Premonition

by Lynn LaFleur

  “You wouldn’t be the first person to tell me that.”

  “Fine.” She stood, fists clenched at her sides. “I’ll find the place by myself. I don’t need your help, or anyone else’s.”

  She made it as far as the door before Slade sighed. “Wait.”

  She stopped, but didn’t turn. “You’ll find it a lot faster if I take you there.”

  Back straight, fists still clenched, she faced him. “Then let’s go.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes, now. We have to hurry.”

  “Kari, it’s after two. The sun sets in four hours. We don’t have time to search.”

  “How long will it take to get to that rock?”

  “About two hours. We can drive most of the way, but we’ll still have to hike in.”

  “Then we have time. She’s hurt, Slade. We have to find her.”

  He liked the way she said his name. He also liked the way her blue eyes flashed when she was angry. He’d always had a weakness for blue eyes.

  He wondered if they flashed like that when she came.

  Now isn’t the time to think with your cock, man.

  “All right.” Slade stood and rounded his desk. “We’ll have to hike about two miles. Are you in shape?”

  She raised her chin and looked directly into his dark eyes. “Yes, I’m in shape. I work out faithfully.”

  He glanced at her feet. “You’ll need something to walk in besides those fancy shoes.”

  “No problem. I have hiking boots in my car.”

  “Get them. I’ll get my backpack and meet you back here in half an hour.”

  “Twenty minutes.”

  She turned and left his office. Slade grinned at her bossy command. The woman obviously had a mind of her own.

  As quickly as it came, his grin disappeared. He still had reservations about her psychic ability, but he had to commend her for her tenacity. Whatever she wanted out of this, she was determined to get it.

  Slade was just as determined that Kari Winchester would never hurt anyone in his family. He could accomplish that by staying close to her, watching her every move.

  Watching that delectable ass when she walked wouldn’t be a hardship at all.

  The pine trees, fall wildflowers and tall snow-topped hills were all sights Kari would never tire of seeing. She would’ve enjoyed the breathtaking scenery around her more if she wasn’t in agony. Each step sent another jolt of pain through her heels. Kari clenched her teeth and kept walking. She couldn’t stop now, not when she and Slade were so close to finding Brenda.

  Kari quickly discovered wearing new hiking boots over steep, rocky terrain wasn’t the smartest thing she’d ever done. Despite the thick socks she’d donned, the blisters on her heels had to be the size of quarters by now.

  She couldn’t complain, not when Slade carried a backpack full of bottled water, granola bars, a first aid kit, a flashlight and two lightweight blankets, while she carried nothing. She’d tied a thick zippered sweatshirt around her waist, but that couldn’t compare to Slade’s loaded pack. He kept trudging on, his back straight, his stride sure and confident.

  She admired his broad shoulders, long legs and tight butt. His dark skin and facial features spoke of a Native American heritage. With a last name like Blackstone, she assumed his looks came from his father. His strong arms and flat stomach proved he didn’t spend all his time sitting behind the desk in his office.

  She studied his long dark brown hair that he’d pulled back and tied with a strip of leather. She could imagine tugging the leather from his hair, letting it fall around her face as he kissed her. With his full, sculptured lips, he had to be an incredible kisser.

  He really was a handsome man. Kari couldn’t help wishing they’d met under other circumstances. He might actually like her.

  “You know this area well,” Kari said. “Do you hike here often?”

  “As often as I can.”

  “It’s really beautiful.”

  Slade stopped and turned to look at her. “You like the mountains?”

  “What’s not to like? A person could never get tired of seeing the hills, the trees, the flowers. I love the glimpses of the Truckee River along I-80 on the drive to Reno.”

  “Yeah, me too. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else but in the mountains.”

  “Do you ski too?”

  Slade nodded. “How about you?”

  “No, but I’ve always wanted to. Every year, I tell myself I’m going to take lessons. Then winter is over and it’s too late for the lessons.”

  “It isn’t too late this year.”

