CHAPTER 18
Beth pulled her knees up against her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she began to tell
Adam about the night her husband was murdered. Although she knew Duncan had told him
about the murder … she repeated the story of how they had been abducted … forced down the
alley and how she'd been forced to watch Asher Devan tear her husband to ribbons before
running him through with the sword.
So far, there was nothing in her story Adam didn't know … except to see first hand the pain and
emotion she obviously felt as she relived it. He passed her a few tissues from the dresser and
urged her to continue.
"After he was finished with Craig … it was my turn." She took a deep breath. "He took great
satisfaction in telling me all the ways I would feel pain … all the ways he could draw out my death
…" she hugged her knees tighter and closed her eyes at the thought.
"Beth you're safe … and he didn't get to do those things … and he won't … I promise you it isn't
going to happen." Adam's voice was firm and decisive. She shook her head because there was
something Adam didn't know … something that would make all the difference about Asher Devan
and anyone's ability to stop him.
"I was so afraid … all I could see was Craig's torn body … his blood spattered all over the alley …
And all I could hear was the sound of his screams every time that monster slashed at him. By the
time he was done … I'd lost complete touch with anything sane … I was almost catatonic."
"I'm sure anyone would be." Adam replied, watching as she brushed a long strand of dark hair
back over her shoulder and out of her face. Watching her, he forced himself not to wonder how
many Beth's he'd left in his wake all those years ago … catatonic with fear … or worse.
"Two of his men were at the end of the alley … so when he had trouble untying Craig from the
pipe to make room for me … he didn't think twice about making the man who had been holding
me help. I had collapsed … I didn't appear to have any thought of resistance."
"He was wrong wasn't he?" Adam replied … urging her to continue … letting her know with his
comment that he would believe her.
"I don't know where it came from, but as soon as the man stepped away from me … suddenly I
saw things very clearly. I knew if I didn't do something … I was going to die … And then I saw
where he'd placed the sword."
Adam watched her very carefully … he'd wondered what she could have done to keep this man
from killing her … and now he was about to find out.
"They weren't paying attention to me … so I dove as fast as I could across the alley and grabbed
the sword … I don't know what I was thinking … but I just couldn't sit there and let it happen
without trying … " Beth closed her eyes, reliving the events as she spoke. "It was heavy … and I
remember it took both hands to lift it … I remember staring at my hands and at the blood on the
sword … Craig's blood … and I almost lost my nerve … I almost dropped it."
She opened her eyes and locked them with Adam's.
"But then he was laughing at me … telling me I was a fool to think I could do any real damage …
he taunted me … Telling me I didn't have what it took to even try to attack him." an odd look
passed over her face … almost a grin, but not quite. "And then he laughed and turned to see if
the other guy was seeing as much humor in the situation as he was … That's when I closed my
eyes and swung the blade at him for all I was worth …"
Adam's eyes widened a bit … "Did you strike him?"
She nodded. "Yes I did."
"He stopped laughing and when I opened my eyes he was standing there with a shocked and
almost amused look on his face … and there was a deep gash across his stomach." She rubbed
her face with her hands and let her fingers sift through her hair as she continued. "And then it
was like I was on auto pilot … I kept swinging at him … I was crying and thinking about what he'd
done to Craig … and what he wanted to do to me … and all the while he kept looking at me in
complete shock as I backed him up against the wall …"
"You must have done some real damage." Adam remarked, inwardly amazed at what this
woman had done.
"That's just it … I didn't …" her words hung in the air for several seconds.
"I know the sword sliced into his body at least a dozen time … and when he fell against the wall
the other guy ran. I stood over him for a long time … and all the while he just lay there …
bleeding and grinning at me like there was some inside joke I wasn't getting … I stood over him
until his eyes glazed over … he was dead."
Adam waited a minute before reacting. He knew what she was going to say next, that what she'd
already told him was the truth … but he also knew she expected him to question her … so he did
as she expected.
"But Asher Devan isn't dead."
"No … he isn't." her eyes filled with tears. "But he was dead … I know he was … I am not crazy "
Adam didn't know what to say, so he said the only thing he knew she wanted to hear. Kneeling
beside the bed, he cupped her chin in his hand and looked directly into her eyes. "I believe you
Beth. If you say he was dead … then he was dead." His words were as sincere as the look he
gave her.
