The Mind Readers (19 page)

My dad is dead. I’m afraid of my powers. What if Lewis is using me?

The thoughts tumbled from my
mind, into the dark world, into his mind. I felt his body stiffen. I knew he’d
heard my thoughts and for a moment I regretted being so open. I turned my face
away, too embarrassed to look at him directly.

Lewis was silent for a long
moment. He didn’t say a word, nor did he open his mind to me. I closed my eyes
and closed my mind. I’d told him what he needed to hear. No need to let him
know how utterly humiliated I was at the moment.

“I guess it’s normal,” he
finally said, “for you to be afraid. It’s all new to you. You didn’t realize
what you were capable of.”

I nodded slowly, so relieved he
was talking to me, at the same time leery of what he’d say. He wrapped his arm
around my shoulders and I sank into his side, soaking up his warmth. “I vaguely
remember when I came here. It was…overwhelming. I was younger, it was easier
for me to handle it.”

I drew my fingers through the
sand, the gritty bits clinging to my skin.

“And as for your dad…I’m sorry.”

Of course he was, and of course
he knew exactly how I felt because he’d gone through it. “How’d they die?” I
dared to look at him.

He swallowed hard, staring out
at the dark waves. I wasn’t sure if I’d gone too far, if perhaps he’d change
the subject. But finally he looked down at me.

“I was there right before it
happened.”

My heart stopped. The pain I
felt for him was almost unbearable. Compassion took hold of my chest and
squeezed.

“They worked for S.P.I.,
supposedly. We’re still not sure if S.P.I. is even a legitimate branch of the
government. But anyway, they were draining them. That headache you have is
nothing compared to what they experienced. One night they decided to break out.
But S.P.I. found out. While they were escaping, they were captured.”

I rested my head on his
shoulder. I didn’t need to know more, but I did wonder how much he’d seen. I
prayed he hadn’t been there when his parents died.

“Cam,” he said softly. “I didn’t
introduce you to that woman because she’s worse than Emily.”

Relief was sweet. “Oh.”

“When I see her, she always
tells me to call her, I never do. She’s a fake and it’s easiest just to play
along.”

Wonderful, he’d read those thoughts
as well. Still, I smiled, the tension in my body easing some.
 

“The hostess who checked us in
is dating a friend of mine; that’s how I know her.”

Heat shot to my cheeks. Okay,
maybe I shouldn’t have let him read my mind. I was beginning to look like a
total idiot.

“And Olivia…she’s…I don’t know.”

But I did. She was jealous. Just
as I’d assumed, so why didn’t I go with my gut? Why had I let petty
insecurities get the better of me? “I’m sorry,” I sighed. “I hate not knowing
what you’re thinking. I’m not used to it, you know?” I looked up at him and he
nodded.

“I’ve felt the same about you. I
don’t have a clue what you’re thinking and it’s frustrating as hell and
interesting at the same time.”

 
I grinned, a teasing smile. “You find me
interesting?”

He smiled back, reaching out and
tucking a loose lock of hair behind my ear, letting his fingers trail down the
line of my jaw, light as a feather. “Yeah, you could say that.”

I rested my hand on his drawn up
knees, turning to get closer to him. “If you want to know something about me,
just ask.”

The wind ruffled his hair, and
his gaze dropped to my lips. “You’ll answer? No matter what the question is?”

“Sure,” I said, wondering if I’d
regret my ready reply.
 

“Well, I’ve been wondering…” He
leaned closer to me, his mouth next to my ear, his breath warm on my skin. “If
you liked our kiss.”

Heat swept through my body. I
couldn’t believe he even had to ask that question. I was blushing, but
fortunately it was too dark to tell. At least I hoped it was too dark. I didn’t
want to seem like some inexperienced loser.
 

He pulled back and looked
directly at me. “Well?”

“Yes.” I smiled. “I liked it,
very much.”

He drew his finger down the side
of my face, a gentle touch. A buoy dinged somewhere out on the ocean, an eerie,
magical sound. “And would you mind, very much, if I kissed you again?”

My heart squeezed. “No, I don’t
think I would.”

He grinned as he leaned closer
to me. Before his lips touched mine, he paused, his breath warm on my lips.
Savoring the moment, I closed my eyes. An unsteady heartbeat later, I felt him
lean into me and then his lips met mine.

