Obsidian Music (Lion Security Book 3) (5 page)

I knew what bad guys moved like now. And absolutely none of them were good guys.

Daniil, Roman, Grigori, Artur, Eva, and Ember all moved like what they were—killers.

They could kill within a heartbeat with no compunction.

I had known this before, but now, it was different. I knew they were on my side. They were here to protect me.

I loved Daniil. And Daniil loved me. That one emotion, right along with possessiveness, had never gone away. But right now, I didn’t want to see that stalk. The stalk of killers.

I hunkered down further, ducking under the blanket, and rested my head on my knees.

Dr. Walker may have been scared shitless, but he was still my doctor and must have been watching me because I felt him move closer, stating quietly as they got closer, “It will help if you don’t scare her.”

The stalking group stopped. They weren’t making any noise, which was weird enough, but I knew they halted when the vibrations stopped on the floor. Dr. Walker continued speaking softly, “Maybe, one at a time.” He cleared his throat. “Daniil, I believe would be the best choice.”

There was a laboured pause before Daniil stated just as softly, “Are you sure it’s her?”

“I’m almost a hundred percent positive,” Dr. Walker answered factually, sounding more like himself—less frightened. “You can confirm this, though.”

Another pause. “All right.”

The same vibrations started on the floor.

I willed myself not to stare at the tile too long since that was what triggered the last singing episode. I felt Dr. Walker move back, and then someone else moved in front of me. Dr. Walker said, “You need to calm down. You’re going to scare her, looking like that.”

That little comment kept me from going into myself. Daniil had a way of freaking out most people with just a look. I steeled myself to not be one of those people. Fuck, I had wanted him here. I still wanted him here. Just not all scary and pissed off killer looking.

I heard him take a deep breath in and felt him squat, his legs brushing the outsides of mine. Softly, he asked from above my covered head, “Beth, is that you?”

I took my own deep breath in, since he sounded less violent, and slowly lifted my head. I peeked out from under the blanket with my good eye, but I could only see his lips that were pinched. “Yes.”

He sucked in harshly when he heard me, and he reached out with one of his hands. I tried not to flinch, but it came too fast. His hand paused right above my head, and he murmured softly, “I’m not going to hurt you, my sweet. I just want to see you.”

I nodded, feeling that glow of love inside my heart, hearing him. Seeing him. Smelling him—coffee. He still smelled like coffee.

He slowly finished reaching forward and gently pulled the blanket from my head, dropping it down on my shoulders. His harsh intake of air was immediate, along with a few gasps from his kids. I immediately ducked my head, remembering my hair was practically gone, and my face was a mess. I pulled a hand out, automatically patting my hair. It was such a reflexive action that I forgot my hands were wrapped, only feeling gauze over my buzzed hair.

“Beth,” Daniil’s voice cracked. I was suddenly enveloped in his arms.

I…I didn’t know what to do at first. It was weird. But it came naturally enough a few moments later when I brought my arms up and wrapped them around his neck, cast and wrapped hands and all. That was normal.

And it felt…nice.

Daniil was almost crushing me, though.

Dr. Walker murmured, “Gently. Don’t hurt her.”

Daniil’s arms loosened, but he still held me tight.

He pulled his head back, staring into my eyes.

I blinked into his brown, yeah, so damn loving eyes. I whispered, “I stayed alive.”

Daniil’s eyes filled with tears, although mine were dry. He nodded, a few salty tears slipping past his defenses as he blinked furiously.

I kissed them, whispering against his damp skin, “I stayed alive. Don’t cry. I’m alive.”

Daniil nodded, and his face went to my neck. I felt more tears wet my skin, and his breathing was labored. And…like a dam…mine broke through. The feeling so intense and earth shattering, I screamed and held him tight as overwhelming relief and love and tenderness took hold of me. I tucked my own face against his neck and sobbed.

And sobbed. Like I had never done before.

