by Roxy Wilson
“Thank God!” she said. “You’re always there.”
Her oxygen-starved mind had a sudden vision. No, a memory. Lacey was ten years old and she was running on the pavement. Her mother had allowed her to go to the nearest grocery store on her own to get a carton of milk. Freedom tasted good, it smelled delightful. This was the first time that she’d been given permission to do this even though the store was a mere five minutes away. She would go in, get the milk, and come back. Her mother would be so proud, and then she would be allowed to go on her own again. She was a big girl now, almost a teen. Only three years left until she hit the magical number thirteen. A pre-teen, her mother called her. Lacey was happy, delirious with joy. As she neared the store, she heard a screeching noise behind her. Someone was coming in fast on the street, but she was safe. Her mother had told her to stay on the pavement, and Lacey always listened to her mother.
As long as she remained on the pavement and didn’t talk to strangers, she would be okay. When she went back home, her mother would be happy. Lacey could taste the sweet achievement. After all, she was almost there. The noise behind increased and then suddenly someone grabbed her waist, lifted her high in the air, and then pulled her into the safety of a doorway just as a car careened up on the pavement. It smashed into a pole. There was a loud popping sound and the glass broke. If she was on the pavement, she would’ve been squashed between the pole and the car.
Horrified, Lacey took in the scene of the accident and then her gaze met that of her savior. The intense blue eyes were filled with kindness. “Run along home now, sweetie. You’re fine.”
When he put her down, she ran home as fast as she could. Lacey never did venture out alone for a long time. Her mother was too scared to allow her, and frankly she was terrified too. It had been a close call. The stranger saved her.
The memory faded as her eyes closed and oblivion overtook her. It was nice to fall into a blissful sleep and not worry about another thing.
Perhaps that was what death would’ve felt like.
Peace.
Quiet.
Rest.
Sleep.
How long she was that way? She couldn’t tell. But then she felt a sharp pain. She screamed and struggled against the restraints.
“Relax, breathe,” said a calm voice that she recognized despite the chaos in her mind. “You’re safe now.”
Lacey made an effort not to struggle. With difficulty, she opened her eyes. There was something on her face, an oxygen mask that was carrying in copious amount of fresh air to her starved system. After the smoke-filled air, this was heavenly. She took deep, gulping breaths as she stared around her. She was in an unfamiliar place. It wasn’t a hospital.
Strange.
Wasn’t she taken to one?
Why not?
As the oxygen rushed in, her lungs cleared and her mind became a little more active. She’d fallen from the third floor staircase and lived to tell the tale. Despite the fire that threatened to consume her, she had lived. How the hell did she land in someone’s arms? Not someone, Aric’s arms. He caught her. The sheer, physical strength required to catch her, not to mention the presence of mind, boggled her. Just as before, he was there when she needed help the most.
Then the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Aric was the one who saved her when she was a little girl.
Of course, he was.
No.
How was that possible?
That memory was eleven years old, and he couldn’t be the same guy. Lacey actually didn’t remember the face of the man who saved her when she was ten years old from the car accident, but she recalled the eyes with perfect clarity.
They were the same as Aric’s, but it couldn’t be him. No way. No how. He must’ve been a young child himself at that age. She was letting her imagination run away, and it was time to embrace reality.
Now that she felt better, she took off the mask. “We’ve got to stop making a habit of this.”
He tensed. Even though he remained seated on a chair beside her bed, she felt his muscles bunch. His shoulders rotated, almost as if he was getting ready to leap out of the room. “What do you mean?”
“First you save me from the mugger and now from the fire. This is getting to be a bit too much, don’t you think?”
He smiled. “Sure.”
“What were you doing near my apartment?”
“Out for a walk.”
It couldn’t be a coincidence. First, he saved her from getting killed by a random attack and then he was right there when she fell from the fire escape. Surely, this couldn’t be real. Of course, stranger things had been known to happen. “Maybe you’re my guardian angel.”
“Or perhaps, I was at the right place, at the right time.”
She didn’t want to continue this conversation that was making her nervous. Something more was going on here, but she didn’t quite know what it was. Of course, he wasn’t telling her everything. But it wasn’t the time to delve into this mystery. As she stared at him, Lacey felt the first stirrings of desire deep in her gut. Something, some unknown force, pulled her towards him. She wanted to run her hands up his wide chest and feel his heart beat and to run her fingers through his rich, luscious hair and feel the smooth skin on his face. Lacey imagined brushing her lips over his and tasting him. As her gaze met his, she was startled by the intensity of his stare. It was almost as if he could peek into her mind and read her thoughts.
She looked away, shocked by the ideas that careened through her mind. What the hell was she thinking? He saved her life, and she was thanking him by having wet dreams about him. Actually, technically, it couldn’t be a dream because she was awake. Lacey never experienced such strong desire for a man before. Sure, she liked some guys, took a few of them to her bed, and had a good time, but she’d never experienced anything on this level. Not ever before.
It wasn’t all physical though. She felt a strong connection with him, almost as if there was a bond that linked them.
No!
This is insane.
It was all her imagination. He’d saved her life twice now, and she felt indebted to him. While she did feel grateful, there was also confusion, bewilderment, and yes, the undercurrents of desire.
