My Guardian Vampire: BBW Paranormal Romance (The Guardians Book 1) (3 page)

What had Lacey done now?

What new trouble did she brew?

Chapter Three

Lacey was asleep when she first sensed that something just wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t something that she actually heard, or perhaps it was. She couldn’t be sure. Maybe it was just a subtle shift in the air or the feeling that there was another presence in her apartment.

Whatever it was, she woke up faster than she’d ever done before. One minute, she was flat on her back, deep in sleep, and in the next instant, she sat and realized that she was in danger. Before she could even figure out what was going on, she smelled it.

Smoke.

Damn
!

She scrambled off the bed and dashed towards the bedroom door. She grasped the doorknob, and yanked it open. She couldn’t go far. A wall of fire was just a few feet beyond. Her apartment was on fire. Her mind went blank, but only for a moment. She spun around, and shut the door.

Smoke poured in from under the door and she stumbled back to the bed. What the hell was going on? Had she accidently left the stove on? No. It wasn’t possible. She hadn’t even turned the damned thing on. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before and even though Lacey was confused and scared, she also knew that if she wanted to live, she needed to get out before it was too late. The survival instinct kicked in. She leaped off the bed, grabbed her laptop, and shoved it into her backpack. As long as she had it, her work was safe. Lacey debated on whether or not she should take out her ID cards, passport, and other important documents from the cabinet, but time was running out.

Fast.

Scurrying over to the window, she tried to open it but it was jammed.

Shit
!

When was the last time she opened this damn thing? Lacey pushed and heaved but to no avail. Smoke was now thick in her room and she felt dizzy. Picking up her scarf, she tied it around her face to buy herself a few more precious minutes.

Smoke could kill as quickly as fire.

Again, she pushed up the window and was rewarded as it rose about half an inch. She inhaled, still careful not to breathe in too quickly, but couldn’t help but be grateful for the tiny breath of fresh air that filtered in through the thin crack.

More, more, more!

She heaved again with all her might, but the window didn’t go up.

Damn it
!

She refused to die. Not here. Not now. She wouldn’t succumb to this fire. No, she wouldn’t. Death wasn’t high on her agenda; life was.

Once more, she forced her tired arms to push the window up. It rose up an inch and the fresh air was a relief, but there was no way that she could slide through that crack. Smoke inside the room was so thick that she could barely see. It was also affecting her mind. She could feel her thoughts freeze as she gasped for breath. Lacey hunkered down, took a steadying breath of the fresh air that passed through the thin crack and tried to yank the window up once again. Her efforts were in vain, it refused to budge.

What the hell am I going to do
?

She was going to die in this room, probably from smoke inhalation and then the fire would come in and she would be burned slowly as she remained on this spot. She could imagine the flames crackling over her skin, the searing hot pain of it, the burns, and then the relief that would follow when her mind succumbed to the injuries.

No.

Yes.

One more time, she pushed but already she could feel her strength failing. Now that the smoke had penetrated through her lungs, it took great effort to move her arms. She couldn’t even think any more. It was impossible to focus, to plan. But she refused to give up.

She wouldn’t die.

From somewhere deep inside, she found a final reservoir of strength and pushed the window and…

…Mercifully it shifted half-way up. There was just enough space for her to slide her leg through and then push her head to the other side, slip in her torso and the other leg, and then she was free. For a moment, she stood on the metal staircase of the fire escape, and breathed in the fresh air, but smoke was already pouring in from behind her. In the distance, she could hear the sirens as a fire truck raced in the distance. Was it making its way to her apartment? It didn’t matter anyway. By the time it reached her, it might be too late. She couldn’t wait for help to arrive. It was important to get off this staircase before she collapsed from sheer exhaustion or before the fire found her here.

She gazed down. Her apartment was only three stories up, but the way her legs trembled, she wasn’t sure if she could make it. When she took a tentative step down, her head spun. Dizziness overcame her, and she stumbled. Her head would’ve hit the staircase hard if she didn’t grab onto the railing. But she was exhausted. Her grip on the railing was tenuous, at best. Her hand was slipping. The smoke inside her lungs made it difficult for her to breathe, to concentrate.

She stumbled against the railing, lost her balance, and fell down. The fall through the air felt liberating, free. She should’ve screamed, cried out, but somehow nothing escaped her lips.

She should’ve crashed down on the hard ground. The pain should’ve been intense but instead she fell into someone’s waiting arms. Lacey opened her eyes and looked into the familiar face.

“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.”