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He shakes his head with a grin. “Making jokes at a time like this is one of your better qualities.”
“Will you tell me exactly what happened? I didn’t want to ask in front of Tyler.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered. I already told him everything because I felt like he needed to know the truth.” Archer gently sits on the edge of the bed and brushes the hair off my face.
“Everything, everything?” I ask with raised brows.
“I didn’t tell him about us.”
I smirk. “I’m not sure you’d be alive right now otherwise. Okay, well, can you give me a play-by-play on exactly what happened?”
“We were in bed when the doorbell rang. You said you scheduled a breakfast order, so you got up to answer it. I followed you out to go use the bathroom, but then I heard a woman say, ‘What do you have that I don’t have?’ and I knew it wasn’t a delivery person. When I walked over to ask what was going on, the woman came at you, and I caught you just as you were falling to the floor. I didn’t even realize she stabbed you until I saw the blood. She ran and drove off in the same black Escalade that’d been following us. I quickly grabbed my phone and called 911.”
“So you saw her face?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t recognize her. She had short red hair and dressed like she had money. The look on her face was fucking frightening like she was cracked out and had nothing to lose.”
“The only person I know who looks like that is Eric’s wife.”
“That’s what Tyler said too,” he tells me. “We gave her name to the police as well.”
I squeeze his hand tight. “I’m glad you were there with me. If you wouldn’t have been, I might’ve…” I stop myself from finishing. “I don’t want to think about it.”
“I don’t either.” He leans over and brushes his lips across mine again. Just as he pulls away, the door to my room swings open. When I see Lexie’s bright smile, my face lights up.
When she rushes forward, Archer steps back to give her space. “Thank God! Do you know how worried I’ve been?”
I chuckle as she gives me a gentle hug. “I can only imagine. How have things been at work?”
“I’m holding down the fort. Dana and Heidi have been a big help. You don’t need to worry.”
I let out a relieved breath. “Thank you so much. I really owe you.”
She waggles her brows. “I’ll send you my wish list.”
“Don’t make me laugh,” I say, holding my stomach.
“Sorry. But seriously, I’m happy to help in any way I can. How are you feeling after surgery?”
“Like I need to track this woman down and return the favor,” I remark.
Lexie looks intrigued. “Oh, so you know it was a woman? Any other pieces to the puzzle?”
“Not really. I can’t remember shit, which is very frustrating.”
Archer randomly makes eye contact with me. Each time I meet his gaze, electricity streams from the pit of my stomach.
“I wonder if it’s someone who’s been lusting over Archer’s pictures and his six-pack.” She glances at him, then back at me with a raised brow. “Considering there’s been some crazy women coming in and asking way too many personal questions about him. It’s gotten around town that you two are roommates, so perhaps this was a jealous act.” She uses air quotes because she knows more than she should about our situation.
I think about it. “It’s actually not out of the realm of possibilities. A lot of women left comments, sent messages, called the store, and even came in and asked about it, so maybe?” Though I’m still leaning toward Natasha, I can’t help but wonder. “I wish I could remember. From what Archer said, it sounds like I knew her. So if that’s the case, it could’ve been a customer I’m familiar with.”
“Whoever it is, I have an ass to beat for nearly killing my favorite boss ever,” Lexie says.
I chuckle, appreciating her protectiveness. Next, she updates me with sales numbers. I inform her about the shipments that are arriving soon and anything else that comes to mind.
About ten minutes later, Tyler returns with a pitcher of water and a doctor.
“Glad to see you’re awake. I’m Dr. Landon.” She holds out her hand, and I take it before she continues. “Your brother said you were awake and had some questions.” She smiles, showing off her pearly white teeth.
“Yes,” I say, sitting up straighter. “A rundown of events would be great.”
“Of course. You had lost a lot of blood, so we immediately took you into surgery to stop the bleeding. You were at risk for a hematoma, which means there was blood in places it shouldn’t be. Because of the location of the wound and the sutures, you’ll need to lay low. That means no work and no heavy lifting. Resting is key for a full recovery.”
