Through His Eyes (Mind's Eye Book 1)

by Deborah Camp

  “That’s right. It’s so fucking right,” Levi crooned, his hands on her hips. He bent his knees and his thighs supported her back as she came down off her orgasm and slumped against him. “You milked me dry, Tru. I’ve got nothing left.”

  She smiled and lifted up off him, then snuggled into him, resting her cheek on his chest and breathing in the citrus, clean scent that was Levi. Stroking a hand across his chest, she enjoyed the afterglow. After a few minutes, he gave a little jerk, then chuckled.

  “I fell asleep,” he murmured. “You’ve worn me out.”

  “I doubt that.” She lifted her head and looked into his sleepy eyes. “Do you remember the first girl you kissed?”

  “Yes,” he said, drawing out the word. “Why?”

  “I was just wondering. You do it so well. The best, actually. Wayne Simpson was my first. He was a bad boy.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. He was always getting into trouble, but I thought he was brave and I loved his wicked grin.”

  “Sounds like a pattern developed early.”

  She kissed the indentation at the base of his throat. “I believe you’re right about that. So, who was your first?” When he didn’t answer immediately, she examined the muscle ticking in his jaw and the wariness in his eyes. “Levi, come on! You’re honestly not going to tell me something as trivial as that?”

  He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Lizzie.”

  “Lizzie?” How could that be? He didn’t meet Lizzie until college. “Lizzie in England?”

  “Yes.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Nineteen.”

  She rose up on her elbows to see him better in the semi-darkness of the room. “Your first kiss was when you were nineteen?”

  “I was a late bloomer.”

  Something just didn’t add up. Nineteen and never been kissed? And looking like he looked? Had he been shut up somewhere alone with no females around until he made his way to England? The silence grew heavy. Trudy propped her head on her hand and studied his face. He looked uncomfortable.

  “Why did you wait so long to kiss a girl?”

  “Because I went to schools where there were no girls to kiss.”

  “Ever?”

  “Not until my senior year when I came home to be with my mother in her final months.”

  “And you didn’t kiss a girl then either?”

  He shut his eyes and his long lashes dusted his cheeks. “I had other things on my mind.”

  She pushed locks of hair off his forehead as the sadness in him touched her heart. Sometimes it seemed that he adored his mother and sometimes it seemed that he lumped her in with the hatred he so obviously felt for his father. “So, Lizzie was the first girl you kissed. And she was the first girl you had sex with, too. Right?”

  He nodded, cutting his eyes sideways at her.

  “She’s a very important person in your life.”

  “It was years ago and I’m a very different person now than I was back then.”

  “Aren’t we all? So, you and Lizzie were college lovers.”

  “Yes, but I wasn’t her only bed mate.” He angled a glance at her. “Lizzie was promiscuous. She’d gone to Catholic all-girl schools and she was making up for lost time, too.”

  She sighed, content that he’d spilled a few tidbits about his past. From the moment he’d mentioned Lizzie to her, Trudy had sensed that theirs had been a complicated relationship and he’d just confirmed it. “Do you still see Lizzie?”

  He didn’t answer for a few moments. “No. Not in a long time.”

  That news made her way, way too happy. She rubbed her cheek against him and then kissed his flat nipple. “The inquisition is over, Levi,” she told him, her voice emerging husky. “You can relax now.”

  He sighed. “Thank you.” He kissed the top of her head and nuzzled her hair. “By the way, I’m spending the night with you again.”

  “I’ll allow it this time.” She smiled and knew he was smiling, too.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Levi awoke with a start as Trudy’s knee jerked up into his groin. “Hey, hey,” he whispered, moving back. “Watch out for the family jewels.”

  She thrashed again and froze suddenly. A foreboding coated him and Levi sat up and switched on the table lamp. Trudy lay on her side, her knees drawn up, her body tensed. She furrowed her brow and a whimper of distress flexed her throat.

  Watching her for another minute, he saw her eyes moving under her eyelids and he suspected that this was not a dream she was experiencing.

