REESE
Iglanced in the mirror and made sure Clay’s headlights were behind me. I was a little irritated by the fact Thea was at work. She promised she wouldn’t take these risks. If she was here alone, I was going to give her a nice, long lecture—after her father left.
I was going to make it very clear I cared a great deal about her and didn’t want her body violated in any way. If she refused to listen to reason, I was going to put an armed guard on her. That would teach her.
I parked my car and cut the engine. The moment I opened the door, I heard dogs barking. In all the times I had been here, I had never heard the dogs from the street. Something was wrong. I didn’t bother waiting for Clay to park. I realized why I heard the dogs. The windows were shattered, and the front door was hanging open.
“Thea!” I shouted. The sound came from somewhere deep inside me. It was a shout that tore at my throat. I ran to the door and was knocked on my ass by a man racing out of the building. Two more men followed him before I could even get to my feet.
“Let’s go,” Clay shouted.
He reached down and extended a hand. He pulled me to my feet, and we rushed into the shelter. Glass crunched under our feet. “Thea!” I shouted again.
I would die if she was hurt. I immediately dismissed the idea. I was not going dark. “Thea!”
The barking got louder. A pack of dogs rushed toward me and Clay. I wasn’t sure if I should be afraid of them or not.
“Down!” I heard Thea’s commanding voice.
Relief washed over me. I rushed toward the back and found Thea hugging Lucas. Kona was at her feet with white foam around her mouth. Several other dogs were around her and the kid. I saw blood on her arm and a smudge on her chin. I couldn’t move. Partly because I wasn’t sure if the dogs would assume I was an attacker. Partly because I had never been more terrified in my entire life.
“Are you okay?” I asked. My tongue felt thick as I tried to speak.
“Thea,” her dad said and stepped forward.
Thea looked at her dad with confusion. “Dad?”
One dog barked, which set them all off. I took a step back along with her father. “Down!” Thea ordered again. “Lucas, can you start locking them back up? I need to call the police.”
She was being very calm, but I could hear the terror.
Lucas whistled. “Who wants a treat?”
The dogs immediately followed him through the door. The dogs still in their kennels were barking like mad. Once she was free of her protectors with teeth, I immediately went to her and pulled her into my arms. “Are you okay? Where are you hurt?”
“I’ll call the cops,” Clay said and left us alone for a few precious seconds.
She was shaking in my arms. I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but I refrained. She needed a minute. I understood that feeling. I held her tight against me and slowly felt the shaking stop. Her dad returned. “The cops are on their way.”
Thea pulled back. “Dad, what are you doing here?”
“That’s not important,” he said. “You’re hurt. I know you have a first-aid kit here. Where is it?”
“I’m not hurt,” she said.
“Baby, you’re bleeding,” I said gently.
I saw the shock in her eyes. “What?”
I gently pulled her hand away from me and held it out. I saw the cut, and after inspecting the rest of her, I realized it was all she had. The cut had bled and been smeared.
“Found it,” her dad called out and waved the white box. “Go in the bathroom and wash your hand.”
“Wait,” I said. “I want this documented for the police. This has gone too far. They need to see the damage.”
I snapped a couple pictures with my phone while her dad led her into the bathroom. I opened the door where Lucas had gone in. He was just putting the last two dogs into their kennel. “Hey, Lucas,” I said.
He locked the gate for the last dog and his shoulders immediately drooped. “Holy shit,” he breathed.