He hadn’t been surprised. He didn’t need to be able to detect the emotion in her blood to know that she hadn’t wanted him there in the first place—it had been written all over her face. But then again, she hadn’t bolted when he’d sat down next to her, or left before he had, so that was progress, wasn’t it?
Sammy sighed again. She probably thinks I’m nuttier than a forest filled with nothing but hickory trees. He couldn’t blame her though. He had run off without a word, his stomach making squishy, rolling sounds the entire way. Oh God—had she known what was wrong with him? What he’d had to go do? Sammy groaned as he covered his face with his hands.
If only it were possible to die from embarrassment.
“That is the last time I clean up your shit, baby brother!” Sammy snapped his head up and found Alexis leaning over him, both hands on her slender hips. “And I mean that literally—the washer was a disgusting mess!”
“It’s not like you can smell or even feel it,” he murmured. “And I was going to clean it when I got back from the store.”
Alexis grabbed the candy bar and then whacked the top of his head with it. “You are not human!”
Turning at the waist, she slung the candy bar. “Hey!” Sammy barked, leaping off the bed. “That was mine!”
He ran across the room, retrieved the Big Hunk from inside the wastebasket next to his desk. Clutching the candy bar to his chest, he whirled around to face Alexis. “And a part of us is human!”
“Speak for yourself.” Smirking, she ran her hands down the front of her skintight, blood-red sports bra and exercise shorts. “No human could achieve this level of perfection.”
“If you stopped feeding you’d look just like me.”
“And I’d be a fool—just like you.”
“I’d rather be a fool than a monster.”
“And how’s that working out for you, baby brother?”
“Go away,” he grumbled, returning to his bed.
“Now what kind of big sister would I be if I abandoned you in your time of need?”
“The only thing I need is for you to leave me alone.”
Alexis shook her head as she sat down beside him. “You need to be accepted. To fit in. For others to look at you and see a normal boy of seventeen and not a freak of nature.”
Sammy blinked at that; it was as if she was reading his mind. But that wasn’t possible—his kind had no such powers. And they couldn’t detect emotion in each others blood either, so how...
“I read your diary,” Alexis said with a mischievous grin.
Sammy gave her a tight-lipped, narrow-eyed look that he hoped would convey the hate he had for her.
“And I’m sure Zane would be thrilled to know that you’ve written down all of our dirty little secrets,” she said in a foreboding tone.
Sammy’s eyes widened. For some reason, Alexis loved to piss off Zane, and she now had information guaranteed to make him go ballistic. “Please don’t—”
Her witch-like cackle cut him off. “You should see the look on your face!”
Hate? No, that wasn’t a strong enough word to describe how Sammy felt about his siblings.
Alexis patted him on his thigh. “Chill, baby brother. I’m not going to tell him.”
“Why not?”
She stood up, crossed her arms over her chest as she took a step back. “Look under your mattress.”
Sammy jumped off the bed, lifted the mattress and gasped. He spun around to face Alexis. “Where’s my diary?”
“The charred remains are in the trash can next to the garage.”
“Damn you!”
Propelled by a burst of rage, Sammy flung himself at Alexis, who was there one second and gone the next. He slammed face-first into the floor as a sharp, hot pain exploded in his stomach. Squeezing his eyes shut tight, he tried to breathe through it even though he knew there was only one thing that would ease his suffering.
From seemingly far away, Sammy thought he heard a voice and then footsteps but couldn’t be sure over the pounding of his pulse, which made it seem like his heart was inside of his throbbing head instead of his tightening chest.
He was jerked up into a sitting position a moment before something warm and wet touched his lips. Sammy forced his watery eyes open and saw red. Seemingly of their own accord, his mouth flew open and his hands up to grasp the white plastic cup that was pressed against his lips.
No, no, no!
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Stop, stop, stop!
With a sharp gasp, Sammy threw the empty cup across the room and then pushed himself off the floor. He managed only two steps before he fell. He crawled to the open window, the blood racing through his body like liquid fire. Digging his fingernails into the wood frame, he rested his cheek against the sill and waited for it to be over.
“Have you made the connection yet, baby brother?” Alexis asked, crouching next to him. “The longer you go without blood, and the less you consume of it when you do feed, the more painful your body’s initial reaction to it will be.”
“No shit,” Sammy grunted.
“And that’s exactly what you look like.” Alexis shook her head as she stood up. “I’ll bring you another cup.”
“Don’t bother—I won’t drink it.”
“You will unless you fancy spending another evening locked in The Room.”
Sammy’s heartbeat quickened. “You wouldn’t,” he breathed, pushing himself up.
“No, but he would,” Alexis whispered, facing the door just as Zane walked by it. He stopped in mid-stride, his ice-blue eyes latching onto Sammy. “Big brother,” she chimed, “we were beginning to think that you had been kidnapped!”
Ignoring her, Zane stormed over to Sammy and seized him by the chin. “When did you last feed?”
“J-Just a few m-minutes ago,” he stammered.
Zane’s eyes blazed as they searched Sammy’s. “How much have you had to drink today?”
