the door had shattered him. He’d feared he’d failed Brianna the same way he’d failed Tanya.
The instant the door swung open, he stormed in. His eyes swept over her, searching for any sign of injury.
“Are you okay?”
She exhaled a shaky breath. “I think so.”
His racing heartbeat decelerated at her assurance. “Sit down,” he urged, steering her toward the sofa. “What happened?”
“I’m not sure. I heard something smash through the bedroom window, and then there was an explosion. The next thing I knew, I was getting up close and personal with the floor. I must have hit my head and blacked out for a moment.”
Luke’s gut clenched in rage. He should have prevented this.
He’d been keeping guard over her room, diligently surveying both the interior and outer perimeters of the hotel when he’d spotted a shadowy figure scaling the balcony to Brianna’s suite. He’d gone in pursuit of the intruder, and had almost nabbed him. But almost didn’t cut it. The chase had been effectively derailed when the blast had rocked Brianna’s room.
Forced to choose between running down the intruder or rushing to Brianna’s assistance, the decision had been easy. He would make the same call again in a heartbeat.
He turned to her now, concern for her overriding everything else. Imagining her wounded—or worse—had taken ten years off his life.
“Let me take a look at your head.” He carefully probed the goose egg that was forming on the back of her scalp. Despite his cautious touch, she drew away from his hand with a wince.
“Oww,” she complained.
“Sorry. That’s a nasty bump. I’m taking you to the emergency room.”
“No! I’m fine. Really.”
“If you won’t let me take you to the ER, you need to let me get a trained medical professional here to check you over.”
She shot him a perturbed glare. “When the room stops spinning, I’m going to slap you. I don’t need a doctor. Call the police if you’re hell-bent on doing something.”
The defiant tilt to her adorable chin and the stubborn gleam in her eyes might have convinced a lesser man to back down, but he wasn’t that man. He adamantly held his ground.
“Help is already on the way. I dialed 911 when I heard the explosion. Just humor me and let someone with the appropriate initials after their name give you a clean bill of health.”
She opened her mouth to argue the point, but he held up a hand to halt her protest. “It’s for your own good.” Alarmed by her pallor, he poured a stiff shot of brandy from the minibar and handed it to her. “So is this.”
Her fingers brushed his as she took the glass. They were icy with shock, but the incidental contact packed a searing punch all the same. If he didn’t need to keep a clear head, he would have been tempted to pour a glass of brandy for himself as well. He normally avoided alcohol, but he could use a fortifying drink right about now.
He watched her take a gulp of the amber liquid, then sputter as the beverage burned its way down her throat.
“Thanks, I think,” she managed, her eyes watering from the alcohol’s bite.
A knock sounded at the door a moment later. “Police,” a voice announced.
Luke ushered in the two officers and the EMT who accompanied them. Once the medic had examined Brianna, assuring Luke she didn’t have a concussion and she’d be fine, Luke answered the officers’ questions.
Later, while the men took Brianna’s statement, he took the opportunity to step out of the room and report in to Liz.
When he returned, the officers were wrapping things up. “Thanks for your time,” the older of the two detectives told Brianna. “That’s all we need for now. We’re going to take a look at the scene.”
Luke moved to join the authorities, and Brianna rose unsteadily to her feet. “I’m coming, too.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re still shaky. You should take it easy for a little longer.”
She reluctantly agreed, and he
The instant the door swung open, he stormed in. His eyes swept over her, searching for any sign of injury.
“Are you okay?”
She exhaled a shaky breath. “I think so.”
His racing heartbeat decelerated at her assurance. “Sit down,” he urged, steering her toward the sofa. “What happened?”
“I’m not sure. I heard something smash through the bedroom window, and then there was an explosion. The next thing I knew, I was getting up close and personal with the floor. I must have hit my head and blacked out for a moment.”
Luke’s gut clenched in rage. He should have prevented this.
He’d been keeping guard over her room, diligently surveying both the interior and outer perimeters of the hotel when he’d spotted a shadowy figure scaling the balcony to Brianna’s suite. He’d gone in pursuit of the intruder, and had almost nabbed him. But almost didn’t cut it. The chase had been effectively derailed when the blast had rocked Brianna’s room.
Forced to choose between running down the intruder or rushing to Brianna’s assistance, the decision had been easy. He would make the same call again in a heartbeat.
He turned to her now, concern for her overriding everything else. Imagining her wounded—or worse—had taken ten years off his life.
“Let me take a look at your head.” He carefully probed the goose egg that was forming on the back of her scalp. Despite his cautious touch, she drew away from his hand with a wince.
“Oww,” she complained.
“Sorry. That’s a nasty bump. I’m taking you to the emergency room.”
“No! I’m fine. Really.”
“If you won’t let me take you to the ER, you need to let me get a trained medical professional here to check you over.”
She shot him a perturbed glare. “When the room stops spinning, I’m going to slap you. I don’t need a doctor. Call the police if you’re hell-bent on doing something.”
The defiant tilt to her adorable chin and the stubborn gleam in her eyes might have convinced a lesser man to back down, but he wasn’t that man. He adamantly held his ground.
“Help is already on the way. I dialed 911 when I heard the explosion. Just humor me and let someone with the appropriate initials after their name give you a clean bill of health.”
She opened her mouth to argue the point, but he held up a hand to halt her protest. “It’s for your own good.” Alarmed by her pallor, he poured a stiff shot of brandy from the minibar and handed it to her. “So is this.”
Her fingers brushed his as she took the glass. They were icy with shock, but the incidental contact packed a searing punch all the same. If he didn’t need to keep a clear head, he would have been tempted to pour a glass of brandy for himself as well. He normally avoided alcohol, but he could use a fortifying drink right about now.
He watched her take a gulp of the amber liquid, then sputter as the beverage burned its way down her throat.
“Thanks, I think,” she managed, her eyes watering from the alcohol’s bite.
A knock sounded at the door a moment later. “Police,” a voice announced.
Luke ushered in the two officers and the EMT who accompanied them. Once the medic had examined Brianna, assuring Luke she didn’t have a concussion and she’d be fine, Luke answered the officers’ questions.
Later, while the men took Brianna’s statement, he took the opportunity to step out of the room and report in to Liz.
When he returned, the officers were wrapping things up. “Thanks for your time,” the older of the two detectives told Brianna. “That’s all we need for now. We’re going to take a look at the scene.”
Luke moved to join the authorities, and Brianna rose unsteadily to her feet. “I’m coming, too.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re still shaky. You should take it easy for a little longer.”
She reluctantly agreed, and he
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