His expression was dry. “Pavel hit a pothole and drove the car into the ditch.” “Oh...” I could just imagine all the “fucks” Ronan had to say about the incident. “No one’s hurt, are they?” “Nyet,” he answered, and then a small smile appeared. “Besides Pavel’s ego.” Poor Pavel. Though I couldn’t focus on him for more than a second when the doubt intensified along with the throb in my wrist. While a part of me believed Ronan wouldn’t care about a little flesh wound, another told me Khaos might end up at the pound. “You won’t tell Ronan what happened, right?” Albert grunted. “Do not push your luck.” Hope crashed and burned, and, with a budding sense of urgency, I turned and walked back to the house, slipping through the door onto the freshly cleaned floors Yulia was still mopping near the staircase. Ronan was probably in the library, so I made my way there to explain the situation before Albert got the chance. “Stop!” Freezing, I followed Yulia’s irate gaze to the mud I was tracking in as well as the blood dripping from my coat. “Do not dare take another step!” she growled. I kicked my ankle boots off toward the door, splattering more mud across the floor. Yulia sputtered in outrage. Again, I started toward my destination but halted at the next screech that reached my ears. “And the coat, heathen!” I glared and defiantly shrugged off the coat, letting it fall to a dirty heap on the marble. Before I could take another step, Ronan appeared from the hall that led to the library. Yulia went demurely quiet and began to mop the floor as if she wasn’t just shouting insults at me. The touch of his stare stalled the beat of my heart, washing in heat and uncertainty. Trying to conceal the wound as if it would protect Khaos, I held my wrist to my chest, but I couldn’t hide the blood trailing down my arm. Ronan took in the sight, his eyes clouding over like a dark winter sky. I had a feeling he already knew what happened—no thanks to twenty-first century technology—and it was confirmed only a second later. Coolly, he pulled the handgun from his waistband and headed past me and out the door.