chapter 8
Liam blinked dazedly against the sunlight that filtered past the thick curtains. He moaned softly and rolled away from the light. Sera slept silently beside him, the blanket had been tossed aside to bare her shoulder, back, and butt. She was an amazingly tempting sight to wake up to first thing. Unable to resist, he kissed her shoulder softly as his hands wrapped around to gently fondle a full breast. She moaned softly, instinctively arching into his touch. They had made love over and over again last night, but he still couldn’t get enough of her.
She stirred as her eyes flitted open. For a moment she blinked uncertainly, and then she turned to him. She smiled sleepily as she reached out to run her hands lightly over his chest. “Good morning,” she whispered huskily.
“Good morning.”
He lowered his head to take her mouth in his. She opened to him as their tongues lazily entwined together. “Liam!”
The loud banging on the door made them both jump in surprise. Liam muttered a curse as he lifted his mouth from hers. “What?” he demanded.
“Get up man, we have to go!” Mike yelled.
Liam glanced at the clock and swore again. “I’ll meet you guys there.”
“You’ve got the car. Get your lazy ass out of bed!”
“Give me ten minutes!”
“Whatever,” Mike mumbled as he walked away.
Liam sighed loudly and dropped his head against her tempting shoulder. “Sorry about that.”
She shrugged as she lightly kissed the top of his head. “I should go anyway. Kathleen’s probably waiting to attack me with questions.” It wasn’t a pleasant thought, she didn’t feel like having to explain everything that had happened last night, but she wasn’t going to be able to refuse her. Kathleen would annoy her until she got the whole story.
He propped his head on his elbow as his hand leisurely stroked her tender breasts. He looked so young and sweet that her heart began to ache. There was a dark shadow along his strong jaw, his hair was a tussled mess, and there was a lazy gleam of satisfaction in his bright eyes that warmed her. “I have to go, we have a basketball game at the park. Are you going to come over tonight?”
She smiled slyly at him as her eyes twinkled mischievously. “I don’t know; I’ll have to think about it.”
He cocked an eyebrow as he grinned. “Really?” he inquired.
“You’ll have to help me make up my mind.”
He slowly trailed a finger from her collarbone to her stomach. He circled her belly button, dipping temptingly low, before circling her belly button again. Sera gasped and bit into her lip as her body began to tremble beneath his. “And how do I do that?” he whispered as he nibbled on her ear.
Sera was quickly becoming a quivering mass beneath him as his hand slid down to cup her. “I think you’re making a good start,” she gasped. His smile was pure satisfaction as he slipped a finger slowly into her. “What about the game?”
“They’ll wait; I have the car, remember?”
She smiled at him as he seized hold of her mouth.
***
Sera turned over on her bed and placed her finger in the book so that she could look at Kathleen. “You look fine,” she assured her.
“You sure?” Kathleen asked as she nervously fiddled with her hair.
“I’m sure.”
“Why don’t you come now Sera?”
She lifted her book. “I have to get some studying done. Besides, the haunted house won’t close until ten.”
Kathleen sighed as she patted her hair. “I would stay with you, but you know how I hate to be cooped up.”
“If you stayed with me I’d never get any studying done. Go ahead; I’ll meet you there in about an hour.”
“Okay.” Kathleen grabbed her coat from the hook by the door, where Sera had hung it for her. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Yep,” she agreed.
Kathleen cast her a bright grin as she opened the door, locked, and shut it. It had taken Sera a long time to get Kathleen into the habit of locking the door when she left. Now she did it all the time, even if Sera was still in the room. She rolled onto her back and buried herself in her book. She was just beginning to lose herself when a knock at the door pulled her out of Sociology. She glanced at the clock, it was already quarter after nine. She hadn’t realized that it was so late already. Sighing impatiently she closed the book and climbed to her feet.
“What did you forget this time Kathleen? Besides your key?”
Sera unlocked the door and flung it open. She froze, unable to move as she stared at the man before her. The world seemed to tilt for a moment before snapping sharply back into focus. With a soft cry she tried to slam the door closed, but he put out his hand and blocked it. “Now, is that any way to treat an old friend?”
Her scream lodged in her constricted throat as Jacob pushed the door open. She was forced back as he pushed his way inside. Stumbling awkwardly, she quickly righted herself as she launched at him. “Get out of here!” she cried.
He shoved her backward and knocked her to the floor. Sera scrambled away and quickly jumped back to her feet as he closed and locked the door. “Just calm down Sera.”
“Get out of here, now!”
“I just came to talk to you,” he said calmly as he turned to face her again.
“I have nothing to say to you. Leave.”
