Moonlight Ch. 06

"Rory! Where are you?" Lena jumped out of the car as it screeched to a halt in front of her house. The place was flooded with red and blue lights. She felt her heart stop when she spotted the ambulance parked in the drive. She started to yell even louder. "RORY!"

"Lena! I'm in here. I'm okay." Racing to the back of the ambulance she saw her sister sitting next to one of the EMTs. "He's just looking me over, right?"

Seeing the worried look in Selena's eyes, he calmly stated, "She's alright. This is just a precaution."

"What happened?" Lena asked, as Conor caught up to her. Rory looked anxiously at the couple. She bit her lip and said, "I was working on that homework I told you about." She glanced meaningfully at Lena, who nodded her head to indicate she understood. Rory continued, "I was in the kitchen when I heard some glass breaking upstairs. At first, I thought maybe the wind blew through one of the windows and knocked something over, so I got up and started to head upstairs."

Rory started to shiver as she thought of what happened next. "Then I realized that I could hear footsteps. I realized someone was in the house with me, so I ran outside and went to the Williams place. I asked them to call the police and stayed with them until someone came."

Conor took Lena's arm and swung her around to face him. "Selena, I need you to stay here with Rory. I'm gonna head over to the house and see what's going on."

Lena reached up and stroked his face. "Be safe."

Conor strode through the door and walked up to the deputy standing in the living room. "What've we go here, Jimmy?"

The deputy scratched his head in puzzlement. "Not quite sure, Sheriff. It almost looks like someone tried to pull a smash and grab and tossed the place to find more."

Conor looked around. "I hear a but in there somewhere."

"Well yeah. It doesn't feel right. Some things just aren't adding up if you know what I mean."

"How's that?"

Jimmy gestured around. "You can see they trashed the place. Really made a mess of everything."

Conor looked around the living room. There were deep gauges in the couches where the intruder had slashed at it with a knife. The stuffing had been thrown all around the room. The pictures he had admired earlier that evening were now lying on the ground, their frames smashed. Here and there he found other spots that had been similarly destroyed. "I'd say a mess is putting it mildly. But what's the problem?"

"Well," Jimmy drawled, "It's a little too organized. You can tell by the fall pattern that they went clockwise around the room. Take that, plus the fact that the bedrooms were destroyed even more, and it looks more like a personal issuse. Whoever it was, they were pissed."

"Or trying to scare someone," said Conor darkly.

"Yeah. But that just leads to more questions."

Conor turned to look out the doorway to where Lena stood with her sister. She glanced up and met his gaze. He could see there were secrets in those misty eyes of hers.

"Yeah. Biggest one is why?"

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He had to put a hand over his mouth to contain his glee. Oh look at them, scrambling around like mice without a clue. They would never find him. He was too damn smart for the likes of them. He loved seeing that look of terror on that bitch's face. Yeah, he was gonna stroke off to that look tonight. He had almost given in to the urge to kill the youngest one but held back. He was the one in control and it was still too early. He wanted them to sweat. To scream with fear. So that by the time he came for them, they would weep in gratitude. He slid into the night to think of even more nightmares to bestow upon the hapless sisters.

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Rory glancred up in thanks as the EMT left, then turned to Lena. "Do you think he's found us?" she asked shakily.

Lena didn't respond as she locked eyes with Conor. She had hoped that chapther of their lives was over. Wasn't that why they had finally stopped running? They had all gotten so tired of being hunted. These last few months had been idyllic. Now that fragile sense of peace and serenity was completely shattered. Looking back, she should have realized that things were too good to be true.

"He couldn't have. We made sure of that, didn't we?" Rory continued to tremble.

Lena slid an arm around her. "Yeah, but we always knew there was a chance that he got away."

Just then a car pulled up next to the ambulanc and Sunny jumped out. She ran up to the two of them. "You guys ok? What happened?"

Lena wrapped an arm around Sunny and pulled her in, surrounding her sisters. "We're ok. Someone broke in, but we're ok.

Sunny's gaze was haunted. "You don't think..."

Lena threw her hands up in the air. "Not you too!"

Sunny sat down next to Rory. "You've got to admit. This is exactly the kind of thing he would do."

