Kate would’ve preferred not to tell Jared what had happened over voicemail. However, she needed him to realize how important it was for him to call her immediately.
She turned towards Declan’s form as he stood looking out the window and talked in soothing tones into the phone. A few minutes later, he hung up. Holding up the phone, he stated numbly, “That was rough. Delaney wants us to meet her at the police station. They’re going to want to hear your story before they bring in CJ for questioning.”
Declan walked over to her and gripped her by the shoulders. “I know you’re thinking we failed, but get it out of your head. You did a good thing tonight.”
“How?”
“If you didn’t have the vision, CJ may have gotten away with what he did to Melanie. Melanie’s family can now know what happened to her. Sometimes not knowing is worse than the alternative…”
“I really wanted to save her,” she confessed in hushed tones.
“We couldn’t save her, but at least CJ will be locked up for the rest of his life and never be able to hurt anyone again.”
It was kind of him to try and comfort her, but the sadness was choking her from the inside out. Nothing would ever erase the deadened look in Melanie’s eyes as CJ spewed his hateful words at her. Her hands balled into fists. Prison was too good for him. He deserved a long and torturous death and a trip straight down to hell.
Chapter Twenty
Kate’s hands still shook as she gripped the coffee cup. It had gone lukewarm some time ago, but she couldn’t seem to let it go. Staring down into her drink, she went over the last few hours in her head. The police had seemed skeptical over her story, but could not discount how much she knew about the case without ever meeting Melanie. It took them awhile to stop treating her as a suspect and actually take what she said seriously. After a clerk showed investigators several articles about her from Franklin newspapers, they decided to look into her story.
After a property records search revealed a cabin in Michaux State Forest owned by CJ’s deceased uncle, things started happening quickly. Investigators were headed to both CJ’s house and the cabin. Declan and Kate waited for some time with the family, but she felt like any minute she would break. Their sorrow was cutting off her ability to breathe. She couldn’t stand the idea that she was somehow a catalyst for their pain. Melanie’s mother and sister collapsing against one another as they cried out with loss were more haunting images arresting her brain. With a hasty exit, Kate made her way out of the front doors of the police station. Declan instructed the family to call as soon as there was any news.
Kate felt a chill in her bones and turned up the heater of Declan’s car as he spoke outside on his cell phone. A local number had called just as they pulled into the parking lot of their hotel. The clock blurred as she rubbed at her tired eyes, but she saw that it was just after two in the morning.
Declan entered the car. “CJ cracked during questioning. He confessed to Melanie’s murder. He’s going to take police to the cabin and show them where on the property he buried her body.”
“I hope they don’t go easy on him for cooperating.”
“Nah. P.A. still has the death penalty. He’ll either be put down or be someone’s bitch in prison for the rest of his life,” he said lightly. Facing her, he remarked, “By the way, the Pirolas are grateful for what you did tonight. Obviously, it’s not the outcome everyone wanted, but you let them know what happened to Melanie. They want you to have the reward.”
Her stomach revolted. “I don’t want their money.”
Declan gave her a sympathetic look. “Let’s get you inside. We don’t have to talk about any of this right now.”
He turned off the car and opened the car door for her. Wordlessly, he led her through the deserted hallways of the hotel. He stopped outside of her door as she dug out her key card. She fumbled through her purse forcing it to fall to the ground. The contents spilled out and Declan knelt down to help her pick up everything. Her hands trembled as she tossed in each item. Kate’s eyes remained downcast although she felt Declan’s stare on her face.
“Kate…” he started.
She cut him off. “Declan, I’m fine. Goodnight.”
“You’re not fine,” he disagreed. “You know what my mother used to say when I used to cry about my accident and feel sorry for myself. It was an old Irish saying that went something like ‘Be not burdened with tears of sorrow, enjoy the sunshine of the morrow.’”
Raising to her feet, she mumbled, “No offense if I don’t take your mom’s advice. I saw your mom in visions, she seemed like a raging bitch to me.”
He laughed heartily. “There’s my Kit Kat. Filled with piss and vinegar and not about to let the world drag her down.”
Opening the door to her room, she eyed him warily. “I’ll probably regret this, but do you think you could stay in here tonight? I’m just afraid…that I’ll have another vision of CJ.”
“I should’ve known you would be trying to get me in your bed as soon as we were alone,” he quipped.
Kate smiled tightly. “Don’t start drawing hearts around my face in your yearbook just yet. I meant the sofa, not the bed,” she answered.
With a crooked grin, Declan followed her into the room. Kate could barely summon the energy to collect the extra pillows and blankets from the closet and place them on the couch. She hadn’t brought anything to change into, but had purchased a tube of toothpaste from the vending machine. With a thorough finger brushing, she exited the bathroom and hoped to be comatose in minutes.
She gaped at Declan. He had his shirt off and was just about to pull down his jeans as she entered the room. “What in the world are you doing?”
“What?” he asked with an innocent expression. “I sleep naked.”
“This isn’t a stay at the Hedonism Resort. Put your damn clothes back on,” she commanded. Slipping into bed, she turned off the lights before she could see if Declan complied. “Goodnight, Declan.”