He walked slowly toward her and she backed steadily away from him. Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest and she found it extremely hard to breathe as she inhaled quick, short gasps. Jacob was big, taller than Liam, and broader through the shoulders and chest. He could, and would, squash her like a bug.
Suddenly there was nowhere left for her to go as she backed herself into the wall. Panic leapt through her as he continued to hone in on her. She was such an idiot. What was she thinking when she had left herself with nowhere to go? She stared breathlessly up at him, terror ripping through her as he stopped just inches away. Her legs trembled fiercely as his face loomed over hers. His breath against her cheek caused nausea to twist through her stomach as the familiar stench of it filled her nostrils.
He placed his hands against the wall by her head. “I just want to talk to you.”
Sera took a trembling breath as she tried to steady herself. She wanted to close her eyes and cringe as he lowered himself to look directly into her eyes, but she wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. Instead, she forced herself to tilt her chin and defiantly meet his gaze. His dark brown eyes stared at her intently. Unwillingly, she looked away as memories, and nausea, crashed through her. Tears threatened to fall as she swallowed the hard lump of fear in her throat.
“How you been Sera?” he asked softly.
“Fine,” she managed to choke out.
“You look good, but then you always did. Do you want to know how I’ve been?”
“No.”
“Well, I haven’t been too good. Some people actually believed that nasty little lie you told about me. I was kicked off the football team, and lost my scholarship to college thanks to you.”
She met his eyes as anger washed over her. “It wasn’t a lie.”
He laughed and took a step closer, his hard chest brushed against hers. A shudder of revulsion ripped through her as he leered down at her, disgustingly close, and amazingly real. Looking at him now she couldn’t recall why she had thought that he was so perfect. He was handsome, in the classic, all American sense, but there was a wealth of depravity in his dark blue eyes. She didn’t understand how she’d never seen it before. It had to have been there, but she’d been so enamored with him that she had refused to acknowledge it.
Now the evil inside of him blazed at her. Now it seeped into her soul, caused her mind to go numb and her legs to tremble so fiercely that for a moment she was afraid she was going to collapse.
“We both know you wanted it.”
She wrapped her arms tightly around herself in an attempt to ward off the chill that was wracking her. He turned away and began to walk slowly around the room. She wildly searched for the nearest thing to hit him with. “Nice place you got here. You’re roommate’s kind of a pig though,” he remarked.
“I think it’s time for you to leave Jacob.”
He shrugged and walked slowly back to her. She lurched desperately for the lamp on her desk. Her trembling hands knocked it over as she clumsily grasped at it. “Oh God,” she cried in frustration as it tumbled to the floor and broke in half.
He grabbed hold of her arm and spun her around. She screamed in terror as he lifted her up and flung her onto the bed. The breath was knocked out of her but she somehow managed to find the strength to scramble quickly back. He seized her leg and jerked her toward him. “No!” she screamed as she kicked wildly at him. “Get away from me!”
He pulled her across the bed and climbed on top of her. Sitting on her legs he grabbed hold of her hands and pinned them above her head. She screamed again, bucking wildly as she tried to rip her hands free. He squeezed her wrists hurtfully as he shifted both of her wrists into one hand and placed his other hand over her mouth. Tears of frustration rolled down her face as she struggled wildly to get free.
***
Liam stood silently by Mike as the next group went by. “There are only two groups left. Then we can go party. Or, at least I can.” The wolf man mask covered Mike’s face, but Liam knew he was grinning beneath it. “Then again, I’d rather be at your party.”
Liam shook his head. “I’m sure that you’ll find your own.”
Mike laughed as he pulled the mask off. “God this thing is hot. I need a beer.”
Liam winced as screams from children echoed through the halls. He was beginning to get a headache from all of the high pitched shrieks. Glancing at his watch he was amazed to find that it was only quarter after nine. He sighed as he rubbed at his pounding temples. He couldn’t wait to end these tours. His throat hurt, he was hungry, and he was tired. He had led ten groups of screaming children, and their parents, through. He just wanted to get out of here and see Sera. It was the only thing that was keeping him going.
Mike began talking again but Liam had stopped listening to him. A deep knot of fear began to make its way into his belly. He frowned as he tried to figure out where it was coming from. Becoming completely still, he used his mind to probe the area around him as he scented the air for the source of the unexplained fear. He turned into himself, searching for something, for anything that would explain it.
Then he realized that the fear was coming from Sera.
“I have to go,” he blurted, cutting Mike off in mid-sentence.
“What?” Mike asked dully.
“I have to go. Find someone else to do the last tour.”
“You can’t just leave Liam.”
