Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
It had been two weeks since Kara was kidnapped by Nolan, and since he’d been shot dead by the SWAT officers who’d arrived in the nick of time to save her from being strangled to death.
Sometimes it still felt as if everything had happened to someone else, but the bruises around her throat were a stark reminder when she looked in the mirror in the morning that it had been all too real, and it had happened to her.
Thankfully, the marks were mostly faded now, though there were times when she swore she could still feel that bastard’s hands around her neck.
It was fairly alarming how easily he’d been able to stay under the radar, how many aliases he had, and how he’d managed to stalk her without anyone in their group knowing.
But Kara felt proud of how strong she’d turned out to be, yet again.
Yes, she’d been terrified, and Nolan had hurt her, but she’d held it together until Arrow and his friends arrived.
Finding her had actually been a community effort.
She wished she could thank each and every single person who saw something that stuck out in their minds, and reported it.
Without the locals, Nolan would’ve succeeded in killing her.
She’d spent the time since her release from the hospital resting at Arrow’s house.
He’d completely spoiled her, taking leave from work to stay by her side.
She’d had a few nightmares, but honestly, a lot less than she’d thought.
During the day, she hung out on the couch and jotted notes on the next book she wanted to write, watched junk TV, texted her friends nonstop, ate the delicious meals Arrow made for them both, and rested her voice.
The doctors said her vocal cords and throat had been severely bruised, and she needed to speak as little as possible.
That was hard on her, as there was so much she wanted to talk to Arrow about, but he was stubborn, and every time she tried to initiate a conversation he’d kiss her silent… which wasn’t exactly a punishment.
He’d finally convinced her to confess her pen name…
then promptly admitted he already knew, and had read all three of the books she’d published.
Then he’d pouted and begged and promised her all sorts of intriguing things if she let him read the rough draft of the novel she’d completed before Nolan had kidnapped her.
It wasn’t edited, and she was scared to let him read it in its unfinished state… but she couldn’t deny him anything.
So she sat on the couch and fretted as he lost himself in her words.
When he was done, he closed the laptop, took her in his arms, and said, “That was fucking fantastic.”
It was the best review she’d ever received.
She’d had a checkup with her new local doctor just that morning, and he’d been pleased with how well her throat had healed. He cleared her for all normal activities, including talking, but told her not to overdo it by participating in a marathon karaoke session or anything.
The first thing Kara wanted to do was see Jen.
Arrow had already explained that the other woman wasn’t doing well at all. She’d been released from the hospital around the same time as Kara, but since then, she’d refused to see anyone in their friend group, even Penny, who lived just down the hall.
She’d recently returned to work, but she’d basically cut her friends out of her life.
And Kara wasn’t having it.
She understood that she was feeling guilty.
Hell, Kara had a lot of guilt herself. Because of her, Nolan had entered Jen’s life, duped her, used her to get information and as a means to get closer to Kara.
But ultimately, his actions were on him, not Kara.
Not Jen. And Kara was done sitting back and letting her friend suffer for something that wasn’t her fault.
She’d begged Arrow to bring her over to Jen’s apartment. Penny had texted and said she was home at the moment. He’d reluctantly agreed, and said he’d visit Bowie and Penny while she was with Jen, just in case she needed anything.
Kara wasn’t going to need anything while she was with Jen, but she let that comment go, aware that Arrow had been through hell just as she had, and he needed to remain close to her.
Not the life-threatening kind of hell, but hell all the same.
If the tables were turned and he’d been the one missing, and she’d walked in on someone about to end his life, Kara didn’t think she’d be coping nearly as well as he was right now.
It was weird in a way, but since Nolan had already kidnapped her and held her captive and done awful things to her, she felt more capable of dealing with the emotional aftermath a second time.
A lot of that was because of the strength being with Arrow had given her. The confidence. Knowing what he did on a regular basis with his job as a Night Stalker had given her a new appreciation of what the human body could endure, physically and mentally.
But most of all, she was doing as well as she was because of his love. His unconditional support. His concern about her mental health.
