Page 13

CHAPTER 12

AURORA

“Call me if you ever need to talk.”

Jaxson strolls back to the house, leaving me to ponder his words. With one last glance, he opens the door and heads inside. I continue to stroke Lykos’ fur. I’m shocked that Jaxson thought enough about me to bring me a dog. Lykos is huge, and at first, I was afraid he was going to try and tear me apart. But when he laid his head in my lap, I was a goner.

“What do you think, Lykos?” His head snaps in my direction at his name. “Jaxson says that if I would’ve been successful with my…” I gulp. “Plan… Then they would’ve won. Didn’t they already win? They took everything from me. Everything!”

Exhausted, I lie down in the grass. Lykos lays his giant paw on my stomach and his head on my chest above my heart. I wrap my arms around him while he absorbs my pain. I’m so sick of crying, but instead of a sense of heavy foreboding, this release feels cathartic.

Is Jaxson right? Can I still have a life after all the shit that has happened?

Once my tears dry out, I slowly drag myself over to a patio chair with Lykos at my heels. I love sitting in the grass, but my body is stiff and sore from lying on the ground and sitting with Jaxson this afternoon. The sun is slowly starting to set. I’m so mesmerized by the different soft color tones of oranges and reds that I don’t realize I’m no longer alone.

“They’re gone.” Dad leans against the house.

I grab my chest. “Jesus, Dad!” Lykos takes a defensive stance in front of me, growling. “Lykos, down.” He immediately settles but eyes my dad warily.

“Sorry, baby girl.” Dad pulls up a seat next to me. “I wanted to let you know the guys all left.”

“It’s okay.” I scratch under Lykos’ jaw. “I zoned out.”

“How do you like him?” Dad gestures toward Lykos.

“He’s great,” I say. “Are you okay with a dog around the house?”

Dad smiles. “I’ll do anything that’ll help put you at ease. Besides, it seems like he’s pretty smitten with you already.”

Lykos licks my hand and drops back down on his paws, resting his head.

I choke up. “Thanks, Daddy. What about Vera?”

“She’ll get over it,” he says dismissively. “You’re more important.”

I stand and give Dad a peck on the cheek. “I’m going to head to bed.” I pat my leg. “Lykos, come.” Lykos trails behind me dutifully.

Although I’m safe in my father’s home, I still lock my bedroom door before entering my ensuite. I brush my teeth and comb the tangles out of my hair. I tug Jaxson’s shirt over my head, letting it fall over my body like a security blanket. I was going to give it back to him, but he left before I could, so I continue to use it. I’ll eventually hand it over.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that. You feel safe when you wear it.

Patting the bed, I command, “Lykos, up.” He jumps on the bed and scoots close to me.

I curl up to his warm body, and my eyes drift close.

The next thing I know, the scent of bacon wafts up my nostrils, and my stomach growls. “Mhm.” I rub the sleep from my eyes and glance at the clock. It’s nine in the morning.

I slept until nine… without any nightmares!

I give Lykos a pat and kick my legs over the side of the bed. He stands and stretches his long body. I move into the bathroom, place my hands on the sink, and stare at my reflection in the mirror.

I don’t recognize the stranger staring back at me. Her eyes are no longer vibrant and mischievous, and dark circles show exhaustion. Her skin is paler than usual, and her cheeks are hollow.

“You don’t get to win !” I pound on the counter. “Jaxson’s right. It’s time to fight back.”

I refuse to let them have any more control over my life. There’s only one person pulling the strings now, and that’s me. I determine what will happen from this day forward. Those bastards are going to regret the day they ever took Aurora Parks or any other victim. Even with my newfound determination, I know I need help learning how to fight and defend myself.

I know just the man to help me out.

I shudder at the thought of being around any man for an extended amount of time alone, let alone a team of men, because, let’s face it, Jaxson is always with his team.

I trust Jaxson and his men. They got me home, and if they wanted me gone, they could’ve easily made me disappear.

Mind made up, I take a quick shower. I throw on a pair of leggings, a t-shirt, some socks, and a pair of tennis shoes before throwing open my bedroom door. Lykos bounds off the bed and follows me out.

I fill Lykos’ water dish and make sure he has food before heading into the dining room, where my dad is already seated and going over his briefings.

“Morning, baby girl,” he greets, looking up from his paperwork.

I sit beside him. “Morning.” I fill up my plate with eggs and bacon, suddenly famished.

“Glad to see your appetite is back.” Dad smiles. “What’s on your agenda today?”

“Can I ask a favor?” I shove a bite of eggs into my mouth and groan.

Dad leans back in his chair, his focus solely on me. “What do you need?”

“Do you have Jaxson’s number?” Dad raises his brow. “Right, of course you do. Can you call him and have him come over?”

“You want me to ask Jaxson to come over?”

“Please.”

Dad nods. “Sure, I’ll call him after breakfast. When do you want him to come by?”

“As soon as he can.”

I know he wants to ask questions, but he keeps them to himself, no doubt planning on grilling Jaxson with them later. I’ll tell my dad my plan on learning self-defense if Jaxson agrees to teach me.

We finish our meal in silence. I leave my dad in private to call Jaxson while I take Lykos out to do his business as my plan starts to take more shape.

Time to take back my life.