Blood Haze (23 page)

He
pressed his lips against her head and held her as tight as he could. “Is it
always things what
will
happen?” he
asked.

“No,
sometimes, its things that have already happened. That’s why its so confusing
and why I don’t like to discuss it.”

“Thank
you for trusting me enough to tell me,” he said softly.

One
more day, he’d made her promise. One more, long day in bed. Her only allowable
activity was apparently to be with him. And she was good with that. Now that
he’d released her from having to reveal her glimpsings to him – and she’d
shared one with him - it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her
shoulders. She smiled at him as she sat up in bed eating the breakfast he’d
brought her, complete with roses on the tray. He grinned back as he chewed the
food in his mouth.

He
was so handsome, she could stare at him for hours. She glanced at the pendant,
suspended on a chain around his neck that he always wore. “What is that on your
chain?” she asked.

He
glanced down as he lifted a hand to the pendant. “It’s a crescent moon. I… I
went through a real rough time in my life and my mother gave it to me. She said
like the moon, life is fluid and ever-changing. She told me to just hold on,
and things would get better.”

She
tilted her head. “That’s beautiful. What a great mom she must be. I hope to be
a mother like that one day.”

He
nodded but glanced away from her as pain punched him in the gut. He could never
give her that... but someone would. The mere thought of another man touching
her was hideously painful. Needing to change the subject, he asked, “How’d you
get into the catering business?”

“My
mother started it and I took it over after…” she trailed off not wanting to
think of bad things.

He
nodded thoughtfully. With a nod toward the breakfast tray, he asked, “So, how
does this food compare to yours?”

“Surprisingly
well,” she said with a grin.

“Esmeralda
will be pleased.”

“Esmeralda?”
she inquired.

“The
cook.”

“Ahh,
family money,” she laughed.

He
grinned back. “Yes, it does have its benefits.”

She
liked this. It was comfortable and safe, but not in the same way she’d
experienced with Drew. With Lynx, it was comfortable and safe, but real… very
real. Her heart tightened in chest, her feelings for this man were nearly
overwhelming.

He
leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the bed as he contemplated
her over the rim of his coffee cup. Gradually, as she watched, his expression
of relaxed comfort, turned pensive.

“I
have to go out for a bit this afternoon. Will you be alright here on your own
for a couple hours?” he asked.

The
thought of being left there alone in unfamiliar surroundings, dressed in
nothing more than the shirt she’d slept in, filled her with unease. “I really
need to go home.”

“No!”
he answered sharply.

She
jumped at the vehemence of his barked response. Anger sat heavy on her stomach.
She pursed her lips. “Lynx, I’m going to have to go home sooner or later. I
mean, look at me,” she said plucking at the T-shirt, “I need clothes. I have a
house to look after… I have a business to attend to.”

He
studied her for a long moment, clearly not used to being defied. “How about
I
go by your house and check on things
and pick up some clothes while I’m there,” he compromised.

Her
desire to capitulate to his request – to let him protect her, take over her – made
her afraid. She could not allow him to control her life. One day - and while
she didn’t know when, she knew it would come - he’d leave and she’d be left to
pick up the pieces. She needed to be in control when that happened.

“You
promised to stay in bed today,” he said, trying a different tactic.

“And
I will… my bed.”

“It’s
not safe,” he said quietly.

She
shivered at the remembered feel of the maniac’s teeth against her neck. “I’ll
have to face it, sooner or later.”

Leaning
back in his chair and interlocking his fingers before placing them on his
chest, he said, “Fine, I choose later.”

She
lifted her chin defiantly. “I have to be able to live my life while we’re doing
this,” she said, waving a finger between them.

He
sat up abruptly. “And I want you to
have
a life to live. Don’t you understand that?”

“Lynx,
please be reasonable. I have a life out there… responsibilities.”

“You
just got out of the hospital after having been attacked,
twice
. So don’t ask me to be reasonable,” he replied.

“What’s
the difference between me staying here alone or at my own home?”

“First
off, you wouldn’t be alone here as the household staff are here. Secondly, the
person who attacked you,
twice
, knows
where you live and where you work. For now, you’re safer here at Night Shade,”
he said, his tone indicative of one used for a small child.

She
blinked at him as the truth of his words washed over her. The attacker knew
both where she lived and where she worked. How would she ever survive this? Her
hands began to shake and the breakfast she’d just consumed threatened to come
up. “Oh, God!” she whispered.

He
moved to the bed, and sat on its edge, before wrapping a cool hand around the
back of her neck. He tilted her chin up with a slight pressure of his thumb.
She met his steady, dark gaze. Her own eyes, liquid-blue, burned with
frustration and fear. “I’m not trying to frighten you, I just want you to think
this through. You’re perfectly safe here. I can protect you, you just have to
let me,” he said calmly.

With
an effort, she broke away from his gaze, and pulled away from him. She climbed
off the other side of the bed on shaky legs, the cotton T-shirt falling to hit
her upper-thighs. She moved to the balcony doors, wrapped her arms around her
middle, and stared out, her shoulders slumped. She’d well and truly lost
everything. It seemed everything to do with her life had, and was, being
systematically stripped away from her. She’d already lost her parents, Ian, and
Drew. Now, she was losing what was left, her home, her job, her safety, her
sanity… everything.

She
felt strong arms wrapping around her from behind. She felt his breath against
her cheek as he pressed his face against her head. “This seems…
insurmountable,” she said quietly.

“It’s
not. We just have to be careful, that’s all.”

“But
don’t you see? It won’t matter how careful we are. That maniac knows who I am,
but I don’t know who he is. He could be anyone that I come in contact with… the
paperboy; a client; the florist; my neighbor… just anyone.”