Sammy swallowed hard. He didn’t want to be locked in there with them. Seeing their faces, hearing their pleas...it was more than he could bear. “Only two pints but—”
Zane’s nostrils flared a moment before two streams of air came out of them with enough force to bend the first gelled point of Sammy’s Mohawk, making it flop against his forehead. “I was going to have another cup,” he blurted, panic making his already feminine voice sound even more like a teenage girl’s. “I was going down to get another cup!”
A tick started in Zane’s chiseled jaw. Crap—I’m supposed to have four a day. “I was going to have the last one before I went to bed!”
“Two pints in the morning and then two in the evening, Samuel. That was our agreement.”
Sammy wanted to ask what difference it made when he had them, but decided to not push his luck. Willing to say and do whatever he had to in order to stay out of The Room, he said, “You’re right and I’m sorry. I’ll have an extra pint tonight to make up for it, okay?”
Running a hand through his hair, which, unlike Sammy’s dull locks, was as dark and shiny as a pure black onyx stone, Zane expelled a harsh breath. “Now,” he ordered, pointing at the door. “And you will have two extra pints.”
Sammy obeyed, silently cursing his cowardice all the way down to the basement.
I instructed you to destroy it, my child.
Alexis undid the belt that kept the black leather journal closed, ran her fingernail down one chalk paper page tinted with gold. “I don’t see why you’re so worried,” she whispered. “Even if someone managed to break-in when no one was here, they wouldn’t get far...isn’t that right, Judge?”
The deep-set, dark eyes of the Caucasian shepherd sitting next to the bedroom door met hers. Assertive, strong-willed and courageous, the breed’s original purpose was to protect livestock. Now he guarded his family, and anyone who wasn’t a member would instantly be made aware of the dog’s aversion to strangers as well as his canines, which put the Nikolas’ to shame.
All evidence mus
t be destroyed, Blodbad continued as Alexis traded the journal for one of the many Polaroids spread across the scarlet red silk sheet adorning the queen-size bed. All evidence, my child.
Alexis ignored him. She had no intention of discarding ten years worth of souvenirs when no one would ever see them. She blew a kiss at Carl’s picture and then placed the journal and all the photos inside a metal security box, which she then put inside the open heating duct. After replacing the wrought iron vent she moved the oak dresser back in front of it just as she heard a single, loud knock.
“Alexis, I wish to speak with you.”
“Le grand frère,” she replied as she stretched out on the bed, “I am indecent.”
“That is an understatement. Now open the goddamn door.”
With a loud sigh, Alexis sauntered over to the door, which she yanked open. She pointed to Zane while looking at Judge. “Sic.”
The woolly mammoth nuzzled Zane’s leg before sitting down next to it. A smirk lifted one corner of her brother’s mouth. “He knows his master.”
Alexis rolled her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips. “If you’re here to nag me about Sammy, I’ll say it for the millionth time: I am not my brother’s keeper.”
Sneering, Zane swept a disapproving gaze over her red, caged mesh cutout chemise. “Your sense of family and fashion are equally atrocious.”
With a slow twirl to model her Frederick’s of Holly wood get-up, Alexis replied, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You would.”
Alexis sprawled out on the bed. “Why does what I wear bother you so much, big brother? Does the sight of my body make—”
“You draw unnecessary attention to yourself dressing like that.”
Alexis expelled a throaty, seductive laugh. “You have to bait the hook if you want a bite.”
Zane turned away to close the door with his fist. After a subtle shake of his head, he all but growled, “What was the greatest stretch of time that you went without feeding?”
“Twenty-three hours,” she stated with pride. “Sixty minutes more than you.”
Zane’s brows furrowed as he faced her. “When?”
“Last month. The day after you celebrated your thirtieth birthday with a test of will.” She grinned. “Mine was stronger.”
Zane didn’t look impressed, but Alexis didn’t care; she’d beat him and that was all that mattered. “And what were your senses like afterward?”
“I don’t know...somewhat muted, I guess.”
“Be specific,” he demanded, speaking between clenched teeth.
She rolled her eyes. “Gee, someone needs a drink.”
Zane’s mouth drew tight, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled and exhaled loudly. Alexis dropped her gaze from his smoldering glare to the glimpse of flesh in between the silk panels of his black shirt. After every deep breath he took his broad chest seemed to get even bigger. Speaking of big...
Her eyes traveled down to the permanent bulge at his crotch. With the exception of her parents and siblings, Alexis had never met another of her kind, which would’ve been fine with her if not for the fact that Blodbadians could procreate only with each other. The opportunity to reproduce came but once a year, the only time the female was fertile and, because of it, the only time the male was capable of ejaculation.
“You know my birthday’s coming up,” Alexis said, trailing her inch-long fingernails down the front of her fishnet-clad thigh and to her pussy. “Aren’t you going to ask me what I want?”
Clenching his hands, Zane stepped forward. “Alexis—”
“Here’s a hint: it’s the same thing I’ve asked for the past five years.”
Zane seized her throat before she could blink. “If you do not answer my question, Alexis, you will find out what Mother’s first two days without blood was like.”
Her eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”
Smashing the tip of his nose against hers, Zane bared his teeth. “Try me.”