  “That’s true.”

  His gaze passed over her body, lingering on her breasts. A surge of warmth flowed down her spine at the interest in his eyes.

  He shifted his backpack on his shoulders. “We’d better keep moving.” He started walking again. Kari winced when she took the first step. She would definitely pay for wearing new boots over the next several days.

  Any pain she felt would be worth it when they found Brenda.

  “How much farther?” she asked after walking another one hundred yards.

  “About a quarter mile.” He glanced at her over his shoulder. “I’m surprised you don’t know that, since you’re psychic.”

  “I’m not psychic. I just have visions.”

  “Oh, excuse me. I didn’t realize there’s a difference.”

  She could’ve popped off with a smart remark, but Kari decided it wouldn’t help him believe her. The only thing that would make Slade believe in her visions would be to find Brenda.

  The steep climb leveled off. Kari could see the rock formation ahead of her. The face and shape of a wolf took form the closer she got to the wall. Her heartbeat sped up, her breathing quickened. This time, she’d be successful. This time, she’d find someone before it was too late.

  Slade stopped at the wall and slowly turned in a complete circle. “Is this the place?”

  “Yes.”

  “So where’s Brenda?”

  She should be here. Kari had seen the wolf formation so clearly in her mind. Brenda had been lying on the ground near that rock wall. “She was here. She had to have been here.”

  “Well, she obviously isn’t here now.”

  The scorn in his voice stabbed at her heart. She’d been so sure this time. “Let’s look around. Maybe we’ll find some sign—“

  “We won’t find any sign, Kari. She isn’t here.”

  “We can take a few minutes and at least look around. Don’t you want to find your sister?”

  He sighed and Kari thought he’d refuse. Then he nodded. “Okay, we’ll look around for a few minutes.”

  Kari followed Slade farther up the hill. She helped him search the ground for any new footprints, the tree branches for a piece of torn clothing. He checked under low bushes, kicked aside rocks. They made a large circle of the area before returning to the wolf wall.

  Nothing. No sign of Brenda at all.

  “I knew this was stupid,” Slade said, his eyes narrowed in anger. “Brenda’s never been here. I don’t know why I let you talk me into coming.” He adjusted the backpack across his shoulders, then stormed past her. “The sun will be behind those mountains in an hour. We’ll have to walk part of the way in the dark. Let’s go.”

  Kari stood still, trying to absorb any feeling that Brenda had been here. She couldn’t sense anything.

  Of course I can’t. I have no control over the visions. I can’t make them happen. They just do.

  Tears stung her eyes. Once again, she’d failed to help someone she so desperately wanted to help.

  Slade’s long strides had already taken him several feet away from her. Kari wiped the moisture from her eyes and took a step forward. She cried out at the pain in her feet. Her socks felt wet, as if her heels were bleeding. She couldn’t possibly walk the two miles they’d traveled to get here.

  “Slade, wait!”

  He continued walking as if he hadn’t heard her…or w
as ignoring her. She had to stay up with him. She thought she could find her way out of here, but she couldn’t take the chance of getting lost. She didn’t even have her cell phone with her to call for help if she needed it.

  Two steps and her feet gave out. Kari landed in a heap on the ground. Tears filled her eyes again and overflowed. She couldn’t find Brenda, she couldn’t walk. She couldn’t do anything right.

  Kari’s breath hitched. Covering her face with her hands, she let the tears fall.

  Chapter Four

  Slade had traveled about seventy-five feet before he glanced over his shoulder. Instead of seeing Kari right behind him, he saw her slumped on the ground next to the wall, her head lowered.

  “Shit,” he muttered.

  His parents had raised him to respect women and be a gentleman at all times. Kari wasn’t making it easy for him to be a gentleman.

  Huffing out a breath, he retraced his steps back to Kari. Ready to snap at her for not following him, he knelt on one knee before her. His harsh words died in his throat when he saw the tears flowing down her cheeks.

