Shattered: A Psychic Visions Novel (44 page)
If she could find her again, now that she realized her mother had been the young woman who’d panicked and told her run, Hannah would love to walk back into her grayscale world and spend some time with her.
It was going to be fine now, and Hannah wanted to make sure she had a chance to let her mother know. Help her mother to heal and cross over into the light where she belonged.
Goodman motioned at the financial advisors huddled in the corner. “I’ve instructed them to hand over the trust and your mother’s inheritance. It will take a few weeks to settle the paperwork, but they are good people,” he said. “They will look after you.”
She shook her head. “They look after you, Father. I have someone, several someones now who will look after me.”
Her words seemed to hit him hard. She winced seeing them from his perspective. “That’s not how I meant that. But I want you to know that Trevor is a good man. I’ve been lucky enough to find some good friends. But…” She took a deep breath. “They will never replace my father.”
A light of hope flowed up in his gaze. He slowly opened his arms again.
This time she rushed into them.
“W
hy am I
so nervous?” Hannah cried, smoothing down the stunning white silk wedding dress. “We’ve been married for months.”
Mina laughed. “Because last time was for safety, this time is for your heart.”
Hannah turned to her and grinned. Dr. Maddy stood behind her. Both were dressed in lacy blue bridesmaid dresses and looked gorgeous. Hannah was so damn lucky. “Thank you both. You look wonderful,” she said warmly.
“Not as beautiful as you.”
There was a knock on the door. Her father’s voice rang out. “Hannah, are you ready?”
She laughed and opened the door. “I’m ready.”
With the two bridesmaids walking ahead of her, she held onto her father’s arm as she walked down the aisle to Trevor who waited with Drew and Stefan at his side.
“Are you sure about this,” her father asked in low tones.
“I’ve never been so sure of anything.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, then took the last step to her husband’s side.
Trevor reached out for her, tucking her up close.
Together they reaffirmed their vows. When it was over he bent to kiss her. She threw her arms around his neck.
“You were right,” he said in a caring whisper against her ear. “The most powerful motivator of all –”
And at the same time, they both said, “Love.”
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Thank you for reading
Shattered
. The series continues with
Into the Night…
Book 10 of Psychic Visions Series
Life is never easy but when her family is killed by a serial killer – one who is never caught – it becomes impossible. As she grows up, Tavi works to appear normal while hiding in law enforcement, determined to get answers and if she can – extract revenge.
Jericho is a hunter. Now he’s caught the scent of an old prey, a serial killer he’s been one step behind the whole way. Then Jericho catches wind of the killer’s next victim… Which is none other than a detective with a little too impressive track record for getting her man.
Only she wants nothing to do with him. Or his protection. And he can’t leave her alone…
Sparks fly from the first meet – in more ways than one.
But when energy flares it also attracts. And the killer realizes he can kill two enemies in one swoop. He’s cleaning up. Turning a new leaf. And wants no one left alive who can stop him…
T
avika Bantrell opened
the door to the station and stopped in the doorway. Her neck cramped at the laughter inside. It always did when she was forced to return here. She belonged on the streets, not at her desk.
She understood the streets. But the computers and databases and reports sucked the life out of her. As she entered, she slowly rotated her neck. The tension was balled up under the atlas bone and would hang there until she could pound it out. Such a thing wasn’t on her agenda any time soon.
It was determined to sit like an irritated gnome and make her life miserable.
And she had enough misery today. Something stirred in her world. She didn’t like it. It brought back memories she worked hard to keep hidden. Forced her to burn more energy and roughed up her senses.
“Hey Tavi nice job on that drunk in the tank.”
The sniggers started at her left and worked around the office. She did her best to ignore them. It was hard though when she knew her shirt was ripped off at the lower right hand side showing her abs. Of course she was wearing a series of scratches and colorful bruises instead. Compliments of the six foot brute in the tank.
She’d gone out to walk the streets right after. Her way of working out the tension. She loved Portland. It was seriously beautiful, but it was just another big city in so many ways.
The homeless problem had hit an all new high. The geese had returned for the winter and were shitting all over the place. And the heat, late for the time of year, was making everyone crabby.
Including her.
“Nice job, Tavi.” Mark smacked her lightly on her shoulder as she walked past. “You know anyone else would have gone home and changed.”
She snorted. “Like I’m anyone else.”
“True enough.” He motioned at her desk in the back of the crowded noisy room. “There’s someone to see you.”
