Chapter Fifteen #2
He dragged the plate of sandwiches in front of him and began to eat, methodically chewing. Food had been one of his greatest joys. Now it was a means of sustenance. He unscrewed one of the bottles of water and drank deeply.
One way or another, he’d finish this job. Then he’d contact his brothers. If this could happen to him, it could happen to them. There was no telling what challenges, if any, Samael had faced. Either way, between the three of them, they’d find a way to keep this from happening again.
No one was more powerful than the Grim Reaper, but they were his sons and there were three of them. If he had to lose Cilla in this life, maybe he could contact her in the afterlife. It was unheard of, forbidden, but he wasn’t sure he could stand eternity without the hope of ever seeing her again.
…
Later that night, Cilla curled up in the plush armchair next to her bedroom window, unable to settle even though it was past midnight.
Alex was upstairs, but he might as well be a thousand miles away.
He’d been subdued after he’d finished eating and had busied himself with outside tasks for the rest of the afternoon, going so far as to get delivery from the local pizzeria and take it to his room rather than join her for supper.
The blatant rejection cut her to the core.
If only she hadn’t agreed to let him stay as long as he needed, but she had and wouldn’t go back on her word.
And, truthfully, she was grateful not to be alone in the house.
During the day, she kept busy enough, but it was worrisome not to know what her brother and Christopher might try next.
Shivering, she rubbed her hands over her arms. Alex might be larger than life, but watching his blood drip onto the floor had been a graphic reminder that he was as human as the next person. It was only a simple cut, but it could have been worse.
She pressed her head against the chair and sighed, her thoughts tripping over themselves.
Agreeing to sell would get rid of all her immediate problems. It would also break a promise she’d made to her grandmother to take care of Ivy House.
Richard would never agree to allow her to keep the house, and Ivy House was her home, her heart.
Then there was Christopher, who’d decided he had a claim to the land, at least a piece of it.
He’d let nothing stand in the way of his ambitions.
“I don’t know what to do, Granny Ellie.”
Was it worth it to try to hang on and fight a prolonged battle through the court system? The irony was, she’d have to sell some of the land to pay the legal bills. Maybe there was someone local who’d be interested in buying some of the acreage. That would piss Richard off to no end.
Creak! Her head jerked up. Ivy House always snapped and groaned, cooling and settling after the heat of the day, but this was different. Heart pounding, she listened intently. Alex’s room was too far away for it to be him, unless he’d decided to come downstairs for some reason.
When a minute passed without her hearing anything, she began to relax, ignoring the kernel of disappointment that it wasn’t Alex.
“It’s your imagination,” she whispered. And maybe wishful thinking along with a dash of hope that he might seek her out.
She’d missed his company this evening, a sign she’d allowed him to get too close.
She should try to sleep but couldn’t make herself get into bed.
The bedding had been changed, but she couldn’t look at it without imagining Alex and everything they’d done there last night.
Pictures of him flashed through her mind.
The sensual pleasure in his eyes as he’d touched her, the taut muscle in his jaw when she stroked him, the way he’d filled her.
Groaning, she flapped her hand in front of her face.
Thump!
That had come from outside. Jumping out of the chair, she grabbed her cell phone and jammed it in the pocket of her summer robe. Then she snatched up the baseball bat she’d left propped by the bed. No way was she cowering in her room like some damsel in distress.
Besides, it was likely nothing more than a nocturnal animal rooting around outside.
As long as it wasn’t a two-legged predator, she was okay.
Easing the door open, she listened to the familiar hum of the refrigerator.
She turned off the air conditioners in the common areas and upstairs bedrooms at night to save money when there were no guests, so the outer rooms were quiet.
Heart thumping in her ears, Cilla crept down the hallway, keeping her back to the wall. It was ridiculous to be skulking around, but her gut screamed something wasn’t right.
She glanced at the stairs. Should she wake Alex? Tightening her grip on the bat, she kept going. It was likely nothing. Besides, this was her home. She’d be damned if she’d let anyone drive her out of it.
Keeping to the shadows, she sidled up to the window beside the front door and peeked out.
There was no sign of anyone—human or animal.
Unable to see most of the porch from where she was, she cautiously crept through the downstairs rooms, peering through the windows until she was certain there was no one out there.
Her summer pajamas and robe were damp from perspiration.
She’d worked herself up over nothing. At the front door, she took one final look and frowned.
There was something lying at the base of the steps.
It hadn’t been there before. Or she thought it hadn’t.
She’d been so intent on searching the porch, she could have missed it.
Frowning, she wondered if some animal was hurt.
Maybe the noise she’d heard was a larger predator that’d dropped its prey.
She gripped the door handle. Don’t do it!
Whatever was out there was likely dead. Going outside wasn’t smart, but if she intended to continue living here, she couldn’t jump at every odd sound or be afraid to investigate.
Ignoring the inner warnings, she flipped the locks. The door opened smoothly; the creaking sound it normally made was gone thanks to Alex and a dose of WD-40 earlier today.
She cautiously stepped onto the porch. Cicadas buzzed and an owl hooted nearby. Warm air wafted gently around her. Overhead the stars twinkled. Releasing her breath on a whoosh, she almost laughed with relief. Good thing she hadn’t woken Alex. She’d feel pretty silly right about now.
Curious about what was at the bottom of the stairs, she stepped farther out on the deck. Turning on the outside light would help, but she didn’t want to draw insects…or Alex, since his room faced the front.
Definitely not a snake. Maybe a squirrel.
One quick look and she’d head to bed. If she left without checking, she’d never sleep.
