Shattered Mirror (Eve Duncan #23)(21)

“It was a robbery.” She veered in another direction. “How did you get here?”

“I called him,” Darcy said. “When I found you, I panicked. He told me to call 911 and get someone to help you, and he’d be here as quick as he could. He was here in seven minutes.” She swallowed. “Thank God. I was scared to death.”

“So was I,” Jock said curtly. “That seven minutes was too damn long. You have to go to the hospital and be checked out.”

Cara shook her head. “I’ll make a police report and have them check to see how he got into our suite. I won’t go to the hospital.”

Jock stared at her in frustration, his fists clenched, and turned on his heel. “When the EMTs come, have them check her out as much as possible, Darcy. I’m going to do some checking around the residence myself.”

Darcy nodded. “I can handle it from here. I just have to be pointed in the right direction. I’ll make certain those EMT guys will give her a going-over that will make her wish she’d chosen the ER.” She smiled at Cara. “Sorry. I told you I hold on to friends when I find them. I can’t afford to let you do anything to sabotage me.”

“Whatever.” Cara wearily closed her eyes again. “I just want this to be over.”

“Oh, it’s over as far as you’re concerned,” Jock said curtly as he headed for the door. “For me, it’s just begun.”

*

Jock didn’t return for over three hours. In that time, Cara had undergone one of the most rigorous and thorough checkups to which she’d ever been subjected. Darcy had been gorgeous, tearful, and helpless, and the EMTs had fallen all over themselves to turn those tears into smiles. After they had left, Cara had a visit from a police detective who had taken her statement; and then the building supervisor had come to express her concern and assure her that nothing like this had ever taken place at any of the academy’s residence facilities before and would never happen again.

Darcy had stood beside Cara, letting her answer the police queries but after ten minutes had sent them on their way, the supervisor had received only five minutes before she’d been whisked out of the suite. Then she’d helped Cara undress and get to bed after tidying up the chaos in the bedroom. She gave Cara the painkiller the EMT had given her to soothe her throat and made her a cup of tea and honey.

“Wasn’t I magnificent?” Darcy smiled triumphantly at Cara as she plopped down on her own bed. “Though I have to admit I had to be, to make up for falling apart when I found you looking like a broken doll sprawled on the floor.” She sipped her own tea. “No one ever expects me to rise to the occasion, so I really had to work at it.”

“You were wonderful,” Cara said in perfect truth. It was hard for her to swallow, but the hot tea felt amazingly healing. “Thank you.”

Darcy nodded. “You know, I like gratitude. I don’t believe I’ve ever earned it before and it’s … refreshing.”

“Happy to oblige.” She reached up and rubbed her temple. “And you shouldn’t have felt guilty about relying on Jock for help. He knows about things like this…”

“I gathered that when he showed up like Han Solo ready to cut down Darth Vader.”

“Wasn’t that Luke?”

“I always liked Han Solo better. Anyway, your Jock was electrifying.”

Cara nodded jerkily. “He always is.”

Darcy’s gaze was narrowing on her face. “But you don’t like it?”

“Not for me.” She could see that Darcy’s curiosity was aroused, but she wasn’t about to explain that she couldn’t bear the thought of Jock’s being pulled back into the lethal whirlpool that had almost destroyed him all those years ago. She had been fighting his protective instinct since she’d first met him, and one of her nightmares was to be responsible for having that happen. “I should be fighting my own battles.”

“Well, from what I saw when Jock left here, he may not be seeing it that way.” She finished her tea and stood up. “Finish that tea. Maybe you can grab a quick nap before Jock shows up to check to see if I’ve done my duty.”

“You’ve done it.” Jock was standing in the doorway. “But you can go the extra mile if you’ll search through the rest of the suite and make certain that nothing has been taken.” He strode forward. “And then start packing up a suitcase for Cara.”

“What?” Cara straightened in bed. “Why the hell should she do that?”

“You’re going to visit Eve, remember?”

“I was intending to pack myself tomorrow.”

“You’ll be on a plane tomorrow.” He glanced at Darcy. “The extra mile?”

She nodded as she headed for the door. “I earn points and avoid being involved in the storm I see on the horizon. I can live with that.”

Cara was scarcely aware Darcy had left the room. She was staring at Jock. “I won’t leave tomorrow. I have a class. I’m scheduled to leave the day after tomorrow.”

“Not any longer. You’re out of here.” His lips were tight. “I’d send you out tonight, but you’d probably balk because you’d think Eve would worry if she knew why you were coming early.”

“Yes, I would,” she said. “It was a robbery, Jock.”