by Amanda Uhl
*****
Alone in her bedroom, Grace’s angry tears subsided, as she became aware of a steady beep. Her cell phone! She still had it. Grace hadn’t charged it in a while, so the battery was low. What would the harm be in texting Claire she was okay? A single text would not give anything away, would it? It’s not like the mad hacker could infiltrate her cell phone and take her over.
Grace shivered, scrambling for the phone in her purse, anxious to try it now the idea had surfaced. She used a new tactic that seemed to keep David out of her head. Grace recited nonsense words repeatedly, all the while searching her purse frantically for the phone. Once she found it, she composed a hurried text.
11:16 a.m. I’m safe. Will arrive in San Francisco Friday afternoon. Everything is great. I will see you at the rehearsal dinner. Mom, too. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be there.
Grace reread it and hit send before she could change her mind or David got wind of her plan. Her phone returned an immediate error message: Unable to Send. What the hell? She copied the message and tried again. Same thing. Damn him. He must have done something to her phone, for God’s sake. Did he think of everything? Didn’t he ever make a mistake? As rhetorical questions went, they were good ones, but they weren’t going to help her get word to Claire. She needed another idea.
Grace paced the floor, all the while continuing the mental gibberish in her head. If the idiot wanted to keep her in the dark, there was nothing she could do about it. But she didn’t have to sit idly by and watch her sister call off her wedding because she was worried about Grace and their mother, especially if Grace could prevent it with a simple text or telephone call.
C’mon Grace, think of something. For once in her life, the positive self-talk worked, because the most brilliant idea came to her. Grace couldn’t prevent her grin of satisfaction. She would show mister mind control he wasn’t the boss of her. So her phone was dead. There was wireless Internet in the joint. David had given her the lengthy password when they first arrived, telling her she could surf the Internet and check email messages but she couldn’t send them. But that didn’t mean Grace couldn’t access some application that allowed a chat feature. And she knew the very one.
Grace found her charger, plugged it in and looked for the open wireless signal. Success. She opened her favorite game. The familiar blue logo popped up, along with the chat feature. She and Greg used to challenge one another in this game all the time, and Grace knew she could easily send him a message. He and Claire had recently been in touch, too, so it wouldn’t be hard or alarming for him to send Claire a message. Decision made, she typed.
8:31 p.m. Hi, I’m having cell phone/texting issues and having trouble getting in touch with Claire. Could you please call her and let her know I’m all right but won’t see her until the rehearsal dinner on Friday? Thanks so much. I’ll owe you one.
Grace studied the message a moment with a frown, and went back and crossed out the “Iʼll owe you one.” I owe him nothing, even if he’s doing me a huge favor. She hit send at the same moment Grace realized she was no longer alone.
A cold fear raced through her system. She glanced over to see David, propped against the door frame, studying her. Grace didn’t need to read his mind to know he was angry. She waited in silence for him to lash out. Predictably, he was quiet.
Several uncomfortable seconds ticked by. Grace grew self-conscious. If only he would yell at her and get it over with, like a normal man. Instead, she had to endure his quiet condemnation and probes into her head. Finally, when Grace was about to scream and storm out of her own room, David held out his hand. Grace was surprised he would want to hold her hand, until she realized her embarrassing mistake. He was after her phone. She didn’t dare protest but quickly handed it over. David pocketed it and came inside the room to once again tower over her.
“So who did you send a message to?”
“You didn’t get that?” Grace joked, trying to diffuse his anger. Silence. She swallowed nervously. “My ex-husband.” Her voice came out with a squeak.
“Of course. Because the hacker doesn’t know you used to be married and so will stay out of his head, right? No, don’t answer that.” He interrupted, not allowing her to speak. “You do realize what this means, don’t you?”
“What?”
“You mean you haven’t figured it out yet? My-my. Now who’s a little slow?”
Tiny pinpricks of moisture formed, as Grace fought back tears. She wasn’t used to sarcasm from David, and his bitterness took her aback. It hurt. Maybe Grace liked David more than she realized.
David sighed and sat next to Grace on her bed. He reached out and took her hand. “I’m sorry, that was small of me. I am…worried. Your text means our enemy will now know for certain you will show for the rehearsal dinner.”
“Are you saying we can’t go to my own sister’s rehearsal dinner?”
“I wish.” He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “Listen, Grace, I know you’re angry with me, thinking I’m keeping you out of the action. What I’m trying to do is keep you safe. Listen, if you don’t know anything, he can’t steal anything from you. You of all people know what that’s like. Do you really want to go through it all again?”
David didn’t wait for her response but kept talking, almost to himself. “No, perhaps it’s better this way. Our friend will use this to his advantage. He now knows you’re flying in tomorrow, and it won’t be hard for him to get the details of the rehearsal dinner. I suspect he had this information anyway. We’ll have to expect the attack to happen on Friday. Less time to prepare, but we’ll manage.”
As it dawned on Grace what David wasn’t saying, remorse filled her. He still needed time to heal. He had needed the extra day.
“David, I’m so sorry. I was worried about Claire. I should have realized you were still recovering.”
David smiled, joking. “So you do care.”
