“Seems odd, getting off before the sun,” I tried again. This was our nightly routine. I would attempt conversation and she would pretend she was alone. She surprised me by smiling. I smiled back, trying to hide my astonishment. I rinsed out the cloth I used to wash the filthy slot-machine glass. It was a real bitch getting dried schnapps off the buttons.
Debbie wiped her forehead with the back of her hand “I’m not one to complain.” I smirked at that one, hiding my eye roll as she continued, “but I gotta’ get home and soak my poor feet. Whatever possessed me to wear these shoes, I’ll never know.” She plopped down on a stool and pulled a shockingly high red patent leather pump off her abused foot and rubbed it gingerly. The shoe was about two sizes too small and her foot was all swollen and purple. “And anyway,” she continued, “I’ve had enough of this place. I don’t know if you noticed, but it was a pretty strange night.”
I just nodded and kept on cleaning the glass. I didn’t feel like sharing my opinion on that subject.
THREE
The air outside was cool and smelled like rain, probably the best smell in the world. I walked the short distance to my car, my keys poking out from my knuckles like spikes. This was a habit, honed from years of working in the armpit district of our fair city. I’ve always parked underneath the security lights. It may seem a little paranoid, but I figure a bad guy might think twice before attacking if I’m under a spotlight. I could be wrong. Hopefully I’ll never find out.
I turned the key in the ignition several times until my poor car coughed and choked to life. I decided to hold off on purchasing a new one. I wanted to keep my newfound savings account a little longer. Who knew when a real emergency might come up? I put the car in gear and began the short jaunt home.
My neighborhood is pretty quiet, which is strange considering I live near the university. My little cottage is small and tucked away behind a much larger house. It was previously used as the owner’s guesthouse. My landlord brought it up to code so he could rent it out for a little extra money, and now it’s home sweet home. I don’t even mind living behind him. It saves a stamp and I never have to worry about maintenance.
I pulled into the small lot behind my place and let myself in through the back door. I don’t have any pets, only my little fish, Floyd. It’s a little lonely. I sometimes long to be mugged by a loving pooch upon entering the house, but I’ve had too many dogs bark at empty rooms and joyfully leave toys in my open closet, to ever consider adopting a new one. The world is a strange place and living alone, I get a little spooked.
I grabbed a bag of popcorn from the pantry and tossed it into the microwave on my way to the bathroom. I pulled off my scratchy wig and the flimsy nylon cap that kept my long hair plastered to my skull. My sticky sweater pulled at my skin as I slowly peeled it off. Thank goodness, my skirt was made of heavy denim or my thighs might have gotten an impromptu waxing. I turned on the shower, ready to scrub off the sweetness.
I love my little cottage. I always feel so relaxed and calm when I walk through the door, but not so tonight! My shower, normally a very efficient way to get clean and get going, was a traitorous cubicle of sensation. The water, so warm and inviting, flowed across my heated skin like a lovers tongue. My mind, still raw from the events of the night, kept up its steady stream of erotic visions as I soaped my body. Seth, it kept saying as I mentally slapped myself for not investing in a shower massager. Seth, and his long hair, wet and hanging in messy tangles as he grabbed my… Whoa! Okay, Grace, time for the cold portion of this shower! Needless to say, I was finished in about one minute. Freezing, I jumped out in favor of the warm terry cloth towel and my favorite robe. I plucked the popcorn from the microwave and sat down in front of the TV for an hour or so of old monster flicks.
The moment I got comfortable, the phone rang.
“Who the hell?” I mumbled to myself, then shot up and ran for the phone. No one called me at this hour unless something was very wrong.
“Hello?” I answered on the third ring.
“Miss Allen?” It was a male voice I didn’t recognize.
“Yes, speaking.” I was instantly wary. I’ve never had a strange man call me so late, or at all for that matter. He was either a real sicko, or worse- someone telling me a loved one was hurt or dead.
“I received your number from a friend of yours, Ann. Very lovely, your friend, but not as lovely as you are, I’m told.”
Okay… this was a bit weird. Should I say thank you? I shook my head and dismissed the compliment. “No one calls this late, who is this?” I asked, a small amount of panic lacing my voice. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact there is. I need to speak with you regarding a matter that I’m sure will be of great concern to you. I must meet with you tonight. Can you meet me in half an hour?”
“You want me to come to you? Alone? At this time of night, seriously? You’ve got to be kidding!” I shrilled, “Who is this? And why are you calling me so late? Has something happened to Ann?”
“No Miss Allen, I assure you, Ann is quite well. I merely inquired about you and found her to be very accommodating. I can’t tell you what I need, not over the phone, and your friend did mention that you are a bit of a night owl, so I knew you would be awake. I wouldn’t have called, but the situation is of the utmost importance. I had to reach you without delay.”
I felt a mixture of relief for my friend and trepidation for myself. I was also getting a little grumpy at the fact that this man’s voice was standing between my television and me.
“Look, whoever you are, I don’t go traipsing around alone in the wee hours of the morning to meet up with strange men who may or may not be serial killers! I hardly think anything you have to say could be important enough to put myself in such obvious danger. So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to hang up now. Good-bye!” I slammed the phone down and took a deep breath.
