Bloodlines (15 page)

Anna nodded in agreement, although she was completely lost as to what Rose was saying. Her gaze was caught on a pair of daisy fabric pot holders hanging on a hook beside the stove.

“I like daisies,” Anna said.

Rose was getting used to the way Anna's mind wandered and nodded without looking to see what had prompted the remark.

“Yes, I do, too,” she said. “And zinnias. I like zinnias a lot. I know they're not as delicate and their colors are less subtle, but they're sturdy. I like sturdy things. They survive when other things don't.”

Anna moved toward the pot holders as Rose turned away from the stove to focus on a particularly intense part of her story.

“Look at that hussy!” Rose said, pointing to the television screen. “Someone needs to teach her a lesson.”

Just as the actors were about to reveal some plot secret, the broadcast was interrupted by a news flash.

“Oh, for goodness' sakes,” Rose muttered. “They were just about to—” Then she gasped as the station began broadcasting footage they'd shot at a fire in an old downtown hotel. “Oh my! Anna! Would you look at that fire!”

Rose's gaze was fixed on a helicopter and the fireman hanging on to the ladder hanging from it. She was
watching, transfixed as, one by one, the helicopter moved people from the roof of the burning building to a place of safety, until all but the last two men had been rescued.

Then, to her horror, she watched as the helicopter started back and the roof of the burning building began to collapse. She squealed in horror, then covered her mouth, frozen to the spot by the drama unfolding before her.

“Oh lordy, lordy, the fire, the fire,” Rose mumbled.

Anna laid one of the daisy pot holders onto a burner, then took down the other one and piled it on top. A flame shot upward, past the cooking pots and up into the vent hood. Without missing a beat, Anna punched the switch on the hood. The motor started, instantly sucking fire up into the vents and the ceiling.

“Fire,” Anna said without moving.

Rose nodded. “Yes, it's a big fire, but thank the Lord they've rescued all those poor people.”

“Fire,” Anna said again.

Rose turned. Her eyes widened, and she let out a scream.

“Oh Lord! Oh Lord! Fire! Fire! Oh, Anna, what have you done?”

She turned off the stove and the exhaust fan, then grabbed the cell phone and Anna's hand as she ran, dialing 911.

 

Marcus was signing the last of some papers for his secretary when his cell phone rang. He frowned, glanced at the number, then picked up.

“Hello?”

Rose was screaming and crying, and he could hear sirens in the background. He jumped to his feet and raced to the window, as if by moving six feet to the right he could be closer to whatever was happening at home.

“Oh, Mr. Marcus…the house, the house…Anna set it on fire. I turned my back for just a minute and—”

Marcus stifled a groan. “Are you both all right?” he asked urgently.

“Yes, yes, we're all right. The firemen have it under control, but the kitchen is ruined, and the fire went up to the room over it, too. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.”

“Rose! It's all right. Things can be fixed. I just needed to know you're both alive.”

Rose was sobbing.

His heart sank. What the hell else was going to happen to their family? Then he stifled the moment of self-pity and got to the point.

“Don't cry, dear. It's not your fault, it's mine. I shouldn't have left an unstable woman in the house for you to deal with. We knew Anna had problems. I put off getting her help, and now this is a result.”

“What do I do?” Rose asked.

“I'm on my way. Just stay with Anna for the time being. When I get home, I will take care of it all.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Marcus, and I'm so, so, sorry.”

Marcus dropped his cell phone in his pocket and grabbed his sports coat just as his secretary came back into the room.

“Devon, I'm going home. There's been a fire at the house.”

“Oh no! Is there anything I can do to help?” she said.

He thought of Olivia. She was due to come home tomorrow, and Terrence and Carolyn were arriving today. He paused by the door, then nodded.

“Yes. Call Detective Trey Bonney at the Dallas PD, in homicide. Tell him to call me as soon as possible. I don't want Olivia to hear about this from the news and suffer any more distress. She's had more than enough to bear.”

“Yes, sir. Right away, sir,” Devon said. “Anything else?”

“Yes, actually, there is.” He pointed to his desk. “See those brochures?”

She nodded, picking them up, then followed Marcus out of his office to the elevators.

“Find out how many of those assisted-care living centers have vacancies. I'll call you back later to see what you've found out.”

“I'm so sorry about your home,” she said.

“It can be fixed. Losing people can't. I'm just grateful that Rose and Anna are all right.”

“Is there anything else?” Devon asked.

Marcus thought of Terrence and Carolyn, due to arrive at DFW airport later that evening. They were supposed to take a cab to his house, but that wasn't going to work out now. Thankfully, Rose had a sister who lived close. He knew she would want to go there.

