“She’s going to be okay,” Callum said.
“Yeah.” Harvard brushed her hair out of her face. But it was no thanks to him. He’d left her vulnerable and missed all the signs that Samantha was a danger to her. He made a silent vow that it would never happen again.
“She’s safe now,” Lake said as though reading his mind.
“And she’s staying that way,” Harvard promised.
“Ambulance crew on their way up,” Joe said in Harvard’s ear. “How’s our girl?”
“Some superficial wounds and a gash to her head that’s worrying,” Lake answered. “But we don’t know what drug’s in her system.”
A couple of minutes later, Ryan appeared at the end of the hall, the ambulance crew close behind him. He held up a clear plastic bag with two empty glasses inside. “Marked where they were for the cops.” He looked at Rachel, then turned to the medics with steel in his gaze. “Anything goes wrong with her care, or her condition deteriorates between here and the hospital, I’m holding you responsible.” And then he stalked back along the hallway. “Meet you at the hospital,” he called over his shoulder.
Lake stepped around the medics as they checked Rachel’s vitals before loading her onto the stretcher. He opened the emergency door wide, revealing the service elevator and the stairs facing it. “This way’s faster,” he said.
As they wheeled her out, Harvard followed. “I’m her fiancé. I go where she goes.” His tone dared them to argue.
After taking one look at him, they were smart enough not to.
“We’ll deal with the police,” Callum said. “And we’ll come to the hospital when we’re done.”
“Her family,” Harvard said, his attention on Rachel.
“I’ll get Harry to call them,” Lake said.
And then the lift doors closed on them, and Harvard thought about nothing but getting Rachel the care that she needed.
Chapter Thirty-Four
For the second time in her life, Rachel found herself in a hospital room with no recollection of how she’d got there. But this time, she wasn’t alone.
“Hey.” Harvard smiled at her from where he stood beside her bed. “You’re awake.”
“Why do people say that? I’m the one that’s awake; I don’t need to be informed about it.”
“And you woke up grumpy again.” He bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “You scared me.”
She blinked up at him. “Am I supposed to apologize?”
“No, but promising it will never happen again would be good.”
A jolt of agony that wasn’t just physical shot through her. “I’ve pretty much run out of family members out to get me, so I think it’s safe to say this won’t happen again.”
His beautiful face appeared pained. “I’m sorry, Rachel.”
And purely from the way he said it, she knew he was not only apologizing for everything she’d been through and the betrayal of her family, but he was also expressing his condolences.
“Did I kill her?” Her mouth was suddenly very dry.
Harvard shook his head. “In the end, it was just a dumb accident. Her dress got tangled in that concrete gnome, and it weighed her down like an anchor.”
Rachel tried to swallow, but there was no moisture in her mouth. Of course, Harvard noticed and held a glass of water to her lips. She sipped at it, giving herself time to process what he’d told her. Perhaps she should have felt relief at the news, but all she felt was sad.
“We had lots of good times too,” Rachel said once Harvard took the water away. “I…was very fond of her.”
He brushed her hair off her face, his touch unerringly gentle. “You loved her, and that’s how it should have been. Even after everything that’s happened, it’s still okay to mourn the woman you cared about.”
“I’m…conflicted,” she confessed.