Dominate Me

Chapter 25

I sat next to Jasmine, rubbing her goosebump-covered arms as Miles and Liam spoke to the shaken woman at the security desk.

"No, that's perfect. Thank you for your help. If you notice or think of anything else, this is my contact information." Miles' voice was soft, careful to emit a calming effect on her.

"H-How are you so... okay right now?" Jasmine asked, her eyes terrified as she stared up at me.

I smiled lightly and shrugged. "I'm typically pretty good at compartmentalizing in stressful scenarios. We're alive, as are they, so I'm okay. Plus I didn't see anyone go out on a stretcher, so I don't think anyone else was hurt either. But I also know those two will do everything they can to figure this out, and so will I."

She didn't respond, just added a simple nod before she brought her hand to her lips, chewing on her nails as Miles and Liam stepped back over.

"She said she didn't remember seeing anyone suspicious come in or out of the building today, but gave us the security tapes for the past week to go over. I need to head across the street to the bank to see if I can get their outdoor footage, too." Miles crouched down to my eye level, leaning in to kiss my forehead, his lips lingering on my skin before he forced himself to tear them away.

"Was anyone hurt?" I wondered aloud.

Liam shook his head. "It was a controlled blast, very meticulously made and placed throughout the apartment. The only damage that was outside of your apartment was the shattered windows and a few holes from debris flying through your neighbor's wall."

"So it was meant for me alone..."

Liam clenched his jaw and nodded shortly. "And Miles or myself since one of us is always with you."

My knee began to shake and I chewed on my cheek, glancing between the two men in front of me, my well-harnessed control shattered at the realization that I could've lost them.

"Baby, we're okay. We're right here." Miles promised, taking my face in his hands and kissing me softly, gauging my newly formed nerves.

I nodded absently, shaking my head to clear it as I looked up at him. "Why do you have to get the bank's security footage if you already got it here?"

"The camera's here are inside only. The lobby, halls, elevators. We'll be able to see anyone walk in who looks nervous or unsure. Anyone unfamiliar who walks in with a black bag that they didn't leave with. Forensics pulled the melted remnants of what looks to be a black gym bag from the floor where your couch was. Yours is navy blue, so we'll keep an eye open for that."

"And the bank?"

Miles nodded, standing before offering me a hand to help me up as well, then extended it to Jasmine.

"The bank has cameras on the street and sidewalk, some of which actually point towards this building's entrance. If we find who we're looking for in the tapes here, we can use those to see them leave. What direction did they go? What kind of car did they get into? Or did they stay back to watch?"

I nodded to Miles' explanation when Liam pipped up.

"I was too focused on covering you and Jasmine that I didn't get a full look of the area around us. If we don't see anyone suspicious in the apartment's tapes, maybe there was someone who stood out when the explosion went off."

"What do you mean?" I asked as we headed towards the door, eager to understand what was going to happen to be able to help any way that I could.

"Anyone unsuspecting of the blast would cower at the explosion. They'd be terrified of it. So we'll be looking for someone who's still fairly cool, calm, and collected in the moment it happens. Anyone who doesn't react as much."