Fatal Dreams (COBRA Securities Book 17)

by Velvet Vaughn

  Detective Hurley had called the hospital to check on Bernie and Bernice. They’d both woken up but had been admitted for observation and smoke inhalation. Hurley was headed over to take their statements.

  “Just drop us off at Esme’s house,” Ethan instructed his brother. “I’ll pick up my Escalade tomorrow.” It was parked in the lot behind her aunt’s house, so it’d be fine overnight.

  Too worn out to cook, Esme ordered take out. Her house featured two bathrooms so they retreated to separate ones, too exhausted to conserve water and shower together, knowing where it would lead. A half-hour later, she barely managed face-planting into the pizza when her lids drooped, and she fell instantly asleep.

  #

  “I had a great time tonight, Lyra.” Tyler intertwined their fingers as he escorted her to her door. He could spend hours talking to her and never get bored. She was smart and sophisticated. She didn’t even blink when his mind went fifteen different directions, easily following his train of thought. Sometimes better than him.

  Several times, he almost asked her to marry him. It was too soon, he knew. But she had him thinking things he never dreamed for himself. When his coworkers were snapping up prime pieces of real estate in the compound to buy houses, Tyler never saw the point. He figured he spent more time in his high-tech office than he would in a house. Now he wished he’d been more on the ball. There were still many lots available with incredible views, and yesterday, he’d talked to the big Kahunas, i.e. Luke and Logan, to purchase one.

  He hadn’t informed Lyra about his decision. He didn’t want to scare her off with talk of a house and marriage. Heck, they hadn’t even slept together yet. He didn’t want to rush her on the intimacy, but he was dying to hold her, make love to her, wake up next to her in the morning.

  She slid the key in the lock and led him inside. They had plenty of jewelry ideas and she’d even started working on them. No one would ever be able to tell the intricate pieces could be deadly. He’d started the ball rolling, but she picked it up and ran with it. She came up with a design for a cuff bracelet that featured a secret compartment for a sharp-toothed titanium saw. It could be used to cut through rope. Another pendant opened like a pocketknife to display a blade. She’d even thought of an open star design made of aluminum. The points would be sharp and deadly when clutched in the hand and used on an attacker. Another was a cylindrical tube that held knock-out juice, the tip sharpened to a deadly point. He was so damn proud of her.

  Tyler glanced at the clock, shocked to realize it was so late. Time seemed to stand still when they were together. He pushed to his feet. “I should be going.”

  Lyra stood too and then hesitated before turning to him, her dark eyes searching his. “Would you like to stay tonight?”

  His body reacted instantly. He couldn’t talk if his life depended on it. He slid his hands around her face and kissed her with all the love he felt. When they were breathless, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to her bedroom where he slowly undressed her. He prayed he could hold on long enough to make the first time enjoyable for her, but he wanted her so much, his control was dangling by a thread.

  He murmured words of praise to chase away the vulnerability in her dark eyes. When their bodies finally joined, Tyler felt like the luckiest man on the planet. He proceeded to show her without words how much he loved her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ethan slid his arms beneath Esme’s limp form and carried her to bed. She’d fallen asleep in the middle of dinner, almost taking a header into the pepperoni and green pepper pizza.

  He debated whether to undress her or not. He’d already seen her naked and he was sure the sweatshirt she’d donned after her shower would be uncomfortable, so he slid the garment over her head and then eased her yoga pants down her slender legs. He left her bikini panties on, not one hundred percent sure he’d be able to control himself if he removed them. As it was, he was having a hard time not focusing on her perfect rose-tipped breasts.

  After settling her under the sheets, he glided a finger down her smooth cheek. He hated that someone was causing her distress. He needed to find the guy sooner rather than later and stop him by any means necessary.

  With one last look, he clicked off the light and closed the door behind him. After making sure the alarm was set, he settled on the couch with another slice of pizza and the remote. An hour later, Ethan felt himself nodding off. He stood, shut off the television and cleaned up the remains of dinner. One last check to make sure the alarm was functioning, and he headed down the hallway. His steps faltered as he neared the bedroom. He thought he detected someone talking. He could barely detect the faint sound of a voice. At first, he thought Esme was talking in her sleep. Careful not to wake her, he tiptoed closer.