“Yes, one more thing,” he said. “Call the hotel at the Mansion on Turtle Creek. Make a reservation for me, as well as one for Terrence and Carolyn Sealy, ar
riving this evening, with an open departure date. Then send a limo to the airport to pick them up. Give them a detailed explanation with the number to my cell phone, and tell them I'll join them for dinner at the hotel tonight…say, around eight o'clock. If there's anything else, I'll let you know,” he said.

The elevator arrived. He rode it down as Devon returned to the office.

 

Trey got the phone call from Marcus's office just as he was arriving at the scene of the hotel fire. Four bodies had been brought out by the firemen before the building collapsed, and more than a dozen people, some burned, had been rescued from the roof. The arson investigator was already on the scene, making sure that it stayed as intact as possible, while emergency personnel were working frantically on the burn victims, trying to stabilize them for transport.

He pulled up to the perimeter, parked, then quickly dialed Marcus's number as he was getting out of the car.

“Marcus, it's me, Trey. What's up?”

“We've had a problem at the house. I know this is an imposition, but I don't want Olivia hearing this secondhand and getting all upset.”

Trey stopped walking. Marcus's voice was shaking, and there was an exhaustion there that Trey wasn't used to hearing.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Anna set fire to the kitchen. It spread to a couple of rooms upstairs, as well, before they got it out. No
one is hurt, but for the moment, the place is unlivable. I can't have Olivia coming home from the hospital to this mess, and Rose is a basket case.”

“Don't worry about Olivia,” Trey said. “I'll take her home with me. Are you all right?”

Marcus sighed. “I will be. Just knowing that Olivia will be in good hands is relief enough. I've got Anna to place in assisted-living quarters, and the arrival of a cousin I can't stand. Other than that, everything is fine. Oh! I'll be staying at the Mansion on Turtle Creek.”

“Got it,” Trey said. “And please don't worry about anything on this end. I'll make sure Olivia understands what happened without frightening her.”

“Thank you,” Marcus said. “Thank you more than you can know.”

“On the contrary,” Trey said. “I'm the one who should be thanking you for trusting me enough to do this. I know how much Olivia means to you. Please know that I will make sure she's well cared for. Do you have a pen? I'll give you my address and home phone number.”

Marcus patted his pocket, then took out a pen and paper.

“Yes, I'm ready,” he said.

Trey rattled off the information, then quickly disconnected. He had to get through with this as quickly as possible, then head to the hospital—and Olivia.

F
oster had never been on the right side of the law before, and being hailed as a hero felt good. He considered the consequences of staying around and taking the acclaim the media wanted to give him, but if he didn't make himself scarce and soon, it wasn't going to last.

“Hey, mister! This way! This way!” a reporter shouted.

Foster looked up to find a camera aimed straight at his face. Startled, he wanted to look away, but he was frozen in the spotlight.

The cameraman moved closer, as did the reporter with the mike.

“Can you tell us what it was like up on that roof?” the reporter asked. “Did you think you were going to die?”

“Uh…”

It was as far as Foster got before another reporter appeared on the scene with a second mike.

“What's your name? Do you know how the fire started? Was the man you saved a friend?”

Foster covered his face with his arm and pretended to be overcome.

“Get back!” an EMT shouted as he grabbed at Foster and began forcing him onto a gurney.

Trey came up just as they were strapping Foster down and flashed his badge at the EMT.

“Where are you taking him?” he asked.

“Dallas Memorial,” the EMT said as they pushed the gurney into the back of a waiting ambulance.

Trey nodded, slammed the door shut and then gave it a thump to indicate they were clear.

The ambulance pulled away from the scene, then sped off into traffic. Trey saw Chia about thirty feet away and headed toward her at a jog.

“What have you got?” Trey asked.

Chia looked up, then brushed at a lock of hair dangling between her eyes, which spread a streak of soot all the way across her face.

“We've got at least four dead and a suspicion of arson. Other than that, no one knows anything,” she muttered.

“Warren said you and Dave were primaries, so what do you want me to do?”

She scanned her notes, then looked up. “Follow the ambulance to Dallas Memorial and talk to the hero of the hour. He might know something we can use.”

“Will do,” Trey said. “Anything else?”

“They've already transported some of the worst-off burn victims there,” Chia said. “See if they know anything. Dave and I have this covered. We'll trade info later.”

Trey nodded, then handed her his handkerchief.

“What's that for?” she asked.

He pointed to her face.

She rolled her eyes, dipped the handkerchief in a standing puddle of water and began scrubbing at her face as she walked away.

Trey grinned, then headed back to his car on the run. With media interest in the Sealy family at an all-time high, it followed that the fire at their home would merit coverage. He needed to get to Olivia before the gossip did.

