“I think someone’s toying with you. Did you make any enemies I don’t know about?”
“No. Not that I know of.” He’d never stayed at any of the meetings long enough to even warrant an enemy, but if another vampire discovered Sarah and was drawn to her, would they resort to these games? Games like tampering with his steps? And he had to go and install the camera so the stairs weren’t in view. Could he be any stupider? “Damn it.”
“You thought of someone?” Barnet asked.
“No. But if someone is controlling Steven, they’re doing a really good job of it. I didn’t sense anyone at the restaurant and I would have investigated further, but I couldn’t leave Sarah alone unprotected.”
“We’ll check it out,” Barnet said. “Give me the addresses of everyone involved and I’ll make some calls. We’ll get to the bottom of it.” He stood and Perry followed suit, acting much too quiet.
John jotted down the information and handed the paper over. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “You don’t know how much I appreciate this. Trying to do it on my own has been impossible.”
“You always have us. We’re family.” Barnet smiled. “Do you think you might turn her?”
John felt the blood leave his face. “I hadn’t even…”
“Too soon, huh? That’s okay. I look forward to meeting her…someday, then.”
Someday? If John had his way, it would be no day.
* * * *
Sarah’s heart pounded fiercely. What the hell did Steven want? Why couldn’t he just leave her alone? Better to remain quiet, that way he’d think she’d gone to bed and would go away.
He knocked again. She reached for the light switch, but what if he saw it go out? How light-tight was the front door? Instead, she prayed for him to leave.
The doorknob jiggled. Oh God! Her heart stopped for a moment. But the door was locked. It was always locked. Even before all the weirdness happened in her life, she’d locked that door. She relaxed and breathed easier. He couldn’t get in.
“Sarah?” He knocked again. She put her head in her hands and closed her eyes. Dear God, please make him go away.
The sound of a key sliding into the doorknob jerked her upright. What the… She had locked the door, but the bolt… Shit! It wasn’t engaged. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She ran to the door, but with stiff planks for legs, she stumbled over her feet. Before she could reach the bolt, the door was opening.
How dare he? This was her home, not his. Something in her erupted in rage and she stood her ground.
He staggered back when he saw her. “You’re here.”
“What do you want? And how did you get a key?”
“Hey, I’m very resourceful.” He shut the door behind him. “And what I want, is you.”
His words, uttered in a low voice, were like ice cubes down her back. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Her anger morphed into fear and she shivered.
In her periphery, she judged the distance to her bedroom. If she caught him off guard, she could lock herself inside and wait for John. That door didn’t have a key hole. But could she make it in her condition? The little running she’d done had taken its toll on her poor legs. Oh crap. She had no choice.
Without warning, she dashed for the bedroom. She’d reached the doorway when her leg cramped up and she stumbled. He tackled her and she landed on her stomach, knocking the breath out of her and bringing tears to her eyes.
“Scream, and I’ll kill you,” he said.
He’d do it, too. Oh God! This couldn’t be happening. Where was John?
Chapter 22
John raced back to Sarah’s apartment with a lighter load. Mike had graciously accepted being the full-time bartender, and without John begging, either. Now with his nights free, John could spend them protecting Sarah, either by keeping watch over her place at night or out searching for Ray. He’d do anything to keep her safe.
He only hoped he didn’t have to keep her safe from him. After he had healed her lip, it had taken a tremendous amount of willpower to stop. Not because of how she tasted—and damn, she tasted better than life itself—but because when he kissed her, well, thinking became difficult.
He entered the parking lot and slowed to a jog. It may have been late, but people were still up and he didn’t need anyone seeing him whip by. He took the steps, two at a time, and raised his fist to knock on her door, but it was ajar. She had locked it when he left; he had heard it click. Frowning, he entered the apartment.
“Sarah?” Sounds of movement, followed by sobbing, came from the bedroom, compelling him in that direction. “Sarah, what’s the matter?”
The sight that greeted him punched him in the gut. With her arms above her head and her wrists attached to a set of cuffs threaded through the headboard, she was bound and gagged as someone’s sex toy. Naked from the waist down, she had twisted her body keeping her back toward the door and the sheets curled around her legs as if she had attempted to cover herself and failed.
He fell to his knees beside the bed. The gag in her mouth was wet and loose and he removed it easily enough, but she kept her head away and wouldn’t look at him.
“Oh God, Sarah! What happened?” The scent of sex was strong and so was another. He clenched his teeth. If he ever ran into Steven again, the man wouldn’t live through the encounter.
She didn’t move or answer. John placed his hands on the cuffs. How could he free her without hurting her in the process?
“Nightstand,” she murmured.
“What?” A key lay on the bedside table and he picked it up. This didn’t make any sense. He inserted the key and the instant one cuff came open, she yanked free from the headboard, grabbed the sheet, and covered herself up. She brought up her knees and hugged them while the cuffs dangled from her wrist. He reached out to remove them, but she shied away, so he backed off.
“Sarah, sweetie, it’s okay. He won’t touch you again. Tell me what happened.”
Her response was stone-cold silence.
“Sarah, say something. Please,” he begged.
