Deeper (The Deep Duet 2)

“How is she doing, Doc?” Rafe appeared in the doorway. He’d changed his shirt since the one he was wearing earlier had blood on it.

Blood from the slice on his neck that he’d gotten saving her life.

She couldn’t imagine why he’d go to so much trouble for her. If things had been reversed and someone had stolen from her and kicked her in the balls, she’d have dropped them off at the nearest emergency room and never looked back. But Rafe didn’t even seem all that angry with her. Maybe seeing her almost get killed had made him sentimental.

Shame swept through her, and she couldn’t even meet his eyes. The whole time he talked to the doctor in soft tones, he kept glancing over at her. Diana could only imagine what he was thinking, that she was nothing but trouble and probably way more work than she was worth.

Rafe had been so open with her, and the downside of that was she couldn’t pretend not to know how he felt. Rafe had been in the trenches for a long time. The only thing he really wanted was to live a normal life. A safe life. The kind of life where he didn’t have to worry about people trying to kill him and where he could go visit his sister and be an uncle to her baby. Even if he said the right things, she knew the truth.

Rafe didn’t want this headache in his life. Diana was nothing more than walking, talking baggage. Hunted by her own family and descended from a monster. What could she possibly offer him other than a mess?

After another few minutes, Rafe clapped the doctor on the back. “Thanks for coming so quickly, Dr. Breckner. I appreciate it.”

“Anything for Blake Security. Keep an eye on that bruising.” With a friendly wave for Diana, the doctor left.

She moved over slightly so Rafe could sit next to her on the bed. His fingers touched her cheek gently. When she tried to kiss his cheek, he turned away. Diana blinked back tears. She shouldn’t be surprised. Rafe had every reason to be completely over this relationship. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt that he’d gotten over her that fast. He didn’t even want to say goodbye?

“Don’t cry. I don’t like it.” Rafe thumbed away the tears on her cheeks. Diana tried to wrench her face out of his hands, but his fingers were threaded too tightly into her hair.

He looked her square in the eye. “I know what you’re thinking.” Diana rolled her eyes, and he laughed. “Your face is an open book. It’s not a rejection. I just don’t want to hurt you.”

Diana nodded, but it pissed her off that he could read her every thought on her face. There were so many things she could never share with him, mainly for his own safety. It didn’t stop her from wishing things were different though. She could only imagine a world where she could tell him everything and he could do the same. It was a level of trust that she’d never even dreamed of having with a man.

He continued. “I’ll always want you, Diana. But more than that, I want you to trust me. I know there’s so much more that you haven’t told me. Who were those guys? What did they want? How did they find you?”

When Diana turned her face away, Rafe blew out a breath. “You’re not ready to tell me those things. Yet. But I hope that one day you will. I’m going to show you that you can trust me. But first we need to get you in bed.”

&nbs

p; Diana shook her head violently at the thought of being vulnerable while she slept. There was no way to know where Hans and Jakob were right now. Were they planning another attack? What if they came while they were asleep? All the agitation made her blood pulse, and she instinctively put a hand to her throat.

“Hey, take it easy. No one is going to get to you here. Not on my watch. I’ve got it covered. Unless you anticipate them coming back with an army? You would know better than I would.” He looked at her pointedly.

Diana shook her head. Hans and Jakob wouldn’t dare involve anyone else. They considered this a personal family matter. They had two objectives: to get her back to marry Boris and to get that diamond. They’d be pissed that she’d slipped them, but they wouldn’t think she’d warrant an army. After all, she was ultimately disposable. Besides, they’d be too afraid their enemies would try to cut a side deal and get the Jewel of the Sea for themselves.

“Good. With the hurting I put on those two, they aren’t mounting any attacks tonight. If they do, this time I won’t hesitate to take them out.”

Diana shivered at the thought. She should probably feel a little more than apathy at the thought of her brothers being killed, but after the sick things Hans had told her today, she didn’t know what to think. He’d wanted to sell her. And not to any Russian oligarch. To Boris. She’d seen the kinds of horrors Boris partook in. The things he did to women.

That any man could do that to any woman was terrible enough, but the fact that Hans wanted to do that to his own flesh and blood? It was a close call, but her brothers were almost as bad as her father. No. They’re worse. At least her father did it for money. They seemed to get off on the idea.

What kind of monsters had her father raised? And what the hell did that say about her? It wasn’t just for his safety that she didn’t want Rafe to know the men they’d encountered earlier were her brothers. There was a part of her that hated the idea of him thinking she was anything like the rest of her twisted family. Right now she was just Diana, the girl he’d rescued and wanted to protect. If she had her way, he’d never know her as anything else.

The idea took root, and Diana wondered if it could be that simple. Could this be a new beginning for her? Luckily, she’d been smart enough to start socking her money away in untraceable accounts, something her father had encouraged her to do. But Rafe could help her set up a whole new identity, to disappear for real. This Diana could be her future, if she was brave enough to take a chance.

Rafe lifted her carefully and then set her on her feet in the bathroom. He turned on the shower and then yanked his shirt over his head. Diana pulled her own shirt off carefully, trying not to make contact with her neck. Once they were both nude, she followed Rafe into the shower and stood, docile as a child, while he washed her.

She started awake as he was rinsing her and then again as he was drying her outside the shower. Nothing seemed real, like a haze had fallen over her vision and she was observing the scene from afar. It was so confusing when she, by all rights, didn’t deserve this treatment from him. He should have been at least a little annoyed that she’d hurt him and then he’d had to fight two men to save her. But there was no indication that Rafe resented having to come to her rescue. He made it seem as if being there for her was exactly what he wanted to do. No man had ever taken care of her like this or treated her so gently. It was something she could get used to so easily if she wasn’t careful.

She had to let him know. Maybe if she warned him, he’d take the threat seriously. “Rafe.” Shit, that hurt. And she was tired… so tired. “Danger. Broth— Van—” But her eyes wouldn’t stay open, and her damn throat didn’t work.

“Shhh. Don’t talk. Whatever it is can wait until you’re better.”

As Rafe placed her gently beneath the covers and kissed her on the forehead, Diana allowed herself to snuggle in the glow of his love and care. But she knew the truth, just like she had known it all along, deep down. Her brothers would eventually come for her and Rafe. And this time they’d be prepared. She had to do what she could to protect him. And that meant leaving him behind.

Rafe called on every bit of his training to maintain a calm, cool façade in front of Diana. She was exhausted and in pain. The last thing she needed right now was to see him rage. So he’d tried to lock it down, to save it for when he needed it. Such as when he tracked down the son of a bitch who’d had his hands around her throat a few hours again.

He took another deep breath and brushed a stray lock of silky hair off her forehead. She’d fallen asleep so fast it was almost as if she’d turned off a light switch. That was the sleep of the trusting. No one he knew slept like that.