by Dale Mayer
Into the Abyss
Book #10 of Psychic Visions
Dale Mayer
Books in This Series:
Tuesday’s Child – FREE
Hide’n Go Seek
Maddy’s Floor
Garden of Sorrow
Knock, Knock…
Rare Find
Eyes to the Soul
Now You See Her
Shattered
Into the Abyss
Seeds of Malice
Eye of the Falcon
Psychic Visions Books 1–3
Psychic Visions Books 4–6
Psychic Visions Books 7–9
Table of Contents
Title Page
Back Cover
Complimentary Download
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Author’s Note
Excerpt from Seeds of Malice
Complimentary Download
About the Author
Also by Dale Mayer
Copyright Page
Back Cover
Life is never easy but when her family is killed by a serial killer – one who is never caught – it becomes almost impossible.
As she grows up, Tavi works to appear normal while hiding in law enforcement, determined to get answers and if she can – extract revenge.
Jericho is a hunter. Now he’s caught the scent of an old prey, a serial killer he’s been one step behind the whole way. Then Jericho catches wind of the killer’s next victim… Which is none other than a detective with a little too impressive track record for getting her man.
Only she wants nothing to do with him. Or his protection. And he can’t leave her alone…
Sparks fly from the first meet – in more ways than one.
But when energy flares it also attracts. And the killer realizes he can kill two enemies in one swoop. He’s cleaning up. Turning a new leaf.
And wants no one left alive who can stop him…
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KILL OR BE KILLED
Part of an elite SEAL team, Mason takes on the dangerous jobs no one else wants to do – or can do. When he’s on a mission, he’s focused and dedicated. When he’s not, he plays as hard as he fights.
Until he meets a woman he can’t have but can’t forget. Software developer, Tesla lost her brother in combat and has no intention of getting close to someone else in the military. Determined to save other US soldiers from a similar fate, she’s created a program that could save lives. But other countries know about the program, and they won’t stop until they get it – and get her.
Time is running out … For her … For him … For them …
DOWNLOAD a complimentary copy of MASON? Just tell me where to send it!
Chapter 1
Tavika Bantrell opened the door to the station and stopped in the doorway. Her neck cramped at the laughter inside. It always did when she was forced to return here. She belonged on the streets, not at her desk.
She understood the streets. But the computers, databases, and reports sucked the life out of her. As she entered, she slowly rotated her neck. The tension was balled up under the atlas bone and would hang there until she could pound it out. Such a thing wasn’t on her agenda any time soon.
It was determined to sit like an irritated gnome and make her life miserable.
And she’d had enough of that today. Something stirred in her world. She didn’t like it. It brought back memories she worked hard to keep hidden. Forced her to burn more energy and roughed up her senses.
“Hey, Tavika, nice job on that drunk in the tank.”
“Yeah, Stoner has a thing for you.”
The sniggers started at her left and worked around the office. She did her best to ignore them. It was hard when she knew her shirt was ripped off at the lower right-hand side showing her abs. Of course she was wearing a series of scratches and colorful bruises instead. Compliments of the six foot brute in the tank.
She’d gone out to walk the streets right after. Her way of working out the tension. She loved Portland. It was seriously beautiful, but it was just another big city in so many ways.
The homeless problem had hit an all new high. The geese had returned for the winter and were shitting all over the place. And the heat, late for the time of year, was making everyone crabby.
Including her.
“Nice job, Tavika.” Mark smacked her lightly on her shoulder as he walked past. “You know anyone else would have gone home and changed.”
She snorted. “Like I’m anyone else.”
“True enough.” He motioned at her desk in the back of the crowded noisy room. “There’s someone to see you.”
She locked her gaze on his face. Her heart stilled…then raced ahead. She tried for a deep calming breath. “I’m not expecting anyone.”
His voice lowered as he nodded once more to where her desk sat in the corner. “This guy doesn’t look like he marches to anyone’s orders but his own.”
Damn. This was not what she needed.
Giving Mark a curt nod of thanks, she stopped at the coffee station and poured a cup of black sludge. Sour, burnt tasting, and hot. It was perfect. Fortified, she headed to her desk, determined to get rid of the visitor as fast as possible. If he was a snitch – good – he could dump all over her then hit the skids. She was so done with people today.
His aftershave hit her as she approached. She wanted to wrinkle up her nose in disgust, in fact, she started to, but there was something about the scent that had her closing her eyes in appreciation instead. Her damn feet slowed, too. Mentally she jerked hard on her errant body and slammed down the cup. She fell into her chair and lifted her scarred boots to rest on the desk as she eyed him over the top of her steepled fingers.
