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Lydia's Secret (The Secret Series Book 1)

Page 14

by Kellen, Ditter


  Max was at the top of the stairs before Simon finished his sentence. “You better keep up.”

  * * * *

  Lydia’s gaze shifted through the trees as she came to a stop behind Roman. “Where are we?”

  He moved aside so that she could see. “Simon’s rental.”

  A two-story house lay just ahead with a single black sedan parked in the driveway. “How did you find it?” she whispered, taking a step forward.

  “Sawyer and Niko located it about an hour ago.”

  “Did they say if Jacie was in there?”

  “A human is definitely in there, but it’s not Jacie.”

  “How can you be sure, Roman? We have to hurry. She could be hurt.” Her voice broke, and she had to clear her throat to continue. “Please.”

  He gently grasped her shoulders. “I can sense her essence, but it isn’t fresh.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “She was here, but she isn’t now. However, Jeanie is inside, and she may know something. Be silent and stay on alert. It could be a trap.” He turned toward the house and slipped quietly through the woods.

  They arrived at the door without mishap. Roman turned the knob and cautiously entered with Lydia tight on his heels. He lifted his hand, motioning toward the stairs. Lydia nodded and followed him to the second floor.

  “She’s in here,” Roman whispered, moving into the first bedroom on the right.

  “Jeanie!” Lydia cried, running to bed and giving Jacie’s nurse a light shake.

  She moaned and opened her eyes. “Jacie…”

  “Yes, Jeanie. Where is Jacie?” Blinking back tears, Lydia tried again. “Where is my daughter?”

  “Simon…”

  Roman was suddenly at Lydia’s side. “Did Simon hurt Jacie?”

  Lydia’s heart hurt so badly she could only watch in silence as Roman questioned her daughter’s nurse. “Think, Jeanie.”

  “Not hurt…”

  Relief was instant, nearly bringing Lydia to her knees. “Do you know where he took her?”

  She shook her head, her eyes drifting shut. “So sorry, Jacie…”

  Lydia wanted to scream, so great was her pain. “Listen to me, Jeanie—”

  Roman abruptly laid his palms on either side of Jeanie’s head. His eyes slid shut momentarily before his hands fell away and he stepped back.

  Jeanie sat up with tears in her eyes. “Thank you. I don’t know how long I’ve been in that catatonic state, but it felt like years. I’m so sorry I took Jacie. He made me do it. Do you understand? He left me no choice.”

  “We know what Simon is capable of. He uses a sort of hypnosis to take control of his victims,” Roman explained. “None of this was your fault.” He paused. “Where is your car?”

  “He parked it in the garage where it wouldn’t be seen.”

  “Get in it and go straight to the compound. Tell Madison everything that you know.” He took hold of Lydia’s arm. “We must hurry.”

  “Where are you going?” Jeanie asked, sliding off the bed and grabbing her shoes.

  Roman spoke over his shoulder on his way to the door. “To bring Jacie home.”

  * * * *

  Simon signaled for Max to halt long before they reached Svetlana’s lair. He had no doubt that she had eyes everywhere and armies of fledglings patrolling the surrounding area.

  Max did as Simon demanded, coming to stop at his left side. “Are you sure my blood will cure her disease? What if she isn’t strong enough and it kills her?”

  He glanced over at the wolf. “She is going to die either way. We have to at least try.”

  “Then why not give her your blood?”

  Simon blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “Because, nitwit, she would stop aging at the point she is now. What is that….six years old? At least with shifter blood, she would grow to maturity.”

  “I thought you disliked my kind,” Max challenged with a raised eyebrow.

  “Dislike would be putting it mildly.”

  “Yeah well, the feeling is mutual,” Max shot back.

  “I don’t care what she is as long as she lives.” And Simon didn’t care, he realized. There was something special about the child, something he’d never felt in another human before. She made him feel again, laugh again… She made him whole.

  “You have feelings for the kid.”

  Simon ignored him as he scanned the forest for his enemy’s presence. “She’s close. I can feel her.”