After glancing around to assure herself she was alone, she started down the stairs.
Crack! The second board gave way beneath her.
She lurched forward. The bat went flying.
Throwing out her arms, she managed to catch the railing with one hand.
Pain shot through her leg and a scream was ripped from her throat.
“Cilla!” The roar echoed through the house as footsteps thundered on the inside stairs. The porch light came on as the screen door was slammed open. “What the hell?” Alex leaped over the damaged step and knelt in front of her. “How badly are you hurt?”
She opened her mouth to speak and shut it. Swallowing heavily, she shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes. She would not cry.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“I’ve got you, sweetheart.” He thumbed away the tear before looking down at where her leg was caught between the boards. If he’d yelled, she would have been able to pull herself together. His kindness made her want to crawl into his arms and weep, and that wouldn’t do.
Squaring her shoulders, she took a look at the damage.
“I don’t think it’s too bad.” It stung like the blazes.
“Looks like I’ll have to find the money to replace the steps sooner than expected.
” It horrified her to think of this happening to one of her guests.
It wasn’t only the damage it could do to someone; a lawsuit would break her.
Alex’s jaw was tight as he pulled one edge of the broken plank aside. “Put your arms around my neck, I’m going to lift you out of there.” When she obeyed, he slowly pulled her straight up until her leg was free. “Let’s get you inside.”
Rather than setting her down in the kitchen, he carried her to her room, using his shoulder to turn on the overhead light before placing her on the bed.
Steeling herself, she looked at the injury.
Blood trickled down her leg. In a reversal of roles from earlier, Alex disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a wet washcloth and towel.
“Let’s see how bad it is.” His big hands were careful as he cleaned the area. “The gash is long but it doesn’t seem deep, except in a couple of places.”
“That’s a relief. I can’t afford to be laid up.”
“You need to get it checked to be sure it doesn’t need stitches.”
Groaning, she leaned forward, resting her head against his arm. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
He wrapped the clean towel around the affected area. “You want to tell me what you were doing outside on your own?”
“I heard a noise.”
“You heard a noise,” he repeated. His voice was soft but there was a definite bite to his words. “And you didn’t think to wake me.”
Her chin went up. “Why would it? You won’t be here much longer. Once you’re gone, I won’t have a choice but to check things out by myself. Besides, you made it plain you didn’t want to be around me.”
He growled. Actually growled at her. “I was doing us both a favor.”
She sniffed. “I can take care of myself.” Not the best time to point that out, given the situation.
“Clearly.” The sarcasm was thick enough to rile her temper.
“I don’t need a man to take care of me.” She’d had enough of men telling her what she should do.
“Well, sweetheart, looks like you have one for the time being, whether you want me or not.” The first time he’d called her that it had been an endearment. This was anything but.
She pointed at the door. “You’re free to leave anytime you want. Sooner would be better.”
They were nose-to-nose, glaring at each other.
He made a sound of frustration and slammed his mouth down on hers.
Anger flipped to sexual arousal between one heartbeat and the next.
Fear vanished beneath the onslaught of need as their lips met and clung.
One big palm cupped the back of her head, holding her steady as his tongue tangled with hers.
She gripped his forearm to anchor herself, returning the kiss with equal passion.
They were both breathing heavily when they parted. “Fuck! What the hell am I doing? You’re hurt. I need to get dressed and drive you to the hospital.”
It was then she realized he was wearing nothing but a pair of jeans, zipped but not buttoned. It spoke of his haste to get to her. “Thank you for rescuing me. I could have done it, but I appreciate the assist.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. He rubbed his thumb over the curve of her cheek. “I have no doubt.” He hesitated. “You need to call the police.”
Frowning, she tilted her head to one side. “Why? I fell through a rotted step.”
He shook his head. “The boards were fine when I fixed the loose ones this afternoon. I personally tested them all.”
The implication made her blood run cold. “You’re saying it was tampered with?”
“I’m saying the police need to have a look at it. Where’s your phone?”
She pulled it out of her pocket. Surprisingly, she hadn’t lost it during her mishap. “I’m not going anywhere until they get here.” Braced for an argument, she was surprised when he gave a curt nod.
“I need to get dressed. Will you be okay until I get back?”
She caught his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I won’t lie, my leg is throbbing, but I’ll be fine. There’s no blood coming through the towel, so the bleeding is slowing.” Which was good news for her. “I should elevate it, though.”
Alex dragged over the chair, gently lifted her foot, and placed it on the seat. It took the pressure off her leg, the relief immediate.
“Thanks.”
“Yell if you need me.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. When she hesitated, he added, “Please.”
“I will. I promise.” Once he was gone, she allowed her shoulders to slump. Her hands were shaking as she pulled up her contacts and hesitated. Then she let her thumb slide down to another number.
“Cilla? What’s wrong?” The voice that answered on the first ring was alert, despite the time.
“Cal, I’m sorry to bother you so late.”
“What’s wrong?” he repeated. Rustling sounds in the background told her he was likely getting dressed.
“I think I have a problem, and I didn’t want it broadcasted over the airwaves. Chief Johnson was out here yesterday…”
He interrupted her. “Rosa told me what happened. Are you safe?”
She was glad his sister had made him aware of the situation. It saved her time having to explain. “Yes, Alex Blackwell is here with me. I had an accident that might not have been an accident. I took a spill. I’m fine, but I need it documented.”
“Hang tight. I’ll be right there.”
Her life grew more complicated with each passing second, and it was anyone’s guess how it would all end.