Page 126 of Vacancy

The dude looked like he had to be at least thirty; he was practically freakingbald! How in the world could he have gone to high school withThalia…who was only twenty?

I waved my hands, pushing past his weirdness. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. But I know my roommate screamed, and I can’t get into her room to check on her. So I’m worried as fuck that she’s hurt…or worse. Are you going to help me or not?”

He opened his mouth, looking torn, which really pissed me off. But before he could answer, I heard a frantic voice from below shout, “Oaklynn?”

“Damien,” I breathed in relief before I shot off down the hall, away from the cop, and headed for the stairs.

“Hey!” he called after me.

But I waved a hand back at him, explaining, “It’s okay. It’s my boyfriend.”

By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, Damien was already there. I launched myself forward, and he caught me against him, pulling me tight as I wound both my arms and legs around him, trembling in relief.

His hands shook as he patted the back of my hair. “You okay? Are you okay?” he asked from a voice that also wasn’t very steady.

When he pulled his face back in order to cup my cheeks and scan my expression in worry, I nodded. “Yeah. I’m okay. I’m okay now. But Thalia…”

“Sir?” the officer called down the stairs.

Damien lifted his face and looked up. “What’s going on?” He sat me down so I could stand next to him, but we each kept our arms securely wrapped around each other.

“We got a call from this residence claiming there was a possible prowler on the premises and that one of the occupants might’ve been attacked.”

Nodding, I grabbed Damien’s hand and tried to drag him up the stairs with me, explaining, “Thalia screamed. And there were thuds. She was begging someone, asking them to stop. And when I got to her door, she wouldn’t answer, but I could hear movement and these sounds inside like she was in pain. Something’s seriously wrong. I just know it.”

When Damien resisted my efforts to pull him along behind me, I glanced back and shook my head. “What’re you doing?”

He looked suddenly pale. And sick.

“Are you the homeowner?” the cop asked, interrupting our moment.

“Do what?” Damien rasped in a hoarse voice, only to shake his head and glance past me, focusing on the officer. “Uh, yes, sir. I am.”

“You got a key for this room?”

“I...” Appearing shaken to the core, Damien closed his eyes briefly, shook his head, and then cleared his throat. “Yeah. Yes, sir.” He fumbled in his pocket before pulling out his key ring. “Right here.”

Avoiding eye contact with me, he shifted to head up the stairs, leaving me behind.

Blinking at him in dismay, I shook my head and rushed to follow.

In the hallway on the second level, the officer was tipping his head as he watched Damien hesitantly approach the door to Thalia’s room. “You’re Damien, right?” he asked. “Damien Archer, Thalia’s little brother.”

Damien nodded and paused with the keys as he glanced over.

The cop pointed. “I think I met you once. I took Thalia to a homecoming dance our junior year, and you were there when I picked her up. Damn…” He shook his head and let out a low whistle. “You really grew up.”

Tipping my head, I glanced between the two and grew totally confused. I wanted to snap my fingers and hurry Damien along to open the door already. Thalia was inside. Why the hell were both he and the officer reacting so slowly as if there wasn’t an emergency?

But then…the things the cop was saying.

They didn’t add up.

He was acting as if he was a lot older than Damien. Hell, helookeda lot older than Damien.

But…shouldn’t they be the same age if Damien and Thalia were twins?

“You know,” the cop said, motioning toward me with his head. “She thinks—”

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