Psychic Visions 08-Now You See Her...

by Dale Mayer

  Because we’re connected mentally. You can hear the energy humming inside my head.

  “You know that sounds crazy, right?”

  You are saying that? You, who have had how many people say that to you?

  “Ouch,” she murmured. “It’s different when you’re on this side.”

  His laughter rolled out free and easily.

  She frowned and turned back to see Dean, phone in hand, staring at her. Listening to her half of the conversation. Shit. She brightened the wattage of her smile and said, “Hey, did you find anything out?”

  “I found out you’re talking to Stefan telepathically,” he said. “That’s the only thing that can account for the odd look to you.” He paused and looked at her in surprise. “Can you talk to other people the same way?”

  What? He knew about Stefan’s telepathy? What the hell? She shook her head.

  He laughed. “Were you as flummoxed as I was the first time he did it?”

  “When did he do that to you?”

  “My son was very sick and needed more than the doctors could give him. Stefan’s name was mentioned but he’s damn hard to get a hold of, so one night I was having a mini melt down at the unfairness of life and railing against the powers that be who weren’t helping Jeremy.” He grinned. “All of a sudden Stefan stepped into my mind, explained who he was and what he could do. I was pretty freaked out at the time but then decided I couldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, and if I was wacko that was fine as long as my son was safe.” He shrugged. “He’s spoken to me a couple of times the same way. Now I’m okay with it, but originally – yeah weird.”

  She closed her eyes. “Why the hell would he do something like that?”

  Not to scare people, that’s for sure. But it does help cut through the bullshit of trying to get people to believe in what I can do, Stefan said quietly. I’m not a circus performer, but like you, I can do things. Sometimes it’s impossible for people to believe you without a demonstration. And when time is of the essence…this way cuts through that.

  True enough. She reached up a hand and massaged her temple. I’m getting a headache as well. She considered what she knew about the abilities of those she’d been incarcerated with.

  “Is that headache from you?” she asked Stefan.

  No, it was from you keeping the energy block between us. But now that it’s gone, your headache is gone too, he said comfortably. Or it will be when speaking telepathically becomes natural. Easy.

  She stared at Dean. Turned around and glanced back at him.

  “What?”

  “Stefan is talking about blocks.” She walked slowly back to the couch and collapsed down. “If telepathy is natural, why do I feel weird?”

  Because by opening the door to our communication you also opened up to a new space and in that space is a lot of healing energy. Energy that your body desperately needs and wants and will do a lot to get – including knocking you out. Stefan’s voice started to fade. She barely heard his last humorous comment.

  …like it just did.

  *

  “Oh shit. Tia? Are you okay?” Dean stared at her in shock. “What the hell happened?” He tapped the side of her face gently. “Are you awake?” As she wasn’t answering, he’d take that as a no. He studied the living room where she’d been standing. “Stefan? Do you know what happened?”

  Stefan stepped into his mind. Reaction from opening the door. Her body needs to heal. Let her rest.

  “And the asshole that tried to break into the house? This isn’t exactly a good time for her to be unconscious.”

  There’s never going to be a better time, Stefan said steadily. Her pathways have been blocked a long time. Her skills should have bounced forward a long time ago. Whether by circumstances or by chemical, physical or psychological intervention, her development has been delayed.

  “And do you know which of those is responsible?” He couldn’t imagine how her life had been or that she had more skills to open up inside. “She was damn talented to begin with. Going invisible? Wasn’t that enough?”

  It is and it isn’t. The physical and psychological bodies are collections of various systems. When one is on, it needs the support of the others. In her case the others are blocked so when she’s using her abilities, she’s pulling from the other systems that are impeded by whatever is happening to her.

  “How can we find out? How did I forget she was ill?” He looked at her. Her cheeks were ashen, her lips overly bright.

  It’s not your fault. We solved a lot of it. Dr. Maddy helped there. But she has to reconnect to her systems. Not an easy thing. And she’s resisted having any skills for a long time.

  “Why would she do that? She might have escaped earlier.” He wouldn’t mind having one or two. At least then he’d feel like he had something to offer her.

  There was an odd silence. Inside and out. He sighed. “I guess you heard that thought, huh?”

  Of course, but more importantly is what you didn’t say. You have skills, remember. You could hear her when she was invisible – see her in a way others couldn’t. You can communicate telepathically. You have skills and she’s noticed. The humor in his voice made heat rush up Dean’s cheeks.

  She doesn’t need help. She needs time in a secure setting to let down her guard and keep on letting her psyche heal.

  That didn’t sound like much. He glanced over at the front door. “That green light was yours, wasn’t it?”

  Sure. A security system. But I’d feel better if we moved her to an easier location to guard.

  “This appears to be secure considering he couldn’t get in,” Dean exclaimed. “What else can we do?”

  He didn’t get in this time. That doesn’t mean he won’t next time, now that he knows what kind of security system is in place. And has time to figure out how to get around it next time.

  Dean stared at the front door and realized Stefan was right. “But if this guy has abilities, surely he can track us no matter where we go.” He groaned. “We aren’t safe anywhere. Right?”

  Right.

  “So we need to go on the offensive.”

