It wouldn’t change what had happened, and the guilt only crippled her ability to move forward.
What had made her think of him now? No reason that she could think of except that the man assigned to guard her had seemed vaguely familiar. Her drug-fogged mind had taken the grimly silent figure in the corner and filled in the blanks.
That’s all it was.
Someone was coming. She closed her eyes, hoping to buy herself a little more time to center herself. It didn’t work.
A shadow fell across her—a male, guessing by the scent of his aftershave.
“You might as well open your eyes, Kat. Your heart wouldn’t be racing like that if you were asleep.”
The familiar voice rasped over her nerve endings, sending her pulse into serious overdrive. This time it wasn’t her imagination playing games with her. She knew without a doubt who stood beside her bed, glaring down at her with eyes the color of a summer sky.
Kat struggled to sit up but realized that the doctor hadn’t removed the restraints on her ankles. How had she missed that? She was already at enough of a disadvantage wearing a hospital gown and feeling as weak as a kitten. Was there a button or something that would lift the head of the bed?
Conlan gave her a disgusted look. “Here.”
He dropped the control in her lap, as if even pushing a button to help her was too much bother. They both waited impatiently until she was sitting up at a 45-degree angle. Better, but still not equal. She moved the bed up more, but that set her incision to throbbing. Conceding defeat, she eased it back a little and waited for the pain to fade. Conlan hovered nearby, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression grim.
“If you’re done messing with that, care to explain what the hell you’re doing here?” His voice was little better than a growl.
She forced herself to meet his furious gaze and realized her memories of him had been wrong. His eyes weren’t warm at all. In fact, they were cold enough to put arctic ice to shame. His anger might be justified, but still it hurt. His face was all sharp angles and harsh lines, a big change from when she’d last seen him.
She had something to say, even if he wasn’t likely to believe her. “I’m sorry, Conlan.”
The temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees. “You lost the right to call me by my first name three years ago.”
“Fine, Chancellor Shea. I’m sorry.”
If anything, that only made him madder. “I don’t work for the Coalition anymore, Kat. Seems they don’t have much use for an ex-con. What I am is Rafferty’s security officer, which means I have a big say in who gets to stay and who should get tossed out on her ass.”
Could this get any worse? The one man who had every reason to hate her guts was now not only her judge and jury but her nieces’, as well. She’d throw herself on his mercy, but there was none to be found in those cold blue eyes.
“I need to talk to Rafferty O’Day.”
“Why? Because I’m telling you right now that batting your pretty lashes at him won’t get you what you want. Not only is he happily married, but he takes the safety of his clan very seriously. You made a major mistake in dropping your problems in Rafferty’s lap.”
Fear clogged her throat, but she had to know. “Does the Coalition know where I am?”
His smile was nasty. “What do you think?”
Another voice joined the party. “I think you should’ve waited until I said she was up to talking to you, Conlan.”
Dr. Fitzhugh pushed past him. “Now get out of my way while I examine my patient.”
The chancellor shifted to the side but didn’t given an inch. “Kat might be your patient, Seamus, but she’s my responsibility as long as she’s on the estate.”
The vampire glared at him. “Out, Conlan. Now. She’s not going anywhere.”
“Fine, but I’ve already called Rafferty. As soon as you’re done with your examination, she’s mine to do with as I see fit.”
When he stalked out, Kat closed her eyes and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her chest hurt, but it had nothing to do with her gunshot wound.
In contrast to Conlan’s obvious animosity, the doctor was coolly proficient. “By now, you should be sore but not hurting as much as you were yesterday.”
She nodded, not trusting her ability to speak at the moment.
“Your