The Bodyguard

9

I felt like I was finally able to start breathing again. I hadn't seen or heard from Mason in almost two months, and I felt like things were finally starting to turn around. But I should have known the other shoe would drop.

I started out by volunteering at a shelter in two just after Halloween. I was loving every minute of it. I even volunteered to do the washing because it meant I got to spend quality time with all the animals. There was an abandoned Pitbull that just melted my heart. Only three months old and found shivering in someone's backyard.

He loved belly rubs and I was more than obliged to give them. We had a promotion for the holiday season that every pup adopted went home with a cute little holiday scarf. Each person had to go through the usual application, but it made me happy to see all the kids come in and pick out their fur friends.

I convinced Andre into getting a dog. I expected him to go for the lab, but he ended up leaving with an old Chinese Crested named Mittens. Ugly as hell, but he was ecstatic.

When I got home, I dumped my bag on the bench inside the door and shucked off my boots and hat.

"Home!"

Dimitri chuckled behind me. "I think they were aware when the alarm went off," he said.

I rolled my eyes and spotted a package on the bench. I looked at Dimitri and raised my brows.

"Is that for me, or another Christmas delivery?"

Dimitri stepped closer and looked at it before picking it up and tossing it to me.

"It's for you."

I grinned and darted past him and up the stairs to my room. Just because I let him look at the box, didn't mean I was going to leave it out in the open. It was for him. I bounded into my room and was greeted by the curtain lights I bought to change the room. I ripped the box open and took out the book, sitting on my bed as I looked it over.

When I sat on the bed, I felt something wet and grimaced. Did I knock something over? I stood up and dropped the book onto the floor as a scream tore through my lips. I wasn't sure I could produce a scream like that, but the pounding of feet on the stairs was barely heard over it.

"Rose?" Dimitri called out as he pushed the door open and flicked on the light. In the dim light, I just saw a lump and darkness over the duvet, but with the light on I saw it for what it really was. A dead fox.

I felt bile rise in my throat and turned away, evidently turning right into Dimitri's arms.

"How did that get in here?" I heard Mom say but I shook my head and whimpered before tearing out of Dimitri's arms and into the bathroom, heaving into the toilet. I felt someone pull my hair back as I vomited, choking on my breath. After a moment I sniffed and wiped my mouth, standing up.

"Merry fucking Christmas," I grumbled to myself. I turned and found Mom behind me, a sad look on her face.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how that got there," she whispered.

"Well it's not like you did it," I said quietly. She nodded and rubbed my back soothingly. I peeked back into my room and Dad was standing in the way of my view. I quickly slipped out of my bedroom, kicking the book under the bed. I sat on the floor in the hallway and rubbed my hands over my face.

Rose, meet the other shoe.

Mom came out after a minute and coaxed me to change into clean clothes and go downstairs with her while they sorted out what happened. I assumed that the police would be called and they were. What I didn't expect was Dimitri to bring out his laptop.