Page 31 of Secrets & Desires
Her murderer slid the knife between her ribs into her heart and she never knew theanswer.
ChapterTwelve
Livia wokein the dark hours before dawn to an empty bed. She shivered—the window was open and a cold breeze blew into the room. She got up, snagging Nox’s shirt and pulling it around her as she went to close thewindow.
“Nox?”
The house was silent. Livia padded into the hall and listened. Something—water? —was making a sound somewhere in the house and she followed the noise to the far end of the house, to where the two locked rooms stood. Hesitating, Livia reached out and turned the handle of one of the rooms. It opened and she now heard the definite sound of water running—someone was in the shower in the en-suite.
She took a deep breath in and walked silently to the door of the bathroom. She tried not to look at the room itself but as she reached the bathroom door, she glanced to her left—and saw the huge, dark bloodstains on the floor.Oh god. Why, Nox? Why leave it like this?It was like some sort of macabre torture chamber for hispsyche.
Livia had no doubt who she would see when she pushed open the bathroom door. Nox was in the shower, naked, scrubbing at his skin furiously. He looked up, but Livia could see he wasn’t really seeing her. He was sleepwalking. He raised his arms to her. “I can’t get the blood out. I can’t get thebloodout.”
As Livia looked on in horror, Nox began to sob. “I can’t get the blood out, Ariel. God help me, what have I done?What haveIdone?”
ChapterThirteen
Amber gotout of the car and saw a pale, shaken Livia waiting for her at the door of the mansion. She came out to meet her and hugged Amber, and Amber could feel her trembling. “Thank you for coming, Amber. I got him back into bed but I didn’t know what elsetodo.”
Amber hugged her tightly. “You did the right thing, Livia. Is heasleep?”
Livia nodded, her brown eyes large and frightened. Amber took her hand and they went inside. Nox was asleep in their bed, his handsome face wracked with pain. Amber studied him for a moment, and then nodded for Livia to followherout.
They sat in the kitchen and Amber made Livia drink some hot, strong coffee. It was a little after dawn. Amber, her face make-up free, her red hair tucked up in a bun, tried to smile at Livia. “First up, don’t be too scared. He’s done this before. Sleepwalked, I mean. Twice that I know of. Once when Ariel died, once after his family. Tell me, what did you two do lastnight?”
Livia told her about the dinner, and the reunion between Nox and Charvi. Ambernodded. “Ah.”
Livia looked at her unhappily. “I blame myself. I encouraged themreconnecting.”
“You know what, you shouldn’t feel bad. At least we were able to control it, this way. What if he’d run into her unexpectedly? No, this is good. Maybe Nox will start to deal with all of it now. He never did, you see? He stuck his gorgeous head in the sand and just got on with the grief. He never processed whathappened.”
Livia’s eyes filled withtears. “God.”
Amber patted her hand. “You’re good for him, you know? This is a good time for him to start processing. He has you. I suspect he’s never feltstronger.”
Livia smiled at her. “You aresokind.”
Amber sipped her coffee. “Anything else happen last night you can think of? Was it just seeingCharvi?”
“There was something… He got a text message and afterward, he went to the bathroom and got sick. He said it was just the release of nerves, but Idon’tknow.”
“Where’s hisphone?”
“Upstairs, I think. I’ll gogetit.”
Amber waited while Livia went to get Nox’s phone and when she came back, her face was stricken. “Amber…”
“Whatisit?”
Livia looked down at the phone. “It’s Ariel. There’sphotos.”
Amber swallowed and held out her hand. “Livia,please.”
Livia hesitated, then handed over the phone. Amber knew what she’d see before she clicked on the message but she couldn’t help the small sob that escaped her when she saw the brutalized body of her twin sister. Livia’s arms went around her then and held her tightly while she cried. Livia smoothed her hair, murmuring, “I’m sorry. I’m sosorry.”
Amber pulled herself together, but leaned her head against Liv’s. “Sorry, boo. Always ashock.”
Livia smiled at her, handing her a tissue. “I can’t imagine what it must be like for you. Who wouldsendthis?”