  “How are we going to get close before she kills her? She won’t wait, Simon. She is probably draining her at this very moment,” Max growled, his canines peeking out from his top lip.

  The tension suddenly left Simon’s body. He shifted his gaze to Max. “We are going to walk up to the door and knock.” He took off before Max could reply. He knew the kid would follow as surely as he knew that Svetlana would be expecting him.

  Stopping in front of the door, Simon raised his hand to knock. It opened before his knuckles reached the wood. “She’s been expecting you,” a tall, skinny, newly turned vampire announced. “This way.”

  Simon trailed behind the fledgling with Max in tow, down a long hallway with an open door at the end.

  “Welcome, Maximilian Vaughn,” Svetlana drawled as they entered the room. “I see Simon has resorted to not only brats, but it would seem stray puppies as well. It’s his upbringing, you realize. Trash. His entire family was trash.”

  Simon’s fangs elongated and heat formed behind his eyes. “I’m here to offer you a deal.”

  “You are not in a place to make a deal, Le Blanc,” Svetlana taunted, running her fingernail down the side of Jacie’s face.

  Simon held the female vampire’s gaze, afraid to look at Jacie for fear of what he’d see. “She is of no use to you. You already have Barbatus blood flowing through your veins. You don’t need hers. Look at her, Svetlana. She’s sick.”

  “That she is. Now what is it that you are proposing? I’m dying to hear this.”

  “Trade me for her.”

  Svetlana laughed a horrific sound that turned Simon’s stomach. “I already have you. Surely you can do better than that.”

  “I will never run again.”

  That gave her pause. “How can I be sure you speak the truth? How do I know you won’t run once the child dies?”

  “I—”

  “Someone approaches, my queen,” the tall, lanky fledgling interrupted.

  “Lock them up, Calvin. I’ll deal with them later.”

  Svetlana held onto Jacie’s hand as Simon and Max were escorted from the room and into the basement.

  “Get in there,” Calvin spat, shoving Simon into a silver cage. Locking the door, he opened the neighboring cage, pushing Max in next before leaving the room.

  “What are we going to do now? Jacie looks bad, Simon. She’s going to need her meds in the morning.”

  “Her meds,” Simon hissed. “The bitch left Jacie’s pills back at the house.”

  Simon could feel his body growing weary. “It’s nearing morning. There is no time left. I have a plan, Max, and I’m going to need your full cooperation to pull it off.”

  “Anything to help Jacie,” Max replied, moving in close to the bars facing Simon’s cell. The makeshift prisons were far enough apart the two men couldn’t touch hands with their arms outstretched.

  “I’m going to lure Svetlana down here and offer myself to her for the night. I will also promise her information on Roman Castillo if she will free the child.”

  “Don’t you dare give her anything on Roman. He’s—”

  “Bait, kid. Nothing more.”

  Max’s growl echoed off the walls of their prison. “He’s been a father to me for the last few years. He pulled me off the streets and gave me a job…a home.”

  The door opened before Simon could answer. Calvin entered, carrying Jacie in his arms. “I was told to put her in with the wolf.” He unlocked the door and tossed Jacie’s slight form into the cell.r />
  Max caught her against his chest, baring his teeth to the asshole fledgling. “I’m going to take great pleasure in ripping your throat out.”

  Fear flashed in Calvin’s eyes before he locked the door and raced back up the steps.

  Simon inched as close to the silver bars as he could without touching them. “Is she alive?”

  Max laid his ear against her mouth. “She’s breathing, but barely.”

  “You’re going to have to do it, Max.”

  “You know she won’t survive it. She’s too weak.”

  “She’s going to die if you don’t. It’s her only chance, damn it. You have to.” Simon closed his eyes and summoned Svetlana with everything he had inside him. His prison door suddenly opened as a voice whispered through his mind. “Come.”

  Leaving his cell, Simon blurred his way to the steps, stopping at the top. “Do it, Max. It’s her only hope.” He opened the door and stepped into Svetlana’s waiting arms.

  “Come. We have less than two hours before daylight, and I plan on using you every minute until then.” Svetlana guided him toward her bedroom.

