Guarding Cora-Delta Force Defenders

finally meet you June,” Cora said pleasantly trying to collect her thoughts. She was in complete shock still. Out of all the things that Liam could be hiding from her when they had been dating, this was not it. She would be lying if she didn’t say she was a little relieved. She already knew he hadn’t been cheating but the fact he had been caring for his sister made her feel guilty for all the times she harped at him for not telling her. It also made her angry that this secret was what had broken them up. She understood he didn’t want pity, but he never even gave her a chance. He made the decision to keep it a secret from her. He had told her what he did for a living, but he couldn’t share this with her? So many secrets. And for what?

“Same here.” June didn’t sound happy to meet her, but Cora was sure she was just as shocked as she was at meeting each other.

So, Liam had a sister he cared for. She was still wrapping her mind around it. It was sweet that he would do that. She didn’t know what was so secretive about her situation. She wasn’t the first paralyzed woman. Was there something else Cora didn’t know about?

“June, is that how you treat your guests?” Liam scolded. He was acting just like a big brother or so Cora thought. She was an only child, but she had several friends who had older siblings and this was how they acted

“What are you, my father?” June snapped.

“I’m the only family you have left and I’m older so yeah I am for all intents and purposes.”

“So, you’re the lady that broke up with Liam five months ago?” June asked turning her sharp blues at her. June was a copy of Liam. Long curly blonde hair and clear blue eyes.

“I am,” Cora said wringing her hands. She was nervous, and she didn’t know why.

“Why did you break his heart?” June didn’t sound accusingly but curious.

Cora looked up at Liam standing next to her who was also waiting for an answer. “I don’t know if I broke his heart,” Cora said instead. He had broken hers. “But I left because he was keeping secrets from me, and I couldn’t stay with someone like that.”

“So, my big idiot of a brother finally saw the light and told you about me.” June’s eyes met her brothers. “I told you I was some secret to you.”

“Should I leave you two to talk?” Cora asked feeling she was in the middle of something important between the siblings.

“No,” June said quickly turning her head back to her. “Liam just needs to learn to let things go.”

“I don’t understand.” And she really didn’t. It was obvious Liam loved his sister. He went to great lengths to see to his sister’s care and came at a moment’s notice. He even ended their relationship over his sister; you would think she would have more respect for her brother. He could have just sent his sister to a home or passed her off to nurses to care for and be done with her.

“Liam thinks he is the reason I am in this bed,” Liam muttered something under his breath and left the room. “Just ignore him I always do,” June told her as Cora watched Liam leave and she felt the urge to follow him.

“What do you mean he thinks he’s the reason you are here?” Cora turned back to face June and scooted her chair closer to the bed wanting to hear this story. This was a side of Liam she didn’t know existed.

“When I was eighteen I went to a party with some friends. I got a little tipsy and called Liam for a ride home. He was twenty-four and was on leave. He was hanging with some girl he found at a bar at the house but didn’t want to be bothered with me. I had to get home somehow. I had my friend who brought me to the party take me home. She should never have been driving. I was much more sober than she was but she refused to let anyone drive her car but her. A few miles away from the party my friend swerved and hit a tree. She was ejected and killed on impact. I was pinned in the car and the front end pinned my legs. I was there so long that by the time an ambulance came, and I was taken to the hospital they didn’t have any choice but to amputate my legs. On top of that I fractured my spine, doctors say that it won’t take much to completely break it then I’ll be paralyzed so here I am stuck in this bed broken but not completely, just enough to have everyone treat me like precious glass. Liam blames himself that if he hadn’t been so self-absorbed in getting laid I wouldn’t have had to get in my friend’s car and ended up like this.” June waved a hand over herself. “So now he dedicates himself to seeing to my care and coming when Rosa calls him over the littlest things.”

Cora absorbed this new information and looked at Liam with a new set up eyes. It explained why he was always so driven and focused. He never let himself have more than one beer and always made sure the guys had a place to crash before they started drinking. She knew he had a rep for being a ladies’ man, but she bet that because of June he just put on a face around his friends, played a role. He didn’t make love like a novice, but he never treated her like she was another notch in his belt.

“You’re not going to break up with him again because I told you, are you?” June asked softly, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.

“No,” Cora didn’t bother correcting June that they weren’t dating. “So