  He sat up and ran his hands through his hair. She needed to remember whatever was going on in her head right now, which meant that she needed to be awake. He went around to her side of the bed and touched her shoulder. She was as tightly wound as a top. Every fiber of her was fighting off the intrusive thoughts of a serial murderer. Not of the stalking kind, he thought, but of the killing kind. The kind that she had learned to avoid because they were too raw, too horrific. He glanced at the glowing numbers in the bedside clock. 2:16. Last call was over. The bars had closed. Murder time.

  Grasping Trudy by the shoulders, he hauled her up to a sitting position. He gave her a little shake that made her head bobble. She screwed up her face, fighting him off.

  “Wake up, Trudy. Now!”

  Her sable lashes fluttered and then lifted to reveal glassy, green eyes. But he was familiar with that look now. She was awake and seeing through another’s eyes.

  “What’s happening?” He pulled her into his arms and rocked her gently. “Look around and tell me what you see. You’re safe in my arms. You don’t have to be afraid.”

  “No, no, no.” She whimpered, reminding him of a child. He grimaced and ran his hands up her back. She gripped his shoulders, her nails sinking into his skin.

  “You can do this, Trudy. Where is he?”

  “He’s . . . got her by the throat and she’s begging him not to kill her.” She trembled and then grew very still. Levi eased her away from him so that he could see her face. The smirk on her lips told him that she was totally gone, completely immersed because it wasn’t Trudy’s smirk. It belonged to a madman.

  “I’m going to kill you, bitch,” she said, her voice low and deadly. “Beg! That’s right. Beg me!”

  “Where are you?” Levi whispered. “Living room? Bedroom?”

  “See this knife? This is going to slice you up real good. Fucking cunt! I’ll fix you.” Trudy closed her eyes and tears spilled onto her cheeks. “And he shoves the knife into her right eye. Oh, the screams! They hurt my ears.” She covered her ears with trembling hands. “The blood gushes and he shoves the knife into her other eye. She’s still screaming. He shoves the knife into her throat.” Tears washed her cheeks.

  Levi fought off the urge to awaken her. He had to let her go through it. All of it.

  “There! There! There!” Her voice was low again and manic. “Shut up, you squealing pig. There! Into your black heart. Now the nipples and those big tits. You didn’t appreciate what God gave you, did you? Had to get bigger ones. You’re dressed in these threadbare jeans . . . and look at this shirt. It’s a man’s shirt! Ungrateful, ugly bitch.”

  Levi breathed heavily through gritted teeth, the words stabbing him and worry for Trudy twisting in his gut. He knew what it was like being in the middle of a murder, but not like what she was experiencing. She was wielding the knife right along with the sick motherfucker!

  “Oh! I’m coming all over you, fuckhole. It feels so good!” She sighed and smiled. “The come mixed with the blood. So pretty. So pure. So right. Yes. One more squirt. Ahhh.” She relaxed and her head lolled back.

  Levi slammed his eyes shut against the horror of it.

  “Love this part. Squirting my swimmers all over you while your blood spills out,” Trudy said, her voice low and guttural. “Okay. Back inside the barn, stud. You’re tame now. Nice and flexible. Need to get my stuff in the bathroom.”

  Flexible? Levi frowned. He had applied ma
ny colorful descriptions to his own dick, but flexible had never been one of them. This fucker was truly weird. Or maybe that had been Trudy’s impression – her description.

  “Did I get everything? Yeah. Got it. I’m wiped out. Got to get up early for work.”

  “What work?” Levi gripped her upper arms and stared into her heart-shaped face. Her beautiful mouth was slack and her eyes were dilated, swimming in tears. Her short, auburn hair was in disarray, sticking up here and there, curling onto her forehead. This needed to end tonight. Right now. “What’s his name, Trudy?” He gave her a little shake. “Please! Where does he work? Who is he?”

  She went limp, her head falling forward, and she moaned. Shit! Levi settled her back on the bed. Her lashes fluttered. “Hmmm,” she murmured and her pretty lips pursed in a pout. “I’m sleepy.”

