Lydia's Secret (The Secret Series Book 1)

by Kellen, Ditter

  Lydia’s secret

  By Ditter Kellen

  www.ditterkellen.com

  Copyright © by Ditter Kellen

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from Ditter Kellen. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Image/art disclaimer: Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.

  Published in the United States of America

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.

  Warning

  This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. This e-book is for sale to adults ONLY as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers

  Dedication

  To my amazing husband…I love you, always.

  Chapter One

  Lydia gripped her coat’s collar closed as freezing wind pelted against her. She’d been waiting on a cab to come along for the past fifteen minutes without any luck. They obviously have better sense than I do.

  She shivered and rubbed her arms. White puffs of smoke surrounded her face with every breath she took.

  The icy roads remained empty no matter how many times she prayed for headlights. Her toes were already frozen to the point of being numb and standing by the street waiting on a taxi to come along wouldn’t change things. She sighed and turned toward home.

  “God, I hate working nights.” Her boots crunched the snow with every step she took, echoing off the walls of the various shops she passed.

  Very few people had braved the storm, she thought, squinting against the glare of a streetlight reflecting off the falling snow.

  Being alone at night in a shady part of town wasn’t the brightest thing she’d ever done, but it was a bit late for regrets. She had a daughter at home who needed her, and she couldn’t afford to be late.

  January had been her favorite time of year since Jacie’s birth, and Lydia was determined to make her birthday special for her, which was why she’d taken on extra shifts.

  Vacation had officially begun for Lydia when she’d clocked out for the night. She had an entire week ahead of her to spend with her daughter if she didn’t freeze to death before reaching her.

  A light flared and went out, creating a domino effect with every closed shop on her side of the street. Great. A power outage. Clouds blocked most of the moon’s glow, leaving only the dirty snow to guide her home.

  Her gaze swept the darkness of every alley that she passed. Dumpsters, boxes, and trash made perfect hiding places for things that went bump in the night. She picked up her pace. Only six more blocks.

  A faint noise came from behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder. The shadows seemed to come alive, and the feeling of being followed nearly overwhelmed her. Sound became magnified the faster she walked until her heart threatened to seize up.

  The sound came again, closer this time, and Lydia had to force herself not to run. She knew it was probably her imagination from watching too many horror movies. The last thing she needed to do was panic. She gripped her purse tighter and picked up her pace.

  A small rock skimmed past her feet to land in the street beyond.

  Lydia spun around, her gaze frantically searching the darkness. “Who’s there?”

  Slowly backing up, she kept her senses open for the slightest sound or movement. “Hello?” An eerie silence followed, intensifying the thoughts now feeding her fear. Every horrific scenario she could imagine snaked through her mind, spiking her adrenaline. She scanned the surrounding area once more before spinning on her heel and striding briskly toward home.

  The city park loomed just ahead, and she slowed her steps. With the power outage it seemed more like a cemetery than a family recreational area. It took sheer determination to force her feet into motion. Her knees felt weak, and every muscle she had was poised for flight.

  She decided skirting the edge would be far safer than cutting through the center where Satan no doubt lounged, waiting on some poor defenseless female to come skipping through.

  A twig snapped in the distance, ricocheting off the massive trees lining the park. Please let that be an animal. Her gaze flew through the area in rapid succession, taking in everything in a sweep. Frost came from her mouth in short bursts of white, impairing her vision and sparking more anxiety with every choppy breath she took.

  “If I get out of this alive—”

  She was suddenly grabbed and jerked off her feet. A hand clamped over her mouth, and she was dragged off the path into a nearby alley before a scream could form. Panic gripped her mind as she tried to fight the attacker off, kicking out with her legs and clawing at the hand cutting off her oxygen.

  “Let’s see what we have here,” A man’s smooth voice wrapped around her like a caress. Warmth flooded her mind with gentle pressure, leaving a feeling of calmness in its wake. Lydia instantly relaxed until her body went limp.

  His arms encircled her, holding her suspended as he nuzzled her neck. “You smell incredible…just like Ione.”

  Somewhere deep within her psyche, a picture of a woman’s smiling face appeared. There was something vaguely familiar about her, Lydia thought as she fought to hold on to the image. The pressure increased inside her head, becoming painful.

  “Please,” she mumbled weakly. “It hurts.”

  He lifted his head. “Stop fighting it. It isn’t painful if you don’t fight.”

  The clouds parted, and the moon’s cold light glinted off a pair of fangs. Fangs?

  His face was almost hollow in the darkness. He tilted his head, and Lydia could only watch hypnotized as he slowly descended toward her neck once again.

  There was a blur of motion, and someone slammed against her attacker, tearing him away. “Run, damn you!” The shout was raw and full of fury, jerking her out of her frozen state.

