by Dena Christy
“What the hell?”
Lyssa jumped against him when Rickman spoke from beside him, his voice bouncing against the walls in the tomb like silence of the house.
“Kevin has not gone away.” That was an understatement, and as soon as he was assured that Lyssa was safe somewhere other than here, he was going to make sure that he found Kevin. He should have heeded Andor’s warning, because now he had brought down the wrath of a dragon.
Lyssa drew back, her face pale and her body trembling as she swiped her hands across her face. She turned her head to look at the living room again and Andor put his fingers under her chin and turned her back to face him.
“I want you to go outside with Rickman while I look through the rest of the house. Then we will call the police.” He wanted to get Lyssa out of here. Kevin’s scent had gone stale, so Andor did not believe he was still in the house. He wanted to see if he had confined himself to desecrating her living room, or if he had ruined other rooms in the house.
She looked up at him, her eyes huge and she nodded. She turned toward Rickman, keeping her face averted from the living room, and his minion was gentle as he led her from the house. Andor walked down the hall until he came to the kitchen. It appeared clean and tidy, and Kevin’s scent was not in here.
Andor turned and retreated down the hall. The smell of Kevin led him up the stairs and the hardwood floor creaked under his boots as he passed the small bathroom on his way to the bedroom. It was clean, and undisturbed.
Lyssa’s bedroom door stood open only a tiny crack, and it squeaked on its hinges as Andor pushed it open. The stench of blood hit him, and his stomach turned sour. As he stood on the threshold, he could see that Kevin had spent the entirety of his rage on the sanctuary of her bedroom. Andor was glad that he had suggested that she wait outside.
Kevin had used the blood to scrawl more of his filthy thoughts on the walls, but what drew Andor’s attention was the tableau he’d set up in the middle of her bed. He’d stripped off the bedding, and the sheets were soaked with blood. In the center of the bed was the head of a pig with slut scrawled across its head. Andor made a noise of disgust as he turned away.
Heat burned beneath his skin as his hands clenched and unclenched at his side. The primitive beat of his dragon heart sounded in his ears as that part of himself came to life in the fire of protective rage. He stood in the hall for several long moments to bring himself under control. Closing his eyes, he drew in a slow breath, forcing the pounding of his pulse to slow and the tension coiling in his muscles to dissolve.
He knew without looking in a mirror that his irises would have turned from the pale silver of his human form into the wreath of flame that belonged to his dragon form. The dragon inside him woke in response to the threat to the woman it wanted to mate with, and Andor needed to suppress that side of himself.
He would unleash his dragon on Kevin when the time was right, but at this moment Lyssa needed to him to be calm. She had to be feeling violated by Kevin’s horrible intrusion into her home, and she needed all the comfort that Andor could give her. The events that had taken place in this house were enough of a shock, the realization that there was a dragon in her midst would break her.
He brought a picture of her as she had been when she had first seen him at her place work earlier this evening, and as he remembered the shy smile on her face, his heart rate slowed and he could feel the heat of his rage retreating from his body. He blew out a breath, and as he walked by the bathroom he looked in to see himself in the mirror. His eyes were back to normal, and he looked wholly human.
He walked down the stairs and out the front door. Rickman, for all his irreverence toward Andor, had seen the seriousness of their situation and had wisely taken Lyssa away from the house. They stood together in front of the car, and Andor could read the alertness in Rickman’s body. All Andor’s grievances against Rickman were forgiven in that moment, as Rickman stood diligently guarding Lyssa. He may not look like a typical minion, but his instincts to protect her was exactly what was expected of him.
“Did he do anymore damage?” Lyssa looked toward the house, and Andor stepped in front of her.
“He also damaged your bedroom, but you are not to worry about that. Once the police have come and gone, I will have Rickman arrange for cleaners to come in and sort out the mess.” It would take more than soap and water to erase what Lyssa had seen from her memory, but Andor would make sure that at least her house would not show the marks of Kevin’s anger for long. “Rickman, can you call the police?”
“Sure.” Rickman pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and walked around the side of the car. Andor took her hands in his.
“Are you all right?” It was a silly question, because he could see that she was not.
“Not even close.” She looked up at him, and he saw that she had moved on from the devastation she had displayed earlier in to numbness. Her face was blank, and her eyes appeared dull.
“What can I do to help you?” He did not like seeing the defeat in her eyes, and he wanted to urge her to fight it. This was what Kevin wanted, to break her and make her give up her will to thwart him. In his own deranged head, Kevin thought that something like this would terrify her enough into going back with him, if only to make the harassment stop. She could not give in to the despair the scene inside the house would engender in her. “Do not let him win. This is what he wants, to hurt you.”
She gave a bitter laugh. “What can I do? I have a restraining order, and that did nothing. I’ve told him a hundred times that it’s over, that he needs to leave me alone and he won’t go away. He’s shown me today that he can hurt me when I least expect it. He can harm me any time he wants. I feel so alone.”
“But you are not alone, not any more. Kevin will not hurt you, not after today. I will not let it happen.”