A second later it rang again. I picked it up. “Really? What is this shit? Don’t you know what no means? Are you some sort of fucking stalker?”
“Miss Allen, please, you didn’t give me a chance to explain myself,” he said urgently. “Please allow me to get a few words in before you decide to cut me off. In answer to your question; I need to see you in person because I believe you may be in danger. I can’t go into any detail, but I can tell you this, you are being hunted. By what? Well, you would most likely never believe me anyway, however; I need to get you to a safe location so that I may explain to you the urgency of the circumstances.”
Whoa, this guy was off his rocker. “Are you drunk?” I was speeding past annoyed and heading straight for pissed off. “Understand this,” I said slowly, “I am not going to meet with you! Do you think I’m stupid?”
“Please Grace, you must listen to me.” He sounded desperate. “Meet me tonight at the church near your home. I’ll wait as long as you need.”
“Yeah, okay, I’ll be sure to run right over there,” I replied, my sarcasm dripping. Then his words clicked, “Whoa. Hold on. You said the one near my house? You know where I live?”
“Never mind that. I told you, your friend was very obliging. You just need to get here. Tonight.”
“Hold on a freaking second. Ann would never give a total stranger my home phone number and especially my address! What the hell did you do to her? Who the hell are you?” Questions and doubts rolled around in my mind. Did he have Ann? Who the hell was this asshole? “Well?” I demanded.
“Lucian, “he said, “My name is Lucian”.
Then the line went dead.
Shit!
I picked up the phone again. I was so frantic that it took three tries to get Ann’s number correct. Her voicemail picked up on the fourth ring. “Ann, honey, are you home? This is Grace, call me back as soon as you get this!” I waited a few seconds, my voice shaking. “Ann, please call me as soon as you get this, I don’t care what time it is, I thi…” The phone cut off. Damn it to hell! I shouted to the ceiling.
I ran to my room and pulled on an old pair of jeans, a sweatshirt and some steel-toed boots, just in case I needed to kick some ass. Nothing hurts worse than a steel toe to the balls, or so I’ve been told.
Jumping in my car, I prayed it would start. “Oh, thank heaven,” I sighed, and pulled out of the drive.
The First Baptist Church sits on a small hill about two miles from my house. Although beautiful by day with its gleaming white walls a reminder of everything good and pure, at night, it was a very different story. The church loomed like a menacing temple of doom. Then again, it was a church, which should have led me to believe that everything was going to be okay. Somehow though, I knew I was deluding myself with that one. I whispered a quick prayer and marched up the steps.
The door to the church swung open on well oiled hinges. Stepping inside, I was instantly enveloped in darkness. Well crap! I should have figured that would happen. I didn’t bring a flashlight, which in hindsight was pretty stupid. I sighed and mentally kicked myself for not calling the police first. I decided that, rather than groping around in the darkness, I would just wait outside. Screw him. If he wanted to speak to me, he could damn well come outside. There, at least, I could see my hand in front of my face!
I turned to go, but before I could take a step I heard my name.
“Miss Allen, is that you?”
I turned back around to see a candle bobbing towards me. It paused for a moment at a small dark blob, which I could only assume was a table. Presumably, my serial killer didn’t like the dark anymore than I did. I watched warily as the room began to fill with dim light. It was a spooky glow, casting strange shadows on the walls. Okay, this was not an improvement.
I took a step back, instinctively readying myself for a full genital attack when a masculine face came slowly into view. I was...confused. I was expecting a scholarly type, some nerd with weak wrists and too many allergies or something. What I got, was…well…not. He spoke again, but it was lost on me. I was too preoccupied with his striking face. Holy cow! As far as men went, well, let’s just say that the last few hours had been hell on my hormones. Then, a thought occurred to me which caused my heart to skip a beat. If he were Lucian, I had a serious problem! Not only would my puny boots have little effect on him, but he could probably pick me up and shake me like a chicken.
I let my eyes roam his impressive body, merely to assess him for the possible presence of weapons, Honest.
My eyes swept from his sharp jawline to the solid V of his torso. His arms were thick and corded with muscle. His long legs were enveloped in dark jeans that fit him like a glove. His skin looked like velvet gold; but then, that could have been the candlelight. The white, button-down shirt he wore was stretched nicely across his powerful chest, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows in a casual and sexy way. A small cross attached to a thin gold chain graced his masculine neck.
“Miss Allen?” I finally heard him say.
“Hmm?” I sighed in a daze, “I mean, yeah?…Yes, I’m Grace Allen,” I managed. “Are you Lucian?”
His eyes took in my obviously flustered state and an arrogant smile spread across his full mouth. His dark eyes raked me from head to toe and back again, forcing me to fold my arms across my chest in defiance.
“Well, are you Lucian or not?” I snapped. I was hoping he wasn’t because I still thought that Lucian was a couple beers short of a six pack, and this guy was just finger-lickin’ good.
“Yes,” he said, a smile still plastered on his smug face. “I‘m Lucian.”
