Garden of Sorrow (Book 4 of Psychic Visions, a paranormal romantic suspense) (21 page)

That gave her pause. There'd been several times when she'd welcomed their unexpected presence in her mind, reassuring her that she was never truly alone. Now what would it mean? "Will it be difficult to open the door?"

"Like now, there's no real way to teach it to you. It will open or it won't."

"Lovely," she muttered. It had better not refuse to open when she was in trouble. Of course, she could always scream at them. That had worked so far. Stefan's wry look told her he understood her thoughts, regardless. "You can read my mind, but no longer talk to me in my mind until I learn to open that door. How does that work?"

"It doesn't take a telepath to read your mind right now. There is also a big difference between reading your mind and speaking in your mind. Think receiving, versus transmitting."

Alexis threw up her hands in disgust. "Whatever. When does this ever get easier?"

"Never!" He words were succinct and to the point, but with the added implication of 'get used to it.'

***

In another part of town, an old beat-up car pulled into a very popular watering spot. Unfortunately, this town sported several bars that stayed open well into the night. The young man, casually dressed in jeans and t-shirt, quickly walked through each, searching for the asshole before heading back to his car and driving on to the next bar. Grim satisfaction settled on his young features each time he failed to find his suspect. It was possible that he'd missed him, but he didn't think so.

He didn't know quite what to do about the information when he found it. He needed proof of this man's activities first. If he could find this asshole first, it could give him an edge. Maybe enough to get his life back. Grimly, the young man continued his search.

He had to find him before anyone else got hurt.

***

Alexis lay quietly on Stefan's couch. She'd recovered only to find herself in an odd melancholy mood, feeling tired and chilled, the remnants of recovery mode. Today had been traumatic, to say the least. A long hot soak in her bath would help, but she couldn't leave Stefan's until she knew if they'd found the little girl.

Fatigue weighed heavy upon her, and she closed her eyes. Had it only been this afternoon that she'd had such an incredible interlude with Kevin? Unbelievable. It already seemed like days ago. She sighed.

So far, they'd heard nothing.

Stefan returned to the living room, this time bearing a platter of fruit and cheese.

"You don't need to take such good care of me, Stefan. I'm not helpless."

"I'm enjoying it. Besides, after the day you've had, this should help." He carefully placed the full platter down on his low table – missing the odd look that came across her face.

"My day? What kind of day have I had?" she asked in confusion.

He snorted at her forgetfulness. "Don't forget that hiding something from a psychic is difficult at the best of times, and impossible when you're an open book anyway."

Her face burned.

He grinned at her.

"I didn't want to think about it at all," she mumbled sheepishly too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

"So don't. Deal with it instead. Not to worry, I won't probe for details. That's private."

He spoke so nonchalantly that it gave her pause. She hurriedly reached for a bunch of grapes, uneasily aware of just how much information he could have accessed, if he'd so chosen. "Thank you for that."

"Anytime. I might tease Kevin about your wild afternoon, but not you, never you."

She rolled her eyes at him. Heat still warmed her cheeks. She couldn't imagine how Kevin would react to Stefan's teasing. But then, he'd been dealing with Stefan for much longer.

"But he hasn't had very many relationships during this time, either."

"I thought you had to have permission to read my mind now," she asked, irritated.

"No, just to enter it. A small difference."

Alexis shook her head at the hairsplitting. She popped a grape into her mouth and tried to sort through the difference Stefan was talking about.

"The van has been spotted at the mall just on the outskirts of town. What is that place, Cottonwood Mall or some such thing?" Stefan's distant voice interrupted her musings.

He looked off in the distance as if receiving more information. As she watched him, Alexis could almost see the silent communication going on.

"Cottonwood Mall?Alexis chewed on her bottom lip, anxiously watching Stefan's face.

"Kevin's en route and will call later." Stefan blinked several times and returned calmly to the food in front of him. "Eat up. You need to rebuild your strength."

They enjoyed their simple meal, and chatted quietly.

"Stefan, what type of side effects do you have after your psychic trips?"

He didn't answer. She looked up at him. "Stefan?"