  Sure. What are you thinking?

  “We could set a trap.” The more he thought about it the more Dean liked the idea. Instead of waiting for the asshole to pick and choose, he wanted to make sure this guy came and never left. “What if you left one door unsecured and we get him in, then you secure the door so he can’t get out.”

  That would be fine if he happens to get in while we see him. I won’t know what’s happening if he doesn’t trigger an alarm. If you don’t know he’s inside then you are in danger too.

  “Unless we aren’t here,” Dean said thoughtfully. “I could get some help from my captain.”

  You still need somewhere safe to go.

  “Hmmm. Suggestions?”

  Back to the hospital would be helpful but she’d fight you there, Stefan said humorously. But a similar idea would be good.

  “It depends if we’re talking one day or one week. I can take us to a hotel for a day, no problem, but I don’t have an unlimited bank account so a month is out of the question.”

  Hmmm

  “Stefan?”

  No answer.

  Stefan had disappeared from his mind. As in here one second and gone the next.

  Damn. Dean walked around his living room, hating the idea of being sitting ducks. They needed a safe place that was close by so they could keep an eye on the property and catch whoever was doing this. There was no point in setting this up and having a half hour drive to get back to catch the guy.

  He’d been off work too long. He felt like a civilian. That really sucked.

  And just like that Stefan popped back in. There’s a hotel only a couple of blocks away if you are interested.

  “There are a lot of hotels a couple of blocks away.”

  Stefan’s voice sounded tired, worn out. It’s owned by a friend of mine. You can have a room for free if you want until this is over. Tell him
I sent you. Pack light, move the truck into the garage so you pack up under cover and leave as if you were just out for a shopping trip.

  He knew the drill. “Gotcha.”

  Making a fast decision, he got the details and wrote them down. “Thanks, Stefan.”

  Dean – make it fast. He’s on his way back.

  Chapter 32

  Nothing like waking up to find yourself in a foreign place with foreign smells and sounds. Tia didn’t move. She assessed the brocade on the walls, the huge full-length windows and sheers blowing gently in the wind. Some blankets supported her and a firm bed lay beneath her.

  “Feeling better?”

  Dean. Recognizing the voice, she smiled and turned to see him leaning up against a strange headboard. “Where are we?”

  “At a hotel,” he said calmly, that gaze of his assessing. “Stefan set it up.”

  She frowned, sat up and kicked her legs over the side of the bed. The large room was more like a suite. And there was a bathroom off to the side. She made her way over to it, feeling his gaze on her every step. She had no idea what was going on here but needed a few minutes to wake up and process. She cast her mind back and realized she’d been talking to Stefan, there was a pain in her head, a weird nausea and then nothing.

  She hated blackouts.

  She used the bathroom and while washing her hands she stared at the image in the mirror. Bright eyes as if she’d had a long rest – what a joke, her hair stuck out everywhere as if she hadn’t washed it in a long time – and maybe she hadn’t. But the bruising under her eyes, that was a constant. There was a huge glass shower behind her. And several big fluffy towels.

  She glanced down at her clothes and winced. She didn’t own much in the way of clothes. Had the little bit she owned come with her? And would it matter if she was in a robe for a few hours while laundry was happening? She rinsed her clothes in the sink and laid them out to dry over the heater. She wanted to feel clean for now.

  Making a fast decision, she turned to the marble shower. She didn’t think she’d ever been in anything so fancy. Water jetted from the top as she turned it on. She stepped under the hot spray and closed her eyes in joy.

  Water had never felt so good. She didn’t know how long she stood there but finally realized that if she didn’t get moving Dean would come and check up on her. And she didn’t want that. Well she did but not because he was worried about her. Sigh. She was an idiot.

  She loved having him around, but she wanted him there because he wanted to be there and not because she was a helpless female in distress. She hadn’t been that in a long time, and yet, she hadn’t seemed to step out of that role since she’d met him.

  As she shampooed her hair for the second time she remembered the attack and green light at Dean’s house. What the hell had happened? An intruder obviously, and some kind of alarm system. Stefan’s. A knock sounded on the door. “Tia, breakfast is here.”

  She shut off the water, suddenly famished. Hell, she was always hungry and today it was even worse. Had whatever healing that had been going on burned up more calories? Was that even possible? She barely kept flesh on her hipbones as it was. Too nervy and on the run. She wondered what her mother and grandmother looked like. Was this frame genetic or was she abnormally thin for her maternal line?

  She didn’t want to dress in wet clothes so grabbed the robe behind the door and walked out.

  And came face to face with Dean.

  Her nostrils flared. The smell of him. The sight of him.

  All she could do was stare. She watched him from under lowered lashes, knowing what was going to happen next unless she stopped it. She was so damn tired of running.

  And he offered something she was desperate to have.

  Solace. Comfort. Love. Even if only for a few moments.

  Something to smile about later when she was alone again.

  He’d been so good to her, she couldn’t stay. He had family. He didn’t need trouble. And all she’d ever had was trouble.

  His hands were gentle but firm, he drew her up against his chest. “Did you enjoy your shower?”

