A moment later, Archer presses a cold glass of water in my hands and seats himself on the coffee table in front of me. I wrap my hands around the glass, drawing my focus to the liquid inside, and the condensation chills my fingertips.
“Killian was in a car accident, but he’s okay. Nothing serious,” he explains. My world tips faintly, and I close my eyes, pressing the tips of my fingers to my heated temple and massaging.
“I heard it and thought I’d gotten him killed.”
“Killed?” Archer’s voice takes on a sharp noise. “You? How?”
“Because I’m the reason he stormed out of here and went drinking,” I mutter, opening my eyes and meeting Archer’s gaze as I take several gulps of the water. Its cold caress soothes my burning throat, so I take a few more sips.
“I’m the reason he felt like that was his only option, and then he was on the phone with me when he was driving, so…” Tears well up in my eyes once more. I dip my gaze away from Archer, focusing on the fluffy rug underneath his dress shoes.
“It wasn’t smart to drink and drive, but his call to you wasn’t what made him crash. He was run off the road,” Archer explains.
“What?” My head snaps back up, the back of my neck smarting from the movement. “What happened?”
“He was tailed from the nightclub by some Russians, and they ran him off the road once they realized he was alone. I guess they saw an opportunity to take him out.” Archer leans back and sighs deeply, running a hand over his tie to smooth out invisible wrinkles. “We’re working on how they even knew he was there, but I promise you, he’s fine.”
Oh, God. It just keeps getting worse. Not only did the pain I caused send him off the wagon, but he became the perfect target for some lurking Russians. I dip my head, running my free hand through my hair and gripping the strands.How bad is he hurt?
“Can I see him?”
“No. You are to stay here where it’s safe.”
My heart plummets, and the chill from earlier is chased away by the heat of shame crawling over my skin. The table creaks, signifying Archer has stood, but I keep my head down and close my eyes.
“I understand if he doesn’t want to see me,” I murmur quietly, “butpleasepass on my thoughts that I’m glad he’s okay.Reallyglad.”
“He’ll be staying with Dante tonight, just as a precaution from the doctor, so go to bed, get some rest,” Archer instructs.
I nod.
“Cara,” Archer states flatly from my right, and when I lift my head, he’s in the doorway, but the edges of his face seem softer than before.
“What?”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Killian keeps a close circle. A really close circle. Which is an improvement since when I met him, he didn’t haveanyone. I couldn’t list any friends, never mind someone he cared about, but since he met you….” Archer’s cheeks puff out slightly. “He’s a different man. You’re important to him, and his reaction to your deceit? It wouldn’t have hurt him this much if he didn’t care about you.”
Archer ducks his head slightly in farewell and steps into the hall. I stare blankly at the space he left.
“Thank you!” I call suddenly and the clack of the front door closing is my answer. Warmth descends over my shoulders like a blanket, and I turn my attention back to the glass as Archer’s words weave around my mind, causing my heart to skip a beat.
Then the corners of my mouth twitch up, and the warmth draped across my shoulders descends into my chest. Archer is right. If Killian didn’t care, he would have been angry, sure, probably would have killed me, but he wouldn’t have sought to drown his pain.
I hurt him, but… that’s a good thing. It hurts him because hecares. Not the happiest way to look at it but at this point, I’ll takeanythingas proof this can be salvaged. I force a deep breath and hold it, straightening my back until bones click, then I release the breath when my lungs burn.
I can fix this. As soon as Killian comes home, I will fix this.
29
KILLIAN
“Drink. It’s good for shock.”
“I’m not in shock.”
“I don’t fucking care. Drink the goddamn tea, Killian!” Dante’s voice pitches slightly as he drops into the high-back leather chair across from me, and I grimace before turning my focus to the steaming cup of tea in front of me.
“Is there alcohol in this?” I ask and immediately regret it when Dante groans so deeply I fear he might make me wear it instead.