by Katie Reus
The only thing that could wipe away the vision was seeing Nika. She was lightness in a way he didn’t fully understand. Though it was definitely playing with fire and part of him knew it was a dangerous game he played, he didn’t care. He craved seeing her again, even if it was only in a dream state.
He let his head sink against the pillow and focused all his thoughts and energy on the woman down the hall. Growing up, it had taken years of practice to choose whose dreams he walked through. Just like his brothers, Declan had mastered his gift at a fairly young age. Even after two years out of practice, once he’d dipped into her thoughts a few weeks ago, now it came as naturally as breathing.
His body relaxed, his breaths evened out and Nika’s face swam before him. Bright, emerald green eyes. Smooth caramel skin. A smattering of freckles that were barely visible covering her nose…
While Declan adjusted to his surroundings, he tried to keep his presence unknown as he drank in the images playing in Nika’s head. The reason he hadn’t been able to see her dreams was because she’d known he was there. Even if it was on a subconscious level, she’d known someone was in her head. Which would explain why everything he’d experienced had been happening in real time—relatively speaking. She was trying to protect herself.
Like an old, silent movie, a vision played out in front of him. Two little girls huddled together in a tight space. A closet? One was older by a few years but they both had dark hair and dark skin. Tears streamed down the youngest girl’s face but her head was downturned and he couldn’t see the color of her eyes. His instinct told him it was Nika.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Nika’s annoyed voice cut through the haze, until everything he saw completely dissipated and he found himself staring directly at her. She sat on the bed, arms crossed over her chest and a scowl marred her pretty face.
“I wanted to see you.”
“Then knock on my door like a normal person and stop getting into my head.”
“You didn’t mind before.”
“That’s before I realized you were a real person. I thought you were some illusion I’d dreamed up.”
“Aren’t you curious how I do it?”
“Of course I’m curious, but I want you to stop. You have no right to be here. This is an invasion of my privacy.”
“You’re not supposed to remember my visits,” he muttered.
“Oh really? So you visit other women’s dreams and what, molest them too? I bet that’s how you get your rocks off! Freaking pervert.”
“Molest! Everything we’ve done has been based on your projections. Everything I’ve done, everywhere I’ve kissed, was because you wanted it to happen. I have no control over your thoughts.”
She threw the covers off and jumped out of the bed. “My thoughts? You’re out of your mind.”
He bit back a smile, knowing it would only piss her off. “Technically speaking, I guess I am. But according to you, I’m your fantasy. Do you remember saying that to me when we first met?”
Her eyes flashed dangerously. “You’re infuriating. Why are you even here? It’s not a coincidence that you’ve been haunting my dreams before we even met.”
“How do you know?” he asked.
“Because I don’t believe in coincidences and you’re surprised I remember you. For all I know, you’re involved in my sister’s kidnapping!”
“You can’t believe that.” Things weren’t going exactly like he’d planned. Maybe he should just cut his losses, but he couldn’t walk away from her. The woman fed some sort of addiction he didn’t know he had.
“I don’t know what to believe.” Sighing, she sat on the edge of the bed and stared at a spot over his shoulder, refusing to look at him.
Emotions he didn’t understand warred inside him. If he exposed what he was, it might convince her to open up to him. Or, it could give her ammunition against him. The last psychic he’d revealed his weakness to had struck out at him at the first opportunity.
If Nika was a psychic, her powers were different than what he’d experienced in the past. If he wanted to get close to her, he had to give her something. “I’m a dream walker, Nika.”
Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Is that like a night walker?”
“Not even close. They create violent nightmares. I just watch.” And learn. And in her case, apparently, interact very intimately.
“Just watch? Like a pervert?” A smirk played across her full mouth. A mouth he desperately wanted to taste again.
He ignored the second question. “I watch dreams and memories play out. You…you’re different.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t see your dreams. I see only you.” And not enough of her as far as he was concerned.
She stared at him for a long moment. “What if I told you I wanted to see you right now? Not…here, but in your room.” Her voice had taken on a seductive, sensual quality.
It surprised him but he knew himself well enough that he wasn’t going to say no. It wasn’t smart and it sure as hell wasn’t professional, but…Nika was his. “What’s stopping you?”
Declan opened his eyes as he jerked out of the dream state. For a moment everything blurred around him but just as quickly, the dim surroundings of his room came into focus. Either she came to see him or she didn’t.
At the sound of the door rattling he automatically reached for the SIG on his nightstand, but he stopped himself. No one would have breached this compound and if they had, they wouldn’t be as noisy as her.
His cock instantly lengthened at the sight of Nika stepping into his room. The outside security lights streaming through the blinds were the only source of illumination, but it was enough to see she wore long pajama pants and a skin-tight tank top. She’d been wearing shorts before but she’d obviously changed.
“What kind of games are you playing?” he rasped out. It sounded as if he had gravel stuck in his throat.
“I don’t want to be alone tonight and I don’t want to talk,” she whispered.
