by Krysta Scott
Using the same card still in his possession, Garrett crossed the barriers and slipped in. The same twelve doors greeted him but he wasn’t stymied regarding which one to choose. The answers he sought wouldn’t lay behind the door with the scales of justice. Those memories were nothing more than Nikki’s legal education and career. Not the kind of information that would answer his lingering questions about her childhood.
Neither would the memories behind the doors with the cat, dog, and peace sign. Although, they undoubtedly held memories from her childhood with the Angelus family, they were too close to the forefront of her consciousness. Much too recent to be of any use.
He tested the theory by trying the knobs. As expected, the doors easily opened. His information was located further in a place even Nikki didn’t venture. He surpassed the corvette, crystal, and brass knobs. Those had to be current memories of adolescent and young adult years.
Finally, he stopped before the door with the ivory knob. He tried it. Just like he had the first time. Still locked. A surge of anticipation rushed through him. This was where her deepest secrets lay.
He ran his fingers around the edges and over the top of the frame hoping Nikki could access her hidden knowledge with a hidden key. It couldn’t be that easy. All he sensed was the rough texture of raw wood. The lacquered door was smooth to the touch revealing no clue on how to enter. There was no weakness in the surface or any hidden panel that would give way with pressure. He placed his hand over the key hole. A shallow breeze filtered through as if nothing but emptiness lurked behind.
He’d bet the door wasn’t locked to just him but to Nikki as well. An event she couldn’t yet face. A memory so powerful, it remained hidden until her psyche was strong enough to digest the details that lay behind it. Garrett took a moment to focus his thoughts. Maybe all he had to do was give her a little push in that direction. He took out Nikki’s card and mentally formed it into an old-fashioned key.
His heart hammered in his chest as he bent down and inserted the key. It fit but didn’t budge. Frustrated, he rattled the key around trying to get it to catch.
Nothing.
He cast the key aside and cleared his mind. Then traced his fingers around the shape of the key hole, focusing every ounce of his energy on the card. A new key appeared, cold and solid in his grasp. That was more like it. He inserted it and turned it. A soft click.
He grabbed the knob and turned. The door creaked open. A small shaft of light filtered through. He only saw a glimmer before it slammed shut shrouding him back into darkness. The hairs on his neck prickled. Another presence.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?” The voice familiar, the words softly spoken. Strength engulfed them.
Garrett stiffened. He turned and met the steel blue eyes accosting him. “Ah, Songe, how did I know it would be you?”
“Aren’t you the clever one?” Songe’s short, clipped words sent a shudder down Garrett’s spine. “No matter how skilled you think you are, dear boy, you will never be good enough to get to the secrets of my granddaughter’s mind.”
“We’ll see about that.” Garret growled. He’d been right all along. Nikki was related to Songe. And the bastard had gone through a lot of trouble hiding the fact his granddaughter lived. Until now. Songe must have a reason for divulging his relationship to Nikki at this moment. Garrett needed to keep the man talking to find out what Songe’s motives were. “I was almost there until you slammed the door.”
Songe shook his head, favoring him with a condescending gaze, a smirk curling his thin lips. “That wasn’t me.”
Garrett’s eyes narrowed. “Her?” He couldn’t bring himself to say her name. To utter it would mean admitting her true nature waiting outside the edge of his periphery. He wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.
“Yes.” Songe’s lips spread into the maniacal twist of a man who could eat his own children if it served the higher purpose. Maybe he’d done exactly that.
“Then why are you here?”
Songe shrugged. “Think of me as Nikki’s alarm system.”
“If she can deny me access to memories I suspect she doesn’t even know, why would she need an alarm system?” Garrett crossed his arms and leaned against the door he’d so nearly walked through. Wishing he could simply melt under the door, he schooled his face into a mask of patience and waited for Songe to make a mistake. From the looks of the older man’s placid expression, that could be awhile.
“I’m here because you were prying into matters that don’t concern you.”