“I have to. Get my car and meet me at Sera’s dorm.”
“Liam wait!” Mike grabbed hold of his arm and swung him around. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Let go!” he ripped his arm free. “It’s Sera; she’s in trouble, just meet me there.”
Mike gaped at him for a moment before nodding slowly. Liam burst through the front door as the next group was getting ready to come through. They stared at him in surprise, but he hardly noticed as he started to run toward her dorm.
***
“I hear you have a new boyfriend,” Jacob’s mouth hovered near her ear. Sera squirmed beneath him as she tried to turn her head away. “Are you giving it up to him?”
Sera choked against his hand. He smiled chillingly as he lightly licked her ear. Bile rose in her throat and it took everything she had to shove it back down. She would probably choke to death if she threw up now. “I’m going to take my hand away so that you can answer me. If you scream again, I’m going to gag you, understand?” She nodded slowly as a tear slipped down her cheek. She hated herself for the sign of weakness, but she couldn’t stop it. He eased his hand away and she felt something cold press against her throat. She jumped in surprise as he smiled down at her. “Yes, it’s a knife. Now, answer me.”
Sera swallowed heavily as tears slid slowly down. Her heart was hammering wildly in her chest and she couldn’t stop the fierce shaking that wracked her. “Are you sleeping with him?” he demanded, his face twisting into a sneer.
A wave of defiance washed over her as she tilted her chin. “Yes, I am.”
He smiled coldly as he leaned down to kiss her. She turned her head away in a desperate attempt to get away from his disgusting touch. His hand twisted cruelly in her hair as the knife pressed more firmly against her throat. “That’s what your friend said.”
Revulsion swamped her, and it took everything she had not to vomit as he ran his hands over her body. “Stop it.” She tried to squirm away from him but he pressed the knife tighter against her throat. “What friend?” she asked as his words registered.
“Your girlfriend called me. She told me where you were. I decided to pay you a visit to finish what we started.”
With a violent jerk he ripped open her shirt. Sera cried out in shock and horror. He pushed the knife tighter as his hand ran down to the edge of her jeans. Tears spilled out of her eyes as she began to buck wildly in an attempt to dislodge him. “I’ll slit your throat you bitch!” he hissed. “Stop moving!”
Sera whimpered softly as his hand cruelly squeezed her breast. “You feel good,” he purred as he licked her ear.
A knock on the door froze his movements. “Are you expecting anyone?” he asked softly.
“No,” she answered honestly.
“Get rid of them.” The knife cut into her flesh. She could feel blood running down her throat. She froze, unable to move, unable to breathe as she fully realized that he would kill her. “Now!” he hissed.
She inhaled sharply as she finally managed to nod slowly. “Who is it?” she called.
“It’s me, open the door,” Liam replied.
Her heart gave a little skip of hope that quickly faded away. Liam was big, but Jacob was bigger, and obviously crazy. She didn’t want Liam to be hurt, and she knew that Jacob would kill him, or her. Hopelessness filled her as she swallowed heavily and resigned herself to what she had to do. Jacob would hurt her, but she wasn’t going to let him hurt Liam too. “I’m not feeling well,” she called out.
“Sera, open the door!” he yelled.
She was puzzled by the anger in his voice, but she didn’t have time to figure it out, and at the moment she didn’t really care. “Just go away Liam.” Her voice cracked as tears spilled down her face. “I don’t want to see you tonight.”
“Sera...” Jacob gripped her hair painfully and dug the knife in a little deeper.
“No, I don’t want to talk to you. I… uh… I just need to be alone. I need to study!”
Silence came from the other side of the door, and she held her breath as she prayed he would stay there all night. “Fine,” he finally said. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
She wanted to scream for him to help her but she kept her mouth closed as tears flowed freely and her hope vanished. Jacob’s eyes sparkled with malice. She closed her eyes, unable to look at him anymore, unable to think anymore.
The loud crash startled her eyes open. Jacob gasped in surprise as he was ripped off of her. The knife sliced her as she was knocked to the floor. She gasped in shock as she fumbled at her cut neck. Blood spilled between her fingers, ran down her arm, and dripped onto the floor. She sat numbly, barely hearing the crashes around her, and the grunts of a fight.
She stared numbly at her bloody fingers as her mind spun in directions that she didn’t understand. She couldn’t grasp hold of a single thought. Liam was suddenly before her, his face was pinched tight and there was blood around his mouth, and on his cheek.
“Are you all right?” he demanded. “Sera, are you all right!?”