“Goodnight, Kate.”
She squirmed in the bed as she tried to get comfortable. Too many thoughts were running through her head. As much as she wanted to block out CJ’s thoughts, they tainted her psyche. Dealing with Ally’s disturbed thoughts was like a trip to an amusement park when compared to CJ’s psychoses.
While at the police station, she had tried not to dwell on Jared and his refusal to call her back. She understood why he may be mad at her, but after her last message, it was cruel to not reach out. Kate would’ve never ignored him if he really needed her. Were things over between them?
Yesterday, she would never have entertained the possibility that Jared could be seeing Nikki again. Now, she had too many doubts. She had thought he was being a gentleman by waiting for sex. His patience combined with his disappearing act forced her to wonder if he had been with someone else.
She was certain Declan’s male pheromones were also affecting her brain. Because she couldn’t stop thinking about how good he had looked when she stepped out of the bathroom. He definitely had that hot, bad boy look going for him. She had also developed a strange kinship to him over the past few weeks. Jared and her mother tried to understand her feelings abut being psychic, but unless you were the one constantly popping up in someone else’s head, it was hard to comprehend.
Closing her eyes, she forced her thoughts away from everyone. Maybe if she kept her mind completely blank, she wouldn’t have any more visions for the night. Before she slipped into a deep slumber, she had a flash of Melanie’s cadaverous eyes.
***
CJ removed her gag to hear her scream. Her shock at waking up handcuffed to the bed had been priceless. She could cry out to her heart’s content since no one would hear her out in the middle of nowhere. This was his secret place that she would never walk out of alive. He loved the idea of her suffering as he took control over their relationship. A constant ache had been his companion since the day Melanie left him for good. Now, she would know what real pain would be.
&n
bsp; He sat on her legs as she tried to fight him off. Melanie’s movements became more wild and desperate as he pulled down her pants. Pounding her with his fists, blood stained his knuckles. Wrapping his arms around her throat, she gagged and struggled some more. She started to lose consciousness which made him let go. He wouldn’t kill her yet. This was only the beginning…
***
“Kate, wake up.”
Her face was wet with tears and she opened her eyes with a whimper. It was dark inside the hotel room except for an eerie glow cast through the window from the streetlamp outside. Shadows danced across Declan’s face as he leaned over her with an anxious expression.
His touch was soothing as he pushed back the hair out of her face. “You were crying in your sleep.”
Her eyes were haunted as she looked up at him. “It was another vision of CJ. The night he took Melanie to the cabin…”
His finger pressed down gently on her lips. “You have to forget about him. He’s in jail and can’t hurt anyone again. Don’t let him in anymore.”
Kate swallowed hard and nodded. It was good advice, but easier said than done. Her bond with Melanie made it impossible to not dwell on the things that had happened to her in that ghastly place. Kate tried to think of things that made her happy, but the darkness kept creeping in.
Focusing on Declan, she became hyperaware of his closeness. He still didn’t have his shirt on and his body was pressed against hers as his hand trailed through her hair. His caress had felt comforting at first, but as the minutes passed, it started to feel like something else.
She cleared her throat. “Dec…”
“Maybe this is my fault. I forced you into this case and I’ve been no help.”
She shook her head and murmured, “That’s not true. You’ve been working your butt off trying to find Melanie too…”
His face moved within inches of her. The warmness of his breath tickled her throat as he spoke. This close, she was able to make out every small detail of his face. Instead of meeting his eyes, she focused on the small scar at the edge of his lips. “I’ve been distracted,” Declan confessed. “It feels like every night instead of seeing Melanie, I have a vision of you.”
Kate knew he was going to kiss her. She willed her hands to push him away, but they stayed glued to her sides on the bed. As his lips settled upon hers, it wasn’t at all what she expected. She had assumed a kiss from Declan would be passionate and forceful. This kiss was gentle and exploratory.
Reaching for him, she pulled him by the neck to be closer to her. She parted her lips and he deepened the kiss. Her brain completely shut off as her body responded to him. Kate arched her back as his lips trailed down from her mouth to her neck. Her t-shirt rode up and his hands rested against her bare stomach. Her hands gripped his back as he returned to her mouth. Her desire built as his hands began to explore her body over her clothes.
He was pushing out the darkness and making her forget. As he whispered her name into her ear, Kate was about to respond when she suddenly felt like a bucket of ice cold water had been tossed on her. Her eyes widened and her body stiffened. “Jared.”
Declan pulled back and glared at her. He said dryly, “I think this is the first time a girl has ever called me the wrong name in bed.”
She pushed him back and scrambled into a sitting position. Leaning against the headboard of the bed, she sighed. “This isn’t right. Nothing can happen here.”
“Think it’s a little too late to say that,” he replied.
Turning her head, she gazed out of the hotel window. “I’m sad, Declan. A girl has died. But I can’t use you to push away that sadness.”
He rested his hand over the top of hers. “It’s not using me if I’m a willing participant.”
She bit her lip and forced her gaze back to his face. She whispered, “It’s not only that and you know it.”
