Pierced: Pierced Trilogy Boxed Set

by Lashell Collins

  “You,” I whisper back. I lean in and kiss her tenderly, gently caressing her tongue with my own for a long moment. Then I get lost in her eyes as she softly runs her fingertips down my cheek. And I am startled when her eyes suddenly well with tears that spill spontaneously onto her lightly freckled cheeks.

  “Sam!” I take the empty bowl from her hand and sit it on the table beside mine and take her by the hands. “Baby, what’s wrong? Talk to me.” Gently, I try to wipe her tears away but she keeps crying.

  “I’m sorry, Josh,” she says through her tears. “I just keep thinking about it. I keep seeing his face and feeling his hands on me, trying to force me …,”

  Her voice falters as she sobs and I can’t stand it. I take hold of her waist and gently pull her into my lap. She curls up in my arms and I hold her closely while she continues to cry softly into my chest. “It’s all right, Sam,” I whisper, kissing the top of her head. “You’re safe now, baby. I promise you … I will never let anyone hurt you like that ever again. You are safe with me, baby. I’ve got you. Hush now.”

  As I hold her and continue to softly coo to her, a song comes on the radio that I haven’t heard in years, and it seems tailor made for this moment. Jamie Walters, telling his girl to hold on to him until she feels stronger. I couldn’t say it any better right now if I tried. So, we sit and listen to the words as I hold her close, and Sam clings to me. And as the music plays, I begin to sing along with the song, and Sam nuzzles my chest as she listens. Her tears subside as I hold her close to me and softly sing to her. And when the song ends, she looks up at me with big sad eyes.

  “Josh, can I stay here with you for a few days?”

  “You can stay here as long as you need to, Sam.”

  She hesitates for a moment and then asks, “Do you think it would be impulsive … or irrational if I wanted to move?”

  “What, into a new place?” I ask softly, and she nods at me.

  “I just don’t … I don’t know if I could ever feel safe again … being there alone,” she whispers. “I don’t even know how he got in, do you?”

  I tighten my arms around her and nod slowly. “Yeah. He had a key to your place on him when we got him to lockup. He’s still not giving up how he got it. My best guess is that he must have used your stolen key and been inside your place when Lucas had the locksmith there, changing the locks. Barring the possibility that he somehow got it from the locksmith company, it’s the only scenario that makes any sense. Although we are still looking for a possible link between him and the company.”

  Sam shudders in my arms and the tears fall silently down her pretty cheeks again. Still perched on my lap, I pull her to me, softly kissing the top of her head once more. “I don’t want to go back there,” she sobs.

  “You don’t have to, baby,” I tell her softly. “We can go pick up some more of your things tomorrow. But if you don’t feel safe there, I don’t think moving would be impulsive or irrational. Not if you have the means to move. And until you find a place, you can stay here with me. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she whispers softly, clinging to me once more. I sit and hold her for the longest time, my fingers playing in her hair as we sit in silence and listen to the soft music, and she falls asleep on my lap. Gently, I stand up, cradling Sam in my arms, and carry her back to the bedroom and place her onto the bed. As I’m covering her up, she mumbles, “You have a lovely singing voice.”

  I smile at her whispered words, wondering if she’s dreaming, and I lightly kiss her forehead. Once I’ve turned off the radio and the lights in the house and make my way back to the bed, I take Samantha into my arms and hold her closely as I join her in dreamland.

  *****

  I awaken with a start and I blink as I try to figure out what woke me.

  “Who is that?” Sam mumbles and I don’t understand what she’s talking about. Then I hear it again. The damned doorbell. What? I glance over at the alarm clock and it’s not even seven in the morning yet. Who the hell is ringing my fucking doorbell so early?

  I turn over and climb out of bed, grabbing my jeans from the floor and pulling them on grudgingly. I don’t even bother to fasten them as I make my way to the front door. And I know that I’m irritable from repeated broken sleep last night. After I carried Samantha to bed, it wasn’t long before she woke up crying from a nightmare. And then it happened again and again, throughout the night. Each time, I would hold her tightly, and softly tell her that she was safe and that I was here and that everything was all right. She would go right back to sleep but, the nightmares wouldn’t stop. I’m sure we’ll both be paying the price for it later today but, right now, I’m going to take it out on the visitor.

