was a disaster waiting to happen. Surrounding the front of the building was a crowd of paparazzi. Not one or two, but a full-on gaggle of them. At least twenty or more.
“Damn it. They figured out who you are and where you live.” I slumped against his side feeling defeated as our private hiding space was no longer a secret.
Killian took the leash from me and wrapped it around his hand multiple times until the dog was very close to his side. He looped me around the waist and started us forward.
I kept my head down as we approached.
“Addison, how long have you been dating Killian Fitzpatrick?”
“Is the relationship serious!”
“Do you have any connection to the three victims!”
“Do you believe this is a copycat killer or an obsessed fan!”
The reporters and photographers screamed at me, relentless in their pursuit of some type of juicy morsel they could print about me, Killian, or the case.
“Back the fuck up!” Killian roared and Brutus started barking and growling like mad. “My dog will bite anyone that approaches me or Addison. Back up! That’s your only warning!”
Brutus wedged himself between me and the crowd that was circling. He was vicious in his desire to take a bite out of anyone that so much as moved closer to me. One man reached out and Brutus responded on instinct, jumping at him, basically knocking him and his camera to the ground. Killian could barely hold on to the hundred-plus-pound dog as he jumped. The photographer’s camera hit the concrete and I heard the sound of breaking glass.
“You’re gonna pay for that!” the blubbering fool hollered.
Brutus stayed in front of me growling at the man trying to scramble back up and away from our dog.
“Really? You tried to attack my girlfriend after I warned you my dog would respond. And your stupid actions were caught by about fifteen other cameras! Try to come after me! You’ll regret it,” Killian sneered. “Now if you’ll excuse us…” Killian yanked on my hand and the leash until we were safely inside the lobby where a lone desk and security guard usually stood.
“Frank?” Killian called out, thinking perhaps he was in the security camera area. From the moment I’d arrived here a couple weeks ago, there was always a man at the lobby desk or in the camera room. Killian passed me the leash and Brutus faced the glass door where the paparazzi was pressing their cameras taking a zillion pictures of me standing here with Brutus.
I watched as Killian knocked on the door to the security area, then opened the door. Inside was Frank, lying prone on the floor. Either he fell or was attacked in some manner but there wasn’t blood anywhere and nothing else looked out of place.
Fear slithered up my spine and coated me in an icy chill I could feel bone-deep. Killian pressed his fingers to Frank’s throat. “He’s alive.” He pulled out his phone and called the police.
“What should we do?” I asked, feeling the need to run, to hide, to something.
“We wait for the police to arrive,” Killian stated stoically, perfectly calm while I fought the desire to crumble into a protective ball and let the world fly by me.
“But the paparazzi are right there.” I jerked my chin toward where they were literally pressed to the glass. “I could take Brutus upstairs?”
Killian licked his lips and shook his head. “We can’t be separated. I don’t know what happened to him. He could have had a heart attack or been attacked. I don’t know. It’s not safe for you if someone did this to him. We don’t know where that person may be and with a killer on the loose, who knows if he’s in the loft right now. Jonah and Ryan are counting on me to take care of you when we don’t have a bodyguard hanging around. I can’t have you leaving my sight.”
For a second I weighed my level of fear. Being down here, out in the open with the paparazzi taking endless photos and freaking me out more or being brave and entering the one place I felt safe other than Kerrighan House. “Brutus will protect me,” I pushed, wanting more than anything to get the hell away from the press and Frank’s prone form.
Killian shook his head. “Baby, he can’t protect you from a gun. Call Jonah for me,” Killian said while sitting on the floor and holding his fingers to Frank’s wrist and lightly tapping the man’s face