Zen (19 page)

She opened her door smiling. “You better not be late. That cashier is a Beastial halfsie and they are known for quick tempers.”

“I have never dated a halfsie before. Anything I need to know?” Jimmie asked, following her into her suite.

“Just that they say what they mean and mean what they say.”

“That is no help what-so-ever,” Jimmie told her, making her laugh. “Shawna, don’t take this the wrong way but, what is that smell?”

Shawna dropped her bags on the sofa and scrunched her nose. “I don’t know but it is making me feel sick.”

“Me too. I think it is coming from the kitchen. Did you start cooking something and left it in?” Jimmie walked with her to the kitchen.

“I haven’t cooked anything since I arrived. I’m not much of a cook.” She saw smoke coming out of the stove and rushed to it turning it off first, then opening the oven door. What she saw inside made her insides freeze.

“Shawna?” Jimmie asked when he saw how pale she got. The next thing he knew her eyes rolled up and she started to fall backwards. He barely made it there in time to catch her. “Shit!”

Zen got off the elevator with light footsteps. He was beyond happy. Shawna loved him. She wanted to be with him. He would do anything to ensure her happiness. He quickened his pace but then halted when he saw security standing outside of Shawna’s suite. He felt his stomach drop with fear. He wasn’t used to feeling fear. But he felt it now, for Shawna.

“What is going on?” Zen demanded as he tried to get past the security guards.

“You can’t go in unless you have permission from Rachel or Trig.”

“Shawna is my mate! I demand to see her now!” Zen yelled, trying to knock the security guards away.

The door was opened suddenly and Rachel stood there. “Let him in. Rage and Miss Baker’s mother are on their way. Let them in when they get here.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The security guards let him go.

Zen pushed through the door. His eyes searched out Shawna. She was laying on the sofa and a healer was kneeling beside her.

“Shawna!” Zen yelled, practically jumping across the room to get to her. She was wearing something over her nose and mouth and her scared eyes peered up at him. “What are you doing to her?”

The healer responded. “Sir, we are administering oxygen along with a mild sedative. She fainted and when she woke, experienced extreme panic. We are ensuring she can breathe and that she is relaxed.”

“Why would she have a panic attack?” Zen touched her cheek gently.

“Come with me and I’ll explain while the healers finish working with her,” Rachel answered him pointing to the kitchen.

Zen stood and followed her and Trig. Trig pulled on a pair of latex gloves while Rachel spoke, “We got a call from Jimmie, her cameraman. He had walked her home after they were done working this afternoon about an hour ago. They noticed a really bad smell.”

Zen nodded. “I didn’t notice it right away but there is a horrible odor.”

“Jimmie and Shawna came to the kitchen because the smell was strongest here. Shawna went to open the oven door and found the source to the smell. She then passed out. Jimmie caught her before she hit the floor. He put her on the sofa and called for security. When she came back to consciousness she panicked. Jimmie called for emergency healers to come and help with her.”

“What was in the oven that would upset her like this?” Zen asked.

Rachel nodded for Trig to proceed. He opened the oven up and pulled out a long flat cookie sheet. When he turned for Zen to see what was on it, Zen thought he would throw up. Some kind of animal was cut open. Its intestines were pulled out and used to spell Shawna’s name. Then the animal had been baked in the oven.

“Oh God. Who would do that?” Zen asked, already knowing the answer—his stalker.

“We believe your stalker is sending Shawna a message to stay away from you. We will take this with us to analyze. Shawna may not want to remain here. The smell is going to be really hard to get rid of without a full renovation,” Rachel told him.

Zen looked over at the sofa but couldn’t see anything but Shawna’s dark hair as it draped over one arm of the sofa. He wouldn’t blame her for wanting to break things off. This was just so much to handle. He didn’t know what he should do. Her head was moving and then he heard her voice.

“Zen?” she called out.

“Right here, baby.” He started making his way over to her when the door burst open and Shawna’s mother stormed in.

“Pack your bags we are going home!”

Despite the healer’s insistence that she stay flat on the sofa, Shawna sat up. Her head was a little dizzy but that was okay. What wasn’t okay was her mother barging in and yelling at everyone.

“Mother, I’m not going anywhere,” Shawna told her. She almost cried when Zen came and sat beside her on the sofa. He took her into his arms, holding her on his lap.

“Baby, I am so sorry,” Zen whispered in her ear.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his neck. “It’s not your fault.”

