The Final Omen: Second Sight Book Four

by Heather Topham Wood

  She perked up at the sound of the front door opening and the alarm disarming. Jared smiled as she waved to him from the couch. He deposited his computer bag by the door and strolled over to the couch. “Is this what you two slackers do all day?” He gestured to the couch and the TV. “Sit on the couch eating Spaghetti-O’s and watching cartoons?”

  “We saved you a bowl,” Kate said brightly, picked up a porcelain bowl from the coffee table and held it out to him.

  He took it and gave her a grateful smile. As she examined his handsome features closely, she noticed how the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He greeted Declan and settled between them on the couch.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I discovered nothing about the woman you saw in your vision. There were no recent reports fitting your description in the missing persons database, and I called around to a few other departments to see if any reports had been filed. Nothing has been called in.” Jared took his hand in hers and squeezed lightly.

  “Declan suggested that it could be a premonition. I tried to get inside her head again today, but it didn’t work.” Her inability to peek at the woman’s memories did worry Kate. She never had visions of people who died and hoped that fate hadn’t befallen the woman.

  “Do you remember any other details that could lead us to her? I know you didn’t hear her name, but did you see any clues in the garage to tell where it could’ve been? Or maybe saw the license plate of her car?” He fired question after question at Kate.

  “This is going to sound lame, but it didn’t seem like a shopping mall parking garage. It was more like a garage for a professional building. She was dressed for business, and so was the man she came across.”

  “That could be helpful, Kate. It may narrow down the places we should check out,” he said and gave her hand another reassuring squeeze.

  Declan lifted off of the couch and laced his fingers behind his head. “This has been fun and all, but I’ve gotta go.” He looked pointedly at Jared. “Speaking of fun, I prescribed a night of it to Kate and I’m putting my money on you to make it happen.”

  “Goodbye Declan,” she forced out.

  After Declan departed, she turned her attention back to Jared. Her boyfriend was silent, gnawing on his lower lip. He was obviously stewing, and she was curious about what was running through his head. “What’s wrong? Something else is on your mind.”

  Jared frowned. “There is, but I don’t want you to freak out. It could be a coincidence.”

  “Alright,” she enunciated slowly.

  “The florist had a hard time finding the order you received before the attack, but they finally tracked it down.”

  The reminder of her stalker sending her lilies made her incensed once again. The flowers came with a card attached stating it was for her future spot in a local cemetery named Colonial Memorial Park.

  She leaned forward in anticipation as he continued, “The detectives were able to track down the IP address of the computer used to place the flower order. Unfortunately it was done from a public library.”

  Kate’s irritation flared. Why couldn’t she have a dumb criminal on her hands? Instead, she had a psychotic criminal mastermind who didn’t leave behind evidence and had a knack for discovering her weaknesses. “That’s a downer, but why would you think I’d freak out about it?”

  “The library is five minutes from your dad’s office,” he replied stiffly. Jared watched her closely, most likely gauging her reaction. His face revealed his surprise when a giggle escaped her lips.

  “And what? Do you think it makes my dad a suspect? Because that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” It was a strange coincidence since her dad lived about an hour away from Franklin, in Pennsylvania, but it couldn’t be anything more.

  “We can’t confirm his whereabouts during the time of your attack. He said he was running a few errands and forgot his phone at home. Your mom had tried to contact him for several hours, and he was the last one to arrive at the hospital.” Kate opened up her mouth to respond, but Jared lifted his palm to stop her. “And there’s the matter of the alarm.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s bothered me from the beginning that you were attacked while the alarm was disarmed. It seemed too coincidental the person broke in at the same time your mom forgot to set the alarm.” Jared gazed past her, seemingly becoming lost in his own theories. “I also know your mom and it seems unlikely that she’d forget something as important as setting the alarm when she knew of the threat you faced.”

  “What do you think really happened?”

  “I think whoever broke into your house knew the code…” he trailed off while looking at her with regret clear on his features.

