“I was there.” Sam shoveled Hannah’s belongings back into the box. “I was inside. I saw him. I tried to get her out, but I was too late.”
“And that’s why you’ve been writing these books. Because if you can’t save her, then maybe you can save someone else.”
He shook his head. “It’s not like that. The girls in the books are already saved. They saved themselves. I just write it down. I just want to be close to that.”
Her mouth curved into a smile. “You don’t want to save me, Sam?”
“No,” he said.
She stood up, one hand at the top of the towel, making sure it stayed closed.
“I don’t want anything to do with you,” he said.
She was still smiling.
He got up off the floor. He closed the distance between them. He gazed down at her wide, wide eyes and her smooth features. She was pretty. Not pretty the way Hannah had been. A different pretty. “How would I save you, Lola?” His voice was ragged.
Her smile deepened. “I thought you didn’t want to.”
“Who would I save you from?”
“Nick, of course,” she said. “Or maybe myself. Or maybe you. Or maybe—”
He silenced her, pressing his lips fiercely against hers.
She wrapped her hands around his neck.
He scrabbled at the towel, freeing it easily. She smelled like the soap he used. There were droplets of water beaded up on her shoulders. He ran his thumbs over her soft skin. His fingers got wet.
Her fingertips massaged the back of his skull. She sighed into his mouth.
He pulled away from her.
Her eyes were closed.
He let his gaze travel lower, over the swell of her breasts, over her narrow waist, her flat, white stomach. She was bare between her legs too, her pubic hair waxed away. He put his hand on her there. Her skin was smooth.
Her eyes popped open. She gasped.
He propelled her backwards into the wall, slamming her into it.
She giggled. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and she was trapped there, back against the wall, front pressed against him.
He kissed her neck, tasting the droplets of water from the shower.
Her hands were inside his shirt. She was letting out little sighs with every breath.
His lips traveled over her neck, up to her ear.
“Did it turn you on to think about her, Sam?” she whispered.
He yanked his mouth away from her skin.
She looked into his eyes. She laughed again, and her eyes danced in a way that was disturbingly similar to the way Hannah’s used to.
He dropped her. Backed away, let her fall.
She landed with a thud in a tangle of naked limbs. She gazed up at him reproachfully. “Ow.”
What the fuck was he doing? He left the guest room. He stood in the middle of the hallway, his body tense.
Lola’s laughter at his back.
He turned on her, staring her down, forcing his gaze to stay on her face, not letting it stray further down. “What do you want from me?”
Lola sashayed forward. Her hips bobbed from side to side. Her breasts bounced. Her nipples were hard and huge and pink.
He couldn’t keep his eyes off her naked body.
“You started it,” she murmured.
He drew in a shaky breath. He was turned on. He was taut everywhere. His pants felt too tight. His neck muscles strained. He curled his hands into fists.
Lola stepped closer.
He didn’t want this.
“You change your mind?” Lazily, she ran her fingers around her own nipples, making ever smaller circles, closing in on them.
The effect was to make it impossible to look away from them. They were like tiny, round targets, and every movement of her fingers made him focus on the nubs of her flesh.
His cock twitched.
“You’ve been fighting it since we met, Sam,” said Lola. “But we both know you want me. And I want you too, so I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“Stop that,” he choked, unable to rip his gaze away from her tits.
“Stop what?”
“Stop touching yourself like that.”
“You don’t like it?” She flattened her palms over her breasts, caressing herself. “But you got me all worked up, Sam. If you’re not going to do anything about it, I’m going to have to take care of myself.”
He swallowed.
“You could watch if you wanted.” One of her hands snaked down her torso, darting between the lips of her pussy.
He remembered how smooth her skin had been there. How delicate. He ran his tongue over his teeth.
“What are you afraid of?” she breathed. “You afraid of me?”
He groaned. He reached for her, tugged her against his body. He put his hands on her tits, filled his palms with them.
She moaned.
He kissed her again. Roughly. Then he pulled away. He gave her a little shove. “Go.”
“What?”
“Bedroom,” he said hoarsely. “Turn around and walk to the bedroom. Go slow.”
She grinned at him. And then she turned her back and sauntered down the hallway.
He watched her, admiring the roundness of her ass, the curve of her thighs. And then he followed her.
She was already climbing onto the bed.
He paused in the doorway. “Lay against the pillows.”
She did. She was still smiling.
“Spread your legs.” He pulled his shirt over his head.
She moved her knees away, and he could see her, pink and glistening and open there.
His cock pulsed.
“Touch yourself again. Touch your pussy.” He unbuckled his pants.
Her fingers pushed into her folds, rubbing her clit.
He pulled off his boxers and went to her, climbing between her knees.
“Are you going to fuck me, Sam?” Her eyes danced.
“Yes,” he growled.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Her fingers were fluttering over his chest and stomach. It was sometime in the afternoon. The winter sun fell heavily through the window. He felt lazy and a little sleepy, thoroughly sated. It had been months since he’d been with a woman.
Lola’s voice was full of sex and satisfaction. “You always a director, Sam?”
