by Ranae Rose
It was crazy to think of the upcoming evening as their first date, considering the time they’d already spent together, and how they’d spent it. Alicia had spent every night at Liam’s since he’d first convinced her to come over, and since the Levinson brothers were still free, the matter of her returning to her own house hadn’t even come up.
Maybe we can break out your cuffs when we get back. ;)
No sooner had she hit send than her phone rang with another call from Monster Bride.
She took the call, prepared for an onslaught of new last-minute demands. All she had to do was make it through the next six hours, and she’d be on her way to Liam’s place, where they’d meet and leave together for their date.
Six more hours, and her dragging Monday would transform into a thick slice of heaven.
* * * * *
Liam drove a little faster than usual, guiding his car through the shadows of tall pines, hands heavy on the wheel. It’d been a long day at work, another day of fruitless searching. He and Alicia didn’t have a reservation or anything in Wilmington, but he was still eager to get home to her.
He had her text messages to thank for that – those, and the memories of their last time together. They’d broken out the handcuffs again, and he could still feel the cool metal contrasting with the heat of her skin when he thought about it.
He was dead tired, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him from taking her out. It’d been too long already, and he wanted her to know she meant more to him than just sex.
Although the sex was worth dying for, which explained why he’d been sacrificing sleep daily to make it happen.
Her car wasn’t there yet when he pulled into the driveway – not parked in front of his place, or hers. He’d beaten her home, but just barely. At least that’d give him time to get out of uniform and take a shower.
No sooner had he stepped through the front door than his phone went off, vibrating in his pocket.
It was a text from Alicia.
Running late. So sorry. Monster Bride just showed up out of the blue. Hope to see you within the hour. Phone almost dead.
He texted her back to let her know that he’d gotten her message, then headed to the bathroom, where he stripped out of his sweaty uniform and stepped into the shower, scrubbing all traces of work from his skin. When he was done he put on dark jeans and a shirt light enough to wear in the heat.
Alicia still wasn’t home and he felt the toll of working such long shifts – hardly sleeping each night, those hours better spent awake with her – deep in his bones.
He was asleep on the couch before he knew it, dreaming of her.
* * * * *
Death had crept up on Troy. He could smell it clinging to him, bubbling up from inside his flesh, surrounding him in a fog that made it hard to breathe, hard not to puke all over himself.
The bandage the nurse had fixed for him had been worn to tatters, stained by blood and pine sap. The skin around it was streaked red – he’d scrubbed some of the blood away, but the color was beneath the surface of his skin. Poison.
He could feel his heart beating, couldn’t seem to catch his breath. The alternating hot and cold flashes he’d been experiencing all day smacked of fever, and so did his headache. He’d been gulping down water from a plastic gallon container he’d taken from an old woman’s house, but no matter how much he drank, he couldn’t seem to take a piss.
Even his good arm hurt, muscles sore from lugging around an almost-full 5 gallon gasoline container he’d stolen from someone’s shed. The gasoline fumes and hunger had left him lightheaded, but despite his disadvantages, a sense of euphoria had seen him through the task of dousing Alexander’s house in gasoline, soaking the wood, even pouring some in through the broken window, before throwing a match into the mess, setting off the carefully laid trap.
The son of a bitch had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room, couldn’t have made Troy’s job easier. Initially, Troy had wanted to do the job with his bare hands, had tried breaking inside at night to kill the bastard in his sleep.
It hadn’t worked. Faced with two similar houses, he’d gone into one through an unlocked bathroom window and had found it empty.
The second had been securely locked, so he’d thrown a rock through the kitchen window. He would’ve been able to climb up on the porch and in through the broken window if Alexander had slept through it, but some yappy dog had gone off, fucking up that plan.
Watching from a distance, Troy had seen Alexander and his little girlfriend get up and fret over the broken window. He’d left when he’d heard sirens coming, retreating deep into the woods and circling around, taking a long route that’d allowed him to go through water, breaking his scent trail before retreating to the girl’s empty house for the night and most of the next day.
Now he was back, and had done some careful watching. His strength was fading fast, but as the streaking under the surface of his skin reminded him how little time he had left, at least he had the comfort of knowing that he’d be dragging Alexander to hell with him. It was a shame he wouldn’t have the time to take down all the PERT officers, but one less pig in the world would be a good thing nonetheless.
* * * * *
Alicia had never actually held a grudge against a client before, not even the high maintenance ones. She was in the event and wedding planning business – running into some demanding clients was a guarantee. Still, as she drove for Liam’s place, she fumed a little at Monster Bride.
The woman was ridiculous, and still hadn’t given up her obsession with sea foam lilies. Why she couldn’t just sit back and enjoy the fact that she was going to get married in a couple weeks, Alicia didn’t know.
Alicia had never been married, but it was easy to imagine that if she were looking forward to standing at the altar with someone like Liam, the ceremony’s carefully-planned details would fade into the background, unimportant in comparison to the way her life was about to change.