  Lydia ran, frantically clawing her way along the building, half sliding through the ice and slush. Fear was a living thing inside her, causing her to slip several more times before reaching the sidewalk.

  The sound of fighting could be heard over her rapid breathing, and she chanced a look back. Her feet hit a patch of ice and flew out from under her. She had a moment to cry out before the back of her head smacked against the concrete. Pain erupted through her skull, and her vision grayed. She fell into darkness.

  * * * *

  Roman slammed Simon against the opposite wall. The overpowering scent of the woman’s fear called to the beast within him. He’d almost been too late. Her gasp and retreating steps did nothing to appease his demon. The full weight of his rage focused solely on the vampire in front of him.

  “I wasn’t going to kill her, Roman.”

  “What are you doing here?” he growled through clenched teeth.

  “Cruising for chicks.”

  “Bull—”

  A fist slammed into Roman’s jaw, and a fang caught the inside of his mouth. Blood touched his tongue, and the beast within him grew ravenous until pain faded into the background. Heat grew
behind his eyes, burning his pupils.

  Fire suddenly shot through his side, and he roared. There was no mistaking the agony of silver, a vampire’s greatest weakness.

  “Hurts, doesn’t it?” Simon flashed him a smile and jerked away. “My own little creation.” He held up the blood-soaked spike by the wooden handle. “How long has it been since you fed? A week? A month?” His lip curled back. “Your blood stinks like a corpse.”

  Roman knocked the other guy’s arm up with all his strength, pounding him forward with hit after hit until only the wall kept Simon standing. Brick dust wafted out around them.

  He had Simon by the throat with one hand and his wrist pinned with the other while fire burned through his torso from the stab wound the asshole had inflicted. Roman squeezed until the spike fell from Simon’s fingers. “Be thankful I haven’t fed, or I would have ripped your arm off.”

  Simon coughed. “I know I’m pretty, but I’m not your type,” he wheezed with a lopsided grin. “Now either kiss me or back off, old man.”

  Roman ignored the insult. “I know why you are stalking her. Haven’t you learned your lesson by now?”

  “You don’t know shit, oh noble pain in my ass.”

  The woman’s cry tore through the night, and the rich scent of her blood permeated the stink of the alley. Simon went completely still. His nostrils flared and his blue eyes glowed in the darkness.

  “Don’t,” Roman bit out.

  Simon knocked him back enough to break Roman’s hold on him. “Try to stop me.”

  Bracing his body to keep Simon from reaching her, Roman locked his legs and extended his arms, blocking the rogue in once again.

  “She’s mine.” Simon bared his fangs.

  A growl rumbled in Roman’s chest. “Over my dead body.”

  “Newsflash, asshole, you’re already dead.” Pain chased across Simon’s face before it smoothed into the emotionless mask he’d spent centuries perfecting. “She smells like Ione.”

  “Ione suffered enough at your hands.” Roman’s voice was hoarse with emotion. “Now disappear, or I kill you where you stand.”

  Something flickered in Simon’s gaze. “You son of a bitch.” With lightning speed he spun Roman around and slammed him against the unforgiving brick. “How long have you known it was her?”

  “Since you slithered into my city following her.”

  “You took Ione. This one belongs to me,” Simon snarled.

  Roman gripped the hands that fisted his shirt, and Simon’s emotions poured into him. Pain. Rage. Vengeance. Underlying all of it was his unforgiving bitterness toward Roman.

  “She was never yours, Simon.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, dickhead.” Simon snatched his hands away and tilted his head. “I’ll be seeing you.”

  Roman launched at him, but the injured woman and the sound of sirens stopped him from giving chase. Her moan of pain spurred him into motion. He ground his teeth and pressed a hand against his side. The blood had stopped flowing from the wound, but it still burned like hell.

  Picking up the spike by the handle, he tossed it into a nearby dumpster. Simon might find it again, but that nasty piece of work didn’t need to be discovered by the police.

  He turned from the alley and ran to her, dropping to his knees by her side. She was semiconscious he noticed, lifting her head and laying it gently onto his lap. He coasted his fingers along her scalp to gauge her injuries. The bleeding was minimal but potent, and his beast roared from within for just a taste. No evidence of a bite could be seen on her exposed skin, he noticed with a sigh of relief.

  Her eyes fluttered open. Sky-blue. Not like Ione’s gray ones. He smiled down at her as the sirens grew louder.

  Suspicion darkened her gaze as she blinked up at him. She was beautiful with her emotions riding the surface, and Roman knew he was in trouble.

  Chapter Two

  “Where am I?” Lydia squinted up at the stranger, trying to make out his features.

  Shadows cut across his face in sharp relief. She could barely see his eyes in the darkness. “Who…?”

  “My name is Roman. The police are on their way. Are you all right?”

  “Oh, God, what time is it?” She tried to sit up, but dizziness assaulted her. “I need my purse.”