“Really?” Garrett steeled his jaw. How far could he push the situation until it shifted to his advantage? Songe acted like a man who planned things to the nth degree. How much of his bravado was for show? “Maybe I don’t need to open the door when the man who can answer my questions is right here.”
“Your point?”
“You know all her secrets don’t you?” Garrett pushed himself from the door and sauntered toward Songe. Close enough to detect a slight twitch in the man’s right eye. Other than that, the man was cold as a cucumber. “Care to enlighten me?”
The twitch ceased and the bastard actually grinned. “Also, not your concern.”
“I disagree. Especially when my law firm was used to affect a dirty adoption.”
A sudden chill invaded the air. With the twitch’s return was an ugly twisted grimace. “You may think you know a lot, sonny, but I can promise you, you know nothing.”
Garrett raised a brow. “Don’t I?”
A short maniacal laugh burst from him. “No, allow me to demonstrate.” With the authority of a true mentor, his arms raised. His voice boomed across the hollow expanse, eyes closed tightly. “Nikki, you’re ready. Come defend your mind.”
With that Songe disappeared in a golden mist. Time was about up. Garrett picked up the fallen business card and stooped in front of the door. He fumbled with the newly fashioned key. Just one more attempt. The ground quaked beneath Garrett’s feet. Startled, he gripped the door frame. Trouble appeared in the form of Nikki Angelus. Garrett squared his shoulders. If she wanted confrontation—bring it on. Now he would find out exactly what she was capable of.
****
Nikki huddled deep in the arms of unconsciousness. The place where daylight memories met fantasy. A freight train blew through the center of her mind leaving a large chasm of chaos in its wake. Pain filled the void with an elasticity of a bull whip smacking against the side of her brain. The pounding shook her in a rhythmic motion every second she slept. She had to get up, take some aspirin and hydrate, but no matter how hard she tried, her eyes refused to open. Her breath quickened as she fought to rouse from her comatose state but some barrier stood between her and the conscious world.
Slowly it dawned on her that it wasn’t pain she felt but an alarm warning her of danger. The pounding mirrored her heartbeat as it prepared to battle an unwanted presence. Someone was rummaging around in her head and not being polite about it. She couldn’t wake up until the intruder was annihilated.
Stop!
Her mind screamed the word. She shot through her slipstream until she stood before the prowler. A figure knelt beside a door. Every jolt and rattle of each impact sent tiny tremors through her. It didn’t matter that his head was hidden behind his arm as he worked the lock or that his body was crouched in an unnatural stoop, she would recognize that muscular shape anywhere. “Garrett. What are you doing digging around in my head?”
He jerked his head around and gazed at her, his jaw firm and obstinate.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “What? Surprised that I would know someone was attempting to tamper with my mind?”
An object dropped to the ground before the door. Her business card. She huffed. Sometimes you miss the simplest things. “Not bad. Taking possessions from unsuspecting people and then penetrating them. Do you have no shame?”
He didn’t respond. Made no movement at all. Didn’t even appear to be breathing. “What’s the matter? You should
n’t expect tampering with my mind would go unnoticed.”
He rose to his feet, features schooled into his usual unruffled appearance. Did anything unnerve him?
“No, I was expecting you.” His dark eyes bored into her. “I was just hoping you wouldn’t show up so soon.”
“You must think I’m an idiot.” She tapped her foot in rapid staccato clicks. The motion only agitated her further when she realized how childish it made her look. And to make matters worse, she felt childish. She drew in a sharp breath, attempting to regroup her thoughts. “Do you know how painful it is to have someone rummaging around in your head?”
She searched his face for some indication of remorse. His neutral expression didn’t change. His actions remained academic rather than personal. A cold burn of anger swept through her. What did he think he could accomplish here? This was her domain. A place to champion her cause. He didn’t belong here.
“Actually, no.” His expression stayed placid with no hint of apology. Totally at ease with invading her thoughts, stealing whatever facts he pleased.
