Page 61 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family
I glanced at the screen, noticing it was Baylyn. She’d gone out with her girl tonight, which worked in my favor since I accepted this job. I saw her post but didn’t bother reaching out because I was working and planned to when I was done. It was late and she probably just had a few drinks, was feeling nice, and wanted some dick.
I let it go to voicemail because I was going to pull up. Yair kept talking, but barely a minute later, she called again.
Back-to-back calls. My brows pulled together in a deep frown. Something wasn’t right. I was the persistent one, she wasn’t.
“I gotta go,” I told Yair, already lifting my hand to switch the calls.
“Everything good?”
“Not sure. I’ll hit you back in a few.” Without another word, I ended the call and answered Baylyn’s.
“Where are you?” She asked sounding nervous, not tipsy or playful. Something was wrong.
“Heading home, where are you?”
“I’m in your driveway.” My frown deepened. Baylyn wouldn’t just show up unannounced. That was more of my thing.
“What’s wrong?” I asked carefully.
“I didn’t want to go home.”
That was all she needed to say. Whatever had her rattled she would tell me when I got there. Right now, she just needed to know she was safe.
“Alright, baby. Go inside. You remember the code?”
There was a slight pause before she admitted, “No.”
“Seventy-one eighty-four,” I told her, keeping my voice level. She was already stressing and I damn sure didn’t want to add to that. “Go in. Lock the door behind you.”
I could hear her moving. The subtle shuffle of her bag, the car door closing and then the sound of her typing in the code.
“Um, how long before you get here?”
“I’m already on my way,” I assured her. “You’re safe there. Once you’re inside, set the alarm the same way I showed you before.”
She had only stayed with me once but I handed over all the access she needed without a second thought. Baylyn was mine before I ever touched her body but after…
That was a fucking wrap.
“Okay.”
I pressed the gas a little harder, needing to get to her as fast as I could. What the fuck had her so rattled and who the fuck was going to have to see me because they had my baby shook? By the time I pulled into my driveway, Baylyn was safely inside. The house was dark except for the light filtering from the living room. I barely shut my car door before unlocking the front door and entering my spot. The minute I did, she was on me. She crossed the space between us in seconds, crashing into my chest.
I caught her easily, wrapping my arms around her, letting her press herself against me, burying her face into my neck. Her breathing was shallow, but the second I held her, I sensed her body relax. I kissed the top of her head and one hand moved up and down her spine. “I got you, beautiful.” My voice remained low, steady. “Tell me what’s going on.”
It took a minute before she pulled away. I let her take her time and breathe me before she shifted enough to look up at me.
“There was a guy watching me tonight and before that, someone sent us drinks. I thought it was you at first. I even posted them, thinking they were from you.”
I stiffened.
That meant whoever the fuck it was knew me well enough to have her assuming I was the one. Baylyn swallowed hard before continuing, “But the part that really freaked me out…” She hesitated, then looked up at me. “When we left the lounge, there were black roses on my car.”
I stilled. Black roses. The fuck?
I pulled back just enough to see her face fully. “What do you mean?”
“They looked just like the ones you sent me before,” she said. “Only…they were wilted. Like someone let them die before leaving them on my car.”
