Page 20 of Vampire Lee

“I’m sorry.” Vampire Lee spoke lower. “I heard you scream, and I…I don’t know. I thought you were in danger.”

Dillon wasn’t sure he believed him, but he had screamed.

* * * *

Lee had fucked up. He’d been halfway to sleep, in the dreamy in-between state, when a muffled cry had sounded. A second later, it had been a gut-wrenching scream, and all he could think of was to get to whomever was screaming before the one hurting them could do more damage.

It wasn’t until he was out of bed that he realized it had to be Dillon, and everyone else was a floor below. If someone was hurting Dillon, the team wouldn’t get there in time to rescue him. He’d thrown himself at the locked door, not thinking for a second how it would make Dillon feel. He’d tumbled into his room wearing nothing but a pair of black trunks.

“Hey.” He squeezed Dillon’s shoulder but didn’t dare turn him around to have him look into his eyes. He hadn’t seen panic like that in…maybe ever. So raw.

Dillon didn’t move or talk.

“Dillon?”

A nod.

“Do you want to switch rooms? The door won’t close.”

He shook his head, then nodded, then shook his head. Great. Lee loved a man who knew what he wanted.

Gods, he was such a wanker. This was his fault.

“Want to go to bed? I can…You can push a dresser or something in front of the door when I’ve left.”

Dillon half-turned but caught himself before looking at Lee.

“Want to take my bed instead? I’m in the room next to this, and it has a working door.”

“Is someone coming?”

Lee listened for steps, but he couldn’t hear anything. “I don’t think so.”

“You said someone was coming.”

Had he? “No, I asked you if anyone was coming.”

When Dillon didn’t reply, he squeezed his shoulder again. Fuck, he should stop touching him, but his hand didn’t want to move.

“Do you want to stay in this bed, or do you want to go crash in mine?”

A headshake.

“I’m pretty slow, so it’d be better if you spelled things out for me. Do you want to sleep in this bed?”

Dillon shook his head again.

“Come on then, let’s go to my room.”

Another shake of the head.

“It’s like three in the morning. We’re not getting up now. Pick a bed.”

No reaction.

Lee took a deep breath before pushing Dillon forward. He didn’t struggle, didn’t scream, didn’t try to get away, but Lee wasn’t sure he was all there. It was as if a shell was moving out the door. He didn’t turn on his own, so Lee did it for him. Yup, he’d tucked himself away.

The door to his room was open, and he gently shoved Dillon inside and closed and locked it behind him. He waited for a moment to see if a new bout of panic would set in at the sound of the lock clicking shut, but nothing.

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