  A woman’s tears had always turned him to mush. No matter the reason for tears, he wanted to take her in his arms and do whatever he could to make her feel better. “Hey,” he said softly.

  She lifted her head. The tears made her eyes look like sparkling sapphires.

  God, you’re stunning.

  Slade cleared his throat. “What’s wrong?”

  “Ev-everything. I was so su-sure we’d find Brenda here. My vi-vision was so clear this time.”

  “This time? Aren’t your visions usually clear?”

  “Yes, usually, but sometimes they’re unfocused and hard to see. I get a general impression of someone, but their features are fuzzy. Brenda’s face was so clear to me.” She waved a hand at the rock wall behind her. “That wolf was so clear.” More tears fell down her cheeks. “I don’t understand wh-why I have these stupid visions when I’m too l-late to help anyone!”

  She covered her face with her hands. Sobs shook her shoulders. Slade felt helpless, unsure what to do. He’d known women who could turn on tears like a faucet. He didn’t believe that about Kari. Her misery seemed too deep to be fake.

  “Hey, hey, don’t cry.” He took her wrists and gently pulled her hands away from her face. “I’ll find my sister. I won’t stop looking for her until I do. But the sunlight is disappearing fast. We have to go.”

  “Please, can’t we look around a bit? Maybe there’ll be some sign of her, something she left or dropped.”

  Slade sighed heavily. His father had decided to keep it quiet from the media about a kidnapping, despite Slade’s objections. Even though they hadn’t received any ransom request yet, they still believed Brenda had been kidnapped. Her disappearance made no sense unless someone had forced her to go with him.

  Or her.

  No. There’s no way Kari could be involved with Brenda’s kidnapping. She’s too upset at not finding Brenda. “Kari, my sister isn’t here. She hasn’t been here.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because she was kidnapped.”

  Kari’s eyes widened. “Kidnapped?”

  Slade nodded.

  “But there wasn’t anything about a kidnapping in the news release.”

  “My father decided to keep it quiet until we received a ransom demand. He thought if we treated this as if Brenda ran away, the kidnappers would cooperate better since no one would be looking for them.”

  “And you agreed to that?”

  “No, I didn’t, but I had to respect my father’s wishes. I have friends on the Reno police force unofficially investigating for me. No leads so far.”

  Confusion filled her eyes. Frowning, she rubbed her forehead. “I’ve never been wrong. I’ve had visions for years and I’ve never been wrong.”

  “I wish you weren’t. I wish we’d found Brenda right here, by that rock wall.”

  “We could still look around, just in case.”

  The sun dipped behind the mountains, leaving them in shadow. Slade felt the drop in temperature immediately. “Kari, we have to go. It gets cold quickly once the sun goes down. That sweatshirt you tied around your waist won’t protect you from freezing temperatures.” He squeezed her upper arm. “I have a good friend—Meka—on the force. I’ll check with him as soon as we get back to Truckee, see if he has anything new. Okay?”

  She hesitated, but finally nodded. “Okay.”

  Slade stood and tugged Kari to her feet. She released a cry of anguish and collapsed back to the ground. He dropped to his knees. “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t walk.”

  He looked at her feet, noting the brown hiking boots. It was probably the first time she’d worn them. “New boots, huh?”

  Kari nodded. “I didn’t know my first hike in them would be two miles.”

  “I told you we’d have to hike about two miles.”

  “I know you did. I just…didn’t think. I wanted so badly to get here.”

  “Yeah, I know you did.” Slade untied the left one and slowly slid it off her foot. The heel of her white sock was completely red with blood. “Damn. Why didn’t you tell me you were developing blisters?”

  “Because I didn’t want to stop.”

  Bossy and hard-headed both…traits which his friends had used to describe him. Perhaps he had more in common with Kari Winchester than he’d thought.

  Slade shrugged off his backpack and unzipped it. “I’ll clean and bandage your heels, but I doubt if you’ll be able to walk.”

