Chapter Forty-Two
D aniel kept a grip on Keira’s arm as they wound their way through the hallways and different groups of people. “Keira, slow down. The desk sergeant said he was up here, so you don’t have to rush.”
“I know, I want to catch him before he leaves.”
“I don’t think he’s going to leave in the next five minutes. He’s supposed to be here all morning. Besides, we could have waited until he had gotten back to my place.”
“I couldn’t wait that long, and I wanted to see him as soon as possible. I can’t let the man who saved my life go on thinking for one more minute I’m angry at him. I can’t tell you why it’s bothering me so much, but it is. It might be because it’s the only thing I can control in my life right now, I don’t care. I’ll feel better if I talk to him.”
Daniel stopped her, smiled, and pointed across the room. “There he is. Go get him.”
Keira chuckled but then made a beeline toward Conner.
Daniel grinned when everyone stepped out of her way. Although she was smaller than everyone in the room, no one was more determined at that moment. He leaned back against the wall and watched the show play out.
Conner visibly jerked when her arms came around his waist. She knew he could tell right away it was her because of all the healing cuts and scars. He turned in concern, only to have her throw herself into his arms.
Conner’s eyes quickly swept the room. “Keira, what’s wrong? Where’s Daniel?”
Keira sniffled and kept her head against his chest.
His gaze followed when she pointed over her shoulder to where Daniel stood. He relaxed at the grin on his friend’s face. He tried to pull away enough to see her face, but she tightened her arms, so he wrapped his around her. “Keira, tell me what’s wrong.” He didn’t think she realized they had the attention of the whole room.
“I’m not mad at you, Conner. I never was, and I’m sorry you thought that.”
Conner bent his head and talked softly against her head. “Then why wouldn’t you look at or talk to me?”
Keira pulled away enough to see his eyes. “Because I was embarrassed.”
Conner shook his head, confused. “Of what? Why?”
Keira turned a little to see Daniel, and when he nodded in encouragement, she turned back. “You are the only one in my life who has seen me at my very worst,” she whispered.
Conner had to bend down to hear her, then frowned down at her in confusion and kept a grip on her shoulders. “I don’t understand, Keira.”
Keira looked around and noticed the attention they were getting. “God, I feel like an idiot right now.” Her face flushed with humiliation.
“Well, don’t, just concentrate on me,” Conner growled softly.
Keira’s gaze came back to his as she bit down on her lip. “I am remembering bits and pieces of that n-night.” Her heart clenched, and she coughed to clear her throat. “I heard you had to spend several minutes trying to find me because I hid like a child, and then you saw the paramedics take my clothes off, you saw me terrified, and what they did to me in the ER.”
Conner stared down at her for several moments in a way that made her nervous.
“Did you just hear what you said?” he asked.
Keira frowned, confused. “Yeah ... I just said it.”
“Keira, you had just fought off an attacker ... by yourself. You’re five feet nothing, and you fought off a man twice your size with a knife.”
Keira cringed at how his voice hardened, but kept her gaze steady with his.
“Yes, you ran off, but Honey, that was my fault. You were terrified, in pain, and disoriented. I wanted to protect you and get the guy at the same time. I should have stayed with you, and I’m sorry about that.” He held up a hand when she opened her mouth and shook his head. “I’m not done,” he barked softly.
Keira watched in fascination as a muscle in his cheek started to tick.
“I was terrified when I couldn’t find you, but I understood why you hid. In the ambulance, yes, they cut your clothes off, but I just held your hand and looked at your face. I was close to blowing when I saw all the blood on you. I tried to listen to what the paramedics were saying, and then Daniel called frantically, and I had to talk him down. Did you know we were on the phone when you screamed?”
Keira shook her head.
“I ran as fast as I could. Thinking back, Daniel had to have been going crazy because he was so far from you.” Conner shook his head.
“I thought my heart was going to stop when they wheeled you into the ER. Spots of blood were seeping through the sheet they’d put over you. You looked so tiny on the gurney. It broke my heart, Honey. I will never get that picture out of me as long as I live, and you’re talking about embarrassment?”
Conner watched Daniel come up behind her.
“Do you know how badly I want to put her over my knee right now?”
Daniel chuckled when she sucked in a startled breath.
She whispered in a screech tone, “What did you just say, Conner?”
Conner’s mouth twitched as he tried to look stern. “I said if you were mine, I’d spank your ass right now.”
Keira shook her head as if confused. “You did not say what I think you did, right?” If she thought she could get any redder, she was wrong.
Conner slid his hands down her arms to grip her hands. He hid a smile when she jumped as Daniel’s hands landed on her shoulders from behind. “I just did.”
Keira pulled her hands from his and crossed her arms, glaring up at Conner. “I’m beginning to regret coming here to see you.”
Conner slowly shook his head and laughed. “No, you’re not.”
She poked him in the chest. “You keep this up, and I’ll never make you pot roast again.”
Conner crossed his massive arms over his chest. “Now you’re just being mean.”
Keira choked back a laugh. “God, you and Daniel sound so much alike. Behave yourself, and I’ll feed you again. Got it?” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this light-hearted.
Conner snorted and held his hands up, palms up. “All right. I give up.”
Keira shook her head and smiled. “Are we good?”
“We’ve always been good.” He cupped her chin in one big palm. “I’m here for you, Keira. Always. Think of me as another brother, like Logan.”
“I would love to have another brother.”
“And I’ve always wanted a sister, so we’re even, Sunshine.”
“If you’re all done with your little tea party, maybe we can go into a conference room and ask Miss Walker some questions,” a man said, his words dripping in sarcasm.
Daniel and Conner put Keira between them protectively. “Watch your tone, Captain,” Conner warned in a hard, threatening tone.
The captain turned red.
“I’m going to take her home. Keira is tired.”
The captain blustered and started to argue, but Conner interrupted him.
“Blane and I are getting some things together, and we were planning to sit down tonight...”
“Conner, you work for me, not the other way around. I want her here.”
Daniel and Conner stepped forward, putting Keira behind them. Keira tugged on their shirts to get their attention, but they ignored her.
Daniel sighed. “Look, Captain, Keira still hasn’t gotten her full memory back and is having headaches. When she gets tired or stressed, they get worse. Neither Conner nor I are going to let that happen. So, you have a choice. Let me take her home, or you let me take her home.”
Daniel and Conner smiled when Keira snorted a laugh behind them before maneuvering into the small space between the men. “He’s not really good at choices, Captain. But they are right, I’m starting to get tired.”
Conner pushed her gently back behind them.
The captain tried to look over the men’s shoulders, but then grumbled when they blocked him. “For God’s sake. Take her home, but I want a report on my desk at eight a.m. tomorrow morning. Got it?”
Conner nodded.
Both men turned and laughed at Keira’s disgruntled look. This woman was clearly half their size, but you’d never guess she recognized or cared about the difference. Her little foot was tapping away, and her arms were crossed over her chest.
“You could have dealt with that a different way, don’t you think, guys?” Her gaze went back and forth between the men.
Daniel coughed behind his hand, trying to hide his chuckle, and slipped an arm around her waist. “Let’s head home so you can take a nap, and then when Conner gets home, we’ll talk.”
Keira nodded, took a few steps toward Conner, and put her arms around his waist. “We’ll see you later.” She turned and allowed Daniel to guide her toward the door.