She relaxed. A few easy breaths and her true power emerged with electric precision. The burn became a buzz vibrating through her entire being. The bastard expected admission. Felt entitled to her private thoughts. Irritation seared a trail of fury at such arrogance. “Get…out…of…my…head.”
The ground trembled beneath them, but still Garrett didn’t budge. One shoulder rested against the door he’d been caught attempting to enter. His lips curved into a lazy, self-satisfied smile. “Not until I find out what lays behind this locked door.”
She didn’t know what was worse, that he persisted in delving into matters that didn’t concern him or his total lack of distress. Fury consumed her. How dare he?
He should be scared. She wanted him scared. Instead, he acted as if her presence didn’t matter in the least. “What’s there belongs to me. You aren’t entitled to any of it.”
He raised one eyebrow and pushed himself from the door frame. He sauntered toward her. No signs of distress. A man in complete control. Her confidence wavered. He’d invaded her mind, and she was totally ineffective in protecting it. It didn’t help that she was a novice while he was experienced. He’d roamed the heads of others many times before. Surely, there was a way to eradicate his presence.
“You might be surprised to learn that this is the first bolted door I have ever encountered.” He pointed at the locked door. He treated her like a child who needed information spoon fed. The sheer condescension corroded her last bit of tolerance.
She sneered. He was the intruder, not her. She took several deep breaths, letting the oxygen clear her muddled thoughts. Whatever he was trying to convey eluded her.
If only she knew more about dream casting. But Songe assured her she did. He said he’d given her all the tools she needed to handle any situation. The biggest problem with this scenario was that all her skills were hidden deep within her psyche. If Songe hadn’t told her about them, she wouldn’t have been aware she had any special skill set. How did one gain access to something one had no clue about?
“That surprises me, Garrett. You act like you’ve seen everything.” Stalling. She was always stalling when dealing with Garrett. He always seemed better prepared than her, leaving her to play catch up. The worst part was that he knew it, and like any good attorney, was using her weakness to his advantage.
She pulled her head back and lifted her chin. She needed to gain control of this situation fast. Not easy when he was standing so close. An electric heat hummed between them.
“Come on, Nikki, unlock the door,” he coaxed, touching her cheek. A strange sense of wellbeing consumed her. His nearness fit. She was paralyzed, caught within the thrall. His gaze held hers far too long.
“No.”
“Or maybe you can’t.” A simple statement. No taunt in his tone or even a dare.
“Why wouldn’t I be able to unlock the doors to my own mind?” She pulled away and circled him like a cat observing her prey. That question worked both ways. She didn’t know if she could open it or not, but she was certain she wasn’t going to attempt it with him witnessing. “Or could it be that I am the only one who can lock my doors?”
“We, as a rule, don’t lock our minds to others.” For the first time in this insane confrontation, he looked away. Interesting. Maybe he wasn’t as confident as he let on.
“Why is that?”
“Because.” He turned his head. His eyes bore right through her. The intensity of his gaze sent shivers of doubt trembling up her spine. “We don’t hide our true natures from our people. That leads to other kinds of dangerous deceptions.”
“I’m a private person.” She allowed the disdain in her voice to amplify. “By nature, I don’t share my personal life with many. Most especially those who creep around in secret. I suggest you leave.”
“Or what?’
“Or this.” She faced all her doors and whispered, “Lock.”
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure my private life remains just that. Private.”
Garrett raced around rattling doorknobs. He pounded on wood. Slipped his fingers underneath and pulled. They didn’t budge. He rested against the last one, his breath ragged. “You can’t do that.”
“I just did.”
“It isn’t allowed.”
“Isn’t it?” she said a bit too smugly. “If I am forbidden, how is it I’m able to?”
Garrett’s face went slack. He didn’t have an answer.
Good. If she were going to retain the upper hand, keeping him off balance was crucial.