"Who's that?"

Turning around, Lena saw that Conor had walked up behind them and heard Sunny's words. Crossing her arms in front of her, she said "It's no one."

Looking down at the three of them, he said, "That's funny. It sounded like you were talking about someone to me."

Feeling pressured, she walked away from the ambulance, heading toward her backyard. "Don't worry. It's not an issue."

Conor grabbed her arm, swinging her around to face him. Leaning in, he growled. "You don't make those kind of decisions. I do."

"Says who?" she snorted defiantly.

He glared down at her."Says the badge I wear. You will tell me."

She tried to shake him off, but couldn't get him to budge. "I will not! It doesn't concern you."

Exasperated, he pulled her close and shook her. "Who are you protecting?"

Fed up, she pulled out of his grasp and stepped out of his reach. She yelled back, "My family!" Realizing that everyone had stopped to watch the commotion, she took a deep breathe. Calmly, she said, "I have to protect my family. I'm doing what I think is best."

Feeling a stab in the heart, he straightened. "You don't trust me to keep you and your sisters safe." Lena didn't respond but the silence was telling. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Selena. But regardless of how you feel, it's my job. I've got some friends coming into town this weekend. I'd like you and your sisters to come in, so we can figure out a plan."

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

Conor's gaze hardened. "That's the only option you have. That or I toss you in jail for 30 days for obstruction of justice."

Lena gasped, "You wouldn't!?"

Conor pulled her toward him. "You're damn straight I would, since it would keep you where I can see you. Make no mistake. There is nothing I wouldn't do, no boundary I wouldn't cross, to make sure you were safe."

She stood stiffly, fighting off the shakes that threatened to consume her. "Then I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"

His tone inflexible, he replied. "None at all. Come on. You and your sisters need to walk through the house with me. I want you to let me know if there's anything missing." Interpreting her worried glance to Rory, he softened his grip and his voice. "Don't worry. I'll be there every step of the way. Plus, this place is still surrounded by cops. I won't let anything happen to you."

They started to head back to the ambulance to get her sisters, when she realized something. "Speaking of that, why are there so many policemen here?" She glanced around and noted about fifteen of them milling around outside, not to mention the officers inside the house. "Not to sound ungrateful, but with Silver Lake being so small, I didn't expect to see so many of them here."

Conor grinned back. Now that he knew she would be with him, he relaxed a little. "Well now, they're not all from Silver Lake." At her confused look, he elaborated. "I'm pretty sure you have every available unit in the tri county area on your property right now. I guess it's the most exciting thing that's happened in a long time. Not that they don't take it seriously."

Reaching the ambulance, Conor outlined what was going to happen next. Once again, he reasured them of their safety, ignoring their dubious looks. "Okay, prepare yourselves. It looks bad but for the most part, everything can be cleaned or patched up."

The walk through the house was devastating. Conor was wrong, Lena thought as she looked at the paintings on the floor, the ones her father had done. Some things couldn't be patched up. Rory came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her. "Oh Lena, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," she whispered, wiping a tear from her eyes. "We can try and fix it later."

They walked up the stairs to head into their bedrooms. Sunny stifled a cry and Aurora broke down in tears. Their keepsakes and mementos were now little more than dust. The perfume bottles they had each received from their mother when they turned 16 lay smashed in pieces. The bedding in each room had been slashed, drapery pulled of their rods. Feathers were all over the floor. More paintings that had hung on the wall lay on the floor, trampled by the many feet that had walked through. Jewelry boxes had been flipped upside down or thrown against the wall. The rooms screamed of violence and hatred.

Conor walked up to Selena and spoke softly. "Can you tell if anything is missing?"

"Not right now, since everything's a mess. I couldn't even begin to try. We'll go through this a little more thoroughly when we start to clean things up tonight." She sighed, her heart heavy with sorrow.

"Tomorrow," Conor replied gently. She glanced up at his face. "Selena, do you think I can't tell that you're exhausted and terrified? None of you will get a wink of sleep in this house tonight. I made reservations for all of you at the Windhaven Inn." He braced himself for an argument, knowing how much she disliked his dominating tendencies.

