Echoes Beneath (The Truth Series Book 2)

by J. A. Owenby

  “I don’t think you want to know who we are,” he replied.

  Agnus closed the gap between us and ran his fingers down my cheek.

  “He’ll kill you if you touch me again,” I said as my body betrayed me and trembled.

  “He can’t touch me, and he knows it,” Mike said. “In this world, Xander Koffman ain’t shit,” he chuckled as his finger slowly moved down my neck and to the top of my shirt. “But, you . . . how in the world did he get so lucky?”

  “Don’t you think she’s beautiful, Mike? Maybe we don’t need to wait for Xander. Hell, maybe we can take her instead. It might be a fair trade.”

  “I’m not property you can just take!” I yelled.

  Agnus’s hand covered my mouth, and he leaned into me. I shuddered as his body trapped me against the house.

  “The only talking you get to do is telling me where Xander is. And the only thing that’s going to save you is that I have a boss to answer to, and he wants his money. So, I’m going to remove my hand, and you’re going to be a good little girl and tell me where your sorry excuse for a boyfriend is.” He stared at me as he slowly removed his hand.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “He left about thirty minutes ago. I have no idea when he’ll be back or where he went. He said he had errands to run.”

  Agnus laughed and stepped backward.

  “What do you think? You think she’s telling us the truth? I say we take a look inside the house and see if he’s acting like a little girl and hiding somewhere. Don’t let her move. I’ll be right back.”

  I watched in horror as Agnus walked up the porch steps and right into our home. Would he take anything? Were they going to rob us? What did they want Xander for? What money? My head pounded with every question.

  I stared at Mike. He hadn’t moved, but I had no doubt that he could outrun me in a split second—especially since I’d be running on a twisted ankle.

  “She’s telling the truth,” Agnus said as he closed the door behind him. “Let’s go, Mike. I think I know where he might be.”

  I stayed glued to the side of the house until their car disappeared from sight. I slid onto the ground, rolled down my sock, and grabbed my ankle. It had already begun to swell. I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut. I refused to cry.

  I leveraged the wall of the house and stood up. I put the rose bushes in their holes, but didn’t bother covering them up. I hobbled up the porch steps and into the house and turned the deadbolt behind me. I made my way into the kitchen and pulled the ice tray from the freezer. I gave it a good twist and dumped the cubes into a kitchen towel. Then I grabbed the rum bottle as I hobbled to a chair and sat down.

  I slipped off my shoe and situated the towel on my ankle. It hadn’t swollen anymore, and I hoped it would be okay by tomorrow. I twisted the cap off the rum bottle and took a drink from it. I winced as it burned its way down my throat. I took another swig and placed the bottle on the table.

  What in the hell was I going to do about Mike and Agnus? I didn’t want to tell Xander again. He would lose his temper, and things had gone so well lately. How much money did Xander owe them? I sighed as I contemplated what to do. If they showed up again, hopefully I wouldn’t be outside.

  I laughed out loud. I knew damn well they’d be back, and it scared the shit out of me.

  I took another drink as I heard Xander come in the door.

  “Hey, babe, I’m home,” he yelled.

  “I’m in the kitchen,” I replied.

  “Well, what have we here?” Xander asked as he put some bags on the table and kissed me on the forehead.

  “Ugh,” I said as I rubbed my forehead. “I wasn’t paying any attention and stepped into the hole I’d dug for the bushes. How stupid was that?” I asked and laughed. “I don’t think it’s too bad, but I wanted to put it up and get some ice on it.”

  Xander picked up the towel and turned my foot from one side to the next.

  “I don’t think it’s bad, but you should stay off it. Which means I’m really glad I picked up dinner for us while I was out.”

  “I was about to ask you what smelled so good.”

  “Chinese,” he replied as he pulled several small containers out of the bag.

  “Thank you!” I said as I grabbed some chopsticks and opened the containers. I dipped my chopsticks into the chow mein and took a bite.

  “Are you hungry?” Xander asked.

