In Damien's Keeping

Chapter 22

Running back in the living room, I collided with Damien. Panting and frantic, I pointed in the direction of my room.

"B-b-blood... Someone's in there." I said with wide eyes. He ran his eyes over my body and asked with lines of concern etching his forehead, "Are you okay?"

I nodded, and we ran towards the room, with our hands clasping each other.

Damien reached the inside the room and stopped abruptly when he saw the blood streaking the floor. His eyes traced the streak and soon his steps followed it while I remained glued to the spot fearing for Damien.

"Don't go there," I whispered which he either didn't hear or ignored. Determined to stop him, I stepped forward and my eyes again landed on the blood streak, it didn't look very fresh and blood had already dried. What if I had came here earlier?

Biting my lip, I glanced at the Damien to find him gone, inside my closet.

"Damien?" I called out and walked to the closet.

He stood there like a statue, in the middle of the walk in closet. I followed his gaze and saw the pool of blood and lying in there were the feminine feet stained in blood. A gasp followed and my eyes widened. Sprinting to Damien, I stopped just beside him.

Tears flooded my eyes, and I began struggling to breath.

"Oh g-god... No!" I exclaimed and my hands clutched Damien's arm.

She can't just... No... I thought.

No matter how much I was annoyed of her, she didn't deserve this. The way her throat was slit open, the way her lifeless eyes were staring at the ceiling. Nobody deserved that. A sob broke from my lips and I buried my face in Damien's arm, who was still standing very still. The image of her lifeless body remained in front of my eyes even when I closed them. Worry began cloud my mind when I got no movement from Damien.

"Damien say something..." I shook him but he remained still. "Damien!" I shook him more and finally his expression softened. His mouth twisted, his jaw clenched and he closed his eyes.

"She can't die like...that..." I sobbed for her.

For Maria.

"I know," Damien whispered.

When I glanced at his face, I found tears but there wasn't just sadness, there was fury. Through his eyes, I had glimpsed into the fire which was determined to burn the person who did this to Maria.

~~~~~~~~~~

We had returned home from LAPD and Maria's body was taken in for postmortem. Every person in our home was shaken to core. What if it was them or us instead of Maria, then we would have been lying in that lab right now. Surely, the murderer came for me but instead mistaken Maria for me and killed her. Feeling guilty, I closed my eyes.

It needs to stop...

"You will sleep in my room, tonight."

Damien's voice brought me back to present, and I pondered on his words.

"Why? I mean I know my room will not be...but..." I said but he came closer to me and gripped my arms tightly, almost lifting me off my feet.

"I am not hearing anything else, you will sleep with me tonight."

For a moment, I was shocked at what he said. Then I cleared my throat and said, "There are many rooms, I can sleep in any one."

"They are not my room, and you are sleeping in mine."