“Mmm?” He didn’t feel alert enough to give much more of an answer than that. Besides, he had no idea what she was talking about.
“You like telling girls what to do? Is that the way you made love to Daphne?”
He shut his eyes. He’d liked Lola a lot better when he’d had his cock in her. For one thing, she talked less. “You want me to tell you about other people I’ve slept with? Really?”
“I want to know if I’m a typical lay, or if you feel more open with me.”
“What does it matter?” But he had a gnawing realization that she was right. He had felt more open with her. He hadn’t bothered to be nice to her, to soothe her and whisper sweet words. With Lola, everything had seemed very straightforward. And he had felt… released. Unfettered. Free.
“It matters.” She ran a finger over one of his nipples. “So tell me. ‘Spread your legs’ your typical idea of foreplay?”
He sighed. “Did I disappoint you? It wasn’t like you weren’t wet enough.”
“I’m always wet.” She pinched his nipple. Hard.
“Ouch.” He pushed her hand off.
“Sorry.” She sat up next to him. “You want to pinch one of mine and get me back?”
Her breasts winked at him, jostling against each other on her chest as she moved.
He arched an eyebrow. And then he rolled over, pinning her arms above her head. And then he put his mouth to her tits, taking one of her big nipples between his lips and sucking.
She sighed.
He moved to the other nipple. Her breasts were really sort of luscious.
“You haven’t answered my question.”
He lifte
d his head. “What question?”
“Was it different with me?”
He chuckled. “No. You’re just average, Lola.”
“You’re lying.”
He went back to her tits. Maybe if he distracted her, she’d shut up. He put a hand on her thigh and began inching upwards.
She gasped.
He slid his hand between her legs, stroking the outer lips of her pussy.
She sighed. “Would you do what I told you to, Sam?” she whispered.
“What do you mean?” he said into her skin.
“Put your mouth there. Where your fingers are.”
He let her nipple slide out of his mouth and gazed up at her.
She smiled at him. “Do it.”
He did it.
* * *
Sam’s phone was ringing. He rolled over in bed. It was getting dark outside, and he’d spent the whole day in bed. An empty condom wrapper crinkled under him. He reached down and plucked it off his bare torso.
In the growing darkness, Lola lifted her head. “What’s going on?”
“My phone.” Sam stumbled out of bed. It was in his pants, and they were on the floor somewhere.
Following the sound, he found the phone. He didn’t recognize the number. He answered it. “Hello?”
“You’re a liar, Sam.”
Shit. It was Todd.
“You’re a liar,” he said. “And she’s a liar too. I saw you. I saw both of you.”
“Nick, what’s going on?” said Sam. He felt wary. Why couldn’t the fucking police catch this guy? Why did Todd have to keep tormenting him?
“It’s Nick?” Lola sat straight up in bed.
“I hear her in the background,” said Nick. “So don’t even try to tell me that there’s nothing going on between you and her. I know there is.”
Sam didn’t know what to say. “I didn’t lie, Nick.”
“You did,” said Nick. “There you both were, together in your bed. I saw it.”
“Saw it?” Alarm jolted through Sam. “Where are you, Nick?”
Nick laughed. “I’m outside.”
And then there was a gunshot, a loud crack splintering the air. Glass shattered with a bang.
Sam turned to see a hole in his window.
Lola screamed.
Sam yanked on his pants. He dropped the phone.
“Lola, come on,” he said.
Another shot. This time the window completely fell apart. Shards of glass rained down on the carpet.
Sam dove for Lola, pulling her off the bed. Both of them collided with the floor, Sam on top.
He spread his body over hers. She was still naked, and he was only wearing his pants.
She quivered against him. He could feel her heart pattering in her chest.
“Sam!” Nick’s voice came through the receiver of the phone.
The phone was out of his reach. He raised his voice. “I’m here, Nick. Stop shooting.”
“I was supposed to wait for the time, but I want it now. I want you both dead. Now.”
Lola took a shaky breath. “Get me the phone.”
“Lola—”
“Get it.” Her voice was stronger.
He crawled off of her over to the phone. He grabbed it.
Lola took it from him. “Nick?” she whispered.
Sam couldn’t hear what Nick was saying, but he seemed to go on for a long time.
“Shh, Nick, you’re way too excited,” Lola said. “You need to calm down…. Nick, stop it…. Calm down.”
Sam glared at her. “You really think that’s going to work?”
She put her hand in Sam’s face, giving him an annoyed look. “You can make it calm if you try. You know you can…. There. That’s better. That’s a lot better…. No, Nick, he could never replace you. You know how I feel about you. You know that’s never going to happen.”
Now what was she saying?
“I can’t come to you now,” she said. “You know that wouldn’t work…. Because I need to get cleaned up…. Yes, I will. I’ll meet you. I want to be with you. It’ll be just like we said. Just like we always planned.”
“Lola!” Sam whispered fiercely. What was she promising this guy?
“You know where,” said Lola. “Now, you need to hang up and go there. And wait for me. Okay?”
Sam shook his head at her, utterly flabbergasted.
