“Sam, what’s…”
He stood up. “I told you to wait in the hall,” he bit out, taking her elbow and pushing her from the room.
“No!” She pulled away and pushed past him into the centre of the room doing a 360 degree turn. Her eyes moved slowly from the body on the floor to the walls.
Blood.
It was as though the walls were bleeding. It started from the ceiling and ran down the walls. It felt like she was in a horror movie. But this wasn’t a horror film. She forced herself to process the evil in front of her. This was her life and someone who hated her had done this. She tried to hold onto reality, but was sinking in despair.
Her eyes drifted to the bed and her head began to spin. The headboard was slashed along with the mattress, both soaked with blood. Whoever had done this was angry for the slash started from the headboard to the foot of the bed. Edward Cain lay on his back, his eyes were open, but he was dead. Had he done this?
She looked at him the small red dot at his temple? Perhaps he was trying to stop whoever had done this and it had gotten him killed.
“Alexandria?”
She heard her name in the distant and wanted to answer, tried to answer. No words came. She felt a hand on her shoulder stalling her movement as she turned toward the washroom. There was a trail of blood that led into the washroom. She pushed his hand away.
“I want to see the rest of it.”
“No.” Sam’s voice was harsh yet she knew he didn’t mean it to be. He had seen what the washroom looked like and wanted to protect her. But he couldn’t shield her anymore.
Alexandria couldn’t stop herself from moving to the washroom any more than she could stop a runaway train. Whoever had done this had wanted her to see it. Had wanted her to know she wouldn’t be safe in her own home until he killed her…and no one could protect her. As much as Sam wanted to, he could die trying to save her. Could she risk his life?
As she moved slowly into the washroom, she saw her clothes strewn out from the walk-in closet all the way to the washroom.
Shredded clothing were in a blood-soaked pile on the floor. Nausea rose in her throat and she grabbed her stomach, rushed to the sink and threw up.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Sam handed her a towel after she washed her face. Wiping her face, she straightened up and drew in a deep breath, smelling the blood. She should be crying but no tears would come. She felt numb inside.
“Did he do this?” She glanced at Cain’s body?
“I don’t know,” Sam replied.
She couldn’t read his expression. Once again, he’d chosen to hide his emotions when she needed him the most, pulling away from her.
“What do you think? You always have an opinion?”
“The suicide note said he did.”
“I want to go home to daddy,” she said clutching the hand towel as if it was a lifeline. It was the only thing in the washroom that wasn’t covered with blood. She looked down at the towel. Whoever did this knew she would be sick and left it for her.
“I’d rather go back to the hotel.”
“No! I want to go home.”
• • •
Sam wished Alexandria would say something. She’d followed him out of the condo without a word. She wouldn’t allow him to touch her. He tried to get her to talk to him and she wouldn’t.
She was still in shock, that was a given. He had seen a lot of bad things, all in the name of doing his job but he was able to push most of it to the back of his mind. She couldn’t. Not yet. It was still too fresh.
Sam knew she was trying to figure out what had happened back at the condo. She didn’t understand that kind of anger. One thing he knew, Cain didn’t kill himself. Why would a left-handed man shoot himself in the right temple? Whoever trashed the place was angry. He fingered Cain for that, but if that’s the case, who had killed the man?
Glancing over at Alexandria, her eyes were fixed straight ahead, her face distorted with pain. She wrapped her arms suddenly around her body as if to ward off a chill. There was no chill in the air. He turned off the air conditioner, opening his window and hers, feeling the hot breeze blowing through the window. She turned her head to look out the open window then turned back to staring off into space. A tear slid down her cheek.
Taking her to the Prescott estate was the last thing he wanted to do, but he had no choice. After he agreed, the panic had left her voice, but the fear was still visible in her eyes. He’d informed Prescott that he was bringing her to the estate and filled him in on what happened. Prescott promised that he would send someone to clean up the place and hung up. Sam didn’t want it cleaned up. It was a crime scene. He wanted a forensic team to go over the condo. That’s why he’d called the police and waited for their arrival. Sam wanted to know if there was someone else in the apartment besides Cain. He didn’t give a damn about the press which was what Prescott was worried about.
Sam pressed the automatic garage door opener clipped to the sun visor when they arrived at the estate. The gate slowly opened and he looked over at Alexandria before moving forward, hoping she would change her mind. She gave no indication she wanted to leave.
He didn’t see Colt. Alexandria’s hand was on the door before he pulled the keys out of the ignition. He reached over, taking her hand in his and stroking the back with his thumb, wanting more time with her. The stalker was still on the loose and if Prescott had his way, this would be goodbye.
“You really don’t believe Cain killed himself?” She turned to him, wiping at a tear that slid down her cheek.”
“I’ll have to wait for the police report.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Sam looked toward the house when the front door opened and Prescott appeared all business-like, obviously waiting for them. Alexandria didn’t move when he started down the steps and stopped at the path, staring at them in the vehicle.
“When someone commits suicide with a hand gun, if they’re right handed, they shoot themselves in the right temple.” Sam pointed to his temple. “Cain was left handed. I saw him open the front door several times with his left. He shook hands with his left hand. “I don’t know. Maybe that’s what he wanted me to see.”
