by Jane Cousins
Nell nodded. “I’ll let the nurses know what’s going on.”
Quinn glanced across the table at the Yanez brothers, frowning. “Which just leaves the question of how Jodie’s disappearance is connected to your sister who is missing... and is it somehow tied in with the monster attack you experienced on Friday?”
Matias shrugged off Nico’s hold, leaning across the table he stared at Elijah. “You said you originally thought Jodie’s magic allowed her to turn invisible for three second bursts? What exactly was she doing on Friday when she disappeared?”
Elijah scowled, slate grey eyes focused. “Doing?”
“Oh, I get it.” Mac McKenzie interrupted. “You’re asking if Jodie was intentionally using her magic at the time when something went haywire, and instead of just going invisible, she disappeared?”
The table turned to look at Elijah who was shaking his head. “No, that’s the thing. We were standing around, in a group, discussing the schedule. And Adrian, who mentor’s Jodie, began cursing, and we realised Jodie was just... gone.”
“So if Jodie didn’t trigger it, what did?” Nell asked.
Mac was back looking at the Yanez brothers. Speculation rather than suspicion in his eyes. “What time precisely did you have your encounter with the mystery monster that attacked you?”
Nico rubbed his jaw absently. “We were on the Low Eastern Coastal Road, just rounding Cardinal Bend. The tide was high, a few inches already across the road and I checked the time, it was a few minutes after one o’clock.”
Elijah sat forward in his seat. “That was around the time Jodie went missing. About ten minutes after one.”
Nico nodded. “That would jibe with us. There was debris on the road. I had to stop. Matias was getting out to clear it away and... bam, I was knocked unconscious and the next thing I knew I was waking up in hospital.”
The entire table looked towards Matias, who gave a surly shrug. “I don’t even remember getting out of the car.”
If Quinn hadn’t been watching she would have missed the slight tensing of Matias’s shoulders. Something he was holding back?
“Quinn, do you think you could do anything with Matias?”
“Excuse me?” Quinn looked at Nell, what was her cousin asking precisely?
“His memory of the accident? If we knew exactly what happened, what attacked them, we might be able to work out what is going on with Jodie. If there really is some sort of connection between the two events.”
“Umm.” Damn, what else could she say. “I suppose I could try.”
“Good.” Nell gathered up the folder. “Seb is still working on refining his results, concentrating on the origin of the black sand and exact species of vegetation. I want to return to the hospital and check in on Jodie. There’s no medical reason I can see why she remains unresponsive, so any new information on what is going on here would be appreciated.”
“I’ll go over the car again with a fine tooth comb.” Mac volunteered. “It’s still in the impound lot.”
“I would like to be assigned to one of the watches backing-up Jodie in case she disappears again.” Nico met Elijah’s stony glare and raised him a scowl. “This is my sister we’re talking about here.”
“You’re not trained.” Elijah growled.
“I’m supernaturally strong. And a master level with a sword. Either way, I’m going to the hospital. This is the first solid lead we’ve had on Copper’s whereabouts since her disappearance. I won’t just sit back and do nothing.”
Elijah gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. But I’ll be coming too.”
The group stood up. Mac heading for the front door. Elijah and Nell for the Transporter located in the hallway next to the bathrooms. Quinn remained seated, watching as Matias grabbed his brother’s arm. No explanation, no excuses or apologies, he just dragged Nico a few feet away and they started whispering back and forth rapidly.
Huh, seems someone was just as uncomfortable at the thought of the two of them being left alone together as she was. Wait? Was Matias worried she was going to jump him like some sex starved hussy? Just because they’d shared two silly, meaningless anomalies... both of which featured them indulging in sex.
Did he believe she was some rapacious nympho who would jump his bones the moment they were alone? Of all the nerve, what a jerk. She so needed to hold on to that thought.
Finally, the brothers were through whispering back and forth. Whatever they’d been discussing it looked like Nico had won. Giving his brother a hard hug before clapping him on the back. “I’ll put a sign on the front door saying we have a family emergency and are closed for the next few days. And I’m taking your truck. If you need me, you call me.”
