Page 36 of Say Yes to the Death

Shit. RIP winter coat.

She shoved her clothes aside and thoroughly inspected the closet. Apart from a handful of coats and some cleaning supplies, the closet was empty. She slunk back into the living room. Someone could be hiding underneath her couch. She dropped to her knees and slashed the sword underneath the couch. It clanged off a leg, and Claire jerked her arm so hard that the sword ricocheted and sliced across her left forearm.

Fuckity fuck. That would be a tough one to explain to her doctor.

Blood oozed from her wound, running off her arm and spattering onto the hardwood floor. She toddled over to the hallway closet and yanked her least-favorite scarf from its hanger. The wound burned as she wrapped it repeatedly around the wound, tightening the knot with her teeth.

She picked up the (now-bloody) sword. Ignoring the stabbing pain in her chest and the blood-soaked fall accessory on her arm, she yanked open her bathroom door. The shower was next—no intruder in there either.

She strode systematically through the house, peeking behind curtains and checking every nook and cranny. No one was hiding behind the bottle of creamer that had the whole refrigerator to itself. There wasn’t an unusually small intruder curled up in the kitchen sink. Rosie followed every step of the way, licking frantically at Claire’s bare legs. Not her most helpful moment.

Finally, she came to rest against the refrigerator. The stainless steel cooled the back of her neck. Her heart no longer galloped, but her limbs shook like leaves in the wind. Should she brave the bedroom and snatch her phone? There was no telling how long it would take Sanctum to respond to the panic button.

A thudding came from her front door. Thank god. Backup.

“Come in,” Claire croaked. Her voice was like someone who had smoked five packs a day for a decade.

The knob rattled, then the door flew open. A large, dark shape ninja rolled into her apartment. Rosie immediately barked and growled. Her lip curled as she approached the figure with bared teeth. Claire gripped the handle of her sword.

Sawyer leapt to his feet, holding his stun gun out in front of him.

“Is someone in the apartment?” he barked, spotting her frozen at the refrigerator.

“I’m not sure. I haven’t checked the bedroom.” Her voice wavered again. Get it together, Claire.

Sawyer strode down the hallway like he was about to storm a castle. He thrust the table out of the way and threw the bedroom door open. He disappeared inside.

Claire’s knees gave out. She slid slowly down the refrigerator until she puddled on the floor. She was safe. So why was her vision going dark again?

Painful, shallow breaths stole past her lips. The chest pain was back. Maybe she really was having a heart attack.

“All clear.” Sawyer stepped into the hallway. He looked around for a moment before spotting her on the floor. The entire kitchen shook as he dropped to his knees.

She turned to him. Tears leaked out, spilling down cheeks that twitched on their own. Was she going to die?

“Woah, hey. Are you having a panic attack? Here.” He gathered her into his arms and pressed her into his chest.

Oh, a panic attack. Not death, then. That was good.

“Breathe with me, Claire. Feel my heartbeat.” He said, gently tugging her palm upward and onto his broad chest.

In for seven, out for eleven. Was it possible to breathe away a panic attack? Her body still trembled, but as he held her, the panic edged away. There was no one in her apartment. She was safe. Rosie was safe.

“You’re safe,” he said, as if reading her mind.

Thank god it had been Sawyer who responded. He had such a calming presence. She wasn’t sure how many surveillance techs worked at Sanctum, but Sawyer had already seen her blood-drenched and inches from death. Explaining her circumstances to a newbie would have been even more painful.

Minute by minute, her breathing slowed and got deeper. The sense of dread was still there, but it began to fade and blur at the edges like an inky watercolor.

Was she going to have to tell Luke about this? Even though they weren’t officially together, it felt strange to be held by another man. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she would have given her last bottle of wine to be in his arms right now. She pulled back and leaned against the fridge again.

“Could you check the rest of the apartment too? In case I missed anything.”

“Absolutely.” Sawyer set to work re-investigating the spots she had already checked. “Can I ask what happened?”

“I found a note under my pillow.”

He swiveled and stared at her. “Are you serious?”

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