He watched her swallow and her lower lip quivered. He did not know what he had said to upset her, and he felt helpless against the tears that trembled on her lower lashes.
“What can I do?” His voice was a whisper. He reached up to cradle her face and his thumbs wiped her tears as the slid down her cheeks.
“Hold on to me.” She drifted toward him and he pulled her to him, putting his arms around her. He held her for the second time that afternoon as the first police car pulled up.
6
Lyssa hugged her waist while she waited on her front porch for Andor to answer the policeman’s questions. Rickman stood beside her, and while he wasn’t as large or as strong as Andor, there was a certain comfort in having him there. There was little chance Kevin would show up now that the police were here, but it was nice to know that someone watched out for her in case he did.
“Can I get you anything? I can run to the store and get you a bottle of water or something to eat?”
“I’m fine.” Any appetite she’d had deserted her when she’d seen Kevin’s destruction of her things. She knew they were only possessions, and that she was lucky she hadn’t come home while he was still there, but it still hurt. He’d destroyed her entire glass dragon collection, and while the bulk of them could be replaced, there was one in particular that was priceless to her. It had been her first one, a tiny green dragon that had been a gift her from her grandmother on her twelfth birthday. That alone would have made it precious to her, but it had also been the last gift her grandmother had given her, since she’d died of cancer less than a year after that.
Her homeowner’s insurance would cover the damage he’d done, but she wouldn’t feel safe here for a long time, if ever again. She didn’t want to let Kevin win, but it was all too fresh for her to be able handle everything right now. Not only had Kevin ruined her collection of dragons, he’d destroyed the sanctity of her home.
The policeman talking to Andor nodded as he tucked his notebook away. Both men turned and walked over to her. Andor slid his arm around her waist, and she rested against him. He was solid and strong and she was glad he’d been with her when she’d found what
Kevin had done. He’d quickly taken charge of the situation, and when he was with her, she felt like Kevin couldn’t touch her.
“So what happens now?” She looked at the police officer’s grim face, and his mouth tightened.
“Now we’ll finish collecting evidence and catch Kevin. We’ll put out a warrant for his arrest and he’ll be charged for what he’s done here and for breaching the restraining order. You will have to come down to the police station to make a formal statement, but that can wait until tomorrow if you prefer.”
“I would prefer that.” She didn’t know where she was going to go tonight, but reliving this whole nightmare again at the police station was not on the top of her to do list.
“Do you have somewhere you can stay? He may come back to see the effect of his handiwork, so it would be better if you don’t stay at the house tonight.”
As if she wanted to stay here even if there was no chance that Kevin would be back. She couldn’t face cleaning up the mess he’d made, and she wouldn’t be able to sleep in the house with the violation so fresh. She would spend the entire night either crying over the devastation or jumping at every creak of the house settling.
“She has somewhere to stay.” Andor spoke beside her, and the policeman nodded and turned to go back in the house.
“I’ll just go wait in the car.” Rickman turned and walked toward the car, leaving her and Andor standing alone on the porch.
She had no idea what he was talking about. She didn’t have a place to stay. Portia was out of town, and she didn’t want to go to her house alone, since Kevin knew where that was too.
“I can’t go to Portia’s. She’s away right now.” She could go to a hotel, but again she would be alone there. The last thing she wanted was to be alone tonight, but what choice did she have?
“I am not talking about Portia’s home. You are coming to my home. I will keep you safe there, and Kevin does not know where it is. Come, the police are almost finished, and you need to get away from this place.” He turned her around and put his hand on the small of her back.
“I can’t impose on you. I hardly know you, and my troubles aren’t yours.” She’d only met him a week ago, and it was bad enough that he’d seen what Kevin was capable of. She was sure she would be embarrassed that he’d witness what a psycho her ex boyfriend was once she got over the shock of it all. He’d been so kind to her already, offering her comfort when she’d witnessed the extent of Kevin’s anger. “I’m sorry that the evening didn’t turn out as we'd planned. I really wanted to go to dinner with you.”
She turned back to the house and wondered if she could go back in there long enough to get clothes to take with her for wherever she ended up. Andor curved a gentle hand around her arm and turned her to face him.
“You shouldn’t be alone. I have a large house, and it is only Rickman and me there. I would be honored if you would be my guest for as long as you need a place to stay. Kevin does not know where I live, and if he finds out, he will not be able to harm you. He will have to go through me first.”
She looked up at him, and bit her lip. As much as she wanted to be independent and tell him that she could stay on her own, Kevin had shaken her. The truth was she didn’t want to be alone. There was no way that Kevin, even will all his gym built muscles, could get past Andor.
There was something fierce and primal about Andor. It was nothing that was obvious to the naked eye, but something had roused inside him after witnessing what Kevin had done. If Kevin tried to come after her, he would only make it as far as Andor. Andor’s home would be the safest place for her.
“If you're sure it won’t be too much trouble, I’ll stay at your home. It’ll only be a for a few days, until Portia comes back.” She wouldn’t impose on him any longer than that. All he’d wanted was to take her to dinner, and now he was roped into having a house guest. All because Kevin couldn’t get it in his head that they were over. Lyssa was sure that once she left Andor’s home, she wouldn’t see him again. She couldn’t blame him, since her own mother had been involved with men who were a lot like Kevin, and she hadn’t wanted to be around her either.
