Page 66 of Close Protection

‘Well, thank you,’ I say, my voice barely above a whisper. ‘For saving my life. Again.’

‘I wasn’t all that fond of Build-A-Bear anyway, so really it was a win-win.’

I breathe out a laugh, and I think it’s my first genuine one of the night. ‘Build-A-Bear?’

‘I think it has a nice ring to it. Sure beatsTeddyanyway.’

‘You’re not wrong about that.’

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

‘I can’t believe I got Amelia hurt.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘If I’d just told Daddy I had the necklace and given it to him, all of this could’ve been avoided.’

‘Hey, look at me,’ Milosh says, his voice stern. I lift my head off his shoulder and turn my face to his. ‘This is not your fault at all.’

‘Yes, it is,’ I stress. ‘The only person to blame for all of this is me. The first night you came here my father asked if I’d seen the necklace, and I said no. If I’d stopped being a hypocrite for a second and just told the truth, Amelia wouldn’t be sitting in the snug with a mild concussion and I wouldn’t have got shot and beaten up.’

‘You wanted to keep that necklace to feel closer to your mother. You weren’t to know what was actually inside.’

‘Actually inside?’ I frown. ‘What are you talking about?’

His jaw tightens. ‘The toxin and the antidote formulas your father made are written on the back of the pictures inside the pendant.’

My jaw drops. ‘You know what? Of course they are. Why am I surprised?’

I don’t even get into the fact that the writing is probably illegible from the amount of times I’ve worn the necklace in the water, or the fact that I’ve been unknowingly carrying those formulas around with me for years. Today’s been a long day.

I just need to sleep.

Milosh’s phone vibrates in his pocket but when he pulls it out, all I notice is the state of his knuckles. ‘Milosh, your hands,’ I gasp. He glances down at them and shrugs.

‘It was worth it.’

His knuckles are bloody and rough. I can’t tell if it’s his blood or Teddy’s so I pick up one hand for further inspection. ‘This needs to be cleaned up,’ I decide. I start to rise from the step but a sharp, painful throb has me clutching my stomach and Milosh’s hand snaking around my back to steady me.

‘Need some help?’ His low voice drawls.

‘What was your first clue?’

He chuckles, shaking his head. ‘Up you get, smart-mouth.’

I try to ignore the tingle I feel when he calls me that, and how my heart vibrates when I hear his sexy chuckle, but I can’t. I’ve realized it’s getting harder and harder for me to ignore all the little things Milosh says or does that make me laugh, smile or get flustered.

But again, it’s too late to think about that now. I’ll let that be tomorrow’s problem.

His hands are firm around my waist and pull me up slowly until I’m standing upright. He walks at my pace up the rest of the stairs and to my room, opening the door with ease while still keeping me secure. Once we get into my room his hands start to loosen but I grab them, holding them in place.

‘Just because I’m hurting doesn’t mean I can’t clean you up.’ My stomach pain has lessened since we made it up the stairs, so I’m good to walk now, just at a slower pace.

‘Daphne, you’re in pain. I can sort out my own hands, it’s okay.’

‘No, it’s not. You saved my life, the least I can do is patch you up. Come on.’

We walk into my bathroom and stop by the sink. I start to bend down but Milosh stops me.

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