Fucking hysterical is what you might call it, but Daniil only held me, running his hands up and down my back, pulling me closer as he shed his own tears. That was until my belly got in the way. He stilled, his hand instantly going from my back to inside the blanket.

His hand landed on my belly, slowly running over it.

His head jerked back. His eyes were just as bloodshot as my lone eye was, but his were huge on his face. He whispered in shock, “The babies? You’re still pregnant? You didn’t lose them?”

I shook my head, still bawling. “No. All three are fine.” I gripped his shirt, growling through my tears. “And they’re fucking ours. No one’s taking them.” I shook my head, tears dripping off my chin. “No one is fucking taking them. I will kill them first. I. Will. Fucking. Kill. Them.” And, by God, I would fucking kill anyone who tried to take my damn babies again, just like I had my jailer.

He shook his head, his eyebrows snapping together, his look matching mine, as he stated slowly, “No. No one’s taking our children.” He glanced up at the doctor, who was edging closer, watching me. “Why does she think someone’s taking our babies?”

Dr. Walker cleared his throat and squatted down, as Daniil was, next to me. He asked me softly, “Can we go back in the room now?”

I blinked, still feeling fury roll through me…but…he’d said the room.

I shook my head. No, no, I didn’t want to go back in the room.

The hallway was good. Plenty of outlets.

Daniil’s eyebrows pinched even further, and his gaze met the doctor’s. “Explain.”

I blinked at Daniil’s pissed off face, and even though I had just declared I would kill anyone who tried to take my babies, his expression still freaked me out. I dropped my arms from around him, and scooted back, everything a big fucking jumble of emotions. I whispered, “Maybe you could scoot back.”

Daniil didn’t like that. His arms slipped back around me, and suddenly, I was being lifted into the air. And held like a baby. He tucked my head under his chin and turned his back to any reporters able to get a picture through Brent, Cole, Zane, Stash…, and Daniil’s family, who stood like a wall, barricading the way. Daniil murmured softly to Dr. Walker, “Tell me what you know.”

I didn’t move. Or try to get down as Dr. Walker explained everything that he knew, even bringing the truck driver, who had been mute the whole while, over to explain how and where he had found me. Daniil started shaking, hearing it all, but his arms were steady and warm around me.

I rested my head against his chest listening to his heartbeat.

It sounded kind of like…

“Ms. Forter,” Dr. Walker barked, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

I was singing again. I jerked, my mouth snapping shut.

Daniil had gone still with me in his arms.

Dr. Walker said softly, “You back with us?”

I cleared my throat, nodding. “Yes. Sorry.”

Dr. Walker nodded, smiling gently, glancing between Daniil’s face and mine. “That should happen less frequently with time. Counseling would be a preferred option.”

Daniil cleared his throat, asking quietly, “Where did you hear that song?”

I stared at the wall and quickly looked down since that was what seemed to bring the song about. I wasn’t ready to talk about it. Not quite yet.

“Can she leave?” Daniil asked gruffly, turning his attention to the doctor.

“The wounds on her wrists and ankles were infected, and she’s severely dehydrated. I would prefer she stay here to have the fluids and her medicine administered intravenously.”

“No,” I countered instantly. “I want to leave. Give me everything I need to take home with me. I just want to go home.”

“If she doesn’t need to stay, she’s leaving,” Daniil ordered harshly.

I flinched.

He immediately softened his tone. “Just get all of her prescriptions ready. And I want those shackles she came in here wearing.” He glanced at the truck driver. “You. Stay. I want to talk with you more.”

Leaving the hospital, Daniil wrapped me back up in the blanket, putting the blanket back over my head, and then lifting up from the floor where he had sat in the hallway holding me in his lap until I was discharged. His family stood around us protectively in a circle as Daniil started moving, again holding me in his arms like a baby. I was okay with that, tucking my face against his neck so I wasn’t seen. And I smelled him, taking him in.

“I missed you so damn much,” I whispered against his neck.

