Page 86

“Okay, thanks, Doc,” I said as Dav came in with his and Cinna’s boys, allowing Islah and me to slip away.
“You don’t need to hold onto me like I’m a fragile old lady with a fall risk,” she insisted as I held her forearm as I led her back out of the building, looking both ways before rushing her into the car.
“Do me a favor, lay across the backseat,” I said, paranoid about other possible assassins.
At my condo, there was nothing to worry about. Three of my guys were flanking my building, gazes murderous, ready to take out anyone who looked the slightest bit shifty.
“I don’t have to stay here,” Islah insisted.
“Yes, you do. I need to keep an eye on you.”
“Someone else can,” she said. “You should be taking care of Elizabeth.”
“I can do both,” I assured her.
Though I was secretly glad to open my condo door to find Saff in the living room, the body long gone, but the blood not entirely cleaned up yet.
“Hey, killer,” Saff said, giving Islah a big smile. “How’s the noggin?” she asked, leading Islah over to the couch. “In your bed,” she said to me, giving me a nod.
I didn’t need more encouragement than that.
I rushed down the hall, pausing to knock softly, so I didn’t scare her, before moving inside.
She was where Saff said I would find her, resting on her side on my bed, her eyes open, but her gaze far away. Likely reliving the events of the night. Probably grappling with guilt over a situation that wasn’t her fault.
“Baby,” I called, moving closer, but getting no reaction.
I kicked out of my shoes, laying my gun down on the nightstand, then shrugging out of my jacket before climbing into the bed, reaching for her, turning her, then tucking her against me, her head under my chin.
“Is she okay?” she asked, sounding dangerously close to crying.
“Islah is okay,” I told her, fingers sifting through her hair. “She’s out in the living room with Saff. She’s just got a concussion and some staples.”
“She was acting weird.”
“She was dazed. The doctor said that’s normal,” I told her. “We’re going to keep an eye on her, but he didn’t seem worried.”
“Cinna?”
“Is totally fine too. She’s getting fussed over by four guys right now. It was a graze.”
“He was going to kill her,” Elizabeth said, voice catching.
“I know,” I said, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. “And you stopped him.”
“I had to do something.”
“You did what you had to do. You were really brave.”
To that, she let out a snort.
“I just stood there and watched. Islah jumped on him. She tried to strangle him. I just… stood there.”
“Hey, you can’t compare yourself to Islah or Cinna in this sort of situation. They’ve both been around this for over a decade. They’re more mentally prepared for something like this.”
“I feel like after the last three attempts on my life, I should have been more prepared.”
“You were supposed to be safe here,” I said, giving her body a squeeze. “This was my fault.”