A Queen Returns

Chapter5

When I woke up, Dimitri was no longer sitting beside me, and panic immediately slammed into my chest. I shot upright and started screaming before I could stop myself.

What was going on? He said he would stay with me.

A second later, Dimitri came running into the living room shirtless, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he looked around in alarm. The sight of him instantly made my cheeks burn.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, rushing over to me. “Are you okay?”

My face turned several shades of red. “I—I’m sorry. I woke up and you weren’t here, and I panicked. I’m really sorry.”

He walked over and sat beside me on the couch. “Squirt, you never have to apologize for that. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

Right then, someone knocked on the door. Dimitri smiled softly. “That must be the food. I’m starving.”

He jumped up from the couch and hurried to the door like the same goofy boy I remembered growing up with. A few moments later, he returned carrying two trays of food, one in each hand.

He nodded toward the dining table near the window. “Come on.”

After setting his tray down, he pulled my chair out for me. Once I sat, he pushed my chair in gently before placing my tray in front of me and lifting the silver lid.

I looked down at a thick, juicy steak cooked rare, mashed potatoes, green beans, a glass of orange juice, and water.

“Thank you, Dimitri.”

He smiled at me warmly. “You used to order this every time you came over to my house, so I figured it was safe.”

Nodding, I picked up my fork and knife and cut into the steak. He had even remembered exactly how I liked it cooked.

We ate quietly for a while, but eventually I pushed my plate away. “Dimitri, I can’t finish all this. I’m sorry.”

He gently lifted my chin with one finger. “Hey, don’t apologize. You’ve been through a lot. I’m just glad you ate something.”

I nodded while he cleared the table.

I must have zoned out because when Dimitri touched my shoulder, I jumped so hard I nearly fell out of my chair.

His eyes widened. “Whoa. Sorry, Squirt. I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just going to ask if you wanted to watch TV for a while.”

I nodded again, still shaken.

We moved back to the couch, and Dimitri pressed a button on a remote. A massive television slowly lowered from the ceiling.

My mouth dropped open. “That thing is huge. Where the hell did it come from?”

Dimitri laughed. “It came with the room. Money can buy just about anything.”

I glanced around the penthouse again. Honestly, he wasn’t wrong.

He flipped through channels until he landed on *The Lion King*, my favorite movie. At first, I tried to watch normally, but about ten minutes in, my eyes started burning with tears. Within seconds, I was sobbing uncontrollably.

Dimitri didn’t ask questions. He simply pulled me into his arms and held me tightly. “It’s okay, Victoria. I’m here. You’re safe now.”

When he realized the movie was tied to too many memories, he quietly switched it off and found something else to watch. I barely noticed. At some point, exhaustion dragged me under.

The next time I woke up, I was in the bedroom Dimitri had given me. Soft morning light spilled through the curtains.

I slowly sat up and noticed Dimitri asleep in the chair at the foot of the bed.

I frowned slightly. I thought he was going to sleep in his own room.

Careful not to wake him, I slipped out of bed and grabbed the bag he had packed for me. I walked quietly into the connected bathroom and locked the door behind me.

Inside the bag was a dress, a pair of heels, and all of my usual toiletries neatly arranged on the counter. Hairbrushes. Lotion. Makeup remover. Even my favorite shampoo and conditioner.

I stared at everything in disbelief.

How did he remember all of this?

Turning on the shower as hot as I could stand it, I started undressing. Before stepping in, I realized I had forgotten to grab my shampoo and body wash. But when I opened the shower door again, I froze.

Dimitri had already placed everything inside for me.

Even my favorite razor and shaving cream sat neatly in the corner.

I stared at them for a long moment.

Had he really paid that much attention to me all these years?

The thought made my chest ache.

I shaved my legs, underarms, and sensitive areas before washing my body and conditioning my hair. Once I was finished, I wrapped a towel around myself and stepped in front of the mirror.

I barely recognized the girl staring back at me. My eyes were swollen and red from crying. My face looked exhausted. Broken.

Then my gaze landed on a pair of scissors sitting in a cup beside the sink.

Without thinking too hard about it, I grabbed them and cut several inches off my hair.

By the time I finished getting dressed, I looked different. Not healed. Just… different.

When I walked back into the bedroom, Dimitri wasn’t there.

Panic instantly tightened in my chest again, but this time I forced myself to breathe through it. Slowly, I walked toward the living room.

Dimitri stood near the windows talking on the phone. The moment he turned around and saw me, his mouth fell open.

“Let me call you back,” he said quickly before hanging up.

His eyes widened as he walked closer. “Vic… you cut your hair. Are you okay?”

I shrugged weakly. “I just needed it gone. Every time I looked at it, all I could think about was the blood.”

His expression softened with understanding.

“Who were you talking to?” I asked quietly.

He sighed. “Officer Michael. He wants us to come down to the station so he can ask you a few more questions.”

Lowering my eyes, I wrapped my arms around myself. “It’s about what happened at my house, isn’t it?”

Dimitri nodded once. “Let me grab my keys and our jackets, okay?”

I nodded silently.

A cold chill settled deep inside me while I waited.

What if they found out what really happened?

A few moments later, Dimitri returned and helped me into my jacket before guiding me toward the elevator. He stayed close the entire way downstairs and out to his truck.

Once inside, I stared silently out the window while he drove. By the time we arrived at the police station, I had completely zoned out.

“Vic,” Dimitri said softly, placing his hand over mine. “We’re here. Are you ready?”

I stared down at my lap. “Not really. But I have to do this.”

Dimitri got out first and came around to open my door. He held his hand out to me.

“I’ve got you,” he promised quietly. “I’m right here.”

I took his hand, and together we walked into the station.

At the front desk, Dimitri spoke calmly. “Victoria Ambers is here to see Officer Michael.”

The receptionist picked up the phone and dialed an extension before smiling politely at us. “He’ll be right down. You can have a seat.”

A few minutes later, Officer Michael appeared and led us back to his office.

Once we sat down, he folded his hands together and looked at me carefully. “Victoria, first, I want to say again how sorry I am for your loss.”

I nodded quietly.

“I’ve spoken with the other families affected by the tragedy,” he continued gently. “None of them blame you for what happened. Temperance’s parents and several others wanted me to tell you that if you need anything, they’re here for you.”

The mention of Temperance nearly shattered me all over again. Dimitri squeezed my hand tightly.

Officer Michael leaned forward slightly. “I called you in because I wanted to know if you remembered anything else from that night that could help us.”

I shook my head slowly. “No. I still can’t remember anything after the pain started.”

He sighed. “We did find animal DNA at the scene. Right now, we’re trying to determine exactly what kind.”

I frowned. “Animal DNA?”

“We believe some kind of animal was involved in the attack,” he explained carefully. “But there had to be more to it than that. Right now, the investigation has hit a standstill.”

I exchanged a quick glance with Dimitri before looking back at Michael.

Dimitri stepped in smoothly. “When can she bury her family?” he asked. “And when can she leave town?”

Officer Michael nodded. “Once the autopsies are complete, the bodies can be released. If she plans to leave, I’ll just need an address and phone number so we can contact her with updates.”

Dimitri placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “We’ll have them transferred to my family’s funeral home. Then we can go back to your house and start making arrangements. Don’t worry—we already had the place cleaned up, and I’ll stay with you the entire time.”

I stared down at my hands in silence.

The police had no real answers. Just animal DNA and dead ends.

As Dimitri guided me out of the station, one thought kept repeating in my mind:

I just turned eighteen.

I shouldn’t be planning my parents’ funeral.