Page 125 of Tear Me Down

I'm okay, don’t touch anything that doesn’t come prepackaged!

My heart pounds with relief, and I look back up to Damien.

“Ser just texted, she’s okay, but said not to touch anything that isn’t prepackaged.”

He nods harshly.

“You have more of your prenatals, right?”

I nod back, but fear shoots through my spine again as a knock sounds from our front door, drawing all of our attention. The fear explodes behind my eyes as a sense of dread kicks in, knowing what this means. We were all just looking at our phones, and there was no notification that someone was at the gate, or any alerts from the security system saying someone is here. Damien immediately pulls a pistol out from his back, aims it at the door, and steps in front of me. His free arm reaches back to feel my presence, but before he can step away, I grip his arm tightly.

“Damien?” I call out to him with trembling words. I’m not sure what I’m expecting him to say in this moment, or why I’m secretly begging him to turn back time to just a few moments ago, but I can’t help but already dread what’s about to come. The last month of peace is about to go down the drain, and I’m not sure we’re ready for that yet.

“Stay there, baby. Please,” he begs and steps cautiously towards the door. Carter immediately moves to take his place in front of me, already looking at the security system. “Carter? Camera?”

“Lone male, no visible weapons,” he quickly replies.

“Damien Hartley.” A deep voice comes from behind the door, sounding like a eulogy and proclamation all at once. It’s deep and rough, like the weight of a thousand lives sits on his shoulders. Damien tenses, and I can see the subtle way his trigger finger twitches, ready to pull the small lever at any moment. “We haven’t met, but my name is Satori Macher. Though, you know me as Sahara.”

Damien immediately halts, and I can feel the shock radiate off him. He hesitates, not knowing what to do, but after a brief look in my direction, he nods and reaches for the door. The knob seems to take ages to turn, undoing the deadbolt and disengaging the new metal vault locks before he slowly opens it. He keeps his pistol aimed as he steps in front of the newly opened archway, unveiling a man that I can only describe as a modern-day devil. Dressed head to toe in black, he stands about as tall as Damien, looking coordinated with his dark skin, hair, and eyes. His head is cocked to the side like our worries are humorous, and that he either isn’t a threat, or our attempts at safety are nothing but a nuisance. His voice rings out again, this time creeping into our safe space with sharp claws and a hunger for our souls.

“I’ve come to ask for your help.”