“You wanted to see me?” she asked, proud her voice was solid. She was solid. There were no flights of fancy in her world. She was a black and white, by the book type of gal.
But right now…at this moment, she wanted to jump this man’s bones.
She clamped down on her jaw and stared at him suspiciously. She was pretty damn sure it was illegal for anyone to be this pretty.
He studied her, a secretive smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “I do.” He lifted that gaze of his and locked it on hers. Shivers started to quake her insides.
Dear God, his eyes…they were silver. As in molten mercury. They shifted with the same glimmering light, too.
She swallowed and struggled to remain in control. “What can I help you with?”
“It’s more what
I can help you with.”
“Oh, and what’s that?” Like she hadn’t heard that before.
“I want to report a murder,” he murmured, the wisp of humor obvious in his voice. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
Her boots hit the floor and she straightened up. All business now.
“Who? Where? When?” She barked out the questions in rapid fire fashion. This was her domain. Where she excelled. She hated to say it, but she loved a good old-fashioned murder.
“I can’t say I have all the information you need,” he said, a note of apology in his voice. “But I can tell you the name of the victim.”
“That’s a start.” She grabbed a pad of paper and pulled it toward her. “What’s your name?”
“Jericho. Jericho Sands.”
She frowned, but inside she was sending a mental high five to Jericho’s mother. It was a freakin’ perfect name.
“Who has been murdered?”
“Her name is Tavika Bantrell. Detective Tavika Bantrell.”
Her hand was already in the process of writing the name before she understood. She threw down her pen and leaned back in her chair, glaring at him. “That’s hardly a joke,” she snapped. “You’re wasting precious police resources here.”
“My apologies.”
“No, you’re not sorry,” she said in an accusing voice. “That’s my name as you perfectly well know if you came here asking for me.” She threw her arms open wide and added, “As you can see I’m fine.”
Lord, she hated cases like this. Someone needed to escort this guy away from her desk and out of the station where he could blend into the landscape. Silver eyes or not, she wasn’t into looney tunes.
“I meant no disrespect,” he said. “It’s just I know this killer and he knows you. Worse, he’s about to make you his next victim.”
She slammed her hands down on her desk and glared at him. “And you know this how?”
The silver in his eyes shimmered at her. She swallowed, struggling to not get lost in the potency of that gaze.
“The same way you knew I was here before you entered the building. The same way I knew when you arrived. The same way I know your body is aching to be mine – because I’m psychic.”
Her body shivered. She locked down on her hormones and stared at him, trying to hide her deep unease. This was so not good. Could he know? How? No one knew. She’d made sure of it. She worked hard to keep that part of her life hidden, buried so far below the surface no one would ever know. Particularly the one person hunting her. Who had always been hunting her.
Instinctively she jacked up her shield. Her head boomed. She took a shaky breath. Don’t panic. She was safe. She’d stay safe.
Then he said it.
He lowered his voice and leaned closer, that mercury gaze holding her captive. “So, my dear Tavi, are you.”
Her safely contained world buckled.
Ripples slid through her aura, shaking the pillars of her soul. This was so not good.
And there was no way in hell she was going to let him know. She gave a loud snort and sat back, crossing her arms over her chest and sneered. “The circus came into town two days ago. I suggest you go apply for a job.”
He smiled. A deep intoxicating movement of his lips that made her heart thump against her chest. At the same time she wanted to rip his heart out and toss it across the floor.
“I understand you’re afraid…”
She leaned forward and hissed, “I am not afraid.” She waved her hand around the room. “Do you see this? This is a cop shop. This is where we actually work at catching criminals. This is not where we sit and pay five dollars for palm readings.”
At that he laughed. A full on belly laugh, completely amused at her response. Damn. His silver eyes glistened with all things unknown. She’d seen other eyes like that. They could see past the barriers, slide under one’s defenses and rip open your secrets.
Her mother had been like that. She’d never let Tavika have secrets. Or privacy. According to her it was too dangerous. Tavi had no protection against her maternal pushiness. Of course her mother had secrets of her own. Like her first marriage and son she hated to talk about. Tavika could count on one hand the number of times her half-brother was brought up in conversation and never in a good way.
Jericho stood up in a smooth and elegant movement she hated. If she even tried to act half as suave she’d trip over her size ten boots. “Only time will tell.”
With a quick flick of his wrist he pulled something out of his pocket.
She tensed. She’d been on the streets too long. She’d expected a gun not the business card he tossed on the desk. She reached down and picked it up and gave a hard laugh. “A private investigator.” Deliberately she ramped up the scorn in her voice. “I should have known.”
