Broken by Janet Taylor-Perry

a fool, and you're better off without him. But don't let that fear stop you from living again. If he actually comes back, go for it."
     

    Raif walked in his door as Trista came down the stairs. Townes had left for boot camp, and she was staying in her room. She sounded like a parent as she demanded, "Dad, where have you been?"
    "New Orleans."
    "What were you doing there?"
    "Feeling alive."
    "What?"
    "Trista, I want to live again. Can you understand that?"
    "I think I can, Dad, but what's in New Orleans?"
    "You'll know in time."
    "Dad, should I ask, 'Who's in New Orleans?'"
    "Maybe you should." He put his hand on the rounded top of the post at the end of the staircase banister and looked up at his daughter who stood a few steps above him. "I'm going to talk to Uncle Ray. I'll be home for dinner tonight." He turned around and left as quickly as he had walked in.
     

     
    Raif knocked on Ray's office door. Lawrence Dantzler was there. Ray motioned Raif in.
    Raif said, "I need to talk to you. I can come back later." He tilted his head to the side. "Unless you have some news about Chris's murder."
    "Nonsense," Dantzler said. "We're done here. I'll be down the hall with Parker. I'm his temporary partner, but almost everything we look into just turns out to be a dead end." He walked out.
    Raif took the chair Dantzler vacated. Ray looked him over. "Hmm," he growled. "I don't know how to decipher your face right now. Where have you been? Trista was almost hysterical last night. We tried to call, but it went directly to voicemail."
    "Sorry. Dead." He held up the phone he had still yet to charge. "Ray, I want to live again."
    Ray leaned back in his chair. "Okay. Please, explain."
    "Yesterday, I put flowers on Chris's grave. I talked to her and told her everything that's happened and how I've been feeling. I've been so lost and broken without her." He bumped his palms several times in rapid succession on the arms of the chair.
    A smile flickered across Ray's face as he remembered Raif doing the exact motion the first time they met. It was a nervous habit Raif had no idea he had. Ray lifted an eyebrow to encourage his twin to continue his story.
    "Now, when I tell you the next part, don't think that I'm hearing voices again," Raif went on, "but while I was sitting there, I could have sworn Chris told me to follow my feet and see where they would take me. So, I listened. I got in my car and started driving. I had no idea where I was going."
    "Where did you go?"
    "New Orleans. Timeless Tattoos."
    "Did you get another tattoo?" Ray leaned forward with his arms on his desk.
    "No."
    "What exactly did you do?"
    "I spent the night with an amazing woman." He closed his eyes and sighed.
    "Neely?" asked Ray. "The girl who owns the shop?"
    Shaking his head, Raif said, "She's not a girl, Ray. She's timeless. She's extraordinary. She made me feel so alive."
    "Sex, Raif? Is that what we're talking about?"
    "No." He shook his head. "Yes, we did, but Ray"—He let out a long sad sigh—"she made me feel alive partly because she refused to die." He tightened his hands around the armrests on the chair. "I know that you saw the news about the attacks in New Orleans and you knew Journey was investigating them when he was killed. Neely is the one who lived—the thirteenth one, Ray—the one Steve was going to see when he was shot. We talked about all the bad things we've been through this year. Yes, we ended up in bed, and I'm not sorry.
    "Ray, I don't want to hurt Neely. She's precious. I really want to get to know her, Ray. Tell me what you think."
    "Wow!" Ray allowed his body to thud back against his chair. "Should you live again?" He gave a quick nod. "Absolutely. With Neely?" He shrugged. "That's something only you can decide, but if you want to give this relationship a chance to grow, do it."
    "She's twenty years younger than I am."
    "Okay. That's a consideration. She might want a family. Are you ready for another one?"
    "She can't. I mean, she told