“And you say my sense of family is—”
Zane jerked her up and off the bed, her feet dangling in the air as he charged out of the bedroom.
“My vision was blurry, all right?!” Alexis grabbed Zane’s fingers. When she tried to peel his hands from her neck he gave her the same pinched expression of annoyance humans did when under attack from flies or mosquitos. “And I could hear but it was faint, like I had earplugs in!”
Zane came to a stop in front of Sammy’s bedroom. “What about smell?”
“I couldn’t detect emotions—”
“But you could still smell the blood?”
Alexis blinked at that. “Couldn’t you?”
Sammy’s door opened up just wide enough for him to pop his head out. “What’s going on?”
Zane gave Alexis a hard shake. “Yes or no?”
“Yes!” she hissed. “Now put me down!”
He did and then turned away, squeezing his eyes shut tight as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I think I am getting a headache,” he said in a scratchy voice. His hand dropped as he opened his eyes to look at her. “Do you get those?”
Taking a step back, Alexis tilted her head to one side as she folded her arms over her chest. “When I haven’t fed enough.”
Sammy quickly nodded when Zane’s gaze darted to his. “Yeah, every day.”
Zane’s whole face relaxed and there was a slight widening of his eyes. “Your daily intake is less than half of what we need,” he said, moving to stand in front of Sammy, “and you’ve been doing it for years.” Placing his hands on Sammy’s shoulders, Zane dipped his head to peer into Sammy’s dark eyes. “Your senses must be severely impaired.”
Sammy glanced sideways at Alexis, who shrugged and threw up her hand. I haven’t a fucking clue.
“Have you ever been unable to smell blood, Samuel?”
“Uh, no.” Sammy used his index finger to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “If anything, it’s stronger.”
Zane’s arms dropped to his sides. He slumped forward and came close to head-butting Sammy. “All right,” he murmured, nodding as he took a step back. “All right.”
“Wait!” Alexis took off after Zane as he stalked down the hall. “Tell us what that was all about!”
Zane picked up speed as he descended the stairs. “Nothing either of you need to concern yourselves with.”
Alexis glanced over her shoulder at Sammy, who was fast on her heels. “If you’re having prob—”
Coming to an abrupt stop, Zane whirled around, his teeth bared. Alexis managed to prevent a collision with him, but Sammy wasn’t so lucky, slamming into her back with a breathy “Oomph!” two seconds before his ass hit the floor.
“I am not having problems,” Zane snarled, “but the two of you will if you do not leave me be.”
“Don’t gotta tell me twice,” Sammy said as he scrambled to his feet and then up the stairs.
With a parting glare of warning, Zane stormed off. Alexis waited until he was out of earshot before she whispered, “What is going on with my brother, B?”
You have your own matters to deal with, my child. Leave him to me.
“Well,” Alexis said, rolling her eyes, “excuse me for asking.”
Chapter 13
Lacey jerked awake at the sound of gravel popping and crunching under tires. She blinked rapidly at the two beams of bright light striping the ceiling, trying to find her way through the fog enveloping her brain.
The headlights vanished. When a series of short, loud honks broke the silence, she almost jumped out of the bed.
With her heart racing, Lacey dashed to the open window, making it there just as Clint slammed the car door. The pale blue moonlight made his silver wristwatch glint as he stormed across the front lawn, arms swinging madly. He stomped up the steps and disappeared under the roof of the porch. A second later the front door slammed hard enough to make the window rattle.
“Detective work not going so well?” she mumbled as she crossed the b
edroom. “Serves you right.”
With her ear hovering close to the door, Lacey waited for the sound of Clint’s heavy footsteps signaling his retreat to his room. Instead she heard some guy singing about being better off dead. “Great,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes as she yanked open the door. “Happy Hour.”
Grinding her teeth, Lacey crept down the stairs. Peering into the living room, she found her father sitting in the recliner with a bottle of whiskey between his legs. Illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the bare window, his wet cheeks glistened. The sight of his tears fanned the flames of anger burning within her. Why couldn’t he just let go?
A loud sob burst out of her father. “Sh-She’s dead! They k-killed her, I know it!”
Lacey closed her eyes with a sharp exhale of breath. “She was not—”
“Yes she was!”
“—kidnapped.”
“There were witnesses!”
“Who saw her getting into a van. Willingly, not forced.”
“She was afraid!”
“Yeah, of spending the rest of her life as a wife and mother.”
“That is not true!” Clint yelled as he shot out of the chair, sending the bottle of whiskey flying into the air. It hit the wood floor with a clunk, the dark liquid making a gunk-gunk-gunk sound as it poured out. “She loved us more than anything!”
“You are a blind fool.”
With a heart-stopping bellow, Clint lunged at her. Lacey gasped and jumped back just as he suddenly became airborne, legs and arms flying up as he let out a startled grunt. He came down hard, the back of his head slamming against the floor.
“Daddy!” Lacey ran over to him, kicking the whiskey bottle he’d slipped on out of her way before dropping to her knees. “Are you okay?!” She cupped his damp cheeks. “Daddy, please—say something!”
Let Him In (Let Him Trilogy) Page 8
