Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-five

She sat on the edge of the bed in her room. Gideon took the chair. The lamps were off but the connecting door was open, allowing some light from room ten to slant across the floor. She was nervous. Anxious. Excited. But she knew Gideon was in a far worse state. His aura flared in the shadows. He was terrified that he might hurt her.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I’m not fragile.”

“You’re sure you want to do this?”

“Wait.” She jumped to her feet. “Hang on, I want to get something.”

She hurried to her tote, took out the velvet pouch, and removed one of the crystals. She went back to the bed, sat down, composed herself, and tightened her grip on the stone.

“Go,” she ordered.

A silvery sheen illuminated his eyes. She realized she could see the heat because she was in her other vision. Tendrils of energy shifted in the atmosphere, reaching out to close around her and draw her down into the depths. She resisted the urge to push back, trying instead to open herself to the escalating currents.

She slipped beneath the waves and searched for the partial memories she had recovered earlier.

The crystal heated in her hand. Without any warning she was suddenly deep in the nightmare…

…There’s an arm around her neck. The needle stabs into her upper shoulder. She sinks into the darkness. A man in a surgical mask and gown appears…

… She feels the gurney move as if it is riding a wave.

“Shit. A fucking earthquake?” the man in charge says.

“Sir, this place is coming down around us. There’s a fire. I can smell the smoke. We have to get out of here…”

“What about the subjects?” the man in the surgical mask and gown asks.

“There’s nothing we can do,” the one in charge says. He’s angry. “The experiment is terminated. We have to get out of here. Don’t worry, the fire will take care of the evidence and the subjects.”

The men are leaving now. The one in charge looks back at her. For the first time she sees his face…

“Amelia. Wake up.”

Gideon’s command pulled her out of the dreamscape. A euphoric rush of certainty hit her like a powerful tonic. She opened her eyes.

“It worked,” she said. “I saw him and I know where I’ve seen him before.”

Gideon watched her as if she was some fey creature who had materialized in front of him. “Are you all right?”

“Yep, and the good news for you is that it’s obvious you can control your talent more than you realized. You can use it for something other than scaring bad guys. Don’t get me wrong—as far as I’m concerned that’s a fine, respectable, socially acceptable career path, but now you know you’ve got options.”

Gideon sat, unmoving. “What are you talking about?”

“Think about it. With your ability and some practice you might be able to assist the police in interviewing crime scene witnesses. Or maybe help people deal with night terrors and bad dreams. Who knows?” She widened her hands in a sweeping gesture. “There are all sorts of possibilities.”

“Before you waste any more time trying to give me career counseling advice, why don’t you tell me what you saw in your dreamscape?”

“I told you, I saw the man who was in charge that night.” She jumped to her feet and went to her tote. She pulled out the Night Island photos and held up the one that showed the two men on the boat dock. “That’s him. The older one. I’m sure of it. He was involved with the Night Island experiments and he was at the old hotel when my friends and I were kidnapped. He was the one giving the orders.”

Gideon sat forward and took the photo. He studied it for a long moment and then looked up. “You’re sure?”

“Positive. I may not be the best photographer in the world but I’ve got a good photographer’s eye.”

“Okay, you’ve tied him to the case, but it doesn’t help us identify him.”

“I recognized someone else, as well. Falcon was there that night.”

“We’ve got three dead bodies and a couple of attempted kidnappings courtesy of Falcon,” Gideon said, “and the only thing we know about him is that he’s dating your neighbor.”

“Irene can help us identify him.”

“She thinks he’s a cop, remember?”

“Yes, I know,” Amelia said. “But—”

Her phone rang. She whirled around and grabbed the device. When she saw the identity of the caller she put the phone on speaker.

“Irene,” she said. “Thank goodness you got my message. Where are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Irene said. “I should be asking you that question. It’s almost three in the morning. I know you’re a night owl, but you don’t usually leave messages for me at this hour.”

“Are you alone?”

“Yes, unfortunately. Falcon is away on a mission. What’s going on?”

“Falcon is the reason I’m calling. Your new boyfriend murdered three people tonight and I’m pretty sure he would have killed me and my assistant, too, if he’d had the opportunity.”

There was a short, shocked silence on the other end. When Irene spoke she sounded very worried.

“Amelia, are you on something? Please don’t tell me you are doing drugs on the first date you’ve had in months.”

“Gideon is my assistant, not my date. We’re in Lucent Springs on an investigation for the podcast but everyone here thinks we’re doing a photo essay of the ruins of an old hotel and—damn it, never mind. The point is, we had a meeting with an informant tonight but it looks like we interrupted a major drug deal gone bad. Falcon was there. He got away.”

Okay, it wasn’t the whole truth, but it was simpler this way. She had to make Irene take her seriously, and this was not the time to try to explain that bad guys were after her because she had been subjected to some bizarre paranormal experiments.