His mouth was warm, firm.
Lovely. His arm tightened around my shoulders, drawing me closer to his chest,
while his other hand cupped the side of my face. I wanted to touch him, to pull
him even closer, to do anything possible to keep him from moving away. I
slipped my hands up his chest, my palm lingering over his heart, the beat
steady and strong. My entire body tingled, from my toes to my fingertips. When
his tongue slipped across my bottom lip, I shivered. I could kiss him forever.

“Well, how sweet. Young love,”
the unfamiliar voice was like a foghorn.
 

Lewis jerked back, his breathing
harsh. His narrowed eyes were focused on some point behind me. Startled, I spun
around. A man stood near the shore, only feet from us. It was too dark to make
out his features, but I could tell he was older, maybe Aaron’s age. He wore a
dark suit and a smirking grin. My shock gave way to embarrassment. Slowly,
Lewis stood, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet.

“How are you, Lewis?” the man
asked. His gaze slid to me. “And who is this?”

Watching him warily, I swiped
the sand from my clothes.
  

“No one you need to be concerned
with.” Lewis’ grip stung almost as much as his words. I tried not to take his
tone to heart. I knew he was upset, although why I wasn’t sure.

He started up the dune, pulling
me with. His steps were fast and hurried, determined. In my heels, I could
hardly walk, let alone at his pace. Stumbling, I glanced back. The man was
following.

“Why the hurry?” he asked, his
long legs easily catching us.

Who is he?
I demanded, asking Lewis with my mind.

He didn’t respond.

“Lewis,” I tried speaking out
loud. Still, he didn’t answer, but merely stared straight ahead, as if I wasn’t
there, as if the man following wasn’t there.

“Running away only makes you
look guilty,” the man said.

Guilty? What the hell was going
on? Lewis stopped on the deck. I ran into his back, my face pressing to his
hard shoulder. For one long moment he didn’t say a word, then slowly he turned.
He didn’t look down at me, but kept his hard gaze focused on the man in the
suit. He was pale with brown hair, I could see that now under the lights from
the restaurant.
 

“What do you want Rodgers?” His
hand was tight in mine, his anger palpable.

Rodgers smiled, his thin lips
and wide nose stretching. “You remember my name, I’m honored.”

“Cut the bullshit,” Lewis
snapped.

I stepped back, surprised by his
hard tone. I’d never really seen Lewis angry, I’d rarely heard him curse. It
confused and worried me more than I wanted to admit.

“Now, now, there’s a lady
present. We should watch what we say.” The man shook his head, as if
disappointed. I could see his features now that we were close to the light from
the restaurant, but there was nothing familiar about his face. “Who is this
young woman, by the way?”

“A friend.”

Rodgers looked directly at me
and I felt his black gaze shiver over my skin, as if he could read my very
soul. “And does your friend have a name and a voice?”

“Cameron,” I said.

“Cameron, so nice to meet you.”
He held out his hand.

I paused for only a moment, but
realized it would be too rude to ignore him, so I slipped my hand into his. His
fingers were firm and warm, but his touch made me oddly cold.

I drew back, stepping closer to
Lewis.

Rodgers was back to staring at
Lewis. “You’ve been gone for a while.”

“Yeah, I can leave the island.
I’m not a prisoner.”

He clasped his hands behind his
back. “Didn’t say that. My, you’re paranoid.”

“I’m not paranoid, I’m late.” He
gave the man a stiff smile. “We have to go.”

“Sure, don’t want to break your
curfew.” He seemed amused by that.

Lewis didn’t respond, merely
tightened his hold on my hand and led me around the deck, toward the front of the
building.

“Lewis.” He was walking too fast
and my voice came out breathless. “Who was he? What’s going on?”

He released my hand and moved
around to the driver’s side. “No one, get in the car.”

I pulled open the door and
slipped inside, waiting for him to explain. No way was I letting him get away
with that pathetic answer.

He was quiet as he settled in
the seat and we pulled out of the parking lot. It was only once we’d made it
through town that I asked him again. “Lewis, come on. What’s going on?”

“He’s one of them.” He didn’t
look at me as he said that. He was upset, and it was worrying me. His knuckles
were white as his fingers gripped the wheel. His hard gaze remained pinned
straight ahead.
 