  I open the front door with an attitude, ready to intimidate the hell out of whoever has rung the doorbell so early. Only I’m the one instantly intimidated when I see Lucas Colby staring back at me. My scowl immediately morphs into an expression of surprise.

  “Lucas?” I hope my voice doesn’t sound as shocked as I feel. What the hell is he doing here, and why is he here so early?

  “Josh,” he replies coolly. Then his eyes slowly travel over my attire, or lack thereof, and I actually feel self-conscious. Especially since he’s dressed in an expensive three piece suit.

  “I’m sorry,” I mumble, glancing down at my bare chest and unfastened jeans. “You kind of woke us up.”

  “Well, I apologize for the hour; I have to get to the office soon. But, I just wanted to see the place where my sister is staying,” he says, his eyes never leaving mine.

  What the fuck? Is he for real? And, if he is, what the hell is this? Some sort of strong-arm intimidation tactic. Some strategy to humiliate me and make me feel as unworthy of his sister as possible? Because if it is, it’s working. I could not feel any more belittled than I do at this moment. But I refuse to let him know that.

  I put my game face on, lifting my chin slightly in the hopes of masking my sudden anxiety at his words and open the door wider, stepping aside. “Come on in,” I say evenly, holding his steady gaze.

  He walks inside and, as I close the door, I see him looking around my place. Assessing it. Making judgments, no doubt. And I can’t help but remember my mom’s words from a couple of days ago, asking me what the hell I was doing sniffing around a Colby, and saying that they probably wouldn’t take kindly to Samantha being with me. Was she right? Is that what Lucas is doing here? Is he about to yank Sam out of here and tell me all the reasons why I need to stay away from his sister … or else?

  “I would offer you some coffee,” I tell him, “but, like I said, we were sleeping so … it’ll take a few minutes to brew if you’re interested.”

  “That’s okay, thanks,” he declines. “Is Sam around?”

  “Yeah, she’s in the bedroom,” I answer. And I get the feeling that he’s sizing me up right now. Trying to get a feel for me. Get a handle on what I’m thinking. Just like I’m doing with him. “I’ll go get her.”

  He nods and I turn and head for the bedroom. When I get there, I’m surprised to find that Samantha is already pulling on her sweatpants.

  “I’m sorry about this, Josh,” she says, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t know what he’s doing here so early.”

  “He’s just worried about you,” I reply as I grab a plain white t-shirt out of the drawer and pull it on over my head. My voice sounds calmer than I feel right now. Why the hell is he really here?

  We walk back out to the living room together and I see Lucas’ face light up when he sees Sam. She walks to him and he gives her a sweet, brotherly hug. She doesn’t let that stop her though; Sam lays right into him.

  “What are you doing here so early, Lucas?” she admonishes him. “You woke us both up out of a sound sleep! Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to even get to sleep last night?”

  “I’m sorry, Sam,” he says, clearly a bit flustered. It makes me smile but, I try to hide it. I place my hand on the small of her back, in a comforting gesture as
Lucas continues, “I was worried about you!”

  “Well, why were you worried?” she continues to give him a hard time. “You knew that I was safely at home with Josh.”

  “Sam, you were attacked yesterday,” he fires back. “Again! You were nearly raped. You could have been killed. Forgive me for caring, Pita. But I was worried!”

  Her shoulders slump slightly and she takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and I run my hand lightly over her lower back. “He’s right, Sam,” I say quietly. “Your brother has every reason to still be worried about you.”

  “I know,” she sighs, rolling her eyes slightly. “I’m sorry, Lucas. I don’t mean to be grumpy with you. I’m just tired and sleep deprived and … still shaken, I guess.”

  “It’s all right,” Lucas tells her. “I’m not surprised that you’re still shaken up. What are your plans today?”

