“I’ll help with that effort,” Walker says.
“Me too,” Eli adds.
“Overwhelmed” doesn’t even begin to explain how I’m feeling. I can’t find my words.
“Any questions?” Bob asks.
So many. Not enough. My mind finally lands on one of the things that’s bothering me. “What’s the layout of the apartment?”
Bob pauses. “The layout?”
I nod and hold my head high, trying to look strong. “Is the layout to this apartment similar to mine?”
“Well, it’s only a one bedroom. A bit smaller than the place you’ve got, but it’ll do.”
New layout. New kitchen. New floor that allows anyone off the street to knock on my door. I’ll have to get some sort of security for the door. A camera, or a ring doorbell. Maybe some sensors on the windows. Do I have the money for something like that? I stand there, calculating what I’m supposed to be paid as I clear these orders for the bakeries within the next couple of weeks.
Then, hands come down onto my shoulder, and I jolt out of my trance.
“Lia,” Walker says. “Did you hear him?”
Did he say something after that?
“Sorry,” I whisper softly.
There’s a look in Walker’s eye. I feel Eli and Knox move behind me, and before I know, the smell of fresh pine and overly ripe grapes fills my nostrils. My shoulders sink. My breathing becomes easier. The panic swirling inside of me falls beneath the wave of rich oak that washes over me.
Walker’s scent reminds me of something, but I can’t quite place it.
“Thanks,” I say.
“Don’t have to thank me for anything. Let’s just get your stuff packed up. Do you want help with that?”
Do I want some random Alpha I don’t know fondling my intimates while he packs them up? “No, I’ll pack. You guys can haul.”
“I want someone in there with you, if you’re going to be packing,” Bob says, piercing through the moment. “So, I’ll send Mike and DeShawn up there with you, just in case that limb compromises anything else while you’re up there.”
“You said the structure was still sound, yes?” Knox asks.
Bob nods. “It is.”
“I want to make that determination myself. Lia?”
“Hmmm?” I turn toward the Alpha in the overalls.
“I’ll be back. You stay here.”
I watch him jog toward my building before taking the stairs, two by two. I don’t know how long he’s gone, but when he finally comes back, he’s giving Bob and the guys two thumbs up. He’s panting a bit as he gets back.
“Yep, building’s good. Let’s go pack up your things.”
With every step I walk up, the damage gets worse. But nothing prepares me for what I see when the door to my home opens. Leaves and splintered wood are everywhere. Glass shards litter the floor. My kitchen is completely blocked off.
How am I going to get my things out of my kitchen?
“You ready?” Eli asks.
My head shakes mindlessly. “I can’t even get to my kitchen.”
