Pierced

Untitled Part 31

Chapter Nineteen

Lucian

"Sam, how long until you  pick up Lia?" As soon as Max leaves my office, I pick up the phone to  call Sam. He needs to be updated on Lia's stepfather.

"I'm picking her up at  three. I'm here now waiting for her." I take a quick look at my watch,  frowning when I see it's now ten minutes past that time.

"That was ten minutes ago. Is she in the car or isn't she?"

"No...she's not here yet, Luc. I'm out front now, walking around the courtyard. Maybe she got held up in her last class."

"Fuck," I hiss; can't  anything go smoothly today? "Listen, Sam, Lia's stepfather was released  from jail earlier. I don't have any reason to think he'd come for her,  but we need to be on our guard. Head to the office and talk to  Mrs.Phillips. Tell her I need to know Lia's schedule today and then  track down her last class. I know Mrs. Phillips' husband, so she'll give  you the information. Call me as soon as you have something. "Without  waiting for a reply, I end the call. Running a hand through my hair, I  kick the side of my desk in frustration. Today has been nothing but one  big cluster fuck; nothing has gone as planned from the moment I walked  through the doors this morning.

Cindy sticks her head  inside my office, probably alarmed by the sound of me blowing off some  steam. She knows me well. She gives me a silent look that asks if I need  anything from her, I shake my head briefly, and she pulls the door  closed behind her. I pick up my cellphone and dial Lia's number. It goes  straight to voice mail without ringing, as if it's turned off. I try to  assure myself it's just because she's been in class all day. Of course,  she'd have her phone off; she wouldn't want to get any calls during her  exams.

I fire off a text:

Lucian: Baby, where are you? Sam is looking for you.

A long few minutes pass with no reply. I quickly tap out another message.

Lucian: Lia, answer me or I'm coming to find you.

Again, there is no reply. By this time, I'm pacing the floor. When my phone rings, I answer without looking at the caller ID.

"Lia?" Even I can't miss the quaver in my voice.

"No, Luc, it's me." Sam  says. "I just left Lia's last class. Luc, she's been gone from there for  over an hour. The teacher said the test was short, and Lia was one of  the first people finished. She turned it in, and the teacher dismissed  her."

"Goddammit!" I roar.  "Where the hell is she then? Go back out to the car and see if she's  there now. Maybe she was just sitting somewhere near until it was time  for you."

"Luc...I am outside.  It's pretty much cleared out here now. There are only a few people  standing around and none of them are her. How about that friend of hers  she lives with? Do you think she's with her?"

I relax slightly,  thinking that's probably exactly where she is. I don't have her number  though, shit. "Sam, go back inside and have Mrs. Phillips pull Rose's  file and give you her number."

"And her last name is?"

Damn..."MADDEN! It's  Madden." Thank fuck I've listened when Lia talks about her best friend.  Of course, in a school as small as St. Claire's, Mrs. Phillips could no  doubt make the connection without the last name. "I'm heading that way  now. If you find her, put her in the car and don't move. I'll be there  in twenty minutes. Keep me updated."

I grab my keys off the desk and almost run over Cindy on my way out. "Luc, is everything alright?"

"I have no idea," I  answer truthfully. I continue past her; there is no time to stop and  explain. Cindy, no doubt, will know what's going on very shortly; she  seems to have a pipeline to Sam at all times. I check my phone again as I  turn the ignition of the Rover. Still no text from Lia. "Oh, baby,  where are you?" I ask the quiet phone as if expecting an answer. I pull  out into traffic and press the gas pedal to the floor when I hit the  open highway. The sense of foreboding I've felt on and off all morning  has returned in full strength. Much the same way as I'd known something  was going on with Aidan, I know something has happened to Lia. The last  time she didn't answer my calls, she was sick. My phone rings again and  Sam picks up our conversation in almost the exact place we left off.

"I spoke to Rose. She  hasn't talked to Lia since this morning. She said she had a missed call  from her around the time of her last class but was taking her exams and  had her phone off. She has been trying to call her, as well. She's going  to their apartment now to make sure she didn't go there."

"All right, just stay  near the car in case she shows up looking for you. I'll stop by her  apartment to see Rose." I end the call and break a few more traffic laws  before skidding to a halt outside Lia's apartment. I take the front  steps two at a time, running into the lobby just as Rose comes running  down the stairs, waving something in her hands.

"Lucian, Lia's not in  the apartment and it doesn't look like she has been." Audibly  swallowing, she holds out what I now see is mail. "Our neighbor handed  these to me when I was leaving. She said they were lying on the floor  below the mailboxes." Her hand is shaking as I take the envelopes and  see Lia's name on them. "Where is she?" Rose asks, looking on the verge  of full panic. I put one arm around her shoulders, trying to calm her as  I reach for my phone to call Sam. There is a sudden commotion to the  right of the lobby. I hear shouts of alarm and cries for help. I take  off toward the noise with Rose following closely behind. A tall, thin  girl with very short, brown hair comes running through a doorway in the  corner, near a bank of mailboxes.Rose grabs her arm as she goes to pass,  us asking, "Ashley, what's going on? Are you all right?"

The girl stops as if  she's seen a ghost.She is breathing heavy and in obvious distress. I  look around,still trying to discern the source of her anxiety, but see  nothing amiss. "Rose, oh God, Rose...The door was jammed, and I needed  my golf clubs." By this time, she is panting and every word is gasped  out. "Lia...Lia..."

I take her arm, shaking  her lightly. At the mention of Lia's name, I feel my own anxiety  climbing. Something is badly wrong, and this girl has the answers. "What  about Lia? Where is she?" I practically shout. I know it's not wise to  yell at someone so close to the edge, but I need fucking answers. Rose  is shaking her, as well, both of us talking at once.

"Lia's down there...Me  and Mr. Leslie found her. I need to go for help. She's not moving!" I  drop Ashley's arm and run for the doorway she came through. I see  nothing for a moment but wall-to-wall lockers. Then I hear a voice  yelling from the left and take off in that direction. What I find at the  end of the aisle has me staggering unsteadily on my feet.

A pair of bare legs and  feet are partially obscured by the elderly man kneeling next to them. I  catch a glimpse of blonde hair and stumble, overcome with fear. Rose  screams, sobbing Lia's name. The man on the floor spins around, looking  like he's on the point of a nervous breakdown. "Please, help her," he  yells. "I just found her and she's not waking up!"

I run the rest of the  way to his side...and then I see her. "Oh, my God," I whisper as I fall  to my knees beside her. I barely hear Rose's screams above the roaring  in my ears. Something foreign and unfamiliar drips down my face, and I'm  shocked to realize it's tears. As I stare down at the broken body of my  beautiful girl, the fear I'm doomed to lose everyone I love pierces my  soul.

To be continued...

Lucian and Lia's story continues  with Fractured and Mended. Both are now available through all outlets.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_72_0?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A283155%2Cn%3A17%2Ck%3Alucian+and+lia+sydney+landon%2Cp_72%3A1250221011&keywords=lucian+and+lia+sydney+landon&ie=UTF8&qid=1436032222&rnid=1250219011

Also available through: Barnes & Noble, IBooks, Kobo, Google Play & Smashwords.

For updates or to see more of my work, please visit: http://www.sydneylandon.com/

Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sydney.landonauthor?ref=tn_tnmn

Twitter: @sydneylandon1