White Collared Part Three: Revenge Read Online Free Page B

crashed into her. While her pills worked to stifle her anxiety to a quiet hum, they had no effect on her guilt over Hannah’s stabbing. Yet she couldn’t even manage to shed a tear like a normal person. What kind of a monster did that make her?
    “You did.” He unbuckled her belt and reached out as if he were going to touch her, but instead he pivoted and put both hands firmly on the steering wheel. “I called the hospital to check on Hannah. They wouldn’t give out any information over the phone.”
    A wave of grief washed over her. “What if she’s dead?”
    “It’s out of your hands. You didn’t do this to her, so don’t beat yourself up over it.” He spoke with conviction but averted his gaze.
    She couldn’t help feeling him withdraw from her. The words were obviously meant to comfort, but did he really believe them? She wouldn’t blame him because she didn’t. After the police had arrived, he’d grown quiet and solemn. Had she said something to offend him? What if he’d changed his mind about her?
    Air. I need air.
    With shaky hands, she threw open her door and stepped outside into the stillness of the cold evening. Jaxon came around to her side and put his arm around her waist as if he thought she’d keel over at any second. She wasn’t used to being seen as fragile, and frankly, she didn’t know if she liked it. But she accepted his help, and together they strolled down the path to the front door of his gigantic house. “How can you say it’s not my fault? She was attacked in my apartment. Because someone wanted me dead.”
    He stopped walking and turned her to him. “You didn’t ask her to come over, and you certainly couldn’t have known someone would try to kill her.”
    “She tried to talk to me at the firm. If I had only—”
    “What? Been the one stabbed at the apartment? Forgive me if I’m thankful it wasn’t you.” This time he did touch her, the pads of his fingers skimming her brows and down her cheekbone.
    “So you don’t think I should forgive her?”
    He took her hand and led her up the steps of the porch. “I didn’t say that. Take it from someone who knows, the person resentment hurts is the one holding the resentment.”
    Maybe her pills were making her brain sluggish because she was confused. “So you do think I should forgive her?”
    “I think you should forgive her for you. Not for her.” He unlocked the door and switched on the lights as she stepped inside. “But forgiveness doesn’t require you to invite her back into your life, and it certainly doesn’t obligate you to take the blame for the attack. She chose her actions, and she has to accept the consequences for them.”
    She touched her neck, but the pain of the bruise had dulled and did nothing to alleviate her stress. “And I chose not to listen to her earlier, which resulted in her coming to my apartment. So my action resulted in the consequence of her attack. I know you want to help alleviate the guilt I feel, but you can’t. I deserve it.”
    He tangled both hands into her hair, forcibly tilting up her head. “You didn’t cry.”
    The slight pain sent a buzz down her spine, helping to clear her mind. “What?”
    “You didn’t cry. At least not that I’ve seen. You didn’t tonight, and you didn’t after finding Hannah and Tom together.”
    “I told you. I don’t cry.” She tried to step away, but he refused to loosen his grip, which resulted in another tug of her hair. She stifled a moan. “You didn’t believe me?”
    “I thought you were exaggerating.” He pinned her under his pitying gaze. “Why don’t you cry, Kate?”
    She shrugged and laid her hands on his chest. “Because tears don’t change anything. All they do is make my eyes puffy, my nose red, and my head pound. What’s the point?”
    “It’s a release. Everyone needs to cry now and then.”
    “Not me.”
    “There’s so much you keep hidden. Doesn’t it ever tire you?”
    “Every day.” She didn’t want his