Page 41 of Locked Out

Dante squatted down and peered at the carpet. He picked up a piece of dark colored fabric. “Looks like they tore something.”

Archer signaled him and he handed it over. He turned to Cash and both men looked at it. Riss wanted to see it but she couldn’t really focus her eyes well enough to see the detail.

“Was it a man or woman?” Cash asked.

“I couldn’t tell. They were sort of hunched over and with the light behind them, it was impossible to see any features. They just looked like a dark blob.”

“Cash you and I need to talk,” Archer directed. “Dante, take the mug and get the contents analyzed. Dominick, make sure the rest of the guests are fine.” He turned and everyone started moving.

“Cash,” she said and reached out to hold onto his arm. If everyone left she’d be alone and that was the last thing she wanted to be at the moment.

“Give me a minute,” he said to Archer who looked none too pleased but nodded. “Dominick, can you bring her water, and do you think biscotti would be okay as well?”

Dominick gave him a quick smile. “Yes sir, I think that would work very well.”

She didn’t want cookies. She wasn’t hungry and now she had a headache, but it would take too much effort to protest. They all piled out of the room. Cash turned back to her. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” His eyes searched her face and down over her nightgown. Heat rose up her cheeks. She wanted to pull the covers up over her breasts but since she’d been sitting like this in her nightgown in front of all these men for the last few minutes she didn’t see a point now.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

She nodded. “I’m okay. I…just don’t want to be alone.” She frowned at him. “I thought you said I’d be safe here.”

“Yes. This…this type of thing just doesn’t happen in a Society facility. Not ever. No one is that stupid. The penalty for something like this is death. Someone must be very desperate to risk it.”

She shuddered. The thought that someone could die over a break-in was just mind blowing. She never would have thought it possible but then she didn’t think secret societies actually existed either. The whole thing was just insane.

“I-I don’t want to be alone,” she said as she licked her lips. “If someone broke in to kill me then they could do it again.”

Cash ran a hand through his hair. “No stranger broke in. It was someone who’s staying here. Fifteen thousand alarms would’ve gone off is someone broke into the building. Trust me. That didn’t happen. Someone who is already here broke into your room.”

Nausea gripped her. “You’re not helping.” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She just wanted him to hold her. She felt safe in his arms. She wanted him to stay in her room with her. She’d be safe then.

He gave her a quick squeeze and then peeled her arms from his neck. “I have to go.” He stood. “You’ll be okay for the rest of the night. I promise.”

This was not going the way she thought it would. “How do you know?” she demanded. “You promised you would keep me safe. That I would be safe here and look what happened. How can you be sure I’ll be safe now?”

Dominick arrived in the doorway with a bottle of water and a very large dog at his heels.

Cash flashed a smile. “Because this is Biscotti. He’s a German Shepard trained in security. He’s Dominick’s dog but he’ll be happy to spend the night in here with you, won’t you boy?” Cash bent down and ruffled the dog’s fur. The dog seemed to smile. He stood and snapped his fingers. Biscotti jumped up onto the bed, spun in a circle and then laid down facing the door, ear pricked forward, as if listening for something or someone.

Cash met her gaze. “Anyone but me or Dominick enters your room and Biscotti will have them screaming in agony within seconds. You’ll be fine.”

Dominick put the water bottle down on her nightstand. “I promise you, Ms. Day, no one is better than Biscotti.” He ruffled the dog’s ears.

“He’s a beautiful dog.” So much for cookies. Now she was a little hungry. It was the stress.

Dominick nodded and headed out.

“Stay in your room with the dog. You’ll be fine. Call down if you need anything,” Cash said gesturing once again to the phone. “I am truly sorry, Riss. I promise I’ll get to the bottom of it.” With that he left, closing the door after him.

Riss stared at the dog. He seemed perfectly content to go to sleep. That made one of them.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Archer glanced up as Cash entered the room. The man’s expression was downright frigid. “Took your sweet time.” Ice hung off every syllable.

“I thought I should get dressed and make sure the other residents were tucked up in their beds. I also did a sweep of the house just to make sure the system hadn’t failed and no one had managed to come in from outside.” He’d done it more to calm his nerves than anything else. He knew it was someone on the inside, but he needed to do mindless things to bring his heart rate down and shake off his rage at the thought of someone hurting Riss. Wrangle that particular monster back in the box where it belonged. It wouldn’t help him any and worse it could hurt her. He needed to be on his game, not blinded by anger.

“You could have done all that from down here,” he pointed to the bank of video screens.

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