  She shakes her head and shrugs. “I don’t want to do anything,” Sam says. “I just want to stay here and try to sleep if I can.”

  “Are you sure about that?” he asks her. “Cause you’re welcome to go back to my place while Josh is working.” He glances at me and I see a flash of something in his eyes but, I’m not sure what.

  “Thank you, but that’s not necessary,” Sam tells him.

  “I took the day off to take care of Sam,” I speak up, moving my hand from the small of her back to her hip, pulling her slightly to me. And I can see that the subtle gesture is not lost on him. He glances from me to his sister, watching our body language closely. Then he nods silently. And I can be certain, but I think I see a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he looks down at the floor for a moment.

  “Well, I need to get to the office,” he says, looking back up at Sam. “Call me if you need anything, Sam.”

  “I will,” she replies.

  “Oh, by the way,” he says, “you probably have a million messages from Mom once you turn your cellphone back on.”

  “Oh, yeah,” I mumble, suddenly remembering the unpleasant encounter. “Your phone kept buzzing last night and I was afraid it would wake you, so I turned it off. But not before I answered a call from your mother.”

  She looks at me with raised eyebrows. “I bet that went over well,” she says sarcastically.

  “Yeah, I don’t think I made a great first impression,” I tell them and they both look at me questioningly. “Well, she was insisting to speak to you, but I flat told her that I wasn’t about to wake you, and that I’d have you call her in the morning. I know I probably pissed her off but…”

  “No, you made the right call,” Lucas says dismissively.

  Sam groans and rolls her eyes. “I don’t have the strength to deal with her today. What did you tell her?” she asks Lucas.

  “I told her everything,” he says matter-of-factly, and Sam rolls her eyes again. “She’s our mother, Sam. She had a right to know that you were in danger, and that that danger is no longer an issue. You’re just lucky I told her before she saw it on the news.”

  “Okay,” she says softly. She leans into me slightly and I tighten my hold around her waist. “You told her about Josh?” she asks quietly.

  Lucas looks at me blankly for a second and then back at his sister. “I told her everything,” he repeats, and Sam sighs heavily. He cocks his head and his eyes soften as he watches her. “I also reminded her that you are a grown woman who can make her own decisions, okay?” He smiles slightly at her.

  She gives him a weak smile of her own and shakes her head. “Thanks for running interference,” she says.

  “No problem. I’ll check on you again this evening,” he says as we move toward the door.

  “Well, I need to visit the little girl’s room,” she says, glancing from me to her brother. “You have a good day,” she tells him as she kisses him on the cheek.

  “You get some sleep,” he says, smiling at her. She turns and heads off to the bathroom and I’m suddenly alone with Lucas once more, and the atmosphere is instantly awkward. We eye one another speculatively for beat, and then he says, “I’m actually glad we have a moment alone, Josh.”

  Here we go, I think to myself. “Why’s that?” I ask, urging him to get to the real point of this surprise visit.

  “Well, for starters,” he begins, “because I wanted to thank you again.” Okay. That’s not what I expected him to say. “For everything that you did yesterday,” he continues. “You saved my sister from that major dirtbag. You probably saved her life. And you did everything you could to make sure that animal stays behind bars where he belongs. I meant what I said yesterday. I will be forever grateful to you for that.”

  His words take me by surprise, and I’m not quite sure why but, they make me uncomfortable for some reason. Maybe because I get the feeling he assumes I was just doing my job. I don’t know. But I get even more uncomfortable as he continues talking.

  “If you ever need anything at all, Josh … if I can help you in any way, you contact me,” he says, his eyes never wavering from mine. “My sister is very important to me, and I’m indebted to you. I won’t forget it.”

  I can’t take it anymore. “Lucas, stop!”

  I don’t mean for my voice to sound gruff but, I’m afraid that’s the way it comes across and he is silenced immediately, his eyes registering his surprise. I take a deep breath, trying to get a handle on my emotions. I don’t want to piss this guy off. He is, after all, a very powerful man. But he’s also Samantha’s brother, and she adores him. I have to make him understand. I take another deep breath and let out a sigh.

