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This date had gone from exciting to comfortable to terrifying and back to exciting.
I unlocked the front door of my house, disabled the alarm then ushered Sparrow inside while I carried her small bag. She stepped hesitantly into the foyer and looked around while I reengaged the security system, her shoulders tense. I knew she was unsure about the whole situation—about me, staying here, what she should do. After tonight though, she couldn’t stay at her place.
The cops hadn’t found anyone inside, but when the let us in, it wasn’t the cute place I’d seen when I picked her up. The whole apartment was trashed. The vase of flowers I’d brought smashed against the wall. Most of her furnishings destroyed. With out a close inspection, I didn’t think much could be salvaged.
Even if Sparrow hadn’t been shaking harder than a leaf in a violent storm, I couldn’t have let her stay there. If she hadn’t agreed to stay with me, I would have talked her going to my parents’ home or my sister’s. Thankfully, it hadn’t taken much convincing.
We’d packed her a bag and I’d brought her here as soon as the cops had given us the go head.
“Let me show you to the guest room. Then I’ll grab some linens for you. My brother stayed over last week after he got in a fight with his wife, and I have remade the bed since I stripped it.” I shrugged. “I don’t have people over often.”
Thank you for letting me stay. I…
She pausedas if unsure.
I didn’t want to stay there. Would have gone to a hotel.
I didn’t have to read between the lines to guess she might have disappeared. During our date, I’d learned that both of the jobs she did were online. She could do that from just anywhere.
Unfortunately, her computer had been destroyed, which would make that more difficult. Hopefully, she could access what she needed through the cloud, and she could use my laptop. Hell, I’d buy her a new one.
Pulling her into my arms I buried my nose in her hair. “I’ll keep you safe. We’ll figure out this whole thing. I know people. We can call them in the morning.” I glanced toward the front windows where I could see the faintest gray-purple of the sunrise starting to finger into the horizon. “Later this morning, anyway. Or early afternoon.”
I wasn’t sure I’d be able to sleep after seeing how her couch and bed had been violently slashed. Swallowing hard, I forced myself not to tighten my arms around her. My chest rattled with shaky breaths, and I stepped back.
“Let’s get you upstairs.”
Thank you,she signed.
Reaching out, I drew my fingers along her hair, smoothing a silky lock behind her ear before tracing the length to the end with between two of my fingers. “Anything you need, Sparrow.”
A small, wane smile curved her lips. God, I wished I could hear her voice again—not in terror, but in regular conversation. She’d said she was working with a therapist. Maybe, someday, then… And I’d be there. Deep inside, I knew I wouldn’t walk away from her and I’d fight for her if I had to.
So much feeling, so fast. I wasn’t sure what to do with it other than to roll with what came my way. We’d wait and see, and I’d keep her safe. I’d even take time off from work if I had to. The worst was, there were no clues as to who it had been.
“Hopefully, we’ll hear from the police later this morning,” I said, carrying her bag toward the stairs while I kept her small hand clasped in mine. One of the police investigators planned to question her neighbors to see if they’d seen or heard anything tonight.
Officer Latten, who’d relayed the information to us, said they hoped to at least pinpoint a time so they could pull traffic cam footage from the light at the entrance to the complex, but I wasn’t so sure how that would help. They didn’t know who they were looking for.
“This is you,” I said, opening the first door on the left. “It’s not a lot, but the mattress is at least decent. The bathroom is directly across the hallway. Feel free to use anything in there. We’ll pick up anything else you need from the drugstore later.”
And I was jabbering again. Annoyed with myself, I put down her suitcase and turned to the linen closet beside the bathroom, to grab out sheets and blankets.
Together we made up the bed then I stood at the door, not wanting to leave her alone. Sparrow watched me, looking as if she didn’t want me to leave her alone, either. But maybe, that was my wishful imagination. I just wanted to wrap my arms around her.
She nibbled on her lip, fiddling with her fingers.
Thank you again,she finally signed as the silence stretched on.
“Are you alright?”
She started to nod then shook her head before her chin had even fully dipped.
“Me, either.” Closing the space between us, I pulled her to me again, comforted by the way she snuggled right into me. “I don’t want to push you, but fuck, baby, I just want to hold you and make sure you’re okay.”
I felt her nod against me. Pulling back, I looked down at her.
“Please,” she mouthed, her lush lips forming the word while I was deprived of the accompanying sound. Now that I’d heard her voice once, knew it was buried there deep inside her, I wanted to experience it again more than anything. Almost anything.
