He stalked slowly around the bed and bent down. One hand gripped the sheet and lifted it to her upper chest. “You’re naked.” He sniffed. “He didn’t sexually assault you.”
She clutched at the sheet that the officer had handed to her, still gripping her throat with the other. He’d seen her bare br**sts. Her hair falling over her shoulders hadn’t totally hidden them but at that moment she was too confused and frightened to be embarrassed.
“Did you see his face?” He backed off as soon as she held the sheet up without his assistance. “Do you know who it was?”
She’d thought it was Tiger but couldn’t state that without admitting they were sleeping together to explain why he’d be in her bedroom. “No. It was too dark.”
He crouched and gently moved her hand from her throat. A soft growl came from him as he studied her neck. “He hurt you.”
“He tried to strangle me. He was wearing gloves. I felt them when I tried to make him let go.”
The officer took her hand and sniffed her fingertips. “You made him bleed. Wipe them on the bedding. We will want his blood scent.”
Shock prevented her from responding so the officer used part of the bedding to clean her fingertips. Blood stained the material and she realized she must have really nailed her attacker. He released her hand and rose to his feet.
“I will guard the door. Go into the bathroom and wash your hands. Human males can carry diseases. Use soap.”
“I’m naked,” she reminded him.
He paused to glance at her. “I won’t look. Hurry, more officers are on the way.” He strode to the dresser and removed some of the clothes Tiger had ordered for her. He returned to her side and offered them. “Just come out when you are dressed.”
He spun, moved to the bedroom door and turned his back to her. She glanced at the broken window, the curtains swaying in the breeze, before tossing back the sheet to streak to the bathroom. Once the door was closed she realized how badly she was shaking.
Someone had attacked her in her bed. When she looked in the mirror she saw red marks on her throat where she’d been squeezed. She tilted her head to get a better look. She’d probably have bruises. Her hand rose to touch the sore spots but the sight of blood on her fingers stopped her. She lowered her gaze to the sink to turn on the water. Her hands trembled badly as she soaped them and scrubbed under her fingernails.
The T-shirt and sweatpants were too large but she didn’t have a choice. She opened the door when she’d put them on. Two officers were in her room. The one who’d tended her was stripping the comforter off her bed. He folded it to keep the blood stains on top.
“Here,” he passed it to the other officer. “Take this to Security immediately.” He turned to face Zandy. “Are you well? We’re tracking the male who attacked you. Did he say anything to you?”
“No. He was by the dresser when I woke and he just attacked me. He grabbed my throat and I couldn’t breathe.”
“He wanted to keep her silent,” the second officer stated. “He had to have known we were posted outside.”
A third officer walked into her room. “We found his point of entry. He broke through the kitchen window in the back. Smashing this window to escape cost him severe injuries, judging by the amount of blood we found outside. It shouldn’t take us long to track him. He won’t be able to get away.” He grimly regarded Zandy. “Are you well, female?”
“I’m okay. Shaken, but I’ll live.”
“He harmed her throat,” the first officer informed the one who seemed to be in charge. “We should escort her to Medical.”
“It’s just red. I can breathe fine now and it’s just a little sore. I’m sure I don’t need a doctor.”
“Are you sure?” All three of them studied her.
“Yes. I just want a drink.” She inched past them and entered the living room. Her purse was on the floor and all the contents had been dumped out over the coffee table.
She picked up her wallet and opened it. Her cash was still there and she showed it to the officers who’d followed her. “He wasn’t a thief. I don’t know what he was looking for though.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll find out when we catch him.”
She dropped her wallet on the table and entered the kitchen. It was small and her gaze immediately focused on the window. It was closed but she could see where the lock had been broken along the bottom.
* * * * *
Tiger was furious as he glared at Vengeance. The male snarled at him, in a foul mood. He was really testing Tiger’s patience. He had spent the past few hours trying to calm the male but admitted to being ready to call in someone to tranquilize him and put him down for the night.
“You attacked a female human while working for the task force and that’s how you ended up here. I know you want to do something but you blew it. I’m not arguing with you anymore, Ven. I have things to do tonight and I’d like to get some sleep. More important things are happening than you throwing a fit because you aren’t happy here.”
“I should be doing something.”
“I understand but you tried to force mate a female.” Tiger’s cell phone rang and he reached for it. “Tiger here.”
“The human female, Zandy Gordon, was attacked at her apartment at human housing.”
