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“They marked her room,” Anna answered flatly and this time I didn’t so much hear his growl as I felt it. The low sound reverberated through me, the vibration of it raising the hairs on my neck.
“They what?” Caleb asked in shock, straightening abruptly.
“This is a declaration of war,” Dominic snarled, his body seeming to get even bigger if such a thing was possible. Anna took a step back, brushing against me as I felt my eyes widen. I wondered if I was about to see the Hulk in live action, as my fingers gripped Anna’s sleeve.
“Calm down,” Anna said soothingly and I jerked at the sleeve I held like a lifeline.
“Are you kidding me?” I hissed. “No one on the face of the planet has ever calmed down because someone told them too!”
“Do you have a better idea?” She asked between clenched teeth, a fake smile plastered to her face as she huddled next to me.
“Dom,” the name cracked through the air like a whip and I felt myself jump slightly, even as the sound seemed to snap Dominic from his rage.
Anna sagged against me, murmuring, “Thank God he brought Caleb.”
“Why would he listen to Caleb?” I questioned, my forehead wrinkling at the undercurrents I couldn’t understand.
“It’s complicated,” Anna answered, but a quick glance at my face had her elaborating. “Dominic’s job is to protect Caleb. Same as his father protects Caleb’s father. It also means he has to listen to him.”
“Clear as mud,” I replied, slumping back against the rough brick of the motel as we watched Dominic pace in front of us, his fists opening and closing steadily. I had no doubt if either of those guys had stuck around there wouldn’t be anything left of them.
“You don’t want to know, remember?” Anna gazed at me, her eyebrow lifted as she waited for my answer. When I didn’t reply, she hummed softly and turned back to Dominic. “Pretty sure it’s the Hanleys, but if you want to go take a whiff….” She gestured toward my door and Dominic took a step forward. Caleb placed a hand on his chest, stopping him as they exchanged a glance. Dominic’s eyes narrowed and Caleb shook his head, stepping forward instead.
“Make sure they’re safe,” Caleb told him, and Dominic inclined his head slightly, his expression torn as he watched Caleb walk toward my room. I wasn’t sure if it was because he wanted to go instead or because he didn’t like leaving Caleb vulnerable. Or a combination of both.
Anna’s explanation, lacking as it had been, did explain Dominic’s protectiveness over Caleb. Sometimes he acted more like a bodyguard than a coach or friend.
“Stay behind me,” Dominic commanded, his hand wrapping around the door handle as I bristled.
“It’s my house,” I argued and he paused.
“Go ahead then,” he said, stepping back and waving at the door. “Holler if you see them.”
I fumed for a second before reaching for the door, unwilling to step down from his challenge.
“Dom!” Anna hissed behind me and as my hand wrapped around the knob to open the door I felt his hand cover mine. Instead of yanking my hand away, I felt him twist his wrist, turning the knob for me. His body hovered over me and I knew he would have me behind him in a millisecond if there were any type of threat in the room.
The scent of fresh paint hit my nose first and I inhaled deeply, happy for the familiar smell. It was a thousand times better than the acrid urine now coating my old room.
I felt the rise and fall of Dominic’s chest against my back as he too took a deep breath. I had the feeling his nose detected far more than mine.
“They weren’t in here,” Anna stated, relieved. Dominic slid past me soundlessly, his movements graceful in spite of his size.
“Yet,” he muttered, his gaze taking everything in as he searched the room for a threat.
“That’s super comforting,” I interjected, my smile bitter as I walked to the kitchen island. It separated the kitchen from the small living room, and there was space for a tiny dining table, but Dad hadn’t bothered. We had grown accustomed to eating at the island and it was more important to get the couch replaced. The old one had been a hideous orange plaid that had somehow managed to continue matching the brown shag carpeting through the years. Now the floor was a clean wood look tile and I didn’t have to worry about what lived in it anymore.
“Hear anything?” Anna murmured under her breath to Dominic and he shook his head.
“Supersonic hearing to go with that sense of smell?” I offered sarcastically, moving automatically toward my room to put down my backpack. When Dad had renovated the apartment, I’d asked for two things. My own bathroom and that my room be as far from his as possible in the small space. He’d accommodated both requests, creating two suites, one on either side of the small living space. It wasn’t ideal, but still better than the initial shared motel room.
