Lydia's Secret (The Secret Series Book 1) (17 page)

“Okay but I’m only allowed to watch G-rated movies,” she replied, climbing up into the giant chair.

Great, Simon thought with a mental cringe. “Do you like pizza?”

“Yes. Cheese only, please.”

Simon rummaged through a desk until he located a phonebook. He grabbed his cell and dialed the local pizza joint and ordered the child a large cheese pizza and a caffeine-free soda. “It’ll be here in approximately thirty minutes.”

“Thank you. Would you like to watch a movie with me?”

Simon ground his teeth. He couldn’t let himself feel pity for the child. She was a means to an end for him, nothing more, nothing less. “I’m not really—”

“Please, Mr. Simon?”

“Okay, but only until your pizza arrives, and then it’s bedtime for you.”

Chapter Eighteen

Two hours and three slices of pizza later, Simon adjusted the sleeping child now curled up next to him on the overstuffed chair. She stretched, mumbling something in her sleep as she snuggled closer, and laid her head on his lap.

His hand hovered for long moments over her little bald head before he let it fall away. If God really existed, surely he would spare the life of this little girl, Simon pondered, staring at her innocent profile.

She’d somehow managed to weasel her way under his skin in a matter of hours. He’d consumed pizza, of all things, and would no doubt regret it later while his body digested the foreign substance.

He wondered if saving her life by giving her his blood would justify turning her in his mind. Simon shook his head. There were worse things than death, and being a child for eternity, never aging; never maturing beyond her youthful body would be a living hell. No, he couldn’t do that to her.

A thought occurred to him as he sat there lost in a damnable
Sponge Bob
episode. His own blood wouldn’t work, but a shifter’s might. The physician in him speculated, remembering the wolf chained in his basement.

He glanced down at the sleeping girl on his lap. If what he had in mind actually worked, she would become the thing he hated most, but she would be alive, and that was all that mattered to Simon in that moment.

The hair suddenly stood up on the back of his neck, and chills passed through his tall frame. A feeling of hatred settled in his gut as he eased Jacie off his lap and rose to face his enemy. There was no denying who evoked such emotions in him, who always had… Svetlana.

“Your tastes seem to be running a little on the young side these days, my sweet.” The sound of Svetlana’s voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard to Simon.

“What are you doing here?” he questioned, placing himself between her and Jacie.

She stepped farther into the room. “Is that any way to treat a guest?”

His body tensed for a fight even though she could easily overpower him. She had taken Ione’s blood along with his, marking him as her own. He’d become her minion, her slave, her prisoner…and he despised her for it.

“Do you what you came to do and get out.” Pain sliced through his skull as unseen fingers wrapped around his brain and squeezed. He dropped to his knees, his teeth locked together to keep from screaming.

Her fingers moved to the top button of her blouse. “It’s been a while, my sweet.”

“Not here,” he ground out, pushing to his feet.

A smile curved her ruby-red lips. “Lead the way.”

Simon had been so absorbed in thoughts of saving a small child that he’d let his guard down and allowed Svetlana, his most-hated adversary, slip up on him undetected. He trailed off toward his bedroom.

Svetlana entered behind him and locked the door. “Take off your clothes,” she purred, unbuttoning the rest of her blouse.

Nausea rolled through his gut as he undressed, standing before her while she perused his naked body.

She removed the rest of her clothes and held her arms out. “Do you like what you see?”

Simon let his gaze move over her small frame. Her golden locks were loosely piled up on her head while stray wisps fell along the sides of her face. Her dark blue eyes were lined in black, giving them a smoky appearance that accented her red lips and rosy cheeks. Her outward beauty was a force to be reckoned with, but her insides were a rotted corpse of evil, the nightmare of all things vile. “Let’s get this over with.”

Her smile faltered. “Get on your knees.”

“I’d rather stand.” His muscles shook with the power of holding back. She
pressed
into his mind, lowering him to the floor against his will.

“That’s a good boy,” she purred, coming to a stop directly in front of him. “I know you just ate, but I hope you left room for me.”