Tiger snarled from rage and shock that someone had harmed Zandy again. “How? Who did it? Is she well? Where were the officers I assigned to guard her?”
She clutched at the sheet that the officer had handed to her, still gripping her throat with the other. He’d seen her bare br**sts. Her hair falling over her shoulders hadn’t totally hidden them but at that moment she was too confused and frightened to be embarrassed.
“Did you see his face?” He backed off as soon as she held the sheet up without his assistance. “Do you know who it was?”
She’d thought it was Tiger but couldn’t state that without admitting they were sleeping together to explain why he’d be in her bedroom. “No. It was too dark.”
He crouched and gently moved her hand from her throat. A soft growl came from him as he studied her neck. “He hurt you.”
“He tried to strangle me. He was wearing gloves. I felt them when I tried to make him let go.”
The officer took her hand and sniffed her fingertips. “You made him bleed. Wipe them on the bedding. We will want his blood scent.”
Shock prevented her from responding so the officer used part of the bedding to clean her fingertips. Blood stained the material and she realized she must have really nailed her attacker. He released her hand and rose to his feet.
“I will guard the door. Go into the bathroom and wash your hands. Human males can carry diseases. Use soap.”
“I’m naked,” she reminded him.
He paused to glance at her. “I won’t look. Hurry, more officers are on the way.” He strode to the dresser and removed some of the clothes Tiger had ordered for her. He returned to her side and offered them. “Just come out when you are dressed.”
He spun, moved to the bedroom door and turned his back to her. She glanced at the broken window, the curtains swaying in the breeze, before tossing back the sheet to streak to the bathroom. Once the door was closed she realized how badly she was shaking.
Someone had attacked her in her bed. When she looked in the mirror she saw red marks on her throat where she’d been squeezed. She tilted her head to get a better look. She’d probably have bruises. Her hand rose to touch the sore spots but the sight of blood on her fingers stopped her. She lowered her gaze to the sink to turn on the water. Her hands trembled badly as she soaped them and scrubbed under her fingernails.
The T-shirt and sweatpants were too large but she didn’t have a choice. She opened the door when she’d put them on. Two officers were in her room. The one who’d tended her was stripping the comforter off her bed. He folded it to keep the blood stains on top.
“Here,” he passed it to the other officer. “Take this to Security immediately.” He turned to face Zandy. “Are you well? We’re tracking the male who attacked you. Did he say anything to you?”
“No. He was by the dresser when I woke and he just attacked me. He grabbed my throat and I couldn’t breathe.”
“He wanted to keep her silent,” the second officer stated. “He had to have known we were posted outside.”
A third officer walked into her room. “We found his point of entry. He broke through the kitchen window in the back. Smashing this window to escape cost him severe injuries, judging by the amount of blood we found outside. It shouldn’t take us long to track him. He won’t be able to get away.” He grimly regarded Zandy. “Are you well, female?”
“I’m okay. Shaken, but I’ll live.”
“He harmed her throat,” the first officer informed the one who seemed to be in charge. “We should escort her to Medical.”
“It’s just red. I can breathe fine now and it’s just a little sore. I’m sure I don’t need a doctor.”
“Are you sure?” All three of them studied her.
“Yes. I just want a drink.” She inched past them and entered the living room. Her purse was on the floor and all the contents had been dumped out over the coffee table.
She picked up her wallet and opened it. Her cash was still there and she showed it to the officers who’d followed her. “He wasn’t a thief. I don’t know what he was looking for though.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll find out when we catch him.”
She dropped her wallet on the table and entered the kitchen. It was small and her gaze immediately focused on the window. It was closed but she could see where the lock had been broken along the bottom.
* * * * *
Tiger was furious as he glared at Vengeance. The male snarled at him, in a foul mood. He was really testing Tiger’s patience. He had spent the past few hours trying to calm the male but admitted to being ready to call in someone to tranquilize him and put him down for the night.
“You attacked a female human while working for the task force and that’s how you ended up here. I know you want to do something but you blew it. I’m not arguing with you anymore, Ven. I have things to do tonight and I’d like to get some sleep. More important things are happening than you throwing a fit because you aren’t happy here.”
“I should be doing something.”
“I understand but you tried to force mate a female.” Tiger’s cell phone rang and he reached for it. “Tiger here.”
“The human female, Zandy Gordon, was attacked at her apartment at human housing.”
Tiger snarled from rage and shock that someone had harmed Zandy again. “How? Who did it? Is she well? Where were the officers I assigned to guard her?”