“One of who…” My blood went
cold. “He’s with S.P.I.?”

He nodded. We were silent as he
drove up the hill, my thoughts in turmoil. I thought I’d be safe here, they’d
promised I’d be safe. But how safe could I be if S.P.I. knew where we lived?
Lewis stopped as we waited for the gates to open.

“But…how do you know for sure?”
I asked, deciding to be calm, rational.

Lewis drove through the gates
and onto Aaron’s property. As the gates closed behind us, I admit I did feel
somewhat safer. Which was ridiculous. I mean, we couldn’t live behind these
gates forever. “He’s been sniffing around here for months.”

Panic set in, bitter on my
tongue. Months? “Why? How’d he find you?”

He finally looked at me, his
eyes softening with compassion. Maybe he’d read my thoughts, or maybe the panic
was obvious on my face. “Don’t worry, he can’t hurt us. He doesn’t have any
reason to search our home.”

He could find a reason, I had no
doubt. If he really wanted to, he could get in. Miserable and scared, I slipped
further down into my seat. They told me I’d be safe. They said I was a sitting
duck if I stayed in my hometown. I’d believed them. But for the first time
since arriving, I wondered if I was any safer here than I’d been with Grandma.

Chapter 14

“Cameron, wake up.”

I snuggled further down into my
warm, soft bed, thinking maybe I was dreaming. I could have sworn I’d just
fallen asleep. No way it was already morning. Besides, I didn’t want to wake
up. I wanted to sleep. Sleep was good. Very good.

Vaguely I was aware of the sound
of wind battering the windows, rain tapping at the glass. It was bitterly cold
outside. A storm had arrived. Yes, it was definitely a good idea to stay in my
warm bed.

“Cameron.” Someone gently pushed
at my shoulders.

Suddenly fully awake, I bolted
upright. “What’s happened?” My voice was mumbled, sleepy.

Aaron stood next to my bed, the
lamplight on the bedside table highlighting his tense features. He wore a
sweatshirt and jeans, not his normal dress clothes, and his hair was all messed
up. I’d never see him so out of sorts.

“What is it?” I asked, sudden
panic gnawing at my gut. What had happened? Why wasn’t Lewis here? My thoughts
were a jumbled mess of feelings I couldn’t control.

“Shhh, Lewis is fine. Come with
me. I need your help.”

I pushed my comforter away, my
body shaking from the sudden dive into the conscious world. I was aware, even
in my whacked-out state that once again Aaron had read my mind when I’d asked
him not to. But I didn’t have time to dwell on that, I was too worried about
what the heck was going on. Aaron handed me a hoody and I pulled it over my
head, cuddling into its warmth.

“I don’t understand.” I glanced
at the windows. No light came through the cracks between the curtains, so it
wasn’t morning. I’d gone to bed almost immediately after Lewis and I had
returned home. The house was still silent, which meant everyone slept. I turned
and glanced at the clock. 3 a.m.

“Ugh,” I said, brushing my hair
from my face.

Aaron didn’t seem to notice,
merely handed me my tennis shoes. I took them reluctantly. “Are we going
outside?”

“No.” He started toward the
door. “Hurry.”

I slipped my feet into my shoes
and followed him into the hall. “Aaron, what’s going on?”

“Shhh, everyone’s sleeping.
Block your thoughts. If the others hear your thoughts, you might as well be
yelling out loud. They’re vulnerable when they sleep. It will wake them.”

I tried to meditate as he led me
down the steps, but worry and exhaustion made it difficult. I imagined that
steel room, keeping my thoughts contained.
 

“Good,” I was vaguely aware of
his voice as my walls went up.

We’d made it to the first floor
and were headed down a back hall. Too busy concentrating on my mental steel
room, I was barely aware of where he led me. At the back of the house, Aaron
pushed open a door that led to a long flight of stairs. Only a dull light
highlighted our descent into the dungeon.

Surprised, I paused. “What’s
going on?”

“No time to explain, come on. I
need your help.” He took my hand, his grip warm and strong, and pulled me down
the steps. It was your typical basement with stone walls, stone floor, empty of
boxes, dreary and creepy looking. What was surprising was the very fact that he
had a basement on an island, as usually the water table was too high for even a
crawl space. Only one light was on and I couldn’t see the entire area to know
how far the basement ran underneath the house.