When she turned back to Webb, he also appeared to be holding back a grin.
“He’s teasing me, isn’t he?”
“Oh, I think he was a hundred percent serious right then.”
“I was. Why would that be a joke?” Zander asked.
Yep. It was official. Her face was the color of beetroot.
Holy crap. Did that mean that Zander had thought about . . . would like to . . .
Don’t think about it, Keira.
“Well?” Zander asked Webb. “What is going on with her tooth?”
“I’m not a dentist, but there’s clearly an abscess and combined with her fever, we need to get that seen to.”
“No way.”
“Right. I’ll call and see if Lochlan can fit us in,” Zander said.
“I’m not going.”
“Sooner rather than later,” Webb told Zander.
Neither of them was looking at her, or answering her. The bastards.
“I’m not going.”
She stood up, then swayed as the room around her spun. Shit. Her body heated and she felt strong arms grab her before she was tucked up against a firm chest.
Pressing her into him, she took deep breaths. The scent of the ocean hit her. It was clean and crisp and it cut through her urge to vomit.
“Easy, Little Thief. You’re all right. Breathe nice and deep for me. Good. Call Lochlan and tell him we’ll be there soon.”
“On it,” Webb said before she heard him murmuring into his phone.
“I’m not going.” She turned her head, so she was looking up at Zander.
“You are. Didn’t you hear Webb? If you don’t take care of it, you could get ill.”
Well, considering she already felt ill anyway, she didn’t see what difference it would make.
“I don’t care.”
“Well, I do, Little Thief, so you’re going to do whatever’s necessary to make you better.”
“What’s the point?” she said tiredly. It felt like all the fight was just leaking out of her. “Maybe it would be simpler this way, for it all to just end.”
“What the fuck did you just say?”
She jolted in shock, and there was silence as even Webb stopped talking. She’d never heard Zander talk like that. Even when he’d stood over her as she’d lain beaten and tied up on the bed, he hadn’t gotten angry.
Right now, he was giving her a hard look that made her shrink in on herself.
Setting her on the table, he put his hands on the table on either side of her.
“Do not be scared of me. Please,” he whispered hoarsely.