He heard Stonewall tell everyone what was going on. Then Joy came on the line. “I’m on my way, Roland, and I’ve called for backup,” she said.
“Where’s the circuit breaker in that house located?” he asked.
“In the laundry room off the kitchen.”
“Thanks.”
• • •
“Who are you? Why are you here?” Lennox fought back the fear she felt. How had he managed to get past her alarm system?
A sinister smile appeared on the man’s lips. “That’s right. We’ve never met, although you’ve done nothing but cause me trouble. My name is Samuel Meadows.”
Lennox’s stomach twisted in a knot. “No, you can’t be him. He’s dead.”
“I had a little help faking my death. I should be long gone, out of the country by now, but there was no way I could leave without taking care of you first.”
Lennox knew that if she tried to make a run for it, he would shoot her in the back. She could hear the faint sound of her cell phone ringing. It was buried in her purse that she’d left on the kitchen table. Who was trying to reach her? Did they have an idea she was in danger?
“Do you know just what I lost because of you, Dr. Roswell?”
If he expected an answer, well, he wouldn’t be getting one. Not only was he incredibly evil, it was obvious the man was unhinged.
“I should kill you right now and get it over with, but now that I see how pretty you are, I think I’ll have a little fun with you first.”
Knowing what he had in mind, she said, “You might as well just go ahead and shoot me then. Because there’s no way I’ll let you touch me.”
“You won’t have any choice,” he said, kicking off his shoes and unbuttoning his shirt. “And if you make a sound, I will kill you and then fuck you.”
“You’re sick,” she said with disgust.
He chuckled as he removed his belt with one hand while holding the gun on her with the other. “Yes, I am. Keep that in mind if you’re thinking about trying anything.” He then stepped out of his pants and kicked them aside, wearing only his briefs. He was about to remove them, too, when suddenly, the entire house went black.
“What the hell!” Meadows roared.
Lennox suddenly remembered what Roland had told her and quickly dropped to the floor and rolled toward the bed when Meadows began firing his gun.
“Bitch! Where are you? I’m not leaving until you’re dead.”
Bullets whizzed over her head before she managed to crawl under the bed. It was obvious a half-naked Meadows had gone mad and was shooting at every single thing in the room. Would he figure out where she was?
All of a sudden, she heard Roland’s loud, angry voice. “I’m sick and tired of your ass, Meadows. You’ve come after my woman for the last time.”
His woman? Lennox figured Roland had used that term of possessiveness just to rile Meadows and it worked. The man began firing again and she knew this time, Roland was firing back. Suddenly she heard a body fall to the floor with a loud thump.
“Lennox? Are you okay?” Roland asked in a frantic voice.
“Yes!” She eased out from under the bed and was helped up by a pair of strong arms.
Once she was on her feet, those same strong arms wrapped solidly around her and she all but plastered herself to him. She didn’t know how he’d known she needed him, but he had known and had come.
Then his mouth slanted over hers and she realized this was what she’d needed. It was what she had been needing for the past fourteen days. His kisses had become as much a part of her as breathing.
They broke off the kiss when the lights in the house suddenly came back on. Seconds later, Joy, several police officers, and Special Agents Warner and DuBose rushed in with their guns drawn.
Lennox shifted her gaze back to Roland. He no longer had a thick beard, but he was still as handsome as ever. The eyes staring back at her had a look in their dark depths that she’d never seen before.
Ignoring the others in the room, he leaned in and kissed her again. When he finally broke off the kiss, he lifted a mass of her hair out the way and whispered in her ear, “I thought I had lost you for real this time.”