  Lyra Kee will go missing tomorrow. She will be found dead. Lyra Kee will go missing tomorrow. She will be found dead. Lyra Kee will go missing tomorrow. She will be found dead.

  Ethan jerked to a stop. What the hell? The same message played on a continuous loop. He glanced at Esme, but she was sound asleep, her eyes shifting behind her lids. Rapid Eye Movement or REM sleep. He’d changed into sweats earlier in the evening, so he rummaged around in the dark for his discarded cargo pants. He found them draped over the dresser. After locating a penlight inside a pocket, he moved silently closer to the sound. Trailing the beam along the bed, he searched for the source. It was emanating from behind the headboard, but he couldn’t pinpoint the location without moving the bed.

  He hated to do this, but he leaned over and gently shook her arm. He didn’t want to frighten her awake. “Esme, sweetheart, I need you to wake up.”

  She shot up out of bed. “What is it? What happened.”

  Clumps of silky black hair hung in a tangled mess around her face, her squinty eyes trying to focus. The sheet pooled around her waist, revealing the most spectacular breasts he’d ever laid eyes on, and they seemed to glow from the moonlight filtering in the window. His tongue lodged in his throat and he had a hard time swallowing. But this was important. He needed to focus. With sheer force of will, he moved his gaze to her eyes and then placed a finger to his lips. “Shh.”

  “Why? What’s happening?”

  He closed his eyes. Damn, didn’t the woman know the meaning of shush? “I heard something. I need to move the bed away from the wall.”

  She scrambled from under the covers and danced from foot to foot on top of the mattress. “You mean like a mouse? Oh jeez, I hate mice.”

  He gritted his teeth. “Again, shh. Listen.”

  She narrowed her eyes and then they widened to saucers.

  Lyra Kee will go missing tomorrow. She will be found dead. Lyra Kee will go missing tomorrow. She will be found dead. Lyra Kee will go missing tomorrow. She will be found dead.

  Esme gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. “Oh my God.” She jumped off the bed and helped him shove the frame away from the wall. She either forgot about her near-nudity or didn’t care. His body did, reacting predictably. Focus, Addison. Using the flashlight, he trailed the beam along the wall zipping past the small hole once before snapping back.

  Without warning, Esme flipped a switch on the wall, flooding the room with light. He slammed his lids shut. Apparently, she didn’t know the meaning of stealth either. Squinting until his eyes adjusted, he asked, “Do you have a pair of tweezers?” No sense in lowering his voice since she possessed the subtlety of a bull elephant.

  “In the bathroom.” She disappeared and then returned, to his utter disappointment, wearing his t-shirt. It hung on her like a dress. For Ethan’s part, he didn’t care if she ever wore clothes around him again. She handed him the small silver tool. With a steady hand, he carefully grabbed the end of the padded wire and yanked. It came flying through the hole with no resistance, meaning it was no longer attached to the source of the recording.

  Esme leaned over his shoulder. “What is it?”

  “A micro speaker.” He dropped the wire and stood.

/>   “I don’t get it. What does it mean?”

  “Judging from what we just heard, and I’m no expert, but I’d say someone’s been planting subliminal messages in your subconscious.”

  “Is that even possible? If a scenario is repeated over and over, you dream about it?”

  Ethan shrugged. “No idea. But it seemed to work on you.”

  She dropped to the mattress. “All along, they weren’t premonitions. They’ve never been premonitions.”

  “But someone wanted to make you think they were.”

  #

  The sound of a bed screeching along the floor had Oracle slamming the stop button mid-sentence. Two voices. Damn! Without the cameras, Oracle hadn’t realized Esme wasn’t alone. Hers was the only car in the driveway, so there’d been no way to know. Still, Oracle knew better than to assume, so a quick peek in the bedroom window proved she was solo in bed, asleep.

