Pierced: Pierced Trilogy Boxed Set (64 page)

I grab two bottles of water from the fridge and carry them and our steaming bowls of Ham and Mac & Cheese over to the couch, and we sit and eat our dinner in silence for a while.

“So what do you think?” I ask her finally, taking a swig of my water.

“Mmm, it’s really good,” she says with a mouthful, and I smile, reaching out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “So you asked for this a lot when you were little?”

“Mm hm,” I murmur as I take another bite.

“And it’s still your favorite,” she says, smiling at me.

“It is,” I chuckle.

“Well then, maybe I should ask Olivia for her recipe,” Sam says quietly as she takes another bite, and her words take me by surprise. How does she always manage to render me speechless? She smiles at me as she chews her mouthful and then takes a sip of water.

“Tell me about your meeting with your artist friend,” I ask her, deliberately changing the subject, and she brightens a little.

“Oh, Josh! I almost forgot,” she says looking at me with astonished eyes. “She loved my work. She wants to put together a showing of my nudes as soon as possible. And I agreed!”

“That’s great, Sam! I told you she would love your work,” I tell her.

“And she doesn’t just want my sketches. She wants to use my nude paintings too.”

“That is awesome, baby,” I say as I lightly squeeze her hand. “I am so proud of you for saying yes.” She smiles shyly at me and bites her lower lip.

“Um, but … she really liked the sketch I did of you sleeping. She wants to use it as the centerpiece of the show.”

I stare at her blankly for a moment, and then a deep frown settles on my face. “Samantha, I told you. You can’t use that sketch of me in any art show! I thought you understood that! Why would you even show it to her?” My deep voice sounds harsher than I mean for it to and Sam cowers slightly, making me feel like shit. And suddenly my mother’s words come unbidden to my mind:

“Your father was never willing to meet me halfway. He never looked at things from my point of view. Abuse comes in many forms, Josh … Just stay mindful of that.”

Fuck! I feel like I’ve been kicked in the gut at the revelation and I can taste the bile rising in my throat. I sit my half-eaten bowl of Mac & Cheese down on the table because the sight of it suddenly makes me want to vomit. And Sam starts to do that nervous chatter thing that she does. I think I’ve scared her.

“No. I know that I can’t use it,” she says meekly. “And I told Lola so. But I just wanted to show it to her because I’m proud of it. It’s one of the best sketches I’ve ever done.”

Trying desperately to regain my equilibrium, I reach out and caress her face, looking deep into her eyes. “I’m sorry, baby,” I whisper to her. “I didn’t mean to sound like I was upset with you. I’m not upset, Sam. I’m so sorry if I scared you!”

She blinks at me, surprised, I think, by my whispered apology. “You didn’t scare me,” she says softly, and maybe a little confused.

“I’m sorry,” I repeat. “You have every right to be proud of that sketch, Sam. It’s amazing.
You
are amazing.”

She smiles demurely at me. “And you are very sweet sometimes.” She takes a last bite of her Mac & Cheese and then looks at me. “I didn’t watch the news but, Lucas said your Captain praised the work you and your partner did on my case today,” she says quietly.

I frown at the change of direction in our conversation and then nod at her. “Yeah. He said we should both be commended for our efforts today in apprehending the suspect and rescuing the victim,” I mutter.

“Me,” she whispers, and I cock my head at her.

“You,” I whisper back. I lean in and kiss her tenderly, gently caressing her tongue with my own for a long moment. Then I get lost in her eyes as she softly runs her fingertips down my cheek. And I am startled when her eyes suddenly well with tears that spill spontaneously onto her lightly freckled cheeks.

“Sam!” I take the empty bowl from her hand and sit it on the table beside mine and take her by the hands. “Baby, what’s wrong? Talk to me.” Gently, I try to wipe her tears away but she keeps crying.

“I’m sorry, Josh,” she says through her tears. “I just keep thinking about it. I keep seeing his face and feeling his hands on me, trying to force me …,”

Her voice falters as she sobs and I can’t stand it. I take hold of her waist and gently pull her into my lap. She curls up in my arms and I hold her closely while she continues to cry softly into my chest. “It’s all right, Sam,” I whisper, kissing the top of her head. “You’re safe now, baby. I promise you … I will never let anyone hurt you like that ever again. You are safe with me, baby. I’ve got you. Hush now.”

