Page 23 of Hidden Raphael
She stumbled back a step. "I don't know what I would have done without you."
He gazed at her. "What are you talking about?"
"Roger was here." She lifted her head as his eyes narrowed.
“Are you okay?"
Her pulse raced and she ached for him to hug her again. She caressed the necklace. "Yeah, but I thought he'd kill me for sure."
He took off his trench coat and hung it on the hanger without trying to get any water out. "What happened?"
She rubbed her arms. "I was in the courtyard and he spoke through one of the slits of the outer wall."
He took a step toward her. "Did he have any weapons? Did you open the gate?"
Her hands trembled. "No. I'm not stupid. I held that Taser you gave me for dear life."
"Did you use it?"
"No. I eventually ran back in." She swallowed. "But I was so scared today."
"Of course you were." He stood taller. "I shouldn't have let you go outside."
“I worried he did something to you too."
“Don’t waist your energy on me.”
Her heart constricted. She'd not give Raphael reason to lock her inside. She shook her head. "I did what you told me, and stayed within the courtyard walls. I locked the door leading outside."
He nodded. His hands fell to his sides. "That was smart."
Her lips parted. "He said he killed Harry."
"Who's Harry?" Raphael's eyes turned black. In the candlelit halls, flames danced in his pupils. Kimberly took a step closer to him. She needed his warmth to make sense of how dizzy she was. "You know, Harry. Who you went to find."
Raphael’s hair dripped water onto his black t-shirt and he didn’t seem to notice. "Is that the name of the servant?"
She nodded. "Roger told me it was."
"So the guy who tried to kill you told you the other guy's name and you believe him?"
"Why would he lie about his name?" She crossed her arms. "He said he killed Harry."
"I didn't see a body. I've been out for hours."
Her heart thumped. "You don't know he's not dead either."
Raphael brushed her arm. The chill of his water-soaked fingers took her by surprise. She shivered a bit and he held her hand. "Don't listen to the guy who's out to kill you."
Her lips parted and all the tension in her body released.
"True." Her chin quivered. "Did you see anything?"
"No. I did find your bag, though."
Her heart sped up. Her own clothes? Her computer? "What if Roger is telling the truth? Harry is dead and I'm his last target."
"I'm here." He took her hand. "He'd have to kill me too, and that's not going to happen. Trust me."
