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Gently grasping hold of her uninjured hand, he placed it on his shirt. Something came over her face. Something that looked like relief.
That’s right, baby. Let me anchor you.
Fuck. He was in trouble.
“Are you sure? Is there something we can do?” Elias asked. “Juliet, could I check your foot for you?
She shook her head frantically.
“I got it,” he said quietly. “I’m going to take Juliet and find a first-aid kit. Can you guys clean up this? Did you find the pool house?”
“Yeah, it’s locked though,” Sterling replied.
She pointed at the side table. There was a single drawer in it.
“Key’s in there?” he asked.
She nodded.
Sterling moved to the drawer and opened it. She tensed, but that panicked look didn’t enter her gaze again. Because she was holding onto him?
“Got it. We’ll give you both a bit of space,” Sterling said.
“I’ll go find the broom and mop,” Elias said in a falsely cheerful voice as he walked past them, careful to give her a wide berth.
Juliet watched him but didn’t flinch. Her reactions were off. It wasn’t like she was afraid of them exactly, just wary. But moments ago, he’d seen her panic. Almost felt it. Was she always this scared around people she didn’t know? If so, how did she get on in everyday life? Hold down a job? Even just buy her groceries? Surely, she had to run into strangers. Or was it because they were big and male? Maybe because they were in her house?
He pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He’d ponder them later. She’d had a piece of glass in her foot for far too long.
“Juliet, I have to get that piece of glass out of your foot,” he explained. “But I can’t let you walk on it. Can I pick you up?”
She studied him for a long moment, then nodded.
“Good.” He let out a sigh of relief. Reaching out, he lifted her up into his arms slowly. “You weigh nothing. Do you even eat?”
She stiffened, and he cursed himself for snapping like that. But when he glanced down at her, she was glaring up at him.
Okay, so the bunny had claws. Good to know.
“Not known for mincing my word, bunny,” he told her.
She snapped her teeth at him, crossing her arms over her chest. Amusement filled him.
“More of a kitten, huh?”
She sniffed.
“Tigress.”
Sighing, she looked sad all of a sudden, and he wanted the glaring, snappy Juliet back. She just shook her head.
“Right, point me in the direction of where the first-aid kit is.”
She pointed down the hallway and they passed Elias in the corridor, carrying a mop, broom, and bucket.
He nodded at Brick, giving Juliet a concerned look but he didn’t say anything. She tensed slightly but otherwise, she didn’t show any sign of concern. Was it because she knew Brick would keep her safe? That was silly, right?
He’d known her fifteen minutes and spent most of that time snapping at her.