“That’s okay. I love you too.” With a wink and a sexy smile he turned and strode out of the room.
As the door closed behind him silence descended. She plunked her ass back down on the chair and glared at those few hapless detectives who were still looking in her direction. “What’s the matter? Don’t you have any work to do?”
Lawrence, who sat at the desk closest to her, but still a half dozen feet away, said, “Part of our job is to observe people. And that was one of the most interesting interactions I’ve seen in a long time.” He gave her a white toothy smile that shone bright against his black skin. The color of dark ebony, Lawrence was a good guy. A solid cop.
With a flick of her hand she dismissed her visitor. “He’s definitely looney tunes material.”
“Intriguing. I didn’t know you went for the crazies.” With a half whistle he sauntered off to the coffee pot.
Damn. Had the attraction been that noticeable? Inside her system was still absorbing the shocks. How had this asshole found her? And what did he really want?
And how was she going to shake him off her tail.
*
Jericho stood outside the station staring at the drizzling rain. “Well, that went well.”
In fact, it had gone better than he’d expected. He’d done his research before walking in. He knew so much about her and yet understood so little.
He’d only confronted her now because time was short. The killer had moved up his agenda and her name was rising up the list. She could be a hard-ass all she wanted. He was still going to keep her safe. He knew full well she was psychic. But that was no guarantee of staying alive if the Ghost wanted her dead. Ghost was the codename for the killer. A prolific sadist who liked torture. As Tavika well knew.
But she was also a survivor. She’d been traumatized by her encounter with the Ghost when she was younger. From what he could see from the energy waves around her system she was stronger than ever.
And if he was honest, not only did he want to keep her safe but he also wanted to utilize her abilities and catch this killer once and for all.
All he had to do was get her on his side. Easy, right?
Knowing his phone was going to ring, he pulled it out and held it to his ear before the sound went off. He smiled like he always did at the ring tone. It was a few stanzas of music from the movie Halloween. He walked in the shadows himself. There was nothing like a good horror movie to make him laugh.
Reality offered more than movies ever could.
He lived it. He watched other people do the same, and as far as he was concerned it was his job to take down the assholes that created it.
“Stefan, I got nowhere. You were right, she’s not going to admit to that side of her personality.”
“And yet she’s very talented and uses those abilities for her own purposes,” Stefan said, fatigue creeping through his voice.
Jericho understood. Stefan saw too much. Heard too much. Understood even more. The one thing they could always count on was the horrors people inflicted on each other. Like Jericho, Stefan had no choice but to help.
“She shut me down.” Jericho laughed. “She wanted me gone and fast.”
&nbs
p; “She is no ordinary woman.”
“She might be no ordinary psychic,” he corrected, “but she’s a hell of a woman. And I don’t think she has any clue.”
“I wouldn’t push that right now,” Stefan warned.
“No worries,” Jericho said comfortably. “There’s plenty of time to rock her bones later.”
Stefan’s sigh made him laugh out loud.
“Okay I won’t push it. At least not right now.”
“She’s likely to rock your bones and not in a good way. She is tough. Sharp. And has honed her psychic skills like no one else I’ve seen. She also has a shield…”
“That’s killing her,” Jericho butted in. “She ramped it up while I was sitting there. The minute I mentioned the word psychic it went into overdrive. And she got hit with a hell of a headache. I watched her cringe as the energy slammed into her head.”
“The more she denies it, the more she locks that down, the worse the pain is going to get.” Stefan’s voice faded slightly.
“You and I both know that’s just the beginning of it. If Tavika doesn’t take better care of herself, her energy systems are going to kill her.”
He lounged against the outside of the police station, completely ignored by the world around him.
“Did you pick up anything more on the Ghost?” Jericho turned to study the busy street. He loved that about the city. No one noticed anybody because they were so busy trying to mind their own business as they traveled from point A to point B.
“Not yet. He’s in Portland, but I haven’t narrowed down the location any better.”
Jericho waited a minute to see if Stefan had anything more to add, then asked, “Anything new and ugly appearing now that he’s in town?”
There was an odd pause.
“Stefan?” Jericho nudged him.
“Not sure yet. Drew is on it.”
Drew was a cold case detective. And engaged to Dr. Maddy, a friend of theirs. Only there was no budgetary money for this case unless they came up with solid proof the Ghost had resurfaced. Drew had been keeping track of Jericho’s progress on the case for years. That the killer had appeared to sleep for the last five had been both a relief and a concern – if he resurfaced.