The Mind Readers, Book 1

by Lori Brighton

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  I’m not going anywhere.

  The words whispered over and over through my mind. They gave me strength when I wanted to run. When I wanted to reach over and punch George in his smiling face. When I wanted to vomit.

  I leaned back against the cracked vinyl seat and sucked in a steadying breath. Lewis could read minds. I wasn’t alone. I clung to that realization like a lifeline.

  “So, how’d you two meet?” Lewis asked. His thigh was pressed to mine, his side to mine. He was warm, strong and comforting in a way only I could possibly understand. Finally, I had someone to trust.

  “Oh, umm, George was hungry,” Anne explained with a shrug. Her face was flushed. She was wondering if Lewis realized how old George really was. It bothered her, although she wouldn’t admit it. She, too, wondered why George would date someone so much younger. I realized, with that thought, I might have an in.

  “You in college?” Lewis pinned his hard gaze to George.

  George gave us a half smile and rubbed his short crew cut. “Oh, no, had to take a break. My mother was in the hospital and I needed to take care of my little sister.”

  Crazy enough, he was telling the truth. Anne sighed and rested her hand atop of his. She was wearing a silver ring with a blue topaz. Had George given it to her? Please tell me it wasn’t some sort of promise ring. “He’s going back as soon as his mom gets better.”

  It would have been a nice story if George hadn’t been a murderer. I slid Lewis a glance. He looked at me, understanding in his gaze. He knew George was a murderer. It was the first time I could share the truth with someone. My heart expanded and for a brief moment I finally felt warm on the inside and out. I was sitting across from a murderer, yet I was practically in tears because I wasn’t alone anymore. I looked away, feeling off balance and at the same time, oddly alive.

  “He’s so sweet,” Anne said.

  I almost snorted, but caught myself just in time. As sweet as a serial killer could be. I’m sure his mother would be really proud if she knew what he did in his spare time. I forced the bile to remain firmly in my stomach. Anytime his gaze met mine, I wanted to puke. For thirty minutes we’d sat here, drinking pop like nothing out of the ordinary was happening. I kept waiting for Lewis to do something about George. Surely he had a plan. I sure as hell didn’t, as this was all new to me. Yet as the clock ticked the moments by, I realized perhaps he was waiting for me to do something.

  “Anne, go with me to the bathroom?” I blurted out, unable to stay silent any longer.

  “Sure!” She kissed George on the cheek and moved from the booth. With a giggle, she slid her arm through mine. “Isn’t he freaking cute?”

  I smiled. Although it probably looked more like a snarl, she didn’t seem to notice. Inside the small, one-stall bathroom, she opened her purse and pulled out lipstick. I’d never seen her wear makeup. “Since when are you dating Lewis?”

  “What?” I washed my hands, looking at her in the silver framed mirror, trying to decide what to tell her and how.

  “You’re dating, right?” She looked confused. “I mean I saw you guys all cuddly and he drove you here.” She put her lipstick away and leaned against the counter, smacking her now pink lips together.

  “I don’t know. I…I like him.” It was more than like. We were connected in a way no one else could possibly understand. Vaguely I wondered how far away he could read minds. Could he hear my thoughts even now?

  She grinned. “Emily’s going to be pissed.”

  “I know.”

  She rested her hand on my arm. “Hey, you can’t not date him because of her. Please, she can’t get every guy. It’s not fair.” Anne felt like she could give dating advice since she now had a boyfriend. I wanted to roll my eyes at the thought. There were so many more important things to worry about than school crushes.

  “I know,” I repeated more forcefully, hoping she’d drop the subject.

  “So don’t let her stop you.”

  I nodded as I dried my hands on a paper towel. “That’s a pretty shade of lipstick.”

  She grinned. “George likes it when I wear lipstick.”

  Gag, what else did George like? Besides killing innocent people? I so didn’t want to know. “So you and George…”

  She grinned, her excitement nauseating. “He’s so cute, isn’t he?”

  I nodded numbly, inside my blood boiled. How could she not see that something was wrong? How did she not see the chill evilness in his eyes? Feel the anger in his touch? “He’s older than you, does your mom know?” The words slipped from my mouth. It wasn’t exactly the route I’d wanted to take, but couldn’t help myself.

  She frowned. “Not that much older.”

  “Nine years!”

  She paled, silent for one long moment. “How’d you know?”

  I blushed and looked away. Crap. We’d been in here less than five minutes and I’d already screwed up. “I could tell you were lying.”

  She sighed. “I’m sorry for lying, but you don’t understand—”

  I turned on her in a fury. “I do, I understand that it’s weird.”

  “Excuse me?” Her face flushed, her body trembling. Okay, this was getting way out of hand. She knew it was weird, why couldn’t she admit it? We were friends, weren’t we?

  I tried to calm down, taking in a deep breath, realizing I was going off track. Someone had to be in control. “Listen, I don’t mean to be rude, but seriously, Anne, have you wondered why someone so old would be interested in a high school girl?”

  “No,” she snapped, lying. “Are you saying I’m not good enough?” Her lower lip quivered.

  Oh God, this was so not going the way I wanted it to go and she was getting ready to bolt. I grasped her arm, begging her to understand. “Please, Annabeth, you’re my friend. I’m worried, that’s all.”

