“Aye, she did. She was amazing.”
“She’s very special,” Frank went on casually. “Not the kind of woman you’re likely to find again.”
Killian shot him a sidelong glance. “Are you trying to say something, Frank?”
“No sir. Just making an observation.”
The officers left Juliette’s room. Killian tilted his head away until they were out of sight.
He contemplated walking away, just leaving and not looking back. It would have certainly made things easier, not just for him, but for Juliette who wouldn’t have been in the hospital had it not been for him. It was his fault her life had become so fucked up. But his body had all but shut his brain off, refusing to listen as it started forward. The sweet sound of Juliette’s laughter greeted him before he reached the threshold. It tangled with Vi’s voice as she explained all the things Juliette had missed in her absence.
“That is horrible!” Juliette was saying in between fits of giggles. “He must have been so angry.”
“No!” Vi said. “I mean, I totally expected him to strangle me, but he didn’t.”
“There might still be time for that later.” Juliette laughed. “I hope you apologized at least.”
“I might have momentarily considered it.”
The two burst out in giggles again that made Killian shake his head slightly in amusement. But at least she sounded happy, he thought. She would never forget what happened, but at least she hadn’t let it darken her ability to move past it. That was what he wanted, for her not to live in those couple of weeks. If he had his way, he’d make her forget it entirely.
Then maybe you should let her go, said the sensible voice in his head, the one pinning him to the floor right outside the room. Seeing you would only bring back everything that happened to her. It will remind her of what you did and how you weren’t able to keep her safe.
His body drew away from the door, no longer only aching to see her, but wanting to save her from further pain.
“Killian?” From the wide eyed look of surprise on Vi’s face, she hadn’t been expecting to find anyone blocking the doorway. She exhaled a bit nervously and offered him a sheepish little smile. “You’re here.”
He didn’t know what to say, so he gave a slight nod.
Vi licked her lips and shot a glance towards the side of the room where he suspected the bed was. Her brows drew together for a second before she was looking at him again with an innocence he didn’t buy.
“I’m just on my way to get some poison in a cup so I’ll let you guys talk.”
He heard a hiss from the room that could have been words, but she ignored it as she skipped through the door. Killian moved to let her pass, but she stopped in front of him and threw both arms around his shoulders.
“Thank you for bringing her back,” she whispered in his ear before letting him go and stepping back. She offered him a crooked smile. “You should have brought chocolates.”
Killian blinked. His gaze dropped to his empty hands like he had no idea where they’d come from. Vi laughed as she sprinted past him and hurried down the hall with Phil falling into step alongside her. Killian remained, staring at his palms and wondering if he should get something from the gift shop. That was what normal people did when visiting someone in the hospital, wasn’t it? But it was too late for that now. He was already there and she knew he was there.
Drawing in a breath, he stepped into the room.
It was the exact replica of Maraveet’s room. Dull white walls, crude, blinding lights, a window overlooking the parking lot, and a bed bracketed by two end tables. Juliette sat in the center of it, hooked to an IV and wearing a green gown that matched the blankets tossed over her lap. Her face was streaked with dirt and her hair was matted, but she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“Hey,” she whispered.
He dared a single step closer. “Hi.”
She fidgeted slightly with the blankets, tucked a lank curl behind her ear and swallowed before speaking again. “How are you?”
Killian almost laughed. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
God, why was this so hard? Every moment thrummed with tension and unease and he didn’t understand it. He couldn’t recall a single moment between them that had ever felt so intense or awkward. Not even their first time and that had been an odd experience for him.
She broke the silence.
“How’s Maraveet?”
“Good.” He moved to the foot of her bed and braced his palms on the plastic footboard. “She already left.”
Juliette nodded. “Good. I’m glad she did.”
“She mentioned a plan.”
Her cheeks flushed and she chuckled.
“What was it?” he pressed when she didn’t elaborate.
She peered up at him with a sheepish half smile. “That we tell the police everything. That we were taken and held captive on that ship by Cyril and his men. That they were going to sell us, but we managed to take them by surprise and we ran. I made sure Maraveet told them we’d never met before and she was supposed to use a different name, just in case. But at least they got her statement and that will help put Cyril away. I also made sure none of this was traced back to you. I doubt Cyril will tell them you killed his parents, not without revealing that his killed yours first, or that he’d spent the last ten years plotting revenge. I also didn’t mention Marco. I said I didn’t see who grabbed me so … as far as the police are concerned, Cyril was a human trafficker and we were victims that got away. I’m also kind of hoping his men won’t talk, but if they do, it’s their word against mine and they’re criminals so I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that.”
Something tightened in his chest. It coursed through him, propelling his body to do something completely crazy like go to her and gather her up into his arms. The weight of the last couple of weeks hadn’t diminished, not even in that moment. It sat heavy on his chest, a suffocating force crushing his lungs. It killed him to see her there and not be able to go to her, or touch her, or love her. It hurt to stand there and not know what to do.
“That’s very elaborate,” he mumbled. “You really thought it through.”
Juliette gave a little shrug. “I had a few weeks to really perfect it, on the off chance we actually escaped.” She peered at him. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”
Kill him? No. Cyril was still very much alive, if not seriously rethinking his life choices. Killian may have promised Juliette he wouldn’t kill the little fuck. But even she wouldn’t have been able to stop Killian from beating the last two weeks into him.
Killian shook his head. “Tied him and his men up and left a note for the police. Frank stayed to make sure the police got them all when they arrived.”
She exhaled her relief. “Okay good.” She nibbled on her lip, a frown knitting her eyebrows. “What was Arlo doing there?”
He almost laughed at the disgruntled question. “Would you believe me if I told you he was there to help find you?”
Her eyes narrowed. “At what price?”
That was the question. Arlo hadn’t said anything when he and Killian parted ways by the ship, but he knew the Dragons would expect some kind of thank you gift, especially since Arlo was the one who actually found Juliette.
To Juliette, Killian shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. You’re safe. That’s all I care about.”
Her gaze lowered to her lap. “Thank you for taking care of Vi. I’m really sorry about your windows. I’ll pay for the damages.”
Killian shook his head. “It’s not important.”
“Still, I should—”
“I don’t care about the windows.” The sharpness in his voice had her eyes lifting back to him and the sadness in them punched him in the chest. “The only thing I wanted was to get you back,” he murmured. “I know I said some things I shouldn’t have, but I’ll always be here for you.” His head dropped forward so he was staring at the twin peaks of her feet under the blankets. “You can come to me for anything. I won’t ever turn you away.”