  “Angel baby?” He let her lie back on the bed again and leaned down to kiss her because he simply couldn’t stop himself. She was so delectable, even when she was coming out of a living nightmare. He swept his thumbs across the wetness under her eyes. “You awake?” One hand shot up to grasp his wrist and a scream climbed up her throat. He looked into her frightened green eyes. “It’s okay, Tru. It’s me.”

  A shudder snaked through her from shoulders to hips before she turned onto her side and curled into a ball. “I saw him murder her,” she choked out. “Oh, it was terrible! I don’t think I’ll ever be able to . . . oh, God!”

  “I know, baby, I know.” Levi lay next to her, curving his front to her back. He kissed her hair and caressed her shoulder and arm. She trembled and sobbed. “Deep breaths, Trudy. Think of your family, your friends, your favorite memories. Let them wash your mind clean of that psycho’s thoughts and feelings.”

  “Stay here with me,” she whispered.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he promised. And he held her, wrapping his arms around her and fervently wishing he could protect her from all evil, all pain.

  “I’m thinking of us . . . of you,” she murmured on a sigh.

  Levi held his breath as a sweet, tight feeling latched onto his heart.

  ###

  A little after seven in the morning, Trudy sat at the RV’s kitchen table and sipped coffee while Levi poured Cherrios into two bowls, sliced bananas on top of them, and added milk.

  “Do you want sugar?”

  “No.”

  He set one of the bowls in front of her “Eat.”

  Sighing, she picked up a spoon and obeyed. He sat across from her and tucked into his own bowl of cereal. He’d gone to his cabin while she’d been in the shower, she surmised, noticing his change of clothes. He was watching her again, his navy blue eyes full of concern.

  “You’re staring again,” she murmured.

  “Sorry. Are you feeling better after your shower?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve been on the phone with Sinclair again. He’s read through the report we sent him about the murder you witnessed. They haven’t turned up a body yet.”

  “She’s out there,” Trudy said, closing her eyes a moment to ward off the depravity that threatened to engulf her again. “I hope they find her soon.”

  She felt drained, but the crunchy cereal, sweet banana, and cold milk were actually giving her a burst of energy. After her connection with the murderer, she had slept fitfully, startling awake several times. The last time she had insisted on getting out of bed, taking a couple of aspirin, and standing under the stinging shower spray.

  “We’ve done everything we can, Trudy.”

  “I know. It just sucks that it hasn’t been enough.”

  “You understand why it’s important for you not to sleep through those visions, don’t you?

  “Yes, of course. If it helps to actually see the murder, then that’s what I have to do.” She noticed that he released a little sigh of relief. “Don’t worry about it, Levi. I’m okay. When I first came to Quintara I was a mess,” she said, trying to make him understand why she hadn’t wanted to experience the murders before. “I was having trouble sleeping and I was exhausted. Murders happen mostly late at night or early in the morning. They’d wake me up and I’d be terrified and couldn’t sleep for two or three days at a time. It was affecting everything in my life – my work, my relationships, everything. But I’ve learned how to cope and I think I’m stronger now.”

  “Trudy, you are strong,” he assured her, reaching across the table to rest his hand on her forearm. He gave her a squeeze before letting go. “You saw a lot important things like the fact that she seemed to recognize him.”

  “He was furious when he thought she’d made him. That’s when he . . . he . . .” She shook her head, blocking the heinous scene.

  “Where did she know him from?” He pushed aside his empty cereal bowl and folded his arms on the table, his blue eyes alight with interest.

  “I don’t know. He just saw something in her face that told him she recognized him. Or maybe she said something . . . I’m not clear on it yet. Hopefully, you’ll be able to shed more light about that when you’re able to connect with her.”

  “Did you get any inkling of what kind of work he does?”

  “An office type area with computers.”

  He gave a dismissive wag of his head. “Well, that won’t help very much.”

  Mouse barked and jumped up on the bench seat beside Levi. She turned in a circle three times before settling against his leg and resting her head on his thigh. He looked from the dog to Trudy, his brows arching in amazement.

