Kinsley ~
I woke in Dane's bed with Tyson having left in the middle of the night to deal with a security issue and I knew better than to ask what it was. To be honest I didn't want to know.
I needed to get some painting done that day and had to skip breakfast, needing Dane to drop me off at my apartment earlier than usual.
Dane was always accommodating and willing to take me anywhere I needed to go. We headed down the front steps toward Dane's car when my eyes settled on Tysons car and motorcycle still parked in the garage.
I thought Tyson left..
I motioned toward the vehicles, giving Dane a confused look.
"I thought you said Tyson was working?"
"He is working." Dane said flatly.
"Where? His car is still here. So is his bike."
Dane's expression hardened and he kissed my forehead as he passed me, opening the passenger door for me.
"He's in the basement." Dane said, his voice laced with steel as he maintained eye contact with me, willing me to understand and not ask any more questions.
Tyson's torturing someone in the basement...
I swallowed hard and settled into the passenger seat, trying to school my expression, knowing that Tyson didn't kill people without cause.
Dane dropped me off at my apartment, walking me up to my door with a deep scowl on his face. He tightened his hold around my waist as we passed several of my neighbors who were less than model citizens.
"You ever consider moving?" Dane asked, keeping his eyes glued to the men that we had passed in the parking lot.
"It's all I can afford." I said softly.
"You could always move in with us." He said, giving me a panty dropping smile before he pulled me in and dropped his mouth onto mine.
"Think about it." He said, planting one last small kiss on the tip of my nose.
"Okay." I hummed in return, still high off of his kiss and wrapped up in his scent.
Closing the door behind him, I changed clothes and tied my hair up, full of inspiration and ready to paint all day in my makeshift studio next door.
My whole world was so vibrant and colorful, more colorful and bright than it had ever been and it came through in my work. The palettes I used were warm and I felt my heart was smiling as my brush danced across the canvas. It was the happiest I'd been in a very long time and that happiness was reflected in my paintings. I spent hours in my little studio smiling like an idiot as I worked until heard male voices outside my apartment door.
I pulled one of my earbuds out and shut off my music as I listened through the silence and jumped when a loud bang echoed through the quiet air and shook the walls.
Did someone just kick in the door to my apartment next door?
"Where the fuck is she?" One of the male voices echoed through the thin sheet rock. "She's supposed to be here. Her cars out front." Another man answered.
I scrambled across the floor and flipped off the light, clicking the pathetic handle lock of the studio doorknob.
Snatching my phone in my trembling hands I quickly dialed Tyson's number and let out a sigh of relief when he answered on the second ring.
"In the middle of something, Kins. I'll call you later."
His voice was deep and commanding, but I needed him and I cut him off before he could hang up on me.
"There are men in my apartment." I said in a shaky voice that was barely louder than a whisper.
"Everyone shut the fuck up!" Tyson yelled at the men in the background.
"Who? Who's in your apartment, Kinsley?"
"I-I don't know, they knocked down my door. I can hear them."
"Where are you?" Tyson growled with anger in his voice.
"I'm in my art studio next door."
"Don't fucking move, do you understand me? I'm on my way."
There was so much hatred in Tysons voice, I almost felt sorry for the poor assholes that we're currently ransacking my apartment or at least I would have if I wasn't so scared.
I could hear the men demolishing my apartment, throwing things up against the walls and scooting furniture across the floor. Every thud and boom made my heart race as I sat in the dark, praying that Tyson would get here before they realized I was just a few feet away on the other side of the wall.
"I'm calling Dane, stay on the line baby." Tyson said through yhe phone.
"Okay." I said as quietly as I could.
Suddenly all the noise stopped and the air got thick and quiet around me. I almost preferred the loud banging because at least I knew where the men were. The silence was nerve wracking and I felt like my heart was going to pound out of my chest.
Did they leave? Were they gone?"
All I could hear was pounding of blood in my ears as I pulled my knees in tight against my chest and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to become as small as possible beneath a table.
I hadn't realized how long I sat that way or the fact that my phone was muffled against my hand, hanging limply at my side and away from my ear.
