by Marie Harte
Heather’s eyes widened. “That’s you? You’re the ex-government psychics?” She stared at him with a look he didn’t trust. “Oh. You’re Jack.”
“What does that mean?”
“My brother called you an injured wolf more likely to bite first and ask questions later.”
“Nice.” He scowled.
“From Owen, that’s a compliment. He likes you.”
And Jack liked Owen, for what it was worth. It still surprised him to find he’d come to respect the arrogant millionaire. Jack could appreciate that Owen had his own secrets, things even Heather might not know.
“This is all interesting, but off topic.” Ida pointed to the kitchen. “Heather, dear, it’s whistling.”
At that moment, the kettle shrieked, and Heather left to get it.
Jack grunted. “Nice trick.”
“We all have our uses.” She winked at him. “You’re here to bring Heather home. Heather is not yet ready to go. Once she’s finished, then she may go. But not until then.”
“So what’s this task, and how soon can we get it done?”
Heather returned with two steaming mugs and set one down on the table in front of Ida. “We? I don’t remember asking for your help.”
“Yeah? Well, you’ve got it all the same. I’m here to bring you back in one piece. You tell me you have to lie so folks won’t kill you, and my feet are still tingling from the power beneath us. I think it’s past time to go, and I just got here. So do what you’ve gotta do, and let’s head back to the States.”
“Don’t you think I’ve been trying?”
She sighed, and her lips turned down. That softness captivated him. He’d had his share of rough and tough women, but Jack was a protector by nature. He gravitated toward those needing his brand of strength. Which was why he should stay far, far away from Owen’s little sister. So what that she had a killer rack, legs up to the moon, and an ass that begged to be ridden? She was trouble, a real problem he could do without.
He cleared his throat and forced himself not to scowl at Ida’s knowing smile. “So what’s the deal with the yellow gate? According to Hans, there are people on the other side of it. But Jan guards it? And how about that bizarre road I drove in on? You’re telling me everyone in town is psychic?”
“The gate is indeed protected by Jan. Only those the council has deemed fit to be here may come to town. On the other side of that gate lies the town of Grainau.”
Jack frowned at her. “That’s impossible. I turned north instead of continuing west to get here, driving away from Grainau.”
“And yet, here you are.” Ida sipped her tea. “I have been trying to help Heather find the Source before she leaves. But every time she tries to search it out, one of our people pulls her back. The Baers have put a lockdown on her movements.” Ida gave her an apologetic glance, and Heather made a face.
“Explain that.” Jack wanted to know.
“You must understand that everyone in Drei-Gewalten has psychic ability, hence the name of our town meaning three forces—mind, body, energy. The majority of our people have better senses, faster reflexes, nothing too powerful, and nothing that you couldn’t overcome with ease. But the council and a few of the first families, they could be troublesome.”
“First families?” he asked.
“The ones who first settled here,” Ida answered. “Like the Baers, a very powerful family. Ernst and Klaus, Ralf Baer’s sons, have developed…feelings…for Heather. The only thing that’s been keeping them from pressing their attentions is my connection to her. As you know, she’s not really my niece, but my name has weight here. Four generations of Wurtzes have been born and died in Drei-Gewalten. We all have wisdom and an affinity for the Source. Those in town respect my years here, even the Baers. But I’m afraid my influence won’t outlast young Ernst’s desire. That boy in particular wants to claim Heather for his own. And he normally gets what he wants.”
Over my dead body. Jack couldn’t have said why he felt so bothered by the thought, but he didn’t like bullies, and harming innocents, even a woman with power like Heather, went against everything he stood for. It was obvious from watching her reactions that Heather wanted little to do with either Baer.
He changed the subject to something more important than his stupid feelings, which had no place on the job. “So how do we leave town to find this Source? Just go through the gate? And this Jan guy. He knows who I am?” He still didn’t like that.
“Yes, he does. I’m sure it’s been passed all over town that you and Heather are involved. You fit together, and your energy is in tune. If I hadn’t known you’d never met before, I would have thought you lovers in truth.”
“Ida.” Heather wouldn’t look at him.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Jack growled.
“It means that when Heather disappears, it will be assumed you’re with her. She has to reach the Source, and soon. Her instructions were quite clear.”
“Instructions?”
Ida continued, “She must reach the Source before the next full moon in three days’ time. It’s on a trail accessible only through the mountains, a good two days’ walk from here. The problem is that only a chosen few are allowed to visit the Source. It’s the energy that empowers the town, and so much more. The people here are very protective of it.”
“Great,” Jack muttered.
“Yet because we are so protective, there will be no one nearing the clearing until after the full moon. It will be difficult for you two to be there when the power is at its zenith, but it’s necessary, I think. And you have to take Chronicles with you,” Ida insisted.
“I know. It says it in the book.” Heather nodded.
“You two cannot afford to be caught. Especially because it won’t be long before Ralf has your last name, Heather. He’s been digging since you got here, and Jan and I are at the end of our tether. That’s another reason why you have to leave tonight.”
