Jamie (17 page)

But typical of Alyx, she'd taken his start of a proposal and turned it into a casual living arrangement. Scott consoled himself with the knowledge that, if she lived with him, he'd at least be able to keep her from running after Jamie.

The two of them seemed to have a special friendship, and while Scott adamantly refused to acknowledge any sign of jealousy, the risks Alyx took made his blood run cold. Knowing she'd gone off in the woods alone, so close to nightfall, amplified his need to protect her. Keeping her close seemed a good way to do that.

Not that Alyx would ever admit to needing his protection. And that was something of a rub, because he wasn't just a natural-born protector, he'd made protection his career as well. Hell, as deputy, he made it his business to look out for everyone.

“Deputy Royal?”

With a start, Scott realized Willow had spoken to him and he hadn't heard a single word. “I'm sorry, Willow. What did you say?”

Willow grinned in a knowing way. “Nothing important.”

“You sure?”

Alyx came into the room and asked, “Sure about what?”

Willow laughed and headed for the doorway. “I'll see you both later. Clay and I are going to the matinee movies.”

Now dressed in trim white shorts and a beige halter that showed off every sleek, sexy curve of her tall body, Alyx hugged herself up to Scott's arm. “Have fun, honey,” she called to Willow. “And remember, Clay has your best interests at heart.”

Scott waited until Willow was out of sight before he gave in to the consuming urge to once again stake a claim.

“Alyx?”

When she looked up at him, still smiling, Scott lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her first gently, then with fast-growing hunger. Lately, he couldn't be around her without wanting her.

Right. Who was he kidding? He'd never been able to get close to Alyx without thinking of rumpled sheets, warm damp bodies, and frenzied sex.

Familiarity had only made it worse, sharpening the razor's edge of lust. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her. Living with her would be the next best thing to marriage.

Except Scott hated to be a bad influence on Joe's kids. And he could just imagine what Joe would have to say about it. Shit.

He lifted away, and Alyx sighed dreamily. Damn, she was so beautiful. And so smart and sexy and ...

He had it bad.

Scott teased the warm velvet texture of her cheek with his fingertips, then put his forehead to hers. “Alyx, you know I have your best interests at heart too, right?”

Typical of Alyx, she laughed, gave his butt a squeeze, and said, “I don't need anyone to take care of me, Scott.”

His guts clenched. “Maybe not. But what if I want to do it anyway?”

Her smile dazzled him. “I appreciate the sentiment.” Catching his hand, Alyx dragged him out of the room. “Now let's go. I'm hoping you'll get a chance to arrest someone on the way to breakfast.”

“That's not likely.”

“You never know.” She bobbed her eyebrows at him. “I think Visitation may be due for a little excitement.”

Scott eyed the enticing sway of her hips in her snug shorts and prayed she was wrong. Because Alyx Winston was just about as much excitement as he could take.

Chapter Nine

Jamie sat on a fallen tree trunk, his elbows on his knees, his eyes narrowed, while he waited for Joe. He knew he'd be along soon, which was why he couldn't stay and have breakfast with Faith. But he'd hated leaving her. And wasn't that a stitch?

He could barely remember the last time he'd actually enjoyed company. More often than not, his thoughts focused on separating himself rather than taking pleasure in small talk or the sheer presence of another person.

Impatient, Jamie pushed his long hair back from his face and squinted up at the sky. The clouds had finally cleared enough to let skinny rays of sunshine penetrate. The day would get warm by midafternoon. After all the rain, it'd probably feel like a sauna.

The rumble of Joe's truck finally disturbed the quiet drone of the surrounding woods. Jamie stood, brushed off his well-worn, tattered jeans, and moved to stand in the middle of the road.

Joe rounded the bend, spotted Jamie, and slammed on his brakes. Gravel kicked from the rear tires as Joe steered the truck to the curb. Even from the slight distance, Jamie could hear him cursing.

He hid it on the outside, but on the inside, Jamie grinned.

And damn, it felt good.

Joe slammed his door and stomped toward Jamie with a lot of bluster and fanfare. His dark hair practically stood on end, and his hands were fisted. “Why the
hell
do you have to do that?”

All innocence, Jamie asked, “What?” on his way to the passenger-side door.

Joe's eyes sparked blue fire. “Stand in the middle of the goddamn road! One of these days someone is going to run over your sorry ass.”

Jamie opened the truck door, climbed in, and raised a brow at Joe, who had followed hot on his heels. “You coming?”

For two heartbeats, Joe looked ready to implode. Then he threw up his hands, rounded the hood of the truck while muttering under his breath, and jerked his door open. “You're certifiable, you know that?”

“Nah.” Jamie settled into the leather seat and admired Joe's truck. “Maybe I used to be, but not anymore.

Joe went so utterly and comically still that Jamie had a hard time wearing a mask of indifference. “What did you say?”