* * * *

Simon stumbled to the bathroom and nearly fell into the shower. Dry heaves racked his body as he viciously scrubbed every inch of his skin. He brushed his teeth again and again before pulling on clean clothes and trailing back to the den.

The overstuffed chair where he’d left the little girl sleeping was empty, as was the rest of the house. Her presence couldn’t be felt anywhere on the property. He blurred to the basement where he’d left the wolf.

“You better pray she isn’t harmed,” Max snarled, struggling against his bonds. “I know Svetlana was here.”

Simon gripped his neck, slamming him back against the wall. “I know better than anyone that she was here. She has taken the child, and you are going to help me get her back.”

“How could you let her leave with Jacie?” Max growled, straining to break free.

“I did not
let
her,” Simon sneered, tightening his grip. “As long as she lives, I am beholden to her. I do not expect you to understand, but I don’t need you to understand. I need you to do as I say, and there is a chance we can get her back.”

“Let me go,” Max ground out. “Hurry, we are running out of time.”

Simon hesitated, staring into the eyes of his natural enemy. “If you try anything— anything at all—I will kill you. Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly.”

Letting go of his throat, Simon released Max’s bonds and stepped back. “We must make haste.”

Max was at the top of the stairs before Simon finished his sentence. “You better keep up.”

* * * *

Lydia’s gaze shifted through the trees as she came to a stop behind Roman. “Where are we?”

He moved aside so that she could see. “Simon’s rental.”

A two-story house lay just ahead with a single black sedan parked in the driveway. “How did you find it?” she whispered, taking a step forward.

“Sawyer and Niko located it about an hour ago.”

“Did they say if Jacie was in there?”

“A human is definitely in there, but it’s not Jacie.”

“How can you be sure, Roman? We have to hurry. She could be hurt.” Her voice broke, and she had to clear her throat to continue. “Please.”

He gently grasped her shoulders. “I can sense her essence, but it isn’t fresh.”

“What does that mean?”

“She was here, but she isn’t now. However, Jeanie is inside, and she may know something. Be silent and stay on alert. It could be a trap.” He turned toward the house and slipped quietly through the woods.

They arrived at the door without mishap. Roman turned the knob and cautiously entered with Lydia tight on his heels. He lifted his hand, motioning toward the stairs. Lydia nodded and followed him to the second floor.

“She’s in here,” Roman whispered, moving into the first bedroom on the right.

“Jeanie!” Lydia cried, running to bed and giving Jacie’s nurse a light shake.

She moaned and opened her eyes. “Jacie…”

“Yes, Jeanie. Where is Jacie?” Blinking back tears, Lydia tried again. “Where is my daughter?”

“Simon…”

Roman was suddenly at Lydia’s side. “Did Simon hurt Jacie?”

Lydia’s heart hurt so badly she could only watch in silence as Roman questioned her daughter’s nurse. “Think, Jeanie.”

“Not hurt…”

Relief was instant, nearly bringing Lydia to her knees. “Do you know where he took her?”

She shook her head, her eyes drifting shut. “So sorry, Jacie…”

Lydia wanted to scream, so great was her pain. “Listen to me, Jeanie—”

Roman abruptly laid his palms on either side of Jeanie’s head. His eyes slid shut momentarily before his hands fell away and he stepped back.

Jeanie sat up with tears in her eyes. “Thank you. I don’t know how long I’ve been in that catatonic state, but it felt like years. I’m so sorry I took Jacie. He made me do it. Do you understand? He left me no choice.”

“We know what Simon is capable of. He uses a sort of hypnosis to take control of his victims,” Roman explained. “None of this was your fault.” He paused. “Where is your car?”

“He parked it in the garage where it wouldn’t be seen.”

“Get in it and go straight to the compound. Tell Madison everything that you know.” He took hold of Lydia’s arm. “We must hurry.”

“Where are you going?” Jeanie asked, sliding off the bed and grabbing her shoes.

Roman spoke over his shoulder on his way to the door. “To bring Jacie home.”