As I hold her and continue to softly coo to her, a song comes on the radio that I haven’t heard in years, and it seems tailor made for this moment. Jamie Walters, telling his girl to hold on to him until she feels stronger. I couldn’t say it any better right now if I tried. So, we sit and listen to the words as I hold her close, and Sam clings to me. And as the music plays, I begin to sing along with the song, and Sam nuzzles my chest as she listens. Her tears subside as I hold her close to me and softly sing to her. And when the song ends, she looks up at me with big sad eyes.

“Josh, can I stay here with you for a few days?”

“You can stay here as long as you need to, Sam.”

She hesitates for a moment and then asks, “Do you think it would be impulsive … or irrational if I wanted to move?”

“What, into a new place?” I ask softly, and she nods at me.

“I just don’t … I don’t know if I could ever feel safe again … being there alone,” she whispers. “I don’t even know how he got in, do you?”

I tighten my arms around her and nod slowly. “Yeah. He had a key to your place on him when we got him to lockup. He’s still not giving up how he got it. My best guess is that he must have used your stolen key and been inside your place when Lucas had the locksmith there, changing the locks. Barring the possibility that he somehow got it from the locksmith company, it’s the only scenario that makes any sense. Although we are still looking for a possible link between him and the company.”

Sam shudders in my arms and the tears fall silently down her pretty cheeks again. Still perched on my lap, I pull her to me, softly kissing the top of her head once more. “I don’t want to go back there,” she sobs.

“You don’t have to, baby,” I tell her softly. “We can go pick up some more of your things tomorrow. But if you don’t feel safe there, I don’t think moving would be impulsive or irrational. Not if you have the means to move. And until you find a place, you can stay here with me. Okay?”

“Okay,” she whispers softly, clinging to me once more. I sit and hold her for the longest time, my fingers playing in her hair as we sit in silence and listen to the soft music, and she falls asleep on my lap. Gently, I stand up, cradling Sam in my arms, and carry her back to the bedroom and place her onto the bed. As I’m covering her up, she mumbles, “You have a lovely singing voice.”

I smile at her whispered words, wondering if she’s dreaming, and I lightly kiss her forehead. Once I’ve turned off the radio and the lights in the house and make my way back to the bed, I take Samantha into my arms and hold her closely as I join her in dreamland.

*****

I awaken with a start and I blink as I try to figure out what woke me.

“Who is that?” Sam mumbles and I don’t understand what she’s talking about. Then I hear it again. The damned doorbell.
What?
I glance over at the alarm clock and it’s not even seven in the morning yet. Who the hell is ringing my fucking doorbell so early?

I turn over and climb out of bed, grabbing my jeans from the floor and pulling them on grudgingly. I don’t even bother to fasten them as I make my way to the front door. And I know that I’m irritable from repeated broken sleep last night. After I carried Samantha to bed, it wasn’t long before she woke up crying from a nightmare. And then it happened again and again, throughout the night. Each time, I would hold her tightly, and softly tell her that she was safe and that I was here and that everything was all right. She would go right back to sleep but, the nightmares wouldn’t stop. I’m sure we’ll both be paying the price for it later today but, right now, I’m going to take it out on the visitor.

I open the front door with an attitude, ready to intimidate the hell out of whoever has rung the doorbell so early. Only I’m the one instantly intimidated when I see Lucas Colby staring back at me. My scowl immediately morphs into an expression of surprise.

“Lucas?” I hope my voice doesn’t sound as shocked as I feel. What the hell is he doing here, and why is he here so early?

“Josh,” he replies coolly. Then his eyes slowly travel over my attire, or lack thereof, and I actually feel self-conscious. Especially since he’s dressed in an expensive three piece suit.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble, glancing down at my bare chest and unfastened jeans. “You kind of woke us up.”

“Well, I apologize for the hour; I have to get to the office soon. But, I just wanted to see the place where my sister is staying,” he says, his eyes never leaving mine.

What the fuck?
Is he for real? And, if he is, what the hell is this? Some sort of strong-arm intimidation tactic. Some strategy to humiliate me and make me feel as unworthy of his sister as possible? Because if it is, it’s working. I could not feel any more belittled than I do at this moment. But I refuse to let him know that.

