Page 48 of Cursed by Death

It made me feel terrible because if I had taken care of the guest house the same way I had my house then maybe Thomas would still be alive. Probably not though because it wouldn’t have been able to stop him from opening up the front door to a complete stranger.

I didn’t bring any of this up to Rally because it was not his burden to bear.

Rally laid me down on my bed and tucked me in beneath the blankets. When he didn’t get into bed beside me I had to say something. “Rally. What are you doing?”

“There’s a problem at home that requires my attention. I’ve got to go. I wouldn’t leave you if it wasn’t important. Just being near you all night has given me more peace than I've felt in a very long time. I wanted to spend the whole night with you, by your side until you woke up in the morning. I’m sorry, Ruby Jane. This happens often, when my people need me I have to go. It’s all part of the job. My people always come first. My wants and needs will always come second to that.”

That was terribly sad for him and I hated that. But I also completely understood it. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Rally. Your people come first, that’s totally understandable. Just promise me you’ll be safe and you’ll check in with me later. Otherwise, I will worry about you.”

He pulled my hair back away from my face and pressed his forehead to mine. “If I can, I'll be back tomorrow night. What’s the code to the front door?”

I hesitated before telling him. The more people who knew the code the less safe my home was. Hopefully he didn’t give the code out to anyone else. I got that his house was open to all of the shifters but I wasn’t so sure I wanted my house to be the same. That was a lot for someone who spent all of their time alone. I wasn’t ready for all of that kind of change just yet. I might never be ready for something like that.

That was Rally’s life, it wasn’t mine.

“Thanks, baby,” he murmured as he pressed his lips to mine in a barely there and then gone again kiss. “I’m going to leave Fox here with you today. Be nice to him.”

My eyes flew open but he was already walking away with his back to me. “What? I don’t need a babysitter. He’s your guard, Rally. Take him with you.”

He didn’t respond and I knew he wasn’t going to listen to me, no matter how hard I tried to convince him. Some people just didn’t listen.

Fuck. He couldn’t leave Fox here to spy on me all day. And eventually I would have to invite him inside because I’d feel sorry for him being stuck outside all day long. I’d have to feed him. And, what if I went somewhere? Would I be expected to take him with me? Like, on a field trip? I didn’t like the sound of that.

Rally and I were going to have a serious conversation about this later.

I had to draw the line somewhere and I thought I might have just found it.

Chapter 25

Iwoke up to sounds coming from downstairs that told me there was someone else in my house with me. I wasn’t worried about this but I was slightly disturbed that this just might be my life now.

The light coming in through my curtains let me know that it was early afternoon and I had slept in later than what I usually did. I needed to take a shower but wasn’t comfortable taking one until I knew who was downstairs in my kitchen. I could guess, but I needed to know for sure.

I put my robe on and tucked my knives into each pocket on either side or me. I would have rather put my wrist sheaths on but that seemed a little aggressive, even to me.

I checked my phone and found no new texts or calls, but that was my usual normal. I left my phone plugged in and on my dresser. I hadn't plugged it in last night. I was pretty sure I had left it on the coffee table in the basement, so Rally must have brought it up here and plugged it in to charge after he’d carried me up two flights of stairs and put me to bed. That was very thoughtful of him and totally what I was coming to notice as just Rally being Rally.

It still didn’t make up for the fact he’d left Fox here to watch over me. I wasn’t a damn child and I could take care of myself. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to someone watching over me.

I found Detective Rowans and Fox in my kitchen. They were sitting around my island holding coffee mugs. How cozy. I did not appreciate either of them being in my kitchen when I had not invited either of them to be there.

“How did you get in here?” I asked and they both turned to greet me. Neither of them had a smile on their face.

Detective Rowans nodded at me as he took a sip from his coffee. Fox just shrugged. “Rally let me in. When the nice Detective here showed up at your front door not fifteen minutes ago I let him in. Your house might be nice and big but it lacks warmth and personality. It’s like a show home that nobody lives in. What’s up with that?”

He wasn’t wrong but I found it annoying that he felt the need to point it out. I wondered if he even knew just how rude he was being. I was feeling pissy because I hadn’t invited him into my home and now he sat at my kitchen island drinking coffee out of one of my mugs that I hadn’t offered to him. He’d simply helped himself and then he’d gone and played hostess to the Detective.

It’s not even that I wouldn’t have invited them inside or offered to make them coffee, because I would have. It was having the option taken away from me that bothered me so much. Maybe I just liked being in control of everything all the time and that was my problem.

“You didn’t text,” the Detective said, causing me to frown at him. “You told me you’d text when you got home last night and you didn’t. I had shit to do this morning or I would have been here earlier. And you're a terrible texter, so I didn’t even bother with that.”

Well shit.

I had been so distracted by having Rally come home with me last night that I had forgotten my promise to the Detective. “I’m sorry, Johnny. I completely forgot. I do suck at texting. I’ll try to do better going forward. Sorry that you had to come all the way out here.”

He didn’t look mad, which I was grateful for. I’d probably be and or, at the very least, incredibly annoyed.

“That’s not the only reason I’m here,” he said as he sat his coffee cup down onto the counter.

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