I'm dimly aware of what Marcus is saying to me, but it's not really registering. The hard slap he gives me a second later, though, that registers.

It also works and snaps me out of the strange state I'd fallen into. Unfortunately for Marcus, that means everything comes rushing back in.

He's the one to blame for this. He's the one who said it would be safe and put the ridiculous idea in Carolina's head in the first place. I lunge at him and grab him by the throat. “You're a fucking dead man,” I growl.

“Get the fuck off of me,” he snarls.

“This is your fault,” I yell.

“No one could have seen this coming. Who would have thought that she would have smashed a glass over Carolina’s head in a bar full of witnesses.”

“You knew she was crazy. I told you this was a bad idea. You didn't listen to me.”

“This is not normal behavior for a female stalker. This level of violence is highly abnormal.”

I still have hold of his throat, and I shake him.

He doesn’t back down, and he grabs my hands, holding them tight. “No one could have seen this coming. Not me, and not you. So let go of my neck right now.”

The paramedics have moved Carolina from her chair and are loading her onto a board. I shove Marcus away from me, pointing my finger in his face. “This isn’t fucking over. You and me, we have a problem.”

I rush after the paramedics as they begin to carry her out of the room. “Where are you taking her?” I ask.

“London General,” they tell me.

“Is she going to be okay?”

“Too early to say. She has a nasty cut, but it's not hit an arterial vessel, or there’d be a lot more blood loss. However, the fact that she has been unconscious isn't a good sign. She needs a head scan, X-rays, and for the cut to be sewn up.”

I look down at her and am relieved to see her eyes are open. She groans and moves her hand toward her head. The paramedic holds it and tells her to keep from touching it.

“Who are you?” the female paramedic asks me.

“Her boyfriend,” I say decisively. “And her bodyguard.”

She raises her brows. “You didn’t do a great job of the second one.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“You want to travel in with us? Got a seat in the bus.”

“Yes, I would.”

I turn to Marcus. “Call K and Andrius. Fill them in. Tell them you fucked up. I’ll be in touch later.”

“Christ, you’re an asshole.”

I flip him the finger and follow Carolina out of the bar. Everyone is rubbernecking, but I ignore them, only focused on the woman I love.