 

Olivia had fallen asleep in the tangle of her sheets. Her arm had slipped out of the sling and was lying awkwardly across her chest. At her insistence, they'd finally taken the IV out, but there was a large bruise on the back of her hand where the needle had been. Her face was a mixture of healing scrapes and bruises, her hair a jumble of curls escaping from the twist on the top. Her lips had parted slightly, leaving her with a hint of a smile. In sleep, she'd been able to go where tragedy was just a part of her past, where there was nothing before her but a bright and hopeful future—back to where the love of her life had taught her how to be a woman.

Dallas, Texas—Eleven years earlier

Tonight was the homecoming game. Olivia had less than an hour to get changed and back to the stadium before kickoff, and she was determined not to be late. Her hair was in curlers, and she was still barefoot, but she had on her new sweater and slacks. She loved the sensuous feel of the soft wale corduroy pants and the chunky-knit, cowl-neck sweater against her
skin. She'd chosen the style for herself but the color for Trey. Her Trey. He loved blue, and she loved Trey, so it was an easy choice all around. She was taking the last of the rollers out of her hair as a knock sounded on her door.

“Come in!” she called, slinging curlers onto the bed as she made a frantic dash to the closet for her shoes.

“Olivia…I—”

“Oh, Grampy! I'm glad you're home. I thought I wasn't going to get to see you this evening before I left.”

“That's what I wanted to—”

Olivia grabbed her shoes and ran to the side of the bed to put them on.

“It's homecoming tonight! Did I tell you?” she asked as she yanked the last of the curlers out of her hair and slipped her feet into the shoes. “TammyWyandotte is picking me up in less than fifteen minutes.”

Marcus sighed. He'd been about to suggest that Olivia stay home tonight. He was concerned about her attachment to a certain boy but didn't know how to broach the subject. This was one of those times when a girl needed her mother, but he was all she was going to get. He knew she was keeping company with a boy from a less than desirable family, and he worried about the consequences. Still, the excitement in her voice was so genuine and her joy infectious. Instead of saying what he'd come in to say, he gave her a hug, told her to be home before midnight and kissed her goodbye.

“You have enough money with you?” he asked.

“Yes, Grampy, I'm fine. Keep your fingers crossed for our team, okay?”

He couldn't bear to take that joy from her face, so he sighed, then smiled.

“Absolutely,” he said.

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly on the cheek.

“Oh, Grampy, you're the best.”

The doorbell rang.

“That will be Tammy!” she said, grabbed her purse and dashed from her room.

Marcus followed her to the head of the stairs, then watched as she ran out the door.

By the time she and Tammy got to the football field, the captains of each team were on the field with the referees, who were in the midst of the coin toss.

Tammy squealed as they sat down.

“We won the toss! We're kicking off first,” she said, and waved hysterically at her boyfriend, who was the second-string quarterback.

Olivia nodded, but she was more focused on the tall, long-legged running back standing near the bench. His thick black hair was just long enough to brush the padding around his neck, and there was a defiant jut to his chin that was unmistakable.

Trey Bonney.

Her heart stuttered just at the thought of his name. Two weeks ago, their relationship had taken a long leap from boyfriend and girlfriend to lovers. For Olivia, it had been the most frightening, and yet the most uplifting, moment of her life. She'd gone from being a girl to a woman in Trey Bonney's arms. She'd spent every waking moment since dreaming of a re
peat performance and how they would spend the rest of their lives together.

Trey was graduating in the spring, and she had one more year of high school to go. They'd already talked about attending college together and sharing an apartment. They were so into each other that it never occurred to them that the rest of the world might object.

She held her breath, watching—willing Trey to turn around and see her. And then he did. She saw that moment of surprise roll over his face, then that slow, sexy smile. He winked, then pulled his helmet on his head and ran out onto the field.

For Olivia, the game passed in a fog. The fact that one of her friends was crowned homecoming queen was secondary to knowing she would be with Trey after the game was over. The moment the last seconds ticked off the clock and the whistle blew, she was on her feet and running toward the lockers. Trey would look for her to be waiting on the benches outside. That would leave them almost two hours to be together before her curfew.

She got to the benches and scooted into the shadows beyond the night-lights, waiting anxiously for Trey to come out. Nervous, she kept glancing often at her watch, trying not to think of the precious minutes being wasted.

Suddenly she saw him, silhouetted in the doorway with the light behind him as he stared out into the darkness.

She stood.

Alerted by the motion, he moved toward her at a lope, then caught her up in his arms and kissed her hungrily.

Olivia moaned and then sighed.

“You were wonderful tonight,” she said softly.

Trey grinned, then leaned down and kissed the side of her neck below her ear.

