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Rafe watched her closely. His questioning was making her edgy.
“Diana, you can trust me. I can help you. Tell me his name. I have friends in law enforcement. They could pay him a visit. I’ll attest to the bruising that I saw on your body. Guys like that shouldn’t be allowed to walk the earth. No one should ever put their hands on you.” He scowled. “He should pay for that.”
The ferocity of his anger surprised even him. And her gaze fluttered up to meet his.
She parted her lips as if to say something, and then she shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about him. I just want to relax. Drink some wine.”
Rafe glanced at his glass, the maroon liquid still untouched. He paused and then looked closer. There was a bit of residue on the rim. Was that… no. His heart protested even as his mind and more importantly his training blared a warning.
“You know, I never did ask what you got while you were shopping.”
Diana paused with her glass halfway to her mouth. Rafe caught a glimpse of something—maybe panic—in her eyes. Then she shook her head.
“Shoes. Remember, I told you when we got back. I got some sandals so I’d have something nicer to wear in case we went to see your friends again. I felt out of place so dressed down last time.” But her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “They’re in the living room. Want to see?”
He shook his head. “After dinner.”
Diana fidgeted with her napkin, smoothing it out and then replacing it under her silverware. He noticed that her eyes kept going back to his glass.
What was she waiting for, exactly? Rafe was pretty damn sure he knew. Although he couldn’t think of a single reason Diana might want to hurt him.
Let’s just make this easier on everyone, he thought.
He took the smallest bite of salad and then reached for the wineglass, knocking his fingers against the stem roughly.
“Oh no!” Diana jumped up as the red liquid spread across the surface of the glass table.
She should have been upset that her plan had just been ruined, but truthfully all she felt was… relief.
“It’s okay. I’ll get a towel.” She could feel Rafe’s eyes on her as she rushed into the kitchen.
The dish towels were in a drawer on the island, and as she grabbed one, Diana took the time to calm herself. Yes, her plan to get him talking had just been ruined, but that didn’t explain why she felt so relieved. Was she getting attached to him? And why was she feeling guilty? The man was a killer, and she had only planned to ask him questions…well to tie him up, ask him questions and search his place . She wouldn’t have hurt him. She wasn’t like him; she didn’t harm people even when they deserved it.
“Are you okay?” Rafe’s voice over her shoulder startled her slightly. “I should have asked that earlier. That was intense, and you have every right to be upset right now.”
Diana turned so that he wasn’t at her back anymore. Having him so close was unnerving. “I am. A little. But I just did what I had to do. I’m trying to remember that. Besides, he would have killed me if he’d had the chance.”
She walked back to the table, aware of Rafe following her. He took his seat and just watched her with those eyes that seemed to see everything.
“You’re right, he would have killed you. Then it would have been even worse for him. Because if he’d touched even one hair on your head, I would have killed him. Oskar checked on him after I called the incident in. He’s fine. He’s in the hospital. A tourist saw him knocked out and called for an ambulance after we left.”
Warmth burst through Diana’s chest at his rough declaration. Their eyes met and held. In that moment, she had no doubt he meant what he said. And she had a feeling if he ever got his hands on her imaginary ex, there might be some blood spilled.
No one had ever stood up for her before. Sure, growing up her father had been indulgent, but he’d always been too busy for her. And her memories of her mother were hazy. She just remembered her mother as smiling and loving. And certainly her brothers had never been protective. For the most part, they’d been either disdainful or just ignored her.
But somehow a perfect stranger had made her feel like she would never be alone again if she didn’t choose to be. She needed to get her mind around that.
More like get your mind around the fact that you have Stockholm Syndrome!
You shouldn’t feel this way for a man you know is a killer!
Diana ignored the screaming sound of her common sense trying to catch her attention. Every time Rafe had raised his glass, she’d held her breath, torn between anticipation and guilt. She hadn’t been sure whether she wanted him to drink the drugged wine or not. Maybe it was the sincerity in his eyes, the way he looked at her when he told her she could trust him. But she wanted to trust him. Wanted to believe that the connection she felt was real.
You are a traitor.
There was an internal war waging in her brain. There was the part of her that needed to know the truth. But was this the way to get it?
And then there was that part of her that was a woman. The part of her that wanted to believe the sincerity she saw in his gaze. The part that melted at how protective he was of her. The man had leaped into a ravine to save her. He’d invited her into his home because she had nowhere else to go. And she knew that if anyone ever tried to hurt her, Rafe would stop them.
