Essentia (7 page)

    "Oh no, nothing really, I just realized the time. I have to work in the morning. That’s all" I said back to him. Not wanting to sound like I was making up an excuse to leave or anything.

    "Then I shall take you home My lady, you will need your sleep for work." He then turned to Thane and said "With your permission brother I am going to take our princess home, she has work in the morning."

    Thane replied with a gleaming smile "But of course brother, drive safe. And don't worry, I'm sure Aiden here will give me a ride home."

    "It would be my pleasure My Lord" Aiden said.

    "Thank you, Thane and Aiden. It has been a wonderful chatting with you, I hope to see you Both again soon" I say to both of them.

    Then Thane replied "The pleasure was all ours My Lady." and he bowed at me. The look on Aiden's face was a little shocking. But I didn't think much of it. We say our goodbyes and with my arm wrapped around Enre's we walk to the entrance.

    A chill runs up my spine, and I shudder. I can't help but have the feeling that someone staring at me. I look around the club, but I don't notice anyone suspicious. The uneasy feeling is gone the moment we step outside. The valet heads off to fetch Enre's car.     While we wait, Enre asks me if everything is alright and I tell him about the feeling I just had. For a moment, he looks taken back. Then he tells me he needs to inform the bouncer so they can keep an eye on everything inside.

    He raises my hand, kissing it and says "One moment My lady" I nod at him, and he steps over to the bouncer that lead my friends and me in earlier. He is whispering in his ear and as soon as he is done the bouncer rushes off inside the building.

    "Is everything going to be ok?" I ask enre. Worried that something was wrong.

    He replies in a calm voice "Of course My Lady, but you can't be too careful.  Over the years that a gut feeling is rarely wrong If you just believe in it. So if you ever feel like that again, please tell me, Thane or someone close to you immediately ok" smiling down at me. "I can't let anything happen to my princess now can I?"

    Hmm. Handsome and protective, I like that. I say to myself.  "Yes, of course, my prince," I say to him teasingly. Just then a beautiful white Audi r8 pulls up. It's the car I had seen when we were standing in the line to get in here.

    "Your chariot awaits My Lady," Enre said with a sweep of his hand. I walk to the car, and he opens the door for me, giving me his hand to help me get in. After he shuts the door, he nods to the bouncer that had returned to his post and walked around to the driver side and got in. He flashes me a smile and reaches over and buckles my seat belt for me. 'man is he thorough' I say to myself.

    As he starts the car, a beautiful music comes over the radio, I have never heard before. Hmm? It must be something from where he is from. We start to drive down the road, and he looks over at me and says "Where to my lady?". I give him the directions to my little abode.

    While we are driving I glance over at him and ask "Umm, do you mind if I ask what all that was back there? I mean if it is none of my business then that's fine, I just thought that I would ask." 

    He looked as though he was thinking about what to say to my question and he said after a few minutes "The answer to this issue is quite hard to explain at the present My lady. But I will try to explain it to you at another more appropriate time, so for now, can I ask you to just trust my judgment on this. I'm only saying this for your protection." he was looking at me with pleading eyes.

    I don't understand why, but I do sense, deep down that I should trust him, So I say "Alright, I believe you, but you have to promise to tell me at some point."

    "You have my word My Lady, and thank you," he says. Relief was apparent on his face. Is it really so terrible that it has him stressed out like this just to be asked to talk about it? I hope everything will be alright.    

                    
 
Chapter Seven

           Home

              Pulling into my driveway, I notice that the light is on in the living room. Wait, I didn't leave any lights on. Enre goes to get out of the car, and I grab his arm. "Wait," I say to him. What if someone is in there?

    "Is something wrong?" he asked. 

    "I didn't leave any lights on when I left." He looked panicked. Getting his phone out, He places a call to someone. He then looked at me, worry on his face. "Wait here, do not get out of this car until I come get you, and lock the doors when I get out."  He said in a hurried voice.

     "Wait, you can't go in there alone” Pleading with him. Wanting him to stay in the car with me where it's safe. We have no idea as to what's going on yet. We should really call the police.

     "I will be fine My Lady, I promise. Do what I said and don't leave this car, alright." All I can do is nod at him. He leans over and kisses me on the lips. It was just a swift kiss, but it was warm just the same. Climbing out of the car, He closes the door quietly. He points to the locks from outside, so I hit the lock button. Watching as he sneaks up to the front door and slowly peeks inside. Then he enters my house. Here I am locked in this expensive car, sitting in my driveway, while Enre is probably in danger. My nerves are at their end, and I don't know if I can take this.

    I notice a car pulling up behind me with its lights off. At this point I am terrified. What's going to happen to me? What's going on in there with Enre? Just then a soft knock on the window just about made me scream, till I notice that it is Thane with Aiden and 2 of the bouncers from the club standing out there. I roll the window down, and Thane said, looking at me with worry "Where is Enre My Lady?"

    "He went inside. I tried to stop him" I tell him, my voice shaking. If Thane is worried, then something must be wrong. I start chewing on my bottom lip.

     "I told him to wait on us. Ugh." He grunted, almost like a growl. "Aiden, leave a guard with her. My lady, stay in the car. I am going in to get my Brother." The anger in his voice.

    "Yes my Lord" Aiden said. Then he told the guard that was at the entrance of Norpool to stay out here with me. Thane, Aiden, and the other bouncer all ran to the door of my house.

    Just then I see a someone's shadows run through my back yard. "Hey, back there, someone ran through there," I told my guard.  He took off running full sprint towards the back of the house. What am I supposed to do? He can't go alone.