“Tell me what you do know.”
“Sweetheart—”
“Just talk to me, please.” Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “Tell me the truth.”
“I think there was someone else in the condo, maybe someone he knew. I’ve no evidence to support that yet. When you left the bedroom you tracked blood out into the living room. If someone else was there with Cain then they should have tracked blood out as well. Let’s say Cain trashed your place and then killed himself? If so, where is the gun? I didn’t see one.”
“Basically, what you’re saying is that someone else was in the condo with Edward Cain,” she said as if trying to make herself believe it.
“Yes.”
“And if you’re right, my life is still in danger.” She pulled her hand out of his, opened the door and ran into her father’s arms. Prescott had his arm wrapped around her as they walked toward the house.
Sam got out and grabbed her bag. As he approached the steps, Prescott turned and said, “You can leave the bag. We don’t need your services anymore.”
Alexandria pulled away, looking at her father. “No, Daddy. He stays. Please.”
“Whatever you want, Princess,” Prescott said, but his eyes reflected something very different. He wanted Sam gone. Well tough, he would stay until Alexandria dismissed him.
“I’m going upstairs to lie down for a while. We can talk later,” she said to her father with that lost little girl look on her face.
She reached for Sam’s hand and he took it, following her up the marble staircase. He didn’t need to look back to know that Prescott was watching them. The stalker had forced Princess to come home, but on her terms. Prescott hadn’t seen that coming. He wanted control again. The frozen shock on his face when Alexandria a
sked him to stay had sent Prescott into panic mode.
They reached the landing at the top of the stairs. When Sam looked back over his shoulder, he saw Prescott rushing into his office. He figured Matt was on speed dial and they were going to have a long discussion, among other things.
Pushing Matt and Prescott from his mind, Sam focused on Alexandria as he followed her down the wide hallway. It reminded him of a hotel foyer.
Pale green wallpaper covered the walls. The flooring had hardwood and a green carpet runner covered the length of the hall. Paintings hung on the wall, perfectly measured with lighting above each one. He felt like he was in a museum.
As Sam walked the stairs and down the hallway, he began to wonder where Sienna had fallen over the railing to her death. The crime scene photo… Yeah, he called it a crime scene and would continue to do so until he was convinced otherwise.
Alexandria let go of his hand as she moved toward the door at the end of the hallway. Pausing for a moment, her eyes fell on the door at the other end of the hallway. It was as if she was in a trance.
“Are you okay?” He touched her shoulder.
She jumped then shook her head. “I grew up in this room,” she said, her voice cracked and she cleared her throat, opening what he assumed was her bedroom door.
Sam felt like he’d walked into something out of one of those fancy decorating magazine. Everything including the wall was covered in satin and lace, all girly and pretty. The sudden feeling of being out of his depth plagued him again. He’d told her they would talk when all this was over. Talk about what? A future. He couldn’t give her anything remotely close to this palace.
Not now he told himself. There was time enough to worry about that tomorrow and what would happen between them. Right now, Alexandria needed him.
Alexandria walked over to the bed and stood staring at it. He knew she was thinking about the condo. She inhaled then exhaled slowly, climbing into bed, laying on her back, and staring up at the ceiling.
Sam kicked off his shoes and slipped in next to her. He pulled her close and laced his fingers through hers. She made no sound but when he saw the tears rolling down the corner of her eyes hitting the pillow, it broke his heart.
“I’m sorry,” Sam said because he couldn’t think of anything else to say. He wanted to promise her that everything would be okay, but it would be a lie. The stalker had forced them back to the estate where it all began and he was afraid for her.
“Promise me you won’t leave until you catch him.” She turned facing him and he rolled onto his side. He could feel her breath on his face.
“I told you I wouldn’t until I find him.”
“If it’s not Edward Cain then who do you think it is?”
“As I said, I think Edward was involved but I believe he had an accomplice.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.” Sam shook his head. “I have a lot of unanswered questions.”
“Like what?”
Her eyes searched his for answers. He couldn’t give her the answers she needed. All he had were hunches with nothing to back them up. If he could take away her pain, he would. Since he couldn’t, he did the next best thing. He kissed her and she responded.
“Get some rest first. You hardly slept last night, remember?” She blushed and he kissed her again. “We’ll talk after. I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”
“Every time I close my eyes, I see her face.”
She had that lost look on her face again. Sam knew she was talking about her mother, and there was nothing he could do to comfort her except tighten his arms around her.
“I see her on the floor, blood everywhere. The condo…the blood. It’s like I’m destined to have the same fate.”
Sam felt helpless. The incident at the condo and moving back to the estate had unleashed the horror of her mother’s death once again. He wanted to help her, but didn’t know how.
“Shh… I’m here. What do you want me to do?”
“Make love to me.”
Sam didn’t hesitate; he just kissed her slowly exploring her mouth. He felt her lips tremble beneath his. He pulled away to take off his clothes. She laid there watching him with tears in her eyes then got up and took off her dress.
