Chapter 10 #2
“Whether I have feelings for her or not doesn’t matter.” He drew in a deep breathe. “No woman should have to live that way. It’s not living. That should be enough for you to want to help me.”
“I’ll help,” Thad said resolutely. “But Veronica and Lyra’s safety comes first.”
“I know,” Angelo replied. “If you have to get out of this to protect them I’ll understand.”
A sudden crash from his bedroom made his head jerk.
“Kara!” He was running before he even thought twice, terrible visions filling his head. The others were right behind him.
When he stumbled into his bedroom he found the drawers on his dresser all pulled out in sheer chaos.
A full dressed Kara was on the floor, her hand bleeding as she sat next to the bedroom window.
The window was broken, the window he’d never gotten around to fixing, that would crash down when someone tried to open it… which she obviously had.
Kara’s battered, old suitcase was just beneath the window, her clothes strewn all over the floor as though the suitcase had burst open. Kara held the back of her bleeding hand to her mouth as though to choke down a sob. She’d tried to pack and escape out the window…
“Oh, tesoro mio, what happened?” He crouched down beside her, trying to reach for her but she jerked away. “Don’t hide from me,” he murmured. His chest was so tight with pain that he found it hard to breathe. “Please, Kara. What happened?”
“I was… trying to leave,” she gasped between sobs.
“Leave?” He didn’t understand.
She nodded, her blue eyes flooding with tears. “You don’t need to help me just because you feel obligated to. Your friend is right. I’ll be fine on my own. I was fine until I met you.”
She’d heard them talking.
God, he was an idiot. He could only imagine what the conversation must’ve sounded like to her.
“Principessa,” he soothed. “Don’t leave. Please.” He ignored the three men who had crowded into his bedroom behind him.
“I knew staying here was a bad idea. I never should … should’ve let you talk me into this stupid plan.” She cradled her bleeding hand against her chest. The sight of her blood infuriated and frightened him. He had hurt her with his thoughtless conversation with his friends.
“Thad, grab the first aid kit from my bathroom cabinet above the toilet he ordered over his shoulder. Thad passed by them to get into the bathroom.
“Let me help you up. Don’t try to move on your own.
” Angelo cautioned as he realized broken glass was everywhere on the floor around her.
He stood up and grasped her by the waist lifting her up into the air before he carried her to the bed.
The wound on his abdomen screamed at being stretched by the movement but he didn’t care.
“Let me see it,” he said to see uncurled her fingers. Her blue eyes were still dark with storms as she watched him gently pull her hand away from her chest.
A decent size cut stretched across her left palm. She must have been cut when the window shattered as it slammed down. He was going to fix that damn window, even if he had to nail it shut.
“How bad is it?” Jared asked in open concern. He and Roarke were hovering nearby as Thad returned with the first-aid kit. He placed it on the bed next to Kara.
“It’s a long cut, but it doesn’t seem to be too deep,” Angelo said as he looked at Kara. “We could take you to an urgent care and have it stitched up—”
“It’s not that deep.” She shook her head. “I’ve had worse.” Her voice was steadier now, as if she was regaining her emotional equilibrium.
“We could clean the wound and use a liquid bandage.” Thad suggested as he opened the lid of the first aid kit and dug through the contents.
He shot her an apologetic look and then one at Angelo.
Angelo returned it with the barest of nods.
He forgave Thad for the words which had hurt him.
His friend had just been trying to make sure he’d thought through all of the risks. He was never one to stay angry long.
“Here.” Thad handed a sanitizing spray to Angelo and some gauze pads.
Angelo carefully treated Kara’s hand, his heart aching every time she winced. Then he used the liquid bandage to seal it.
He blew softly on her skin to hasten the drying process and wrapped her hand with gauze.
When his gaze lifted, he found Kara staring at him with a hint of his tears still in her eyes.
The moment she was fully bandaged up he sat on the bed beside her and pulled her against his chest, hugging her to him.
His three friends slipped out of his bedroom to give them a moment alone and he was grateful.
“You scared me,” he whispered in her ear.
She shifted a little and then stilled, her face pressed against his throat. Her warm breath stirred against his skin, and he felt the barest caress of her lips as she cleared her throat.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered back.
“The next time I say something that hurts you, talk to me, principessa. No running without talking. Agreed?” He lifted her face up to see her eyes.
“Okay,” she agreed.