Psychic Storm: Ten Dangerously Sexy Tales of Psychic Witches, Vampires, Mediums, Empaths and Seers

by Deanna Chase

  I relayed Rita’s message, taking more care than I normally did not to paraphrase. If this was the last time Marley would talk to her mother, I wanted it to be perfect.

  In her shock, Marley’s tears stopped, though her eyes still held the red shine of someone who might break down at any moment. “Where is she?”

  I pointed. “Right there. Standing about a foot from the end of the bed.” Actually, Rita was floating, but it felt wrong to mention it.

  Marley stared in the general direction of Rita’s sternum and said as earnestly as she could, “Mama, I love you so much. I feel like I need to say something profound here, but I got nothing.”

  Rita’s misty form moved to Marley’s side and reached to brush a stray lock of hair behind her daughter’s ear. The move appeared to be habit, but this time her fingers slipped ineffectually through the curl.

  “Oh, honey, you don’t need to say nothing. I already know how much you love me.” She turned to me. “How much time do I have?”

  I lifted one shoulder in a shrug. I answered telepathically so I wouldn’t confuse Marley. Don’t know. It’s different with everyone. Anywhere from a minute to an hour. It’s already been about half an hour. Could be any time.

  “Okay, then I need you to tell her something for me.”

  I nodded, and then I relayed Rita’s words exactly as she spoke them. As I did, Marley let her eyes drift closed, and I wondered if she was picturing her mother as I spoke.

  “Marley, I know you love me. And I know everything you’ve done and sacrificed for me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it all. You’re going to be sad for a while, but you have to promise me you won’t wallow too long. I know how you are. You take too much responsibility for other people on your shoulders. That has to stop. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. It’s time you live it. Create a future for yourself. Make good decisions. You’re too smart and talented to rely on your looks. Besides, looks don’t last, and you deserve a lasting kind of happy.”

  The edges of Marley’s mother began to fuzz and blur. She didn’t have long.

  “Mama, I want you to be proud of me.”

  “I’m already proud. It’s time you learned to be proud of yourself.” Rita turned to focus on a spot near the TV. She nodded once to no one I could see, and then said, “I have to go now, honey, but I swear I will always be with you in whatever way I can.”

  A tear slipped from beneath Marley’s lashes. “Love you, Mama.”

  “I love you, too. And be nice to this guy. He cares about you.”

  The words were out of my mouth before I realized Rita was referring to me. Before I could wish her farewell, her spirit shivered and swirled away.

  We were silent. I’d never lost anyone I loved, so I wasn’t sure what to say. After waffling a moment, I gave in and pulled Marley into my arms where she had herself a good long cry.

  Chapter 17

  Marley

  Six months later

  I stepped out of the glass-domed atrium into the sticky Virginia air. The suit jacket I wore was hotter than a three-dollar pistol, but it was necessary to cover my shoulder holster. Unable to help myself, I withdrew my newly issued badge from the inside pocket and examined my stern, unsmiling picture. After an intense training period, I was finally an officer of the Central Intelligence Agency.

  Well, technically I still had a ways to go before I’d be field certified. Most officers in the clandestine services division came into the program with fancy college degrees and spoke multiple languages. They’d do a year of training at Langley before being set loose into the world. I didn’t come into the agency with any of that prior knowledge. Deputy Director Chesley had to pull strings to get me accepted into the program. Good thing psy agents were so hard to come by. My ability to nudge was the only thing that got me in the door.

  The other trainees weren’t very happy about a seemingly underqualified woman gaining the admittance they had to prepare so much for, but they warmed up a little once they saw how hard I was willing to work to catch up.

  Now at the six month mark, I was posting bail and leaving the formal classroom training early. The facility at Langley wasn’t fully equipped to teach a psy agent like me everything I’d need to know for the type of field work I’d be doing. For that, I’d need to apprentice with the team led by Trent Neil. It would take me twice as long as my fellow students to attain my field certification, but since I was being assigned to the same team as JC, I wouldn’t complain.