* * * *

Simon signaled for Max to halt long before they reached Svetlana’s lair. He had no doubt that she had eyes everywhere and armies of fledglings patrolling the surrounding area.

Max did as Simon demanded, coming to stop at his left side. “Are you sure my blood will cure her disease? What if she isn’t strong enough and it kills her?”

He glanced over at the wolf. “She is going to die either way. We have to at least try.”

“Then why not give her your blood?”

Simon blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “Because, nitwit, she would stop aging at the point she is now. What is that….six years old? At least with shifter blood, she would grow to maturity.”

“I thought you disliked my kind,” Max challenged with a raised eyebrow.

“Dislike would be putting it mildly.”

“Yeah well, the feeling is mutual,” Max shot back.

“I don’t care what she is as long as she lives.” And Simon didn’t care, he realized. There was something special about the child, something he’d never felt in another human before. She made him feel again, laugh again… She made him whole.

“You have feelings for the kid.”

Simon ignored him as he scanned the forest for his enemy’s presence. “She’s close. I can feel her.”

“How are we going to get close before she kills her? She won’t wait, Simon. She is probably draining her at this very moment,” Max growled, his canines peeking out from his top lip.

The tension suddenly left Simon’s body. He shifted his gaze to Max. “We are going to walk up to the door and knock.” He took off before Max could reply. He knew the kid would follow as surely as he knew that Svetlana would be expecting him.

Stopping in front of the door, Simon raised his hand to knock. It opened before his knuckles reached the wood. “She’s been expecting you,” a tall, skinny, newly turned vampire announced. “This way.”

Simon trailed behind the fledgling with Max in tow, down a long hallway with an open door at the end.

“Welcome, Maximilian Vaughn,” Svetlana drawled as they entered the room. “I see Simon has resorted to not only brats, but it would seem stray puppies as well. It’s his upbringing, you realize. Trash. His entire family was trash.”

Simon’s fangs elongated and heat formed behind his eyes. “I’m here to offer you a deal.”

“You are not in a place to make a deal, Le Blanc,” Svetlana taunted, running her fingernail down the side of Jacie’s face.

Simon held the female vampire’s gaze, afraid to look at Jacie for fear of what he’d see. “She is of no use to you. You already have Barbatus blood flowing through your veins. You don’t need hers. Look at her, Svetlana. She’s sick.”

“That she is. Now what is it that you are proposing? I’m dying to hear this.”

“Trade me for her.”

Svetlana laughed a horrific sound that turned Simon’s stomach. “I already have you. Surely you can do better than that.”

“I will never run again.”

That gave her pause. “How can I be sure you speak the truth? How do I know you won’t run once the child dies?”

“I—”

“Someone approaches, my queen,” the tall, lanky fledgling interrupted.

“Lock them up, Calvin. I’ll deal with them later.”

Svetlana held onto Jacie’s hand as Simon and Max were escorted from the room and into the basement.

“Get in there,” Calvin spat, shoving Simon into a silver cage. Locking the door, he opened the neighboring cage, pushing Max in next before leaving the room.

“What are we going to do now? Jacie looks bad, Simon. She’s going to need her meds in the morning.”

“Her meds,” Simon hissed. “The bitch left Jacie’s pills back at the house.”

Simon could feel his body growing weary. “It’s nearing morning. There is no time left. I have a plan, Max, and I’m going to need your full cooperation to pull it off.”

“Anything to help Jacie,” Max replied, moving in close to the bars facing Simon’s cell. The makeshift prisons were far enough apart the two men couldn’t touch hands with their arms outstretched.

“I’m going to lure Svetlana down here and offer myself to her for the night. I will also promise her information on Roman Castillo if she will free the child.”

“Don’t you dare give her anything on Roman. He’s—”

“Bait, kid. Nothing more.”

Max’s growl echoed off the walls of their prison. “He’s been a father to me for the last few years. He pulled me off the streets and gave me a job…a home.”

The door opened before Simon could answer. Calvin entered, carrying Jacie in his arms. “I was told to put her in with the wolf.” He unlocked the door and tossed Jacie’s slight form into the cell.