  “As you wish.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Roman waited on the outskirts of town, pacing along the road leading to Svetlana’s abode. Two of his enemies had dared to breach his territory without being invited. He would make an example of their behavior by sending their heads back to their lairs in matching boxes.

  “Can’t we go in now?” Lydia stomped a path next to him, chewing on her thumbnail.

  “We wait for the troops. If we go in now, there is a chance that you and Jacie will both be hurt, or worse.”

  “I don’t care about what happens to me as long as my daughter is safe.”

  Roman stopped pacing and grabbed her by the wrist. “Don’t ever let me hear you say that again. You belong to me, Lydia. You’re my heart and soul. If something happens to you, I will spend eternity grieving.”

  Tears sparkled in her eyes. “I feel the same about you, Roman…and the same goes for Jacie. Do you understand? She’s my baby.”

  He did understand. The child had captured his heart as well. He could only imagine how deeply her mother loved her. “I will get her back. You have my word.”

  “What if she’s—”

  “She’s not.” He paused. “They’re here.”

  A car came around the curve and pulled off the side of the road. Madison climbed out along with Sawyer, Niko, and Alex. The redhead wore black jeans, a black tank top, black boots, and a gun strapped to both hips. Her long hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. “Any movement?” she asked, moving silently toward them.

  “Nothing yet.” Roman eyed his team. “Sawyer? You go in through the back. Niko? Take the roof, and Alex? You cover the east side while Madeline covers the west. Lydia and I are going in through the front. And guys? Be mindful of Jacie.”

  “Yes, sir,” Madison barked. “You heard him; let’s move out.” They disappeared faster than a human eye would be able to track.

  Roman and Lydia approached the front door with caution. Movement could be heard inside the house along with Max’s voice coming from somewhere below grounds. “Stay by my side,” Roman demanded before kicking the door in.

  Two fledglings flew at him the moment he breached the house. He gripped them both by the hair and removed their heads simultaneously.

  Sawyer came crashing through the back with blood splatter across his shirt. “I’ll take the kitchen.”

  “Niko,” Roman called as the vampire dropped from the attic. “You and Alex cover the basement.”

  “Sir.” Niko confirmed with a nod.

  “And Niko? Be careful. Max and Jacie are down there.”

  “Jacie?” Lydia gasped, running toward the basement door.

  Roman caught her before her hand touched the knob. “You stay with me.”

  “She’s my daughter!” she shouted. “I am going with them.”

  Something unseen passed between them, an understanding older than time. A mother would never leave her child. “Go, but do not leave Niko’s side.”

  Roman blurred his way down the hall to the last room on the right. He kicked the door in and rushed inside. Simon lay naked on a giant canopy bed with both arms and legs restrained by silver chains, but there was no sign of Svetlana. “Where is she? Roman snarled coming to stand next to the bed.

  Simon’s eyes slowly opened. “Jacie,” he moaned before a hiss escaped and his eyes slid shut once again.

  “Whoa. Is that who I think it is?” Madison asked, stalking toward the bed.

  “Yes. Simon Le Blanc, and it looks as if Svetlana has escaped.”

  Madison stared down at Simon for a brief moment. “Shame he’s a bloodsucker. He’s got a nice package.”

  Roman shook his head. “Kill him.”

  A scream from below sent Roman’s heart racing. He ran with vampiric speed to the basement in time to see Lydia holding a limp Jacie and rocking her back and forth.

  He dropped to his knees next to her. “Is she okay?”

  The wail that came from his sweet Lydia killed a part of Roman’s soul. “She’s dead. Oh, God, my baby is dead.” She continued to sob, a sound of anguish that Roman would never forget.

  “What is that on her wrist?” Roman lifted her arm, turning it to study the markings on her skin.

  “I bit her.” Max sat in the corner of the cell, his arms propped on his knees and his head hanging between them.

  Roman stilled. “You what?”

  “I didn’t want to, but Simon said that I had to in order to save her life,” he whispered without lifting his head.

  “You bit her because Simon ordered you to?” Roman spoke in a deadly soft tone.