After snapping on his seatbelt, Jamie faced Joe. “Do you think you could drive while we talk? I'm in sort of a rush to get back.”

“The hell you say!” But Joe put the truck in gear and accelerated back to the roadway. After a minute, his voice gruff, Joe asked, “Where are you going, anyway? ”

“To town with you.”

“Jamie—”

“I need to buy some things.” Jamie waited, anticipating Joe's reaction, and then added, “And I need a haircut and a shave.”

“A haircut and a . . .”
Slanting him a look ripe with incredulity, Joe growled, “You want to tell me what the hell is going on here, Jamie?”

“Actually, yeah, I do. Because I might need your help.”

Another wave of shock went through Joe. “Are you serious?”

Jamie settled back in his seat and stretched out his legs. He really liked Joe's truck a lot and always enjoyed riding in it. It was roomy and comfortable and had plenty of power. Maybe if things worked out, and he found out he didn't have to hide anymore, he could see about getting his license. Then he'd buy a truck just like Joe's. “I've got a woman in my cabin.”

“A naked woman, I know. ”Joe tugged at his earring. “It's all the wives are talking about.”

Nodding, Jamie said, “Clint told you. Her name is Faith. She used to work at the institute.”

It was fascinating, seeing Joe go on the alert. Jamie wasn't even reading him, just observing him, man to man, and he noticed the changes. Joe was plenty big enough to intimidate most anyone, but when he straightened in that protective way, when his muscles bunched and his gaze went cold and hard, he looked all but invincible.

Odd that Joe got that way now for Jamie. Odd but nice.

Jamie wondered how many other reactions he'd observed that he'd attributed to psychic ability.

“Institute?”

Enjoying the cautious way Joe said that, Jamie clarified. “Not a mental institute, so relax.”

“I didn't—”

“I know.” Jamie trusted Joe. He liked him, too, always had. If things worked out, he'd enjoy being Joe's friend. “I'm talking about Farmington Research Institute at Harrod University. The institute houses labs that study parapsychology phenomena.” He smoothed a wrinkle in his jeans, then added with a shrug, “They studied me.”

Joe appeared hesitant to pry, but concerned all the same. “No shit?”

“No shit.” Jamie made his explanations as short as he could. “My folks died when I was real young, and I spent a lot of time in the foster-care system. I got shipped around a lot because I freaked people out.”

“I can imagine.”

Lost in memories, Jamie missed Joe's note of humor. “When I was sixteen, Professor Kline heard about me somehow, and he took me to the institute. I spent a hell of a lot of years there.” He'd never talked much about his past with anyone, other than Faith, since he'd been a green, defensive, confused kid.

“Professor Kline?”

Jamie felt Joe's sympathy, but Joe didn't voice it, and Jamie appreciated his discretion. He hated talking about his youth because so much of it was ... bleak.

But it was all he'd known.

Jamie nodded. “A real son of a bitch, not that I realized it at the time. I just knew that, unlike most people I'd met, Kline appreciated the things I could tell him.”

“I gather you're talking about your predictions? You could do that stuff even when you were younger?”

Jamie nodded. “It doesn't take a kid long to realize he's different, especially when other kids—and even adults—are always pointing it out. And for me it was especially noticeable. Even among the gifted, I'm an anomaly. Not only am I telepathic, but my precognition and remote-viewing skills surpass any others that are known. It's unusual to excel in more than one ability, especially to the degree that I have them. But mine seem intertwined, so you can imagine how the board of directors at Farmington valued me.”

Joe looked from the road to Jamie and back again. “So all that mind-reading stuff you do—”

“That's telepathy.” In an odd, talkative mood, Jamie pointed out, “You do it sometimes too, only you like to call it gut instinct, shrewdness, intuition, even good judgment.”

With a snort, Joe said, “There's a huge difference in what I can figure out with logic and common sense and what you just ... know.”

“Yeah, there is.” He'd suffered many years for being a freak of nature. While other people went about in happy indifference, Jamie saw the world as a transparent cloud of pain. “Precognition is awareness of a future event, and remote viewing is like ... well, seeing things as they happen, even if they're not happening anywhere near me.”

Joe looked dumbfounded.

“Yeah, it's a lot to swallow, I know.” Jamie turned thoughtful. “Sometimes, I get hit with so much information from so many sources, it's hard to piece everything together so that it makes sense. It's frustrating for me, because I'll know some things, but not enough to be clear on it.”

“It makes you feel helpless, ”Joe guessed. “Not a good feeling for any man to have.”

“Yeah.” Jamie slowly nodded, realizing that Joe had just summed it up. “Helpless.” Sharing only the most necessary details, Jamie explained about Professor Kline's, Delayna's, and Faith's roles in the experiments that had taken place in the labs. He didn't go into how wounded he'd felt, and how badly he'd needed to hide away.

“So now Faith is here. ”Joe chewed that over before asking, “You trust her?”