“Wait, you’re certain it was Falcon?” Irene asked.

“Yes, he shot three people in cold blood, Irene.”

There was another short silence on the other end of the line before Irene spoke again.

“Are you saying he killed three members of a drug gang?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s one of the bad guys,” Irene said. It sounded as if she was trying to reason with herself. “I mean, isn’t that what an undercover cop would do if things went south with an operation? Shoot the real bad guys?”

It dawned on Amelia that Irene had a certain amount of logic on her side. “The local police said the three men looked as if they had been executed.”

“You said Falcon got away. Did you actually see him shoot those three people?”

Amelia closed her eyes. “No.”

“Are you even sure Falcon was there? You’ve never met him. How did you recognize him?”

Amelia opened her eyes and tried to think of a reasonable explanation. “I saw him from a distance once when he was leaving your apartment.”

“Did you see his face?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Look, we both know you’ve been under a lot of stress lately.” Irene’s voice gentled. “We also know that, aside from the therapist you were seeing for a while, I have been the primary focus of your social life lately.”

“Irene—”

“Don’t get me wrong. I am very grateful for our friendship. I enjoy our pizza and wine and movie nights, too. But I know that you have a problem with me dating Falcon. Ask yourself if you’re jealous because I’ve been spending so much time with him.”

“It’s not that.”

“I’m horrified that you and your new friend got caught in what sounds like a very dangerous situation tonight,” Irene said. “I was pleased when I saw you leave with him and a suitcase. I assumed you were starting a new relationship. I told myself that was a good thing. But now I’m concerned. How much do you really know about your so-called assistant?”

“Irene, I understand that you don’t want to believe me. I can’t give you the proof you want. The best I can do is tell you that I’m sure Falcon is not who he says he is. Please be careful.”

“It sounds like you’re the one who should be careful, Amelia. My turn to give you some advice. Ditch that assistant and come home.”

“Irene, please.”

“In the meantime I’m going to get some sleep. You should, too. Good night, pal.”

The phone clicked off. Amelia looked at Gideon.

“Obviously that did not go well,” he said.

“No. It didn’t. My Cassandra talent in action.” She got to her feet and put the phone on the table. She realized she was still clutching the crystal. She set it on the nightstand. “Irene was right about one thing. I can’t prove Falcon was there tonight. Actually, she was right about something else, too. Maybe he really is an undercover cop and maybe he did execute those three men to protect his identity and the mission. It was brutal, but everyone knows the drug business is horribly violent.”

“This is no time to doubt yourself or your conclusions. I don’t believe in coincidences, so I don’t think that gang from out of town just happened to show up at the ruins on the same night that we were to meet our informant. You heard what Richards said. Lucent Springs hasn’t had any major problems with the narcotics trade until now.”

She stopped, turned around, folded her arms, and raised her chin. “You’re absolutely right. I did see Falcon’s prints at the scene of the killings tonight, and I believe you when you say someone tried to kidnap me. I’ve got to develop more confidence in my own talent. It’s just that for weeks now I’ve been wondering if it’s driving me mad. I’ve started to question a lot of things.”

Gideon gripped his cane and got to his feet. “Remember, it’s all about control. You can handle your new senses.”

“Thanks for the encouragement.” She managed a shaky smile. “And thanks for restoring some of my memories. I can’t wait to tell the others. They hate the amnesia as much as I do. They’ll want you to do your dream therapy with them, too.”

Gideon groaned. “I’m not some kind of dream therapist.”

“Maybe not professionally,” she said. “Not yet, at any rate. I realize you need some practice. But I’m happy to let you run a few experiments on me. I’m sure it won’t take you long to get the hang of it.”

“The hang of what? Helping people recover lost memories? I am not going down that road. Can you imagine the potential for lawsuits?”

“Oh. No, I hadn’t considered that angle.”

“I investigate certain kinds of crimes, Amelia. That’s what I do.”

“I understand,” she said. “I’m not suggesting that you give up your work as an investigator. But you might want to think about broadening your range, so to speak.”

“Right now, all I want to think about is you.”

A thrill swept through her. “Me?”

“Yes, you. I need to know why you were so certain I could pull you out of the trance.”

She winced. “So this is about you, not me.”

He frowned. “Now what? Are you pissed?”

She gave him a bright, shiny smile. “Who, me? Pissed? Why would I be pissed? Moving right along, the answer to your question is that I knew you could do it because you did it accidentally back there in those freaking hotel ruins when you used my name .”

“You are pissed. Why the hell are you mad at me?”

“Figure it out for yourself, Mr. Psychic Private Investigator.”

“I asked an honest question,” he said. “I’ve got a right to an honest answer.”

“No, you don’t have any rights. However, being the gracious person I am, I will give you an answer. Last night I deliberately let my ex-therapist think that I was on a real date. This morning at breakfast you indicated that you were attracted to me. Tonight my neighbor told me she assumed that you and I were hooking up. And then, a moment ago, you said ‘all I want to think about is you.’ Silly me, I thought maybe you meant it. That maybe we were at the start of something.”