It was a surprisingly powerful thought. She’d given some thought to getting married before, but had never been engaged, had never ached for a ring or a lifelong commitment, because she’d never met anyone who she couldn’t imagine her life without before.
Now, she had to admit, it was hard to imagine her life – at least her new life in Riley – without Liam. And the thought of him in a tux at the altar…
Wow.
She tucked those thoughts away, feeling mildly guilty. Liam would probably think she was crazy if he knew she’d fantasized about tying the knot with him. She’d keep that little daydream to herself, for the time being. What they had now was as close as she’d ever gotten to perfect with a guy before, and she certainly wasn’t complaining about the way things had been going, even if tonight would technically be their first official date.
The sun had just begun to dip below the tops of the tall trees that lined Pine Hollow Road, evergreen branches screening the orange light, casting soft shadows that reminded her how much of her evening Monster Bride had wasted.
Sighing, she tried not to let herself be too angry. There was still time for dinner, and she was home now – that was all that mattered.
She slowed as she took the curve that led to Liam’s house, and Holden whined from where he lay curled on the passenger seat.
“What’s the matter?” Alicia shot him a glance. “Hungry?”
Not likely, considering the gourmet kitchen scraps Sasha had taken to saving and feeding to him throughout the day. He probably just had to pee.
Holden gazed up at her with dark eyes, his little tail thumping against the back of the seat. He looked nervous.
In the span of a split second, Alicia realized that something was actually wrong. The realization came to her on the breeze that filtered in through the car’s air conditioning system.
It was a scent – the scent of smoke.
Not the woody, earthy aroma of campfire smoke, but the smell of things not meant to be burnt going up in flames. The realization gripped her as her
and Liam’s houses came into view, and the bottom dropped right out of her stomach.
There was smoke curling out of Liam’s house, black as night, billowing out from a broken window above the front porch, escaping wherever it could in inky black columns that twisted in the barely-fading sunlight, the shadows of pines.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Liam’s car was in the driveway, empty, and that fact hadn’t been lost on her. No sooner had she slammed the gear shift into park than she swung the door open, realizing too late that her seatbelt was still on. Caught, she slammed back against the seat, swearing as she unbuckled herself and stumbled out of the vehicle, Holden on her heels.
There was no sound of cicadas, no scent of sunbaked pine sap. The little hollow by the side of the road had been transformed; now the only sound was crackling wood and all she could smell was the stink of Liam’s burning home.
It was really on fire; she could see the orange glow of flames coming from within. The air felt hotter around the house, even from the driveway.
Gravel crunched beneath her shoes as she dove back into the car, reaching for her purse, which she’d left on the floor in front of the passenger seat. Her heart slammed against her ribs, making her faintly dizzy as she tore the zipper open and reached inside, fumbling for her phone.
Her dead phone. Realization hit her the second she swiped her finger across the black screen. Monster Bride had run the battery into the ground with her incessant calls. In that moment, Alicia hated the woman with a blinding fury few people had ever brought out in her.
She also hated herself for not having a landline set up in her new home. She hadn’t bothered, hadn’t needed one. Except now, the fact that she had no way to call 911 probably meant that Liam was going to die. Because his car was in the driveway, and he was nowhere to be seen. Which meant he was, in all likelihood, inside the burning house.
Her eyes were drawn to the door, solid wood, probably blistering with heat on the other side. If she knew Liam – and she did – it would be locked.
She clattered up the steps and tried the handle anyway, choking on smoke.
She half expected the doorknob to burn her hand, but it didn’t. That seemed like a good sign, but what did it matter if she couldn’t get inside?
And what had happened to Liam that he wasn’t running for the door – had the fire trapped him?
The thought had her in a cold sweat despite the heat radiating from the bungalow. Unable to bear it any longer, she turned and hurried down the steps, tripping on the last one and sprawling in the gravel. When she jumped up, little stones rained from her clothing and the palms of her hands as adrenaline spiked through her system, numbing her to the pain.
She had to do something and so she ran, all the way around the house, in a huge circle. As she went, she scanned the windows, searching for any sign of Liam, calling his name and hoping to see his silhouette against the glass. Because even if he was trapped in a room, maybe he could get to a window and jump to safety.
But there was no sign of him, no sign at all. By the time she rounded the house and hit the driveway again, her heart had sunk deep into her knotted gut, still beating hard, and she was forced to make a decision.
CHAPTER 23
Everyone loved a beautiful woman. That was one way – maybe the only way – Troy and Officer Asshole were the same.
Troy had been watching Alexander for a while now, and all that watching had been made a little easier by the brunette slut who lived next door. She liked to run around in short shorts and little dresses, flaunting her body at her neighbor.
She was pretty – real pretty. Pretty and stupid enough to throw herself at Alexander’s feet.
At first, Troy had figured he’d be doing her a favor by offing her little boyfriend. She’d be better off without him, even if she was too dumb to know it.
Now, he was having second thoughts. She’d shown up, putting herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and as smoke curled out of the house, spiraling through the air, she was hurrying for her vehicle.