  Speaking of JC...

  There he was, strolling up the long front walk looking all mysterious in his dark suit and mirrored sunglasses. I had to force myself keep it professional and not to leap into his arms. Hook-ups between agents happened, but like any workplace, it wasn’t cool to make out in front of your co-workers. JC apparently didn’t have the same restraint. As soon as he reached me, he swept me into his arms and kissed me deeply.

  “Holy Christ, it’s good to see you,” he whispered when our lips finally parted. “You’re never leaving my side for so long ever again, I swear.”

  I leaned back to study his face. We’d talked just about every day by phone and sometimes we’d have video calls over the computer, but this was the first we’d actually seen each other in the flesh since just after Mama’s funeral when I’d accepted the CIA job. “Missed you, too. I can’t wait to get back home.”

  He reached up and tugged one of my curls. “Don’t get too comfortable. Neil has wicked plans for your training. He can be a sadistic bastard when he wants to drive home a lesson.”

  “I’m not worried.”

  JC held me out at arm’s length and let his gaze rove over me. “Jesus, Marley, you look great. Only you could make a gray suit look sexy.”

  I straightened my jacket. I had a closet full of dress clothes now. “Yep, traded in the spandex and sequined thongs.”

  He gave me a wolfish grin. “Not all of them, I hope.”

  I smacked him on the arm. “Enough of that. Let’s get out of here.”

  In the rental car, JC clutched my hand while he drove in the direction of my apartment. It was a tiny efficiency in a drab building owned by the Agency, located a couple of miles from headquarters. It was even smaller than my old place in Austin had been, but comfortable enough.

  “How much time do we have?” I asked, resting my hand on the back of JC’s neck and brushing my fingers through the hair at his nape. Now that he was here, I couldn’t stop touching him.

  “Not long enough,” he sighed. “We have to catch the red-eye tonight. Neil wants us in Austin in time for the morning staff briefing.”

  The idea of meeting the rest of the psy agent team had me on edge. These were going to be the people I’d not only work with but also trust to have my back in crazy dangerous situations. What if they copped attitude over my lack of qualifications? Or worse yet, what if they learned about my stripping career and got all high-and-mighty on me? It was funny, but back at The Henhouse, I never worried about what people thought of me. Now that I was going to be working in a place that required I be taken seriously, I was suddenly shy about my past. Honestly, I needed to get over it, because I was starting to piss myself off.

  “Tell me about the training,” JC said, turning into the parking lot of my building. “Can you kill a man with your bare hands?”

  “You wanna spar with me and see?”

  “That could be fun.”

  I rolled my eyes and climbed out of the car. Once he joined me to go inside, I answered his question. “The physical training wasn’t that bad. I mean, yes, practicing krav maga for four hours a day followed by two hours of weapons training where I was expected to shoot in a straight line sucked, but it was easier for me than some of the college boys. At least working the pole kept me in shape.”

  “Most people say the physical training is the worst part.”

  I jabbed the button on the elevator to take us up to the sixth floor. “No. The worst part was the language classes. I’m technically fl
uent in Spanish now, but it sounds ridiculous with my Texas accent. My instructor said it’ll get better with practice, but I don’t know I believe him.”

  “It will. I lost my Spanish accent by watching re-runs of cop shows and imitating the characters.”

  “If you’re suggesting I start watching Telemundo, forget it. And now they want me to learn another language already. They gave me a list to choose from. I’ve never even heard of Urdu, Circassian and Yazidi before. I think I’ll pick Russian. At least I know where Russia is on a map.”

  JC grinned. “I’ll learn Russian with you. We can go through one of those Rosetta Stone programs. Then we can practice on each other.”

  When we entered my place, I barely had time to kick off my shoes before JC’s restraint snapped, and I found myself flat on my back on the bed with him on top of me. His warm lips trailed from my mouth to my collar and back again while I melted under his touch.

  “I missed this,” he murmured into my hair.