    On a split minute decision, I get out of the car and run to the front door. Just as soon as I step through the threshold, big arms encircle me and whisper to me "You do not need to go in there My Lady." It was Enre. That held me tight to his chest. I instinctively struggle to get free. Then he says "Please don't."

    I look up, and Enre stood there with blood on his face, and his eyebrow was split open. "Oh my god Enre. Are you alright? What happened? Where are the others?" I ask panicking.

    "They are fine. They are searching the house. Why did you get out of the car?" He asks. I was worried. That's why. I think to myself.

    Oh... oh... Remembering the reason I left the car. "There was a shadow running through the back yard. The bouncer that was with me ran after them." no sooner than that got out of my mouth the bouncer came in through the back visibly out of breath.

    "I am sorry My Lord, they got away," he said to enre. Still breathing heavy.

    "It is alright this time, but when you are set to guard someone, especially someone as important as her, you stay at your post. Do you understand me?" Enre was practically yelling at him. Am I important to him? Pulling me closer to him, he whispers "I don't know what I would do if something would have happened to you." I'm not entirely sure that was even meant for me to hear, but he was noticeably shaking from either fear or anger, maybe both. 

    Thane walked down the steps and seen Enre at the door. "Enre, Take her to the loft. She doesn't need to be here right now. We will gather what we can here. We will go and get her whatever else she needs tomorrow."

    What? To their place? Getting more and more anxious I say "I need to find my cat Le'ander." I bet he is scared to death. I cannot leave him behind.

    "No, My Lady. I'm sorry." The look on Thanes' face is sad. What is he sorry for? He didn't do this. Something is wrong. I think to myself.

    Naturally I start panicked. I began to struggle and fight with Enre to let me go, "LET ME GO" I yell at him after he wouldn't release me

    "I'm sorry, please don't fight me. You don't need to see this My lady. I am only holding you to protect you." He says in a sympathetic tone. Being careful to not let me see past him.

    Then the reality of the situation hits me. Le'ander My furry friend. That has to be what he is restraining for, so I ask in a weak voice, not even looking up at him "Its Le'ander my cat, isn't it?"

    He tucks my head into his shoulder and hugs me tighter to him "Yes My Lady" I start to ball like a baby. Tears are running down my face like small waterfalls. He was my friend. I raised him from a tiny bottle fed kitten. What kind of monster would do this? Then I remember what happened earlier at the club. Him talking to the guard. I hiss out at Enre not meaning to "Is its time to tell me what's going on NOW?"

    "Take her home Enre we will explain everything when we get there." That was all Thane said, before Enre picked me up and carried me back to the car.

    "Thane and the others will take care of everything here My Lady. I am sorry this has happened to you" Enre said. Looking as though his heart was broken.

    Even though I am still crying. I say to him in a quivering voice "I-I'm so sorry Enre. I didn't mean to yell at you." He reached his head down and kissed me on the forehead while cradling me like a child. 

    "It is alright My lady. I take no offense." He says, still holding me close. "It is understandable with what has happened. I am sorry I had to restrain you, but" pausing for a second to take a deep breath. "You did not need to go in there, I was trying to protect you from that sight My lady" After that he sat me in the car, and we backed out of my driveway. His first instinct was to protect me. That is an unusual trait nowadays. A lot of men don't have the backbone to be like that anymore.

    My mind was going 90 miles an hour, thinking about what has happened. Then the book shop pops in my mind. Oh no, what if this has happened to my book shop "Enre, the book shop."

    "Shit" He slammed the gas pedal down and said "Hold on My Lady." oh, believe me, I was holding on, He was driving like a rally car drive. When we pull up in front of the book shop, it looked to be alright. Still dark inside. No broken windows. There is no back entrance, so if someone broke into it would have to be from the front.

    Enre called Thane and told him what we were doing. "It looks as though the shop is alright, but can we go in to get my family book and whatever else you want to take just to be on the safe side?" I shake my head yes, and we get out of the car. Enre reaches for the keys in my hand and says "Stay behind me My Lady" I nod at him, basically holding on to his shirt tail. After he opens the front door and flips on the lights, He motions for me to stay there. Then he searches the rest of the store. When he comes back he says "It’s all clear" and then he called Thane to tell him that they don't have to rush over here. "Let's get what we have to My Lady and get out of here. You may want to close the shop for a few days" Enre says, still noticeably on edge.  "Alright, the stuff I need is in the safe, and so is your book. If you will go to my work table in the back and grab my tool bag and the small white box for me, I will get the stuff out of the safe" I say to him, he nods to me and takes off. This will be the first time that I have closed my shop since I bought it. I walk over to the safe, which is hidden behind a painting of a beautiful lake on the wall. Moving it aside to unlock it. There is Enre's book, a stash of emergency money and my passport. My necklace my birth mother had left me and the carved box. I don't understand why, but I have a feeling that I should take it with me, so I grab it as well. With all the stuff I need in a stack on the counter, I lock the safe and slide the painting back. I take a velvet cloth I use for displays and wrap the carved box in it, so it doesn't get damaged.

    Just as I get done, Enre walks up from the back of the shop with the stuff I asked for in tow. "Do you have everything My lady?" he asks.

     "Yes, and I have your book as well. I just need to write a note to put on the door ok." I say back to him as I write. Making something up as to why the shop will be closed, and I tape it to the front door. "Ok I'm ready," I say to Enre, and we lock up the shop and head to his place. "Are you sure it is alright for me to stay with you Enre? I can go to a hotel." He is going through a whole lot of trouble for me. I do not want to be a bother. "I don't want to be an inconvenience to either of you," I tell him. Not to mention that we just met a couple of days ago. "My lady, it is very much alright, ok. So do not worry, at our place you will be safe." He says while squeezing my hand lightly. Safe from what?  Is what I am wondering.