“You may stay as long as you need to. Do you need to take anything with you? I can send Rickman in to get a few things for you.”
“You don’t need to send Rickman.” She could go in a get what she needed. Rickman wouldn’t know where to look for anything and it would be faster if she did it.
Lyssa looked back at the house. The police were finishing up, so she should be able to go back in and get a few things to tide her over for a few days. She made no move to go toward the house. Fear kept her feet rooted firmly on the sidewalk. Stop it. Kevin isn’t coming back while the police are still here, and not with Andor here either.
“Lyssa?” Andor’s deep honeyed voice penetrated her thoughts, and she turned to look up at him. His eyes searched her face, and she tried to force a smile upon her lips. Her facial muscles refused to cooperate, and she was tired of pretending to be strong when she wasn’t.
“Can you go in with me?” She looked back up at the house as his hand came to rest on the small of her back. He moved it in soothing circles, round and round, until some of the fear left her.
“Of course.” He left his hand where it was as he walked with her toward the house. With each step closer dread curled in her stomach at the thought of seeing what Kevin had done all over again.
She went up the steps on leaden feet and averted her gaze from the living room. She’d already seen the damage he’d done in there, and she didn’t need to see it again. She would have to face it when it came time to clean up, but not tonight. The rest of the lower level looked the same as it always did as she slowly walked up the stairs, but it might never be the same. It was no longer a sanctuary. Kevin had taken that from her.
She came to a stop in the doorway of her bedroom, and a pained noise came out of her throat. Andor had said Kevin had damaged her bedroom, but nothing could have prepared her for this.
The crude words, written in blood were an assault on her eyes, and she trembled when she saw the pooled blood in the middle of her bed. He must have placed something there because there was a smear leading from the blood pool to the edge of the bed.
“How could he do this?” Her voice came out in a whisper as she clasped her hands together in front of her.
“I do not know.” Andor came around to stand in front her of her. He put a finger tip under her chin and directed her gaze away from the bed and onto him. “We will get your things and leave this place. Look at me and not at what he has done.”
She did as he asked and kept her gaze welded to his silver eyes. She directed her entire focus on him, and slowly relaxed her hands until they fell back to her sides.
“I’ll get my overnight bag and pack a few things. The sooner we get out of here the better.” She looked away to go to the closet, and he stopped her with a gentle hand.
“I will get your bag. You get some clothing together. Where it is?” His voice was as gentle as his hand, and she knew what he was doing. Kevin had scrawled little of his filth in the area of her dresser, and Andor was trying to spare her. She let him do it. All she wanted now was to get her things and go.
“Top shelf of the closet.” She turned away and pulled open the top drawer of her dresser. She put some underwear, socks and a couple extra bras on top. Andor materialized beside her, and he had the open bag in his hand. He reached out and picked up the clothes she’d placed on top of the dresser and put them in it.
It only took another minute for her to get the rest of her clothing. Once it was loaded in the bag, she turned away from her bedroom and made a quick trip to the bathroom for a few toiletries. A glance at the mirror showed what the last few hours had done to her. Her skin was paler than usual, and it was easy to read the exhaustion in her face. There was a pain in her eyes that hadn’t been there when she’d looked in this mirror when she got ready for work this morning. She opened the medicine cabinet, and pulle
d out a few things, and turned away from her reflection.
“Do you have everything?”
Lyssa jumped when Andor spoke from the bathroom door. Her pulse jumped too and she closed her eyes to get it to slow down. She nodded and walked out of the bathroom.
“Take me away from here.” She looked up at him and he nodded. His arm came around her shoulders, and he tucked her up against his strong male body. She focused on the scent and feel of him as he led her out of the only home that had ever been truly hers. A home that was now stained by Kevin’s violence.
His home came into view as Rickman drove the car up the driveway, and Andor glanced at Lyssa out of the corner of his eye. What did she think of it? Was she impressed, or did she find it too big and ostentatious when compared with her own modest dwelling?
Her indrawn breath filled the silence of the car as she looked out the window as Rickman halted in front of the house.
“Let’s go in, shall we?” Andor got out and came around to her side. He opened the door for her as he studied her face. There was a look of awe, or at least he hoped it was when she got out of the car and looked up at his home.
“Only you and Rickman live here?” Her mouth was slightly open, and Andor looked at the house and saw it through her eyes.
He had had no say in what it looked like, since he had been asleep a hundred years ago when the house was built. Rickman’s family built the house when they had fled Europe with Andor and his brothers at the turn of the twentieth century. They had made a home that was fit for dragons, and it showed.
The house loomed over them as the day transitioned into evening. It was a solid three stories, and Rickman told him that it had been modeled after an old English manor home. The driveway swept in an arc at the front, and a wide path of stone led from the drive to the house. Between the drive and house was a square pool of water with a functioning fountain nestled inside.