  “Like most females, she finds you very attractive and wants to sleep with you,” Trudy noted, wryly, then finished the rest of the cereal while Levi stroked Mouse’s small head and consulted his phone, sorting through messages and e-mails.

  She thought back to the waking dream, her mind returning to it like a tongue seeks a painful tooth. Something kept nagging at her . . . after he’d killed the woman he had done something . . . oh, yes.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  Levi nodded, not looking up from the cell phone.

  How to phrase this? “After you ejaculate . . .” She paused as his gaze leapt to hers. Ah, she had his attention now! “Are you relieved that your penis isn’t – um, hard anymore?”

  One corner of his mouth quirked up. “That is an odd question, Miss Tucker. Is this something that you’ve been curious about for a long time or a recent study? Something to do with last night when we . . ?”

  “No, nothing to do with us. Just answer me,” she said with exasperation.

  He tipped his head to one side and she could tell that he was considering the question. “Well, as we both know, after I ejaculate, I’m often still hard.” He grinned at her. “But, no, I can’t say that I think of it like that. I’m usually floating in ‘just came euphoria’ and enjoying being buried balls deep inside such a beautiful, warm, receptive woman.” His smile was tender and personal and it made her heart expand. Then his gaze sharpened and his brows lifted as if he’d been struck by an idea. “This is about the murderer. He referred to his junk as being flexible, right? I wasn’t sure that was his thinking or yours.”

  “No, it was him. He was glad it was flaccid again. Flexible.”

  “Yes, well, he’s screwy, for sure. Certifiable.” He set aside the cell phone. “What did he have in the bathroom? You said he went back in there to get his stuff. Did he leave more weapons in there?”

  “Oh, I forgot about that! I need to send that information to Tom.” She pointed a finger at him. “See? That’s why it’s good you’re here. You help me sort through it all and recall things.”

  “Yeah, I’m not just a pretty face and a stiff cock.”

  She returned his grin and then shook her head, slinging her thoughts back in order. “No weapons. He had clothes in there, I think.”

  “Clothes? Are you sure? What the hell was he doing? Did he take some of her clothes as a souvenir?”

  Trudy sorted through the images. There was a wig. Designer jeans. Pretty, pink sh
irt. A padded bra. A woman’s clothes. He’d stuffed them into an over-sized shoulder bag. With a jolt, everything slammed together like a jigsaw puzzle. Trudy sucked in her breath as the last pieces locked into place, letting her see the whole, crazy picture. “Levi!”

  “What? What?” He leaned toward her, his eyes wide with alarm as he clamped his hands around her wrists.

  “Zelda!”

  “Zelda was there? In the bathroom?” His voice rose with each word.

  She nodded and then shook her head. She took a deep breath to steady her pounding heart. “He is Zelda.”

  Levi stared at her and she watched in fascination as his expression changed from confusion to realization. His hands slipped away from her. “What?!” He fell back in the padded booth. “He is Zelda? You mean, he dressed up like a woman and . . . oh, Christ!” He stood up, making Mouse jump down and bark furiously at him as he paced, the heel of one hand plastered against his forehead and his eyes wide and unseeing. “Fuck me!”

  She nodded as it solidified in her mind “He dresses up like Zelda, gets to know the women, gets an invitation to their home, and then he goes into the bathroom, changes clothes, and comes out a man!”

  “Oh, my God!” Levi’s eyes were wide and a bright, intense blue. “He is so fucked up! This is nuts to the nth degree!”

  His excitement was infectious and Trudy found herself grinning as she watched him piece it together. His movements were jerky and full of pent-up energy. He turned his back to her for a few moments and then whirled around to face her again, his blue eyes blazing, his dark brows lowered.

  “So, is he a transvestite or a . . . a transgender or is this simply his M.O.?”

  “I don’t know.” She examined the thoughts that had invaded her and the feelings associated with them. “He doesn’t seem to view his penis as pleasurable. It’s more like a weapon or a tool. He was angry at the women because they . . . I don’t know for sure. It doesn’t make sense to me.” She chewed her lower lip and tried to decipher the jumbled, twisted feelings. “They don’t appreciate their own bodies?”