by Amanda Uhl
“Oh, no, Grace. David isn’t the bad guy. He’s exactly what he portrays himself to be. You told me yourself he comes to rescue you.”
“David’s a mind hacker.” The truth settled on her like static cling. She kept remembering their first encounter on the beach, and the way he seemed to know where she would be. Had he read her mind? A wave of dizziness hit her like a wave crashing into shore. It had finally happened. She had lost her marbles. On that thought, she slipped into unconsciousness.
When Grace awoke, she was lying on the couch, an anxious Sophia bending over her. “Oh, thank God. Don’t try to sit up.”
Grace couldn’t have even if she wanted to. She lay there, groggy, and tried to remember how she got there. She struggled once again to process what Sophia had told her. There were people who could read minds that worked for the government. Okay. Sounds far-fetched. But Grace guessed she could believe it. What was harder for her to process was her new boyfriend and client was one of them. Every time she thought of it, Grace grew cold with anger and a deep, empty fear. David had been in her mind. He had been controlling her. That’s why she had let him make love to her. It was why she’d invited him home to meet her mother even though that was so unlike her. He had manipulated her all along. Nausea rose inside her, threatening her sanity. Once again, she had let herself fall for a dishonest man.
“I’m so sorry, Grace. Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not.”
“I didn’t want to have to be the one to tell you. I warned David.” Sophia sounded angry. “But he has feelings for you. You have to understand, having this ability can make you crazy. It’s hard to find a suitable partner. And David is stronger than most. He’s not used to having feelings he can’t control. That’s why he tried to handle it by himself and didn’t tell you. He wanted you to have a chance to get to know him the traditional way. But you have a right to understand the danger of your situation and who you’re dating.”
Grace focused on her breathing, in, out, in, out. Sophia was still talking.
“When we knew for sure you were the one he wanted, we warned him he needed to tell you the truth and let you decide for yourself. But would he listen? No. He insisted you would fall for him naturally if you were given the time.”
Grace’s nausea receded a little. The yoga breathing was working. In, out, in, out.
“We told him your life could be in danger. That the hacker after him could come after you, as well, to try and get to him. Did he listen? No. He said he would handle it.”
Grace narrowed in on Sophia’s words. A hacker—the man in her dream—was after David. She sat up slowly, her head clearer. She focused on Sophia. “What do you mean the hacker’s after David?”
“He is. He’s been after him all this year. We’ve been working around the clock to track him, but no one seems to know who he is. All we know is he’s extremely powerful and influential, and he wants David. He also doesn’t follow any code of honor. This guy doesn’t hesitate to kill. If we can’t find him, the whole mind hacker program is in jeopardy. We all are.”
“How has David eluded the hacker this long?”
“He’s powerful, but so is David. David’s the strongest mind hacker the government has ever had in the program. They’re not even sure the full extent of his ability as his energy is off the charts and, well, David has always been a little more unique than the rest of us. He cannot control or kill David unless he’s able to break into his mind.”
“How can the hacker possibly use me to get to David?”
“David has strong feelings for you. Where there are strong emotions, there’s energy. It’s difficult to explain to a lay person, but the hacker can use that energy in the right combination to get past David’s defenses.”
“How come you know so much about this? I would think the government wouldn’t want David sharing all this with his family. Unless…are you part of the program?”
Sophia nodded. “I didn’t lie to you earlier. Our whole family is in the business. We have no choice. We’re born into it.”
“So you’re a mind hacker, too?” Dear God.
“Not exactly. I can’t read minds. I’m what is known in the trade as a trainer. It’s my job to help transport my husband, Brian, safely into and out of a target’s mind. I have the ability to absorb and target energy. Without me along, Brian would not be able to get into most people’s heads.”
“So, Brian’s a mind hacker?”
Sophia nodded.
“What about the kids?”
“The kids are too young to be involved, but they’ll need to know their legacy one day.”
“Your parents?”
“Yes, them too. But they both retired some time ago.” Sophia’s phone let out a chirp, and she looked down to collect her messages. Whatever she read caused her forehead to crease.
“I need to head home. Brian needs me. I hate to leave you. Are you going to be okay? I know I’ve given you a lot to think about. But I’ve had enough of this. You should know the truth. I texted David earlier and told him what I was doing. He’ll get here as soon as he can.”
Grace nodded. “I’m glad you told me. It explains a lot.”
“Obviously, you cannot talk to anyone about this—not your mother, sister, anyone. If you need to talk, talk to me or David. We’ll do what we can to keep you safe. The government doesn’t take kindly to those who can’t keep its secrets.”
“What will they do to me if I make a mistake?”
“They’re easily capable of erasing your memory and those of your family and friends. If you don’t want that happening, I’d advise you to stay silent.”
Chapter Eighteen
Confrontation
Grace didn’t know what she would say to David when she saw him. After Sophia left, she had spent the better part of the day thinking about the strange predicament she found herself in. She knew her feelings for David were most likely a pretense, forced on her by his mind-controlling abilities. But that didn’t stop her from feeling them. It pained her to realize everything about their relationship had been a lie. Were any of their conversations authentic?
