“I would actually love some tea,” Olivia said, gently reclaiming one of her hands and turning to move towards the kitchen. Towed along by her other hand, Luke shrugged at his fuming brother.

What? Tea did sound good.

Helping Avery score a hit on his younger brother was just a bonus.

Kincaid and the police arrived only a few minutes before Patrick and Lexie did. The uniforms were out front and with Nick in the security office, checking out the security footage, and Kincaid, Luke, Avery, and herself were sipping tea in the kitchen answering Kincaid’s questions when the big man came rushing in. One look at Patrick and it was clear he was full of fighting vim and vigor.

She’d heard Hilary describe him that way once and was a really good description of when Patrick’s ire was super up. Sometimes the things Hilary said were just weird but they worked.

Especially when Olivia wanted to distract herself thinking about odd old sayings instead of the reality of her stalker.

“How the hell did he know to find her here?” Patrick practically roared as soon as he caught sight of Kincaid. His dark eyes were sparking with protective fury and Olivia was pretty sure the hand he had curled around the back of Lexie’s neck was the only reason he wasn’t also pacing and possibly banging his fist as well. The hold he had on his submissive and girlfriend was gentle but firm and—for Patrick—was akin to a lifeline.

Lexie’s big blue eyes were huge in her pale face, making her look even younger and more pixie-ish than usual. The fluffy white winter coat she was wearing made her black hair and blue eyes stand out brightly, but even against the stark backdrop she looked wane. Not to mention torn because her eyes were glued to Olivia but she was cuddled close to Patrick, obviously realizing her presence was the only thing keeping him from completely losing his shit.

When she took in the sight of Luke hovering next to Olivia, his arm around her with his hand resting on her hip while she sipped from the cup of tea he’d prepared for her, Lexie smiled just a little, a tiny bit of her usual sparkle making its way back into her eyes. Olivia gave her a Look, which just made her lips curve even more.

There was no doubt, Lexie did love her gossip.

But then her face dropped again as she remembered the seriousness of the situation and the moment of levity was over.

“If we knew that, we’d probably know who he is,” Kincaid said calmly, turning to face Patrick. To his credit, he only flinched a little when Patrick glared even harder at him. Looking a little worried, Lexie leaned against her boyfriend, distracting him. The moment he glanced down at her, he softened a little. Just a touch.