Page 41 of The Stolen Dagger
Instead, I nodded, accepting his help.
After being alone for so long and keeping everyone at arm’s length, it was difficult accepting someone else’s help.
But Drew had proved he cared. He stuck around despite everything I did to push him away. It made me want to be worthy of his care.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
DREW
After an x-ray and some painkillers, Katherine’s shoulder was mostly just bruised. The doctor recommended she ice it twice a day and not do anything too strenuous.
That should be easy enough, but just in case, I’d see to it she made a full recovery.
Nothing was broken, much to my relief.
When Katherine had called me earlier from the library, my heart had almost dropped out of my chest. The terrifying edge to her voice had awoken something in me.
Something desperate.
The only thing I could focus on at that moment was getting to her. Protecting her from whatever threat dared to target my girl.
Even then, thinking back to that moment, a chill wrecked its way through my body. The fear in her voice would haunt me for the next few days. I never wanted to hear her voice tremble in fright like that again.
I’d make sure it never would.
While waiting in the hospital, I informed her of everything I’d discovered about Adrian and his involvement with the Phantoms. Including everything about Henry, who used to supply the related gangs with whatever they needed for a certain price.
I suspected that was why Adrian had met with Henry that night; to trade the dagger. Which matched Katherine’s recounts of what she’d witnessed the night of the murder.
But she still didn’t remember ever seeing a dagger or where Adrian would have stashed it.
That was the missing piece I needed to solve this.
Now, as we drove back to my apartment, I looked over at Katherine, curled in on herself in the passenger seat. She absentmindedly ran her fingers over the sling she wore to cradle her shoulder. She would only need to wear it for a few days, but her shoulder wouldn’t be completely healed for weeks.
I had noticed she’d been mostly silent since the attack in the library, which was a normal reaction to everything she had been through, but my worry for her had only increased as each minute passed.
She was in shock. A valid reaction for most victims, but Katherine wasn’t any regular victim.
She was strong and brave. Much braver than she gave herself credit for. She’d been through hell with Adrian, but she didn’t have to go through this alone.
I wished she would open up to me. Tell me everything going through her mind. I wanted to be the one person she could lean on for support. I wanted her to trust me enough to share her burdens.
So, I’d wait. I’d wait until she was ready for more.
In the meantime, I’d try to piece together everything we knew thus far.
Adrian was after her for a dagger she didn’t have. But so was this stalker who was working against Adrian and had apparently been watching her for the past week.
He had finally made his move, but what about the other guy? The one who sent her those letters and trashed her apartment. Where was he? What was he waiting for?
Adrian didn’t seem like the type of man to hide in the shadows, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t also playing this game of cat and mouse with Katherine.
I shook off those thoughts as I parked outside my apartment. I needed to focus on Katherine and her needs right now. She was more important than the what-ifs of this case.
I turned to Katherine. Her short brown locks were tucked behind her ear, so I could see that faraway look in her eyes as she silently stared down at her hands.
I waited for her to make a move for the car door, or realize we were parked, but she just sat there.
