Excerpt
Fog drifted through Juliana’s
mind, thickening into a smothering cloud. Weightless, she plummeted down an
ensnaring hollow. Lightning flashed in quick succession in her skull,
revealing the fractured thoughts of another.
Subtle gunfire crackled the air like a
firecracker dud.
The driver of the car ogled a man standing
under a canopy of trees on the right side of the road ahead. The moving car
faltered from the front end, swerved away from the solitary figure. Tires
screeched and metal crashed into steel, scraping and tumbling down a
hillside dotted with boulders and trees.
The man’s head slammed the car’s roof, his
horrified cries inside the vehicle wafting on the wind. The car rolled over
and over until it landed on all four wheels. Slashes of moonlight
illuminated the black vehicle through tree branches, dappled light
reflecting off the shattered windshield. A splintered rearview mirror caught
the ghostly image of a tall, muscular man watching from the cliffside above,
a handgun engulfed in his large hand, his long dark hair streaming in the
breeze.
“Twilight’s yours. Don’t let them steal your
twilight, flower child,” his ragged voice intoned.
Death claimed his last breath.
The vision dissolved, and diffused light stabbed
Juliana’s eyes. “No, no, no,” she cried out, reaching to stop the car from
losing control, catching her sheer bed scarves in her fist.
“Juliana, babe.” Alex cupped her cheeks, and she
opened her frantic eyes. “Dream?” He held his breath, waiting for the
inevitable answer he didn’t want to hear.
A lone tear slipped down her right cheek.
“Vision,” she croaked out, mouth thick from sleep. Anxiety tingled in her
chest. Her first telepathic vision since she’d almost died when a lunatic
kidnapper had sucked her into his own telepathic mind. Was it happening
again? Another psychic to psychic connection? Confusion fogged her brain as
her anxiety spread. No. Not again. She rubbed her forehead, but it
only served to spread her fear.
Alex’s steely embrace held her close to the
solid, safe planes of his body. Skin met skin, but the vision refused to
allow her to focus on his nakedness. Only four weeks had sped by since
they’d rescued Alex’s young niece from the kidnapper. After twelve long
years of separation following high school, they’d refused to waste any more
time living apart, and he immediately became a fixture in her house and in
her life again. She loved every moment, and most of all, she loved his
calming presence in her bed, where she felt safe sleeping for the first time
in her life, even when the monsters merely lingered in her head.
“Are you sick? Need soda, aspirin?” he asked,
knowing how her visions affected her at times. She shook her head. “How
bad?”
“A car accident…murder.”
“Murder? Are you sure?” He tugged the sheet over
them. “Have you ever dreamed of plain accidents which aren’t crimes?”
Eyes bugged out, she asked, “Must I buy you a
clue?”
A flush worked up his neck, his heat warming her
face. “Sorry. Forgot about prom night.”
High school prom night had been the last night
Juliana and Alex had spoken to each other until she’d returned to San Jose
and dreamed about the kidnapping. The accident ten years ago had critically
injured his twin sister and killed his best friend. The accident had also
precipitated the near destruction of Juliana’s life—the first time she’d
ever had a vision go horribly wrong.
“In San Jose?” he continued.
“I think I saw the Lick Observatory’s white domes
on top of Mt. Hamilton in the background. We had a near full moon last
night, and there was a large moon behind the largest dome, illuminating it.”
Alex stiffened. He understood his role. He knew
she’d dream her way through this case, finding one clue after another—their
second case together. “There was a full moon during Lisette’s kidnapping.”
“Weird, I know. The moon seems to follow my
visions.” She kissed his bare chest in an attempt to relax him. No dice. He
remained stiff as a mummy.
She inhaled his sandalwood musk cologne, a
soothing fragrance to calm her own nerves. The case may end up on his plate,
depending on Mt. Hamilton’s jurisdiction. If not the lead homicide
detective, he’d at least be a team member due to her involvement, regardless
of the type of case. After his niece was kidnapped, he’d made the demand to
the police department to be part of every crime she witnessed in her
telepathic visions. Fortunately for the PD, no one wanted to tackle her
psychic talents, and rejecting his demand didn’t become an issue.
“I’m sorry. I know you wanted a longer break
since rescuing Lisette, but this is what you bought when you hooked up with
a Westwood psychic.” Juliana circled her arms around his neck, wanting to
paste a balm over his dread. He hated her psychic visions, hated what they
did to her. But he’d experienced firsthand how much her telepathy helped to
find his niece, and neither of them would ever deny her ability to assist
others in need.
His mouth landed on hers, hot and possessive,
showing her how much he loved her and how much he’d protect her to the
death. Tongues tangoed and dueled, and his erection grew rigid against her
thigh.
Breathless, he drew away, hooking her hair behind
her ears. “I want you so bad right now.”
“Really? Do tell.” Gently, she nudged her leg
against his hardness, then fake-pouted. “We have business to attend to, a
murderer to identify.”
Alex raked a hand through his short hair, a sure
sign of his agitation. Next stop, popping the antacids like mints. “Tell me
about the vision. I’ll take an official statement later.”
Juliana related the sketchy details. Too little
to help, but enough to put the police department on notice that either the
accident had already happened, or would happen soon.
Her visions were seldom wrong.
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