Chapter Nine

They were sitting behind her apartment building. “Should we go in?”

She looked at him a little nervous. He parked in back because he didn’t want to announce their presence. It was a smart move, and she gave him a nod at his quick thinking. Now that they were here she was nervous. What if they were waiting for her to come back? Even now someone could be watching them from a higher vantage point.

“We’re here we might as well go in. You said you wanted clothes and you didn’t bring any.”

“True,” she pulled the handle and swung her legs out the car. He walked around to meet her.

“This was one big mistake, you’ll see.”

He took her hand and kept a neutral expression on his face. She deserved a minute of denial, but she did it while he was near so that he could take care of her. His mate had been targeted but how and why? There was no connection between them so they couldn’t have zeroed in on him and found her. She was human, he didn’t know if she would have the ability like the others to change but right now it wasn’t there.

He squeezed her hand. “Let’s take the stairs.”

They walked in the back door of the building, it was quiet, but that was one of the perks about this complex. The stairwell was empty most took the elevator unless they claimed they wanted to exercise. They arrived at the third floor with no problems. Declyn opened the door slightly looking for anyone watching her apartment. There was no one there.

She took a deep breath before she put the key in the lock and opened the door. Her eyes moved taking in every bit of her apartment without moving, her feet were glued to the floor.

“Declyn?” Her voice was trapped in her throat while a tear slipped from her eyes followed by another.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“No,” She clutched at his shirt as he stood beside her. “I have to see, to know what they did.”

He nodded and slipped in front of her going to check the bedroom and bathroom before coming back. “It’s safe to enter.”

She shook her head, it would never be safe again. Her couch was slashed like someone was looking for something inside the cushions. Every knick-knack, every book, everything she had sitting out had been thrown, broken or smashed to pieces as someone invaded her home and destroyed every memory she had accumulated.

“Why?” She was standing in the midst of it turning in a circle as she took it all in.

“Fire.”

“No, Declyn, just no. They came here to hurt me. Ron didn’t know you were here with me. He didn’t call in reinforcements they were already here. He planned to hurt me, probably kill me. If you weren’t here, I would be dead. Why?”

She moved into the kitchen looking at her glass dishes that were in a pile of pieces on the floor.

Her feet took her to the bedroom. Her bed was slashed her headboard had been hacked to pieces. “What could you get out of this? How could it make you feel good?”

Every picture that had been sitting out had been torn to pieces. Hours of her time down the drain. Ice was building in her veins as she looked at her life that had been torn apart.

Her head moved from side to side in sadness. She opened the door to her closet that’s when she broke down. Her clothes had been ruined not only were they shredded, but if the substance she saw on them was what she thought they had taken one more step in desecrating her home.

“No, please no.” She looked at Declyn as she tore out the room and ran to the bathroom. It was the room with the least amount of damage. Her fingers were clawing at one of the decorative panels on the wall.

Declyn pulled her away holding her close.

“Secret panel,” it was all she could get out as her breathing tried to seize in her chest.

His fingers became claws as he ripped the panel from the wall.

She sagged in relief as she looked at the picture that was rolled in the wall. Grabbing it, she hugged it close to her chest.

“I want to leave now.”

He pulled her close wrapping her in his arm as he led her to the door. He stopped in the hallway checking out the shadows before he led her to the stairwell.

“I feel like I’m being watched,” she whispered looking around to find no one. He nodded, and the jogged down the steps. He looked around once again and opened the door for her.

He started the car and took off at a sedate speed until they were out of the complex. He gave the car gas allowing it to pick up speed.

“What do you have in your hand?”

“I’ll show you it when we get back to your place.”

He gave a quick nod. “We need to make a stop first.”

He drove watching her as she ran her hand over the canvas she was holding. She looked up when he pulled into a parking space.

“Why are we here?””

“You need clothes, and honestly I’ve watched this twice. Once with Deja, but really with Jessie. I want you to feel comfortable not like you’re an outsider in my home or even like you’re freeloading. I don’t think your nature will allow you to stay in a situation like that.”