Matias nodded slowly, reluctantly.
Nico smiled, leaning over and gave his brother another hug and a kiss on the temple. “It will be fine.” He released Matias, turning to give Quinn a wry smile. “Be gentle with him.”
Quinn saw red. Oh Goddess. He’d told his brother about the visions... the anomalies? How embarrassing. A wave of humiliation crashed down over her. The crass, juvenile asshole. Quinn was just about to singe him with a few choice curses and storm off when her years of training kicked in. No, she was not that person. Losing control. Her composure and reputation meant everything to her. She would not let some jerk in tight jeans ruin the life she had fought for by capitulating to a rash, emotional outburst.
Breathe. Control. Breathe.
Rich toffee coloured eyes studied her critically. Matias’s arms were once more crossed defensively over his body. And the expression on his face would have won him gold in the Surly Olympics. “And just what makes you so qualified to help with my memory?”
Seriously? He was going to make her run through her credentials yet again? Do not roll your eyes. Breathe. You have endless patience. An ocean of calm. And don’t forget to unclench your teeth. “I have a finite number of business cards, so I’m going to save a tree and not waste another one on you. Suffice to say that there is probably no one more qualified than I am to help you recover your memories.” Quinn bristled at the scoffing sound Matias made.
Clear challenge blazed in his eyes. “Really?”
The man was pulverising her last nerve. They had been over this at the hospital. But fine. If he wanted everything spelled out. “Being both a board certified psychiatrist and a Seer, makes me eminently qualified to tackle your case. And before you make another derogatory remark about Seers, I promise there is no woo-woo mystic lifting of the veil or flimsy promises that you will meet a tall, dark stranger who will bring you love. I leave that to the Prognosticators. Seers are all about the facts. The past, the present. Memories are tricky things, and my job is to help my patients recall them with clarity and a fresh perspective.”
Matias’s expression was unreadable. But he dropped his arms, hooking his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans.
Quinn gave in to the need to roll her eyes, so sue her, she was only human. And she had a dozen other things she could be doing right now other than spend her time trying to convince Matias Yanez to work with her. Which was irony in itself, because she didn’t want to work with him.
Releasing a deep breath, she waved her hand at him dismissively. “We went through all this at the hospital already. Obviously there is nothing new I can say to change your mind.”
Quinn picked up her handbag and turned. If she hurried, she could still spend some time in her garden before it got too hot. It might be Autumn, but the sunny clear skies outside promised a warm day. She was through playing these games with Matias. Surly. Flirty. Gruff. Teasing. Distant. The man was too complicated and too stubborn by half. She knew a futile situation when she saw one. Enough was enough.
“Wait.”
Quinn kept on walking.
“Wait... um... shit... I don’t know your name.”
Wow, talk about deflating her ego. Was she that forgettable? Did he dance with every woman he met like that? Share so many sex visions that all the wo
men just blurred together? Well, count her out. Quinn came to a sudden skidding halt. Somehow Matias had gotten in front of her, damn the man was fast.
Matias held his palms out. “Stop. Would you just stop. You’re right. I think I need your help.” He shifted slightly to the left when it looked as if the blonde was going to dodge around him. “Just hear me out. You say we’ve met and already discussed your qualifications. The thing is... I don’t remember. Every morning I wake up and my memories are wiped clean. You have to believe me. I’m not just feeding you some line here. Every morning when I wake up, it’s June 24th, ten years ago.”
Quinn was frozen in shock. What Matias was saying, it explained so much. His reaction. Or lack of reaction to their anomalies. And he hadn’t said her name once yesterday, had he? Claiming he’d forgotten it.
“I wake up and to me… a few minutes ago I discovered my parents’ dead bodies. My sister, Copper, was beside me… and then she wasn’t. My head aches like a son of a bitch. And I have no idea what happened. I don’t remember. I don’t fucking remember.” Matias lashed out, kicking a chair, toppling it with a crash. “I don’t remember who… killed my parents or the crew. Where Copper, or for that matter Kristiah is. I don’t fucking remember.”