  “So how do I get out of here?”

  He removed the first aid kit and a bottle of water from his pack. “I’ll carry you.”

  Kari snorted. “You can’t carry me two miles.”

  Slade chuckled at her unladylike snort. He thought it cute. “I’ve gone farther carrying a lot more.”

  “Not over rocky terrain and at night.”

  “Piece of cake.” He poured water over both her heels to dampen the dried blood that made her socks stick to her skin. “I’ll let you take off your socks. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She looked into his eyes a moment. “Thank you,” she said softly.

  Slade returned her look, then his gaze dropped to her mouth. He watched her tongue moisten her bottom lip. He imagined pressing his lips to hers, sliding his tongue between them to taste her…

  The image vanished when she lowered her head. Slade blew out a breath. He had no business imagining anything to do with touching or kissing Kari. It’d been a while since he’d been involved with a woman, but that didn’t mean he’d let his hormones override his common sense. Nothing was more important than finding Brenda.

  Slade winced when Kari removed her socks. “You really did a number on your heels.”

  “Yeah. Not too smart, huh?”

  “No problem.” He opened the kit and took out moist towelettes, antiseptic cream and bandages. “I’ll clean and bandage them. You won’t be able to walk in those boots again right now, but your heels will feel better.”

  “Slade, you can’t carry me out of here.”

  “I don’t see where we have another choice.” He gently wiped the rest of the dried blood from her feet. “I told you, I can carry you. You can’t weigh…what? One twenty? One twenty-five?”

  “Something like that.”

  He chuckled. “Sorry. I forgot a guy isn’t supposed to mention a woman’s weight.”

  Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Yeah. Where are your manners?”

  “I lost my head a moment.” He unscrewed the lid from the antiseptic and squirted out a generous drop on his fingers. “I actually do have manners, even though you haven’t seen them.”

  “I can understand why you didn’t believe me.” She sighed. “A lot of people haven’t.”

  Slade looked at her face before returning his attention to her feet. “How long have you had the visions?”

  “I thought you didn’t believe in my visions.”


  “Tell me more so I’ll understand.” He glanced at her again. “So how long?”

  “Since I was a teenager.”

  “And you’re how old now?”

  A hint of a smile touched her lips. “That’s the other question you never ask a woman, Slade.”

  “Damn. Screwed up again. Is there anything else I’m not supposed to ask?”

  “Those two are the biggies.”

  He fastened the bandage with two pieces of white tape, then repeated the process on her other heel. “That’s the best I can do. We’d better head back. We have about forty-five minutes before it gets dark.”

  “It took us over an hour to get here.”

  “We don’t have a choice. It’s October, Kari. The temperature will drop into the thirties. We aren’t dressed for that kind of weather.”

  She leaned closer to him, as if she wanted to be sure he understood exactly what she said. “You cannot carry me.”

  “Look, you’ll carry my pack, I’ll carry you. It’ll work.”

  “Slade—“

  “End of discussion. Put on your boots so your feet won’t get cold. I’ll put your socks in my pack.”

  “You’re stubborn, do you know that?”

  “I’d say we both possess that trait.” He put her socks into a zippered bag he’d removed from his backpack and dropped the bag back into his pack. “Boots on, Kari.”

  With a disgusted sigh, she did as he said. Slade tugged her to her feet. “Do you want to put on your sweatshirt first?”

  “I guess I’d better.” Kari untied the arms from her waist and slipped on the fleece jacket. “Having this knot in the middle of your back wouldn’t exactly be comfortable.”

  “That’s true.”

  “What about you? Don’t you have some kind of jacket?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Stubborn,” she muttered as she zipped her sweatshirt.

  Slade grinned. He liked her. A few hours ago, he wanted nothing to do with her. The more time he spent with her, the more he realized he wanted to know her better.

  He helped her don his backpack, then turned and squatted so she could climb on his back. “Let’s go.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure. Let’s go before we lose all the light.”