  Roman gently pushed her shoulders back down. “Not so fast. You took quite a bump to the head.” His voice was an incredible rumble. “Your purse is a few feet away, and I’m not sure what time it is.”

  “I have to get home.” She tried to sit up again, but his hold only tightened.

  “You have to be looked at first. Your head was bleeding.”

  “Bleeding?” A part of her realized her reaction time and coherent response were far slower than normal, but she couldn’t seem to shake off the fog. Flashes of memory lit through her mind. Terror. The alley. “There was a man…” Her throat choked on panic. Fangs. “His teeth—”

  “Shhhh.” He touched her face with light fingers. “You were attacked, but the guy ran off.” His voice took on a melodic tone. Calmness flowed into her, wrapped itself around the fear, and sealed it away. “You fell and hit your head.”

  “I was attacked...”

  He lightly massaged her temples. “You’re safe now.”

  Tension eased further and she sighed. “You saved me?”

  She thought his lips tightened for a brief instant before curving into another smile, but it was too dark to tell. “We’ll get you home after the ambulance arrives.”

  Her backside hurt, and the ice-cold ground wasn’t helping. She turned her head on the rock-hard pillow when her bruised scalp began to protest. “What am I lying on?” The drone of sirens grew louder.

  “My leg.”

  His leg? What the hell is he made of? Brick? “Help me up, please?”

  “I can’t do that.” He brushed a few strands of hair from her face. “We have to make sure you’re okay first.”

  Lights flashed nearby and his arm lifted in a wave. “Over here!”

  The sound of footsteps could be heard a moment later. “We received a call about an attack.”

  “She’s been hurt. She hit her head on the ice and was unconscious for a time,” Roman offered in a calm, deep voice.

  The officer nodded and spoke to someone a short distance away. “Call this in.”

  Another male passed on the information over a radio.

  The deputy shined a light in Roman’s face. “I’m Officer Gates. And you are?”

  “Roman Castillo.”

  Roman. What an interesting name, Lydia thought, staring up at his shadowed profile.

  The other officer spoke into his mic as he stalked toward them, his boots crunching the ice with every step. A bright light pierced her vision, and she moaned in pain.

  Her savior blocked it for a moment. “Where’s the ambulance?”

  “On their way.” The officer knelt beside her. “Ma’am. I’m going to have to ask you a few questions. Are you up for it?”

  “Okay.”

  “Great. Let’s start with your name.”

  “Lydia. Lydia Hughes.”

  “Ms. Hughes. Can you tell me what happened?”

  “I was walking home from work and some guy grabbed me. He dragged me into the alley.”

  “Can you describe him for me?”

  “No. I didn’t get a good look at him. It was dark. He was tall, very strong…” She shuddered and peered up at the deputy. “He said something, but I can’t remember what it was.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment. All the fear and panic returned in a fury and knotted inside her. “I have to get home to my daughter.”

  Roman’s leg tensed under her head.

  “We’ll get you home to your daughter very soon. You have to be seen by the medics first. Did he have a weapon?”

  “I’m not sure.” She glanced up at Roman with a questioning look.

  A muscle flexed along his jaw. “I didn’t see anything. But like she said, it was dark.” />
  “This man showed up and got me away from him.” She indicated Roman with a small wave of her hand. “They started fighting, and I fell.” Exhaling a shaky breath, she squinted against the lights. “Can I please sit up?”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m going to have to ask you not to move.” He gave her an apologetic look. “The medics are almost here.”

  The deputy alternated between questioning her and radio communication until she wanted to scream. Her worry over Jacie grew by the minute.

  “Roman Castillo, right?” The officer glanced at him before scribbling more information in his little book. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “Gates!” someone yelled from a few yards away. “The medics are here.” The sound of sirens approaching abruptly stopped.

  Lydia’s stomach twisted. The closest ambulance service was her hospital, and she hoped it wasn’t anyone she recognized. She had no intension of going to the emergency room and didn’t want to be pressured by people she worked with. She was relieved when strangers exited the vehicle.

  Time passed in a blur of repetitive information. Medic pokes and prods warred with the incessant throbbing inside her head. She suffered through the lights in her eyes and their questions until they mentioned taking her to the ER for observation.

  “No.” She sat up so fast her vision blurred. Roman’s arm came around her in a protective manner, and she found herself relaxing against him.

  One of the medics gently probed her head. “Ms. Hughes. You were unconscious for a time. I’m pretty sure you have a concussion.”

  “I work at the hospital. You don’t have to tell me that.” She didn’t mention it was the lab she worked in. Frigid wind cut through, leaving her shivering to the bone.

  “I’m not going to the emergency room.” She couldn’t afford the cost of the ambulance or the ER fees on top of her daughter’s meds and piling doctor bills. She pushed away the medic’s hands and rose. “I’m going home.”