He peered down at me, and his eyes went as wide as Amir’s. I surmised Jarod’s staff hadn’t put much stock in mereturning.
Running a hand over his bald head that reflected the glow of the sconces, he nodded to me before scuttling across the courtyard, probably to go guard the doors that no longer kept Jarodsafe.
I shot my gaze to the balcony. All was calm inside the house yet I spedup.
I finally found my voice in the checkered foyer. “Jarod!”
A door snicked open, and I readied to launch myself into hisarms.
“Leigh?” Muriel’s eyes were smudged with so much black makeup and worry. “Ma chérie!” In three quick strides, her arms encased me, banding against the scars on myshoulders.
I crushed my lips together to avoidyelping.
“Oh,ma chérie. He said you left him, but I knew youwouldn’t.”
I hugged her back, hard. “I’m so sorry I left, Muriel.” And not just Jarod, but her, too. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, emotion threatening to spill over. “I had to do something, and it’s done. And I’ll never leaveagain.”
She pressed me away, her palms skating over my cheeks as though to make sure I was real. She narrowed her eyes on my bruise. “What happened?Who—”
“Where’sJarod?”
“Upstairs.” She tucked a lock of snarled hair behind my ear and sighed. “Thank goodness you’rehome.”
“Amir said he broke the lock on the frontdoors.”
“He did. And then he fired everyone.Allofhis bodyguards.Everyone.Including me andAmir.”
“But you stayed.” So had Amir and the other guard I’d passed in thecourtyard.
“Like I would ever leave him.” Her mouth curved into a sad smile, which she pressed against my forehead. “I’m so glad you’re home,ma chérie. Now, go tohim.”
I spun away from her and tore up the stairs, kicking off the slippers after trippingtwice.
His door was already gaping, so I pushed it wider, my entire body skittering back to life as though it had lain dormant since being torn away fromJarod.
“My love, I’mhome!”
He lay still on the cowhiderecliner.
“Jarod?”
His head lolled toward me, and then his lids pulled up, and his dark, radiant eyes locked onmine.
Chapter 67
Ishutthe door and raced toward him, about to throw myself over his prostrate form and kiss him senseless when the upturned, purple-stingray box beside the recliner startled me to a stop. Amir’s jacket tumbled noiselessly off my shoulders, pooling at my feet. Silver feathers littered the oriental rug, seesawing from my brusquearrival.
Were those the ones I’d lost the night I’d spouted lies like exhales? I’d never asked what had become of them, but now, I knew. Jarod had keptthem.
All this time, he’d stored them liketreasure.
At least, until tonight. Had replaying one of my memories angered him so much he’d tossed thebox?
“Feather?” Jarod’s deep timbre made my gaze leap back tohis.
I sidestepped the box, careful not to touch a feather—I didn’t have the heart to revisit mypast.
“Asher said you wouldn’t be . . . allowed to return . . . in my lifetime.” His quiet speech was laborious, punctuated by long intakes of air. “But you made them . . . change the rules.” The awe burning in his eyes sent goose bumps scurrying over my skin. “That’s mygirl.”