Ugh. Well, you can’t win ‘em all.
“Well,” I said, “I’m here now, so where the hell is Ann? You said it was urgent.” I placed my hands on my hips and took a step closer. “Now tell me, so I can take Ann and get the hell out of here!”
His smile disappeared, replaced by a look of confusion.
“Miss Allen,” he said calmly, as though he were speaking to a toddler. “I never said I had your friend. If you’ll remember, I said, very clearly that I only asked her about you, and she was very helpful.”
Then it dawned on me. Ann was so accommodating to this guy because he was a freaking god! She has few weaknesses and men were number two on her short list, second only to designer shoes. I felt a rush of relief. Ann wasn’t a hostage! She was probably staying with Jared. Nice and warm between his safe cop sheets.
I smiled a not so friendly smile at my new bud and growled through clenched teeth. “Why am I here? And it had better be good.”
He placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke close to my ear, “We are on consecrated ground. I had to make sure you were safely inside and weren’t going to run out.” His breath on my cheek sent a little thrill through my stomach. God I needed some major kryptonite around these guys. I couldn’t seem to stay focused. My involuntary celibacy for the past eight months was also a huge frustration. But I digress…
Lucian led me to a pew toward the back of the church. He left me sitting alone while he lit more candles. I watched him with more interest than I should have. I noticed how the fabric of his pants moved over his tight butt; how the muscled contours of his back were evident through the thin fabric of his shirt. His golden blond hair was shoulder length and fell in soft waves. It looked healthy and clean. I wondered what kind of shampoo he used. Would he smell floral or woodsy?
Yep, I was losing it.
He came back and sat next to me, looking directly into my eyes. The brown depths spoke volumes at how serious he was. (At least he quit preening like a rooster).
Scooting closer, he said, “You’re in grave danger.”
“…Uh huh, you said that before.” Too bad he’s nuts, I thought as I slid over a bit.
He spared me an irritated glance and continued. “Have you noticed anything or anyone strange in the last few days? And please concentrate, this is very important.”
I thought for a second. “Well, there was this guy who came into the bar tonight. He was a little scary.” Scary how I wanted to jump his bones, but I left that little detail out. “He asked about, well, me actually. I didn’t let him know who I was. I felt that was safer. He had a sort of animal look about him that put me on my guard.”
I was startled as Lucian abruptly grabbed me, his vise-like grip tightening around my upper arms “What did he look like, exactly?” he snarled.
“Yo!” I shouted into his face, “Blood flow problems, buddy. Let me go!” I wiggled a little, trying to loosen his grip. “I think we’ve established I’m not going to run away.”
He let go slowly, but the look he gave me was skeptical. “Please, Grace, what did he look like?” he asked again, almost shaking. His forced calm was almost scarier than his outburst. I had a pretty good idea that he wouldn’t let up until I gave him the information he wanted. I thought about the beautiful man, and the memory of him tingled along my spine.
“He was tall. Over six feet, long black hair, and scary, pale eyes. Oh, and he said his name was Seth.”
His eyes became huge. “Seth! He told you his name?” Clearly, he was puzzled. “He told you his name?” he repeated.
“Yes, Lucian,” I said as condescending as I could. “Just like you, he told me his name. Isn’t that what most civilized people do when meeting someone for the first time?”
He gave me a lopsided grin. “I’m just a little surprised that he would offer his name to his prey.”
“Well, He really didn’t know it was… Did you say prey?”
“How could he not have known it was you?” He looked at me, ignoring my question. “You don’t exactly blend in. For one thing you’re pretty tall for a woman and I’m sure he received a full description of you. I did.” H
e smiled, “and it didn’t do you justice.”
I took a second to collect myself. His bizarre story laced with the subtle flirting was starting to give me a headache. I tried not to focus on the compliment. After all, I was being flattered by a nut, but all I could do was stare with my mouth open. My mind was racing! Where was he getting this stuff? And most important of all, what in hell did he mean by prey?
FOUR
The church felt like a sauna. I regretted wearing my sweatshirt and the fact that I didn’t have anything underneath. I wasn’t sure if the heat was coming from all the candles or my libido. I was losing my grip here. I mean, I was in a church, at night, my life in possible mortal danger and all I could think about was my poor clothing selection. Honestly, I am not in the habit of being so unfocused.
The man in front of me seemed to think otherwise.
“Grace, will you just listen? I am not crazy, nor have I been drinking.”
I knew he was stone sober, and that was what scared me. “Why are you so worried about me anyway?” I asked, truly puzzled. “You don’t even know me. What did Ann tell you?” I leaned closer, assessing his expression, “I don’t even remember seeing you there tonight!” I thought about that. I guess he could have been there. How the hell was I to know? I was too much of a mess to notice anyone but Seth.
He smiled. “I didn’t acquire all my knowledge of you from your friend. She was just a means to an end. I always believe in taking the shortest route to my goal.” His eyes held mine. The deep brown color was beautiful. Golden slashes broke up the darker brown of his irises. His lashes were much darker than his hair. His eyes were practically burning into me.
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