When Darkness Falls(61)

“Devon doesn’t know I’m here,” Haley said. “In L.A. He thinks I went home.”

Lydia smiled. “He’ll figure it out. But it doesn’t matter. By then you’ll be dead.”

Haley felt rather than saw a rush of movement. Her back slammed into the church’s brick wall. Lydia’s breath scorched her neck, though she stood a few centimeters away, not touching Haley. Her eyes traveled the length of Haley’s body.

Lydia stroked Haley’s cheek. “But not before we have some fun.”

Haley held still, letting her hands dangle at her sides, mind racing. As Lydia’s lips traveled down her throat, Haley stamped on Lydia’s foot. Lydia reared back. Haley yanked her pepper spray from her pocket. She sucked in a breath and held it, squeezed her eyes shut, and sprayed. Lydia shrieked.

Eyes shut, Haley pushed Lydia away and ran blindly forward a few feet, finally opening her eyes a crack. She spotted her purse, scooped it into her arms. Eyes open now despite the burning from the spray, she ran for the car. It was two blocks away. She fumbled for the key fob as she ran. She didn’t look back once. She had no idea what Lydia was doing or how incapacitated she was.

When she reached the car, Haley clicked the unlock button and flung herself inside.

? ? ?

It came back to Devon as he stood at the holy water font. Lydia making love with him that night in her bedroom, her teeth cutting into his skin above his collarbone, Devon becoming dizzier and faint, both frightened and excited. Lydia’s teeth sunk deeper, and Devon had felt too weak to push her away. Plus it felt good. He wanted it, wanted her, at the same time he feared her. Finally, he had whispered her name, and she’d raised her head. The darkness was closing in. Devon heard it buzzing all around him, and from very far away Lydia said, “Sorry, darling. I meant to stop sooner. I’m so sorry.”

He’d awakened with Lydia leaning over him, breathing into his mouth, her lips tasting of blood. The air rushing into his lungs felt hot and tasted like dried paper, but it and the salty, copper taste of blood revived him.

He sensed Lydia, here at the church. Her scent and Haley’s mixed, filling Devon’s nostrils, permeating his body. He raced from the building. The doors banged shut behind him. His eyes adjusted to the dark immediately, and he saw Lydia, half-blind, stumbling, swearing. Saw Haley beyond her, running down the sidewalk. He longed to follow her, but he needed to stop Lydia. She wouldn’t take long to recover, and she posed too much of a threat for him to leave her alone. At least, that’s what he told himself. But Lydia also stood closer to Devon. Close enough that he felt her body heat, and the memory of her breath mixed with his own blood filled his mouth.

Devon grabbed Lydia from behind. He threw her against the church wall and pressed against her back, the length of his body along hers, hands forcing her wrists against the stone. Haley’s scent was stronger now, clinging to every inch of Lydia’s body. The combination made Devon dizzy.

“Devon.” Lydia’s voice sounded dark and silky.

She still had her eyes shut, and Devon was sure she hadn’t seen him, but he was also sure she knew the feel of his body, and his scent, the way he knew hers. Instead of struggling, Lydia molded her body to his, pulled her hair off the back of her neck so he could press his lips against her skin. With one hand, he found her breasts. With his other, he lifted her skirt, and reached to unzip his jeans. Before he could, tires squealed behind him. Without looking, he felt certain it was Haley. He watched a red Neon speed away.

“Fuck.”

Heart racing, Devon detached from Lydia, but she spun and gripped his arm.

“Let her go, darling.”

“She saw us. She saw me.”

“So much the better. Do you think she believed you didn’t want me? Women always know.”

Lydia put her hand on Devon’s chest, but his need for Lydia had disappeared in his panic over Haley. He could not believe he’d let this happen. He needed to find Haley, explain.

Explain what, exactly?

“She’s safer away from us anyway, don’t you think?” Lydia said.

“What were you going to do to her?” he said.

Lydia let go of his arm, apparently convinced he wouldn’t chase after Haley at the moment. She met his eyes. “All the things you want to do, darling. After that, I’ll get rid of her, as you refuse to do.”

Devon stepped back, and Lydia stayed where she was, eyes mocking him, as if she were sure he could not keep the distance between them.

“I know how you did this to me. I remembered,” he said.

“What of it?”

He folded his arms over his chest. “You didn’t do this to me on purpose. It was an accident.”

“But I thought it was a good idea once I’d done it. I freed you, Devon. And when you married Haley, I knew I’d done the right thing. She’s not the answer. She could never have made you happy, not in the long run, could never have filled the empty spaces.”

Devon glanced toward the street again. A couple was crossing at the intersection, and a bicycle whizzed past them. Haley had probably driven a mile or two by now. He could still catch her. Which meant Lydia could as well, so he needed to keep her occupied. “You destroyed my life.”

“I gave you a great gift. I raised you above the pain and meanness of being human.”

“I liked being human,” Devon said.