slipped his arms from around her. Joanna waited until she heard the water being turned on before she slid off the bed. Once again upright, she scrubbed her eyes free of tears and looked around frantically.
She needed to get out of here, right now, before Landon came back! He would know she was damaged. Joanna could only hope he wouldn’t mention this ridiculous scene to Royce. She couldn’t face Royce with this, and she didn’t want to talk to Landon about it either. Joanna believed she had buried her fears, but evidently not deeply enough. It was time to go.
“Joanna, don’t you dare run out on me,” Landon called from the doorway.
Joanna covered her eyes with her hands and swallowed a sob. “I have to go, Landon. Please understand…I have to go.”
“You can’t outrun whatever happened, Joanna,” Landon said softly. He gently turned her to face him, pressing the glass of water into her hand.
Joann forced a laugh. “This whole water thing is becoming a habit.”
Landon placed his finger under her chin and tipped her face forcing her to meet his eyes. “Don’t do that. Don’t minimize your feelings or make a joke of your pain,” he said softly.
Tears flooded her eyes again spilling over to run down her face. “I’m sorry you had to see that. Promise me you won’t tell Royce,” she pleaded.
After a moment of silence, Landon shook his head. “That’s your story to tell, Jo. Whatever it is, and whenever you’re ready,” he promised. “If you would like to talk about it, I’m here to listen,” Landon said catching her tears with his thumbs.
“I’m so sorry I frightened you, Joanna,” Landon said, tears hovering in his own eyes. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”
Joanna cupped his face briefly with her hand before resting it on his chest. “I know that, Landon,” she reassured him. “Thanks for the offer,” she said as she forced a sad smile, “but I just can’t talk about it, Landon. Please understand,” she whispered. Joanna kissed his lips softly and then disappeared.
Looking at the empty glass sitting on his dresser, and then around the equally empty room, Landon growled. “You may think you’ve escaped; that this is over…but it’s not over, Joanna. Not by a longshot. Just so you know,” he announced, certain she could still hear him.
#
Kurt entered the combination to the panic room. As the door opened, Leann and Mandy threw themselves at him. They were sobbing.
“It’s ok. You’re all fine. Everyone’s ok,” Kurt reassured them while he hugged them tightly.
“But, those men were scary,” Mandy insisted.
“And they wouldn’t leave us alone,” Leann wailed.
“I know, but they are gone. They won’t be back,” Kurt promised. With a look at Royce he added, “I guarantee it.”
“Who were those creepy men?” Mandy asked, wiping her eyes.
“Yes,” Leann seconded her sister’s inquiry, “who were they?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” Kurt soothed.
“Well…they weren’t exactly kid-friendly,” Leann observed. “They wanted to come in and wait for you! Everyone knows you don’t let strangers in the house when parents aren’t home,” she said rolling her big brown eyes.
“That’s right, you never do,” Kurt agreed, stroking her hair and thanking God his girls were safe.
As Leann and Mandy ran toward Becki to scold her for not locking herself in with them, he turned to Clarissa. She had not poured out of the panic room with the other two girls. In fact, she hadn’t moved since he opened the door.
“Are you ok?” Kurt asked as he moved toward her.
She looked pale and couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the monitor in front of her.
Shit! Kurt felt something unidentifiable move through him as he realized what she had just witnessed. She was still staring at the monitor connected to the security cameras surrounding the house and yard. Clarissa had just witnessed Werewolves and Vampires, who were not supposed to exist, clash in a raging battle outside her home.
“Honey?” he questioned, nodding toward Mandy and Leann. He asked without words what the two younger girls had witnessed on the monitor.
Clarissa shook her head and whispered, “No.”
He should have known better. She always protected her sisters. Kurt opened his arms and Clarissa ran into them. As she sobbed on his chest, he felt as if he had been stabbed through the heart.
“It’s ok, honey. You are safe. Everything is ok. I promise.” He continued to reassure her that everything was fine. Yeah, right.
“Dad,” she whispered, “I thought they were mythical creatures.”
“That’s what you are supposed to think, honey. They