His throat seized at her words, but he restrained himself from jumping her. She’d only said she didn’t want to be alone. She didn’t say she wanted him to jump her and take her on the floor—or up against the wall. Although that wasn’t such a bad thought.
Nika knew she was taking a big chance coming to see Declan when he had the ability to invade her mind, but she couldn’t stop herself. If she was being honest, she didn’t want to stop. Not tonight.
He was the last man on the planet she should be interested in, but now that she’d discovered her fantasy man was real and she knew he was just as talented with his hands in real life as her dreams, she wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse.
Wearing simple blue boxers, he looked good enough to eat. Seeing his broad chest and trim waist in her dreams was nothing compared to real life. The smattering of dark hair covering his muscular chest was a stark reminder that he was all man. Everything about him screamed virility.
The few men she’d chosen as lovers had been a lot less physically intimidating than sin-in-the-flesh, Declan Gallagher. An unwanted shiver spiraled through her as she watched him. With a broad, muscular chest and scars nicking him all over, he looked like he had in her dreams. Well, their dreams.
He stalked toward her like a pure predator. His movements were sparse, economical. Everything about him screamed raw power. As he came to stand in front of her, she thought he was going to kiss her. The air between them cracked with electricity and even though sex wasn’t her priority right now, she didn’t want to be alone.
Surprising her, he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. “Come on. You need sleep.” He nodded toward the bed, placing his hand at the small of her back.
She more or less let him propel her toward it, too surprised to do anything else. She’d thought he’d pounce, crush his mouth over hers, help her forget things for a little bit.
But…he headed for the other side of the bed
, still half-dressed and slid in.
“You want me to sleep with you? Just sleep?” she asked, still standing on the other side.
He snorted. “I want more than sleep and you do too,” he added, “but we’re not doing this now. Not with your…” He trailed off and she realized what he wasn’t saying.
Not with her sister missing. He was right. She might want him, but more than anything she just didn’t want to be alone. If that made her weak, she didn’t care.
Following suit, she got into the bed next to him. She expected to feel awkward, but it was the opposite. Laying down she rolled onto her side and wasn’t exactly surprised when he settled in behind her and hooked his arm around her waist. He pulled her back against his hard chest and simply held her. She had no problem letting him. He felt like an anchor and she desperately needed one right now.
“You surprise me,” she whispered, not wanting to disrupt the quietness of the room. She could feel his erection against her back, but he seemed content to just hold her.
“You’re not ready.” His voice was raspy.
Ice flooded her veins. “You know that from getting into my head?”
“No. I can feel it in every tense line of your hot little body. I don’t want you to be with me just so you can forget about your sister. I want you completely willing. Mind and body. And not in a dream.” The last few words were a seductive whisper.
Her mouth dried up and she was thankful her face was turned away from him. She’d thought she had him completely pegged, but was glad to be wrong. Her mind was a battlefield right now with fear for Alena and thoughts of Declan. She felt like a freaking nutcase.
As the seconds ticked by, she allowed herself to settle against him. It was so damn dangerous, but deep down she knew she could get used to his embrace. Too many what-if thoughts raced through her mind, making her insane. She’d thought about what Declan had said and knew he was right about the kidnappers keeping their faces covered. Still. “How long have you known…what you are?”
“You mean a dream walker?”
“Yeah.”
“As long as I can remember.”
“Does anyone else know what you can do?”
“You’re just full of questions,” he spoke against her hair, making her shiver.
“That’s not an answer.”
“My family does, but no one in this house knows what I am or what I can do if that’s what you’re asking,” he murmured.
Oh. “Why’d you tell me then?”
His arm tightened around her waist. “No one will believe you if you tell them. Now no more questions, a mhuirnín. I’m tired.”
His strong embrace seemed to have a ripple effect over her entire body. She wasn’t precisely sure what a mhuirnín meant but she liked the way it sounded on his lips. His deep voice was an aphrodisiac she could definitely get used to. Sighing, she shut her eyes and savored the feel of his arms around her as she tried to force sleep to come. In a few hours the kidnappers would be calling and…damn it, her eyes welled with tears as thoughts of her sister in pain or worse flooded her mind. She closed her eyes, trying to banish the images.
Having a breakdown now wouldn’t help anyone. They were going to get her sister back. She refused to believe anything else.
* * *
As Nika settled against him, Declan tried to ignore his erection. She had to feel it, but he wasn’t going to make a move until the sexy woman was completely ready. Getting physically involved with her on this plane of reality was stupid, but it almost felt like a foregone conclusion. Simply kissing and tasting her would never be enough. She’d awakened something in him he hadn’t known existed. The primitive urge to protect her and keep her safe was overwhelming.
Not to mention he needed to figure out where the hell her sister was and if this was all part of some bigger conspiracy. He refused to believe Nika was part of it though. Her terror and fear at losing her sister was real. So much so it was almost palpable. Of course that didn’t mean her own sister wasn’t using her, hadn’t lied to Nika about the kidnapping.
