Page 31 of Real Shadows
But this time, it only took a matter of a couple of months. He’s never moved this fast before. Whoever was doing this usually waiting until I was settled; comfortable. Well…as comfortable as I could ever be.
I sensed movement all around me, but my eyes couldn’t tear themselves away from that goddamn rabbit. It wasn’t until I felt Xander’s hands on my shoulders that I snapped out of my fearful trance.
“Fallon!” he yelled with a shake of my shoulders. I blinked and looked into his worried face. Whatever he saw there, it caused his shoulders to sag. “Baby…” he whispered.
“Did you move the rabbit?” That’s all that mattered. That’s the only question that needed to be asked.
“What?” His brow drew down. “No. Fallon, I need to look at your feet and legs, baby. They’re turning red.”
I reared back, hurt, confused, scared, and…unhinged. “Who cares about my legs, Xander? Did you move the fucking rabbit?!”
“No!” he snapped. “Why in the fuck would I move either of the rabbits?”
Breathe.
Dawning raced across Xander’s face. “Fallon,” he said sternly, as if he knew I was about to crack, “I need you check your legs. Let me check your legs then…then we’ll check the rabbits, okay?”
I shook my head.
Fuck. My. Legs.
That was until I took a step and heat radiated all over my lower extremities. “Fuck,” I hissed.
Fed up, Xander grabbed my hips, lifted me, and placed me on the kitchen island. He went to go…well, I don’t know where, but I grabbed his arm. When he turned towards me, I could see the worry in every part of his face. “Check the rabbits, Xander,” I begged.“Please.”
I could tell he didn’t want to leave me, but I was two seconds away from full-blown hysteria and I think he knew it. “Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll go check your room and then…the one on the shelf.” His hands came up to cradle my face. “But promise me you’re going to stay put. Your legs are bad off. Do not walk on them until I’ve taken a look, okay?” I could only nod, but that was all it took for Xander to sprint down the hallway.
I sat on the counter on the verge of losing my shit as Xander checked my room. How did he get into Xander’s house? I knew there was a huge chance he would finally find me once I made the decision to use my real name here in Brant, but how in the hell did he get into Xander’s house?
Getting past Xander’s security system seemed to confirm that whoever this person was, he or she was good with computers. It would explain always finding me. It would explain getting inside Xander’s house. His deadbolts only engaged from the inside of the house. They protected us if we were home, but they did not a damn thing if we weren’t.
I watched as Xander came back down the hallway and stop at the wall shelf. He was so tall that he didn’t need to get on his tiptoes to inspect the shelf. When Xander put the rabbit there, he had sprinkled a thin layer of vacuum dust on it, so we’d know.
And by the defeat in his stance, I’d say we knew.
Chapter 20
Xander~
The rabbithadbeen moved.
The one in the bedroom was still untouched, but the one in the hallway had been moved. And as much as I knew that was Fallon’s greatest concern right now, her legs were mine.
I turned towards her. “I’m going to go get the First-Ai-”
“Have the rabbits been moved, Xander?” she asked again, not one bit concerned about possible burns on her feet and legs.
I did my best to measure my tone. I didn’t want to alarm or upset her. “The one in the bedroom hasn’t been moved, Fal-”
“But that one has, hasn’t it?”
“Let me get the First-Aid kit and…then hear me out, okay?”
“Xand-”
“Fallon, baby,please,”I begged. Yes, I was worried about her mental well-being, but I needed to see to her physically as well.
She gave me a small nod of her head and I raced towards upstairs to the attic where I had my industrial First-Aid kit, not caring about the shards of ceramic on the floor. I did a lot of my physical work up there, so that’s where I had it. The kitchen and both bathrooms had standard First-Aid kits, but her legs were going to need burn salve and maybe some bandages.
