Marc took one look at the big brown eyes and made the only decision he could. He looked at the three women surrounding her. He didn’t know them well, but had run into two of them at the Becks before.

The Becks had a revolving door of friends and family in and out; he may have seen the doctor before, too, he just didn’t remember. But they were hovering; it was because they cared. Did Ariella realize how much she mattered to the people around her? “I’m here as long as you need me. Forever, if that’s what it takes.”

Marc used his hold on her and pulled her from the edge of the bed. He glanced at the doctor. “She free to go?”

“Yes, sir.”

Marc wrapped his fingers around hers and pulled her out the door.

Ariella followed behind him, as docile as a kitten. That worried him far more than he wanted to admit. She’d always been quiet, but this passive docility scared him.

He’d first thought to stick around the hospital and speak with Lacy. Reassure his sister-in-law that they were both ok. But one more look at how she was trembling and he didn’t know if waiting in such a sterile environment would be the best thing for her.

And the hospital lobby was starting to feel up. With reporters. Paparazzi in search of the latest story.

He would not subject her to that. Period.

He took her home with him. His bodyguard Warner was exceptionally quiet on the drive, having been joined by three other Texas Marshals, and a bevy of TSP officers to escort them from the hospital to his home.

Marc understood; they’d all come damned close to dying tonight.

Especially Ariella.

Marc bundled her into the limo that had appeared from Houghton Barratt’s personal fleet, after a direct call from his cousin Chance. His car had been behind the crime scene barrier. It wasn’t going anywhere. It had taken almost fifteen minutes of Marc insisting that Chance stay home with Brynna and the baby before his cousin had told him the limo was it, or Chance was picking him and Ariella up himself.

Marc figured it was only a matter of time before Rafe or Travis found out what had just happened and came knocking at his door.

Not to mention her family was out there somewhere, and would be absolutely frantic.

Marc guided her to the couch. She clutched a white bag tightly to her chest. He took it from her hand as gently as he could. “Sit. Rest. Did Dr. Netorre give you any prescriptions?”

“Antibiotics, in case of infection. There...was a lot of debris in my arm.”

Marc winced. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?” She looked up at him, confusion on her face. Marc’s heart lurched.

“For all of this.” He winced when everything that she had lost tonight sank in. Her home. A friend injured. Knowledge that someone out there had nearly killed her. He knelt down in front of her, ignoring the burn of his own bumps and bruises. They had been damned lucky tonight, and he knew it. It took everything he had not to just yank her close and never let her ago.

Just how deeply he did feel for her sank in.

“I’m not even sure what all of this was. Help me figure it out, Marc. Please?”

Marc did the only thing he could; he scooped her into his arms and just held her. Like he would have one of the children when they were devastated. And that’s what she was—devastated. He rocked and soothed and did everything he could to comfort. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough to make up for everything she had lost. He just thanked God they hadn’t been a few moments faster getting into her home. If they had…

If he hadn’t been with her...if he hadn’t stopped on more time and kissed her like he had...She would have been lost. No doubt like whomever had set the explosive had intended. Why? Why the hell had someone targeted her? Ariella was the kindest woman he knew.

Or maybe that was it? Maybe it wasn’t her that was the target—maybe she was the target because of someone she knew.

That left him two obvious connections, and after what had happened to the Lucas Industries’ building, it was either because of her connection to Luc—or because of her relationship with him. Every time she’d been mentioned in any news article in the past month, it had been in conjunction with him.

Or her brother Luc.

But Luc wasn’t there to keep her safe now. As far as Marc knew, the other man was somewhere in Mexico along with Barratt, working on a hydro-powered train or some other far-fetched idea he had no doubt the two would make work somehow.

Not that it mattered. The two other men had wives of their own to take care of. Neither would care about her as much as he would. That sank in and he knew it without a doubt.

“I don’t think you’re side of the building took too much damage, baby.”

Watery eyes looked up at him and Marc didn’t stop to think. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, once.