“My family was friends with the mafia; we had to learn how to shoot just in case we were seen as guilty by association with some of your enemies. I told you, I can help.” She frowned suddenly, assessing me. “You’re hurt. We have to get you to Kaylor.”
I pressed my hand to my stomach, failing at pressing against the blood pouring in my wound. “Your father, my brother, needs help,” I said in a hoarse voice, my throat burning.
She ran to me as I tried to struggle to my feet. “You can’t help them, honey.”
“Sure, I-” I never finished my sentence as I toppled to my side, my vision darkening before I hit the ground.
Chapter Fifteen
Camilla
“Ineed to get out of this bed,” Harris grumbled, lifting the covers off him.
I smacked his hand away, pushing him back against his pillows. We were currently back at the beach house, and it was the next day. I was still in shock about everything that had happened. I’d killed a being. I’d helped to save my orc. When my father and Sam appeared, after hearing my screams for help, with Harris passed out, they got him back to the house, where Kaylor remained to heal him. There were so many injured that she had to call in for backup .
“You need to stay in bed today. Just take a day where you don’t do anything. Paulo has everything under control. He’s taking care of the families of those who died. He’s a good right-hand.The witches are investigating how to stop the shadow creatures from getting back into our realm, or at least get alerted to their presence. It’s not a huge problem now, but they aren’t going to wait for it to become one.” I sat down beside him on the bed and placed a hand on his bare chest, the scars from his injuries still there but healing rapidly. “My dad seems a lot better. I thought his being back in that realm would break him, but it didn’t. I’m convinced Argo was making him worse. But I think things are going to be okay. So, rest for once. You almost died saving me, which scared the hell out of me.”
He looked down at my hand and picked it up, kissing the fingers before putting them back on his chest. “I’m sorry I let him hurt you. I let you down.”
I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “No, honey. No. This wasn’t your fault, and I’m okay.”
“He didn’t?” His voice trailed off, but I saw the pain in his eyes.
I knew what he was asking. He didn’t need to know all that happened with that monster. I was fine and safe, and that was all that mattered. “He didn’t. I’m okay. Believe me. You came at the right time. You saved me.”
He shook his head, not listening, eyes haunted. No doubt he was envisioning killing Argo again and again. “He said…”
I placed my hands on both sides of his face, locking eyes. “He was just trying to rile you up. I’m okay, honey. We both made it through, and that fucker is dead.”
He closed his eyes, squeezing one of my hands. “He hurt you. I should have torn him to pieces.”
“You tore his throat out. You did what needed to be done. I’m okay. We’re okay.”
He opened his eyes, still giving me a sorrowful look. I knew it would eat at him that I was taken, and I would get him past it. We would get through all that happened together. We were a team now. “Are you hungry? You need to eat something.”
“How long was I asleep?” he asked.
“The whole day.”
“That’s a long time. I should check in on Paulo.”
I moved my hand against his collarbone. “If you try to leave here, I will throttle you. I don’t know why you’re so allergic to rest. Let someone else take care of things for once.”
He raised a brow, looking me over slowly with enough heat to melt my body. “Look at you with the threats. I kind of like it. What will you do if I try to get up?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but we were interrupted by a knock at the door. “Come in.”
“Go away,” Harris said at the same time.
I playfully slapped his chest as Sam came inside. Upon seeing Harris upright, he raised his hands in the air. “Big bro’s awake, whoo-hoo.”
Harris rolled his eyes. “Why are you so loud?”
He flopped down at the foot of the bed, unbothered by Harris’s usual grouchy mood. “Gotta admit, when I’d heard you fainted, I was worried.”
“I did not faint. I lost consciousness,” Harris said through clenched teeth.
I stifled a giggle and patted his shoulder sympathetically. I knew this would grate on him for a while, and Sam was essentially poking the bear now.