"Answer me Kinsley! I'm right outside." Tyson's furious voice echoed through the tiny speaker.
I can't move. What if they aren't gone?
Big booming footsteps sounded from the stairs outside the door, then from inside my apartment. Loud thuds from heavy steps rumbled on the other side of my wall.
Please be Tyson. Please be Tyson.
A fist banged on the studio door, but I was frozen in fear, shaking uncontrollably underneath the table.
"Kinsley baby it's me open the door." Tyson's voice echoed through the thin wood of the door.
"Fuck it." He muttered before the entire door jolted forward, nearly coming off its hinges.
I yelped and jumped at the loud sound and shrunk down against the wall beneath one of my large drawing tables.
Tysons large body appeared in front of mine and he dropped down to the floor and tried to coax me out.
"You're safe Kins, it's just me." Tyson said.
"Are you sure?" I whimpered.
"I checked your whole apartment. Whoever trashed the place is long gone. Come on baby I wanna get you out of here."
I crawled out from under the table and clung to Tyson's chest. He reached down and scooped my legs out from under me, cradling me and carrying me as if I weighed nothing at all.
"I got you, you're safe." He said against my hair as I buried my face in his chest.
I peeked around his muscular bicep as we passed my apartment door and gasped at the wreckage. Everything I owned was demolished and broken, flung around the small space as if a bomb had exploded.
Uncontrollable sobs racked my body at the sight and felt Tyson tighten his hold on me.
"Whoever did this is gonna pay. I'll make sure of that." Tyson growled with his jaw clenched tightly.
I heard the rumbling of Dane's car and the slamming of the drivers side door as we reached the bottom of the stairs.
"What happened?" Dane yelled, trying desperately to understand what had transpired.
"Somebody broke into her apartment and trashed it."
Dane's hand rubbed down the back of my head as he tried to get my attention.
"You okay baby?" Dane asked with concern and fear in his voice.
I nodded without looking as Dane ran his hand through my hair.
"Did you get a look at the guys, Kins?" Tyson asked, pulling his chest back, trying to get me to raise my head.
"No, I was in my studio painting. I heard them. They said where is she? They were looking for me." I said, my voice cracking with my words.
Tyson was furious and clutched my small body tightly as if he didn't want to put me down.
Dane looked around and saw a few guys sitting in lawn chairs across the way, playing cards and smoking.
"Hey! you see anybody up near that apartment?" Dane asked.
"Nah, I ain't seen shit, money bags." The guy spat.
Dane's lip snarled and he reached into his wallet.
"I got a grand that says you did." Dane said, holding the money up between his fingers.
The guy raised his eyebrows and licked his teeth, as he stood and approached Dane.
"I may have seen somethin."
"Yeah that's what I fucking thought." Dane hissed.
"Couple of guys with big ass watches busted that door down. Didn't leave with nothin that I could see."
Dane pulled his phone from his pocket and flipped through some pictures.
"Any of these look familiar?" Dane asked, handing the phone over.
The guy flipped through the pictures one by one.
"This one and this one. That's them." He confirmed as Dane handed over the cash.
Dane's scowl was deep and he rolled his shoulders back in a quick circular motion with his fists clenched at his sides.
"Franky and Massimo - fucking traitors." Dane snarled as he approached Tyson who was still holding me with an ironclad grip.
"I'm on it. Take her home." Tyson said, shifting me in his arms as he started to hand me to Dane.
"No please. Where are you going?" I pleaded up at Tyson with tears in my eyes.
"I'm gonna hunt down the assholes that did this."
"What are you going to do when you find them?" I asked in a shaky voice with my mind drifting to the basement.
"You really want me to answer that?" Tyson growled as Dane steadied me on my feet and tucked me against his side.
"Y-yes." I answered softly.
"I'm gonna take their fucking life with my bare hands." Tyson's expression was lethal as he kissed my forehead harshly and stormed off toward his motorcycle.
"Let's get you home." Dane said softly.
Home...did Dane just refer to their house as my home?