“Hey.” Quinn closed the distance, getting right up into his face but not touching him, though her traitorous fingers wanted to so very badly. “Matias. Calm down. Just breathe. Breathe.”
Rich toffee eyes clashed with hers, and for a fleeting second, Quinn saw how vulnerable Matias felt sharing his secret. And just like that she accepted that despite her multitude of reservations it was official, from now on she would be working closely with Matias Yanez. Goddess help her.
“It’s useless.” Matias shook his head. “Upstairs I have a sea chest full of medical files from every doctor, specialist, quack, medicine man, voodoo priest, witchdoctor, shaman, and snake oil salesman we’ve been able to track down. Nothing. No progress. I’m worse than a goldfish.”
Quinn couldn’t help but smile at the ridiculous comparison. “Well Bubbles, you’ve never worked with me before. My name is Quinn by the way. Quinn Bennett.”
“And you really think you can help me?” Matias looked dubious.
“We all have things we wish to forget, but no matter how deeply a memory is buried, I’ve always been able to dig it up. Here.” Quinn stripped off one glove and reached over to grab Matias’s hand. Her previous skin contact with Matias had been accidental and unexpected. This time she primed her powers to dive deep.
Bam. One second she was holding on to him, the next, everything flashed too bright, pain ignited in her skull. Matias yelled her name. Abruptly everything went black.
Chapter Ten
“Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer something stronger?”
Quinn’s stomach roiled at the very idea. “No, mint tea is perfect.” She eased open one eye. Thank Heavens, the stabbing pain in her head was receding. Slowly, she chanced both eyes. No blinding light or lancing pain. Good. Breathe.
Everything was fine. She wasn’t foaming at the mouth. Or being hauled away in a strait-jacket. So it was a good day, considering her unusual reaction and her family history of mental illness.
She was seated in a rather cosy nook located in the kitchen of the Five Alarm Bar. Despite the modern industrial-sized appliances and the metal bench tops there was something about the room that reminded her of a galley on a ship. Maybe it was the wooden panelling, though more likely it was the two porthole shaped windows off to her left, allowing her to observe a multitude of tropical fish swimming by in their large tank.
“Thanks.” Quinn managed a small smile as Matias placed a teapot and a white china cup down in front of her. The aromatic smell of mint teasing her senses.
Tension radiated from Matias as he returned to the kitchen bench. His movements confident and sure as he lit a gas burner and placed a saucepan down. Picking up a chopping board, with the flick of a knife, he added ingredients to the pan before lowering the heat. His studied focus completely on his actions.
Quinn watched Matias closely, pondering the fact that he couldn’t stand still or seem to make eye contact with her anymore. She didn’t know this mercurial man very well, but he didn’t strike her as the nervous type. No. Something about the way his jaw was clenched. Guilt. He felt guilty about what had happened to her.
“I owe you an apology. I’m sorry.”
That got his attention, his head snapping up. “For what?”
“I was cocky. Thinking I could just dive in and solve this mystery with no prep.”
Matias turned his attention back to the saucepan. “Has that ever happened to you before? The fainting thing?”
Quinn rubbed her temple absently. “Truthfully? No. But every case is different. It’s rare, but I’ve seen some all but impenetrable barriers in my time. Dense, dark jungles. Deep, all but bottomless holes. Endless mazes and sticky spider webs. But those obstacles have always been generated by the individual involved. Wanting to hide or protect precious or too horrific to deal with memories. And in those cases, it takes trust, time, and their willingness to allow me to navigate the barriers they’ve created to view their deepest, darkest secrets and help bring them out into the light.”
Matias movements were quick and precise. If he wasn’t cooking, he’d be pacing. His hands moving too fast for Quinn to get a proper look at what he was doing precisely.
“I believe I did mention that I’m considered a hopeless case.”
“That’s just it. What I’m trying to say is, that with time and your trust, I think we can work out who put that barrier there and find a way around it.”