Grace found herself smiling back. “Of course, I care. I don’t like being treated like a child. You should’ve told me you were worried about your ability to fight. I would have understood that.”
“I’m not worried about myself.”
“What…?”
“I have an idea but it hasn’t been…tested. We were working on that when you saw us earlier.”
It was evident David was not used to revealing his plans to anyone. The fact he did spoke volumes. Grace was touched. He pulled the hand he was holding to his lips and kissed it tenderly. Grace shivered. He looked at her, and she saw the play of emotions run across his face. I worry for you. He whispered the words, but his lips weren’t moving. It was a caress in her mind.
David bent to kiss her but stopped right before their lips touched and breathed her in, his hands tenderly cupping either side of her face. This time he whispered the words out loud before his lips dropped to hers. “I worry for you.”
The words, followed by the familiar, day-old stubble on David’s face and the scent of his aftershave had Grace trembling. The tip of his tongue outlined hers before plunging inside to devour the inside of her mouth. All the while, he whispered endearments in her head. The effect was mind-blowing. The pun was not lost on Grace. If this was how he kissed, what would it be like to make love to this man? The thought seemed to unleash something powerful in David, as he devoured her lips. His hands smoothed down her backside, bringing Grace tightly to him.
“I hate to break up the party, but might I remind you we have work to do?” Peter stood in the doorway, his words like a bucket of cold ice water dumped on their heads.
David pulled away from Grace slowly, and she shivered at the loss of heat. He continued to stare at her hungrily, though, his breathing heavy. Finally, he spoke, all the while looking at her and not at Peter. “I’ll be right with you. Grace and I have reached a new understanding.”
“I gathered that.” Peter spoke dryly. Grace cheeks burned. “You’ve got five minutes. Come find us.” He turned abruptly and walked away.
“Don�
��t mind Peter.” He told her, reading her thoughts once again. “He likes you. We have a lot riding on this.”
He tossed a hand through his perfect hair and stood up, pulling her with him. “I do have to get back. He wasn’t lying when he said he would return in five minutes. He has his stop-watch going as we speak. Grace, I’m not going to be able to stay away from you when this is all over. So don’t make the mistake of thinking we’ll go back to being strangers.”
“David, I…who is Meg?” If they were going to have a relationship, then she needed to understand the competition.
“No one you need to worry about.”
“But David, I…”
He put a finger to her lips to stop her from speaking. “Shhh. Trust me, please. There is no competition. You forget…I’m in your mind. Despite your recent efforts to block me out, I can still hear your thoughts.”
Grace was effectively silenced. Damn him and his mind-reading abilities. It wasn’t fair.
“You look so cute when you’re frustrated.” He tweaked her nose, giving Grace a brief kiss before heading out the door. “Try not to get into any more trouble, would you? We’ll depart at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow for San Francisco. Practice going to your happy place. If Peter’s right, you’ll be paying it a visit tomorrow evening.”
David disappeared, leaving Grace more confused than ever. Not for the first time, Grace wished she had her memories of their previous time together. Maybe they had been a legitimate item after all.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Diversion
Kyle Willard leaned back in his soft leather chair, steepling his fingers, as was his custom, and contemplated the scenery outside his penthouse suite. There were no skyscrapers in San Francisco, due to earthquakes, but he had a lovely view of the city. Somewhere out there, right now, Grace existed, deeply engrossed in her lover-boy. In a few hours, he would see her again. Had she thought of him since their last encounter? His memories of her were still vivid. Grace had fought him hard, but he would still conquer her in the end. What would Grace be like when she was under his control? Would she be like all the others, no match for his superior strength? Or would she continue to resist, while he stripped her clean of all barriers? He couldn’t wait to find out. The sooner, the better.
Kyle had been making preparations for this moment ever since he was forced to exit prematurely during their last go around. He had had difficulty controlling his anger. A few minutes more, and he would have conquered. To be so close to victory and to see it shattered. Well, no matter. He shook off his disappointment. Kyle could not afford the distraction if he were to succeed this time. He looked at his watch. In two hours and twenty-two minutes Grace would be his, and he’d finally rid the world of David Jenkins. There would be no stopping him.
A soft knock sounded. The door behind him opened and closed. He saw his sister’s reflection in the window and quickly sent a mental message. Any snags?
No. They all understand their orders.
Good. Let’s get started.
He took off his jacket and shoes and loosened his tie. It wouldn’t do to be uncomfortable. He lay on the bed and closed his eyes. A familiar scene rose in front of him. He twisted the energy waves going in so he immediately seized control of his target’s mind. Such a weak creature I am forced to use for this job. It was difficult to ignore the feeling of distaste and condemnation that built inside of him, threatening to spill over into the target’s mind. That would never do. He forced it back inside and bent to his task. He needed the target alive for a little while longer, until he was, like all the others, expendable.
Kyle studied the scene through the weakling’s eyes. He was pleased to see his earlier instructions had been followed to a tee. Long strips of pantyhose had been cut to an exact size. They lay neatly beside him, waiting for his order. He wanted her to be fearful but unharmed—at least for the time being.
“Find her and tie her up.”