“Christ. This gets more bizarre every time I learn more.” Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. “I still don’t understand why being a Stallbridge is so bad. She’s worth millions. Can’t she bribe her way to this Source?”
Heather frowned at him. “Apparently my family did something to this town when my great-grandfather Johann was here. The Baers hold a mean grudge.”
“They do.” Ida nodded. “But it’s more than that, and not what’s important right now.”
“So you got your instructions from Chronicles, is that right?” Jack asked Heather, needing her to step him through it. So many facts were running through his head, and none of them made any sense. His head started to hurt.
Heather nodded.
“I’ve seen Chronicles.” Jack wished now that he’d never laid eyes on the thing. “In it, there’s nothing but lurid crap about your great-grandfather’s favorite sexual positions. Sorry, but it’s true.”
Ida grinned. “Johann was such a creative fellow.”
Jack exchanged a look with Heather before Ida spoke again.
“Oh, you two. He had skill with a pen, is all I’m saying. He could imbue objects with hidden messages, the kind which can only be read by someone like Heather.”
“How’s that?” Jack studied Heather with curiosity.
“I’m a healer,” Heather said softly. “Not only physical hurts but psychic ones too. It cost my great-grandfather to share what he did in that book. I can read his pain in the words no one else seems able to see. Ida helped, but even she couldn’t see everything that I could.”
Jack wondered why anything surprised him anymore. He worked with a pyrokinetic, a telepath, and a levitator, for God’s sake. He’d met people who could change into something not entirely human. He himself could shift his shape, mimicking anyone he’d ever touched, male or female. What the hell constituted normal in his world, anyway?
Ida sipped her tea. “Chronicles is beyond even what I consider normal in a town full of psychic energy. But Heather must find the Source
to understand.”
“Understand what?” Jack asked.
“Everything.”
A simple answer, and one that told him absolutely nothing.
To Heather, Ida said, “You’ll find what you’ve been looking for next to the backpack on your bed.”
Heather tore out of the living room and returned moments later, carrying the book and a stuffed backpack. “You found it and packed my things?”
“You have a journey to make, and it’s past time you made it. I’d hoped your grandmother might one day return to finish things, but she never came. Not that she could have done much good. It’s now up to you.” Ida turned to Jack. “Your things are at Jan’s house. Jan has visions of the future. He’s known you were coming for some time, and he took your things from your car. Between us, we shielded your information from the others, but it’s wearing thin, especially since you and Heather are together now. The town is buzzing with curiosity.”
He didn’t trust the sly smile she shot him.
“Things are finally unfolding.”
“I wish I understood what the hell you’re talking about.” At some point, what she said had to make sense.
“For now, know that you’ve found Owen’s sister. You would be smart to keep your identities as Heather Wurtz and Jack Harmon at the forefront of your minds, at least until you start on the trail. Steer clear of the Baers, and remember that I’m a friend.”
“And Jan?” Jack asked.
“Jan helps now because he must, but the time will come when you two will be solely on your own.” Her gaze intensified. “Listen well, Jack. Ralf Baer can kill you without blinking twice, and no one will ever find your body. You’re away from everything you know out here, in this place that shouldn’t exist but does. Away from reason in a land ruled by instinct and supernatural power.”
“Ida?” Heather asked softly. “You’re starting to scare me.”
“I like you, Heather. I don’t want to see you hurt. Your grandmother was a good friend of mine, as was your great-grandfather. I promised them that if they ever needed me for anything, I’d help in any way I could, and I always keep my word. But I’ve done all I can do. Now it’s up to you.”
“I’ll do my best. I’ll find the Source with the map and compass you gave me.”
Ida shook her head. “That’s only half the battle, dear. Not where but how to get there, that’s the important part of your journey.” She stared at Jack with eyes so bright they seemed to glow. “Only together will you find the Source. Only together will you find lives worth living.”
Jack snorted. “A little dramatic, aren’t you? What—”
Her voice, when she finished, rang with an authority he couldn’t ignore. “Only together will you get out of the mountain alive.”
Chapter Three
Heather didn’t like it, but she couldn’t find a reason to dispute Ida. Everything the woman had done and said since her arrival had been to help her, not hinder. With Ida’s assistance, Heather had even made progress with Chronicles, deciphering the last bit of the buried instructions in the pages. If this had been nothing more than a treasure hunt, she would have abandoned her quest long ago. But for years, Heather had felt less than worthy of her last name. She had no real business sense and didn’t like the myriad society balls and parties she’d been required to attend while growing up, when her parents had been alive.
Now she finally had a chance to contribute to the family, and without Owen’s interference. She had to do this.
Her part in the Stallbridge family fortune had been limited. She often let her brother control her votes during corporate meetings and contented herself by comanaging a few of their nonprofit organizations when she wasn’t devoting herself to healing those in need. All across North and South America, wherever and whenever called, she’d answered to a higher power, drifting like a nomad from hurt to hurt.
More than physical illness, Heather sensed and healed spiritual pain.
And speaking of healing…
She studied Jack, who watched her every move. Ida had gone down the block to visit with Jan for a while, leaving Heather and Jack to deal with each other. Not good. Heather really could have used the older woman’s presence to ease the growing tension.
