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Not twitching.
Okay, that was a good sign.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her, pulling her to a sudden stop. Fear flooded her. The mob was back. But then she saw Owen staring down at her.
He looked furious.
She was so shocked that she stood still he ran his hands over her.
“Are you all right? Are you hurt?” he demanded.
Amazed, she just gaped at him. “I . . . what?”
“Are you hurt?” He turned to Hux. “Was she harmed?”
“Not badly. Just shaken, I think.”
Owen let out a low, disgruntled noise. “Come on. Let’s go.”
More shock filled her as he picked her up and cradled her against his chest with his arm under her butt.
“What . . . what are you doing?”
“You shouldn’t be walking.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“Because I said so.”
Right. Because he said so. Sure, that made sense.
But she wasn’t willing to argue with him. She didn’t have the energy and she was pretty certain that he wasn’t going to listen anyway.
Then she remembered where she was. What was wrong with her? Why wasn’t her brain working?
“Jonathan? Where’s Jonathan?” she asked, stiffening as she looked around.
“Judd put him in a car with Beck,” Hux explained.
“He’s left?”
“Yes, baby girl,” Owen said. “And you’re coming with us.”
17
Owen was fighting his instincts hard.
What he wanted was to wrap this girl up in his protection. To take her far away from anything that would harm her.
Even if that meant locking her up in his room until they were old and gray.
Hmm. That was still an idea he was willing to entertain.
Another idea was just to kill every threat to her. But he’d have to know who each and every threat was. He could do it, but it would be time-consuming. And that would take away from being with her.
The third idea was probably the sanest one.
Keep her by his side always.
He could get her a special carrier. Like when adults carried toddlers while they were hiking and carry her on his back.
Yes, that thought was definitely the winner.
“Owen?” Hux queried.
“Let’s go. You stay by me at all times.” He didn’t care that the car was just on the other side of those doors.
He couldn’t believe she’d been attacked.
And that he wasn’t there to help her. Hux had been. Perhaps that should have been good enough.
But Hux didn’t have his ruthlessness. He cared about others.
Owen didn’t.
It made life easier. Simpler.
Setting her down, he wrapped one arm around her waist and they headed out the door. He kept his gaze moving and when she tripped, he simply picked her up, bridal style.
He ignored her gasp. Right now, his priority was to get her back to the palace safely. Judd was standing over by the driver’s side, waiting.
“I’m driving,” Judd barked.
Suited him.
Why the fuck would he want to drive when he could have her in his arms?
Hux opened the back door and he climbed in, settling her on his lap as the door closed behind him.
Hux jumped into the front seat. Judd drove the car away from the back of the building.
“That took you a while,” Judd grumbled.
“Had to make sure she was unharmed first,” he replied as he settled her comfortably on his lap.
“Is she?” Judd’s gaze met his in the mirror before he turned to glance at Hux. “Are both of you all right? Beck said you were.”
“Physically, they appear to be all right,” Owen replied. She tried to sit up, to raise her head but he pressed her back against his chest.
“Uh, what are you doing?” Judd asked.
“I’m comforting her. What do you think I am doing?” He’d have thought it was obvious.
Hux turned to look at him. “Do you know how to do that?”
“Of course I do.”
Well, he knew how to fake it. He’d done that before. But this time, it wasn’t fake. Was he doing it wrong?
Shit. Fuck.
He didn’t know.
“I think you might be smothering her,” Hux said, looking amused.
Relief filled Owen. Hux had looked almost blank back there in the building.
Owen kept his hand on the side of Chloe’s head, holding her to him as he patted her back. “There, there. Now, now. You’re okay.”
“There, there, now, now?” Hux asked.
“Yes. Those are comfort words. Maybe you need some lessons in how to comfort a woman.”
“Uh-huh.”
“She needs to be in a seatbelt,” Judd barked. “It’s not safe.”
He scowled at Judd. “I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”
Judd glanced back at him, his eyebrows raised. “I know you’re not. But it’s still safer for her to be in a seatbelt.”
Hmm. It was a good point. And he wanted her to be safe.
He moved her into the middle seat. She stared at him in silence as he reached over her to do up her belt.
It was a good thing he was here. She was clearly incapable of taking care of herself right now. Actually, maybe at any time. Running until she exhausted herself. Hurting herself constantly. It was kind of cute that she was so clumsy, but he didn’t like her being hurt.
