by Melody Anne
Juliana gave her one more hug before she offered her hand to Lily, who gladly took it and practically dragged Juliana away. Roxie had to take several calming breaths to pull herself together. She looked around and was grateful no one had seemed to notice their interaction. She moved over to the drink table and grabbed some iced tea, then found a nice little corner of the yard where she could stand back and observe.
“I see my mother’s found her granddaughter.”
Roxie felt tears again and pushed them down as she turned to see Kian beside her. He’d sneaked up from somewhere without her awareness. She really was all off-kilter. She’d been hoping to avoid any intimate moments, but it didn’t appear as if fate was on her side at the moment.
“Yes, it’s as if they never were apart,” Roxie said.
Juliana was laughing with joy as Lily climbed a giant slide and bounced her way down. There were at least a dozen children playing, ranging in ages from two to what appeared about ten. The tweens were mostly in a group over at a set of picnic tables, and the teens were dancing. All the children seemed to be paired off.
“I hate that she missed out on so much time, but I’m glad they’ve connected now,” Kian said as he watched his mother and Lily.
“I’m just grateful Lily has so many people who love her,” Roxie said. There was a part of her that feared Lily being taken from her, but she pushed it down. It wasn’t about her, it was about her niece.
“Me too,” he said. He rested his hand on her shoulder, and the touch reached all the way into her soul. She was bound to this man in ways she had no understanding of, but they were tied together. If she could figure out what that meant, she might be a happier person.
“What are you two doing standing off by yourselves?” Evan asked as he approached with a pink drink in his hand.
“What are you drinking there, girlie man?” Kian quickly replied.
Evan laughed. “I have no idea. Someone handed it to me, and I have to admit it might look girlie, but it’s damn good,” he said as he took a deep swallow.
Roxie laughed, grateful for the distraction. She truly did enjoy Evan’s company.
“I think I’ll stick with the beer,” Kian told him.
“Maybe ’cause you have to prove your manliness. I have nothing to prove, so I can drink pink drinks all night long,” Evan taunted him.
Kian glared at the man as he took a step closer to Roxie. She rolled her eyes. Macho posturing never had been a turn-on for her.
“Do you want to dance, beautiful?” Evan asked.
Roxie felt Kian tense beside her, and she was about to accept the invite when Kian spoke for her.
“No, she’s dancing with me,” he said.
Evan wasn’t at all offended. He just laughed as he moved away.
“That was rude, Kian,” she told him.
“I don’t care. You don’t need to be dancing with Evan,” Kian said.
Then he took her hand and began pulling her to the dance floor. She refused to cause a scene, so she reluctantly allowed him to drag her there. Right as they reached the edges, the tune changed to a slow song, and the overhanging lights above dimmed.
Roxie wondered if Evan had something to do with that. It seemed everyone she knew was trying to push her and Kian together. They didn’t know all the baggage standing between the two of them.
And if Roxie allowed herself to fall for this man again, would she end up losing everything? That was her greatest fear. She’d not only lose herself again, but now she would lose Lily as well. Her heart squeezed at the thought.
“Relax and enjoy this,” Kian said. They were at the edge of the dance floor, and she was practically shaking.
“This isn’t a good idea,” she told him. They could still turn away, and no one would notice a thing.
“Dance with me,” he said in a seductive drawl that went straight to her core. By the expression in his eyes, he knew exactly what his voice was doing to her, and she hated the power he held over her.
She didn’t know what else she could say to him. She didn’t have the will to fight him, and there were people all around, so even if she wanted to, she couldn’t deny him. She was sure it would be the talk of the town if she ran off screaming. Then again, it might be the talk of the town if she did fall into his arms.
“I wouldn’t mind dragging you over my shoulder,” he said with a wicked smile that sent flutters to her stomach. She wouldn’t mind being locked in his arms. Dang it, she truly was losing her mind.
Roxie didn’t give him a confirmation, but she allowed him to bring her the rest of the way onto the floor. The second he pulled her in close and she felt her body pressed to his, the feel of his hand resting in the curve of her back and his thigh brushing between her thighs, she lost all sense of doubt. This was where she always belonged, where she always felt the safest.
It was so turbulent with Kian, but at the same time, it felt as if she were in the eye of the storm, that he was her anchor, her safety net. How could she think he was the cause of her problems, and then, on the other hand, believe he was the only one who could fix them? She had problems—real problems.
“Look at me,” Kian told her in a throaty whisper.
She couldn’t refuse him and looked up, their gazes locking together, their warm breaths mingling. He pulled her even closer, and she was trapped, trapped in his embrace, in his eyes, in his very existence. She found she didn’t want to escape. At least she didn’t in this moment.
She forgot about the people surrounding them, forgot they had unresolved issues. She couldn’t think of anything other than how it felt to be in this man’s arms. He had once been everything to her, and it seemed like he might be that man again. Whether she wanted him to be or not, she’d let him consume her again.
The soft pulse of the music seemed to wash right through her, and she felt like the two of them were floating on clouds. No matter how she tried telling herself it was just a dance, she knew it was so much more than that. It was a seduction.
