreign feeling - exciting and terrifying all at once.

"When do you want to leave?"

Leo's question broke through his musing. And he was suddenly conscious of his brother's gaze alternating between him and Brooke, as if trying to work out the exact nature of their relationship. Raphael's behavior with Ashley versus Brooke was night and day. He was constantly fighting with Ashley and tense because of his suspicions. His body language with Brooke showed an entirely different side of Raphael that Leo was not used to.

Leo's eyes went to Raphael, they contained determination and seriousness. Raphael cleared his throat, "The sooner the better."

"I want to thank Martin before I go. And Casey, of course." Leo's once stern look on his face, cracked a smile. "If I'd known being out of touch for a few days would make everyone rally together, I'd have done this months ago."

Raphael's eyes narrowed and a slight growl escaped him. "Believe me when I say, Leonardo, if ya faked ya disappearance, I'd have beat ya ass, not hugged ya."

Brooke spoke up. "I overheard Wilson say he had to move some lumber from the storage building to the house before it got dark, and Casey offered to help him."

Raphael pulled out his phone and pressed Casey's number. "Weird, he ain't answerin'."

"Probably left his phone in his truck," Leo said.

"Do ya know Wilson's number?"

"Not offhand, no."

"I'll try Casey again." Raphael fiddled with his phone, then frowned. "Fuck, the battery's dead. Imma go get them."

"I need to stretch and move," Leo said, glancing at them both.

"Do you need any help?" Brook offered.

"Nah, I can manage. Thank you, Brooke."

"I'll wait in the kitchen," she murmured, heading for the door.

Raphael started to follow her but stopped when he heard Leo say, "I see why you're suddenly willing to forgive me."

He turned back. "Whatchu mean?"

"You don't care about Ashley or my mistake anymore. You've fallen hard for the PI."

"Her name is Brooke," Raphael said tightly, his jaw set.

"And you love her."

Raphael stared at him, the word love ringing in his ears. Yeah, he felt more for her than lust or caring for her. He respected her loyalty, her resourcefulness and her courage. And being with her made him happy. But did that all add up to love? Could what he offered be enough for her?

Leo laughed softly, throwing a playful look at Raphael. "If I were you, little brother, I'd stay away from cards for a while. Your usual poker face has been seriously compromised. Mikey may have a chance now."

His brother's smirk was more annoying than he remembered. "A guy with a head injury shouldn't be so quick to offer opinions 'bout others based on a few minutes' observation."

"Who are you kidding? Her eyes went super soft when you put your arm around her, Raph. Ashley's never did that and you know it."

"They did?" The question popped out of his mouth before he could prevent it.

"Uh-huh. I believe she holds strong feelings for you, as well. Splinter would be proud."

Raphael was taken aback by his dad's approval from Leo. Maybe his head injury was worse than he hoped, but he did wonder if his brother was being honest or pulling his leg. A tough call, given Leo's ability to hide what he's thinking. Then again, the guy could be perceptive. But what if he was wrong? What if Brooke's feelings were something other than love? "Ya know all those times I called you a pain in the ass?"

"Yeah," Leo stood up from the couch, straightening his spine.

"I was right."

"Oh really?"

"Except for today. Thanks for tellin' me 'bout Brooke." Their banter was different now, gone was the edge of anger and resentment. What's replaced it was a newfound respect and a new chapter. The thought made Raphael happy.

"You're welcome. If she's the reason for the changes in you, then she's worth hanging on to. Has she met the others?" Leo grabbed his swords that were lying against the wall and sheathed them on his back shell. The motion was always fluid and second nature.

Raphael pulled out his Sais and spun them with skill around his fingers with ease. Once this was all behind them, a spar with his oldest brother was far overdue. The thought of kicking his ass in the dojo was exactly what he's been missing. "April likes her a lot and keeps tellin' me she does. Donny met her for a bit but that's all. Imma try to hold off her meetin' Mikey before he bores her to death with comics."

Leo chuckled and began cleaning his space. Raphael turned to head outside to find Martin and Casey. Partway across the yard, he realized he was whistling. Hadn't done that in ages. And Brooke was the reason.

Brooke stood at the kitchen window, sipping water and mulling over her feelings for Raphael. She definitely wanted to keep seeing him and see where things could go between them. Would she mainly stay down in the sewer majority of their time together? Will she be able to have children? Children?!

His actions today seemed to convey he was in no hurry to end their relationship. He'd complimented her to his brother and tucked her against his side as though she belonged there. Or was she reading too much into the gesture?

The uncertainty was killing her. She needed to know his future intentions toward her, even if it was only the assurance that he would stay in contact with her after they parted. She could already imagine herself staring at the phone, willing it to ring.

Ridiculous. Pathetic.

She used to scoff at women who did that. She wasn't scoffing now. She was... in love. So why did she feel so unsettled? Falling in love was supposed to be a joyous experience, but that was only true when you weren't worried you'd taken the plunge solo.

As she tipped the glass to her lips, she saw Raphael striding toward the workshop. Her eyes hungrily roamed over his muscled body, huge arms and legs. She remembered the ecstasy of making love with him as well as the comfort of talking with him in the dark. Warmth spread throughout her body, filling her heart. No other man had made her feel both strong and vulnerable. No other man had made her yearn for a connection beyond a transitory, physical one. Without a doubt, Raphael was the turtle she wanted in her life. Did he feel the same way about her?

While she feasted on the sight of the turtle she'd come to love, three figures emerged from the woods. One of them motioned to the others to split up, a bandage on his raised hand. Sergei. The glass slipped from her hand and shattered in the sink.

Raphael kept on walking, oblivious to the danger he couldn't see.

Her mouth dry with fear, she ran to the sliding door. A series of gunshots rang out, and Raphael pitched face first into a truck-size stack of chopped wood.