Surprisingly, she just sighed. "I want to yell at you for being so heavy-handed again, but I can't. So I'll just say thank you for being so considerate." She punched his arm softly at the shock on his face. "Don't be all smug though. It's the only time I'll let you get away with this. Don't expect me to let you steamroll your way through everything." The grin she had fell from her face and the look of quiet fear returned once more. There was a small tug of war inside her, but then she gave in to the urge, the need, for comfort. Walking closer, she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head upon his shoulder. A small sigh escaped as he hugged her close. "Oh Conor, why? All this destruction and for what? Why would someone do this?" She was floored by the devastation, terrified of the answer that whispered in the back of her mind.

Conor knew right then, with her in his arms, that he would do anything to keep her safe. "I don't know, sweetheart. But we'll figure this out. Together."

After they had packed some bags, Conor walked the sisters toward the car. Stowing all the luggage into the trunk, he told Jimmy where he was going to take them. After getting assurances that all was well there, he urged the sisters into the Mustang. He drove off, heading toward the inn at the center of town. The silence in the car was deafening. The night's events had finally taken their toll and the sisters were utterly drained. Just when they were about to pass out, he pulled up to the Windhaven. He checked them in and followed the porter to the suite. "Rory and Sunny, you two can take the double beds in that room. Lena, you go ahead and grab the master. I'll sleep out here in the living room."

They drifted into the bedrooms. Conor could hear the soft feminine murmurs, indicating that they were settling in. He went to the pull-out couch, getting himself ready for bed, when he heard Lena calling for him.

Walking into the master suite, he saw Lena sitting on the bed, shivering. He went to comfort her but stopped at the sight of her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her eyes were haunted and unfocused. Conor rushed to her side as she started to whisper. "I'm so cold," she said, "I've got these shakes that I can't seem to get rid of." Frantically, she grabbed his hand and brought it to her face. He swore he heard a low groan. "Oh, you're so warm." She leapt from the bed and onto him, burying her hands in his hair, her face in his neck. She writhed almost as if she wanted to crawl inside him. "Warm me up, Conor. I'm so cold and I need you to make me warm again."

With a vicious oath, he clamped his hand around her waist, intending to pull her off of him. Only to find that he couldn't, and was instead pressing her even closer. "Honey, this is not a good idea." He groaned as she pressed herself against his hard length. "You've had a rough evening and you're distraught. I can't take advantage of you like this."

Raining kisses across his face, she mumbled, "You aren't. I need you to make me feel whole and safe again. God, I need you so much. Please."

At her words, he felt himself get even stiffer than before. Hell, he hadn't gotten this hard since he had been a randy 16 year old. "Um, Lena, sweetheart. We really need to slow down. I don't want you to do something you're going to regret." He stopped talking and groaned when she raked her hands down his chest. He hadn't even realized that his shirt had been unbuttoned. "I don't think I can keep up this white knight routine for much longer. And you'll hate both of us in the morning if I don't."

With her legs wrapped tightly around him, her dress had pushed up to her waist, allowing her to grind her hot center against his stiff rod. For a moment, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he almost didn't catch what she said.

"I won't hate you. This is what I need." She nipped his ear and whispered hotly. "I need to feel warm and alive and there's no one else that I would rather be with than you right now. Won't you be with me?"

At her breathy plea, he lost all control and slammed the door shut, flipping the lock. He didn't want anyone to interrupt this dream. Pulling her up against his body, he slammed his mouth along hers. This was no soft seduction, but rather a ravaging lust. He peeled the dress off of her and his breath caught at the image her body presented. She looked like a Christmas present, wrapped up in red bits of satin and lace and still wearing those hot fuck-me heels. "Aw fuck, baby. Don't know how much help I'll be warming you up. You're pretty damn hot the way you are."

She purred, sliding her hands down along her body, skimming along her hips. "I'm sure you can turn it up a bit more." Her hands slid up her torso to her chest, cupping her full breasts and presenting them to him. She pushed the cups down and gently rolled her nipples between her fingers, her back arching at the pleasure. "Are you going to be a spectator for this show or a participant?" she moaned.

"Definitely a participant. But I'm certainly enjoying the opening act." He took his shirt and shoes off and began to unbotton his pants.

