Page 32 of Tiger Born

“It’s just, they found a pocketknife near the blood, and it was familiar. It was the knife I gave you for your birthday.”

Fuck.

“I covered for you, but we should maybe talk about it. Over dinner or something.”

Her hand was so close to Dame’s. So. Close. If she moved an inch, her pinky would touch his.

The elevator dinged on the floor below the one she needed. Crap, more people coming in.

Her heart was beating out of her chest.

The doors opened and on the other side was the monster of her nightmares. The man had gold eyes like Dame, and he looked so much like him. Only his hair was longer, and the shape of his face slightly different. The gold in his eyes was darker, and when he saw her, his pupils nearly disappeared.

Dame moved immediately and slid his hand around Stellan’s throat, shoved him back immediately and they disappeared down the right side of the hallway.

“Whoa,” Chris said, rushing to the door. “Something’s happening.”

She pulled him back. “It’s a prank. I saw it online. They do that in elevators and record reactions. Be cool.”

“Oh.” He looked uncertain but pulled back in the elevator and stood in the other corner, which told her enough. He was still with Miranda and didn’t want to be caught in an elevator on camera with Misty. Nice.

The doors closed with a ding.

“What do you say?” Chris asked low.

“About what?” she asked, her heart racing. Dame was here. Dame was still protecting her. That had been Stellan. If Dame hadn’t been here, she would be dead right now.

He still cared. Right?

The elevator opened on the top floor, and she got out and strode for the skywalk that would lead into the hospital, leaving Chris to trail behind. He was trotting after her like a little lost puppy.

He was getting on her last nerve. “Get bent, Chris,” she called. “It’s a hell no forever on dinner. You couldn’t pay me enough.”

“Pretty sure my silence is more valuable than payment.”

“Your silence on what? The knife?” she asked, rounding on him. “They found a pocketknife I lost months ago. In fact, last I remember, I left it at your place. Was it you? Did you stab someone, Chris?”

His face relaxed out of its confusion as he realized she could manipulate him right back. “You know I didn’t.”

“I don’t know anything. Clearly, we don’t know each other if you’re accusing me of…what? Hurting someone? I’m a healer, Chris. I don’t know where the knife went or what happened to it. Last I saw it was at your house. That’s all I’ve got for you.” Lies, lies, lies, but he wasn’t a Cat. He couldn’t hear it. “I have to get to work.”

She strode off, shaking out her clammy hands.

Stellan was here.

Dame had saved her again.

God, he’d looked so hot.

Stay steady.

“You were on shift that night,” he called after her. “I checked. It was the night I texted you.”

“Maybe talk to HR about that, and I’ll talk to them about why you’re stalking me.”

“Seriously?” Chris called after her.

She tossed a middle finger up in the air and brought it back down just in time for someone to round the corner ahead of her. She smiled politely at them and pushed open the swinging door and made a hard right to head for the family bathrooms. There were two down this hallway that hardly anyone remembered normally.