  The words seemed to have some effect and she sighed, her face softening. “You don’t need to worry. He’s great, he’s—”

  “Was he here? That night we found Savannah?” Had I actually said that? No! No, this was not going right. Somehow the words had just spewed from my mouth.

  She frowned, her face growing hard again. “I don’t…yeah, he was.” She shook her head. “Why?”

  Why couldn’t she just get it? Why couldn’t she sense the evilness in him? Why did I have to explain? “He said he just came back from college, right?”

  She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest, a defensive action, one I did often enough to know.

  “He comes back. No one has ever heard of him before. He was here the night Savannah was found.” Two and two together…

  “What are you saying?” her voice was high-pitched.

  She was upset, she couldn’t believe I was actually implying Savannah’s death had something to do with her boyfriend. “Please, Anne, please, I think…I know…” I paused, realizing I couldn’t come out and accuse him of murder without telling her about my ability. “I want you to break up with him.”

  She laughed, a harsh sound, her normally soft brown eyes had gone hard as obsidian. “You’re jealous. Or…or Emily put you up to this.”

  “No! I would never do that to you!” The thought of being grouped with Emily repulsed me. But I supposed I deserved it, considering I’d been friends with the witch. I reached for Anne but she turned, spinning away from my touch.

  “Don’t! I can’t believe you.” She pushed the swinging door open and fled into the hall.

  “That went well,” I muttered. Tears of frustration burned my eyes, but I refused to cry. Lewis had been right all along. With a sigh, I pushed open the door and walked straight into a hard chest.

  “Woa, you okay?” Firm fingers bit into my upper arms, holding me tight.

  I jerked my gaze upward, staring into George’s cold eyes. I couldn’t respond, couldn’t breathe. My heart slammed erratically against my chest. I told myself he couldn’t do anything here, in a public place, but my body refused t
o believe what my mind said.

  “Annabeth seemed upset. Is everything alright?”

  “Yeah,” I managed to get out.

  He didn’t reply, merely stared down at me. God, I want her. His evil thoughts whispered to me, unwanted thoughts that sent bile to my throat. Lucky me.

  A cold sweat broke out between my shoulder blades. I couldn’t look him in the eyes and dropped my gaze to the buttons on his shirt.

  “Annabeth is lucky to have a friend like you.” His fingers moved up my arms to my shoulders. Spiders crawling over my skin would have been more welcome. I bit my lower lip to keep from slamming my knee into his balls. Dare I tell him off? Dare I tell him that I knew the truth? Or would that put me in danger?

  Lewis!

  George’s hands moved up my shoulders. “She really is luck—”

  “Everything okay?” Lewis suddenly appeared at the end of the hall.

  My terror fled and rationality rushed in on a heated wave. “Yeah.” I nudged George aside, shoving my elbow into his gut and racing toward Lewis.

  “Annabeth is asking for you,” Lewis explained, slipping his arm around my waist and drawing me near. And I let him, because I was pathetic and scared and he knew it. Both of them knew it.

  George’s face flushed and he rubbed that short crew cut. “Oh, sure.” Without a backward glance he hurried away.

  For one moment we merely stood there, while I was wrapped in my shame and embarrassment. George had practically mauled me and I’d let him, too stunned and afraid to react. “Go ahead,” I whispered, moving away from him. “Tell me I told you so.”

  Lewis watched me with a sympathetic, but knowing look upon his face. He’d either read our minds, or he knew from experience that telling Anne wouldn’t work. “She’s leaving.”

  Anne. I pushed past Lewis and stepped into the main room.

  “Come on, George, we’re leaving.” Anne gripped her murdering boyfriend’s hand and pulled him toward the front door.

  He looked confused, worried. He should be worried. “Oh, okay. Is everything all right?”

  She sniffed, as if offended. Anne was finally showing some backbone. Unfortunately, it was for the wrong reason. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  “See ya,” George said, turning and waving. “It was nice meeting you.”

  I didn’t wave back. I couldn’t stop shaking as I watched them leave together. Why wouldn’t she listen to me? We’d been friends since I arrived in this stupid town. I rested my hand on the back of the booth, resisting the urge to go after her. I couldn’t very well force her to stay. “Tell me he won’t hurt her, at least tonight.”

  Lewis stood next to me, staring out the window. “He won’t. She’s his cover. His attempt at looking normal.”

  “She’s not even seventeen, he’s twenty-five. How normal can they look?”

  “I didn’t say it was a good plan.”

  We were silent, watching them as they drove away while Elvis sang about hound dogs in the background. “I tried to warn her. I said I didn’t trust him. I said pretty much everything I could without admitting the truth.”

  “She didn’t believe you.”

  I nodded, tears burning my eyes. “You said we could help.”

  “We can.” He took my hand, his fingers warm and strong. “And we will.”

  I was shocked by his sudden touch, even more surprised when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to my forehead. Was it a brotherly kiss or something more? My heart slammed wildly in my chest as I prayed it was something more.

  “I’ll take care of it,” he promised.

  Maybe I was too afraid to deal with the situation fully, or perhaps I actually trusted him, but I knew Lewis would do as he said. The question was… how?