Page 78 of Her Tempting Protector

“No, no, no. They’re all right. It is little Raviq.”

With those few words, Carys’ blood ran cold. She thought of the little boy from the refugee camp in Greece the way she had last seen him. His blue shirt that barely covered his tummy, his sullen expression, the way he hadn’t even cried at his own father’s farce of a funeral. Marie-Claire was going to say he was dead.

“He’s in Canada with his mom, right?” Carys said desperately.

“No, my love, he’s not. His visa got denied at the last moment. He ended up in another refugee camp. This time in Lebanon.”

“Tell me,” Carys begged. “Just tell me what happened.”

“He was found next to the security fence. Dead. I don’t have the particulars. They just told me he was in bad shape when they found him. I don’t know if that means he was close to death already or if he was killed.”

Marie-Claire’s voice shook. Carys wanted to comfort her, she did. But she couldn’t. The woman kept talking. She couldn’t understand anymore. It was like a switch had shut off in Carys’ mind. She pulled the phone away from her ear. Then it fell from her nerveless fingers.

I need her to stop talking.

Vaguely, she heard Cullen talking on the phone. She didn’t know what he was saying, she didn’t care. As long as she didn’t have to hear Marie-Claire anymore.

“Honey?”

She couldn’t see. She didn’t want to hear.

Where am I?

She opened her eyes and realized her head was between her knees, she was staring at the floor, her back was against the floor cupboards. Sarah and David’s house?

“Carys? Can you speak to me?”

I don’t want to talk.

“Okay, you don’t have to, Baby. I’m just going to sit next to you.”

She didn’t respond. How could she? Life wasn’t real. Nothing was. Please say nothing is real.

She heard more than felt her sob.

Raviq. Oh God, poor little Raviq with the most sorrowful brown eyes. He’s dead. Dead in a ditch in some Goddamn refugee camp in Lebanon when he was supposed to be in Canada.

“Cullen, why wasn’t he in Canada? I don’t understand?”

Carys shuddered.

“I don’t know, Baby.”

She tried to get up from the floor, but when she pushed up, her hand slipped, and she crashed back down.

“Let me help you. I don’t want you hurt.” She felt Cullen try to help her up.

“It’s okay,” she sobbed. “I’m not hurt. Raviq is hurt,” she tried to explain. Then in her mind’s eye she saw Raviq’s brown eyes and started crying even harder.

“Okay, we’ll just stay here.” Strong arms pulled her into a hug.

“He died,” she wailed. “They killed him. All those fucking bastards killed him.”

She buried her face into his neck and wept. It wasn’t enough, so she pulled him closer. She remembered Raviq letting her wash his face and hands and give him some soup. He was missing a tooth, but she only saw it once because he’d only smiled once.

Cullen?

“I’m here, Carys. I’m not going anywhere.” Had she said his name out loud?