“Do you really think I would have hurt him?” Declan asked.
I lowered my chin. “No. I don’t. I just…don’t know what to think.”
“I didn’t even see him that day. We were supposed to meet, and he didn’t show up. Runs in the family, I guess,” he said with a bit of humor in his voice. I looked up again. “He’d been working with me to figure out what was in the injection my father gave me—and what exactly it had done to me. I waited for him here, but he never showed up. Then I heard about the accident.”
“Then…how?” His fingers squeezed mine, and I hung on tight for the comfort. “Was it really just an accident or did something happen?”
“No, I don’t think it was an accident,” Declan said.
My mouth dropped open. “What?”
“He knew my secret. He knew my father’s secret. I think someone, maybe someone who works for my father, is trying to keep that secret a secret.”
Alarm bells rang in my head. “But if someone hurt him and they know he’s awake, they might—”
I cursed and turned to go for the front door. My dad might be in danger, and I was here at Declan’s house drinking coffee.
“Royal,” he said, catching up to me in the blink of an eye. “Hold on.”
“I have to get there. I need to tell the police. I—”
“Stop.” He shifted so he was standing in front of me, blocking my way. He reached out to set his hands on my upper arms, ensuring I heard him out.
“Let go. Declan, I need—”
His fingers squeezed slightly. “You need to take a breath. And you can’t go to the police.”
“Like hell!” I burst out, jerking away from him. He couldn’t stop me without hurting me, and I knew he wouldn’t do that. “You need to—Declan!”
In a flash, his arms wrapped around me from behind, holding me so tight, I could barely struggle.
“Royal,” he said, his breath warm on my ear. “You need to calm down.”
“Let me go. Declan, if you don’t let me go…”
But he didn’t release me, only gripped my arms together in one hand so he could wrap the other around my waist. “Running out of here isn’t going to solve anything.”
“It’ll solve the fact that my dad’s in danger, you ass—”
“Royal,” he snapped, making my teeth clench together. “Stop it. If your dad’s in danger, you’re in danger, and I’m not going to risk sending you off on your own.”
“You’re not the boss of me,” I muttered, but without much strength to it. He was right. Running off half-cocked probably wasn’t smart.
“I’m not trying to boss you around—I’m trying to keep you safe.”
Those words, coupled with the gentle way he held me, calmed me immediately. And after a moment, they embarrassed me because suddenly, I was so exhausted I just wanted to cry.
Tears burned the corners of my eyes. “Okay,” I said, then frowned when my voice wobbled. “I’m not running.”
He released me, only to turn me around and lift my chin so he could see my face. “Royal—shit, please don’t cry.”
He did the thing I wanted the most, which was to wrap his arms around me and hold me, showing just how safe he could make me feel. With Declan here, the world didn’t seem like such a scary place. Maybe I wouldn’t have to feel so alone dealing with my dad. Maybe there was something bigger for me to hold onto.
“We’re going to figure all this out,” Declan murmured, his lips brushing my ear.
I eased back to see his face. “You promise?”
His eyes searched mine, though I didn’t know what he was looking for. And he never said, just lowered his mouth to mine and promised me safety with a kiss.
Chapter 18
His kiss was like silk, smooth and rich, making me want to drop my guard. To simply give in for once.
“Declan,” I murmured.
His fingers found my jaw and tilted my head up. “I thought we were through with the questions.”
“It’s not that—it’s my dad. I have to make sure he’s safe.”
“It’s already done,” he assured me, then ran his lips across my jaw and moved lower, distracting me while he continued to speak. “The moment your dad had the accident, I made sure there was someone at the hospital day in and day out to watch over him.”
With my chin caught in his grasp, I could only stare. “You did?”
He kissed my lips and nodded. “I did. And when I got the call this morning that he woke up, I sent someone else. Your dad is safe.”
Gratitude flooded my heart, followed by a healthy dose of need. I put my arms around his neck, and he released my chin to hold me.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“I told you we’re going to figure this out. We’re in this together. I’ll do anything I can to help you.”
A shiver raced through me at those words. Anything. That covered a lot of ground. But then, he’d told me he was falling in love with me. Being willing to do anything for me probably stretched a lot further than I expected it to.
But I felt the same as he did, even if my feelings weren’t quite on the same level. I wanted to protect Declan any way I could.
“Your secret is safe with me,” I assured him. “And you’re right. We’re in this together.”
His gaze heated. “That’s all I needed to hear. Hold on.”
“Wh—”
He hiked me up into his arms. I automatically wrapped my legs around his waist, then gasped when he moved at the speed of light. The world spun around me. In the blink of an eye, he’d brought us to a
