That wasn’t exactly an answer to Cedric’s question. And so far, her recall had seemed plenty sharp to Joel.
“Perhaps I will be able to tell you more after I’ve rested,” Chloe added as her gaze seemed to find the floor utterly fascinating. “I’ve been warned that my mind may not work as quickly due to the injury. I could have some temporary impairments. Fogginess after a blow to the head is to be expected.”
Cedric turned on Dr. Allan. “I don’t want her foggy. I happen to love her brain so get her up to—”
Dr. Allan’s body stiffened. “She needs rest. Not poking and prodding by a cop. I have told her that. She’s the one who is insisting on standing even when her body is weaving. There is no sign of permanent damage, luckily. But she must allow for twenty-four hours of observation to make certain that nothing else develops—”
“I am not staying here.” Chloe was definite. “I want my clothes, and I will arrange for a ride home.”
Cedric stepped back so he could gesture toward Joel. “He’s a doctor. He can observe her just fine at her home. Problem solved.”
Chloe started to shake her head.
“Problem solved,” Joel repeated, voice hard. He’d already planned to stay with her.
But, as if she’d argue, Chloe’s plump lips parted.
So he took that opportunity to lean in close and whisper in her ear, “I know you don’t want me near you.”
She wanted to get away. After the scene at her house, he got it. He’d fucked up. Reacted and raged and he never should have walked out.
“But I am not going anywhere,” he vowed.
“That’s not what you said,” she whispered back.
He had to make amends. He would. But he wouldn’t start now. Now, he was going to have to play dirty because her safety was on the line. “If you don’t agree,” again, his voice was a whisper, “I’ll have to tell Cedric that you just lied to him.”
Her body stiffened.
“You know more,” he breathed. His mouth brushed against her ear. Her sweet scent wrapped around him, and he pulled it in like a greedy addict.
Then he forced himself to step back. He gazed down at Chloe. Waited.
Her delicate jaw was tight, but she said, “Problem solved.”
Chapter Thirteen
“How the hell did you let this happen?”
Joel had known that the interrogation would come. But he had to give Marie credit, she’d at least waited until Chloe was settled in her bedroom. He’d stopped by the kitchen just for a moment. He fully intended to remain upstairs with Chloe for the rest of the night. He’d be waking her up every few hours, asking her simple questions like what was her name and—
“Hey, asshole! I’m talking to you.”
Slowly, he turned to face her. Marie’s small body seemed to vibrate with tension. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her dark gaze burned with anger. Joel figured he was very lucky she didn’t have a knife at the ready. When Marie had a knife in her hand, the situation would be deadly.
“You had one job. Just one.” She marched forward. Her hands fell to her sides. “Keep her safe. That’s it. Simple. Straightforward. But you couldn’t manage that, could you?”
“It’s on me. I get it.”
“Good. You should get it. I heard what she told Reese when he was freaking out and doing his mother hen impression around her.” She sucked in a quick breath. “That freak attacked her when she was alone. He slammed a two-by-four into her head. He could have busted her brain wide open.”
A visual Joel did not want. “It’s not happening again.”
“It better not. Because if it does, she’ll probably be dead.” Her index finger rose and jabbed him in the chest. “You said you cared.”
Fuck. “I do care.”
“Then why did you run as soon as things got tough? What did you think, it would be a non-stop party? That she would just suddenly learn not to keep secrets? This is Chloe we are talking about!”
He felt his own eyes widen. “You knew.”
Her hand fell away. “I figured there was a reason she was suddenly so curious about you. There are always deeper reasons with her, so don’t act all shocked.” She snorted. An inelegant sound that completely mocked him. “Come on, deep down, didn’t you wonder if there was more? Think about things she said. Go back through your head. Hell, are you so sure she didn’t even mention it to you before?”
She’d—
“Then you fell for her, and things got complicated. Shit happens. We deal with it.” Marie shook her head, and her black hair slid around her face. “Seriously, you are so lucky I don’t have a knife with me.” Her gaze darted to the left. To the counter. To the knife block. “Wait. Hold the thought.”
He caught her wrist before she could decide to do serious damage. “I made a mistake.”
“Don’t I know it.” She stared at him in disgust. “Pretty sure I warned you what would happen if you hurt her. And at the first opportunity, what did you do? So typical. So—”
“It’s the man who tortured me. He’s the one who came after her.”
Her lashes fluttered. “What are we going to do about him?”
“Kill him.”
“Good. If you’d said anything else, I would have wrecked that pretty face of yours.” She yanked her hand free. “You going to stay with her until we get him? Or will you run again when you get scared of the secrets she carries?”
“That’s not why I left. I wasn’t scared of her secrets.”
“No?”
“No, I left because—” I’m scared of what I carry. “Doesn’t matter. What matters is that I am here. I will be here. She won’t be hurt by him again.”
“Not hurt by him…but what about by you?”
He studied her. This woman with a past that was twisted and dangerous. “Do you ever think that we might not be good for Chloe? That we’re a threat to her?”
Wrong thing to say. Marie moved—lightning fast—and her hands fisted in his shirtfront as she glared up at him. “I would never hurt her.”
“You were once trained to kill,” he reminded Marie.
As if she needed the reminder. Her father had been an assassin, and he’d planned for Marie to follow in his footsteps.
Marie had planned for the same thing. Then Chloe had entered the picture.
“Chloe is my friend. I don’t have a lot of those, so I know how valuable she is. I’d walk through fire for her any day of the week, just as I know she would for me.” Her lips twisted. “And if you don’t know that about her—if you don’t know she’d go balls to the wall for those that matter to her, then you don’t deserve her.” With that, she spun and stormed away.
He didn’t move. Maybe that’s the problem, Marie. I know I don’t deserve her.
But he wasn’t sure he could let her go.
“Oh, one more thing…”
He’d been staring down at his fisted hands. But at her words, his head snapped up.
“Remember Morgan Fletcher?”
“What the fuck?” Of course, he remembered. Not like he could forget the guy. Chloe’s psycho ex. The jerk had faked his own death, then came down to New Orleans to find Joel—