Grace recalled their encounter on the beach when David had caressed her face. How perfect the moment had been—both sexy and precious at the same time. Had it all been an illusion? Had David planted the memory in her mind? Sophia had indicated David was powerful. But what exactly was he capable of?
Underneath her anger, there was deep-seated fear of him and his abilities. Was David capable of making her love him despite her anger? Grace shivered.
For most of the day she sat on her couch counting the hours and minutes until David would arrive at her doorstep. But when he did show, Grace was woefully unprepared. Before she could invite him in, he moved forward and pulled her to him in a fierce hug and used his feet to close the door behind him.
When David finally released her, and Grace looked into his eyes, he didn’t look like the smoothly confident and controlled man she knew. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay, considering. I know what you are.”
David nodded. “Sophia told me.”
Grace pulled away from him in an effort to put some distance between them, giving him her backside.
David followed her. “It’s not how you think.”
She turned on him. “What would you know about it?” Grace tried but could not keep the bitterness from her words. “Oh, that’s right. You can read my mind. Read this.” She poured her anger and fear into a mental message, shouting at him in her mind. You fucking jerk. How could you involve me in this mess? You lied to me, and I hate you for it.
David flinched but immediately regained control, which would have been impressive if he cared for her like he said he did. But she was sure he only liked how he could control her.
His face took on a pained expression. “That isn’t true. I never tried to control you.”
“You can mess with people’s minds.” G
race threw the words at him, sputtering in her anger. “You can make them think they’re falling for you, when they’re not. You can act sweet and tender when all you are is…” Grace gulped and tried desperately to stem the hot flood of tears. “A big, fat liar.”
“Grace. I never meant to hurt you.”
Grace turned away.
“Please, Grace. Look at me.”
“Why, so you can control me again?” Grace shot back. “Is it easier when I look in your eyes? Is that how it’s done?”
David was silent.
“Okay, fine. Control me.” She looked him in the eyes. “But remember, whatever you make me do, it’s all a lie.”
Her words would make any other man angry. But David’s expression didn’t change. He reached out and grasped her hands. His eyes seemed to look right into her soul. Grace found herself drowning in their depths.
“I cannot help what I am. I can read minds. I can change thoughts. But I would never hurt you. Think, Grace. If I were controlling you, why wouldn’t I have made you speak your feelings for me?”
“Because you read my thoughts.” Grace sniffed.
David smiled. “And they made me want to shout for joy. You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you to feel something positive for me. But that’s not the point. The fact is, I didn’t make you admit it, did I? I gave you the time you needed. If we were to fall in love—together—not any one-sided kind of love, I would want you to love me for me. Not because I can make you think you love me. That’s not real love.”
She pulled her hands from his. “How do I know you aren’t controlling me now?”
David shrugged. “I don’t suppose you do. But I need you to trust me. If I wanted someone to control, I wouldn’t need to go after you. There are any number of people I could choose. Hell, the whole world for that matter.”
His eyes glittered wildly and for a moment Grace was afraid of what he might do. But as quickly, the look vanished. David grasped her hands in his again. “You’re special, Grace. I’m not sure what it is exactly, but I’ve searched for someone like you my whole life. Now that I’ve found you, I refuse to let the fact I can read minds separate us. If you can look at me and tell me you don’t care for me, and it’s the truth, I’ll know. As much as it pains me, I’ll let you go. But I don’t think you can tell me that, can you?”
Grace wanted to deny it. She didn’t want to care for him. But the truth was when Sophia had told her a hacker was after him, Grace had experienced a deep worry for his safety. She cared. But was it love? Doubts assailed her. Was David making her feel these emotions? Could she trust him?
David watched her, and Grace knew he was in her mind, reading her thoughts. He shook his head. “I can’t make you feel things. I can only make you have certain thoughts that might lead to those feelings.”
What was it like to read minds? As if someone had grabbed her brain and took control, Grace looked through David’s eyes, felt as he felt. For the first time in her life, she saw herself as desirable. Memories and emotions flooded her mind. David watching her on the beach, while she gathered glass. David jealous after seeing her talking to Brains. David concerned when she became nauseous, worried he was the cause. David wanting her but needing her trust first. David making love to her… Too much! As suddenly as the foreign thoughts and visions appeared, they dissolved, and Grace was back inside her own head.
“Now do you understand?”
“Was I—did I read your mind?”
He nodded.
“I think I need to sit.” She walked to the couch on shaky legs and sat. David followed her.
“It works both ways. I don’t expect you to share all your thoughts with me and never know mine. I’ll freely share my mind with you.”
David sat on the couch facing her and held her hands. Foreign thoughts formed as David opened the doors to his mind again. With each came a rush of emotion. Grace saw herself as she had appeared to David in his home. He fought a mix of curiosity and desire. He did not want to hurt her. He wanted her to have time to get to know him and hopefully return the attraction. It was all there for Grace to see in pictures.