Jen didn’t have what she had. Yes, she had friends who loved her unconditionally, but that wasn’t the same as having someone by her side twenty-four/seven, who constantly showed you without words how treasured and valued you were.
It was time to have a heart-to-heart chat with Jen and bring her back into the fold. She was wounded for sure, but her actions were hurting her friends too. Especially Edge.
The man had sat by her side in the hospital, refusing to leave. From what Kara had heard, he’d held her hand, talked to her nonstop, and done everything in his power to reach her, wherever she’d gone deep inside her head during her hospital stay.
After her discharge, he’d brought her home, then upgraded all the locks in her apartment and installed a high-end security system, to try to make her feel safer.
But since then, she’d ignored all his calls and texts, and refused to answer the door when he went over to check on her.
Kara didn’t know the story of what happened between Edge and his ex.
Or exactly why she had the power to keep him from acting on his obvious attraction to the smart, funny, and amazing Jen.
But according to Arrow, he was done holding back.
Whatever reticence he’d had before, whatever fear or concern his ex-wife inspired, was clearly gone…
but now it was Jen who’d put up thick shields, both against him and the rest of their group.
Kara was determined to get through to her. They had a trauma in common—Nolan. And while she knew a single chat wasn’t going to be enough to make her friend put everything behind her, she hoped she might be able to help, if only a tiny bit.
“You have your phone, right?” Arrow asked.
Kara resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“Yes.” The cheap phone she’d had since arriving in Virginia hadn’t been found, since Nolan had thrown it somewhere in the swamp.
Arrow had replaced it with the newest model with all the bells and whistles.
It was too expensive, and she wasn’t entirely comfortable with him paying for the service, as well as the phone itself.
But when he’d looked into her eyes and said he was going to take care of her for the rest of his life, so she might as well start getting used to it, all her concerns seemed silly.
“If she says anything offensive, don’t take it to heart,” Arrow continued, as Penny buzzed them into the building.
“I won’t.”
“If your throat gets sore, drink some water. Or better yet, cut the conversation short.”
“Arrow, stop. I’ll be fine.”
He hit the button for the elevator and turned to her, taking her face in his hands and leaning in. “I just…I worry about you.”
“I know, and I appreciate it. But it’s not as if I’m headed into an op behind enemy lines. I’m just going to talk to Jen. You’ll be down the hall if I need you. But I’m not going to. Jen is my friend, who’s going through an extremely tough time right now.”
“I know. And I love you even more for your tender heart and for wanting to help. I just don’t want you to get hurt in the process.
Mentally or physically. She could lash out because of the trauma, pain, and betrayal she’s feeling.
And you should know this now, I’ll always put your needs before anyone else’s.
That doesn’t mean I don’t like the other person or people, just that you’re the one I love.
The one who’s my entire world. I don’t even like the thought of you getting a damn splinter if I can keep it from happening. ”
“You can’t put me in a bubble, Arrow,” she told him as the elevator arrived.
He took her hand and led her inside, hit the button for Penny and Jen’s floor, and turned to her once more.
“The hell I can’t.”
Kara did roll her eyes at that. “Right. Then you can’t put me in a bubble and expect me to like it. Or be happy. I’m an introvert, I admit it, but I will also do whatever I have to in order to be there for my friends. If that means getting a damn splinter, that’s what it means.”
To her surprise, Arrow grinned.
“What are you smiling about?”
“I’m just so happy you’re here. I’m in awe of you, Kara. You’ve been through something that would bring most people to their knees. Instead, you’ve come out of it stronger.”
“Because of you,” Kara said without hesitation. “If I didn’t have you, I’d be a complete mess.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” he countered.
“Yes, I would. From the first second I realized that I’d walked into a trap, and that Nolan had the upper hand, my first thought was of you. That you’d do everything in your power to find me. That you wouldn’t let Nolan live to haunt me again.”
“Damn straight.”
“I got my strength from you. From your love. From knowing you were out there. I swear I even heard you in my head, telling me to hang on just a little longer, that you were on your way.”
Arrow’s eyes closed for a moment, and the love she saw when he opened them again made tingles shoot through Kara.