“Why does a restaurant owner need a gun?”
Rhys shrugged. “Everyone should know how to handle a weapon. It truly is only for protection, sweetheart.”
Hyacinth knew it was more than that, but she didn’t have it in her to pry it out of him. All the signs were there. Plus, the phone call from the other day. And the way he handled a weapon was not how a novice would do it. Yes, he was former military, but she knew there was something more to the man standing in front of her. She smiled over at him as she began walking out of the room.
“If that’s the story you want to tell, then that’s what we’ll go with. But just remember, earlier today you asked me to trust you. To believe in you. To know that you’ll protect me. I made that same promise to you, and I meant it. I know you’re more than you show to the world and I’m okay with that. Then again, so am I. Maybe one day we’ll be ready to show each other the real us.”
Rhys had no response to her words, not that she was looking for one.
Forty-five minutes later, they were at her apartment. As they climbed out of the car, Brie came rushing over. “Hy, the cops want to talk to you,” she said in a breathless tone. “I’m just so glad you’re safe. Someone trashed the entire apartment.”
“Do they know who it was?”
She shook her head. “No. They think it happened sometime last night. They say they’re gonna check to see if any security cameras caught anything.”
Rhys stepped in. “What’s so significant about this break-in? Why so much attention?”
Brie looked at him, then back at Hyacinth. “Sweetheart, maybe you should ask the cops to let you see your bedroom.”
A few minutes later, Hyacinth and Rhys entered the apartment alongside a uniformed cop. Brie was behind them, bringing up the rear. The living area was ruined. Pillows slashed and the fluff strewn all over the floor. Whoever had broken in must have pulled the television down to the floor and smashed the screen, because it looked like someone had stomped on it.
When they arrived at Hyacinth’s room, the cop stopped them. “Ma’am, please don’t touch anything. You can step inside, but that’s it.”
She nodded in response and waited for him to open the door. As soon as she stepped across the threshold, anger coursed through her.
“Motherfucker,” she heard Rhys say behind her.
On the wall behind her bed, they wrote four words in red.
Whore.
Slut.
Die Bitch.
Oh, someone was going to die alright, and it sure as fuck wasn’t Hyacinth. Seething with rage, she turned around and walked back out of the apartment.
Chapter 15
It took them a while to finish up with the cops. Hyacinth had no idea who would have put that shit on her walls. They had threatened her and that would never work. There was no doubt that she had been the target. Brie’s room hadn’t been touched at all. Only the main living area and Hyacinth’s bedroom.
The authorities wouldn’t let her or Brie stay in the house that night since the police considered it a crime scene. In fact, they wanted them both to stay away for the next week. They let her grab a bag of essentials and any important things, so she was happy about that. When she walked into the front area, a detective was standing next to Brie.
“Ma’am, I need you to stay close to town. As soon as we find out anything, I’ll be calling you.” He glanced between Brie and Hyacinth. “Will you be together?”
“No,” Rhys interjected. “She’ll be staying with me.”
Hyacinth couldn’t help but turn to stare at him after the words left his mouth. They hadn’t discussed that. Just as she was about to open her mouth to disagree, Brie spoke.
“Okay, great. I’m going back to my parents' house for the next couple of weeks.”
A bit shocked by the turn of events, Hyacinth glanced over at Rhys. His eyes were filled with anger.
“Are you sure, Rhys? I mean, I can get a hotel.” She didn’t want to interfere with his life. Not only did they see each other almost every night at his restaurant, but they had slept together. She was positive he hadn’t expected her to move in with him for the next week or more. Maybe she should go to a hotel after all.
“You’re staying with me.” He looked over at the cop standing in front of them. “We good here? You have her number already, but let me give you mine as well. If you can’t reach Ms. Moore, then you call me. Understood? I’ll make sure she gets back to you.”
After handing over his business card, Rhys didn’t wait for the officer to respond. He placed his hand on Hyacinth’s lower back and steered her out of the apartment. He hoped his face didn’t reflect the pure rage coursing through his body. Someone had made a direct attack against Hyacinth in her own home. What if she had been here alone? Her roommate hadn’t been home last night either, so the person could have had all night to do God knows what. Scenarios were playing in his head that he didn’t like one bit. When Hyacinth stopped, he wanted to pull her forward. He didn’t know if the guy was still here, watching and waiting. She wasn’t safe and that knowledge only made him angrier. What if the guy tried to attack her again? He looked at Hyacinth and saw her talking to her roommate.