I put my game face on, lifting my chin slightly in the hopes of masking my sudden anxiety at his words and open the door wider, stepping aside. “Come on in,” I say evenly, holding his steady gaze.

He walks inside and, as I close the door, I see him looking around my place. Assessing it. Making judgments, no doubt. And I can’t help but remember my mom’s words from a couple of days ago, asking me what the hell I was doing sniffing around a Colby, and saying that they probably wouldn’t take kindly to Samantha being with me. Was she right? Is that what Lucas is doing here? Is he about to yank Sam out of here and tell me all the reasons why I need to stay away from his sister … or else?

“I would offer you some coffee,” I tell him, “but, like I said, we were sleeping so … it’ll take a few minutes to brew if you’re interested.”

“That’s okay, thanks,” he declines. “Is Sam around?”

“Yeah, she’s in the bedroom,” I answer. And I get the feeling that he’s sizing me up right now. Trying to get a feel for me. Get a handle on what I’m thinking. Just like I’m doing with him. “I’ll go get her.”

He nods and I turn and head for the bedroom. When I get there, I’m surprised to find that Samantha is already pulling on her sweatpants.

“I’m sorry about this, Josh,” she says, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t know what he’s doing here so early.”

“He’s just worried about you,” I reply as I grab a plain white t-shirt out of the drawer and pull it on over my head. My voice sounds calmer than I feel right now. Why the hell is he really here?

We walk back out to the living room together and I see Lucas’ face light up when he sees Sam. She walks to him and he gives her a sweet, brotherly hug. She doesn’t let that stop her though; Sam lays right into him.

“What are you doing here so early, Lucas?” she admonishes him. “You woke us both up out of a sound sleep! Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to even get to sleep last night?”

“I’m sorry, Sam,” he says, clearly a bit flustered. It makes me smile but, I try to hide it. I place my hand on the small of her back, in a comforting gesture as Lucas continues, “I was worried about you!”

“Well, why were you worried?” she continues to give him a hard time. “You knew that I was safely at home with Josh.”

“Sam, you were attacked yesterday,” he fires back. “
Again!
You were nearly raped. You could have been killed. Forgive me for caring, Pita. But I was worried!”

Her shoulders slump slightly and she takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and I run my hand lightly over her lower back. “He’s right, Sam,” I say quietly. “Your brother has every reason to still be worried about you.”

“I know,” she sighs, rolling her eyes slightly. “I’m sorry, Lucas. I don’t mean to be grumpy with you. I’m just tired and sleep deprived and … still shaken, I guess.”

“It’s all right,” Lucas tells her. “I’m not surprised that you’re still shaken up. What are your plans today?”

She shakes her head and shrugs. “I don’t want to do anything,” Sam says. “I just want to stay here and try to sleep if I can.”

“Are you sure about that?” he asks her. “Cause you’re welcome to go back to my place while Josh is working.” He glances at me and I see a flash of something in his eyes but, I’m not sure what.

“Thank you, but that’s not necessary,” Sam tells him.

“I took the day off to take care of Sam,” I speak up, moving my hand from the small of her back to her hip, pulling her slightly to me. And I can see that the subtle gesture is not lost on him. He glances from me to his sister, watching our body language closely. Then he nods silently. And I can be certain, but I think I see a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he looks down at the floor for a moment.

“Well, I need to get to the office,” he says, looking back up at Sam. “Call me if you need anything, Sam.”

“I will,” she replies.

“Oh, by the way,” he says, “you probably have a million messages from Mom once you turn your cellphone back on.”

“Oh, yeah,” I mumble, suddenly remembering the unpleasant encounter. “Your phone kept buzzing last night and I was afraid it would wake you, so I turned it off. But not before I answered a call from your mother.”

She looks at me with raised eyebrows. “I bet that went over well,” she says sarcastically.

“Yeah, I don’t think I made a great first impression,” I tell them and they both look at me questioningly. “Well, she was insisting to speak to you, but I flat told her that I wasn’t about to wake you, and that I’d have you call her in the morning. I know I probably pissed her off but…”

“No, you made the right call,” Lucas says dismissively.