I couldn’t help the small glimmer of hope that fluttered through me, dwarfed by the anxiety looming, but there regardless. Until a stocky figure leaned into the kitchen countertop beside me, pulling a shirt down over his sweaty chest.
I refused to acknowledge Frank while I dried my hands. That same panic I felt around James at the agency reared its head.
Not here too— Just keep moving.
“Relax, will you?”
He lifted his hand, but I hadn’t waited to see why as I stepped out of reach and strode past him. Breathing in and out as I aimed for the locked medical cabinet, gripping the first aid box in one hand.
There are sharp things in that cabinet, perfect for self-defense—
Frank grabbed my right wrist and tugged me back. For a millisecond, I considered hitting him with the first aid box but my body went rigid, my eyes only on his hand.
“Think you’re too good for me or something?”
I whimpered, “No, never. Just, please let go—”
Another hand, tattooed with a crown, grabbed and twisted Frank’s from mine. As I backed off, Dean stepped in between us, blocking Frank from view before he shoved him in the other direction. Putting more distance between us; creating space that I could finally breathe in.
“I didn’t realize she was already taken,” Frank sneered.
Dean stalked closer to him. “Back. Off.”
“I’d do as he says, Frank,” Seb said from nearby. No hint of his usual bubbly personality on his face.
Raising his hands, Frank backed off. His eyes fixed on Dean as a smug smile twisted the scarring on his face. When he was several feet away, he turned around and headed for the opposite side of the room again, where a few of his friends joined him.
My mind was still processing everything that happened tonight. From the resuscitation to the way Dean stepped in just now. The latter hadn’t exactly come as a surprise. I learned early on that he had a protective streak.
“Hey,” Dean said softly.
“Hm?” My eyes felt like they were glazed over as they drifted up to him.
Shirtless before me, with bruising on his ribs, and a cut on his jaw. His black hair hung in sweaty tendrils across his forehead where his brow had softened. Gently, he reached out and took my wrist in his hand.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.
I blinked and looked down at the faint bruise there. My own rosy complexion pale against his golden-brown skin “No...”
His thumb lightly brushed over the sensitive area while my eyes slipped back to where Frank stood on the other side of the room. Where he was watching us. That smug expression was still clear on his face as his lips curved up a little further.
I took a steadying breath and slowly slid my hand from Dean’s. “It’s late. I should go home.”
As soon and as fast as possible.
Dean and Seb’s protection could only stretch so far, and paranoia was quickly setting in. While Dean’s threat made Frank back off, what was stopping him from trying anything anyway if I were alone? What if he didn’t care if his actions came with consequences? I preferred to leave while there were still a few people around.
“Yeah, of course,” Dean said, unbothered by my hasty attempt to leave. “I’ll be right here until you go.”
Chapter 39
Lily
The bruising was subtle. The darkest shade of blue was on the underside of my right wrist where Frank’s fingers had dug in the hardest. I decided to wear a long-sleeved top as a precaution to cover the two-day-old bruise. Its cheese-cloth fabric was thin enough for it to be worn on a summer’s day.
I was sitting in the waiting room of the organized crime unit, watching as detectives walked briskly to and fro carrying files, discussing cases, or stuffing their faces with a quick lunch before they headed out. Dad’s office was across the way, marked with his name in gold lettering. He invited me in for lunch, which earned me an early mark from work. However, I had a feeling it was something Mom planned since she sprung the “Dad has invited you to lunch” surprise on me this morning. Otherwise, he would’ve texted or called. Which was rare anyway.
I shifted in my seat, uncrossing and recrossing my legs to provide the slightest reprieve from the dull ache in my lower abdomen. My period arrived two days ago, the day after I found Dean unconscious. The third day was always my worst with the cramps, even the pain meds and birth control provided little help.