To
lighten the mood, he said with a grin, “Do you
really
think it could be the paperboy?”

She
placed her head back against his chest, leaned into him, and sighed. “What do I
do? Please tell me what do I do?”

“Trust
me,” he whispered in her ear.

She
swallowed. “I do.”

He
pressed his lips against her head. “Good, now back in bed with you. You
supposed to be resting. Tomorrow’s a new day. Everything looks better after a
good rest. You’ll see.”

She
nodded, but she didn’t really see how a new day was going to change any of her
current circumstances. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her back
toward the bed. With a firm tap on her bottom, she went back to the bed and
crawled back under the covers. He handed her two tablets and a glass of water.
She stared up at him as she dutifully swallowed the pills. He pressed his lips
against her forehead.

“I
need to go downstairs and do some work for a little while, then I have some
errands to run. How about this afternoon when I get back, and you’re dressed in
something other than a T-shirt, I give you a tour of Night Shade. I promise
there’s more to this house than just this bedroom,” he said with a grin.

“I’d
like that,” she said somberly.

He
brushed her hair from her face with a tender hand. Leaning down, he pressed his
lips softly against her own. “Try not to worry, okay?”

Exhaling,
she only nodded. With one last kiss, he went to his dresser and pulled out
jeans and a yellow shirt. She smiled at the sunny color. It made her feel
better for some reason. He dressed quickly and after one last smile to her, he
left, closing the door behind him.

Her
smile faded. What was she going to do? It was so easy to give the reins to Lynx
for now. But eventually, she’d have to face this on her own. Memories of her
dream from the night before rolled through her mind. Did being confined in a
metal box have anything to do with her attacker? She shivered at the thought.
Control? She wished she had some.

Chapter 10

Her
cellphone woke her. She struggled to wake through the fog of her medicated
sleep. “Hello?” she answered groggily, not recognizing the number.

“Ms.
Marks?” a serious-sounding female voice asked.

“Yes,
this is she,” she replied, struggling to sit up and get her mind in gear.

“Ms.
Marks, this Natalie Caruthers from County General. I’m calling about Ian Marks’s
hospital bills. I’ve been told you are the one responsible for his estate, is
that correct?”

She
shook her head at the term ‘estate’. She wouldn’t consider what she’d shoved
into those boxes much of an estate. He’d just been taken too young… before he’d
really had a chance to live. “Yes, that’s correct.”

“Ms.
Marks, I need you to come and sign a release for the automobile insurance
company to release the money for payment to the hospital.”

She
gathered her long hair in one hand and wound it up. “When do you want me to
come by?”

“Today,
if at all possible. We’d like this taken care of as soon as possible.”

She
cleared her throat. “I just got out of the hospital, is there any way I can
come by sometime next week?” she asked, knowing Lynx would have a fit if she
left Night Shade.

“Ms.
Marks, I’m afraid we need this taken care of today. It should have been taken
care prior to his body being released to you. I’m sorry to say, there are jobs
on the line if this isn’t resolved today.”

She
heaved a huge sigh. Lynx wasn’t going to be happy. But this was her
responsibility. “Hmmm, okay, I’ll be by… say, at four o’clock?” she said.

“That
would be wonderful. Thanks so much,” Ms. Caruthers said.

Arabella
clicked the phone off. Immediately, she punched in Lynx’s phone number. It rang
and rang, then switched to voicemail. She left a message telling him she needed
to be at the hospital within the next couple of hours. Clicking off again, she
sighed heavily. What was she going to do if he didn’t call back in time? She
was under no illusion that he would go ape-shit crazy if she went out without
him.
Dammit
! Why didn’t he answer the
phone?

She
sat patiently for the first hour, then called again. As with the first call to
Lynx, it went to voicemail. Groaning in frustration, she threw the phone down
on the bed. Why wouldn’t he answer the phone? What if she were dying? She had
no choice, even though he wasn’t going to like it, she was going to have to go
by herself.

She
glanced down and realized the first of many problems with her promise. She
literally only had the shirt on her back! She’d have to get a taxi to take her
to her house for clothes, then she could pick up her car at the same time.
She’d have to borrow some clothes from Karmyl. Not knowing where she was, she
dialed her cellphone.

It
rang three times before she answered. “Well, hello stranger!” her voice rang
out. “I’m surprised Lynx allowed you to do anything as strenuous as using the
phone.”

“He
isn’t here at the moment. This is my get-out-of-jail free call,” Arabella said
with a laugh.

“How
are you feeling? I checked on you earlier, but you were asleep,” Karmyl said.

“I’m
okay, just tired. Listen, I need to borrow some clothes. Is that okay?”

“Of
course, whatever you need. Just have Lynx show where they are. I’m at the club…
paperwork, I hate it! I should be home in a few hours,” Karmyl replied.

“Well,
Lynx isn’t actually here at the moment. Can you tell me where your room is?”
she asked.

Karmyl
laughed. “It’s a pretty intimidating house until you’ve been through it a
couple times. From Lynx’s room, turn left and follow the hall all the way
around. My room is on the far end, last door. There’s lots of stuff in the
closet, including jeans. There’s shoes as well. Help yourself,” Karmyl said
helpfully.

“Thanks,
Karmyl.”

“Sure
thing. Feel better. I’ll see you tonight.” With that, Karmyl clicked off.

Arabella
stretched and rose from the bed, pulling the T-shirt down as far as it’d go
just in case she ran into anyone in the hall. She opened the door cautiously
and stuck her head out. There didn’t appear to be anyone around, so she
followed the hall around to Karmyl’s room. As promised, there were tons of
clothes packed into the closet. She found jeans, shirt, and tennis shoes.
Glancing around the opulent room, she found a writing tablet on her bedside
table.