Troy couldn’t let her get away, no matter what she looked like. If she went for help now, she might bring it back in time to save Alexander, and that was un-fucking-acceptable.
He moved through the woods, threading his way through the pines, knowing the sound of twigs snapping beneath his feet would be hidden by the popping and hissing noises coming from the burning house.
She wouldn’t hear him coming, especially not with the way she was acting, flipping out over the toasty trap Troy had set for her boyfriend.
As he emerged from the trees, a knife in hand, his feelings of regret evaporated. It didn’t seem like such a shame to kill her – not when he really thought about it.
Sure, she was pretty. Pretty and stupid, just like his mama had been. She’d chosen Alexander and practically tripped over her own panties in a hurry to get out of ‘em every time he was around.
How many times would she have had to let Alexander fuck her before she would’ve gotten pregnant, popped out a kid or two? Filled a whole house with little mini-assholes, ones who’d grow up to be just like their father, probably take up shifts at Riley as soon as they were old enough to wear a badge.
Either that or end up getting the living shit beat out of them by dad every day of their lives, living in misery under the thumb of a tyrant with a badge.
Troy wasn’t sure which was worse. Either way, he burnt with hatred as flames licked at the house’s roof, made the windows glow orange, like stained glass. There were plenty of pretty women in the world; no one would miss just one. Being nice to look at was no reason to be allowed to live.
She’d made her bed, now she’d lie in it – he’d make sure.
* * * * *
Breathing hard, nostrils singed by acrid smoke, Alicia made her way toward her car. The thought of driving away was excruciating, but she had to get help. She could ignore the speed limit and reach the nearest neighbor in a minute, call 911.
That minute might mean the difference between life and death for Liam, but the only other option was to stand by uselessly and watch his house turn to ash around him. He’d die alone, not even knowing she was close by.
“Holden!” she shouted as she neared her car, blinking smoke-stung eyes, looking for her dog.
A bark came from nearby, then another. A whole series of them, sharp and defined.
“Come here!” She didn’t have any patience, any time to waste. Breathing a sharp sigh, she turned, one hand on the car, the other reaching out to beckon.
Her mind registered movement, the shape of a man, before she could comprehend what that meant. For half a second she just stood frozen, glad and not even knowing why. Then she was calling out again, the note of desperation in her voice transitioning into joy. “Liam!”
Only the man Holden was barking at wasn’t Liam. That realization crashed down on her as soon as his name had left her lips, and she was suddenly cold. Because the man was only a few feet from her, and she recognized him.
The sharp, angular face was familiar, even with a week’s worth of stubble shadowing its planes. It was the eyes that really stood out, narrowed and burning with an intensity that defied their watery blue color. They’d printed his picture in color on the front page of the Riley Gazette – his and his brother’s.
Troy Levinson came at Alicia like a charging bull, stumbling, dirty hands reaching for her, fingers tangling in her hair.
She stepped backward, but only found herself up against her car, trapped. Holden’s barking rang in her ears as the man’s body odor hit her like a ton of bricks, the sour, metallic smell of unwashed skin and blood.
The cold, creeping sense of suspicion she’d felt when she’d woken to the sound of breaking glass bloomed into terrible certainty now. The sound of crackling frames, wood popping under duress, filled her ears and flooded her mind with thoughts of Liam as her assailant seized a fistful of her hair and pulled.
Pull turned to sho
ve and her head bounced off the frame above the open car door with a thud that reverberated through her, leaving her nauseous.
She’d always figured that actually seeing erupting stars after being injured was something that only happened in cartoons, but that wasn’t the case. Silver bursts of light filled her vision, a screen of flashing luminescence that she had to squint to see through.
She couldn’t make out much, just a few things, like the grubby blood-stained white of the old bandage wrapped around Troy Levinson’s arm, marking where Liam had had him shot, and the holes that’d been torn in a t-shirt a size too big for his wiry frame.
The shirt had probably been stolen, just like the rhubarb pie he’d lifted from Magnolia Street. Stupid realization to dwell on while being assaulted by a murderer, but the thought streaked across her mind, clear and captivating for reasons she couldn’t put her finger on.
Holden charged onto the scene, barking, snarling, but Troy kicked him away.
Alicia heard the sharp yelp and whimper of the wounded dog, felt her heart clench in her chest as she realized that the only two beings in Riley County she’d had a chance to come to love were about to be taken away from her.
Liam and Holden, gone forever.
And she was probably going to die too.
“Might not seem like it to anyone in this goddamned town, thanks to the goddamned news, but I don’t care for killin’ for no reason.” Troy’s voice came from above, strangely amplified by the sharp pain radiating through Alicia’s head.
She realized that she was slumped at his feet, against the car, one hand to her temple and the other in the gravel, fingers curled among the tiny, sharp stones.
He yanked her to her feet, pulling her by her hair.
“There’s some people that deserve to die though. Everyone knows it, but most people don’t have the balls to make it happen. I do, though. ‘Cuz I’ve figured somethin’ out, and that’s that there’s no better feeling than putting someone who really deserves it in the ground.”