“Thank you, Livvie, although the night's not over.”

She blushed at the hint of things to come, but her heart was willing.

“I love you, Trey.”

The smile died on his face as he took her in his arms and hugged her close. His voice was soft against her ear. “I love you, too, baby…more than you will ever know.” Then he took her by the hand. “I've got Mom's car.”

Livvie blushed again, but it was dark, and he didn't see.

“I have to be home by midnight.”

Trey glanced at his watch.

“We've got an hour and thirty minutes,” he said.

Within fifteen minutes, they'd made it to a secluded park near a small, man-made lake.

Trey parked the car, turned the radio down low, then took her in his arms. The nervousness they'd experienced their first time was gone. Familiarity choreographed their actions, and young lust led the way. Within a couple of minutes, Olivia was in the back seat of the car, minus the new blue corduroy pants.

She ran her hands up under Trey's sweater, caressing the hard muscles beneath his hot, smooth skin.

“Oh, Trey…”

“Shh,” he whispered as he grabbed a condom and fitted himself.

He moved over her, then into her, in one smooth,
fluid motion. Without foreplay, without hesitation, they began the act of love in innocence and haste.

Olivia gasped as he filled her, and when he started to move, she locked her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. The heat of bare skin against bare skin quickly warmed the cooling interior of the car. The music shifted from a slow, sexy love song to the hard-rock rhythm of The Rolling Stones. Their bodies moved with it in perfect harmony, following the drumbeat all the way to a climax that rocked their world.

The present

Trey stopped in the E.R. long enough to ascertain that the man he'd come to talk to was still being examined. The injured who'd been brought in had already been transferred to the burn unit, which meant they probably wouldn't be available to interview tonight. With a promise from one of the nurses to give him a buzz when the hero of the hour could speak freely, Trey headed for the elevator to Livvie's room.

Just as he walked into her room, she moaned.

He moved quickly to her side and leaned over.

“Livvie…darling…are you in pain?”

Olivia moaned again, then sighed. She could still hear Trey's voice and was reluctant to give up the dream.

“Livvie?”

She flinched, then opened her eyes.

“Trey? You're here.”

He frowned. “Where else would I be, honey?”

She ran a hand over her face. “I think I was dreaming.”

He smiled. “About me, I hope.”

“Actually, yes.”

His smile widened.

“Really? What was I doing?”

“Making love to me in the back seat of your mother's car.”

The smile shifted sideways as a wave of want washed through him.

“Jesus, Livvie,” he said softly. “You sure know how to bring a man to his knees.”

“It was a good dream,” she said.

“Thank you…I think.”

She smiled back at him, then put her good arm around his neck and pulled him closer.

“I think I could get used to waking up like this.”

He leaned closer, then closer still, until their lips were nearly touching. Trey brushed the surface of her lips with his mouth, gently, then settling firmly on the center. He felt her hand at the back of his neck, pulling him closer. It would be so easy to lose himself in the moment, but that wasn't why he'd come. It was with reluctance that he was the first to pull away.

“Honey…we need to talk,” he said.

Olivia heard concern in his voice and frowned. She didn't think she could bear any more trouble.

“Please don't tell me something else is wrong.”

“Your grandfather called me and asked me to come by. He didn't want you to hear the latest from your home front on the evening news.”

Olivia's thoughts went instantly to Anna.

“Is everyone all right?” she asked. “Is it Anna? Has something happened to Anna?”

“Everyone is safe and sound, although your first instincts were right on. Somehow, Anna set fire to the kitchen. It burned through to a room upstairs, but the fire is out, and your grandfather wanted me to assure you it's nothing that can't be repaired.”

“Oh my God,” Olivia muttered. “Poor Grampy. On top of everything else, now this.” Then it hit her that no one had mentioned Rose. “Is Rose all right, too?”

“Yes. Everyone is okay.”

“Thank goodness, but this is all my fault. I shouldn't have insisted on having her come home with us. I could tell she was losing her grip on reality. I just didn't realize it could be dangerous. What is Grampy going to do? Where will we go?”

“It's going to be okay,” Trey said. “At least, from where I'm standing, although if it makes you uncomfortable, I won't be insulted.”

“What would make me uncomfortable?”

“I told your grandfather that I would take you home with me tomorrow when you're released. I have a next-door neighbor who would be more than happy to stay with you during the day until I come in from work. Her name's Ella Sumter, and she's eighty-one, but she's a hoot. Does tai chi on her front lawn every morning and doesn't look a day over sixty.”

“All right,” Olivia said.

Trey stifled the urge to do a little victory dance.

“You will?” he asked.

Feeling suddenly proper, Olivia nodded.

“Yes, of course, and I thank you for the offer.”