"But how can you believe me when even I know it doesn't make any sense." She insisted, pulling
away from his touch. "When the police got there … he was still lying on the ground … but then
he started coughing and just stood up … he just stood up." She repeated for emphasis. "His
clothes were torn and covered with blood … but Adam … there wasn't a mark on his body. They
were all gone … "
She was all worked up again and Adam knew he'd pushed her as far as he should for one night.
He could see the pulse at the base of her neck racing and her breathing becoming shallower as
she tried to make sense of it. Her eyes begged him to help her make sense of it … and he
wished he could do that for her … but that couldn't happen … not now … and probably not ever.
All he could do is try to make sure the next time … Asher Devan stayed dead.
"I'm sorry … I didn't mean for you to get upset Beth … I just wanted to help … to let you talk it out
… " Adam stood up and slipped one of the pillows from behind her. "Lie back and try to relax …
that's a good girl." He said as she let him ease her further under the covers.
She rolled to her side and propped herself up on one elbow as she watched him put the tea cup
on the tray and move it all to the bureau near the door. She'd been studying him while they
talked and was seeing a side of him she'd never expected.
"Why are you helping me?" she asked as he turned around from the task.
"Would you believe me if I said I didn't know?" he replied.
She shook her head.
"Can you just accept my help … OUR help?" He asked. "Does there have to be a reason?"
"There's always a reason." She replied. "But yes … I can accept it … without too many
questions … for now."
Adam stretched and looked out the window to see the first sign of morning over the roofline.
"Do you think you can sleep now?" he asked.
She nodded her head. "I try to pace myself … only one nightmare allowed per night." She tried
to keep her reply light.
"Then I'm going to try and do the same." He replied. "If you need me …"
"I know … " she replied.
Adam had almost closed the door behind him when he paused and turned back.
"You know … I think your name really suits you …"
"My name?" Beth asked …
"Leandra … It was on the police report we saw …"
Beth frowned. "Leandra doesn't exist anymore … she's gone … along with the rest of her life …"
her voice was sad.
"That may be true … or not …" he mused "but one thing hasn't changed … the lioness … is still
there."
"The lioness?"
"Leandra … in greek it means lioness." Adam replied as he pulled the door almost closed. "And
it suits you … " The door closed and Beth could hear him climbing the stairs to his room and the
creaking of the box spring when he finally crawled into bed.
Beth pulled her knees up against her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she began to tell
Adam about the night her husband was murdered. Although she knew Duncan had told him
about the murder … she repeated the story of how they had been abducted … forced down the
alley and how she'd been forced to watch Asher Devan tear her husband to ribbons before
running him through with the sword.
So far, there was nothing in her story Adam didn't know … except to see first hand the pain and
emotion she obviously felt as she relived it. He passed her a few tissues from the dresser and
urged her to continue.
"After he was finished with Craig … it was my turn." She took a deep breath. "He took great
satisfaction in telling me all the ways I would feel pain … all the ways he could draw out my death
…" she hugged her knees tighter and closed her eyes at the thought.
"Beth you're safe … and he didn't get to do those things … and he won't … I promise you it isn't
going to happen." Adam's voice was firm and decisive. She shook her head because there was
something Adam didn't know … something that would make all the difference about Asher Devan
and anyone's ability to stop him.
"I was so afraid … all I could see was Craig's torn body … his blood spattered all over the alley …
And all I could hear was the sound of his screams every time that monster slashed at him. By the
time he was done … I'd lost complete touch with anything sane … I was almost catatonic."
"I'm sure anyone would be." Adam replied, watching as she brushed a long strand of dark hair
back over her shoulder and out of her face. Watching her, he forced himself not to wonder how
many Beth's he'd left in his wake all those years ago … catatonic with fear … or worse.
"Two of his men were at the end of the alley … so when he had trouble untying Craig from the
pipe to make room for me … he didn't think twice about making the man who had been holding
me help. I had collapsed … I didn't appear to have any thought of resistance."
"He was wrong wasn't he?" Adam replied … urging her to continue … letting her know with his
comment that he would believe her.
"I don't know where it came from, but as soon as the man stepped away from me … suddenly I
saw things very clearly. I knew if I didn't do something … I was going to die … And then I saw
where he'd placed the sword."
Adam watched her very carefully … he'd wondered what she could have done to keep this man
from killing her … and now he was about to find out.