She was unable to answer. He gingerly explored her wound. “Don’t move.” He moved swiftly over and shut the battered door and slid the chain lock on. She watched his legs as he strode to the other side of the room in search of something. He came back with a towel that he placed gently against her neck. She winced in response. “You’ll be okay,” he whispered, lightly stroking her hair. “It’s not deep. Just hold this on your neck.”
She nodded slowly but didn’t move. He took her trembling hand and placed it against the towel, forcing her to hold it. His eyes were dark with worry as he studied her intently. With a soft sigh, he brushed back her hair and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
She nodded again and watched as he walked away. She wondered dully where Jacob was but she couldn’t seem to form the question out loud. She heard him shuffling around on the other side of the bed. Loud music slowly registered and she dimly recalled the Halloween party going on downstairs. That was why no one had heard her, why no one had come sooner.
“Sera, do you know who this is?” She remained silent; her hand fluttered up to clutch her torn shirt together as shivers wracked her body. The blood was drying on her fingers, but she could feel more seeping into the towel. “Sera,” he said more firmly. “Do you know who this is?”
“Is he still here?” she croaked, the words sounding alien to her own ears.
“Yes. Do you know who he is?” She nodded slowly as her hand fell into her lap. “Who is he Sera?”
“Jacob.”
His narrowed sharply as he looked down at his feet. “Jacob?”
Sera started to cry as blood spilled onto her lap and seeped into her jeans. “He said I ruined his life!” she sobbed, her body shaking. He climbed quickly over the bed and grabbed the towel. He pressed it against her neck as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. “He said it was my fault. That I asked for it. I didn’t though. I didn’t.”
He held her gently, rocking her back and forth as painful sobs tore from her throat. “I know you didn’t,” he whispered. “You didn’t. How did he know you were here?”
She tried to stifle her sobs but tears continued to roll down her face. “I don’t know. He said a girlfriend of mine called him but Kathleen wouldn’t do that. I know she wouldn’t!”
Liam’s muscles were rigid as anger rocked through him. “What about Michelle?” he grated.
Sera shook her head as her trembling hands clutched at his shirt. Her tears soaked his shirt and wet his skin. He hated her tears, hated seeing her in so much pain, but he didn’t know how to take it away from her. “I never told Michelle, and Kathleen wouldn’t tell her.” she choked out.
“Would she tell anyone else?”
“No.”
Kathleen wouldn’t have told anyone else, he knew that. Just as he knew that Michelle was somehow involved. He kissed her bent head as her sobs slowly began to ease. “I need you to listen to me,” he said gently. “You need to keep this towel against your throat. I’m going to take you down to the bathroom. You’re going to take a shower, you’re going to change, and you’re going to come right back here. You can’t let anyone see you though, okay?”
She nodded slowly. He gently disentangled himself from her and stood uncertainly for a moment. Her knees were drawn up against her chest. Blood had soaked into the towel, and seeped down her neck to stain her torn shirt and jeans. Rage and helplessness battled through him in alternating waves. He should have been here to stop this from happening, but he’d been too late and she had suffered even more because of it.
He forced himself to turn away from her, before he couldn’t. Before he just scooped her up, carried her from this building, and took her far away where no one could hurt her again. He moved quickly around the room, gathering the stuff that he would need. When he was done he went back and gently helped her to stand. He led her to the doorway and pulled the chain off. Her legs suddenly buckled as she slumped against him. He wrapped his arm tightly around her waist to keep her up as he shoved the battered door aside.
Mike stood on the other side with his hand raised to knock. His eyes widened in surprise and his hand fell to his side as he took in Sera. “What happened?” he demanded.
“Go inside, I’ll be right back,” Liam ordered briskly.
Mike nodded as he slipped past Liam. He led her quickly down the hall to the bathroom, flicked the light on, and walked her in. Opening one of the glass doors of the shower, he turned the water on, and quickly adjusted the temperature. He stripped her clothes and held her at arm’s length. She tilted her head back to look at him through glazed eyes.
“Sera, you need to do this for me, do you understand?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I’m going to leave clean clothes on the sink. There’s a bandage with them. You need to put it on your throat when you get out, all right?”
She nodded slowly, and he kissed her forehead gently. “Meet me in the room when you’re done.”
She nodded again as he led her into the shower. The fog in her mind began to lift as she ducked her head under the stinging needles of water. He watched her intently from the doorway. “I’ll be all right,” she assured him.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
He squeezed her arm gently and closed the door. She stood under the water, letting it pound against her as it eased some of the tension in her sore muscles. Blood pooled around her feet and flowed down the drain. She picked up the bar of soap and began to vigorously scrub herself. She slumped weakly against the wall as she started to cry again.