Daniil faltered on his feet, and he trembled where he stood. He placed his head on top of mine and held me tight.

Grigori stated softly, “We need to keep moving, Papa.”

Daniil sucked in a breath, his chest raising and pressing against my side, and nodded against my head. He kissed the blanket where my forehead was, and started moving again. I knew what we were doing. I didn’t like it. But I understood it.

Daniil had talked with the truck driver, who had agreed to show them exactly where he had found me. I knew from there, Daniil would want me to show him where I had been held. I understood it. But it scared me, that emotion of terror stealing my breath. All of these damn emotions hitting me at the wrong time. It had been easier in my Hell when I had felt nothing.

But we needed to do this.

I hadn’t said anything because I didn’t want to talk about it, so they had no clue what they were walking into. If I thought for even a second it would be dangerous, I would say no, but it wasn’t. I was positive anyone who would have gone there would be long gone by now, seeing that I had escaped. But they did need to take fingerprints and such, so I didn’t argue even though going back there made me shake in terror.

Daniil knew this as he held me, walking out of the hospital. He murmured quietly to me, gently shushing me as he kept me close. I could hear the reporters as we went outside, all of them finally being shoved out the doors. That was where we had to go when we left. There were so many shouting and screaming Daniil’s and my name, I cringed, burrowing into him further.

“Don’t even fucking think about it,” Ember growled harshly.

A deep grunt followed.

“Get the hell back,” Roman shouted.

Apparently, there were so many reporters that they were making it through the bodyguards.

“Are you that damn stupid?” Brent hissed, somewhere in front of us.

Grigori grunted directly beside us, and then a man shouted in pain. Grigori muttered, “This is fucking—” He stopped, and another man shouted.

All the while, Daniil kept murmuring softly to me, keeping his head next to mine.

At least ten minutes passed, and my terror escalated with every shout until Daniil dipped and slid into the limo. Sitting me again on his lap, I stayed tucked against him, hearing his kids getting into the car. The door slammed shut.

Artur muttered, “Follow the truck driver.”

“Yes, sir,” a man stated, and I realized slowly that it was the driver.

I sucked in a breath of air, suffocating under the blanket, and started struggling to get it off my face. I couldn’t manage it, though, because my hands were wrapped.

Daniil yanked it back for me.

I choked, my eyes glancing all around the inside of the vehicle, past everyone’s faces watching me carefully, to the windows behind them. They were all fucking closed.

My breathing came in short pants. I shook my head, trying to move off Daniil’s lap to the door. “Window. Open the window.”

Daniil gripped me, pulling me back on him, talking quietly and soothingly, “We can’t. Not yet. Wait until we’re away from the reporters.”

I stilled, finally noticing what he was talking about. There were reporters damn near smashed up against the sides of the limo. I peered to every window, feeling my lungs constrict.

Ember moved quickly.

I flinched, pushing back into Daniil as she landed on her knees right in front of us.

She got right in my face, ignoring Daniil’s menacing growl, saying softly, “Elizabeth, count with me. Okay? Let’s look at the ceiling and count each and every square in it. Okay?”

My lungs hurt, and my head buzzed. I glanced at the ceiling, evaluating the puckered tiny squares that only expensive limos have. I wheezed in a breath, and nodded, wondering if this would help.

“Okay, let’s start with the one over there in the left corner.” She pointed up and back to my left, so I turned my head in that direction.

We counted together, her pointing to each square, methodically counting.

Amazingly…oddly…it helped.

But then, I couldn’t see as far as she was pointing, and I told her as much.

Daniil’s grip tightened on me, and he muttered, “I should have brought your glasses.”

I swallowed, looking out the window, only seeing passing scenery. I asked, “Can we open the window now?” Please!

He hesitated, muttering something about the point of an armored limo isn’t armored unless the windows are up, but he did it anyway. I glanced down at Ember where she watched me with a freaky look.