"They weren't paying attention to me … so I dove as fast as I could across the alley and grabbed
the sword … I don't know what I was thinking … but I just couldn't sit there and let it happen
without trying … " Beth closed her eyes, reliving the events as she spoke. "It was heavy … and I
remember it took both hands to lift it … I remember staring at my hands and at the blood on the
sword … Craig's blood … and I almost lost my nerve … I almost dropped it."
She opened her eyes and locked them with Adam's.
"But then he was laughing at me … telling me I was a fool to think I could do any real damage …
he taunted me … Telling me I didn't have what it took to even try to attack him." an odd look
passed over her face … almost a grin, but not quite. "And then he laughed and turned to see if
the other guy was seeing as much humor in the situation as he was … That's when I closed my
eyes and swung the blade at him for all I was worth …"
Adam's eyes widened a bit … "Did you strike him?"
She nodded. "Yes I did."
"He stopped laughing and when I opened my eyes he was standing there with a shocked and
almost amused look on his face … and there was a deep gash across his stomach." She rubbed
her face with her hands and let her fingers sift through her hair as she continued. "And then it
was like I was on auto pilot … I kept swinging at him … I was crying and thinking about what he'd
done to Craig … and what he wanted to do to me … and all the while he kept looking at me in
complete shock as I backed him up against the wall …"
"You must have done some real damage." Adam remarked, inwardly amazed at what this
woman had done.
"That's just it … I didn't …" her words hung in the air for several seconds.
"I know the sword sliced into his body at least a dozen time … and when he fell against the wall
the other guy ran. I stood over him for a long time … and all the while he just lay there …
bleeding and grinning at me like there was some inside joke I wasn't getting … I stood over him
until his eyes glazed over … he was dead."
Adam waited a minute before reacting. He knew what she was going to say next, that what she'd
already told him was the truth … but he also knew she expected him to question her … so he did
as she expected.
"But Asher Devan isn't dead."
"No … he isn't." her eyes filled with tears. "But he was dead … I know he was … I am not crazy "
Adam didn't know what to say, so he said the only thing he knew she wanted to hear. Kneeling
beside the bed, he cupped her chin in his hand and looked directly into her eyes. "I believe you
Beth. If you say he was dead … then he was dead." His words were as sincere as the look he
gave her.
"But how can you believe me when even I know it doesn't make any sense." She insisted, pulling
away from his touch. "When the police got there … he was still lying on the ground … but then
he started coughing and just stood up … he just stood up." She repeated for emphasis. "His
clothes were torn and covered with blood … but Adam … there wasn't a mark on his body. They
were all gone … "
She was all worked up again and Adam knew he'd pushed her as far as he should for one night.
He could see the pulse at the base of her neck racing and her breathing becoming shallower as
she tried to make sense of it. Her eyes begged him to help her make sense of it … and he
wished he could do that for her … but that couldn't happen … not now … and probably not ever.
All he could do is try to make sure the next time … Asher Devan stayed dead.
"I'm sorry … I didn't mean for you to get upset Beth … I just wanted to help … to let you talk it out
… " Adam stood up and slipped one of the pillows from behind her. "Lie back and try to relax …
that's a good girl." He said as she let him ease her further under the covers.
She rolled to her side and propped herself up on one elbow as she watched him put the tea cup
on the tray and move it all to the bureau near the door. She'd been studying him while they
talked and was seeing a side of him she'd never expected.
"Why are you helping me?" she asked as he turned around from the task.
"Would you believe me if I said I didn't know?" he replied.
She shook her head.
"Can you just accept my help … OUR help?" He asked. "Does there have to be a reason?"
"There's always a reason." She replied. "But yes … I can accept it … without too many
questions … for now."
Adam stretched and looked out the window to see the first sign of morning over the roofline.
"Do you think you can sleep now?" he asked.
She nodded her head. "I try to pace myself … only one nightmare allowed per night." She tried
to keep her reply light.
"Then I'm going to try and do the same." He replied. "If you need me …"
"I know … " she replied.
Adam had almost closed the door behind him when he paused and turned back.
"You know … I think your name really suits you …"
"My name?" Beth asked …
"Leandra … It was on the police report we saw …"
Beth frowned. "Leandra doesn't exist anymore … she's gone … along with the rest of her life …"
her voice was sad.
"That may be true … or not …" he mused "but one thing hasn't changed … the lioness … is still
there."
"The lioness?"
"Leandra … in greek it means lioness." Adam replied as he pulled the door almost closed. "And
it suits you … " The door closed and Beth could hear him climbing the stairs to his room and the
creaking of the box spring when he finally crawled into bed.