Gideon did not move but his eyes gleamed with a little silver. “If I had meant it, how would you have responded?”

Another heady jolt of excitement lifted her senses.

“I ought to say it’s too soon,” she whispered. “We barely know each other. We don’t have anything in common except that we both happen to have some weird psychic talents. Also, we recently survived a life-and-death confrontation with some very bad people, so there’s probably a lot of excess adrenaline flooding our system. And maybe some other hormones, as well.”

“Are you actually going to say all that bullshit?”

“No.” She moved to stand directly in front of him and planted her hands on the front of his shirt. “It’s all true, but right now I don’t care.”

“Neither do I, because I wanted you that first day when you walked into my house and hired me. Before I knew you had a paranormal vibe. Before we survived the shoot-out tonight. Before the adrenaline rush.”

He meant it. She was certain of that. No, he hadn’t dated in a while, so that was probably a factor. Yes, he had made it clear he had problems with intimate relationships. But tonight she was sure he was telling her the truth. He wanted her. Maybe that was enough. For now.

The tide of heat swept back in, stronger than ever. She was shivering, but not with panic. This was what true sexual desire felt like. Talk about an enlightening moment. She had never experienced anything like this intoxicating anticipation; this sweet, aching hunger.

She clenched the fabric of his shirt in her fists. “I want you, too.”

Gideon leaned his cane against the table, braced his injured leg against the bed, and wrapped his arms around her. His mouth came down on hers in a kiss she sensed he intended to be a controlled burn. But they were both already smoldering. The physical contact sparked a wildfire.

She got the front of Gideon’s shirt open and off. He struggled with her sweatshirt. She froze when she heard him draw a sharp breath.

“Your leg,” she said, suddenly anxious.

“Forget my leg.”

“All right, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure, damn it.”

“Okay, okay. Give me a minute.”

She freed herself to turn down the bed. He sank onto the chair and set about removing his low boots. She sat on the edge of the bed and took off her own boots. By the time she finished he was back on his feet.

He started to unbuckle his trousers. She watched, riveted. It was the sexiest thing she had ever seen a man do in her entire life.

Without warning a shot of electricity snapped through her—and not in a good way. She went cold.

Gideon paused in the act of unzipping his trousers.

“Having second thoughts?” he asked.

She could tell he was braced for rejection. She felt the heat rising in her face and was grateful for the shadows.

“No,” she said.

But that was a lie. The truth was that she was suddenly feeling rattled. Unsettled. Nervy. Anxiety was setting in fast.

Shit. Not now. Not a panic attack. Not tonight .

She turned away, scrambled awkwardly out of her clothes, and then got quickly into bed. She grabbed the top sheet and yanked it up to her shoulders.

Now she was shivering.

What she was experiencing was connected to Gideon. She was certain of it. Yes, it had been a long time since she’d been intimate with a man, but that didn’t explain the nerves. What was wrong with her? She was not afraid of Gideon. The opposite was true. She trusted him.

A disturbing thought struck: she did not trust herself.

What if her reaction to the prospect of a sexual encounter tonight was a side effect of her recently enhanced senses? What if her new vision was going to ruin the possibility of ever having a love life?

Gideon got out of his trousers and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Amelia, tell me what’s going on,” he said quietly.

“That’s just it,” she managed. “I don’t know. I can’t stop shivering. I thought it was the result of coming down off the adrenaline jag but I’m pretty sure that’s not it. I think my intuition is trying to tell me something important.”

Gideon watched her with eyes that were no longer heating with desire. Instead, she sensed grim resignation.

“Your intuition is telling you that going to bed with me would be a very bad idea,” he said. “It’s probably right.”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Yes it is. After what happened back there at the hotel you finally understand what I can do with my talent. Your intuition is warning you not to get any more involved with me. You should listen.”

He started to push himself up off the bed. His aura was still igniting the space, but she knew he was in complete control.

And just like that, comprehension struck.

She sat up and clamped a hand around his arm. “Sit down. This is important.”

Her senses were going off like fireworks, and the physical contact intensified everything. She uttered a shocked gasp. Gideon flinched. She knew he had experienced the little jolt of lightning, too.

“Sorry,” she said. She yanked her fingers off his arm. “That was my fault.”

“What is going on?” he rasped.

She took a deep breath. “I think that this”—she waved one hand to indicate the bed—“you and me together. Like this. In bed—”

“Can you slow down and clarify for me? It’s been a difficult night. I thought I knew where this was going but now I have absolutely no idea.”

“Right,” she said. She pulled herself together. “Okay, here’s my problem. I think there is a strong possibility that sex with you would be dangerous. Not for me. I’m afraid you’re the one who will get burned. I’m talking literally, Gideon. Or at least semi-literally.”