He Left the Door Open

Immediately, Trent checked her breathing. It was slowing down, with the rise and fall of her chest diminishing. Placing the pads of his fingers over the pulse at her neck, he felt that it was decreasing as well. Hmmm...that looked like a panic attack if I ever saw one.

"Sweet angel. Do you not like tight spaces?" Trent cupped her face with both of his hands and kissed her forehead, her nose, and then her cheeks, finally closing the trunk lid on her unconscious body.

Driving Laney's car back to where he parked the SUV, he listened intently for any signs that she might be waking up. It took only a few minutes, and when he popped the trunk, Trent smiled down at his sleeping treasure. Gingerly, he moved her from the trunk to the back of the SUV, and laid her on her side. Having already put down a soft blanket and pillow, he rested her head on the cushions. Trent picked up the leather collar he had left with the blankets, and carefully fastened it around her neck. Lastly, he attached a length of chain from her collar to a bolt in the floor, giving her only a few feet of slack. Laying his head on hers, Trent smelled her hair, burying his face into her silky brown waves. His chest gave an appreciative groan. He could stay right there forever, but they had to drive across multiple states. Grudgingly, he pulled back and closed the hatch door, making his way to the driver's seat. He had filled the tank up on his way to pick up Laney, so he planned to be roughly 400 miles out before having to gas up. If they stopped just to sleep, he would have his pixie home in less than 24 hours.

**********

Trent's phone chirped in the passenger's seat, and the screen lit up bright red.

"Fuck!"

The house alarm had been activated. Red meant a break-in. Thank Christ he was literally at the start of the driveway. It ran about a quarter mile long, and he fucking flew down that road. The tires came to a screeching halt in front of the garage, smoke billowing up from under the fenders. Grabbing the Glock from the glove compartment, Trent chambered it.

I am going to KILL the motherfucker that broke into my house. Just fucking STRANGLE him!

He instantly thought of his angel, and his anger fucking boiled over.

She's locked in her room, but if anyone fucking even breathed in her direction, I will literally slice them in to pieces.

A noise caught his attention, and Trent swung his head just in time to see the light from the headlights reflecting off of some baby blue converse running into the thicket of trees.

"The...fuck?"

Trent was not a stupid man, but at that moment he was dumbstruck.

I locked her in. That room requires my thumbprint to open the door from either side. There is absolutely no way that she could have opened it, or anyone else.

The realization that it was his Laney who might have triggered the alarm, and was now running into the woods caused an emotion that he had not felt in years. Fear. It coiled deep in his belly. His sweetheart was trying to leave him!? Trent heard the most frightening roar bellow out around him, and at first he didn't even recognize that those sounds were coming from his own mouth. He didn't even have to think; his feet pounded into the ground and he took off after her. "LANEY!! YOU'RE MINE!!"