She threw herself into my arms.
Nothing felt better than being able to wrap my arms around her and shield her with my body. I crushed her to me, never wanting to let go. “You’re safe now.”
“I knew you’d come.” Her voice was muffled against my neck.
She trembled with fear and cold.
“What happened?” I looked over her shoulder. Through the windows of my home, I could see the lights of my men as they searched every room. “Where’s the guard?”
“I don’t know.” She pulled back and looked around. Another shiver racked her body.
“They’re clearing the house, and then we can go inside,” I told her, as I steered her back into the guardhouse. I pulled my coat off and put it around her shoulders. “Tell me what happened.”
Kirill appeared in the doorway behind me. “Boss, we found the guard.”
I cupped her wet face in my hands. “Give me one minute, okay?”
She nodded, and I pressed my mouth against her cold lips. Bandit sat wet and shivering, pressing his entire body against her legs.
I stepped back into the rain. “Is he dead?”
Kirill shook his head. “He was knocked out on the other side of the house, at the front. He’s conscious now, but he’s pretty groggy.”
“Anything in the house?”
“So far, clean. What should we do about the guard?”
“Get one of the guys to drive him to the hospital. I want him thoroughly checked out. I want someone looking out for him while he’s there.”
“You got it.”
“I want that house checked twice, and I want to know what the fuck happened here.”
He nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
Mila was lookingout the dark window of the guardhouse, my coat nearly swallowing her. She looked so young and innocent and once again I was struck by how unfair all of this was for her. “They’re just checking every corner of the house, including all the doors and windows, before we go inside.”
She gave me a faint smile. “Okay.”
I moved to stand in front of her. “Want to tell me what happened?”
“I was sleeping in your bed with Bandit, and he woke me up with a low growl. I went into the hallway to investigate. I saw someone come out of my bedroom, and at first I thought it was you.” She lowered her eyes and pulled my coat more tightly around her. “He was wearing all black, and a mask, and Bandit lost his mind. I don’t even remember running through the house. I did it in the dark.” She peered up at me with big scared eyes. “My thought was to get to the guard.”
“Which is how you ended up in the guardhouse.”
“One of the dogs was locked inside here, and he took off when I opened the door.”
Kirill signaled from the deck that the house was clear. “The guard was knocked out in the front yard when he was doing rounds.”
Her eyes widened. “Is he going to be okay?”
“We’re bringing him to the hospital.”
“And the dogs?”
“They’re both here and safe,” I assured her. But I made a mental note to get them checked out by a vet. “Come inside now. The house has been cleared. Let’s get you warm.”
I led her up to my bedroom, and she disappeared into my bathroom with Bandit. I heard the door lock, and then the shower started.