He walked around the car and opened the door for her. She looked at his outstretched hand and the canvas in her hand.

“I’ll carry it for you.” She placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her out the car.

“We should call the detective.”

“Do you want to do it or will it be okay if I do it?”

“You don’t mind?”

“No.” She handed him the canvas, shut the door, and they walked into the mall together.

“Let’s stop here I can get a toothbrush and paste, soap and other little things I like.” They walked into a small drug store that had been set up in the mall. When they were done, he took the bag from her and led her to a store where she could buy lingerie and clothes.

“You’re being really nice about this.”

“I’m happy you think so. My other choice is to sit at home and worry about you till you come back. That’s not happening. Go shop I’ll make the call.”

He watched her as she wondered off, keeping her in his sights but not making her nervous with his presence.

“Hello, may I speak to Detective Baker?”

“Who’s calling?”

“Tell him, Declyn Lupe.” He waited several minutes until the line was picked up again.

“Mr. Lupe I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon.”

“I wasn’t expecting to call. Safire decided she wanted to go back to her place to pick up some clothes. When we got there, the door appeared locked, but when she opened it, her apartment was trashed. They ripped the stuffing out the couch, broke any visible piece of furniture or small mementos she had sitting out. I checked the place before I let her in, it was empty. They tore apart her bedroom and slashed her clothes. They also masturbated and sprayed everything with their DNA. That should help you to find them.

“We won’t be going back, but I wanted to alert you to what happened.”

“You should have never gone inside it was clearly marked as a crime scene.”

Declyn closed his eyes to keep from drawing attention to the way they were heating up and clenched his teeth to keep from having his fangs drop.

“You did not mention she was unable to retrieve her personal belongings when we met with you. If there had been any indication that the property was off limits because it was a crime scene we would have not breached the door. I’m not sure how we were supposed to tell when there was nothing there indicating this.”

“You missed the large yellow tape barring the door?”

“No, it was not there.”

“Mr. Lupe, I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I suggest that Ms. Morris be careful.”

“I will pass that along to her. She will be calling her landlord to drop her lease tomorrow. Whatever is in the apartment she will give permission for them to throw away. You may want to talk to the landlord if you want to preserve the crime scene for a while.”

“Yes well, I can handle my job thanks for calling.”

He growled low when he got off the phone.

“What’s wrong?” She placed her hand on his arm.

“Humans are impossible to deal with.” He frowned when he looked at her. He didn’t mean it that way, but the detective seemed like he was pushing at him trying to get a response.

“I think what you mean is Alpha males have a hard time getting along. That is what both you and the detective are. The difference is that your secure in who you are, on the other hand the detective is challenged every day. That can become uncomfortable.”

“You’re right Alpia.”

She laughed at him. “Bow to my wisdom. I’m going to try these on do you want to come and wait outside the dressing room.”

“I do, too bad those nice purple sweats with the white hearts on them are gone.”

“Never worry I picked up a pair of pink sweats with black hearts on them.” She held them up before she started towards the dressing room.

He laughed drawing attention to himself as he followed her. They passed a pair of black sweats with white skulls on them, he snagged her a pair for variety.

They were in a shoe store now. She hit three stores buying whatever she thought she needed.

“After this, I’m ready to go.”

“Won’t you need more?” When Enzo took Deja shopping, she shopped for days. The number of things she bought still made him dizzy to think about.

“Yes, but I’ll replace it all in time. For now, I have enough. I wish we had enough time to look at some furniture for your house.” She cast her eyes down and then looked up. “I don’t want you to think I’m trying to move in or change things. I just think you’d be happier in a cozier home. Sorry, I don’t mean to overstep.”

He bent down and whispered in her ear. “Do you remember I said you might want to keep me?”

She nodded a shiver of desire was playing with her spine making her want to drop and pull him on top of her.

You’re in a shoe store!

Kinky sex I love it.

I always wanted to try it in an elevator.

She laughed at the voices in her head and then went to the cashier to pay for her shoes. It was time to go home…back to Declyn’s place.