Closing his eyes, Declan focused all his energy on Alena Brennan. Since he couldn’t get in Nika’s head without being discovered, he had to try her sister. If he could just get into her dreams, maybe he could discover where she was being held. A road sign, a landmark, someone’s face. If she retained any of those things in her dream state, it could push them in the right direction and they’d be able to save her.
Nika hadn’t said anything about her sister having a gift, but he couldn’t be too careful. As he honed all his energy and thoughts on Alena, black edges of his dream state started to overtake him.
“Keep your ears covered,” the little girl whispered.
“Why?” the smaller girl asked.
“Because I said so.”
A woman screamed in the distance. The sound, like a wounded animal, jarred him to his bones. The scene blurred and shifted. Red paint—no, blood. Everywhere. All over a carpeted floor. On the sage colored wall. The smaller girl started to cry harder.
Suddenly the vision morphed again. Everything dipped and swirled around him before things came into focus. Alena was in the bathroom of what appeared to be a nightclub. There was a urinal. A men’s bathroom. A man was there but his back was turned. A needle flashed…darkness swirled in front of him… Now she was on a bed rolled on her side fully clothed… A loud scream echoed in his mind. He saw only red. Bright, garish red, pushing him out of her head.
He opened his eyes with a start, his heart rate kicked up a fraction. Alena might not be psychic but her subconscious didn’t want him poking around her memories.
Under his arm, Nika stirred with him, but thankfully she didn’t wake up. Staring at her, he could feel himself falling under her spell and wondered what the hell he’d gotten himself into.
Chapter 11
Declan opened his eyes at the sound of a low buzz. He automatically tightened his grip around Nika’s slim waist, but just as quickly released her when he realized the source of the sound. Ribbons of the early morning sun covered her face, but she didn’t stir as he drew away. He knew she hadn’t slept well last night. She’d been restless for the few hours she’d been in here, so he didn’t want to disturb her.
Lying on her side, she had one arm thrown over a pillow and her dark hair cascaded softly around her face.
Though he didn’t want to tear his gaze away, the incessant buzzing forced him to. Stifling a groan, he grabbed his phone from the nightstand. “Yeah?” he murmured.
“Sorry if I woke you,” Vernon Nash said.
“About time you called me back.” Declan understood that as Deputy Director of the FBI, Vernon would be occasionally unattainable, but a return phone call wasn’t too much to ask. Especially when Declan was doing him a favor.
“I would have called you earlier if I could. The Department of Homeland Security has set up a task force to bring Yasha down. I’ve been in meetings for over forty-eight hours and was dark for half the time so don’t start.”
Declan knew better than most that the DHS had a virtual umbrella over all the major law enforcement agencies in the United States. He could only imagine the task force was a smorgasbord of acronyms and bureaucratic assholes. Something he definitely didn’t want to get involved with. “Did you get my message?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t understand. What the hell is going on with the Brennan sisters?”
Declan glanced down at Nika. She hadn’t stirred but she could be faking. Easing off the bed, he shut himself in the privacy of his bathroom. “Alena Brennan has been kidnapped.”
“What?”
“So you didn’t have anything to do with this?”
“Hell no. Is this serious or a scam the women are running?”
“It’s real and Andre is contacting his father for part of the ransom.” Declan quickly filled him in on what had happened.
“Damn it,” Vernon muttered. “We’ve been watching Yasha and word on the street is he’s moving
his shipment in four days.”
Declan just grunted.
“Do you think the youngest sister will make a move on Yasha if given the opportunity?” Vernon’s voice was grim.
“It’s…possible. But doubtful. I’m still not sure why you think they’re murderous assassins, but I don’t see Nika killing someone.” Something told Declan that if the women were behind the deaths of the Lazarev brothers—for whatever reason—Alena was the one who’d actually killed them, not Nika. There was a hell of a lot he didn’t know about the woman, but she didn’t strike him as a killer. She wore her emotions out in the open.
“Keep an eye on them…if you even get Alena Brennan back. Do you need any backup for the exchange?”
“Thanks, but no. We can’t risk any law enforcement in this.” Declan didn’t need or want any outsiders involved in this.
“Have you learned anything useful from either woman?”
“No.”
“I’m on a timeline. Nothing can happen to Yasha. Nothing. We’ve got to bring him down, save those women. Rumor is, there are kids he’s moving too. This operation has to be stopped. Just…keep Nika Brennan on a short leash and away from Yasha.”
Declan bit back a response. He knew how to do his job, but he understood the pressure Vernon was under.
Vernon continued. “I’ll be in Miami tomorrow joining the rest of my team. Keep me updated.”
After they disconnected Declan stripped and turned on his shower. The pulsing jets did little to ease the tension knotting his back and shoulders. The kidnappers would be contacting him in a few hours. He needed to meet with his men and make at least a dozen calls before then. Getting Alena back was the most important thing, but when she was safe, he was going to find out who’d taken her and killed one of his men.
And they were going to pay.
Declan wrapped a towel around his waist and mentally prepared himself to see Nika stretched out on his bed. Last night it had taken all his willpower not to finish what they’d started. His dick still hadn’t forgiven him.