"Wait," Lena said. He paused at her demand. "I want to do that." She eased down to the floor and slowly unbuttoned his fly, all the while maintaining eye contact with his midnight gaze. She slid her hands inside then eased his slacks down, taking his boxers with them. He stood there, naked but strong. The hard planes of his chest and abs mader her hands itch with the desire to stroke him. And speaking of stroke. He was so perfectly shaped, thick and long. Just perfect, a freaking work of art.

He lifted her off the floor and carried her to the bed. After easing her down to the mattress, he stretched out beside her and cupped her face. Solemn and silent, he gazed down into her eyes. They had turned to peat smoke again and were too cloudy to reveal any of their secrets. All he could see was her need and desire. He slowly lowered his head to rub his lips gently against hers. Lingering, he couldn't seem to get enough of her taste. Sweet and tart at the same time, just like her. His hands dove into her hair and slowly pulled her head back, gaining access to her neck. She gasped at the absolute dominance of the gesture. "Oh Conor."

"You like that , don't you?" murmured Conor against her neck, licking the sweat off of her skin. "You're so classy on the outside, but inside, in here, you want it a little dirty, a little rough." She tried to shake her head, attempting to deny his claim, but his fist in her hair prevented her movement. "That's okay, sweetheart. It's easy enough to find out if I'm right."

Keeping a tight grip on her locks, his other hand started to roam down her body. Undoing her bra clasp, he cupped her breasts. His palm grazed against her nipple, causing it to pucker tightly. He tweaked them gently, slowly increasing the pressure. The tighter his fingers became, the more Selena would writhe and moan. He was overwhelming her completely, taking her over. "If I touch you right now, will I find you hot and wet for me, Lena? Is your cunt honey flowing from my touch? Do you like it when I'm rough with you?"

With his words whispered hotly into her ear, she twitched and moaned. She could feel her juices gushing between her thighs. He let go of her hair and kissed her with carnal hunger. Grasping her wrists, he pulled her arms above her head. "I really want to taste you. I have to taste you," he groaned hoarsely. "Now don't move those arms." He leaned his head down and took her nipple into his mouth. She let out a cry as he started to suckle them. He laved them with fervor, tasting her succulent flavor. Her hands keept fisting in the sheets, trying to obey his command. He nipped them sharply and she screamed with pleasure.

Darkly thrilled with her response, his hand began to drift lower. "Well, I think that was a pretty clear indicator, but for one final test..." His hand played along the inside of her thigh and he ran his thumb at the point where her hips met her thighs. She gasped, the sensation almost too much. He marveled at the softness of her flesh and at her responses to his touch. He drifted lower and lightly stroked her through the dampened satin covering her mound. Conor groaned at what he found. "Honey, you are so wet for me."

She whimpered at his light touch. She wanted more. Harder, deeper, faster. As much as she could get. But his teasing flicks and brushes weren't enough to push her over that cliff. They drove her higher, made her hotter. Lena held her breath as his finger started to slip under the band of her thong to stroke her core. He dipped his finger into her honeyed well, swirling around in her juices. Conor flicked her click with the tip of his finger. She could feel the pressure building with every little dip, swirl, and flick. She was right on the endge of that precipice, only to have him pull back. She cried out to him, and reached out to touch him. "Now, Lena, I'm not going anywhere. And what did I tell you about your arms? Do I need to punish you?" At her low moan, Conor's smile turned feral. "Oh babe, you were made for me. You're dripping at the thought of being punished, spanked."

He didn't wait for a response but gripped her hips and flipped her on to her stomach. Without a pause, he shackled her wrist with one hand. Conor could feel the tremors wrack through her body and he stroked along her back and ass with his free hand. "Shhh," he murmured, "It's alright, Selena. I know what you need. All that tightly held control needs somewhere to let go. And I'm the only one you can trust, the only one you can be free with."

Her thoughts were chaos, but somehow, she knew he was right. Deep down, she was tired of being the one in charge. She was always the responsible, the one to take care of things. For just one night, she wanted to be taken care of. Lena shook her head. No more deep thoughts. "Conor, please!" she begged. "God, please touch me."