  “Lucas, look … I realize that you don’t know me. And I understand that you probably have all sorts of misgivings about me and I get that. Samantha and I haven’t been together long, and you worry about your sister; you care about her. But the thing you need to know is … so do I. I care very deeply about her.”

  My heart is pounding in my chest and I’m wondering what’s going through his mind right now. Does he believe me? And why is it so important to me that he does? “Samantha is … she means more to me than you know. I would never have forgiven myself if anything had happened to her. So everything I did yesterday, I did it to keep her safe. Yes, it was my job but … it was so much more than that! So please … just stop thanking me, all right?”

  He is silent for several seconds and, again, I think I see a small smile play at the corners of his mouth. Oh, what the hell is he thinking right now? “You’re right, Josh, I don’t know you,” he says evenly. “But I think I’ve got a pretty clear picture of the kind of man you are.”

  What is he talking about? What the hell does he know about the kind of man I am? And then it hits me. This fucker’s had me investigated! I look at him with a puzzled frown and he answers my silent question.

  “Yeah, I checked,” he says coolly. Then he shrugs his shoulders. “My baby sister, who to my knowledge, has never been serious about any boy she’s ever dated, suddenly tells me out of the blue that not only is she dating a Seattle cop, but that she would rather shack up with him in his … humble surroundings after her terrifying ordeal, than to stay in the lap of luxury that she’s used to? Yeah,” he says, looking me in the eye, “you bet I checked.”

  “Yeah? What did you find?” I ask him, and I can feel my jaw clenching.

  “It’s quite impressive, really,” he says with a cocky smirk. “Did you know that you’re one of the most decorated officers on the entire Seattle police force?”

  “I don’t keep track,” I reply, suddenly trying to corral the anger that’s threatening to rage out of control, and still wondering what the point of this conversation is.

  “You should,” he says. “You’re record is really something to be proud of. Four Medals of Valor, two Awards of Excellence, Outstanding Public Service Award for saving a child’s life by performing CPR while you were off duty. Officer of the Year five years ago. Detective of the Year for the past three years running. That’s impressive, Josh,” he nods. “Especially considering you were the you
ngest officer to ever make detective, and you’ve only been a detective for four years.”

  His tone is genuine and he’s smiling at me, and I’m not at all sure what to make of it. Is he congratulating me on my service record or is he telling me to stay away from his sister? I frown slightly at him, feeling like an idiot, not knowing what to say. I think he can tell that I’m at a loss because he lets out a small chuckle and shakes his head.

  “Relax, Josh,” he says with a smile. “I told you yesterday that as long as you are good to my sister, and Sam is happy and safe … you won’t have any problem with me, and I meant it. But I hope you understand why I looked into your background. She’s the only sister I’ve got and she means the world to me.”

  I study his eyes for a moment and then I nod slowly. If I had a sister, I would probably run a background check on any guy who came within ten feet of her. “Yeah,” I mumble, “I understand.”

  “Good. You seem to be an honorable man, Joshua Pierce. You share a few qualities with a man Sam and I both miss very much. I think I understand why my sister is drawn to you.”

  What the fuck!? A man they both miss? I know that he has to be referring to their father but, I don’t understand. What could I possibly have in common with a man like Richard Colby? A deceased billionaire who, by all accounts, was one of the world’s greatest businessmen, philanthropists and fathers.

  “Although your rock star fantasies border on delusional,” he snickers, and I can’t help but smile at the expression on his face. His check into my service record was obviously thorough. And for the first time since I opened the door and let him in this morning, I feel myself relax. He smiles at me, holding out his hand for me to shake. When I take his hand, he says, “Tell Sam I’ll go by and check on the progress with her door this afternoon.”

  “No, don’t bother. We’ll do it,” I tell him. “Sam’s going to need to pick up a few more things from her place anyway. She’s gonna … stay here with me for a while.” He smiles at me again, and I don’t know what he’s thinking.

  “You and my sister seem have gotten very close,” he says, and I’m not sure but, I think I actually hear approval in his voice. Am I imagining that?