Page 62 of The Stolen Dagger
I had to keep her broken pieces together.
“I won’t let my past hurt anyone else,” she said firmly. “Not like last time.”
I respected her decision, but she had to know I’d sooner let harm come to me before ever letting it touch her. The fact that it already had enraged me. But not again. She might be willing to risk her own safety, but I wasn’t.
“Katherine,” I said softly and grasped both of her hands in mine. “The only person this is hurting is you.”
My words seemed to pull her out of whatever mental abyss she was in as her eyes closed and more tears spilled down her face. She choked on a sob.
“Let me help you,” I pleaded. “You have people here who care about you—who are desperate to help you. Let me help you. Trust me with this. Please, just let me in.”
I could see the internal conflict she was going through, as if it were written clearly across her face.
She was struggling, but she needed to know she didn’t have to fight this alone. I was here, willing to fight alongside her, if only she’d let me.
“I was so scared tonight,” Katherine admitted between sobs. “I almost didn’t get away. He almost?—"
She crumbled in on herself, and it broke my heart.
I pulled her to my chest, and she slumped against me. Her face pressed into my shoulder as I gently stroked my hands up and down her back to soothe her.
When my hand passed over the middle of her spine, she shuddered in pain and arched her back to get away from my hands.
“Ah,” Katherine cried out.
“Shit.” I dropped my hand immediately and withdrewfrom her, not wanting to cause her any more pain. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, but I wasn’t convinced. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not,” I said, plagued by the knowledge that whoever did this was still out there. “Please tell me what happened tonight. Who did this?”
She swiped away her tears and took a deep breath, as if to ready herself to tell the truth. “His name is Hunter. Adrian’s right hand.”
“He did this to you?” I asked, my voice hard as that dormant anger came back to the surface.
I dropped my hand from her face and stepped back, pacing a few feet away. My fists flexed at my sides.
“He’s the one who delivered the note from Adrian. He’s the one who trashed my apartment. He said he’s here to collect me and the dagger.”
“So, what?” I asked. “He’s been messing with you this whole time. Why hide behind a hood? Why send you those notes and threatening text messages?”
“Hunter is a sick lunatic who gets off on these kinds of games,” she said, her shaky voice hardening with her anger. “He cornered me at the bar tonight.”
I stopped pacing. “But you fought him. You got away.”
It wasn’t a question. I needed to reassure myself she was all right—that she was safe and here with me.
“Yeah,” Katherine said and grasped my hands, giving a little squeeze. “I got away. Otherwise, he would have knocked me out and taken me to Adrian or tortured me for the dagger. He said they knew I had it because Adrian gave it to me the night I ran away.”
“He said that?” I asked. “Specifically that Adrian gave it to you?”
“Yeah, but he had to be lying because I don’t have it. I …”
She trailed off. Her brows pulled together, and she looked away as if in a daze.
Did she remember something?
I waited for her to piece together whatever it was.
