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She moves forward and hugs him. Arran stiffens but doesn’t push her away. “I’m glad you guys are all right.” Looking at me, she asks, “And you are?”
“Skye,” I reply. “I’m Arran’s…” I trail off, unsure how to finish that.
As if she can sense my discomfort, she gives me a hug too. “Welcome, Skye. I’m Carina, Luca’s wife.”
“Nice to meet you.”
She pulls away and gives me a warm smile. “Why don’t we get inside? I’m sure you guys are exhausted after everything that’s happened.” Then to Arran, she says, “You can have your driver park in the garage. One of the guys can get him set up if he wants to stay.”
We follow the couple into the house. It’s quiet, most of the rooms dark except for the grand foyer we step into.
“Are either of you hungry?” Carina asks. Both Arran and I shake our heads. “Okay, then, why don’t I show you to your room. I know there’s a lot that needs to be discussed, but it’s late, and it will be better for everyone if we hold off until the morning when our brains are fully functioning.”
“It will also give me time to call in Noah, Gavin, and Rowan,” Luca says.
Arran scowls. “I don’t believe it will be necessary to involve them. We just need a place for the night.”
“Your house was just fucking blown up. Clearly you need more than that.”
Arran grinds his jaw. “It’s no one’s concern but my own.”
Taking a step toward him, Luca lowers his tone as he says, “If it has to do with Black, it’s all of our concern.”
Carina sighs and stands between them. “This is exactly what I mean. Luca, go back to bed. You’re still drunk. I’ll handle this.”
He gives her a look that promises retribution but doesn’t argue. Instead, he spins on his heel and goes up the staircase. In the distance, a door slams.
“Sorry about that,” she says, mostly to me. “His friend, Gunn, came over last night and they had one too many. Shall we?”
She continues up the stairs, making a right at the top and then going down a long hall. We enter a lovely suite with Louis the XVI style furniture, the wood painted a light sage green with delicate garlands carved around the borders. An airy white comforter and fluffy pillows add an inviting touch that has me gravitating toward the bed, desperate to lie in it and close my eyes.
“You guys can stay here as long as you’d like,” Carina says.
“We’ll just need tonight,” Arran insists.
Her lips pull into a straight line, and with her hands on her hips, she says, “You are just so difficult, Arran. I don’t understand it. Out of all the men, you have the most to lose.”
“You’ll say anything to get me to join your alliance.”
I glance between the two. “Alliance?”
Carina sighs. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. For now—” She pauses mid-sentence as her gaze catches on my body.
Peering down at myself, I realize the long coat has come open, exposing the beautiful but torn gown. Closing it quickly, I say, “It’s been a long day.”
“So it would seem. Hang on.” She disappears for a few minutes, and when she returns, she has a bundle of clothes in her arms. Setting them on the bed, she splits them into two piles. “This is for you. And this is for Arran. They’re just shirts, leggings, and sweatpants. We can get more clothes later.”
“Thanks,” I say, truly grateful.
“There are toiletries in the cabinet.” She points to the en suite bathroom. “Toothbrushes, paste, hair products, stuff like that.”
“We’re good for now, Carina. Thank you,” Arran says.
“I’ll see you two downstairs in the morning.” Throwing Arran a little satisfied smirk, she leaves us, shutting the door quietly behind her.
Taking off my shoes, I move farther into the room, exploring. “It was really nice of them to let us stay here.”
Arran huffs as he sits at the edge of the bed and tugs off his tie. “It’s not what I would have preferred. But for now, there isn’t a choice. In the morning I’ll leave to handle the mess.”
