Let Him In (Let Him Trilogy) (25 page)

A thud and then fast, heavy footsteps, which ended directly behind him within half a minute. “What’s going on?!”

“Alexis is going to kill Lacey.” With a sharp gasp, his sister’s mouth dropped open. “Both she and Blodbad told me so.”

Samuel’s heart picked up speed, the sound like a hamme
r
rapidly tapping a nail. “What? Why?”

“Alexis believes that she is the only one worthy of your attention,” Zane said, sneering at his sister as her eyes narrowed. “And thus we have no choice but to contain her, brother...” He glanced over his shoulder. “For your friend’s sake.”

Samuel had the steel door to The Room open before Zane had even finished the last sentence. “Do it,” he breathed, “please, do it!”

Alexis screamed and kicked and flailed as Zane carried her inside, keeping his hands around her throat as he held her down in the chair. “Secure her, Samuel.”

“They won’t hold for long,” he protested, fastening the leather straps around Alexis’s wrists and ankles.

“We do not need them to,” Zane said in a reassuring tone.

A pinkish tear slipped from one corner of Alexis’s arctic eyes. “I will...kill...all of you...for this,” she said in between hitches of breath.

“You’re not going to touch her!” Samuel roared, tightening the last strap as much as he could. “Ever!”

Zane smirked at Alexis, who bared her fangs. “Let us go, brother.”

The sound of ripping leather preceded the pounding of fists upon the steel door as it slammed shut. Zane secured the row of dead bolts on the outside and then turned to face Samuel, whose gaze was expectant. “Do you know the last time she fed?”

“We had breakfast together.”

“I will allow her to do so again after she has weakened considerably, and then only enough to sustain her.”

“Good idea,” Samuel said, nodding.

“We cannot allow her to escape.”

Samuel shook his head. “No...no.”

“Under no circumstances are you to open this door, understand?”

“Don’t have to worry about—” Panic filled his eyes. “Where will we keep...you know...our food?”

“I will simply have to make a run into the city every night.”

“Okay,” Samuel replied, nodding. “Okay.”

Zane put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Did Alexis say anything to you this morning?”

Samuel started to shake his head but then stopped, his eyes widening as he gasped. “Yeah—she said Blodbad told her we were in love with and fighting over the same woman!”

Zane’s eyebrows shot up in feigned shock. “And to think I did not believe Blodbad when He told me a week ago that she was suffering from hallucinations.”

Samuel blinked at that. “Hallucinations?”

“Yes.” With a heavy sigh, Zane dragged a hand down his face. “I cannot believe how delusional she  has become.” He cocked his head to one side. “Has Blodbad not said anything to you about this?”

Samuel shook his head. “I guess I got so good at blocking him out that it’s automatic now. I haven’t heard his voice in a very long time…years.” He looked down at his feet, shuffled them. “And I don’t want to...He scares me.”

“Alexis scares me more, brother,” Zane replied. “She is under the impression that Lacey is going to steal you away from this family…from her.”

“That’s crazy!”

“You do not have to convince me, brother.” Zane placed his hands on Samuel’s shoulders, leaned down to look him in the eyes. “And you know there is no convincing Alexis, so you must promise me that you will not try.”

“I won’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I won’t.”

“She will say and do whatever it takes to get out of that room so she can execute her insane plan. You must not allow that to happen. Lacey is depending on you.”

“I know.” Pink tears filled the boy’s wide gaze as he nodded. “I know.”

Zane pulled Samuel into a tight embrace, cupping the back of his head with one hand as the boy began to sob against his chest. “Do not fear, brother—no harm shall come to the girl.”

Closing his eyes, Zane once again tried to recall the feel of Lacey in his arms...and once again failed.

“I give you my word.”

The noise beyond the open window created a soundtrack to what felt like a  nature show playing out inside of her. A red-headed woodpecker had taken up residence inside her head, the rapid taps of its beak and fluttering wings matching the beat and flickering of her heart, and a flock of sparrows fought over the squirming nest of worms inside her stomach.

Lacey stared at the alarm clock, a little more life draining out of her with each change of the blood red numbers. The first thought upon waking had been about Sammy, followed by excitement over getting to see, talk to and hang out with someone who wasn’t covered with fur and knew only how to meow.

The realization that she was actually looking forward to school because of him had immobilized her.

She didn’t know what to do.

Her pounding heart told her that Sammy wasn’t a phony like everyone else. That he wore his heart on his sleeve, just like she’d done before she’d realized doing so was an open invitation for everyone to come take a bite out of it. And although she was sure that he, too, had learned that lesson a very long time ago, he continued to be Sammy: sweet, funny, goofy Sammy.

If anyone was the phony, it was her.

But her throbbing brain reminded her of what had happened the few times in her life she’d trusted someone. Believed in someone. Depended on someone.

And how damn stupid she’d be to do it again.

Lacey groaned. Her life should have gotten easier after finally making the decision not to continue playing Watson to her father’s Holmes. But now, instead of having only on
e
man to deal with, she had two: one who had revealed a part of her that she hadn’t known existed, and one who had awakened a part she had long ago suppressed.