Her hand drifted from his shoulder and rested against his heart, which was beating strong and steady. She felt comfort in his strength, in his very presence. He truly was her haven in the storm.
She couldn’t look away from his gaze, from the heat in his eyes, the softness of his lips or the pulse in his neck. His gaze caressed her face, and she could feel it all the way through her body. His eyes rested on her lips, and they tingled with the need to connect to his. She licked them, and a low moan escaped his mouth, the sound shooting straight to her core.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he murmured, pulling her even closer. There was no mistaking the bulge pressing against her. It didn’t matter how many times they made love, she’d never have enough of him. His desire for her was beyond arousing.
He leaned lower and caressed her ear with his lips. “Actually, beautiful is too mellow a word to describe how you look,” he said, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine. She was going to melt in front of every person in this room.
Roxie tried to push him away, but he wasn’t letting her go.
“People are watching us,” she warned.
“Let them. I’m sure every man in this room wants to be me right now,” he told her.
His hand slid over the curve of her ass before coming back up, and though she knew this was wrong, so very wrong, she couldn’t seem to stop it from happening. It felt too good.
She shut down the doubts in her mind and simply enjoyed the moment with this man. She wasn’t sure how many more times like this she would allow herself, so she had to take it all in, because, if she wasn’t brave enough, she would walk away from this man again, and memories would be all she’d have left.
She closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his chest, the beating of his heart mellowing her even more. He tucked her against him, and it was only him and her. No one else existed; no one else could come between them, not in this perfect moment.
“I hope you’re all having a good time!
”
The boisterous voice came over the loudspeaker as the music stopped. Roxie’s head jerked up as she looked to the stage, where Evan was standing with a microphone. He called some people up onstage, including Kian, who pulled away from her with reluctance.
She wanted to hold him tight, but she had to let him go. He gave her an intense look before walking away, a look that told her he had something to say. She decided she didn’t want to hear whatever it was.
So, like a thief in the night, she went and collected a very unhappy Lily, and she slipped away from the party—away from Kian. She wasn’t ready for that conversation yet. She just didn’t know what she was going to think or say. So, she ran away again.
Chapter Twenty-Six
It was dark when Roxie got home, and though her heart felt as if it was breaking, she was at least grateful Lily had fallen asleep on the drive. Her niece had been ticked off Roxie was pulling her away from her friends. Roxie hadn’t allowed her to play long enough, but she couldn’t face all the Forbes family members, and she certainly couldn’t face Kian anymore that night.
She was afraid he might show up later, so she planned on removing her spare key and turning out all the lights. She knew if he was determined, that wouldn’t stop him, but maybe he would understand she needed a little bit of time. That wasn’t asking too much, in her honest opinion.
Once more she’d forgotten to leave her porch light on and to set her alarm system, which was sure to tick Kian off. Then again, she often pissed the man off. Tonight seemed off, though, and a shiver traveled down her spine as she carried Lily while she fumbled in her purse to pull out her key.
As Roxie walked into the house, another shudder passed through her, and she couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her. She was grateful when Lily stayed asleep and decided to let her sleep in her clothes that night. She didn’t want to take a chance of waking her. Roxie needed a few minutes to herself. Maybe a nice hot bath.
The moment she sank down into the tub, she couldn’t help but think of what had happened after her last bath when she’d walked into her bedroom. A shudder passed through her when she realized she hadn’t grabbed the key on the front porch yet. But did she really want to? Would it be so awful if Kian showed up and took her mind off her worries for a single night?
The bathroom door was open, and there wasn’t a sound in the house, so she knew Kian hadn’t shown up. She’d left the party almost two hours earlier. If he’d been planning on stopping by, he would have done it by now.
Maybe she just couldn’t make up her mind about what in the world she wanted. When her bathwater began cooling, she decided to get out instead of adding more water. She hadn’t eaten anything at the party, and her stomach was growling. Slipping on her robe, she decided to dress later, and she headed straight for the kitchen.
When she walked into the small area, her heart began thundering in her chest. She’d never been afraid before in this house. It was in a quiet neighborhood, and in this town, in general, there wasn’t a lot of crime. But sitting on her butcher’s block was a knife she didn’t remember putting there, and crumbs. Roxie was sort of emphatic about cleaning her messes up, and though she was racking her mind to try to remember if she’d been in a hurry and left a mess, she couldn’t remember doing so. She would have taken a moment to clean up.
Maybe Kian had shown up. But he’d never before made himself at home like this. She had to be growing paranoid, that was all. Still, she walked through her house, first checking her bedroom to see if she was going to find him lying on her bed. Then she walked to Lily’s room. For some reason, her stomach was tight as she neared the door and pushed it open.
When she did, Roxie’s heart lodged up into her throat, and she found herself so terrified, she now understood what people meant when they said they were frozen in fear. Her limbs were unbending, her heart stalled in her chest, and her skin ran cold as a chill froze her entire body.
A man was sitting on Lily’s bed, holding her in his arms as he rocked back and forth. The only light in the room was a castle night-light, casting eerie shadows across the man’s demonic face. He looked away from Lily’s sleeping pink cheeks and straight into Roxie’s terrified gaze. There was something so evil about the look in this man’s eyes, Roxie knew if she survived this, she would never forget that manic stare.