He thought she would join him in the bed, but she didn’t. She sat on the edge of the bed naked, staring off into space with her shoulders slouched. Sam caressed her back, his hand moving up her shoulder, gently easing her back on the bed onto her back and moved over her. Her cheeks were wet. She responded eagerly when he kissed her.
Their lovemaking wasn’t about his need tonight. It was all about her. Her needs. She wanted to forget the horror she’d seen and wanted him to help her do it. He felt it in the way she clung to him, the way she kissed him.
He took his time, foregoing his own needs. That he had never done with anyone. With every touch and kiss, he realized that he loved her more than he had anyone else. He took his time kissing her until there were no more tears, only need. It was a need that connected two people from two different worlds in a place where money and status wasn’t an issue, only their heartbeat. They came together and their bodies became one, moving together. With breaths mingling and legs entwined, she fell asleep in his arms with tears rolling down her cheeks.
• • •
Darkness had fallen over the room when Sam heard Alexandria’s deep even breath. He had wanted to get up an hour ago but didn’t want to disturb her. She had fallen asleep on his arm. It wasn’t a peaceful sleep either.
He lay there watching her in the dark, trying to make sense of the nightmare at her apartment. Cain with a bullet hole in his temple, the walls covered with blood. Even if the evidence didn’t support his theory, he was sure that Cain hadn’t killed himself.
So the million dollar question…if Cain hadn’t killed himself, then who had and why? He’d seen that handwriting before on the suicide note. It wasn’t Cain’s handwriting. He was sure of it. How? It was a gut feeling.
Then there was the police report on Sienna. The murder may have happened twenty years ago but he couldn’t help but think it was connected to the stalker. How exactly, he wasn’t sure, but he needed to find answers. Prescott had the answers.
Sam carefully slid his right arm from under Alexandria’s neck and slipped out of the bed, flexing his arm to get the blood flowing again. The light shining under the door was enough for him to dress in the dark without disturbing her. When he opened the door he glanced back and saw that she’d rolled over to the spot he’d vacated. She was still asleep when he closed the door behind him.
He heard voices as he got to the landing. As he descended the stairs, he saw Mimi and Matt entering Prescott’s office, closing the door. They’re having a party and didn’t have the courtesy to invite him.
We can’t have that now, can we?
Sam was halfway down the stairs when the lights flicked and the thunder roared above. All conversations came to an abrupt halt when he opened the door of Prescott’s office.
“Well, what’s this? A dress rehearsal so that everyone can get their story straight.”
Matt glared at him then turned away, looking at Prescott. He and Matt hadn’t spoken since their early morning conversation, and Sam was sure Matt had mentioned that to Prescott.
Mimi had the decency to look guilty about something, but Prescott still had the ‘you’re not welcome in my house’ look on his face. Sam didn’t let that stop him and barged into the office.
“What do you think, this is a conspiracy?” Matt asked, raking his hands through his hair and turned his back to Sam.
“I neither invited you into my house,” Prescott said, hatred gleamed in his eyes, “or my daughter’s bed.”
“It’s not your invitation I require for your daughter’s bed. You can’t pay me to leave it either.”
Only the sound of the thunder and the rain beating the windows filled the room.
“Get out of my house!” Prescott flung his hand toward th
e door. When Sam didn’t budge, it looked like he was going to physically throw him out.
“I’m not going—” Sam stopped when he saw the video camera Matt had taken from Alexandria’s apartment. Matt said he was taking it to the police station to file a report. Moving over to the desk, he picked up the camera and swore, glaring at Matt. “Tell me you’re not apart of this mess, Matt?”
Silence. Bone chilling silence. The thunder clashed again and the light flicked off and on again. The rain pelting against the window grew louder and louder.
Sam turned to Prescott. “Someone poured blood all over the walls of your daughter’s bedroom and slashed the mattress on the bed. Cain’s body is on her floor with a bullet hole in his temple. What if she was in the apartment? Was she supposed to die too?”
“Oh my God,” Mimi cried. “Tell me you didn’t do this, Warren. Tell me!”
“Shut up! I didn’t authorize this.”
Prescott pinched the bridge of his nose and sat down at the corner of his desk. He stared up at the ceiling as if he was looking for some divine help.
“God’s not going to help you. You bastard. What did you do, Prescott?” Sam’s voice was low and lethal. The only thing that stopped him from putting a bullet into Prescott’s head was Alexandria. Matt didn’t react to Prescott’s comment and Sam suspected he was involved somehow.
When Prescott spoke, his voice was heavy with guilt. “He was only supposed to scare her.”
Matt said nothing. That’s when Sam was certain Matt was involved.
“Wait a minute, you knew about this? Is that why you brought me in, to clean up your mess?”
“Matt wanted nothing to do with it and told me to call it off,” Prescott said. “I tried to but Edward wouldn’t take no for an answer. You were supposed to protect her until she came back home. Everything would be okay after that.”
Sam looked at Prescott in disbelief. He really believed what he was saying. How could—
“Tell me it’s not true, Daddy.”
Sam whipped around and saw Alexandria standing at the door. The pain he saw on her face was nothing compared to when she saw the disaster at her apartment. It was a look of disillusionment. The man she loved, her father, had tried to kill her.
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