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I turned back to him, smiling weakly. “Well, I think I know which apartment got burned down.”
“Please,” Lucian started, his expression dire. “Stay with me tonight. I’ll take you to a hotel if you insist, but I’d feel better if I could watch over you.”
I paused. “Am I… Is someone trying to hurt me?” I remembered then the voice I heard in the fire. I had almost written it off as being part of a dream, or a hallucination. But now I wasn’t so sure.
“Someone might be.” Lucian glanced around, as if checking to make sure he wasn’t being followed. “I’ll explain everything once I get you settled in safely at my place.”
I nodded and stood up on shaky legs. That was when another fireman approached us, holding up my purse. “Managed to retrieve this. Not much else was salvageable.”
Lucian accepted it on my behalf, then asked the man, “Could you tell Baptiste that I’m taking off for the night to take care of Zoe? And to look for any signs of arson, possibly by a monster?”
The man straightened up at the implication. “Oh. Of course. You got it, boss.”
Lucian then turned to me. “All right, we’re going to head to my apartment. Let’s drive there in your food truck. Better to keep it where we can see it, in case it’s targeted too.” He reached for my hand and gently took it, leading me over to the truck, parked in its usual spot in the lot.
At that point, the shock was setting in, and all I could do was nod and let him take the lead.
“I’ll drive,” he said, giving me my purse.
After I fished out the keys and handed them over, he helped me get into the passenger seat before heading to the driver’s side.
He adjusted the seat, then turned the engine over. We both buckled our seat belts, then he pulled out. I watched the smoke through the window as we turned onto the street.
“You think a monster did this?” I asked, holding my purse close to my chest.
“Maybe,” was the answer he gave as he focused on the road ahead of us. He seemed intent on keeping an eye on our surroundings.
I swallowed hard. It was good that he didn’t sugarcoat it, but maybe I’d be better off not knowing any more details, at least not for tonight.
Lucian continued, “I could be wrong. It's better not to rush to conclusions. Baptiste will give me the full report once he’s finished.”
I nodded silently, staring out the windshield as he navigated the streets.
I was tired and sore, and felt like crying. My apartment had been destroyed. My entire life’s possessions, all of my personal mementos and objects—everything had been lost in the inferno.
I swallowed back the lump forming in my throat, tears welling up in my eyes as the night’s events sank in. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to keep calm and composed, but it was no use. The tears started falling.
Lucian glanced over at me and reached out to touch my arm. “I’m so sorry, Zoe.”
I wiped away the tears with the back of my hand, sniffling as I tried to hold back the sobs threatening to escape. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” I whispered.
He shook his head. “It might be. I might’ve brought this danger to you. I should have never—”
“Don’t,” I said. “Don’t say you never should have come into my life. I’m glad you did.”
Lucian’s jaw clenched, his eyes fixed on the road. He looked like he wanted to insist otherwise, but thought better of it. At least for tonight. Instead, he remained quiet, and about five minutes later, he pulled up the long driveway of a quaint townhouse.
It was dark, with only a few street lights illuminating the building, but even in the dim light, I could see that it was a nice place, with a small, neatly manicured lawn and a white picket fence. One would never think a hellhound lived here.
“This is it,” Lucian said quietly. He turned off the engine and quickly added, “Wait here.” He got out and made his way around to the passenger side, opening the door for me and offering his hand to help me step down.
I took it gratefully, my legs still feeling like jelly after the night’s events. He led me up to the front porch, where he took out a set of keys and unlocked the door, gesturing for me to enter ahead of him.
The interior was simple and clean, with hardwood floors and minimal furniture. There was a living room with a couch and TV, a small kitchen and dining area, and a staircase leading up to what I assumed was his bedroom.
It was cozy and homey, and all my apprehension melted away as Lucian led me over to the couch. I sank into the plush cushions, grateful to be off my feet. He hurried off to the kitchen, wettinga dish towel before returning to me, kneeling down and gently wiping dark soot off my face. I hadn’t even realized my face and arms were covered in it.
He worked in silence, his brow furrowed with concentration as he tenderly cleaned my skin. His touch was gentle and warm, and I instinctively leaned into it, enjoying the feel of his hands on me. To think he could be so fierce one moment, and so gentle the next…