She rested her head on her knees and looked toward the window. “Please go,” she whispered.
He couldn’t leave her, not like this. He never wanted to leave her again. But she needed help. He could call 9-1-1, but would that get her to open up? Probably not. But Lori could. “I’m just going into the other room for a minute, but I’ll be right back.”
Slowly he rose and backed away. She never moved a muscle. He shut the door on his way out.
His phone didn’t have Lori’s number, but Sarah’s did. He really should add her number and prayed he’d never have to use it.
“Hey, Sarah. What’d you forget?”
It was déjà vu all over again. For once he’d like to call her with good news. “It’s not Sarah.”
“Please let this be a pleasure call.” Lori might have been going for funny, but the tension in her voice came through.
“I’m sorry, but you need to come over to Sarah’s. While I was at Wings, she was… I think she’s been raped. She won’t talk to me.”
“Shit. I’m on my way. Make sure she doesn’t clean up. No shower, no washcloth, nothing. Do you hear me?”
He knew the routine. “I hear you. Just hurry.”
After he hung up, he rushed back to the bedroom. She’d curled into a fetal position, facing the window. He walked around the bed and knelt in front of her. She shut her eyes when he approached.
Trying to be gentle, he talked softly. “Sarah, I called Lori. She’s on her way.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, tears flowed from her eyes. He wanted to hold her, to comfort her, but wasn’t sure she wanted him. A murderous rage filled him. If he found out a vampire was responsible, he would seek his revenge, the Committee be damned. But right now Sarah was more important, so he pushed the homicidal thoughts away. She was his first priority and always would be.
“If you want to talk, I’m here.”
For fifteen minutes, they sat in silence. This wasn’t fair. He’d just gotten her back and now he might lose her. Some women never recovered from rape.
Lori let herself in and stopped at the bedroom door. She waved for John to follow. Before he had a chance to shut the door, she bombarded him.
“What the hell happened? I thought you were staying with her.”
He dragged her into the living room and ignored her rant. As calmly as he could, he relayed how he’d found Sarah, but saying the words brought the memory as if he were reliving it. He placed the key in Lori’s hand and said with a cracked voice, “She won’t let me near her to remove them.”
Lori rubbed his upper arm and nodded. “I’m sorry for the outburst. It’s not your fault. I’ll find out what happened.”
He could have listened to their conversation—and he was quite tempted—but Sarah deserved her privacy. Instead, he zeroed in to the television next door. After what seemed like an eternity, Lori emerged from the bedroom. She plopped down in the chair.
“That bastard.” She looked him in the eyes, hers holding fury. “Steven had a key and let himself in. I convinced her to go to the hospital and report it, so she’s getting dressed. They’ll contact the police there.”
John gripped the loveseat. He never thought he’d ever have the courage to kill someone, the Hippocratic Oath was still a part of who he was, but with Sarah’s life in danger, killing would be easy.
Lori leaned forward, placed her hands on her knees, and glared at him. “Are you going to be there for her? Because if you can’t, you better leave now.”
The woman was seriously nuts if she thought he was leaving Sarah now. “I’m not going anywhere. Sarah’s the most important person in my life. I love her.”
She leaned back and nodded. “Good. She’ll need all the support she can get.”
Sarah called for Lori. Her voice barely reached the room. It hurt his heart to hear her so weak.
Lori stood. “Why don’t you go get your car and drive it up to the entrance? I’ll get Sarah and we’ll meet you.”
He hated leaving her, but she’d probably be more comfortable without him around so he left and did as Lori asked. After he had pulled in near the stairs, he cranked up the heat. According to the gauge in the SUV, the outside temperature was twenty-three degrees. Much too cold for Sarah. He would make her as comfortable as possible.
The back door opened and Lori helped Sarah inside. She kept her head down and not once during the drive did she raise it. That couldn’t be a good sign.
John dropped them off at the emergency room and found a parking spot. When he arrived in the waiting room, Sarah was sitting and leaning against her friend. Should he sit beside her or would she be more comfortable if he didn’t? She still hadn’t looked his way. He sat across from her.
The nurse called Sarah. John and Lori were told to wait.
Wait? Why not stake him and lay him out for the sun? She had to be all right. His life would be nothing without her. He would be nothing without her. His arms and legs twitched with nervous tension and he nearly pulled his hair out. Feeling like he’d blow a gasket if he sat still any longer, he stood and paced within the waiting room.
Three police officers, two men and a woman, walked down the hall Sarah had taken and John suspected they were there for her. She’d better tell them the truth this time. He needed Steven behind bars to keep from killing the bastard. Twenty minutes later, the two male officers came out to the waiting area and approached him.
“Are you John Pennington?” one of them asked.
He acknowledged he was. They wanted his side of the story. Relief coursed through him. He was proud of her for pressing charges. It couldn’t have been easy and he wished he could have been with her. After he told the officers what he knew, they asked if he’d let them into the apartment. Why him? Why not Lori? What if Sarah needed him? But when Lori told him she thought it might be a while before anyone could visit Sarah, he gave up. Besides, the odds that Sarah would want him right now seemed pretty slim. At least the trip would keep him busy and he could straighten up the place.