That kiss earlier had nearly fried her senses. Pretending to be calm while her entire body yelled at her to hop on Jack and ride him into tomorrow had been the most difficult thing she’d ever done. Even now she could still taste him, a hint of hops from the beer he’d drunk mixed with his own brand of sexual aggression. All male and overpowering.
God, she’d never been with anyone so overwhelming. Beneath the flesh and blood, energy raged within him. The Source only added to his power, and she’d been drugged on him since that first hug.
Something about him intrigued her. She’d never gone for the bad-boy type. Heather studied him, saw those huge fists, the thick thighs, the broad chest, the square jaw. His eyes snapped with power, so light they looked almost unnatural.
“What?” he growled, watching her watch him. “Afraid now? A little late, don’t you think?”
“Get over yourself.”
She blinked in surprise, as shocked as he by her aggression. Heather was nice to everyone. Even Klaus and Ernst Baer, the heavy-handed creeps who’d tried to take way too many liberties at last week’s beer fest. To Ernst, she’d politely declined his company. She’d smiled at Klaus, carefully skirted him, and latched on to Jan, who’d been walking by at the time.
But Jack confused, annoyed, and scared her because he made her want him more than was healthy. More than was normal. She had a feeling that if she let him, he could disrupt her well-ordered world even more than Chronicles had. Heather knew that eventually this adventure would end. With Jack, she had the sense he’d stay with her, in thought if not in the flesh.
They stared at each other in silence.
“You know, you’re not what I expected,” he finally said.
“Oh? Care to explain what that means?”
He evaded the question. “Your brother asked me to find you. He was worried.”
Of course, Owen would be. The control freak didn’t like that she hadn’t called when he’d commanded. She loved him like crazy, but she had to do this without his interference. He wasn’t the one to make things right. She was, because she’d been the one to read the code hidden in the book. Only she could fix what her great-grandfather had broken. She had to go it alone.
Then again, Jack could be classified as interference, and Ida had clearly inferred Heather needed him. So perhaps she wouldn’t be as alone on this trip as she’d initially thought.
“You’re pretty,” Jack said bluntly. “Beautiful, actually.” His gaze went from her head to her toes and lingered in between.
She wished to hell her body wouldn’t respond, but for some reason, Jack got to her.
“But it’s more than that.” Jack rose from the couch and approached. Half of her wanted to flee; the other half forced her to remain and wait for the worst. “See, here’s the thing that bothers me. You say you can heal. Your mind is strong. But then, Owen’s powerful, so I’d expect you to be like him. But you’re more.”
“More, how?” she asked on a breath, once again too close to him and sizzling under their shared chemistry.
“What can you do, exactly? What’s your gift besides healing?” he asked as he put his hand on her shoulder.
She grew wet, her nipples stiffened, and she felt herself wanting to lean into his heat. Heather licked her dry lips and tried to answer without sounding as desperate as she felt. So she’d been without a boyfriend for months. Sex hadn’t been that high on her priorities for a while. But it had never been so all-consuming a desire as it was right now.
It had to be the Source influencing her arousal.
“Tell me,” he whispered. His breath fluttered over her mouth when he leaned closer.
She swallowed hard. “I told you. I heal, physically and psychically. All types of wounds.�
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“So you’re empathic, then?” He put his other hand on her other shoulder and started rubbing, a gentle massage that made her boneless in seconds.
“N-no. Not empathic. I just sense the hurt and fix it.” She moaned. “Oh wow. That feels so good.”
“You’re tense.” His low voice barely registered. “Tight, smooth, and wet, I’ll bet,” he added in a growl before he kissed her again.
That first time, she’d been caught off guard. As fast and heavy as their interlude in the alley had been, she’d thought she could have stopped him before they grew too serious. But right now, she could do nothing but follow his lead, caught up in the man touching her.
Right now, Jack didn’t feel wounded at all. He surrounded her with his raw masculinity. Consumed by his scent, Heather breathed him in and clutched his thick shoulders. Her lips softened under his, and she opened her mouth wider when he penetrated with his tongue and took charge.
He groaned and walked her backward until she felt the wall behind her. Jack lifted her as if she weighed nothing and wrapped her legs around his waist. One hand held her up while the other found her breasts and played. Under her sweater, he pinched her nipples, and she ground against the hard ridge of his erection between her legs, cursing the jeans that separated them.
“Need to fuck you so bad,” he muttered against her ear, then kissed the sweet spot just under it. He fiddled with their clothes between them while he kissed her beyond sanity.
She lost her ability to think as they touched and caressed, before she realized he’d let go of her breast to unsnap her jeans. But what struck her most was that theirs wasn’t an animalistic coupling so much as a passionate exploration. The raging lust was there, but Jack didn’t pounce or grope her, not the way Ernst had. Jack gentled and stroked. He seduced with surety and ease.
Her shoes, pants, and panties dropped to the floor before he took her ass in his hands and lifted her again, aligning her with his waist.