  “And this is what makes you suspect my father,” she finished lamely. “Jared, my dad is an accountant who drives an Audi. I don’t peg him as the murdering type.”

  “Well, did anyone else have the code?”

  “Ummm…”

  Jared’s features sharpened as he looked at her with suspicion. “Kate, what are you keeping from me?”

  “Nothing,” she replied quickly. Hopping off the couch, she hurried to the kitchen and opened several cabinets. After locating the Jack Daniels and setting the bottle on the counter, she took out a couple of glasses. “I think we should have a drink. This conversation is making my anxiety level go through the roof.”

  He followed her into the kitchen and took hold of the Jack Daniels. He placed it back in the liquor cabinet and removed a bottle of merlot instead. “The last time you had Jack Daniels, I was holding back your hair for over an hour. How about you have a glass of wine instead?” She nodded and he leaned forward and kissed her gently. Her lips were tingling when he pulled away. “I hate talking about this as much as you do. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of your dad, but that doesn’t mean I believe he’s capable of hurting you. I can’t figure out what his motive would be.”

  “He did threaten to wring my neck when I told him I might not go back to college and instead solve cases with Declan full-time. But I think he was simply exaggerating,” she said. After he handed her a full glass of wine, she gulped it down greedily. When she finished, she wiped the moisture from her mouth and admitted in a low voice, “I’m thinking maybe I should’ve chosen a harder code for the alarm system.”

  “What was it?”

  “With all of the visions, my brain gets full easily and I become absentminded. I set all my codes as my birthday so I don’t forget them.” In hindsight, she was really going to have to fix that. It was a wonder her bank account hadn’t been depleted yet.

  He smacked his forehead. “Kate, please tell me you’re joking.”

  “My mom said we should change it, but I didn’t want to make the cops come out on a false alarm if I happened to forget the code.”

  He was holding back a lecture; she could tell by the tension in his jaw. He exhaled a long breath and smiled tightly. “It’s not as uncommon as you think. Some people set their codes as 1, 2, 3, 4. The problem with your code is that anyone could’ve guessed it and broken in without alerting the security company.” He refilled her glass of wine and took a long gulp out of her glass. Between the two of them, the bottle wouldn’t last another five minutes. “What about physically? Did the person have the same body type as your dad?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose it’s a possibility. He may have been the same height, but it happened so fast I couldn’t really tell. And he was wearing baggy clothes which made it difficult to guess his size.” Shaking her head at him, she complained, “Why are we talking about this? I would know if it was my dad. He never laid a hand on me in my life and it’s impossible to picture him suddenly slicing into me with a hunting knife.”

  Her emotions bubbled to the surface and moisture filled her eyes. His arms circled her waist and she was pulled flush with him. He kissed her forehead and said gently, “It’ll be all right. We’ll find who did this to you and it can finally b
e over.” He moved his mouth down the side of her face until he was kissing her fiercely.

  She tilted forward and gave herself over to his kiss. As his lips moved in time with her own, she felt calmer and the tension slipping from her shoulders. His mouth was delicious and she loved tasting him. She tugged the back of his neck to deepen the kiss. She needed to infuse each kiss with as much passion as he inspired inside of her.

  Eventually, he pulled back and met her eyes with an earnest look. “Why don’t you tell me about the conversation you had with Declan? Something about needing fun?”

  She waved him off. “It’s not a big deal. Declan fancies himself a cruise director and wants to ensure everyone in his vicinity is having a good time.”

  “Are you happy living here, Kate? I understand I can be a little overbearing when it comes to keeping you safe, but I hate to think that you’re miserable.”

  She cupped his cheeks and touched her nose to his. “I’m not miserable. I love living with you. You’re like the best guy roommate ever: no toilet seat up and no facial hair left in the sink after you shave.”

  “But we need fun. Even more so if you only think of me as your roommate,” he said.

