Don't Touch Me.

Don't Touch Me.
LIORA'S POV

Ugh, my head.

My eyes slowly opened to a splitting headache and the buzzing of a phone ringing in my ears. I tapped my hand across the bed and found it empty before finally forcing my eyes open to look around the room.

The phone continued buzzing as I stretched toward the drawer beside the bed and grabbed it. My eyes fell on the screen and I saw Mara calling. I quickly answered before placing the phone on speaker.

“Hey, what's up?” I asked as I moved away from the bed.

“I... I think something bad has happened to Jaycee. He hasn't been answering his calls!” she panicked, breathing heavily. Loud honks sounded in the background, making my stomach tighten.

“I need you to calm down and tell me what's happening. Why isn't he answering your calls? Wasn't he staying the night with you?” I asked, already feeling uneasy.

“No! Damn it!” she yelled in frustration. “That's what I don't understand! One minute he was in the house and the next he was gone. I thought he left for home, but he left his shirt behind. Who leaves without wearing a shirt? And he definitely wouldn't have stolen mine!”

A knot formed in my stomach.

Something was definitely wrong.

“Where are you right now? I'll come over,” I said while hurrying out of the room.

The moment I opened the door, I accidentally bumped into someone and stumbled back in surprise.

I lifted my gaze and froze.

Eleanor stood in front of the door with three maids behind her as though they had been waiting for me.

“I'm going to his house right now,” Mara said through the speaker. “I'll send you the address, but don't come yet. I'll tell you if I see anything.”

“Okay,” I replied, my eyes still fixed on Eleanor. The look on her face made me uneasy.

The call ended, leaving silence in the room.

I stepped forward, glancing behind her before looking back at her.

“What's the meaning of this?” I demanded.

Her eyes met mine.

“Mr. Azrael gave us strict orders not to let you leave this room until he says so.”

“Excuse me?” I gasped.

I stared at her, waiting for her to laugh and tell me it was a joke, but the serious look on her face remained unchanged.

What the hell had gotten into Azrael all of a sudden?

“Why is he restricting me to this room? Surely he must have told you the reason.” I crossed my arms and raised a brow.

“I wasn't told why. I'm only following his orders,” she replied calmly as she raised her hand.

One of the maids placed a folded cloth into her hand before Eleanor stepped forward and placed it carefully on the bed.

“He asked you to wear this.”

My pulse quickened.

I immediately ran forward and shoved the maids aside with my shoulder. We crashed onto the floor, and pain shot through my hand when it hit the floor, but I quickly scrambled back to my feet.

He couldn't just wake up and lock me inside a room without any goddamned reason.

“Sister!” Eleanor yelled from behind me. “You're making a huge mistake! Stop running!”

I ignored her and ran toward the exit.

Just before my fingers touched the doorknob, heavy footsteps sounded behind me and strong arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me off the floor.

“Let me go!” I screamed, sinking my nails into the arms holding me, but the person didn't flinch. Instead, he carried me farther away from the door.

“No! No, no!”

I turned to see who it was, only to freeze.

Azrael.

His expression was dark, and the anger in his eyes made my stomach drop.

Without saying a word, he dragged me away from the living room and into the guest quarter before shutting the door and locking us inside.

He released me before turning on the lights.

I stood there in disbelief, staring around the room before sharply turning toward him.

“What the fuck was that all about? Why did you tell them to lock me up?” I demanded, my lips trembling. “You don't have the right. No right at all to do that to me!”

“I was only trying to make sure you were safe,” he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Nothing more.”

Safe?

I stared at him.

“Why wouldn't I be safe in your own house? Did you somehow plant a bomb here or what? How could I possibly not be safe?” I threw my arms into the air in disbelief, but then something suddenly clicked in my mind.

My hands slowly lowered.

“Don't tell me...”

I took a step toward him, my stomach twisting uneasily.

“Azrael. Jaycee is missing.” My voice weakened. “You don't happen to have anything to do with his disappearance, right?”

His jaw tightened and his eyes locked onto mine.

A chill spread through my body.

I grabbed his shirt tightly.

“Answer me. You didn't hurt him, Azrael, right?”

He closed his eyes briefly before exhaling sharply.

“Liora, I can't answer that right now.”

“Yes, you can!” I screamed, shaking him. “You can answer the question! Where is Jaycee, Azrael?”

What would Mara think of me when she found out Jaycee had been taken by Azrael?

“Oh God... Oh God...”

I let go of him, my hands beginning to shake as I covered my mouth.

I knew how dangerous Azrael was. That was exactly why I had refused to tell him anything in the first place.

“Did you kill him?” I asked, my heart tightening painfully.

Azrael looked at me, and I slowly watched the light fade from his eyes.

“He's a human being, Azrael. Even an animal isn't treated that cruelly.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I pounded my chest.

I pushed past him and walked toward the door, but he suddenly grabbed my arm and every inch of my skin crawled at his touch.

I turned sharply and slapped him across the face.

“Don't you dare touch me.”

I yanked my arm free from his grip, opened the door, and slammed it shut behind me.