Page 37 of She's Mine

I heard the police arrive, and David let them into the cabin, but the house was too big for me to listen in on their conversation, and instead, I tried to relax and go back to sleep.

Hours passed before David finally returned to the bedroom. He looked exhausted and raked his hands through his hair as he fell onto the bed.

“The police have taken the intruder away, and he will be charged for burglary,” David said, pulling me into his arms. “I’ve restored the security system, but someone is coming in the morning to upgrade it, just in case.”

I let out a long breath. “Oh, thank God. And are you okay? Were you hurt?”

“I was, but it was just a graze on my knee. I treated it with the first aid kit while we waited for the police.”

“Are Lawrence and Mavis okay, too?”

“They are. They’re just exhausted like me. Lawrence told me how you insisted on seeing if I was okay and wouldn’t let him check out the situation instead. That was very brave.”

“I told you, I was worried. And I wasn’t about to let Mavis and Lawrence get caught in the Bloodline’s crossfire.”

“Well, luckily for all of us, it wasn’t them. But it did make me think -- I should teach you how to shoot a gun. That way, if the worstdoeshappen, you’ll be able to defend yourself.”

“I like that idea a lot,” I agreed, tightening my hold on David as I snuggled down into the bed. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”

I remember David kissing me one final time, and then sleep claimed us both.

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The following morning, David woke early to deal with the people coming to upgrade the security system, while Ihidupstairs in bed. We wanted to avoid any complications from people knowing I was here, plus, after the night before, I needed the extra sleep.

It was approaching lunchtime when David finally woke me up and told me Lawrence had prepared some food for all of us.

David and I headed downstairs to find a spread of pastries, eggs, bacon, fruit and other hearty foods waiting for us, as well as a jug of orange juice and a pot of coffee.

“Thank you,” I said, feeling awkward around Lawrence after what had happened the night before. I shifted my weight from foot-to-foot, and said, “I’m sorry if I seemed like I was being rude last night. It’s not that I don’t appreciate you watching out for me--”

Lawrence waved me off and smiled fondly. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve already spoken to David about the whole thing. I can’t imagine what you’re going through, away from your family, and worried you’re endangering others. All I wanted was for you to be safe. I’ve grown quite fond of you.”

Lawrence reached across the table to squeeze my hand, and I felt my heart fill with warmth. I knew whatever happened with the Bloodline, and me and David, that I wanted to keep in touch with Lawrence and Mavis.

“The feeling is mutual,” I assured him.

“And we won’t need to worry about any future break-ins, not that I anticipate any. The security system now sends regular updates to both the local police force, and back to Jeffrey in LA. If anything disrupts the system, an officer will be dispatched straight away,” David informed us.

“That’s good to know, but I’d still like to take you up on your offer to teach me how to use a gun. I live in LA, for heaven’s sake, it’s something I should be able to do.”

“I agree, which is why I asked the guy from the security company to leave some equipment here. We’ve created a makeshift shooting range in the garage. We can practice after lunch, if you’d like?”

“I’d like that very much,” I replied.

“Do you two want to join us?” David asked Lawrence and Mavis.

“Yes, I’d like to know how to defend myself and those I care about,” Lawrence replied.

“I’ll sit this one out,” Mavis said. “I don’t think I have the nerves for it.”

No one argued with Mavis’ choice, and instead, we chatted about simpler, more trivial things while we ate brunch.

I was still a little tense from the night before, but being with David, Mavis and Lawrence helped me to relax, and soon it felt like just another day.

After brunch, we headed to the garage, where the temporary shooting range had been set up, and David taught both Lawrence and I how to fire the pistols properly. The pistol was heavier than I expected, and the knock-back from the first shot surprised me, but I soon got the hang of it. Both Lawrence and I started off slowly, struggling to hit the target properly, as neither of us had experience with guns. However, under David’s patient tutelage, we were able to improve and by dinner time, we were hitting the target more often than we were missing it.

“It’s good to know I’ll be able to defend myself if somethingdoesever happen, but I really do hope I won’t need to,” I said, as we made our way back through the house.

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