Page 122 of Shattered By the Currents

There was a flash of Xander’s eyes widening…then his body crumpled, tumbling backward and hitting the stairs at odd angles before he landed on the floor below, eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling.

Connor shot to his feet and closed the small space between him and Raven. Gently, he put his hand over hers and removed his Glock from her hold. The second it was holstered, he cupped her cheeks. “Raven?—”

“I shot him.”

“You did.”

“I killed him.” Her eyes were wide as she took in Xander’s body at the bottom of the stairs.

“Look at me.” He waited for her gaze to meet his. “You did what you had to do. He wouldn’t have hesitated in killing either one of us.”

She nodded jerkily.

His gaze narrowed to her forehead. “I’m sorry I let him get in.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“It is. I went outside to check a car. I left you unprotected.”

“But it’s over now.”

“It’s over now.” He pulled her against his chest and held her tightly. So fucking tightly that he wasn’t sure when he’d feel ready to let her go.

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Connor traced the week-old cut on Raven’s forehead as she slept. It was no longer bandaged and the doctor said it was healing well, but that did nothing to make him feel better. It should never have happened. Connor should havepreventedit from happening.

The anger raged beneath his skin. Anger that he’d been feeling a lot of lately. Usually aimed at Xander or Nathaniel, but every so often it shifted toward himself. For leaving Raven unprotected. For letting Xander distract him with the truck and the body.

They’d traced Xander’s text message conversations, contacting the kid he’d used at the firehouse for another “job.” This one involving breaking into Connor’s house. But obviously, when they’d arrived, Xander had murdered him before he’d even had a chance to get out of the vehicle.

A soft sigh slipped from Raven’s lips, and when she turned her head, a lock of hair fell onto her cheek.

Gently, he smoothed it behind her ear. Her eyelids fluttered, then those beautiful ocean-blue eyes were open and looking right at him.

Her brows flickered. “Hey.”

“Good morning.”

“Have you been awake for long?”

He shook his head. A damn lie—he’d been awake for at least the last hour. He hadn’t wanted to move though.

She rolled to her side and seemed to take a moment to study him, something she’d been doing a lot. “You need to stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Blaming yourself. Nothing that happened that day was your fault.”

“You were attacked in my home, because I?—”

“Left the house to investigate a threat. You did exactly what you were supposed to do. It was him who killed someone and broke in. And there was something good that came from that day. Xander’s gone and we’re safe.”

“You shouldn’t have been slammed into a mirror and almost drowned in a bathtub.”

She reached up and slid a finger down his cheek. “Do you love me?”

“You know I do.”