Zane plagued her day- and night dreams with fantasies of various physical exchanges that were as shocking to her as they were arousing. And Sammy made her ache with a different kind of need—for a friend.

For the first time in nearly eight years, Lacey allowed herself to think about Shannon. She’d been nine years old when the scrawny, raven-haired girl with silver braces that glinted in the sunlight moved in next door.

Lacey’s bedroom had overlooked the neighboring house’s side yard, where Shannon played while her parents unloaded and then took their belongings inside. She had remained there until she was called in for dinner, leaving behind a pile of toys. Climbing out of her bedroom window, Lacey had crept over to the item which had caught her attention, and had been about to make her grand escape with the pink-haired, bug-eyed doll when Shannon had burst out of the house. “Mommy, I forgot Trolly!”

Spotting Lacey, Shannon’s frown turned into a smile so wide she could have eaten a banana sideways. Waving the entire way, she skipped over to her.

“Hi, I’m Shannon! What’s your name?”

“Lacey,” she murmured.

Shannon’s bright blue gaze dropped to the plush toy. “Trolly likes you,” she giggled.

“I like her, too,” Lacey confessed, clutching the ugly thing to her chest.

The back door swung open. “Shannon!” her mother called out to her mini-me as she stepped onto the porch.

“Over here, mommy!” she yelled, waving. “Look! Trolly made a new friend and her name is Lacey!”

With a beaming smile that matched her daughter’s, the woman wiped her hands on the red apron she wore. “Nice to meet you, Lacey. I’m Carol.”

“Hi.”

“Would you like to join us for dinner?”

Lacey glanced over her shoulder at the window to the bathroom where she knew Amelia, as she did every evening at that time, was soaking in a hot bubble bath while listening to classical music and drinking a glass of champagne. Like she was a queen or something.

“Nothing fancy, just spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread,” Carol added.

Sounded fancy to Lacey since the only appliance in the kitchen her own mother used was a microwave. “Okay,” she said, nodding as her stomach growled.

Shannon squealed with delight. “Can she sleep over too, mommy?”

“Sure,” Carol replied, “if her parents say both are okay.”

“My parents aren’t home,” Lacey lied.

Carol’s eyebrows shot up. “They left you alone?”

Lacey straightened her back. “I can take care of myself,” she said, lifting her chin.

Carol’s sparkling blue eyes had been filled with sadness even though she’d given Lacey a smile, which she now recognized as having been one of sympathy, as was Shannon’s gesture of giving Trolly to her that same night ‘to keep her company from now on’.

And as much as Lacey hated anyone feeling sorry for her, the memory didn’t anger her.

After that night, Shannon, Carol and her husband, Richard, had been the family Lacey had always wanted and never had. Remembering how she’d been forced to leave them behind was like slowly peeling off the scab of a large wound and then pouring salt on it.

She’d eaten dinner with The Conner family every night for three weeks before Amelia realized what she’d been doing and out of jealousy forbade her from doing it again. “I gave birth to you,” Amelia had snapped, “not that June Cleaver wannabe!”

Lacey had been allowed to sleep over thanks only to her parents’ one-weekend-a-month getaway. She and Shannon, who had a television with cable access in her room, would spend that Friday and Saturday secretly watching USA Network’s “Up All Night”.

Shannon liked the sexploitation films because she thought half-naked people and the noises they made while having sex were funny. Lacey had found it painfully embarrassing and would close her eyes whenever a sex scene came on, while Shannon would cover her eyes during the scary parts of the B movies and cult classics that had been Lacey’s favorites.

Lacey blinked back hot tears. Sammy was the first person to come along who’d made her believe she could have that again. On some level Lacey suspected she may be projecting Shannon on to Sammy, who could have been the male version of her former next door neighbor and best friend.

Lacey didn’t know who the hell she was projecting on to Zane. She hated him and yet she couldn’t stop thinking about him...

Or that night in her room.

The feel of his hard body pressed against her back, his strong arm around her waist, his hot breath on her ear were sensations she couldn’t forget no matter how desperately she tried.

And his masculine scent was impossible to escape since she slept in his shirt every night. The first time, she’d told herself it was only because the thin silk would be a lot cooler to wear on muggy nights than a T-shirt or flannel pajama top. But then, when she couldn’t bring herself to launder the article of clothing, the truth became undeniable: for some stupid reason, she liked being enveloped by Zane’s scent.

With a low, deep grumble, Lacey yanked the comforter back over her head. She was going to stay right there in that damn bed until she figured out...

A roll of thunder yanked Lacey from her—for once—dreamless sleep at six forty-one that evening with the same thought she’d had before slipping into unconsciousness:
What am I going to do?!

Before she could begin to ponder her options, Lacey’s empty stomach made its presence known with a hollow rumble at the same time Casper released a plaintive meow of protest from having not been fed all day. “Sorry, kitty,” she whispered, stroking his head, “I’m as bad a mother as my own.”

After feeding the kitten and then taking the fastest shower in history, Lacey smoothed on some vanilla-scented body lotion, gave her underarms a couple swipes of deodorant,  blow-dried her hair and then brushed her teeth before returning to her room to dress. 