  Oracle unplugged the speaker and scrambled from the hidden perch, intent on getting out of the house as quickly as possible. There was no time to sanitize, though Oracle had been very careful to always wear gloves and a hat. If the secret room was found, this phase of the operation would be over. Esme would realize she had no special powers except for exceptional ability to recall ideas planted in her slumber…aided with a small drug cocktail that increased her susceptibility to suggestion. Esme thought she was popping a Melatonin each night. She wasn’t.

  If the hidden room was compromised, the subliminal messages would have to cease. Oracle was nothing if not adaptable and would come up with another plan. It was a shame that it was discovered before Ethan’s demise could be planted in her brain. That would’ve really freaked her out. Oracle had been looking forward to watching that reaction.

  Oracle always left the window open in case a quick getaway was required—as was the case tonight. Light spilled out from Esme’s window as Oracle’s feet hit the ground. Knowing it was hard to see outside from a brightly illuminated interior, Oracle chanced a quick peek to verify the speaker had been found. The house had been compromised. It was of no more use. Might as well do something about that.

  #

  “Do you have keys to the other unit? I want to find out where the hole in the wall leads.”

  “I do.”

  His mouth dropped open when she gathered the hem of his t-shirt and peeled it off. She was so damn sexy without even trying. Something pelted him in the face, startling him from an Esme-induced trance. He reached up and grabbed his shirt, sliding it on while she did the same with her discarded clothes. Even though she’d only worn it mere minutes, it smelled like her. Unable to resist, he buried his nose in the fabric and inhaled. While he greedily indulged his olfactory system, she disappeared. Stumbling like a drunk as he stepped into his shoes, he hurried after her. With her impetuous streak, he wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to investigate on her own. Thankfully, he found her digging in a drawer in the kitchen. She turned, triumphantly holding a gold key aloft.

  He swiped it from her hand. “Thanks. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  “Like hell, Thor. You go, I go. Pretend we’re Velcro. I’m stuck to you like Gorilla Glue. Besides, I’m not staying here like easy pickings if someone’s out there.”

  Good point. She was safer with him, especially since he’d die to protect her. “Stay close to me and follow my lead. If I tell you to do something, do it. No questions asked.”

  He started moving but she didn’t. He turned to see her standing with her hands on her hips. “You did not just say that to me.” Sparks flashed from her eyes. “We’ve had this conversation before. More than once, Ethan. I’m not some helpless female you can just order around to do your bidding. You treat me like an equal.”

  He didn’t have time for this. “I’m sorry, Esme, but this is my job and I know what I’m doing. I’m good at it, if I do say so myself.” She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. “I’m trying to keep you safe. If I say jump, you damn well better jump.”

  He turned and she followed this time, grumbling about obnoxious alpha males who thought they were invincible. His lips curved as he led her outside, one hand gripping his Sig Sauer.

  “Do you always carry a gun?”

  “I don’t leave home without it.”

  Crickets chirped a night melody, battling with the deep rumbling croaks of a tree frog. The moon played peek-a-boo with a bank of clouds as a soft breeze rattled tree branches, creating eerie shadows that danced along the ground like nocturnal ghosts.

  With Sophie working and Ethan’s SUV parked in the lot behind Lumi’s house, Esme’s car sat alone in the driveway. An engine sounded as a vehicle cruised along the street but continued without stopping. Lightning bugs flashed as he used his penlight to illuminate the door. After he slid the key in the lock and slowly turned the knob, he listened for any sounds indicating someone was lurking in wait, but all was quiet. He found the security panel and started to enter the code but stopped. The system was already disengaged.

  “Stick close,” he said as he stepped inside. Esme gripped his waistband again. The layout on Sophie’s side of the duplex was the mirror opposite of Esme’s unit. That meant that Sophie’s bedroom would be the logical starting point. The difference between the two sides, he discovered, was that Sophie’s closet ran along the wall that butted up to Esme’s bedroom.