“What it’s about then? Your boyfriend? I heard you on the phone all night—practically begging him to call you. Did he ever get back to you?”
She shook her head in response. “No, but that doesn’t matter. I may not know where things stand with Jared, but I still care about him. I can’t just hook up with you and pretend he doesn’t exist.”
“He’s not right for you. We could be really great together. I’m sure of it. Seeing so many of your memories makes me feel like I know you better than anyone else,” he professed.
“I can’t do this right now…maybe you should go.” Her voice shook as she brought her knees to her chest. She hung her head down and felt a new emotion added to the plethora experienced tonight. Shame.
Kate crawled under the blankets and shut her eyes. She forced an eye open after a few minutes passed and she hadn’t heard Declan leave the room. He sat on the edge of the bed staring down at her with a baffled expression.
“What are you doing? I’m serious, Declan, I’m sorry if I lead you on…”
“Settle down and just move over,” he commanded.
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry I’m not going to try anything.” His voice was laced with sarcasm. “But there’s no way in hell I’m going to leave you alone. We’re still partners and I can’t have you falling apart.”
Kate let out a long breath. “Okay.” There was no sense in arguing. A night alone in the hotel room with only CJ’s bloody visions for company sounded less than appealing.
Scooting over, Declan’s heavy form laid down next to her. She pulled the blanket closer and turned her back away from him. She wanted to say something to him, but found herself at a loss for words. Her regrets choked off the words and she rested next to him in silence. Soon, exhaustion dragged her under and she couldn’t fight off sleep any longer.
Chapter Twenty-One
Not a single drop of alcohol had passed her lips, yet she woke up feeling hung-over. Although the sun had barely risen, it scorched her eyes as she lifted her head and looked out of the window. Her body ached and her head pounded. Even her ears were ringing.
As she gained consciousness, she realized it wasn’t her ears ringing. It was the phone on the nightstand. She glanced over at it before her eyes landed on the form next to her. Declan was in a deep slumber lying on his belly and his hands over his head. She rose from the bed and dragged her feet over to the cell phone. “Hello,” she croaked.
“Jesus…Kate…I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I missed your calls. It has been a hell of a twenty-four hours. Are you ok? What happened?”
Jared fired questions at her that Kate didn’t have the strength to answer. She clutched the phone and allowed the silence to stretch out.
“Kate, are you there?” Jared’s concerned voice had an intoxicating effect on her. It made her feel dizzy and regretful as the night’s events played out in her head. She needed to put distance between herself and Declan’s sleeping form. Slipping into the bathroom, she gently closed the door.
“I’m here,” she murmured.
“I got your messages. I’m really sorry about Melanie. Of course, I was stuck at work and just got home. I didn’t have my phone with me all night. Talk about the worse freaking timing ever,” he said and swore colorfully.
Kate willed herself to believe him. She didn’t want to consider the notion that he was lying and was actually with Nikki last night. He sounded sincere and Kate couldn’t imagine he was that talented of an actor. “Jared, it’s six in the morning.”
“I know, Kate. We have so much to talk about. Let’s not get into it right now,” he suggested. “Just tell me how you’re doing.”
“It was horrible. The most gruesome and terrifying vision I ever had. I was in CJ’s head and I saw him torture and murder Melanie.” She felt tears threaten to surface again. “I can’t stop seeing it over and over again. I needed you last night. But you never called…”
Jared spoke softly. “Kate, I’m here now. Just come home.”
As much as she wished away the kiss with Declan, it still was there. Choking off any anger she could possibly
have over Jared’s disappearing act. Who was she to give him a hard time when she’d been making out with his nemesis only a few hours earlier? It felt hypocritical and she couldn’t rush to judgment until she heard his explanation.
“I’m leaving soon,” she promised. She asked uncertainly, “Will you come over when I get back?”
“Of course and Kate…I’m sorry,” he stated.
Kate wasn’t sure what exactly he was apologizing for—Melanie’s death, their fight or him being MIA—but figured she would find out soon enough. After saying goodbye, she disconnected the call and sat down on the edge of the toilet seat. Her brain couldn’t analyze everything at that moment, but one thought gnawed at her. She had the strongest desire to be home in Franklin and as far away as possible from this town.
Exiting the bathroom, she almost felt bad to wake up Declan and take the peaceful expression off of his face. As she shook his shoulder, he let out a moan. After a much more forceful push, he finally turned over and opened his eyes. “Don’t you look ravishing in the morning.”
She flushed and tried to smooth down her hair. A restless night was certain to mean bed head and bags under her eyes. Without preamble, Kate stated, “Jared called.”
His penetrating stare reminded her of the look her mom got when she was trying to solve a particularly challenging crossword puzzle. “So, where was Law and Order last night?”
“Working,” she answered shortly.
His eyebrows shot up. “All night?”
She didn’t bothering addressing the disbelief in his voice. “Apparently.”
She sat down on the bed. Casting him a sideways glance, she sighed. “We should probably talk about what happened.”
New Revelations: Second Sight Book Two Page 18