Maybe she’d be able to think clearly with some sugar and caffeine in her system.

Glancing up at the darkening sky as she walked to her scooter, Lacey expelled a weary sigh—it looked like it could start raining at any moment. “Please,” she murmured, climbing onto her scooter, “just hold off until I get back.”

A half hour later Lacey emerged from the Lil Bit ‘O Country store to a light drizzle. Deciding to wait it out, she plopped down on the bench and then plucked a candy bar from her bag of goodies. She sunk her teeth into the thick chocolate and gooey caramel block of heaven, moaning softly as she began to chew. 

Lacey devoured the whole thing within seconds. After sucking her fingers clean she ran her tongue over each tooth and then lapped at the sides of her mouth before taking a gulp of soda.

The only outdoor light source came from the lantern hanging above the store door so it was like peering through a piece of black chiffon as she glanced around the empty—

Lacey’s heart hitched in her chest. 

Not empty.

The parking lot was not empty.

It’s not him, she thought, staring at the black van blocking the view of her scooter.
It can’t be him. Oh dear God, don’t let it be him!

The cow bell over the door clunked. Lacey yelped as she nearly jumped out of her skin.
Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look.

She looked.

“Lacey,” Zane said when her eyes met his.

He knows my name...how the hell does he know my name?

A prickly tingle zipped through her at the sound of his husky voice, just like that one time she’d plugged her hair dryer into the wall outlet and got zapped.

Keep cool. Act casual. And breathe.

Lacey swallowed hard. “Zane.” 

“Ah, you remembered. I am flattered.” 

“Do—” Her voice cracked. Damn it, she thought, wetting her dry throat with a sip of soda. “Don’t be. I’m good at remembering names, that’s all.”

Zane’s pleased smile disappeared as he took a step forward, his ice-blue eyes lasering into hers. Lacey shot up off the bench like a Jack-In-The-Box. She took a step back, then silently berated herself for doing so. Tilting her chin up, she held the bag of candy tight in her hand, ready to pummel him with Raisinets, M&M’s and Milk Duds should the need arise.

“Well—gotta run. It’s been thrilling, as usual.”  

Zane’s jaw, built to take a punch much stronger than hers, she couldn’t help noticing, tightened. “Good night,” he said, his surly gaze making her feel like a mouse with feet of ice had just scampered up her back.

After giving him a curt nod Lacey walked away, forcing herself to take slow steps even though sheets of cold rain fell from the starless sky. When she reached the scooter she pushed her dripping wet hair back off her face with one shivering hand while slipping the other into the front pocket of her soaked jeans. Pulling out the key, she looked up. Her heart dipped low as it skipped a beat.

Zane’s van was blocking her view of him.

Squinting in the darkness, Lacey blindly jabbed the key around the ignition slot. Her stomach lurched when it slipped from between her slick fingers. Bending over, she did a shuffle-run search around the front of the scooter. She was about to round the tail end of it when she spotted a pair of rain-splattered Oxfords. She leaped back and collided with the scooter, sending both it and her toppling over. Something hard jabbed into her side a second before the air left her lungs in one quick whoosh as she hit the ground.

Zane took a step toward her and Lacey scuttled backwards, ignoring the pain and lack of oxygen as she put the one hundred eighty-eight pounds of pressed steel and plastic between them, knowing that the scooter offered no real protection from the six-foot-three wall of sinew standing at the other end of it. 

Gasping for air, she pushed herself to her feet. “What…the hell...do...you want?!”

“To get into my van,” he answered, his voice soft.

I am such a dumb ass.

“Well be my guest,” she snapped, indicating the vehicle with a wave of her hand.

Zane’s gaze, which seemed darker and yet not as foreboding as a minute or so ago, swept over her as he opened the driver’s side door. The interior light clicked on, its soft, golden glow illuminating half of his beautiful face and the concerned expression that graced it. “Are you all right, angel?”

“Yes,” she hissed through clenched teeth, feeling like a damned fool and hating him for it. “And that’s not my name.”

He offered her a warm smile that made her insides melt, liquid heat seeping from her suddenly burning, tightening core. “Do you require assistance, Lacey?”

She snorted. “Not from you.”

Faster than Lacey could blink, Zane was standing beside her. She spun around to face him, her neck popping as she snapped her head up, her wide gaze leaving his broad, heaving chest for lips that were curled back over the pair of fangs that she had to be imagining. “I do believe I have had enough of your rudeness,” he snarled.

Adrenaline slammed against Lacey’s veins as Zane glared down at her, clenching his jaw so tight she was surprised his teeth didn’t crack from the pressure. She fought to breathe as her galloping heart tried to escape through her chest. His face turned dark and fuzzy as it inched closer and closer and... 

His masculine scent enveloped her a split second before the world ceased to exist.

He had died and gone to Heaven.

Holding the unconscious girl up, Zane savored the feel of Lacey’s soft, shapely body crushed against his. Drowned in the delicate fragrance of her skin and hair. Groaned at the heat of her shallow breaths caressing his neck.