“What the hell is going on here?” Rage roared as he walked in.

“Calm down and I’ll tell you.” Rachel went over to him pulling him with her to the kitchen.

Zen and Shawna watched as they disappeared into the kitchen. There was silence. Then Rage came back out. His face pale and he glared at Zen as he spoke to his sister.

“Honey, are you okay?” Rage made sure his voice gentled.

Shawna nodded her head. “I was freaked out.”

“I don’t blame you, but I think you need to move out of here immediately. You can come stay with me and Rachel.”

“That is not necessary. I am taking Shawna home with me,” her mother said.

Shawna shook her head. “I am staying with Zen.” Oops she forgot to ask first. She looked up at Zen. “Is that okay?”

Zen hugged her to him. “It is. That is where you belong.”

Rage frowned. “I don’t think that is a good idea. Zen is being targeted by a stalker who is clearly disturbed. This person doesn’t want you with Zen and is going to come after you.”

Zen hated to admit it. “Rage is right, honey. Maybe you’ll be safer with Rage…or…going back with your mother.” It would kill him to have her leave with her mother, but he would deal with it if it meant that she was safe.

“She is coming home with me,” her mother stated stubbornly.

“No, I am not. I am staying with Zen.” She turned to look at her brother. “I appreciate the offer, but I want to be with Zen.”

Rage didn’t look happy about it. “This person is deranged. He or she cut open a defenseless animal and directed their anger at you. You are not safe with Zen.”

“We’ll make sure they both have security with them at all times and security outside their suite round the clock,” Rachel spoke up, trying to prevent more fighting. Shawna was still visibly shaken.

“No! She is coming home with me now!” her mother yelled now.

“Zen, take her to your suite.” Rage stood and placed his body between his mother and Shawna. “Shawna has had enough for now. She needs to rest.”

“She also needs to eat,” Jimmie called out from the corner of the room.

Everyone had turned to look at the cameraman. They seemed to have forgotten that he was there. He continued, “Shawna and Zen were supposed to have dinner. She’ll need to get some food in her.”

“The human male is correct. She needs to get something to eat,” the healer agreed.

Ugh. “I don’t know if I can eat anything,” Shawna said as Zen lifted her in his arms easily.

“You will try at least, honey,” Zen rumbled as he walked her to the door.

“Wait, I need my things,” Shawna protested.

“I’ll pack some things for you and Rage and I will drop them off for you,” Rachel said.

“Thanks,” Shawna told her.

“Shawna, get back here right now!” her mother called out.

Zen didn’t turn around but kept going out the door. Shawna heard Trig order guards to escort them and to stay with them. She felt safe in Zen’s arms but she felt better knowing there were guards to help protect them.

“What kind of person would do this?” she asked Zen.

“Someone who is very sick in the head,” he answered.

Shannon stomped her way back to her suite. She tried calling her husband but he had blocked her number. He had left first thing that morning and told her if she didn’t come back with Shawna under tow, then she should not come back at all. He also told her that she would be stripped of all credit funds. She would be broke with nowhere to go to live. That was unacceptable.

She headed to where Zen’s suite was located. Where were these guards they were supposed to have? She rang the bell. No answer. She knocked and pounded on the door, but still no answer.

“Are you looking for Zen?” a female voice asked.

Shannon turned around quickly. “No, I’m looking for my daughter, Shawna.”

“She isn’t right for him,” the woman said.

“I agree with you,” Shannon told her.

“They are not here. Zen moved to a different suite. What do you plan to do with your daughter?”

“I am planning to take her home,” Shannon told her.

“I could help you with that.”

“What do you want in return?” Shannon had a few thousand she could spare.

“I want Zen. He is mine.”

The next morning Shawna had to kick Zen out of the suite and send him off for his morning training. It was quite an effort.

“I don’t want to go.” Zen pouted.

It was adorable. “I don’t want you to either but you have a job to do. I will be fine here.”

She finally convinced him, saying she would stay there and rest. He promised to hurry back as soon as possible. One of the guards went with him while the other stayed behind with her.

She called Jimmie. “Hi.”

“Shawna. Are you okay?” Jimmie asked with concern.

She smiled. He was more than her cameraman. He was her friend too. “I am. I just wanted to let you know that I am staying at Zen’s. If you need me you can call me here. Also, I want to ask you to not report what happened to our boss. The head of security used to work with the IDJ and they are calling in their associates to try to catch this person. They don’t want to scare this person away until they can catch them.”