  “I’m starving! I guess I worked up an appetite digging in the dirt,” I said and grinned.

  I wanted to tell Xander about Mike and Agnus, but I was terrified that it would ruin his good mood. Maybe I could test the waters.

  I waited until Xander had filled his plate with food and taken a few bites.

  “Did you go anywhere exciting other than to get our dinner?” I asked.

  “Not really, everything was pretty busy. I stopped by the bank, grabbed a few groceries, and picked up dinner. I guess I should’ve taken you with me and protected you from the war of the rose bushes.”

  “You’re so not funny,” I said. I glanced at my food and moved it around on my plate. I hadn’t realized how good I’d gotten at acting. I was scared to death right now, and he thought everything was fine.

  “Can I ask you something without you getting mad?”

  Xander’s chopsticks stopped midair as he stared at me. “What?”

  I didn’t miss the “tread lightly” tone in his voice, and I took a deep breath.

  “A while ago, I told you about two men who showed up and asked for you. Who are they?”

  Xander put his food down and ran his hand through his hair. I held my breath and waited for him to respond.

  “Nothing you need to be concerned about.”

  “Please, you can trust me.”

  “That’s enough. I’m not mad that you asked, but you need to drop it. Don’t ever bring it up again, do you understand?” he asked as his jaw tensed.

  “Okay,” I whispered. He might not be angry now, but if I pushed, it would only be a matter of time.

  “I picked up a movie, too,” he said, changing the conversation.

  “Which one?”

  “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

  “Oh, that looks really good,” I said as I followed his lead. If he wasn’t going to open up about Agnus and Mike, I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him they’d stopped by again. Dealing with his anger would be worse than dealing with theirs. I would just have to take my chances.

  “Hang on a minute,” Xander said as he stood up and grabbed our plates. He walked to the living room and returned empty-handed. Then he bent over and picked me up out of my chair. I grabbed the bottle of rum as he carried me to the love seat and set me back down.

  “Thank you,” I said. I placed the alcohol on the coffee table and grabbed my food again. Xander put the movie into the VCR and pushed play as he settled in beside me.

  As hard as I tried to focus on the movie, I couldn’t. My mind kept wandering back to Agnus and Mike. What if they found Xander? What if they came back? Maybe I should buy some pepper spray, but how would I get any now that Xander went everywhere with me? I’d have to ask George. I couldn’t tell him about the men, so I’d have to make something up.

  I hated the thought of not being honest with George, but he would think I needed it for Xander, and I wasn’t interested in his dramatics. Maybe I wouldn’t talk to him after all. Adalyn and Cassidy would be a safer bet. They probably wouldn’t even ask why I wanted it. Walking around on campus was a good-enough reason.

  We hadn’t talked during the movie, but somehow we’d managed to finish the bottle of rum between us.

  “Hey, are you asleep?” Xander asked.

  “No, not yet,” I said and yawned. I hadn’t even realized the movie had ended.

  “That was a great movie.”

  I nodded.

  Xander stood up and lifted the towel from my ankle.

  “It’s looking pretty good. I think you’ll be fine in a few days,
maybe even by tomorrow.”

  “Good, I don’t want you having to carry me across campus.”

  “I’d just throw you over my shoulder, like this,” he said as he grabbed me and tossed me over his shoulder like I was a sack of potatoes.

  “Hey!” I squealed. “Put me down,” I said as I giggled.

  He smacked me on my ass, turned off the TV, and carried me up the stairs and into the bedroom. I laughed as he plopped me on the bed. He stared at me as he removed his shirt and jeans. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he unbuttoned my jeans and slid them down over my hips and legs. I sat up, slipped my shirt over my head, and removed my bra. I tossed them both on the floor.

  Xander laid next to me on the bed and teased me through the thin fabric of my red-lace panties.

  I dug my fingers into his biceps as he rubbed my clit. No one took me over the edge like he did. I took him in my hand and stroked him.