  “You know what would be fun for me? To take the night off from all the grisly stuff and just pretend we’re a normal couple,” she sighed.

  “Let’s do it. How’s tomorrow night work?”

  “Wait let me consult my calendar.” After a beat, she said, “Oh right, I’m unemployed, out of school and on voluntary house arrest. I think I should be able to squeeze you in.”

  Her heart sang at the thought of having a psychic free night with Jared. She could use her abilities during the day to try and see into the abducted woman’s head again. Once night arrived, Kate would give herself a reprieve and relish in the fact she finally had him all to herself.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kate fingered the hem of her dress nervously as she watched the door. This could be the most embarrassing moment of her life to date, and she had quite a few to her name. If the date turned out to be an utter failure, she could blame it on her lack of experience. She had only one other serious boyfriend and he’d dumped her years ago—after she surrendered her virginity and slept with him. A text message break-up was a far cry from the candy and roses she expected the next day.

  Her day had proven uneventful. She hadn’t seen a vision of the woman again and there were still no news reports of a missing woman fitting the description. Kate wasn’t giving up though; since she never predicted when another vision of the same person could appear.

  She lowered the lights and lit a couple more candles as she tapped her foot. Her breath caught as she heard the door open and Jared appeared in the doorway. His eyebrows raised in confusion as he gestured to the living room and kitchen. “What’s all this?”

  “This, Jared Corbett, is your prom,” she announced and pointed to a banner she’d hung across the foyer that read “Welcome Class of 2002.”

  “Why, exactly, is there a prom in our living room?” he asked, his voice laced with humor.

  “Well, you told me once you were part of the nerd herd and never went to prom. I thought we could have our own version.”

  “I doubt the words ‘nerd herd’ ever escaped my lips.”

  “Maybe not, but you did say you went to school with a bunch of idiots who judged you on your aunt instead of taking the time to see how freaking amazing you are.” She strode to him and gripped his hand. “I can say with no reservations you’re incredible and deserve the best. You deserve your own kick ass prom.”

  “No girl as beautiful as you would’ve given me the time of day in high school,” he said teasingly.

  “Are you serious?” she demanded settling her hands on her hips. “I’d be all over you in a hot second and the reigning queen of the nerd herd.”

  When Kate first met Jared, she didn’t know what to expect. He was gorgeous and funny, but it took time together for her to see how much depth he had. He didn’t have it easy growing up—orphaned at seven and sent to live with an eccentric but loving aunt whose reputation made him the target of bullies—but it had shaped him into the amazing person who stood before her. He never fit in, and it drove him to have a Type A personality; constantly striving for the best post-high school. His ambition led him to be hired by the department when barely out of high school. The flip side was, it also prompted him to have a relationship with a vapid beauty to try and prove he was good enough.

  She glanced around and admired her handy work. She’d enlisted her mom and Julie to help gather up everything needed to recreate a prom scene in the house. Instead of dragging Declan around town on bodyguard duty, Kate gave him the day off. It was fun to have a day with her two favorite women and let them doll her up for a romantic night with Jared.

  Although her mom had wanted a gourmet menu, she’d brought over cocktail wieners, bags of chips and pizza bagels at Kate’s insistence. Mom had also helped Kate put together a spiked punch complete with floating pieces of fruit. They hung up blue and gold streamers, Jared’s high school colors, and she created the banner through Photoshop. She’d scanned his yearbook photo and his pouting face was printed in the center of the banner. It was cheesy, over the top and she loved it.

  Julie brought over her endless makeup bag and curling iron. With a skill Kate could never master, Julie had transformed Kate’s plain, light brown hair into a gorgeous style with loose curls clipped to the nape of her neck. Julie gave her friend a look that was described as tastefully slutty with red lips and dark mascara, but Kate wiped half the makeup off in the bathroom to make herself more natural looking.

