Frantically, she searched herself and only found a few cuts that were barley bleeding.
Then she noticed her pants were wet and looked around behind her, where she’d slipped. A puddle of dark red liquid pooled just inside the plastic that led towards the elevators.
She carefully stood up, avoiding the blood, and stood directly in front of the sixth elevator and held her breath. The elevator, one of the only original elevators left in the main building, had been shut down recently for repairs and, since it led directly to the closed dining area, it had been sealed off until all the renovations were done.
She looked down at the tile just outside the elevator doors and frowned at more dark liquid pooling there as she reached for the button. It shouldn’t have worked. It should have had no power to it. Yet, she listened as the car moved closer to the main floor. When the doors slid open, she scrambled backwards and once again, landed on the floor in the sticky liquid as her scream echoed through the lobby.
Half an hour later, she sat in the bar area, a blanket wrapped around her and a cup of hot tea held between her hands.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Cemal asked again.
Raven nodded as she’d done a dozen or so times before. She didn’t trust her voice. She’d screamed and screamed until Cemal had rushed through the plastic to find her and the… Raven closed her eyes at the memory. Of seeing all the blood around a man’s shoulders where a head used to be.
She’d never seen a dead body before. Well, not like that. She’d been the one to find her grandmother that morning. But her gran had looked like she was sleeping. She’d looked so… peaceful.
Whoever it was in the elevator, there was no way he’d gone peacefully. Then again, being decapitated in such a manner had to have happened quickly.
“Miss Brooks?”
Raven glanced up through her tear-filled eyes and, for a moment, she believed it was Cade standing in front of her. Then she blinked and saw it was his uncle, Sheriff Sean Stone. If she’d been in a different mental state, she would have taken a moment to appreciate how sexy the man was. How much Cade look like him, would look like him in a few years.
“Yes,” she said, setting down the teacup.
“May I?” he asked, and Cemal jumped up to give the man her seat.
She was thankful that by the time Cemal had shown up beside her, the elevator doors had shut again, blocking the horrible view from the young girl.
“Please.” Raven motioned towards the chair.
“I’ll just…” Cemal motioned towards the front. “If you need me.” She touched Raven’s arm.
Raven had been allowed to go into the bathroom and clean up after the first officers had arrived and snapped a few pictures of her hands and arms with their cell phones.
“Think you can go over everything that happened with me?” Sean asked in a calm voice.
“I can try,” she said in a shaky voice.
By the time she was done telling Cade’s uncle what she’d gone through, she felt a little steadier. Her tea had been replaced by a shot of bourbon at Sean’s request, and she was sipping it and feeling slightly more relaxed.
Since she hadn’t had any dinner yet, she was now feeling tipsy as well. Her food had been delivered to her there in the bar, after word had gotten out about what had happened, but so far, she hadn’t opened the lid. If she did, she’d probably lose all the liquid in her stomach.
“My god. What the hell happened here?” They both turned to see Cade rush towards them. He didn’t stop until he’d pulled her up out of the seat and into his arms. “Are you okay?” Cade asked her softly.
“I am.” She closed her eyes and held onto him.
“You should have called me,” Cade said over her shoulder to his uncle.
“I sent you a text the moment I knew about it,” Sean answered.
He leaned back as his eyes scanning her face. “You’re pale.”
She nodded and swallowed.
“What happened here?” Cade asked Sean as he helped her sit down again.
Sean took Cade’s shoulders and stepped away from her. She heard him whisper into his nephew’s ear quickly, relaying what she’d gone through.
Cade’s eyes moved to her as he listened.
Then he was back beside her. “You’re done?” he asked Sean.
“For now,” Sean agreed. “I’ll be by in the morning with any other questions.” Then he turned to her. “If you think of anything else, write it down, and we can go over it in the morning.”
She nodded again in response. They watched his uncle disappear through the plastic sheet wall, heading towards the elevator.
Closing her eyes, she tried not to think about what was beyond the barrier.
“I’m taking you upstairs,” Cade said. “Is this yours?” He motioned to the covered food and the glass of bourbon.
She nodded. He lifted the lid of the food and then smelled the drink. “Sean’s idea?” he asked her. Again, she nodded.
She realized she’d used up all her energy talking to his uncle. She was completely drained.
What she wanted now more than anything was to get out of the soiled clothes, take a long hot shower, and go to sleep.
Cade helped her stand and then took the tray and led her towards the bank of elevators across the lobby area that led them to the west building.
“I assume you haven’t had a chance to move rooms yet?” he asked her.
She shook her head and hit the button for the top floor.
“I did stress how dangerous it was having anyone stay in this building until it was updated, correct?” he asked once they were in the elevator.
She sighed and closed her eyes and the moment the doors shut, a full-on panic attack hit her at the thought of the body lying on the floor of an elevator just like this one.
“Hey.” Cade’s arms wrapped around her. “Breathe. I’m here,” he said into her hair as her eyes closed tighter. “Just breathe.” He nudged her chin up and started kissing her. His lips ran over her face softly, raining tender kisses over her cheeks, her eyes, down her chin and neck until she felt her breathing level.
When she heard the elevator door open, she pulled back and took a deep breath.
“Okay?” he asked.
She nodded once again and held the doors open while he retrieved the tray he’d set on the floor.
He followed her to her room and stood back while she unlocked the door.
She hadn’t really thought about how she looked until she passed the large mirror over the desk. Wincing at the mess she was, she motioned to the table.
“You can set that down there. I’m going to go…” She looked down at her blood-stained clothes. “I’m okay, if you want to…”
“I’ll stay,” he said firmly. “Go, clean up. I’ll order myself a sandwich as well.” He motioned to the tray. “Want anything else?”
She shook her head and turned to head into her room.
Shutting the door behind her, she stripped off the soiled clothes and, instead of putting them with her clothes to be cleaned, she tossed them in the trash can, knowing the pants were beyond help.
She stepped under the hot spray, leaned against the tile, and slid onto the shower seat. She buried her face in her hands and cried until she felt too tired to continue.