Upon arrival at Sarah’s apartment, he showed them her room. He could still see her there, bound to the bed, and his heart ached. If it was this bad for him, he could only imagine what she would experience. The police inspected the bedspread and found semen, taking a sample. They took plenty of pictures and bagged the handcuffs. John asked what would happen next and got the best news yet.
There was an arrest warrant out for Steven.
* * * *
Sarah closed her eyes as she lay on the narrow hospital bed. Steven had done much worse in the past, but she’d never had any witnesses before. While she was glad to be free, she wished someone else had found her, anyone else besides John. What he must think of her.
No one could visit until after her examination and questioning. Not that it mattered. She didn’t want anyone with her anyway. She felt violated in more ways than one: first Steven, then the police, then the doctors.
Once the police and doctors were through, Lori came inside her little screened-off cubicle, but not John. That couldn’t be good. Sure, she had shied away from him and told him to go, but only because she was embarrassed. It had nothing to do with not wanting him. Was she dirty in his eyes? Did she repulse him? She must have, because he couldn’t even sit beside her in the waiting room. Damn. It wasn’t fair. She’d just told him she loved him, and she still did. But did he still feel the same or had Steven ruined it all? Her chest tightened and her nose tingled. The tears would come if she let them.
Lori explained about John’s trip and then proceeded to try and soothe her, but Sarah didn’t want soothing. She wanted John.
A while later, Lori jerked in her seat. She fished her cellphone out of her pocket and looked at the display. “I’ll be right back,” she said and then left the room.
Sarah was alone again and almost welcomed the tears.
A few minutes later, Lori came back around the partition. “The nurse says you’ll be able to leave soon. You doing okay?”
Sarah nodded. “I just want to go home.”
“I know, kiddo. Listen. John’s back. He’s out there waiting. Can I send him in?”
The moment of truth had arrived and Sarah wasn’t sure she could face it. It would break her heart if he didn’t want her anymore. Better to get it over with, though. “Okay.”
Lori left her and seconds later, John appeared around the partition. Sarah sat up. He looked as miserable as she felt. With tears in her eyes, she held her arms out, hoping. Not a moment later, he was holding her, comforting her.
She cried. She was home.
Chapter 23
John stood when Sarah and Lori entered Wings. He had come down earlier and saved a table in the back. Good thing he had. The place was getting crowded.
He gave Sarah a light kiss on the lips, which is all he’d allowed himself to do for the past week. It was damn hard—he wanted her so badly—but she’d been through a lot. How could he make advances when the last time for her was so…traumatic? He had suggested a trip to his house for the weekend to get her away from the memory of that night. The way she’d jumped at the idea gave him hope. A new place meant a fresh start.
He held the chair for Sarah, but she continued standing while Lori sat in the neighboring seat.
Sarah placed her hand on his arm. “Can I talk to you in private?”
Lori laughed. “Is that code for making out?”
“No, it’s code for I want to talk to him in private.” Sarah swatted Lori on the arm.
He wouldn’t mind the making out part, but Sarah seemed serious, not playful. He handed Lori a menu. “Dinner’s on me.” He swept his arm toward the back exit. “After you.”
Sarah led the way to his office and closed the door after he entered. Her face was all scrunched up with worry and she wrung her hands. Okay, definitely not wanting to make out.
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, then back again. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish in action.
He placed his hands on her shoulders, keeping her still. “Sarah, just spit it out.”
“You aren’t going to fake eat tonight are you?”
“Fake eat?” The question completely caught him off guard and he burst out laughing. Seeing the pained look on her face didn’t help any, it made it all the more precious.
She frowned and placed her hands on her hips. “So glad I can entertain you.”
He stifled the last laugh. “Sorry, Sarah. I never heard anyone call it that before.”
“Well, I didn’t know what else to call it. You’re not going to, are you?”
Of all the things to worry about. “No, I don’t plan on eating. If she asks, I’ll say I ate earlier. Okay?”
She let out a long breath and placed her hand over her heart. A hint of a smile showed on her face and she nodded. “Good. I was so worried… I don’t want you to ever feel you have to…you know.”
The things she let bother her were so petty compared to the things she didn’t. Steven had raped her and she wanted life to go on as usual. If it upset her, she hid it well. But getting sick in front of her? A disaster.
“Come on,” he said. “We better get back before Lori comes looking for you.”
Lori smiled when they returned to the table. “It doesn’t look like you made out.”
Sarah ignored her so he did the same. “What can I get you ladies from the bar?”
* * * *
The last thing Sarah wanted was alcohol. She would be wide awake and alert when she got John into bed that night. All week he’d treated her like a fragile figurine and frankly, she was tired of it. Guess if they were to ever have sex, she’d have to initiate it. And by gosh, they would have sex. She would not let her ex win.
She ordered a Diet Coke and Lori ordered a Jack and Coke. John left to fill their orders.
When he returned with their drinks, they placed their dinner order. By the time they were done eating, the sun had set.
Bite Me I'm Yours Page 17
