widening of his eyes. “Your daily intake is less than half of what we need,” he said, moving to stand in front of Sammy, “and you’ve been doing it for years.” Placing his hands on Sammy’s shoulders, Zane dipped his head to peer into Sammy’s dark eyes. “Your senses must be severely impaired.”
Sammy glanced sideways at Alexis, who shrugged and threw up her hand. I haven’t a fucking clue.
“Have you ever been unable to smell blood, Samuel?”
“Uh, no.” Sammy used his index finger to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “If anything, it’s stronger.”
Zane’s arms dropped to his sides. He slumped forward and came close to head-butting Sammy. “All right,” he murmured, nodding as he took a step back. “All right.”
“Wait!” Alexis took off after Zane as he stalked down the hall. “Tell us what that was all about!”
Zane picked up speed as he descended the stairs. “Nothing either of you need to concern yourselves with.”
Alexis glanced over her shoulder at Sammy, who was fast on her heels. “If you’re having prob—”
Coming to an abrupt stop, Zane whirled around, his teeth bared. Alexis managed to prevent a collision with him, but Sammy wasn’t so lucky, slamming into her back with a breathy “Oomph!” two seconds before his ass hit the floor.
“I am not having problems,” Zane snarled, “but the two of you will if you do not leave me be.”
“Don’t gotta tell me twice,” Sammy said as he scrambled to his feet and then up the stairs.
With a parting glare of warning, Zane stormed off. Alexis waited until he was out of earshot before she whispered, “What is going on with my brother, B?”
You have your own matters to deal with, my child. Leave him to me.
“Well,” Alexis said, rolling her eyes, “excuse me for asking.”
Chapter 13
Lacey jerked awake at the sound of gravel popping and crunching under tires. She blinked rapidly at the two beams of bright light striping the ceiling, trying to find her way through the fog enveloping her brain.
The headlights vanished. When a series of short, loud honks broke the silence, she almost jumped out of the bed.
With her heart racing, Lacey dashed to the open window, making it there just as Clint slammed the car door. The pale blue moonlight made his silver wristwatch glint as he stormed across the front lawn, arms swinging madly. He stomped up the steps and disappeared under the roof of the porch. A second later the front door slammed hard enough to make the window rattle.
“Detective work not going so well?” she mumbled as she crossed the bedroom. “Serves you right.”
With her ear hovering close to the door, Lacey waited for the sound of Clint’s heavy footsteps signaling his retreat to his room. Instead she heard some guy singing about being better off dead. “Great,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes as she yanked open the door. “Happy Hour.”
Grinding her teeth, Lacey crept down the stairs. Peering into the living room, she found her father sitting in the recliner with a bottle of whiskey between his legs. Illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the bare window, his wet cheeks glistened. The sight of his tears fanned the flames of anger burning within her. Why couldn’t he just let go?
A loud sob burst out of her father. “Sh-She’s dead! They k-killed her, I know it!”
Lacey closed her eyes with a sharp exhale of breath. “She was not—”
“Yes she was!”
“—kidnapped.”
“There were witnesses!”
“Who saw her getting into a van. Willingly, not forced.”
“She was afraid!”
“Yeah, of spending the rest of her life as a wife and mother.”
“That is not true!” Clint yelled as he shot out of the chair, sending the bottle of whiskey flying into the air. It hit the wood floor with a clunk, the dark liquid making a gunk-gunk-gunk sound as it poured out. “She loved us more than anything!”
“ You are a blind fool .”
With a heart-stopping bellow,
Sammy glanced sideways at Alexis, who shrugged and threw up her hand. I haven’t a fucking clue.
“Have you ever been unable to smell blood, Samuel?”
“Uh, no.” Sammy used his index finger to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “If anything, it’s stronger.”
Zane’s arms dropped to his sides. He slumped forward and came close to head-butting Sammy. “All right,” he murmured, nodding as he took a step back. “All right.”
“Wait!” Alexis took off after Zane as he stalked down the hall. “Tell us what that was all about!”
Zane picked up speed as he descended the stairs. “Nothing either of you need to concern yourselves with.”
Alexis glanced over her shoulder at Sammy, who was fast on her heels. “If you’re having prob—”
Coming to an abrupt stop, Zane whirled around, his teeth bared. Alexis managed to prevent a collision with him, but Sammy wasn’t so lucky, slamming into her back with a breathy “Oomph!” two seconds before his ass hit the floor.
“I am not having problems,” Zane snarled, “but the two of you will if you do not leave me be.”
“Don’t gotta tell me twice,” Sammy said as he scrambled to his feet and then up the stairs.
With a parting glare of warning, Zane stormed off. Alexis waited until he was out of earshot before she whispered, “What is going on with my brother, B?”
You have your own matters to deal with, my child. Leave him to me.
“Well,” Alexis said, rolling her eyes, “excuse me for asking.”
Chapter 13
Lacey jerked awake at the sound of gravel popping and crunching under tires. She blinked rapidly at the two beams of bright light striping the ceiling, trying to find her way through the fog enveloping her brain.
The headlights vanished. When a series of short, loud honks broke the silence, she almost jumped out of the bed.
With her heart racing, Lacey dashed to the open window, making it there just as Clint slammed the car door. The pale blue moonlight made his silver wristwatch glint as he stormed across the front lawn, arms swinging madly. He stomped up the steps and disappeared under the roof of the porch. A second later the front door slammed hard enough to make the window rattle.
“Detective work not going so well?” she mumbled as she crossed the bedroom. “Serves you right.”
With her ear hovering close to the door, Lacey waited for the sound of Clint’s heavy footsteps signaling his retreat to his room. Instead she heard some guy singing about being better off dead. “Great,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes as she yanked open the door. “Happy Hour.”
Grinding her teeth, Lacey crept down the stairs. Peering into the living room, she found her father sitting in the recliner with a bottle of whiskey between his legs. Illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the bare window, his wet cheeks glistened. The sight of his tears fanned the flames of anger burning within her. Why couldn’t he just let go?
A loud sob burst out of her father. “Sh-She’s dead! They k-killed her, I know it!”
Lacey closed her eyes with a sharp exhale of breath. “She was not—”
“Yes she was!”
“—kidnapped.”
“There were witnesses!”
“Who saw her getting into a van. Willingly, not forced.”
“She was afraid!”
“Yeah, of spending the rest of her life as a wife and mother.”
“That is not true!” Clint yelled as he shot out of the chair, sending the bottle of whiskey flying into the air. It hit the wood floor with a clunk, the dark liquid making a gunk-gunk-gunk sound as it poured out. “She loved us more than anything!”
“ You are a blind fool .”
With a heart-stopping bellow,
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