Maybe she needed to have her head examined. Perhaps it was time to see a shrink, but before that, she needed to see the fire brigade and find out as to what happened in her apartment. “I should go.”
“Where?”
She plunked back down on the bed. The room was simple but there was a charming quality about it. The Buddha that sat on the side table grinned and lent a happy ambiance. The flowers in the vase were fresh, the sheets on the four-poster bed were hundred percent Egyptian cotton, and the two paintings that hung on the wall were originals. She didn’t know the name of the artist, but she could recognize quality when she saw it (she had an eye for detail).
She was nervous, agitated. Why had he brought her here and not taken her to the hospital? Twice she nearly died and both times he was the one who saved her. It couldn’t possibly be a coincidence. “Back home to see if they could figure out what caused the fire.”
He licked his bottom lip while his gaze never left her. “That’s not a good idea.”
He didn’t want her to leave. Why? Now, she was scared, terrified, more like it. “Why not? I’ve got a lot of stuff in there… Damn! My back pack...” He pointed with his hand and she followed the movement and saw her bag lying in one corner. “Oh, thank God. My laptop is in there, and my work…” She shook her head. “But I’ve lost everything else. Papers, ID cards, some jewelry, clothes…” Tears sprang in her eyes but she forced them back down. She wasn’t going to crash now. It was important to figure out what happened and how the fire started. She would have to rebuild her life. “I need to leave.”
“You can’t go anywhere. Whoever started that fire would be looking for you again so going out right now is the same as facing a firing squad.”
Lacey stared at him. What the hell was he tal
king about? Why would someone start the fire in her apartment? Was he implying that someone tried to kill her? More than a coincidence, was it some kind of a nefarious scheme against her? Of course, it couldn’t be true. She was just an ordinary girl who didn’t have any enemies, not to mention, many friends either. No one hated her enough to want to kill her. Why would he say such a ridiculous thing?
“What are you saying?”
“Someone started that fire. Someone sent that guy after you, not to get your purse, but to make it look like a mugging gone wrong.” The ferocious expression on his face betrayed the temper that sizzled in his veins. “No. You were the target of two murder attempts. I think that puts you right smack in the middle of some serious shit.”
Lacey tried to process his words. What the hell was he talking about? She was now beyond terrified. The man was insane. Yes, that was it. He was quite mad, and she was with him in his house. Maybe he was the one who tried to kill her. Perhaps he set the fire. Why else would he have been near her apartment building? Fear coursed through her heart as she realized that she was in deep shit.
Yes, he was right. She was going to get murdered—and he was the one who would do it.
Chapter Four
Aric could see that she was working herself into quite a state. Her eyes, misty and deep, were full of fear. He couldn’t blame her. The circumstances were such that if he’d been in her shoes, he would have reacted in quite the same manner. She needed to calm down. Still, he could see the conspiracy theories that were forming in her head.
“Relax,” he said in a curt manner. “I’m not going to kill you.”
“You? What?”
“As if I can’t figure out what you’re thinking.” He shook his head. “Sweetheart, if I wanted you dead, you would’ve been dead and buried a long time ago.” She blinked her eyes. “Damn it!” He stood and paced the room, knowing fully that he wasn’t helping things by acting in such an agitated manner. He couldn’t help himself. After saving her so many times, he was invested in her wellbeing. He couldn’t abandon her now when she was knee deep in some weird muck.
What had she gotten herself into?
“You’re involved with some guy who does drugs, right?”
“Of course, not.”
“You don’t do drugs yourself?”
She frowned and shook her head. “No. Why are you asking me these silly questions?”
“I’m trying to figure out why someone would make not one but two deliberate attempts to kill you. Shit. I should’ve caught that guy and beaten the truth out of him. If I’d known—” He bit his bottom lip as he tried to figure out what was going on here exactly. “You’re not a member of some satanic club or a gang that has strange rituals, are you? Maybe you have friends who took you to some club and got you signed up and you don’t remember. What about your boyfriend?”
“Hey, hey, hey.” She stood. He saw her sway but she caught herself. The girl was strong; he had to give her that. She’d been through not one but two ordeals in the past 24 hours, but she was holding up. He had this insane desire to take her in his arms and crush his lips on hers. His fingers itched to roam over her skin. Overwhelmed by the crazy passion that sizzled through his veins, he glanced away. “I’m not a member of any such club or gang, and I don’t have a boyfriend or a lover.” She crossed her arms. “This is crazy. Why would anyone want to kill me? I’m just a regular girl who works and minds her own business. I’ve got some friends but no one who is into any of this crazy shit that you’re talking about.”
Why the hell should he be delighted that she didn’t have a boyfriend? It wasn’t any of his business. He didn’t care about her that way.
Or did he?
For too long, he’d suppressed the natural, primal urges that careened through his nerves whenever he saw her. Once, she’d been a kid, but now she was a grown up—and what a beauty she turned out to be. But she didn’t know about his true nature, and he intended to keep it that way. It was important for vampires to maintain their secrecy. Outsiders weren’t allowed. They weren’t welcome into their clique. The ability to keep their existence hidden was the reason why vampires managed to live in this world for so long and not become the object of intense scrutiny and needless media attention. He wanted to keep it that way, especially when they were poised at such an important juncture that would decide the fate of humanity for an eternity.