  “I’ve missed you,” he whispered as he lowered his head to my breast. His tongue flicked across my nipple, and I moaned as I arched into him. He trailed soft kisses down my stomach and slid my panties off. I opened my legs and welcomed his warm mouth. My fingers played with his hair as his tongue danced across my clit. He lifted my hips off the bed and quickened his pace. I dug my fingers into the blankets as the familiar feeling began to swirl inside me.

  “Oh, Xander . . . baby, I need you inside me,” I gasped.

  Xander slid his finger inside me as I bucked against him. I couldn’t wait any longer, and I lost control. I tried to pull away, but he pinned my hips in place and continued. I tried to wiggle away again, but he held firm and continued sucking me, finally stopping a second before I came again. He stood up in front of me and brought me to the edge of the bed. I gasped as he entered me.

  “Shit, babe,” he said as he moved in and out of me. He closed his eyes, and at that moment my brain betrayed me and I thought about him with Brittney. Was he thinking about her when he was with me? I bit my lip and tried not to think about it, but I couldn’t shake the image.

  His pace quickened, and I pushed Brittney out of my mind. I focused on how good he felt and reminded myself that he was with me right now, not anyone else. I was with Xander Koffman, in his bed. Heat flooded through me as his excitement built, and I rocked with him.

  “Harder, babe,” I whispered.

  “Yeah, that’s it. Come for me.”

  I gasped as he leaned over me. I dug my fingers into his back as we moaned and released together. Xander relaxed and settled on top of me. He smoothed my hair away from my face and smiled.

  I gazed into his brown eyes and reminded myself that he had chosen me.

  We got situated on the bed, and I laid my head on his chest as we drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 37

  My eyes shot open as a fist slammed into my arm.

  “What?” I said as I grabbed my arm. “What the hell, Xander?” Tears filled my eyes as my arm throbbed. I glanced at the clock; it was 1:20 a.m. Xander stood up and paced the room.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked as I sat up in bed, still rubbing my arm.

  He turned toward me and glared. I didn’t understand why he was pissed. What had I done?

  “Are you fucking around on me?”

  “What?” I gasped. “No! When would I even have the opportunity? I’m with you all the time, and if I’m not, I’m here waiting for you to come back home. I don’t understand how you could even think something like that.”

  Xander grabbed the flower vase from his dresser and threw it at the wall. I screamed as the glass shattered.

  “What’s wrong? I don’t understand,” I said as tears streamed down my face.

  He crossed the room and grabbed my shoulders. I flinched as his fingers dug into me.

  “You’re hurting me. Please let go,” I whimpered.

  “Who the hell is Walker?” he asked without loosening his grip.

  “What?” I gasped. “No one,” I said as my heart pounded. How did he know about Walker? I’d always been careful to never mention his name. Had George slipped up and said something?

  “Are you screwing him?”

  “Please, just let me go and I’ll answer any questions you want me to,” I pleaded.

  Xander released me and took a few steps back. I tried to catch my breath, but my chest ached, and I struggled to calm my breathing.

  “Who is he?” he asked again. The calmness in his voice made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “Is he someone at school?”

  I shook my head.

  “Answer me! Don’t sit there and shake your head. Look me in the eye and tell me you’re not fucking him.”

  “I’m not sleeping with anyone else. Only you.” My voice was barely above a whisper as the tears spilled down my cheeks.

  “You called for him in your sleep,” he said as his jaw tensed.

  Oh my God. Oh my God. What have I done?

  I racked my brain, but I couldn’t remember even dreaming about anything. Why would I call out for Walker?

  “He lives in Arkansas. We were friends in college. I must have been dreaming about home.”

  “Arkansas?”

  “Yes, he was a friend from back home. Emma knows him—we all hung out together.” I hoped I hadn’t said anything else other than his name. I’m not sure I could explain if I had. “Come back to bed. We have classes in the morning,” I said and patted his side of the bed.

  “I can’t fucking sleep now,” he said as he stormed out of the bedroom.

  I slipped my house shoes on and grabbed the broom and dustpan from the hall closet. I turned on the bedroom light and swept up the pieces of the vase. My arm smarted as I swept.