Garrett snatched up the card that had fallen to the ground and focused his attention on it. The card shifted and curled into the shape of a key. He inserted it into one of the doors. She turned her efforts on his actions. Pulled down into the farthest places of her mind. She sent out a force so strong it ripped through her skin, pulsing toward the keyhole. Stay locked to everyone but me. The key crumpled into bits of paper that drifted to the ground.
“You won’t get away with this.” A strange glint simmered in the depth of his gaze. He didn’t appear sure of his words, but concern lingered beneath hooded lids. Concern she would succeed or concern for her? She wasn’t sure.
It didn’t matter. She found the source of her power and it was intoxicating. A slow smile of triumph crossed her face as a curious notion occurred to her. “Wait a second, does that mean that you can’t lock your doors to me?”
“Don’t be a fool. You don’t know what you’re playing with.” He stood, arms crossed, his feet shoulder length apart. He was bluffing. Nothing he did or said could erase the fact he hadn’t answered her question, but it hung there—between them. He couldn’t keep her out of his mind.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Don’t make me hurt you.” His voice softened. Torment raged within his chocolate brown eyes. In two short strides, he was within inches of her. He gripped her shoulders and pulled her to him. “I know you don’t know what you’re doing. I really don’t want to hurt you.”
“Then don’t hurt me.” Heat radiated off him, urging her closer. Without thinking, she ran her fingers up his firm arm. His breath hitched. She smiled as a pleasant warmth spread, punctuating an aching need she didn’t even know existed until now. She should move away. Hadn’t he all but threated her a moment ago? But his eyes were no longer tinged with anger. A new intensity burned beneath. A soul scorching gleam. Dangerous, yes, but not life threatening. Her traitorous heart quickened. She leaned in.
He pulled away. “What are you doing?”
“Distracting you.” A low throaty tone crept into her voice, surprising even her. Confident. Secure. She put her hand on the back of his head…pulled him to her…brushed her lips against his.
He stiffened. Hesitated. But then in a bruising crush, his arms circled her waist and his mouth pressed against hers, his tongue stroking her own, ravaging her. A fire blazed a wicked trajectory inside her
. Awakening her through to her inner core. A giddy sort of dizziness entrapped her in a soft cocoon. Her arms tightened around his neck, and she held on reveling in his solid frame. Stroke after stroke of his tongue threatened the stability of her knees. She trembled, never wanting this moment to end. It had been such a long time since she’d wanted anyone this much.
He broke away, breathing harshly, cupping her chin. “Are you sure you want this? Astral sex has complications. Another thing you know nothing about.” His voice was raspy. Nothing like the day-to-day indifference and hostility she was so accustomed to.
“You’re in my mind, remember?” She swayed against him. “I-I’m in charge.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I’ve been warned enough. Thank you very much—”
His mouth covered hers, cutting off her sarcasm, softer this time, igniting a slow simmer in her veins. She shuddered wanting him to go further. He didn’t disappoint. His hand trailed down her back, rousing a surge of longing that left her breathless. They shouldn’t fit this perfectly together. They weren’t supposed to even like each other. But none of that mattered now. All that mattered was her endless aching need. He lifted her off the ground, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing against him, reveling in his arousal. He slipped his hand under her shirt, brushing against her breast. She moaned as her nipple hardened in response.
“Yes,” she breathed against his lips. The familiar smell of cinnamon and cloves sent her into a frenzy. She arched her back. Now. She wanted him. Now. She ripped his shirt from his shoulders, buttons flinging against wood. She slid her hands across the solid plane of his chest.
He groaned and tumbled them onto the ground, his weight holding her down. She tugged his shirt over his head. His lips moved down her throat, soft but insistent. Telegraphing his need.
He unbuttoned her shirt one button at a time leaving a trail of damp sizzling kisses along the path of her sensitive flesh. She wrenched her fingers through his hair wanting him to move faster, at the same time needing him to slow down. His mouth moved to her breast. He flicked his tongue over her pebbled nipple. Her body tightened. She couldn’t take any more of this torment. Their garments constricted their ability to explore each other, driving her further insane. She shifted her leg and flesh met flesh. She gasped.