Her gaze sharpened on his face. Her heart stilled… then raced ahead. She tried for a deep calming breath. “I’m not expecting anyone.”
His voice lowered as he nodded to the back of the room where her desk sat in the corner. “This guy doesn’t look like he marches to anyone’s orders but his own.”
Damn. This was not what she needed.
Giving Mark a curt nod of thanks, she stopped at the coffee station and poured a cup of black sludge. Sour and burnt tasting and hot. It was perfect. Fortified she headed to her desk, determined to get rid of the visitor as fast as possible. If he was a snitch – good – he could dump all over her then hit the skids. She was so done with people today.
His aftershave hit her as she approached. She wanted to wrinkle up her nose in disgust, in fact she started too, but there was something about that scent that had her closing her eyes in appreciation instead. Her damn feet slowed, too. Mentally she jerked hard on her errant body and slammed down the cup. She fell into her chair and lifted her scarred boots to rest on the desk as she eyed him over the top of her steepled fingers.
“You wanted to see me?” she asked, proud that her voice was solid. She was solid. There were no flights of fancy in her world. She was a black and white and by the book type of gal.
But right now. At this moment, she wanted to jump this man’s bones.
She clamped down on her jaw and stared at him suspiciously. She was pretty damn sure it was illegal for anyone to be this damn pretty.
He studied her, a secretive smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “I do.” He lifted that gaze of his and locked it on hers. Shivers started to quake her insides.
Dear God, his eyes… they were silver. As in molten mercury. They shifted with the same glimmering light, too.
She swallowed and struggled to remain in control. “What can I help you with?”
“It’s more what I can help
you
with.”
“Oh, and what’s that?” Like she hadn’t heard that before.
“I want to report a murder,” he murmured, the wisp of humor obvious in his voice. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
Her boots hit the floor and she straightened up. All business now.
“Who? Where? When?” She barked out the questions in rapid fire fashion. This was her domain. Where she excelled. She hated to say it, but she loved a good old-fashioned murder.
“I can’t say I have all the information that you need,” he said, a note of apology in his voice. “But I can tell you the name of the victim.”
“That’s a start.” She grabbed a pad of paper and pulled it toward her. “What’s your name?”
“Jericho. Jericho Sands.”
She frowned, but inside she was sending a mental high five to Jericho’s mother. It was a freakin’ perfect name.
“Who has been murdered?”
“Her name is Tavika Bantrell. Detective Tavika Bantrell.”
Her hand was already in the process of writing the name before she understood. She threw down her pen and leaned back in her chair, glaring at him. “That’s hardly a joke,” she snapped. “You’re wasting precious police resources here.”
“My apologies.”
“Well, you’re not sorry,” she said in an accusing voice. “That’s my name as you perfectly well know if you came here asking for me.” She threw her arms open wide and added, “As you can see I’m fine.” Lord she hated cases like this. Someone needed to escort this guy away from her desk and out of the station where he could blend into the landscape. Silver eyes or not, she wasn’t into looney tunes.
“I meant no disrespect,” he said. “It’s just I know this killer and he knows you. Worse, he’s about to make you his next victim.”
She slammed her hands down on her desk and glared at him. “And you know this how?”
The silver in his eyes shimmered at her. She swallowed, struggling to not get lost in the potency of that gaze.
“The same way you knew I was here before you entered the building. The same way I knew when you arrived. The same way I know your body is aching to be mine – because I’m psychic.”
Her body shivered. She locked down on her hormones and stared at him, trying to hide her deep unease. This was so not good. Could he know? How? No one knew. She’d made sure of it. She worked hard to keep that part of her life hidden, buried so far below the surface that no one would ever know. Particularly the one person hunting her. Had always been hunting her.
Instinctively she jacked up her shield. Her head boomed. She took a shaky breath. Don’t panic. She was safe. She’d stay safe.
Then he said it.
He lowered his voice and leaned closer, that mercury gaze holding her captive. “So my dear Tavi, are you.”
Her safely contained world buckled.
KILL OR BE KILLED
Part of an elite SEAL team, Mason takes on the dangerous jobs no one else wants to do – or can do. When he’s on a mission, he’s focused and dedicated. When he’s not, he plays as hard as he fights.
Until he meets a woman he can’t have but can’t forget. Software developer, Tesla lost her brother in combat and has no intention of getting close to someone else in the military. Determined to save other US soldiers from a similar fate, she’s created a program that could save lives. But other countries know about the program, and they won’t stop until they get it – and get her.
Time is running out … For her … For him … For them …
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