Her skin crawled even as he walked away.
Because she was watching his retreat, she saw Carver as he reached the top of the stairs. He stilled when he spotted Rhone walking toward him. His eyes immediately sliced to Amryn.
She tried to tell him without words that she was all right, but she might have failed, because Carver’s concern only swelled.
The two men exchanged simple greetings as the knight walked by him.
Seconds later, Carver was at Amryn’s side, tugging her into their room.
“What did he want?” he demanded, his voice low and edged.
Amryn told him about Rhone’s—thankfully—uneventful visit, but it did nothing to ease Carver’s tension. “Do you think Ahmi might suspect anything? Could she be a risk to you if he questions her?”
Amryn shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Carver didn’t seem reassured. He strode across the room, his hands on his hips. “You need a way to protect yourself. I’ve been thinking that for a while, but especially after everything that’s been happening . . .” He frowned. “There are some self-defense strategies that might work better for you. I just need to solidify some ideas.”
She stared. “You’ve been thinking about this?”
He glanced over at her. “You sound surprised.”
“I am,” she admitted.
His brow furrowed. “Why are you surprised I’d be thinking about your safety?”
“I’m not surprised about that, it’s just . . . you’ve had quite a few things taking up your attention recently.”
Surprising her again, he cracked a smile. “Trust me, Amryn, you’ve had my full attention from the first moment I saw you.”
She rolled her eyes, but she could feel the slow blush rising to cover her cheeks. “Seriously, Carver. There are far more important things going on right now—”
“There’s nothing more important to me than you.”
The words hit hard. Especially because she knew they couldn’t be true.
“Carver is a man with loyalties to many. The emperor. His family. If his loyalties were tested, are you confident he would choose you?”
Ivan’s words hadn’t been spoken harshly, just with the quiet concern of a friend. It almost made them hurt more.
“You don’t have to say things like that,” she said softly.
Confusion swirled inside him. “What do you mean?”
“I know I’m not your first priority. And that’s all right.”
He blinked, incredulous. “What makes you think you’re not my first priority?”
Saints, this hurt too much. She wasn’t about to say aloud that it was all right, that no one had ever truly chosen her or put her first. She glanced away. “Forget I said anything.”
“Amryn—”
A knock on the door cut him off.
Carver growled, irritation spiking. He ground his teeth as he strode to the door and yanked it open.
Ford’s grin froze. “Bad timing?” he asked.
“Abysmal,” Carver confirmed, his tone hard. “Come back later.”