Immediately, the target grasped the panty hose and moved to do his bidding. Kyle quickly and efficiently over-powered the brief resistance. “Now.”
Within minutes, it was all over. The girl was bound and gagged and tied to the bedposts. The target lay on the bed as instructed. Kyle spent a few moments planting the desire to sleep. He exited, coming back to his body swiftly. Kaitlyn worked over him with quick efficiency. She alone knew how distasteful this task was to him. I am far too powerful to have to spend time in the minds of underlings.
Kyle had set the plan in motion. Now it was time to watch and wait for the right opportunity. He brushed Kaitlyn away hurriedly and checked his watch. One hour and fifty-seven minutes. He had only been under for twenty-five minutes. He was ahead of schedule. The lack of precision annoyed him.
Not long now. Adrenaline pumped through his system, causing his palms to grow hot. This would not do. Contain your excitement! Kyle inhaled, slowing his heartbeat and dimming his energy. He must contain his power until he needed it. I will have her under my control in no time. And I’ll have the hacker.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sneak Attack
Grace checked her cell phone anxiously. David had charged it and returned it to her before they left their hotel with strict instructions not to contact anyone. 4:30 p.m. If the driver did not hurry, they would be embarrassingly late.
David was sitting next to her working his own cell phone with quiet authority. Geneva sat in the back, mostly staring out the window when she wasn’t exchanging mental messages with David. Grace knew they were talking because periodically, she would let a real word slip out.
Grace still had a hard time comprehending the exact dynamic of Geneva’s relationship with David. She glanced at him for at least the tenth time since the driver, who she did not recognize, had come to take them to the rehearsal. David looked sophisticated in his navy blue suit and pinstripe tie. Not a hint of worry showed on his handsome face. Other than Roland, Grace wasn’t sure who he was getting updates from, but his phone seemed to buzz with a new text every few moments. As usual, David appeared calm and in control. Roland, she was told, had escorted her mother to the church. David relayed they had arrived safely and everything seemed normal. Claire and Tom had not yet arrived, but her mother was forty-five minutes early. This was by design. If the enemy were watching, he would believe her mom had arrived alone and anticipate Grace might miss the big event.
That was another plan that had been scratched without her knowledge, Grace thought. She had expected to meet with her mother at the Cleveland airport. Instead they had flown to San Francisco on separate flights and with different arrival times. David explained they didn’t want to be expected. The key was to keep the enemy guessing for as long as possible. Since they knew the hacker had to be located nearby to mount an attack, their plan was to scout him out quickly before any damage could be done. Once they tracked his physical body, they could prevent the attack and take him into custody.
Grace looked out the window at the snarl of traffic leading into the city. David had reassured her they would arrive at the rehearsal practice in plenty of time. She hoped he was right. It was frustrating how he had taken charge of her life in such a short space of time. Grace hated that she had let him. But like it or not, she needed David. When this was all over, Grace was going to have to show David he couldn’t boss her around. She shivered. If they survived. It was hard not to remember the hacker who stalked them, and the pain he was capable of inflicting.
David’s phone buzzed again but this was a call, which was unusual, so she listened closely to the conversation. “Hi…yes. Damn…not good. Okay. Right. I’ll wait to hear.” He glanced at Grace watching him.
“What?” She asked anxiously, but his response was directed to the driver.
“Derek, take us back the way we came.” Derek nodded, immediately making a right-hand turn at the corner.
“What happened? Why are we turning around?” Why did he always keep her in the dark?
He placed his hand on her arm and immedi
ately Grace heard David’s voice in her mind. Stay calm. Claire and Tom did not leave their apartment, and they should have by now. Roland is investigating. It may be nothing.
Before Grace could protest, he added. “I don’t like the way this feels. Something’s wrong. We can’t risk it.”
It dawned on her, David wasn’t voicing his thoughts out loud because he did not want Derek to overhear. Derek must not be a hacker. Oh, my God. Do you think he has her? It was difficult not to vocalize her concern, but Grace managed to keep it to a thought. Immediately, he responded.
We don’t think so. Roland has been watching their apartment carefully, and no one has entered the premises.
His cell phone buzzed again, interrupting their conversation. Grace listened intently. Geneva was also focused on the conversation taking place. “Roland? Uh-huh…uh-huh… Not alone…you’ll need backup. Okay…okay…yes that’s what I’m thinking. Ten minutes.”
What now?
We go back to our hotel and wait.
His worry battered at her mind. Is Claire okay? Grace thought anxiously.
We don’t know, yet. The door was locked, but your sister’s car is still in the driveway.
Oh, dear God, when will this nightmare end?
Steady, Grace, breathe. You must control your feelings.
She tried to do as David asked, imagining the beach and sand and the warmth of the sun, and it did seem to help a little.
Within minutes, they pulled into their hotel, parked and went inside. Grace, David and Geneva were in the elevator, heading to Grace’s room when her cell buzzed indicating an incoming message. Out of habit, she opened her email and stared in surprise at the sender’s address, [email protected], and the subject line, Hello.
What could he possibly want? It had been many weeks since they last exchanged texts.
What is it? David questioned in her head. Since they had left the hotel the first time, he had placed himself in her mind and would not leave.