  The strong scent of male hit her nostrils. Those strong hands gripped her waist, long fingers grasped her flesh. Her gaze locked on his, she nodded. The heat in his eyes lit fires between her legs. Her breath caught in the back of her throat, her eyelids closed as he lowered his head.

  Giving in to the urge, she wrapped her arms around his neck and accepted the soft kiss he pressed on her lips. Their mouths moved in synchronization. Her fingers curled into his thick dark mane. Her body softened in his arms and turned compliant.

  He guided her down to the bed, their bodies never leaving each other’s. Dean grabbed the edges of her bathrobe, tugging it open to spread across the sheets. She shuddered as a cool gust of wind breathed across her heated flesh. Her belly muscles clenched and unclenched from excitement, nervousness and anxiety. Need.

  A jolt shot down her body as she lay open to his gaze.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered. “You are so beautiful.”

  He stood up, his gaze hot on her heated flesh. Clothes were quickly cast aside until he stood in front of her as nude as she was. More, in fact. She sat up, letting the bathrobe drop from her shoulders. Pressure built up in the pit of her stomach, butterflies emerged and flapped their wings as Dean regarded her.

  Multiple tiny scars covered her body. Long healed but still visible in a crisscross network as evidence of what she’d been through. He gently traced several across her belly and her ribs.

  She caught her breath, afraid he’d be turned off. She searched his eyes. Love filling her as she saw his eyes were hooded, filled with desire.

  With a gentle moan she opened her arms and reached up for him. Her hand closed around him, so big. So hard. She loved the way the breath caught in the back of his throat. The groan that escaped before he could hold it back. She stroked a finger across the tip, her finger sliding through the drop of moisture. He growled and pulled back.

  He slid his arms around her, his hands sliding down her ribs to her waist and her buttocks. And he came down on top of her. There was no time to adjust to the feel of his body, so hot and heavy on hers, because he captured her lips and took possession of them in a way she’d never known.

  Lord had she’d missed out.

  When he finally lifted his head, she lay there still gasping as sensation after sensation rolled through her. Then he slid down her body, dropping tiny kisses…everywhere. On the plump curve to her breast. The gentle hills and valleys of her ribs. Across the dip of her belly, his tongue swirling around inside her belly button. His hands stroked from her ankle to her hip and back again. She tried to reach for him, her fingers tangling in his hair. When she went to tug him upward, he pulled free and slid his hand down to the heart of her and slid one finger deep inside.

  Her hips arched up and she moaned.

  So he withdrew and did it again.

  The second time she cried out. By the time he lowered his head and swirled his tongue over and around the tiny nub she was weeping and chanting his name.

  He shifted and moved upward. Growling, he moved until he was positioned right at her tight opening. His gaze locked on hers as he drove deep within.

  She cried out, her hips surging upward as he drove deeper. Her mouth parted in a silent moan as her inner muscles expanded to accommodate him.

  They groaned simultaneously. He never gave her the chance for her body to get used to him before he was driving more. Her mouth found his, their tongues dueling and tasting one another.

  As they started to move in synchronization, Tia found herself unable to look away. Their gazes were trapped as their bodies moved to the oldest song in the world. Accenting their pleasure. She broke away from his intense regard and closed her eyes, her hips rising to meet his strong thrusts. His breath raspy, harder, heavier. Pressure built. She tossed her head from side to side, her hands grasping his arms. She dug her nails into his flesh.

  “A
h,” he cried, made a quick adjustment to his position then drove down again.

  She cried out, her world on fire as the climax ripped through her.

  Grinding his hips against hers, he arched his back, a guttural moan ripping from deep in his chest.

  And he collapsed down beside her.

  Moisture in the corner of her eyes didn’t surprise her. It had been so much more emotional than she’d expected. And now that lovemaking was over she felt shy. Insecure. Foolish, considering he was still seated in her body.

  Then she remembered. “You said breakfast was here!” she cried, trying to push herself up on her elbows to survey the room.

  He gave a shout of laughter and rolled over. “One appetite appeased and another awaits?”

  “Damn right.”

  Within minutes, Dean had a cart sitting beside the table at the window. “There you are. Perfect. Come eat.”

  She smiled, now dressed in her robe again, and walked closer. Pancakes and sausages and eggs. And with any luck – still warm. “This is great. What are you having?”

  He laughed and said, “Whatever you’re not apparently. Not to worry, I can always get more if we need to.”

  “Good,” she mumbled with a full mouth. “We just might.”

  He shot her a disbelieving look and served himself a full plate. “I ordered these all as side dishes instead of ordering two plates.”

  “Good idea,” she said. Then she fell to serious eating. She powered through her pancakes topped in maple syrup and butter then fell into the eggs and sausage. When she was done, she looked up to see him watching her carefully.

  “What’s the matter?” She reached for her coffee cup to see he’d poured thick cream into it. She gave him a fat smile and lifted her cup in a salute. “Thanks for this.” She took a sip. Closing her eyes, she realized if nothing else had told her she was in a high-end establishment the coffee would. Rich, dark, mysterious and full bodied. She almost wanted to cry.

  “So good,” she murmured, cradling the cup in her hand.

  “Glad to hear that. So are you feeling better now that you’ve filled up again?”