“Then what the hell is going on here?” His cell phone rang and Aric dug it out of his pocket. It was Mira. “Yes?”
“There was a beep today,” said Mira in an excited voice.
He simply couldn’t concentrate. “What the hell does that mean?”
“It means that he or she is in Boston. I felt a flare and so did Nyle. That person, whoever he or she is, activated something just for an instant and then shut down again.”
He didn’t need this shit right now, but it was important. Actually, it was far more important than Lacey. She was his…his…personal issue, and what they were dealing with concerned the world. He couldn’t set aside his work to handle her. “How can that happen?”
“I think our initial assumption that this person hasn’t latched on to their full identity as yet is true. Maybe something happened that sparked the power, but if he or she doesn’t know what to do with it…” Mira trailed off. Aric heard her expel a gush of breath over the phone.
“We don’t have the time to teach the new recruit.”
“That’s assuming we find that person first. Now that he or she has activated the power, it won’t stay dormant for long. And once it works, our enemies would hone in as quickly as we do.”
“Damn it.” He pressed a hand to his eyes. It was crucial to concentrate, to focus. “Mira, why don’t you guys get to the warehouse? I’ll be there…soon. I’ve got an issue to sort out and then I’ll be right along.”
“An issue?”
“When I see you, I’ll tell you.”
He cut the call and shoved the phone in his pocket. Out of all the nights, this was the one when everything had to happen. “I’m not your issue,” Lacey said in a voice that indicated that she was also reaching the limit of her patience. “Trust me, I can take care of myself.”
“Oh, yeah, right. I’ve seen enough evidence of that.” He gazed at her. “I can’t leave you alone here.”
“Good, because I don’t have any intention of staying... I should go and talk to the police or the fire brigade or something. She walked over to her back pack and picked it up. My papers…damn it, I lost all my documents, and my passport…I’ll have to be issued new ones.”
“That’s the least of your worries right now.”
“You don’t know anything. The police would be looking for me. The landlord knew that I was inside, and he would’ve reported me missing. Perhaps they think I’m dead.” She was already moving towards the door, and he could see that she was serious about it. He felt a certain wave of pity for her. In one night, her world had turned upside down. Any sane person would become disturbed by such events. She was at least walking around and seemed to have a plan. “I…I… need…” Lacey shook her head as if trying to clear the fogginess that was still there. “Thank you for your help.”
“Hey!” He said the word softly but she tensed. Turning around, she looked at him. He felt an overwhelming desire to pull her into his arms and console her. “You can’t go. Don’t you get it? Whoever is targeting you would come back to finish the job.”
“There has to be some kind of a mistake. It can’t be a deliberate attempt on my life.” She shook her head. “It just can’t be.”
He’d literally seen her grow up, but Aric never realized that she would be so beautiful and so graceful. She had quiet strength. He admired it, respected her, but it was important for him to let the message sink in. He hadn’t gotten her this far just to let her die. “What else can explain this?”
“Maybe you’re the one who is doing it.”
“I saved your ass.”
“Why?�
�
He swallowed the words that sprang to his lips. An image formed in his mind of Lacey as a small baby, lying in a ventilator, lifeless, dying. Something had tugged at the strings of his heart then, and it did so now. Whoever said that vampires didn’t feel emotions knew jack shit. She’d captured him from the first instant he set his eyes on her. At that time, the feelings that overcame him were protective, nurturing. It wasn't something that he expected to feel and hence, he was overwhelmed. Now, he was just as protective, but what he felt for her was raw, naked desire. His fingers itched to run through her hair, to feel her smooth, creamy skin, and to touch every curve of her body.
He couldn’t tell her this.
She wouldn’t ever understand.
And in any case, he couldn’t divulge it because of the shroud of secrecy that surrounded his coven. “I was just lucky enough to be in both places. Perhaps it’s fate. Who knows?” He shrugged his shoulders. “The important thing is that I saved your life and I don’t want you to become a victim of this…person who is determined to hunt you down. Now, cooperate with me. We’ll go to the police but I can’t stay with you there, and frankly, I don’t think they’ll be able to protect you.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “You think that the police can’t protect me, but you can?”
Of course, he could. Once again, he couldn’t disclose everything to her. “Look, just trust me for now. I haven’t done anything to hurt you, and even you’ve got to admit that all I have done is take care of you. Stay with me for a while, and in the meantime, I’ll think of a safe place for you. Then you can leave and I won’t stop you.”
“It seems like a bad espionage movie. I never liked those convoluted plots,” she declared. Putting her hands on her forehead, she sighed. He didn’t blame her. Any sane, normal person would have reacted in this manner. Her glance flitted to him. He could see the suspicion and the dread. Man! He wanted to deposit a kiss on her warm lips and see what she tasted like. His skin ached to feel her smooth body. Desire had never been so fiery ever before, and he didn’t know what to do with it. He wanted her badly to trust him, but even if she did so, her problems wouldn’t come to an end.