  I did, too. When I’d left for my training, we agreed to put our relationship on hold, but since neither of us was interested in pursuing anything with anyone else, it really just became a long distance thing. Not something I would’ve ever recommended.

  We yanked and pulled at each other’s clothes in an awkward pursuit of bare skin. When JC finally entered me, he moved slow and deep, meeting my gaze the whole time. He’d never told me he loved me after that one exhausted slip, but he didn’t need to say it with words. I saw the love in his eyes, felt the reverence in his kiss, and that was enough.

  Later we lay in a tangle of limbs, the sheet twisted all around us, talking softly and trying to ignore the clock telling us it was almost time to leave for the airport.

  “I wish we could take that vacation to Alaska,” JC mused. “Doesn’t an isolated cabin in Denali sound good right now?”

  “You could go. I’m the one who can’t take any time off while I’m in training.”

  “That would defeat the purpose. What good is an isolated cabin without you to keep me warm?”

  “Jeez, you’re getting sappy on me.”

  He opened his mouth to say something when the shrill noise of his phone rang out. He muttered something under his breath as he reached over the side of the bed to retrieve it from his pants pocket.

  “Yeah?” He mouthed the name “Neil” to me.

  I got up and made my way to the bathroom, intending to take a quick shower. The thump of JC’s fist striking the mattress stopped me.

  “What do you mean he escaped? Where the hell is he? Are you kidding me? How did it take five hours for anyone to notice he wasn’t in his cell? Fine, we’re on our way.” JC hung up the phone and dropped it on the bed with a groan.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “Nico Diaz. Someone busted him out of prison.”

  My mouth fell open. “And he had a five-hour head start?”

  JC nodded and rubbed his jaw. “El Caos had someone on the inside. A guard. I’m sure he’s drinking a margarita in Puerto Vallarta by now.”

  After his arrest, I’d had a chance to review Nico’s file at the Agency. If I’d have known six months ago what a freakin’ scary dude he was, no way in holy hell would I have agreed to try planting a bug on him. The guy was a true psychopath. Abusing and manipulating desperate kids was honestly one his tamer crimes.

  “So does this mean you’re going after him?” I knew JC could take care of himself, but the thought of him going up against Nico make me uncomfortable.

  “Not now. We don’t have any leads on his whereabouts yet. Besides, Neil is still hesitant to send me south of the border with that price still on my head.” JC pulled me to him so he could wrap his arms around my waist. “But, Marley, I promise you. I will see that man contained. That’s the only way Lucas will be able to feel safe.”

  Lucas. Over the past several months, he and I had come to know each other pretty well through video calls and marathon text messaging. He was a great kid, and he was really flourishing at the boarding school in Chicago. I couldn’t wait for some free time when I could get up there for an in-person visit. JC recently filled paperwork to officially adopt him, and I couldn’t be happier for them both.

  “Well, I want to see that bastard Nico caught, too. I’ll help in any way I can.”

  “Even if we have to do some hunting off the record?”

  I leaned forward and bit his earlobe. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from my determined man.”

  Just a Little Nudge Play List

  Music is powerful inspiration for writers. The following are the songs that provided fuel for my imagination during the writing of Just a Little Nudge.

  Ain’t Goin’ Down (’Til the Sun Comes Up) - Garth Brooks

  Counting Stars - OneRepublic

  Lying is the Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off - Panic! At the Disco

  Tangled - Maroon 5

  Stripped - Shiny Toy Guns

  Naughty Girls Need Love Too - Samantha Fox

  Bad Influence - Pink

  I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe - Ok Go

  I Like My Women a Little on the Trashy Side - Sawyer Brown

  Secret - Maroon 5

  You and Me - You+Me

  Thrift Shop - Macklemore and Ryan

  More by Jesi Lea Ryan...