  That brought Max’s head up. “I bit her because she was dying!” he shouted, tears spilling from his eyes. “Simon said his blood would freeze her in time, but that mine would save her life, even if she became like me.”

  A sound so soft it was barely audible came from Jacie’s chest.

  “Jacie?” Lydia cried, pulling her back enough to see her face. “Jacie, honey, are you okay?”

  The child’s eyes cracked open enough that Roman could see her irises. “It worked.”

  “What?” Lydia breathed. “Are you sure?”

  “Look at her eye color.”

  Lydia’s hand shook as she lifted one of Jacie’s lids. Tears dripped from her eyes to drip onto her daughter’s cheeks. “One is blue and one is brown.”

  “It really worked?” Max crawled across the cage floor, stopping next to Lydia. “May I see?”

  Lydia lifted Jacie’s eyelids again. “You saved her life, Max.”

  “No. Simon did. And this isn’t the life I would have wanted for her. She will hate me…” Max jumped to his feet and ran from the room.

  Roman stood to go after him.

  “Let him go. He needs time alone. He’ll come back once he calms down.”

  “I want Simon,” Jacie whispered, turning in her mother’s arms.

  Six shots suddenly rang out in rapid succession, stunning everyone in the room.

  “Madison!” Roman shouted, blasting up the stairs and into the room where he’d left Simon chained to the bed. Blood poured from the gaping holes Madison had left in Simon’s chest. “What have you done?”

  “You told me to take care of him; so I took care of him the Madison way.”

  “He saved Jacie’s life and now she’s asking for him.”

  “He what?”

  Roman picked up a shirt from the floor and wrapped it around his hand as a barrier against the silver. Gripping the chains, he ripped them into, freeing Simon from their clutches. “Are the bullets silver?”

  “Of course,” Madison shot back with a flippant tone. “We were coming to a vampire nest.”

  “You are going to have to dig them out.”

  Her mouth fell open. “Uh-uh. No way.”

  “Yes way, and hurry before Jacie sees him like this.”

&nb
sp; She holstered her gun. “Fine, but you owe me huge for this.”

  “I always do.”

  Epilogue

  Six Months Later…

  “Higher!” Jacie cried, chuckling as Lydia pushed her on the new swing set that Simon had bought her. He’d had it delivered earlier that day and now watched from a short distance as her laughter filled the night skies.

  “Any sign of Svetlana?” Roman asked Simon, watching as Jacie’s cap blew off, revealing her light blonde, shoulder-length hair.

  “None at all. What about Max? Has he returned yet?”

  “No, and that worries more than threats of Svetlana. I hope he didn’t run into her in those woods the night he ran off.”

  “Me too.”

  “Uncle Simon? Will you push me?”

  Simon grinned. “Sure thing, pumpkin,” he called before winking at Roman. “I’m an uncle.”

  “You mean you’re an asshat,” Madison announced, coming to a stop next to them.

  “Ah. The lovely Madison. Who let you out of the kennel?” Simon blew her a kiss.

  “Very funny, shark tooth. I never realized a corpse had jokes.”

  Roman held up a hand. “Okay, you two, enough with the insults. What’s up, Madison?”

  “Sawyer got a letter from Max.” She handed the folded piece of paper to Roman.

  He opened it and read it aloud. I am writing to say that I won’t be returning for a while as I’m sure that Jacie will grow to resent me. I need to go back to my roots, find my people if there are any of them left. Tell Roman that I will forever be in his debt, and if he ever needs me, he can leave a message in the place I took him to on my fourteenth birthday. He’ll know the place. Tell Jacie I am sorry, and that I will cherish her always…Max.

  Roman’s throat closed, forcing him to read it silently. Max thought Jacie resented him, when in truth, she was a happy, thriving six year old that missed Max something terrible. There wasn’t a day passed that she didn’t ask about him.

  He refolded the letter and gave it back to Madison. “Tell Sawyer I thank him for allowing me read it. I’ll pass the information on to Lydia later tonight when Jacie isn’t around.”

 

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