Chapter 104 Past and Present

Chapter 104 Past and Present
He swung around, driving his fist into the next one's face, knocking him to the ground with a short sharp punch. The second dropped just as fast, but the man he'd ripped off of Lydia, the one pinning her by the throat against the wall with his pants around his fucking ankles landed and soon after choked on Dorian's designer sneaker slamming into his chest until the bones snapped. 
He wheezed and choked, his breath came out in sharp pants, but dragged him up and punched him, knocking teeth across the floor, scattering like coins until he hung limp and bloody from Dorian's grip. 
None of them moved, barely breathing, and the red receded to the edges of his vision.
He turned to Lydia and crossed the distance. He made it one step before another scream of terror came. She flailed, striking at the open air.  Dorian held back, waiting for the frantic fight instinct to fade. 
His mamãe had screamed like that, night after night after night when she didn't think he could hear, when she didn't want to. She'd stare out the window in a haze of terror, screaming silently. And just like with her, he settled in to wait, to be close enough for comfort, and patient until she came back to the present and realized that she was safe and the men who hurt her would never do so again.
No matter what Dorian had to endure to make that happen these three assholes were done. He sent a message to Animkii hoping that his hyper secure ass had footage for this shit. 

The scent of raw eggs and blood tugged at the edges of the memory. Liquids dried and clung to her skin. She could feel the different levels of viscosity and wetness like a million alien hands had left prints on her. What she couldn't feel was her face or her foot or anything else beyond the raw thrumming ache. Sensation trickled in with the pattern of tile beneath her bare ass and the cold prickling on her skin. Jason's probing, voracious fingers left phantom sensation on her thighs. She pulled her legs closer to her chest, tucking herself in and shutting her eyes, bracing for that raw, thrumming inside, the stretched too far twinge and ache she remembered too clearly.
Tears wouldn't come this time, though her throat ached. How long had she screamed?
Had they gotten away before she could kill them?
"Can you hear me?"
She craned her neck up, blinking and stunned at the sight of Dorian crouched just out of reach with understanding and calm patience in his hazel eyes. She sniffled and let her gaze drift around him as the pain in her ankle grew but the ache stayed in her limbs.
Jason lay flat on his back. Gavin and Sterling were face down nearby, eggs froze in long dragging clear and yellow smears on the ground. 
Her jaw trembled with words. Dorian shook his head holding up his hands. A splatter of blood on his cheek caught her eye. 
"Can I help you stand?"
A whimper wormed out of her chest, burning her eyes. 
"Okay. Would you be okay with me finding a table cloth or something to wrap you in?"
Another whimper and shake of her head. Leave. He'd leave. Tears streamed down her face. 
Dorian nodded and sat in a gooey puddle as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "I’m going to sit right here until the police come to take them. Do you think I could take you to the hospital then?"
Sterling groaned shifting where he lay. She shrieked lunging for Dorian who caught her easily and gather her up. Teeth clattering, she buried her face in his shoulder. He was talking, murmuring something reassuring when he lifted her, but she couldn't make out anything beyond the thrumming of his heart in her ear. The scent of ice and sweat hovering over his body wash and cologne, dragged her eyes closed and into the deep, cool waves that would take her away from it all. 

Dorian didn't waste the time trying not to be angry. He stomped on Sterling's back for good measure as he passed and closed the freezer door behind him. It was the will to see them punished later, or getting another crack at finishing the job that had him turn up the temperature on the freezer. Somewhere in the building his phone was ringing, but he didn't stop to find it. Past the staging area, he found table cloths and yanked one out to wrap around her. She didn't stir while he unlocked the front door. 
Across the street a group of three people with suitcases, pointed at the front of the building. The tallest of the three looked dead at him, then took a running start. Dropping the bags he carried.
"Lydia!"
Dorian went still, defensive stared at him. Pinning Lydia to his chest.
"Who are you?"
"I should be asking you that. What the hell happened to my sister?"
Dorian blew out then glanced across the street, noting the older woman and much older man. 
Lydia's family was here. Fuck.  On the top three worst ways to meet your almost girlfriend's family, this had to be at the top.
"I'm going to take her to the hospital." He nodded to his card. "You all are more than welcome to climb in and come with me."
He clenched his fists, his narrowed eyes shifting back and forth between them. There must have been something in  the way he held her or the way she clung to him that told her brother he meant her no harm, that she was safe with him, because he nodded stiffly and turned back to grab the bags he'd dropped. 
Dorian unlocked the car and placed Lydia in the passenger seat, propping her legs up on his duffel bag before raising the fabric top cover. He left the doors unlocked and popped the trunk before the police screeched to a halt and Dorian ducked back inside to find his phone. 
It rang and buzzed on the edge of the growing pool of water coming from the back room as police sirens arrived. Animkii was calling. 
"Ani'," his voice came out hoarse. "I need you to handle this... I need you to tell me you have footage of what happened. I need you to tell me they'll pay for it. Them, their families. Even if you have to lie."
His hands were shaking. The sight of Lydia covered in neat knife wounds, bruises, naked with cash crammed into her bra, made his stomach heave and made him murderous. 
"I wouldn't lie to you about that... Did you kill them?"
"I don't think so. Glass jaw."
"Shame. You have my word, whatever happens they'll all pay for it."
"... sorry your place is going to be shut down for a while."
"I was going to shut it down to get a bunch of shit fixed and until I got a new manager. Don't worry about it. Just get your hand looked after and get your girlfriend to the hospital."