  The Arcadia Series

  The End of the Line: Arcadia - Book 0.5

  Arcadia’s Gift - Book 1

  Arcadia’s Curse: Arcadia - Book 2

  Arcadia’s Choice: Arcadia - Book 3

  About the Author

  Jesi Lea Ryan grew up in the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, IA. She holds bachelor degrees in creative writing and literature and a masters degree in business. She considers herself a well-rounded nerd who can spend hours on the internet researching things like British history, anthropology of ancient people, geography of random parts of the world, bad tattoos and the paranormal. She currently lives in Madison, WI with her husband and two exceptionally naughty kitties.

  Stalk Jesi

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  Newsletter

  Website: http://www.jesilea.com/

  JUMP TO...

  NEW REVELATIONS by HEATHER TOPHAM WOOD

  ARMAND by APRIL AASHEIM

  TUESDAY’S CHILD by DALE MAYER

  JUST A LITTLE NUDGE by JESI LEA RYAN

  HAUNTED ON BOURBON STREET by DEANNA CHASE

  SPIRITS AMONG US by MORGAN HANNAH MACDONAND

  LONDON by JC ANDRIJESKI

  AMONG THE LIVING by JORDAN CASTILLO PRICE

  VAMPIRE VACATION by C.J. ELLISSON

  TOUCHED by HAZEL HUNTER

  HAUNTED ON BOURBON STREET

  A Jade Calhoun Novel

  BY DEANNA CHASE

  Bayou Moon Publishing

  Jade loves her new apartment—until a ghost joins her in the shower.

  When empath Jade Calhoun moves into an apartment above a strip bar on Bourbon Street, she expects life to get interesting. What she doesn't count on is making friends with an exotic dancer, attracting a powerful spirit, and developing feelings for Kane, her sexy landlord.

  Being an empath has never been easy on Jade's relationships. It's no wonder she keeps her gift a secret. But when the ghost moves from spooking Jade to terrorizing Pyper, the dancer, it's up to Jade to use her unique ability to save her. Except she'll need Kane's help—and he's betrayed her with a secret of his own—to do it. Can she find a way to trust him and herself before Pyper is lost?

  Heat Level: 4

  Chapter 1

  There was no way I was sharing my new two-hundred-square foot apartment with a ghost. To be honest, I didn’t know if the speculation was true, but I’d gotten the place at a steal because my landlord couldn’t keep it rented. Considering the abundance of documented ghost lore in the French Quarter, I wasn’t taking any chances.

  On moving day I walked the two blocks to The Herbal Connection. The fro
nt window housed an elaborate book display of the title, Vampires of New Orleans. To the right were neat rows of Suck It wine with blood-tinged fangs on the labels. I grimaced. All signs led to the likelihood of just another tourist shop. Still, it was possible they had basic supplies I could work with.

  As soon as I walked in I knew I’d found the perfect shop. The sandalwood scent dissipated and a gentle, salt-filled sea breeze tickled my senses. My favorite place on earth was the beach. Whoever ran the place was doing an excellent job. It took a highly skilled practitioner to cast an illusion tailored to each individual patron.

  “Can I help you?” A southern drawl floated from the back of the shop. As she stepped from behind a display, my eyes settled on a more expensive, classier version of my Aunt Gwen. The two could almost be twins, except the shop lady had salon-dyed auburn hair and wore white linen slacks, topped off with a coral blouse, while Gwen had natural gray curls and always wore her standard red T-shirt and coveralls. Of course, Gwen rode her tractor daily, and I had no trouble picturing this woman sipping mint juleps on a veranda.

  I smiled. “Hello. Yes, I need a sage and cedar smudge stick if you have it.”

  “Of course we do, dear.” She crossed the room and held out her hand. “I’m Bea, owner of the shop.”

  My clammy hand met her cool grip. “Jade. Nice to meet you.”

  “Cleansing negative energy?”

  I nodded.

  She grinned. “You must be new in town.”

  Looking down at my faded jeans and simple cotton T-shirt, I wondered if I had a fresh-from-Idaho vibe radiating off me. It was possible. I’d only been in New Orleans for a month. “Is it that obvious?”