Page 60 of Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck
I was a journalist.
My weapon was words. Those didn’t do much in a fight.
Additional noises came from the porch.
“Drest?” I called out.
There was no response.
“Torid?”
Still nothing.
I stood there for what felt like forever, debating my next move, but it was more than likely seconds. My gaze slid to the umbrella holder that sat at the base of the coat rack. I grabbed one of Henry’s long-handled umbrellas and clutched it tight in one hand before trying to unlock the door.
The lock wouldn’t budge.
I tried again to no avail. What had Drest done to the door? Mystically solder it shut?
Something crashed out front, and visions of Drest being hurt flashed through my head. Frantic, I tried again, and this time the lock gave, letting me release it. I yanked the door open and raced out, gripping the umbrella like a bat.
My heels clicked on the porch. I slipped them off, walking barefoot to lessen the sound, and to keep any robed freaks from hearing I was coming. I approached the end of the front portion of the house and eyed the spot where the porch wrapped around the home. There was no lighting out there, so I was reliant on the quarter-moon, which wasn’t much.
I drew the umbrella up more, still holding it like I would a bat.
Something came around the corner, and I swung without stopping to look at what or who I might be swinging at. As the umbrella struck Drest in the upper chest with a loud crack, I gasped and released it fast. It fell in two pieces to the floor.
He grunted, his blue gaze whipping to me and then the now-broken umbrella on the porch floor.
“Oh God, I’m sorry!” I ran my hands over his chest, hoping I didn’t hurt him too badly.
He stiffened and winced.
“I hurt you,” I blurted, feeling horrible. “I’m so sorry.”
Drest caught my hands in his. “Hon, you didn’t hurt me.”
“But you winced,” I protested.
“That would be because you gave me a raging hard-on touching me like that,” he confessed with a sheepish smile.
I stepped closer and put my head to his shoulder. “I thought something happened to you. That a robed crazy guy got you. Where is he?”
He released my hands but slid his arms around my waist. “Rach, there are no signs of anyone on the property. I checked the back barn. No one is there either. Torid is doing a sweep of the fields on both sides of the estate. But he didn’t sense anyone or anything either.”
Trembling, I wiggled free from his embrace as my brow creased. “I don’t understand. How could he have gotten away so fast? The estate is really big. An Olympic sprinter wouldn’t have been able to move that quickly. Is he Fae? Like you? You’re fast. Is he something else? A vampire? A shifter? A demon?”
Drest caught my chin lightly in his hand and held it. He then dipped his head and kissed my lips tenderly. When he drew back, he released his hold on my chin. “Hon, how many times have you been alone, at night, in the manor since everything went down with Nile?”
“This is the first time, why?” I asked before realizing what he was trying to say. “You think I imagined seeing someone, don’t you?”
He didn’t respond verbally. Instead, he kissed my forehead. “Let’s head inside.”
“I didn’t imagine it,” I protested. At least I didn’t think I did. “I know what I saw.”
“Okay, hon, I believe you,” he said, although it was clear he didn’t. “Let’s head in.”
I wanted to stand up for what I was sure I’d seen, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized he might be right. I was already letting my imagination run away when I was inside, thinking Nile might be in the study.
