Mess Is Mine | Elijah Mikaelson

Chapter Eight | The Roar of the Fire*

"That sounds reasonable." There was a similar security system in place at the elementary school, for which I was grateful.

"Years later, my brothers and I discovered that my father had arranged the assaults himself to ensure the need for such monitoring," Elijah spat, his distaste for his father palpable.

"We also found evidence of various crimes, including staged robberies and fake witnesses. After a particularly nasty fight with my brother Niklaus, we realized our father was mentally unstable and therefore, a liability to the business."

"I'm sorry, Elijah. He must not have been pleased to hear that."

"No, he certainly was not. He went so far as to threaten Niklaus' life, before we made a decision to have him committed to the Fauline Asylum in his hometown of New Orleans."

"But if he's been institutionalized, how is it possible that he is responsible for any of this?" I asked, my brow furrowed.

More pieces of the puzzle weren't locking together, and now my temples were throbbing. I knew I was on the verge of an anxiety attack, but I had to understand all of this if I was really in danger.

"Kol found a note under our door this evening. It was simply an M scrawled on a piece of paper in blood red marker. That was the calling card my father would use when he wanted to meet with an employee years ago. The mark became synonymous with violence and fear, as the recipient was usually never seen in town again. When we called the asylum to check on him, they admitted he escaped over a year ago."

He wrapped his arm around me tighter, drawing me so close to his chest I could feel his heart beat.

"And now you think he robbed the supermarket? Why would he do that?"

"We don't have any idea of his motives yet. We do, however, have knowledge of a red M scrawled on the register that had been emptied. We have also seen the surveillance footage that showed one of the men studying your face during the robbery."

The edges of my vision were beginning to blur, and my lungs were uncomfortably tight. I swung my eyes over to Elijah.

"I'm scared."

He let a soft sigh slip from his lips, before turning to press a gentle kiss to my forehead. My heart rate slowed a bit.

"You don't have to worry here. My brothers and I are going to keep you and Evelyn safe and secure until we can get Mikael back in the facility where he belongs."

"Have you told the MFPD about this? Jackson would probably want to know that there is a dangerous criminal lurking in the streets."

I didn't miss the way Elijah's jaw ticked at the mention of Jackson.

"Officer Kenner is not privy to this information, and I see no reason to include him. My brothers and I, along with our loyal employees, will ensure the safety of Mystic Falls."

I widened my eyes at the snippiness of his reply, a teasing smile playing at my lips.

"Someone might think you didn't like Officer Kenner for some reason," I purred, nestling further into the security of his chest.

He nodded, frowning slightly as a flush crawled over his neck.

"You could say I'm not his biggest fan."

"Why is that?" My voice was just above a whisper now, and I held my breath as I waited for his response.

"He's after something that I want for myself."

His words made me gasp, my wretched anxiety melting away into something hotter. The flames of desire were ignited once again.

I could still taste Elijah's kisses from hours earlier, and I wanted nothing more than to taste him right now.