Stefan stood frozen, his hand hanging in midair, a chunk of cheese halfway to his mouth. There was a glassy look in his eyes, giving him a vacant, not-at-home look.

Jesus, he looked scary. Alexis swallowed hard several times, all the while watching him.

"Stefan?" she whispered cautiously. "What is it? What do you see?"

Unexpectedly, he answered her. "They've found the van. And the child."

"Oh, thank God." Alexis was elated. It was a far better outcome than she'd feared might come of this night. "Is she okay?"

Stefan continued slowly, almost hypnotically. "The child was drugged, but appears to be unhurt. There's an ambulance on the scene."

"What about the kidnapper? Did they catch him?" She urged him to provide more.

Stefan went deeper inward. "No," he whispered dejectedly. "They didn't get him. He wasn't in the van." He paused for a moment, his eyes rolling upward. A moment later, they rolled back down. He slowly continued. "I'm searching for him."

Alexis held her breath against the pain knifing through her. The bastard was still loose.

"He's nowhere." Stefan slowly opened his eyes. "For just a moment, I caught a whiff of his energy. Incredible anger, madness even. Then he was gone."

"But if he's losing control, wouldn't it have been easier to find him?"

"Theoretically, yes. But in this case, he
isn't
losing control. He's coldly, terrifyingly and dangerously
in
control."

"More treacherous than ever, you mean?"

Stefan stilled, staring at her somberly. "There's going to be a horrific backlash from this night."

Alexis stared at him as painful understanding came crashing in.

The asshole would find a way to retaliate.

K
evin climbed wearily out of his truck, and trudged up to Stefan's front door. He could have called, but this way he could see Alexis at the same time. And he needed that contact tonight. She might prefer space, but he was scared to give her too much. So, here he was, incapable of walking away.

"Good evening, Kevin."

Kevin started at the sound of his name. "Sorry, Stefan, I must be half asleep."

"Half something, yes. But I'm not sure it's asleep."

Kevin flushed, shooting his friend a dirty look. He got a cheeky grin in return. Kevin pushed past him, calling back, "Where is she?"

"Who?" asked Stefan, a little too innocently as he followed casually behind.

"Alex!" Kevin started to call out.

"Shh, she might be asleep," Stefan cautioned.

"Now you tell me," Kevin said in a much softer voice as he walked quickly through the hallway and into the living room – where he suddenly stopped.

Alexis slept, curled up like a kitten on the couch, with a soft mohair blanket tossed casually over her legs. He winced at the deep shadows under her closed eyes.

Hopefully, finding the child unharmed tonight would go a long way to helping her recover. "How was she earlier?"

"Pretty wiped out," Stefan answered, nodding toward the kitchen so Kevin would follow him. Once there, he put on water for a cup of tea.

"Skip the tea. Do you have any beer?" At Stefan's nod, Kevin pulled open the fridge and grabbed himself a cold one. He removed the cap and took a long pull before turning back to face Stefan again. "We lost him."

Stefan was compassionate in his silence. He gazed steadily back at Kevin, waiting.

Damn. Kevin wished he could be so calm. He wanted to pound something.

"Did you pick up anything on him?"

Stefan shook his head. "Not really. I caught just the faintest scent of him in the mall." He paused, and then forced himself to continue. "He's almost insane in his fury."

"That's to be expected."

"But not like this. He's after revenge."

Kevin looked at him sharply. "What do you mean?"

"I picked up some bits. It's almost as if he believes you stole something from him, and now he's going to look for something of yours to take in revenge."

"But does he know it's me?" Kevin looked out the window thoughtfully. He hadn't expected this twist. If Stefan was correct, it seemed incredibly personal. Adding weight to the idea that he probably knew the killer.

"My impression is that he does. Besides, your name has been all over the media. It would be hard not to know you're handling the investigation."

"Interesting."

"What's interesting?" Alexis's voice broke through the intense silence.

The two men pivoted. Kevin walked over and pulled her into a warm, comforting embrace. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She looked up at him solemnly. "Or at least I will be when you confirm the little girl is okay."