Matias turned abruptly. His toffee coloured eyes pinning Quinn in place. “Someone did this to me?”
“Someone or something.” Quinn winced in recall. “The barrier. It was like looking into the sun. This blazing, blinding, bright light. Whoever put it there really doesn’t want anyone delving into your memories, least of all you.”
Matias breathed out slowly... carefully. “What would we need to do exactly? You and I, to destroy this thing?”
Quinn poured herself a cup of tea. “I don’t think brute force is the answer. That barrier is seriously powerful. I think a stealthy, cautious approach is what is needed. Like I said, it will take time and trust.”
Matias grabbed the platter he’d been fussing with, stalking over to place it on the small round table and take a seat across from Quinn. “I don’t think we have a lot of time. Not if Copper is out there hurt, and this cousin of yours who has all the answers is still in a coma. And as for trust. How am I going to be able to trust you when I reset each day, wiping the slate clean?”
Quinn was distracted by the platter of food Matias had placed on the table and the tantalising sugary smells that were tempting her to abandon her low sugar, no fat, no fun, strict eating plan. Hmmm, sugary warm churros nestled next to fluffy pink marshmallows. “What is this?”
“Chocolate.” Matias picked up two bowls, placing one in front of Quinn. “With just a hint of chilli. My... mother always said that chocolate could solve any problem.”
Damn, she wanted to indulge. Surely just one little bite wouldn’t hurt. “Wow.” Quinn lifted a finger to wipe away some powdered sugar from the edge of her lips. Oh Goddess, this was divine. Within six seconds she had finished the churro and was reaching for another to dip into her small bowl of sinfully dark chocolate. No, no. She forced her hand to pick up the nice safe cup of mint tea instead.
Honestly, a hot, gorgeous man offers her chocolate and all her rules and carefully monitored lifestyle choices crumble into dust? Well, that stopped here. Matias Yanez was officially a patient now. And she was a professional. He needed her help. For pity sake, she was practically the poster girl for resisting temptation.
Quinn chanced a swift glance his way, cataloguing his messy dark curls, rich toffee coloured eyes, lickable caramel skin and those sensual lips. Unlike the churro, she could not allow herself to ind
ulge, even one little bite, because to be brutally honest, Quinn very much doubted that she’d be able to stop at one bite when it came to Matias Yanez.
Act professional, remember. Stop getting side tracked by sugary treats and Latino hot men and start acting like that smart, dependable doctor you pride yourself on being. “Trust? Given enough time and enough information, it won’t matter about you resetting each day. I’ll have all the triggers to put you at ease. It won’t go as smoothly as a regular consult but I think we will get there.”
“What sort of triggers are you talking about?” Matias looked wary.
“Memories, and we are going to have to do this the hard way. We need to start at the very beginning. Tell me about your childhood?”
* * *
Matias’s day had begun with a yell of horror and a heaping of teeth clenching reality. The run on the beach at dawn helped to level out the anger, fear, and bone deep need for action and justice that gripped him. The surreal feeling still lingered at the edges of his awareness though as he showered and shaved. Glaring at his own reflection in the mirror... it was him, but it wasn’t.
He’d dressed, eaten breakfast, feeling like an intruder, bolting it down hurriedly before moving as directed to examine the contents of the two sea chests. He’d barely had a chance to skim the main files in each chest when Nico had burst in. His initial pleasure at seeing his brother in the flesh was negated by the look of worry and concern on Nico’s face.
Nico had hurriedly explained the situation and all the players. But still, attending the meeting in the bar had felt like treading through a mine field. One wrong step and he’d blow his cover. Then his own feelings hadn’t mattered anymore, they had a fresh lead on Copper. Her blood.
But the situation was complicated, to say the least. And to help untangle it would involve him spilling his guts to the gorgeous head shrink. To tell someone, an outsider? About what was going on? It felt wrong. But Nico’s argument had been persuasive. Was his pride, his fear, more important than finding out what had happened to Copper? No.