“That’s right. Hang up. I’ll meet you there.” She waited. And then she took the phone away from her ear.
“What the hell?” said Sam.
“I needed to get him to calm down,” she said. “He was shooting at us.”
“So you said you’d go meet him?”
“I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Lola, that is the stupidest thing you could possibly have—”
“It got rid of him, didn’t it?”
“Did it? How do we know he’s not out there right now? How do we know he’s not going to shoot again?”
She bit her lip.
They sat there for a long time, waiting for another gunshot. It never came.
* * *
“Where is this place again?” said Cross to Lola. Police officers and FBI agents had swarmed Sam’s house and the surrounding woods, looking for any sign of Todd. Thus far, they hadn’t found anything.
Lola was holding onto Sam’s arm. “It’s near Burlington. It’s an old park. They used to put on plays out there in the summer. Right after Nick kidnapped me, he said that if we ever got separated, we should both try to get back there. That was our meeting spot. So I told him to go there. That’s where you’re going to find him.”
Cross raised an eyebrow. “Too bad you didn’t tell us about this earlier. We could have set up a sting, had you mention it to him if he got in contact with you.”
Lola clutched Sam’s arm tighter. “I didn’t think about it. I… I didn’t even know if it would work. I was desperate, because he was going to kill us.”
Sam didn’t like Lola’s clinginess. So, okay, they’d slept together. They’d had sex. More than once. That didn’t mean that he was suddenly Lola’s boyfriend or something. He wanted to shake her off, but he felt like if he did, he’d be an ass.
“Well, we’ll send people out there,” said Cross. “But if he left here a half hour ago, about how far do you think he is right now?”
Lola looked up at Sam. “What do you think?”
“I don’t even know where this place is.”
“It’s near Burlington.”
“I don’t know where that is,” he said.
“It’s off Route 50. It’s on the other side of Keyser.”
“Well, would it make sense for him to take I-68 if he was going there?” said Sam.
“I don’t know,” said Lola. “Maybe?”
Cross smiled tightly. “We’ll get someone to figure out routes.” He looked at the place where Lola was hanging onto Sam and then raised an eyebrow.
Sam extracted himself from Lola.
Lola gave him a startled, wide-eyed look, and then she hugged herself, looking down at her shoes.
Sam felt bad. He started to reach for her again, then stopped himself.
“If we could narrow this down,” Cross was saying, “we might be able to set up a road block. But if there are a lot of equally possible routes, then we can’t block them all off.”
“I… I don’t know,” said Lola. “I’ve never tried to drive there from here.” She sounded forlorn and frightened.
Sam forced himself not to pay attention to her. He focused on Cross.
“Obviously, we’ll leave a few officers here to guard the two of you,” Cross said.
“At my house?” said Sam. “What about Lola’s house?”
Cross looked from Sam to Lola and then back again. “Well, if she’s planning to go back to Hagerstown, then certainly, we can—”
“You want me to leave?” Lola asked, and there was a hitch in her voice.
“Well, why would you stay?” said Sam.
<
br /> Lola chewed on her bottom lip.
Sam sighed. “Fine. She’ll stay here. I guess that would be easier. Allow you to focus your manpower on finding Todd.”
Cross cleared his throat. “Should I give you two some time to talk privately?”
Lola wouldn’t look at Sam.
“No,” said Sam. “Lola and I will both stay here. At my house.”
“All right, good,” said Cross. “If you decide to go out, maybe to stock up for the storm, then make sure you let the patrol cars follow you, all right?”
“Storm?” said Sam.
“Yeah,” said Cross. “You haven’t heard? Whole area’s getting dumped on. They’re saying three or four feet of snow.”
* * *
Lola was wrapped up in a blanket, sitting on the couch, and watching the weather.
Sam lowered the phone from his ear. “He wasn’t there.”
She looked up at him, clutching the blanket tight around her shoulders. “Nick, you mean?”
Sam nodded. “They looked all over the park, but they couldn’t find one sign of him.”
She pulled her knees close and rested her head on them. She rocked.
He wasn’t sure what to do. Ever since the call from Todd, she’d been like this. Quiet. Scared. And ever since he’d pushed her hands off of him, she hadn’t tried to touch him. She was like a silent ghost. She even looked pale.
He sat down next to her and rubbed her back. “Lola—”
“You don’t have to do that,” she snapped, her head still buried in the blanket.
He recoiled.
She continued rocking.
He sat back into the couch and stared at the television screen. All they could talk about was the snowstorm. It was always like that, though. The weather people made every bit of inclement weather sound like it was going to be the apocalypse. From the way they were talking, you’d think it was the first time any of them had ever seen snow.
Lola suddenly lifted her head. “We should go somewhere.”
He turned to her. “What?”
“They didn’t catch Nick, which means he went out there to find me, and I wasn’t there. So now he knows I was lying to him. And he’s pissed off. He knows where we are. He’ll come back. He’ll kill us both.”
“We’ve got police protection.”
“What if it’s not enough?”
“It will be. These people are trained to deal with guys like Nick.”
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