  Why had I called out for Walker? My stomach flipped at the thought of him. I’d pushed him into the depths of my heart when I’d left Arkansas. When I’d met Xander, Walker had all but slipped away from my thoughts.

  I bit my lip as I dumped the dustpan into the trash can. I returned the broom to the closet and closed the bedroom door behind me. I wasn’t expecting Xander to come back to bed that night.

  I took off my house shoes and slipped under the covers. Exhaustion filled me as my eyes closed. There was nothing I could do to smooth things over for tonight; I’d have to deal with it tomorrow. I took a deep breath before drifting back to sleep.

  * * *

  Thump, thump, thump. My eyes fluttered open as I sat up. What in the hell was that noise?

  I got up and opened the bedroom door. It was bass: there was music coming from downstairs. It grew louder as I went down the stairs and toward the kitchen.

  “Xander! Xander! What are you doing?” I yelled over the music. “It’s one-forty in the morning! What are you doing?”

  Xander dipped a piece of chicken in flour and placed it in the frying pan.

  “You’re cooking chicken?” I rubbed my forehead, completely confused.

  “I’m too pissed to sleep, and a guy’s gotta eat,” he retorted.

  “Can we turn the music down?” I didn’t wait for an answer, but walked into the living room and turned the stereo off. “Now I can hear you. What are you doing?”

  “Like I said, I can’t sleep, so I’m cooking.”

  My eyebrows knitted in confusion. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

  “Fine, cook your chicken, but can you keep the music off? We have class tomorrow.”

  “This is my house, Lacey. Or have you forgotten that? Why don’t you go back to bed and dream about Walker some more?”

  “It’s not like that. What else do I have to say for you to believe me? The guy is two thousand miles away, and you’re upset?”

  Xander turned toward me, his icy stare burning holes through me. I rubbed my arms as he stood there without speaking.

  The grease began to pop, and he turned the chicken over.

  “If I find out that there is anything going on . . . I’ll kill both of you. What I did to John was nothing compared to what’ll be in store for y
ou and Walker.”

  I gasped as I realized what he’d just said.

  “Get out of my sight,” he said and waved me away with the spatula.

  I wasn’t stupid enough to stick around and try to talk to him. I ran upstairs and locked myself in the guest room. If he was really going to hurt me, at least I’d hear him coming.

  I crawled into bed and stared into the darkness. Why had I called out for Walker? I rubbed my arm where Xander had punched me. That was the rudest awakening I’d ever had. He apparently didn’t trust me, and I had no idea what to do about it.

  I closed my eyes, and seconds later the loud music and the thump of the bass filled the house again. I grabbed the pillow and covered my head. There wasn’t a single thing that I loved about Xander Koffman at that moment. In fact, I might have hated him a little.

  Chapter 38

  “How was your weekend?” Cassidy asked.

  “Good,” I replied and smiled. “Except for this,” I said, pointing to my foot. “I twisted my ankle.”

  “What?” George asked as he entered the classroom and sat in his seat next to me.

  “I twisted my ankle. I was planting rose bushes and I accidentally stepped into the hole I dug,” I said and rolled my eyes. “I’ve never been the most graceful person in the world, but it’s doing a lot better. It’s still pretty sore, though.”

  “Hey,” Adalyn said as she joined us.

  “Lacey had a boring weekend except she twisted her ankle,” Cassidy said to Adalyn.

  “That was stupid,” Adalyn said as she smacked me on the shoulder.

  I yelped and grabbed my arm.

  “Geez, you’d think a country girl would be a little tougher,” Adalyn said, laughing.

  “You would think, huh?” I said and stared down at my desk. I didn’t dare look at George. He would take one look at me and know something was wrong.

  I rubbed my arm and opened my textbook. The girls chatted with George until the professor walked in. I leaned back in my chair and breathed a sigh of relief. I peeked out of the corner of my eye at George, but he was focused on the instructor. Maybe he hadn’t pieced anything together.