With one hand David reached up and gently rubbed her scalp. Slowly, the headache Grace had been battling all day lessoned. Was this what it was like to be David? To know what someone was thinking all the time like this would drive her mad.
“It did when I was younger,” he told her slowly.
Grace did not have to read his mind to know it was difficult for him to share this side of himself. She was being offered a rare and priceless possession. Grace let her breath out carefully lest she interrupt the flow of information.
“It was especially hard knowing when someone didn’t like me or had bad intentions. That happened a lot,” David said softly, stroking her hair. “I had to learn how to block it out. In my family, we’re told early on we’re gifted, but I’ve always viewed it as the family curse. You wouldn’t believe some of the lies told by the most angelic people. That was one of the things that attracted me to you from the first.” He smiled at her. “You’re honest and trustworthy.”
“Uh…maybe you’re not as strong as you think. I told a lie the first time we met. Wait a minute. That’s what you were doing that day, weren’t you? You were reading my mind! You knew I lied about the budget, didn’t you?”
David chuckled, the sound reminiscent of their first encounter. How cold he had seemed that day. But even then, she had not been able to keep her eyes off him.
David reached out and touched her chin, turning her face to gaze into her eyes. “Okay, so maybe you’re not entirely perfect. But that little lie bothered you a great deal, didn’t it?”
Before she could respond, his lips grazed hers, the stubble of his day old beard rough on her sensitive skin. David must have been in a hurry to get to her if he hadn’t taken the time to shave. Grace’s earlier hurt and anger slipped away under the gentle onslaught of his lips on hers. A familiar desire pooled in her belly, but she fought the rising tide of passion. There was something she needed to ask. Next to her, David stilled, anticipating her question even as she formed it.
“David, I was…I mean would you…” Why was this so hard? She tried again. “I was wondering if you would come to San Francisco with me for Claire’s wedding. I mean—”
David didn’t let her finish, cutting her off with a short, sharp kiss. He brushed his thumb across her forehead to pull the hair out of her eyes, smiling tenderly. “I would be honored to attend your sister’s wedding with you and meet the rest of your family.”
*****
A deep sense of triumph coursed through his system. Despite what he was, Grace had accepted him. Slowly, she’d settled against him on the couch, and they’d spent several moments in silence. Peace. A truce. Companionable bliss.
It would make his next actions all the more painful.
What irony. After finally gaining her acceptance, he must erase the precious memory. They must return to being strangers.
He caressed her face lovingly, enjoying the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingers and fighting an inner demon. Her eyes fluttered shut, and her breaths became even as she dozed. The last time they had made love, she had stretched her body across his bed naked, and he had feasted greedily. Little did he know that would be their last time. They would not be intimate again…not for a long while…perhaps never.
Even as he comforted her, he knew he would have to work hard to keep his promise. If he couldn’t track the hacker, he couldn’t risk being at the wedding. Not for the first time, David was glad Grace didn’t read minds. She needed her sleep, and it would be easier for him—and her—if she did not know what was happening.
He sucked in a sharp breath and gently extricated himself from holding her. His next actions would end their relationship. It went against the essence of his genetic makeup to let her go. He had to remind himself over and over her life was in danger if he did not act tonight.
David stood slowly, making sure not
to wake her. Tenderly, he adjusted the pillow under her head and the afghan covering her. He strolled over to the cabinet where he saw in her mind she stored her beach glass. He was curious to see the collection she had built all those months he had watched her on the beach and the special piece of glass David had left for her. He reached in and pulled out the red heart—David needed a memory, and this was not one he wanted to forget. Taking a deep breath, he entered Grace’s mind. What he was about to do was dangerous for both of them. He must maintain complete control at all times. David sent her into a deeper sleep. Grace obeyed the command easily.
Delicately, he sifted through her thoughts, removing all memories of him, and duplicating others. Time seemed to drag slowly. Sweat beaded on his forehead, the drops dripping into his eyes as David worked carefully to extract her thoughts in chronological order. One mistake could create irreparable damage.
When David was positive he had captured all Grace’s memories of him, he gently backed through the portal. He closed his eyes, clutching the ruby red glass in his hand until it seemed to glow with an inner radiance. Satisfied, David opened his eyes. Success!
His love was breathing gently. David couldn’t help but smile, pocketing the glass. Harvey was squawking in his cage. “To be or not to be, to be or not to be.”
David gave the bird a mental stare down. “Shut up.”
Harvey fell silent. David shot him a satisfied smirk. Sometimes his abilities came in handy.
For a moment he watched her sleeping and could not resist stroking her cheek. It might be a long time before he could physically meet her again. Automatically, his mind reached for hers, and he had to exert great control not to enter.
After a few minutes, he walked to the table, and took the envelope with Grace’s name scribbled on the outside and the bouquet of flowers sitting in the vase on the table, and left. He would take care of that shortly. He had a few more minds to tamper with tonight and a hacker to pursue.
Chapter Nineteen
Opportunity Knocks