“For right now I do. It's possible that she's come to me because it's her daughter at risk. ”Jamie flattened his hands on his thighs and took a deep breath. “Corey's only eight years old, and she has the same ability I have.”

Joe whistled through his teeth. “That's rough.”

“Yeah.” Jamie was a little surprised at Joe's insight, when really, he shouldn't have been. Joe had always proven to be perceptive of others. “No child should have to feel what she feels.”

“What you felt.” With the new information, Joe's gaze became watchful, and he scanned the area as he drove. “Do you think she understands it?”

“I know she does.” Jamie remembered how the little girl had connected with him, and he shook his head. “Faith says that Cory is especially bright for her age. I think she'd have to be to deal with the uglier reality of the world.”

“A reality most people are oblivious to.” Joe thought about that, then glanced at Jamie. “In case I haven't told you lately, I've been damn glad for your help. You're a good man, Jamie.” He looked back at the road without giving Jamie a chance to react to that disclosure. “So no one knows for sure where this Delayna woman is?”

Jamie shook off his surprise and discomfort at Joe's compliment. “That's what Faith said, and she wasn't blocking me then, so I assume she's telling the truth.”

“What does she look like?”

“Faith?”

Joe's mouth curled in a knowing grin. “I meant Delayna. ”

Frowning at himself, Jamie determined to keep his thoughts off Faith and on the subject at hand. “It's been a while since I've seen her.”

“How long?”

“A man loses track, living in the mountains alone. But I'd say close to a decade.”

Spearing him with a sharp glance, Joe said, “You've been in the mountains that long?”

“'Bout that.” Sometimes it had felt like a day, sometimes a lifetime. For dozens of reasons, Jamie hadn't exactly logged the time. “When I knew her, Delayna was attractive. Tall. Slim. Green eyes. Short, dark brown hair.” Jamie shrugged. “Sexy.”

“This is going to be hard to get used to.”

“What's that?”

“You being so verbose and using descriptions like
sexy.”
Chuckling, Joe gave him a companionable slug in the arm. “Hell, I can't imagine what it's going to be like if you really do lose the beard.”

“You'll find away to cope, because I'm really losing it.” Scratching at the scruffy beard he'd worn for years now, Jamie added, “I grew it to look different. ”

“To hide,” Joe said with understanding. “But since you've shown yourself around town as a bearded caveman, being clean shaven and well groomed will be a better disguise.”

“As long as too many people don't know about it.

“We'll keep it mum. Only the people you trust will know.”

Trust. Such a fragile thing that had once seemed so elusive. Before Faith, Jamie hadn't even trusted himself. Now he had Joe, Bryan, Bruce, and Clint—and all their wives. And because that trust was so precious to him, worry squirreled through his conscience.

Not because of a premonition of doom and gloom, but because he cared.

“If you could be on the lookout for strangers in town that meet Delayna's description, I'd appreciate it. But it's my problem, Joe. I don't want anyone taking unnecessary chances.”

Joe shrugged off his concern. “We'll be careful.” Then, with more gravity, he added, “Anything else you need, just let us know.”

Deciding he'd been morose enough, Jamie nodded. “I was hoping you'd say that.” Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew the list Faith had given him. “You any good at shopping?”

Joe groaned, but the groan morphed into a laugh. “Sure, why the hell not. What have you got on there?”

Jamie had known all along that he could count on Joe.

He could count on all of them. Because despite doing his best to avoid them, they were now his friends.

 

 

The noonday sun made the stupid disguise more smothering than usual. But it could be ignored. Up ahead, a young man stood alone beside his fancy car at the side of an empty field. Kyle Braeder. While in town earlier, he'd drawn attention to himself by waving around a wad of bills and bullying a group of younger boys.

Now, he'd regret showing off.

Following him had posed no challenge. But he hadn't gone home. No, he'd stopped by the field, probably waiting for someone.

This was just too damn easy.

Luckily, ripe targets that would serve the plan well flooded Visitation. Kyle would be the second. Soon, if Jamie Creed didn't put in an appearance, there'd be a third.

Leaving the concealment of trees and stalking forward drew Kyle's attention.

Laughing, Kyle asked, “What the fuck are you supposed to be? The Lone Ranger? Batman?” And because he was ballsy as well as a punk, he strode forward.

Just perfect.

When Kyle got within reach, it took no more than a swift turn, an extended leg, and the element of surprise for a boot heel to connect solidly with his solar plexus. Hitting the submission point dead-on sent Kyle back several feet, wheezing and gasping in pain.

While struggling for breath, Kyle doubled over, and gave the perfect opportunity for a knee to the chin.

His head snapped up and he fell onto his back, landing hard, a little dazed. He shook his head to clear it, and rubbed at his jaw. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“What are you doing here, Kyle?”

He wheezed in another pain-filled breath and gingerly sat up. “You know my name?”

“I know you have a lot of cash on you. Why?”

“That's none of your damn business.”