  In her closet, she discovered a dress she’d worn once, years ago, to a wedding. It was off-white with a lace overlay and a ruffled and feathered hem. The short cap sleeves and hem resting mid-thigh gave it a fun and flirty look. The dress was short, but not revealing enough her scars would be in plain view. She flexed her hand; looking at the line across her palm. She shook off the painful memory and gave Jared a hopeful look.

  She grabbed the suitcase from his hands and placed it on the foyer floor, then proceeded to lead him towards the sunroom. She’d hung fairy lights to create a romantic atmosphere. Her iPod was also set to play songs popular in 2002. He dug his heels into the ground before she could lead him through the doors. “I probably should change. I look underdressed next to you.” He frowned down at his wrinkled black suit with a blue and silver striped tie. He removed his jacket and draped it across the kitchen counter.

  “Your modesty makes me laugh. You know you look good in your work clothes,” she chided.

  He tilted his head as they entered the sunroom. “Is that Nelly’s Hot in Here you have playing?”

  “Yes; and let me tell you it was slim pickings trying to find decent music from the year you graduated. After some investigation on my part, I did find out your school’s prom song,” she bragged.

  He followed her to the iPod while she shuffled through the songs. Eve 6’s Here’s to the Night blared through the sound system. She’d cleared away the patio set they had in the sunroom to create a makeshift dance floor. His hands instinctively wrapped tightly around her waist and they began to sway to the music.

  “I wish my class had picked a more upbeat song. The lyrics ‘In a day and a day love, I’m gonna be gone for good again’ doesn’t exactly work for our fun night.”

  “We should’ve picked my prom song. It was Love Story,” She added after he twirled her. “You can’t go wrong with Taylor Swift.”

  He dipped her low and kept her suspended. Her left leg reached out in front of her body as he supported her weight by pressing his hands against her lower back. He shifted forward to rain a trail of kisses starting at her chin to the top of her neckline. “I can’t believe you went to all of this trouble for me. It’s amazing.” He moved his lips to her ear. “You are amazing.”

  She snaked her hands around his neck and lifted out of the dip. She crushed her mouth again
st his and he responded hungrily. His hands caressed down her back before resting against her backside. He palmed her behind and pulled her nearer while never breaking their kiss.

  As she broke away, breathless, she laughed nervously. “You can’t grope me yet, you haven’t even tried the punch.”

  “Maybe we could have the punch later.” Between the gleam in his eyes and the seductive tone of his voice, he was apparently putting the moves on her. Judging by her weakened knees, it was working.

  Opening her mouth to protest, she instead was silenced by his kiss. His tongue slipped inside her mouth and collided with her own. His hand moved to the front of her dress and he caressed her breasts. As he flicked the fabric across her nipples, she moaned into his mouth. She felt dizzy over his actions and unsure of whether to pay attention to what he was doing with his mouth or with his hands.

  She pressed into him and he fell back onto the patio sofa. Refusing to halt the passionate embrace, she instead straddled him across his lap. As she moved close to nibble his earlobe, her knees dug into the sofa cushions. His hand became tangled in her hair, prompting her to remove the clip and toss it to the floor. His tongue snaked up her neck until he began to nibble on her ear. He growled, “God, I’ve wanted you for so long.”

  Kate realized she should stop him. He was heading into territory she wasn’t ready to visit. But her throat seized up when she tried to tell him to hit the brakes. Her body wanted him and the things he was doing to her made it impossible to imagine ending the moment.

  His hands moved to her thighs and he stroked the bare skin below her dress’s hem. She rocked forward and his fingers inched below the skirt. Her skin tingled where he touched, and she felt his mark long after his hands moved to another part of her. As she leaned forward to kiss him, she felt him growing excited beneath her.

  Her body screamed for him, desiring nothing more than to revel in the feeling of him inside of her. Yet as his hand reached for her back zipper, she leaped off of him. She stumbled backwards in her haste, just barely regaining her balance as her face grew hot with embarrassment.