Chapter 25
Caitlyn
"Excuse me," I tell him, making a hasty retreat from the kitchen.
Once I get around the edge of the hallway, I sprint to the bathroom, not wasting another second to lock myself inside.
The reasonable side of my mind knows that none of the men at the cabin would ever hurt me, including Lark, if only for the pain it would cause Eli with my absence, but that part of my brain doesn't seem to be the one in control right now.
My heart is racing, and I know it's a combination of someone being outside my house and the man who is currently inside.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror, noticing my red cheeks and blotchy skin. My eyes are wide, and I can't determine if I'm better off here alone or if it's a good thing that Lark is here to help me .
I swallow as I let my eyes flutter closed, before taking several measured breaths in an attempt to regulate my system. I'm on feeling anxious about the person being outside my house. This comes on the edge of a creepy guy following me home the other night. It's all been too much to deal with all at once, and with each slow breath in through my nose and every whoosh of breath past my lips, I begin to feel better.
I know I'm safe with Lark here. That man is no more of a threat to me than any of the other men at the cabin. I'm lucky to have them on my side, although it is a little strange that he had to have been waiting outside my house.
A sinister thought strikes me. Maybe Roman was in my backyard, and the two of them are working together to terrorize me.
I whip my eyes open, refusing to look around the room as I glare at my reflection.
"You know better," I tell the woman looking back at me. "These men aren't going to play tricks on you."
I pull in another deep breath, refusing to let more of that sinister fear settle inside of me. Accepting that the Cerberus men wouldn't act that way means I also have to accept that there was an unknown person outside my house.
As fear threatens to wrap its deadly grip around my throat, I turn the faucet on, not waiting for the water to warm before cupping my hands and splashing frigid water on my face.
I hiss as the freezing water rushes down my face and neck, paying no mind to the way it dampens my t-shirt.
I do this several more times until the rush of cold water no longer has the same effect on me, and then I refocus on my reflection in the mirror.
"You're safe. No matter what, you're safe."
It takes several long moments of repeating that mantra before I can tell the difference in my pulse, but I feel like my system goes right back to the edge of shock when a rough knock echoes through the small bathroom.
"Dr. Rudd?"
"Y-yes?" I stammer.
"I have orders to take you back to the cabin."
I tilt my head in confusion.
"No, no thank you," I manage.
Silence fills the room, making me turn toward the closed bathroom door.
"Ma'am," he says, and I can hear the edge of frustration in his tone. "There's been an... incident. The team had to leave, and I have to get back to the cabin to be with Eli and the women."
"What kind of incident?" I ask, knowing that he isn't going to tell me a damn thing.
I roll my eyes at his silence, jolting when, a second later, his voice drifts through the door.
"They managed to catch up with a really bad guy. It's going to take all of them to bring him down."
I pull open the door and stare Lark in the eyes, trying my best to determine if he's telling me the truth or if he's feeding me lies to get me to obey.
I don't see an ounce of dishonesty on his face.
"What happens if I refuse?"
His lips form a flat line as he pulls in a deep breath. "My primary obligation is to the folks at the cabin."
Translation, he'll leave me here, and I'll have to fend for myself, despite the guy who was outside of my house earlier, if I don't leave when he does.
That realization makes me feel even safer around him and the others. He's not going to force me to do a damn thing. All of it is my choice, but I better make my decision soon. "How long do I have?"
"I can spare five minutes for you to pack a bag."
"Pack a bag?" I grumble. "How long am I expected to stay there?"
"You're welcome as long as you'd like, I imagine, but it'll be another twelve to eighteen hours before the guys are able to wrap up their tasks and get back to Gatlinburg."
I give him a quick dip of my head. "May I have a few moments alone, please?"
Without another word, Lark exits the bedroom and pulls the door closed behind him.
How would it look for me to be at the cabin when Roman got home?
Would he hate that I'm there, invading his space?
Is he the one who requested I go to begin with?
I know Zeus knows about me at the club. Lark has to know as well. He was there with Roman one night, although I never caught his eyes on me while I was strapped to the cross.
It goes without saying that at least one of the three men has had some sort of conversation about what I've been up to with Mr. Hart, although no one has mentioned it to me.
Am I stubborn enough to risk my safety to save a little embarrassment?
I realize I'm not as I make my way to my closet and grab a small overnight bag, stuffing it full of several days worth of clothes, including pajamas, before going back into the bathroom and prepping my personal hygiene bag.
I feel a little more sure about my choices when I step out of the room and find Lark watching out the back door as if he expects to see the creep who was near my house step out of the shadows at any moment.
I can't imagine a time when I'll ever be comfortable being here alone, and it makes me consider all the steps it will take to move to a new house. Thanks to the generous payments for my therapy sessions with Eli, I'm not hurting for money, but it would truly suck to have to pack all my things and relocate. It's not something I look forward to, but I know it's something that's going to have to happen.
I'd have to stop going to the club, so I don't risk the same guy finding my new location. A sneer forms on my face when I picture Dr. Moore arguing that I'm simply trying to find ways to avoid therapy.
"Ready?" Lark asks when he turns around and notices the straps of my two bags in my grip.
"I need to pack some food for Kiva. I know it's a hassle, but she won't sleep without that dog bed in my room. Is it okay if we bring it?"
"I'll grab it while you grab food," he says without hesitation or a hint of an argument on his lips. "Let me know if you need to bring anything else."
I feel less safe when he leaves the room, knowing the creep outside could easily bust through the back door while Lark isn't in the room with me. He could hurt me or take me before Lark could get back inside. It makes my hands and feet move faster as I grab a gallon Ziplock bag out of the drawer, uncaring of the mess I'm making when I get food on the floor at my feet while scooping the kibble into the bag.
"Hey," Lark says, frowning when I jolt, making an even bigger mess with the dog food. "I know it won't help much, but you're safe. I won't let anything happen to you."
His words ease something inside me, but it doesn't bring the same relief as when Roman said it the other night.
I keep my eyes off the counter where I felt so much pleasure the other night as I seal the bag and give the other man a quick smile.
"Thank you. I'm ready. "
He follows me out of the kitchen, waiting by the front door as I manage to wake Kiva from her nap. She's excited the second her eyes open, and she sees the leash in my grip. She still takes a moment to stretch, yawn, and shake her head violently before she's willing to follow me out of the house.
If she's confused, she doesn't show it when I stop outside of the dark SUV parked in my driveway.
"I'm going to need my car," I mutter, looking back at the thing instead of situating Kiva in the SUV.
"We'll make sure to get your car to the cabin," he assures me. "But I think it's best if you ride with me right now."
Since I know I'm not going to turn around and stay in my house, I don't bother to argue with the man. I don't exactly like the idea of being stuck at the cabin, but I like the idea of staying here even less.
I situate Kiva before climbing into the front passenger seat of the SUV, frowning when Lark steps up to the open door before I can pull it closed.
I shrink back when he holds his hand out.
"I've been instructed not to touch you, and I'd never violate that trust," he says.
"Wh-what do you want?"
"You didn't lock your front door. If you give me your keys, I can do it for you."
I drop the keys in his palm, wondering all the while how long I have before he grills me about my reasons for not wanting people to touch me. But he doesn't say a word when he gets back, placing my keys in the console rather than expecting me to take them from his hands.
Surprisingly, the drive back to the cabin is spent in complete silence.