He raised a finger to his lips as he continued rocking, and though only seconds had passed, it felt like an eternity before Roxie was able to take in a breath. She had to remain calm so she could at least try to save Lily. She had to get the man away from her niece—from her little girl.
“Wh-what do you want?” she asked, her voice barely audible in her utter fear.
“Shh,” he said before the most evil laughter spilled from his filthy lips. “You don’t want to wake the child, do you?” he said.
“No. Why don’t you lay her down and we’ll go to the living room and talk?” Roxie said, trying to keep the terror from her voice as she forced herself to keep a calm tone.
He smiled as he looked down at Lily and then ran one of his filthy hands across her forehead. He leaned over and licked Lily’s cheek, and Roxie’s bile rose in her throat. She couldn’t throw up now. She had to keep her wits.
“Pretty, pretty girl,” he said as he leaned back. Thankfully, Lily was sleeping through all of this. If she woke up, she would scream bloody murder, and Roxie had no idea what this man would do to her.
Roxie was searching around her for a weapon, but she was in a child’s room. She had nothing she could grab. This was every parent’s worst nightmare, but something Roxie hadn’t even considered happening. She should have, especially with the way her sister had died.
“I failed,” the man said, an evil smile lifting his lips. “But don’t worry, I’ve come back to finish the job.”
He stood, Lily hanging limply in his arms, and Roxie was terrified he’d already killed the child. But she groaned as she tried to get more comfortable, and Roxie let out a relieved breath. She still had a chance to save her.
He set Lily down, not taking his eyes off Roxie as he whispered, “I’ll come back to you soon, child.”
The way he said those words would give Roxie nightmares for the rest of her life. He leaned over and picked up a giant knife from the foot of Lily’s bed, and what little color was left in Roxie’s body completely disappeared. She was going to die tonight. There was nothing she could do to stop this huge man from killing her, and what was worse, she wouldn’t be able to save Lily.
She wondered if she could run back to the kitchen and grab that knife before he had a chance to hurt Lily. She didn’t want to leave her niece, though. She couldn’t take that chance. Tears poured down her face as she faced this monster, who began to move toward her.
She backed up. She had to get him out of the room. She didn’t know what she would do beyond that, but she had to get him out of Lily’s room. He followed her, that evil smile on his face as he lifted his knife and ran the back of the blade across his neck, showing her what he planned on doing to her.
“Pamela deserved to die nice and slow, and so did her bastard brat,” the man said with another chuckle. Roxie froze in front of him. This was the man who’d killed her sister and unborn baby. This was the man who’d attacked Lily once already. He was back to finish the job.
“Why?” Roxie asked. She was hoping someone would pass by, someone would see something. Her curtains were open. She backed her way into the living room, praying a neighbor was walking their dog. He seemed oblivious to what she was doing. That was good. He was focused only on her. Even if he got her, she would scream and someone would come; someone would save her niece.
“She’s a slut who had to die,” he said as he cocked his head to the side. He was speaking in a matter-of-fact way, as if it were his duty to kill.
“Please don’t hurt Lily,” Roxie begged.
“What will you do for me to ensure I don’t?” he asked with evil delight.
“Anything,”
Roxie said. “Let’s leave the house. You can take me.” She opened her arms, showing him she had nothing. She was his to do with as he pleased.
His lips turned up even more as he eyed her from head to toe.
“I like this house,” he told her. “You even left me a key to get in. That was so very nice of you.”
Roxie wanted to kick her own ass now. She knew a locked door wouldn’t have stopped a man like this, but if she hadn’t left the key out, then maybe she would have had a clue he was in the place; maybe she could have gotten away. If she’d listened to her instinct when she’d felt nervous at walking in the house, then maybe Lily wouldn’t be in mortal danger right now. This was in her hands now.
“Please, just take me,” she said, unable to control her tears now.
“Don’t move,” he commanded, his voice dropping, not a trace of humor there anymore.
Her body shook as he stepped toward her. She didn’t try to run. She wouldn’t leave this man alone with Lily. She couldn’t. He came and stood before her and ran the tip of his blade down her neck, scratching the skin. She didn’t make a sound.
He ran the blade down the V of her robe and nicked the top of her breast. She continued to shake, but she knew she was no match for this man.
“Open your robe,” he said, his voice husky as he gazed at her chest.
Roxie was definitely going to be sick. There was no doubt about it. She was about to get raped and murdered. She couldn’t think of a worse way to go. Her eyes burning, she reached for the sash of her robe. Maybe, just maybe, she could use the robe to grab the deadly knife and then fight him. Yes, he could overpower her, but if he wasn’t holding the knife, she could scream and pray her neighbors heard.
Just as she was beginning to undo the robe, her front door was smashed open against the wall, the wood shattering with the force. Roxie flew backward as someone yanked her arm and tossed her behind, causing her to land with a hard thump against her couch. Her head slammed against the cushioned armrest, and she saw spots of color for a moment and heard a thunderous roar.