"She is." Kevin smiled with satisfaction. "She's in her mother's arms as we speak."

Alexis closed her eyes in relief, letting her head drop onto his chest. Grateful, Kevin held her close, allowing his cheek to rest on her hair. After a few minutes, she disentangled herself and moved over to give Stefan a quick hug. "At least something good came out of tonight."

Stefan led the way back into the living room. "Kevin, any idea why he chose this girl?"

"Not yet. But neither the mother nor the little one are in any shape to talk. Tomorrow, I'll speak with them again." Kevin sat down beside Alexis. "Are you going to work tomorrow?"

She looked over at him in surprise. "I'd planned to. Why?"

"I wondered if you wanted to come with me to meet the mom and little girl."

Alexis was shocked. "Why? I'm not the police. That's your job." She was so surprised at his question that she missed the grin on Stefan's face.

"News flash, Alexis. Remember all the headlines 'Psychic Helps Police to Find Abducted Child'? Guess what, that's you."

Alexis stared at the two men as comprehension hit. Dear God, they were right. She'd just assisted in her first police case. A groan erupted, loud enough to be heard over the men's laughter, as she collapsed against the back of her chair. "Shit! I don't want people to know."

"Calm down, Alexis, it's not the end of the world. No one will really know it's you – this time," Kevin said.

That horrified her even more. "And they had better not find out!" she cried. "Yes, we found the little girl in time but…" She slapped her hands flat against her thighs. "But the asshole is still free. He's just going to go after someone else. What if we can't save them?" she cried out.

Thoughts tumbled through her mind. Just the thought of meeting the little girl scared her. There was no way she wanted to be involved to that extent.

Except she already was.

Kevin broke in, his voice soothing and stabilizing, "Which is why it would be a good idea for you to go away and visit a relative for a while instead. Be aware, if this guy finds out that you helped us, he could decide to come after you."

"I don't think he's too worried about waiting. He already said he would." Anger washed through her. Alexis glared at the far wall, trying to contain her temper. She should be afraid at the idea. Instead it just pissed her off. How dare he make her a victim?

Stefan had an odd impressionist painting hanging on the wall. She concentrated on that. She'd noticed it before, but today, it seemed more vibrant, alive almost. In trying to block out Kevin's words, the picture drew her in. How odd.

"Alex?"

The colors were twisting and shifting, mixing rapidly even as she watched. Blood red and stark white – blood flowed over jagged bone. The image struck home. Someone was going to die.

Pain, intense white lightning, struck her in the abdomen, the agony of it doubling her over.

"What is it, Alex?" Both men rushed to her side. Kevin crouched anxiously in front of her. "Alexis, what's the matter?"

"The picture," she gasped. "On the wall."

They both look over at the painting in question. Stefan even got up and walked over to it. Everything appeared normal now.

"What about the picture?" Kevin asked. His eyes roved over her face.

Alexis tried to reassure him with a smile, but it was difficult. "It looked like bones and blood. An image. Maybe of something to come. But it's gone now. I had the feeling someone would die."

The pain had eased, but not her understanding. Her ability constantly forced her to adjust now. A few cautious breaths later, the pain had reduced to a mild ache.

Had that pain been from the image? She gently rubbed her stomach. When would her life return to normal? Could a normal life ever exist for her again?

"Not likely," said Kevin, his eyes full of understanding.

"You're reading my mind again."

"You're transmitting again," came his sharp retort.

"Was not," she responded childishly. It had certainly felt like he'd been in her mind. She concentrated for a quick second and mentally booted him out.

"Thanks, at least now I know the last time was no accident," he said bitterly, pulling away from her, hurt etched on his face. He snagged up his beer and walked back into the kitchen. The door slammed behind him, announcing his departure to the garden.

Alexis looked over at Stefan in concern. "I didn't mean to hurt his feelings."

"I know, which doesn't change the fact that you did." Stefan sat down beside her. "It's difficult to learn boundaries in this field. You have to decide what you're comfortable with and stick with it. You and Kevin share a special bond now. He just wants to keep you safe.