  Shoving racks of clothing aside, he guided the beam along the wall. He might never have noticed the small gap if not for the sleeve of a shirt getting caught inside. Probably happened when the perp fled the house in haste. Keeping his gun close, he pried the panel loose.

  “Are you kidding me?” Esme said over his shoulder. “It’s a hidey hole.”

  Whatever source the speaker had been attached to was gone. Most likely a cell phone using a recording app. The space was small, and it’d be a tight fit for him, but he could get inside. He wouldn’t, though. He wanted a forensic team to scour for any fingerprints or fibers or hairs.

  Ethan examined the piece of paneling that had been used to create a false wall. The construction was crude, but if someone hadn’t known to look, they wouldn’t have been able to tell it wasn’t supposed to be there.

  The perp was getting careless. They’d come close to catching him tonight. Next time, he wouldn’t be so lucky.

  #

  “Who’s there? I have a gun and I’m calling the police!”

  “That’s Sophie. I’ll get her.” Esme backed out of the closet and hurried to reassure her friend. “Sophie, wait, it’s me.”

  Sophie dropped the hand that was dialing the police. “Esme? What are you doing here? I mean, I know it’s your house and all, but it’s the middle of the night.”

  “It’s a long story. Come-on, I’ll show you.”

  Esme led her into the bedroom to find Ethan had removed the clothes hanging on the rod and placed them on Sophie’s bed. Without the cover, the hidden space was clearly revealed.

  “What’s going on? Why did you cut a hole in the closet?” Sophie placed her bag on the dresser and walked closer to peer into the opening. “I don’t understand.”

  “We didn’t do this,” Ethan explained. “We think someone’s been breaking in at night and playing messages while Esme sleeps.”

  Sophie looked confused. “Why would someone do that?”

  “They wanted me to think I was having dreams that were coming true,” Esme told her. “They repeated phrases over and over so many times, my subconscious dreamed them. Then when they happened the next day, it appeared as if I had the ability to see into the future.”

  “Again, why? None of this makes sense.”

  “We don’t know why,” Ethan admitted. “But we will.”

  Ethan’s earlier statement seemed to penetrate Sophie’s brain and her face contorted in horror. “You’re telling me someone’s been sneaking into my house almost every night?” She plopped to the mattress, her arms hugging her torso. “I feel violated.”

  She wasn’t the only one. Esme’s li
fe had been secretly recorded by hidden cameras.

  Ethan stood with his hands on his hips. “Did you ever notice anything out of place, especially in your closet? Shoes that were moved or clothes being disturbed?”

  “Never, but I’m not the most observant person, either. It didn’t occur to me to even consider the possibility that someone had been inside. I’m usually so tired when I come home, I crash.”

  “What I don’t understand is how did this person get past the security system?” Esme asked. “I haven’t given the code to anyone. Have you?”

  Sophie shook her head in wide-eyed innocence. “No one.”

  “I need to check the logs, but if it’d been tampered with, I’d have known,” Ethan assured her.

  Sophie winced. “I haven’t given it out, but I’m not the best about remembering to set the alarm.”

  Ethan’s eyes narrowed. Esme didn’t blame him. He’d spent a lot of time and money wiring the house to keep them safe. “How often do you forget?”

  “Oh God, I’m too stupid to live,” Sophie whined, burying her face in her hands. “I haven’t set it once since it was installed.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ignoring the fact that it was the wee hours of the morning, Ethan contacted Detective Frank Hurley and then his brother to fill them in on the strange recorded message he overheard and to explain what they found hidden inside Sophie’s closet. He didn’t have his vehicle, so no kit to process the room looking for fingerprints or hair. It was probably a good thing since Hurley instructed him not to touch anything and that he’d have a crew on site soon. It didn’t stop him from snapping pictures on his phone.

  Esme and Sophie were huddled together on the bed looking equally stunned. He didn’t blame them. Someone had violated each of their lives in different ways. Sophie’s home had been invaded for who knew how long. Worse—Esme’s brain had been assaulted. For weeks now, she’d struggled with disturbing dreams that came true. Now she knew it was all an illusion. Someone had manipulated her mind.