Lily
I sit in shock as dad talks to the officers. I can't believe this is fucking happening again.
I'm glad dad shuts them down and doesn't allow them to ask me anymore unnecessary questions. He and I both know that they would have taken another statement and used it for their own selfish reasons.
Dad's fierce, and more knowledgeable about the law than anyone I've known. His best friend, Taz calls him Lawman, which also matches the patch on his leather club cut and jacket. The people in dad's office, call him The Slayer, which matches the plague on his desk at his office. I think both fit.
The look on Officer McDonald's face when dad puts him in his place was almost enough to make me grin, but I just couldn't seem to manage it.
After showing the cops to the door, he sits next to me on the couch holding my hands in his. I can see the pain in his eyes, and I know this is bringing back memories of mom's murder to his mind too. How could it not?
"I need you to tell me everything, sweetheart. Don't leave anything out. You said earlier you saw someone?" His big blue eyes look at me sternly trying to push his pain away so we can focus on the problem in front of us.
"Yes. A man." I close my eyes remembering the eerie way he looked up at me.
"Where did you see him?" He asks and I open my eyes to look back at him.
"On the sidewalk in front of the other building. A few minutes after the last shot. He walked out of the building, stopped and looked up at me. He stood there, just staring at me. Then he walked off." I wipe the tears from my cheeks and try to recall everything I can.
"Could you make out anything about him?" Dad asks rubbing my hands in his.
"It was too dark." I shook my head, "I could tell he was tall and that he wore dark clothing and a baseball hat." I shrug not being able to remember much more.
"How do you know he was looking at you?" Dad asks, his eyebrows wrinkled in confusion.
"I could feel his eyes on me, dad. Plus, when that Officer McDonald went to investigate, he did the same thing. He looked up at me from the sidewalk. We waved at each other. I'm telling you; he saw me." My breathing begins to quicken as I think of the man on the street, and then my thoughts fade to the man in the leather club cut the night my mom was murdered. I remember the eerie way he looked at me and the way he out his finger over his mouth to make sure I stayed quiet.
The image of the man in the club cut from my mom's murder comes to mind. His eyes. The way he put his finger over his mouth. Fuck, why this again.
I had the intense need to rub my hands together, but dad was holding them tightly in his. Fuck, and now I'm back to wanting to wring my hands all the time like I'm some fucking crazy person. Great, can this night get any fucking better.
"When the homicide detectives get here. Tell them what you told me, even the cannabis, if you've had any tonight." He knows me, hell, we've smoked together on more than one occasion. But to tell cops that I've been smoking didn't make sense to me. I look at him, confused as if he's trying to get me locked up.
"Be upfront about it, sweetheart. Could ruin the entire case if not." When he says it, I'm reminded of the client he had a few years ago that kept something from him. The something was so big, that when the defense brought it up in court, it turned his entire case into a shit show.
"I need to make a phone call." he lets go of my hands and places the red throw pillow back into my lap.
"Use this, not your hands." I nod watching him disappear into the kitchen.
I grip the pillow to my chest, close my eyes and lay my head back on the couch again. I instantly realize how tense my body is. Fuck, I've got to calm down. I begin to breath in and out slowly to try to calm my nerves but all I can think of are the four shots.
Did that mean there were four bodies or only one that was shot four times? Or two bodies shot twice? The thoughts make my mind drift to my mom's lifeless body and the one gunshot that killed her.
I grip the pillow tighter and begin humming trying to create any kind of noise to drown out the gunshots in my head. Having no such luck, my thoughts are thankfully interrupted by dad entering the room. I pick my head up and open my eyes to look at him.
He's running his hands through his short salt and pepper hair. It's the same hair cut he's had since he was a Marine. The only reason I know that, is from all the pictures of him in uniform I've seen through the years.
I can tell he is worried but that he is trying his best to hide it.
"I need you to pack." He says standing in front of me.
"Pack?" I ask confused.
"Just as a precaution, I don't want you to stay by yourself." He insists looking at me concerned.
I knew there was no use arguing, he had made up his mind, and who was I to argue with him at this point. I'm the one that called him for help and help, was exactly what he was going to give me. Besides, staying alone wasn't the most appealing thought at the moment. I gently nod and rise from the couch to do as I'm told.
A few minutes later I return from the bedroom with a large black and red suitcase, small duffel bag and a bathroom bag to match. I'm unsure of when I'll feel safe here again, so best to be prepared.
Just as I'm setting the suitcases down next to my bedroom door, the buzzer goes off scaring me.
"Yes" my father reaches the intercom before I do.
"There are two detectives here to see Miss. Anderson." Juan's voice sounds very interested in the events that are happening, but I'm sure he's also been questioned.
"Send them up." He responds and opens the door for them. This time, they are the detectives dad was expecting.
An hour passes and the detectives are still seated across from dad and me. They have asked me question after question and had me go through the details of the events several times before finally, dad puts a stop to it.
"I believe you have enough for now." Dad tells the detectives when they ask another question.
"I'm sure we do. Thank you for your assistance with this." The tall, freckled face detective says glancing from my father back to me before continuing, "We would like to place you under protection until we confirm the identity of the man, and if he was responsible. We want to make sure you aren't in any danger." He adds glancing back at dad.
"I would like the same, which is why I have made arrangements to do just that. I will be in touch with her location as soon as it is finalized. You may contact me if you need anything further, as I am also representing her." Dad advises them before rising from the couch to hand them each a business card. They do not object and take his card before saying their goodbyes.
"We're not going back to your house?" I ask suspiciously sitting down on the couch pulling the pillow back into my lap.
"No, you're not." He advises as if he's about to drop a bomb on me. I know that look. I've gotten it a few times over the years when he's about to tell me something that I am not going to like.
"Then where am I going?" I ask as his phone rings, and he answers it disregarding my question.
"Good, thanks man. There's a back door, the security guy is waiting for you. I'll let him know you're here." Dad says into the phone, and I watch as he goes to the intercom to notify Juan that Nitro is out back.
"Who's Nitro?" I ask as he unlocks the door and stands next to it watching the elevator.
"A friend." He finally responds before walking out to greet this Nitro that is now coming off the elevator.
"Thanks for being discreet." I hear dad say and then I hear a man's deep voice.
"So, what's going on?" The man says and his voice sends chills down my spine. So deep and...sexy.
"Let's talk inside" I hear my father say before he walks back into the apartment with a man following behind him.
The man is fucking massive. He stands taller than Dad and almost double his size. He has short jet-black wavy hair that's cut shorter on the sides. His sexy ass beard is perfectly trimmed showing off his ruggedly, handsome face and his dark blue eyes. He's wearing a black long sleeve t-shirt that shows off his muscular body – a body that Dwayne Johnson would be jealous of. On both sides of his neck, I can see a tattoo poking out from under the neckline of his shirt.
He runs his hand through that gorgeous black hair as he looks at me. Fuck, I've never seen a more gorgeous man in my entire life.