Page 44 of Queen of Diamonds
“That’s good to hear. In a few minutes a man named Harrison will arrive. Tall, beefy, and black hair. Let him in.”
“Got it.” She slipped out.
Rand felt like he should be doing something, but he wouldn’t leave Kinsey’s side. She moaned and tried to move her head. He put his hands on each side of her neck, just below her hairline, to keep her still. “Easy, Sunshine. Help is on the way.”
He listened as his dad called Harrison, his driver/bodyguard, instructing him on where to come. “And bring handcuffs,” he said before ending the call.
Rand raised a brow at his father.
“He believes in always being prepared.” Harlan punched some more numbers on his phone. “Greg, I need two private ambulances at the event where I am ASAP.”
Greg was Harlan’s secretary, had been for the past fifteen years, and the only one to last more than a few months.
“No, I’m not hurt. You’re wasting time with your questions. Tell them to park behind the hotel and to come to the ladies room outside of the ballroom.” He disconnected.
“Now, who’s the man you took offense to and for what reason?”
“He’s the son of her boss, and I think he tried to rape her.”
“Son of a bitch. He deserved a beating.”
“I would have killed him, Dad, if Deidre hadn’t stopped me.”
“Then she has my gratitude. Even though he might deserve that, that would have been bad business.”
Didn’t he know it. He’d put his job on the line tonight, but he couldn’t find it in him to care. All that mattered was Kinsey.
“I’m here,” Harrison said, coming into the room.
“Put handcuffs on that bastard over there,” Harlan said, pointing at Sebastian. “Son, what’s the plan here? He needs to be arrested and charged with attempted rape.” He studied Kinsey. “And assault.”
“I need to call my boss. This is Kinsey Landon, Nate’s sister.”
“Well, shit. Those Gentry boys aren’t going to take kindly to someone hurting their sister.”
“No, they aren’t.” He wasn’t taking so kindly to it either.
Deidre stuck her head in. “The press assigned to cover the gala is out here wanting to know what’s going on.”
“Harrison.”
That was all his dad had to say to have his bodyguard heading out to take control.
“Hurts.”
Rand jerked his gaze to Kinsey. Thank you, God, she was awake. “Hey, Sunshine, welcome back.” He thought he might be able to breathe again.
Her eyes were cloudy, which was concerning. And the one word she’d said had sounded raspy in the way damaged vocal cords would.
“Hurts,” she said again in that scratchy voice that made him wish he could get another go at the man who’d hurt her.
“What hurts, baby?”
“Head. Throat. Neck.” All three words sounded as if they’d been an effort for her to say. Her gaze fell on her attacker. She made a sound that reminded him of a wounded animal as she tried to disappear into the wall.
“Kinsey, listen to me. You’re safe. You are safe.”
Her eyes met his, and as if she saw the truth in his words, she smiled. She fucking smiled at him after what had been done to her. After he’d failed to protect her. Damn him to hell and back for that smile he didn’t deserve.
