Page 94 of Dark Obsession

Conner stared down at her for several moments in a way that made her nervous.

“Did you just hear what you said?”he asked.

Keira frowned, confused.“Yeah ...I just said it.”

“Keira, you had just fought off an attacker ...by yourself.You’re five feet nothing, and you fought off a man twice your size with a knife.”

Keira cringed at how his voice hardened, but kept her gaze steady with his.

“Yes, you ran off, but Honey, that was my fault.You were terrified, in pain, and disoriented.I wanted to protect you and get the guy at the same time.I should have stayed with you, and I’m sorry about that.”He held up a hand when she opened her mouth and shook his head.“I’m not done,” he barked softly.

Keira watched in fascination as a muscle in his cheek started to tick.

“I was terrified when I couldn’t find you, but I understood why you hid.In the ambulance, yes, they cut your clothes off, but I just held your hand and looked at your face.I was close to blowing when I saw all the blood on you.I tried to listen to what the paramedics were saying, and then Daniel called frantically, and I had to talk him down.Did you know we were on the phone when you screamed?”

Keira shook her head.

“I ran as fast as I could.Thinking back, Daniel had to have been going crazy because he was so far from you.”Conner shook his head.

“I thought my heart was going to stop when they wheeled you into the ER.Spots of blood were seeping through the sheet they’d put over you.You looked so tiny on the gurney.It broke my heart, Honey.I will never get that picture out of me as long as I live, and you’re talking about embarrassment?”

Conner watched Daniel come up behind her.

“Do you know how badly I want to put her over my knee right now?”

Daniel chuckled when she sucked in a startled breath.

She whispered in a screech tone, “What did you just say, Conner?”

Conner’s mouth twitched as he tried to look stern.“I said if you were mine, I’d spank your ass right now.”

Keira shook her head as if confused.“You did not say what I think you did, right?”If she thought she could get any redder, she was wrong.

Conner slid his hands down her arms to grip her hands.He hid a smile when she jumped as Daniel’s hands landed on her shoulders from behind.“I just did.”

Keira pulled her hands from his and crossed her arms, glaring up at Conner.“I’m beginning to regret coming here to see you.”

Conner slowly shook his head and laughed.“No, you’re not.”

She poked him in the chest.“You keep this up, and I’ll never make you pot roast again.”

Conner crossed his massive arms over his chest.“Now you’re just being mean.”

Keira choked back a laugh.“God, you and Daniel sound so much alike.Behave yourself, and I’ll feed you again.Got it?”She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this light-hearted.

Conner snorted and held his hands up, palms up.“All right.I give up.”

Keira shook her head and smiled.“Are we good?”

“We’ve always been good.”He cupped her chin in one big palm.“I’m here for you, Keira.Always.Think of me as another brother, like Logan.”

“I would love to have another brother.”

“And I’ve always wanted a sister, so we’re even, Sunshine.”

“If you’re all done with your little tea party, maybe we can go into a conference room and ask Miss Walker some questions,” a man said, his words dripping in sarcasm.

Daniel and Conner put Keira between them protectively.“Watch your tone, Captain,” Conner warned in a hard, threatening tone.