Page 50 of New Nebraska Home

Relief flooded my body, and then, right after, guilt.

I swallowed back the vomit several times until I saw the message carved into her abdomen.

The scream ripped itself from my throat. I couldn’t hear it, but I felt the burn of it on my voice box. My knees went weak. Malik caught me just before I fell and led me inside. I didn’t fight him. I didn’t even really feel him touching me. There was nothing I could do but see the threat that had been seared into my eyelids.

We will clean the earth of these abominations.

These people weren’t just a hate group that did some petty vandalism and made a lot of noise. They were murderers, and they were coming for my brother.

I didn’t know how long I had sat there. Not until Malik ran his fingers over my cheek and pulled me from my stupor did I even blink.

My eyes burned. They were so dry as I looked up into his concerned face.

“Angel, the police are on their way. Let’s get you upstairs and dressed. Yeah?”

I nodded, but I couldn’t get my legs to move. Malik grabbed my arm and helped me up. He swept me into his arms when I didn’t start walking. It wasn’t until my head was resting on his shoulder and he was carrying me into my room that the tears began.

How was I supposed to protect Leif? Why did things get so much worse every time they were supposed to get better? When was this constant shit show going to end? Or was this the punishment for being selfish and indulging in my own needs for a single afternoon?

Malik set me on the bed carefully, then looked around his hand, rubbing the back of his neck. I moved to the ensuite and started the shower. Who knew what kinds of supernatural creatures were working at the police office? I already knew one vampire was a raging misogynist. There was no way I would let the smell of the three men on my skin detract from that girl getting justice.

“I’ll wait downstairs—”

“Please don’t leave.” I didn’t mean to say that out loud, but I wouldn’t take it back. I meant it.

He looked at me and nodded as I dropped the towel and stepped into the shower, letting the scalding water wash away any evidence of the three men on my skin, and I hoped it took away my guilt for being relieved it was Amelia’s corpse on my porch and not my brother.

My shower was quick but efficient, and when I stepped out, Malik was sitting on my bed, looking through my Kindle.

“You certainly have a lot of dragon shifter romance books,” he said with a slight smile on the corner of his lips.

“Well, when you know what you like.” I shrugged and let the towel fall to my feet, too numb to care where it landed.

“Is that what you like?” he asked, pretending to be offended. “Are you fetishizing me?”

A small huff of laugher passed through my lips. It was all I could manage, but he had cracked through the coldness that had seeped into my entire body. “Only a little,” I winked.

I grabbed a pair of sweatpants and an oversized long-sleeved shirt. It was hot and muggy outside, but I was freezing. I dressed while Malik pretended to look at my Kindle instead of watching me.

I wanted to say something, anything, but as I opened my mouth, the room was filled with red and blue flashing lights. One peek outside told me several cop cars had pulled up.

“Don’t worry, angel, we’ll get through this. Anything you need, you just ask. Is that understood?”

I nodded.

And he held my hand as we went downstairs.

The first cop I saw was the vampire from the other morning. His eyes ran up and down my body, his lips turned down in a frown.

“Well, well. I told you this was going to happen to you,” he said, disdain dripping from his words.

“You said my brother’s tutor was going to be murdered, violated, and dumped on my porch?” I asked, not bothering with the sweet, dumb girl routine. I just didn’t have the energy to give him the little song and dance he wanted.

“No, I said, nothing good is going to come from you living like a slut with a bunch of godless sinners. Her death is on your hands.”

I stared at him in disbelief as Brock held Cal back, and Malik moved to put himself between me and the officer.

“I want your supervisor,” Brock said, holding Cal back on the porch.

---