Page 43 of Saving Stella
“That’s your Lycan healing,” Cliff explained. “Looks like it’s a few days old.” Not that it made it any better—Lycan healing or not, that shit still hurt like a motherfucker.
“Do you know who did this to you?” Devon asked.
“I d-don’t. Someone ran me off the road a-and put me in the trunk of a car.”
“Tell us what happened. From the beginning.”
“I was heading down to Keywoods ….”
Cliff’s hands shook as she relayed what happened to her. It was illogical, because she was here now and safe, but still, he couldn’t help but imagine how frightened she had to have been. And how much pain she felt when that motherfucker hit her in the face.
“… the highway patrol found me and brought me here. The nurses called my parents, and they’ve been here all day. I just told them to go back home and get some rest.” She glared at Cliff. “I was trying to get some rest, too, until he came.”
Cliff could have laughed—Stella sounded so brave, considering what had happened to her. Except he was still so furious that he’d let this happen to her.
Because what if he didn’t ignore that urge to follow her all the way here just to see her? What if he’d gone with his instinct and kissed her during that dinner? What if he wasn’t so hung up on the Vegas thing that he just said fuck it and followed her back here that day she left?
“I’m sorry, Stella,” Devon said. “I wish I could be there right now and make sure you were okay.”
“And so do I,” Charley interjected.
“I know why you can’t, it’s okay.” She sighed. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”
“Don’t be sorry for that,” Devon said. “And I’ll always worry about you.”
“Cliff is there just in case,” Charley added.
“Just in case, what?”
“In case whoever tried to hurt you comes back,” Cliff finished.
Big blue eyes stared up at him. “C-comes back?”
“Yeah.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “They tried to kidnap you, and you escaped. That means they failed.”
“And they could try again,” Devon said with a growl. “Stella, I saw the video. Why?”
Her pretty face turned even paler. “I didn’t think … I never mentioned you or Charley or the train station. I just thought … this was the best way to find her, Devon. You know it.”
“Yeah, but I wasn’t gonna let you risk exposing yourself.”
“Which is why I did it. My twin—our sister—is out there somewhere. She could be hurt or in trouble, or she could be sad and lonely. I’m not going to stand around and do nothing when we could find her and make sure she’s okay.”
Cliff had to hand it to her—though Stella seemed shy and reserved most of the time, there was steel in her, especially when she believed she was doing the right thing.
“We can talk about this later,” Devon huffed. “For now, you’ll be under protection twenty-four seven.”
“Damned right,” Cliff huffed.
“Protec—what?” Stella’s expression turned incredulous as she turned to Cliff. “No way.”
“Yes.” His father and uncles had briefed him on the plan—he would stay as Stella’s bodyguard until the threat against her was neutralized.
Which meant staying in Las Vegas for now.
If Cliff had his way, he’d lock her away in a safe house surrounded by the best security and he’d hunt down the people responsible for hurting her.
“My dad’s security firm will handle this quietly,” Charley said. “Keep the authorities out of it so we don’t get any more leaks to the press. But we need to keep you safe until we find out who tried to hurt you and why.”