“And what happened with Frank?”
“I spoke to him, and he heard me.”
“He heard you?” His brows fly up and his eyes widen with surprise. “You talked to him?”
“He didn’t know it was me, he thought it was Janet, but he could hear something. It happened the day with Stevie too. She heard something. But I need to practice so I can get more control over it. It’ll help me understand what I’m capable of.”
“Not at the risk of your health. You scared the shit out of me.”
“At the risk of my health?” I sit up straighter and place the glass on the table beside the bed. “You think it’s healthier for me to be here rather than back at home with my parents?’
“I can protect you here.” He abruptly stands and walks over to one of the two huge, and unbreakable windows in the room.
“You think I’m better off here than with my parents? My own flesh and blood who’ll do anything to keep me safe?”
“Anyone can get to you at your parents’ house. Here, you’re protected. Even with the bodyguards your parents hired, I got to you, which means anyone can get to them.”
“No one else knows about this thing I have going on inside my head. Only you and I.” I jump off the bed and follow him over to the window, ready for a heated argument.
“And this is where you’re showing your naivety, Lexi.”
“I’m not naïve.”
He steps closer, places his hands on my shoulders and smiles at me. “This thing you have, it didn’t appear out of thin air. It was placed inside you, more than likely when you went in for the operation you had. Someone, somewhere knows you have it, and that means one day, they will try to come and collect what’s theirs.”
I take a small step backward. I never thought of it like that. Never considered for even one moment, didn’t entertain the thought, that this ‘gift’ was deliberately put inside me by someone. “Jude, this means they’ll go after my parents.” I grab hold of his arms, and squeeze. “Please, you can’t let anything happen to them.”
“I’ve got my people looking out for them.”
It dawns on me, how he can play a critical role, either way for me. I leave, his people will get the green light to kill them. I stay, his people will be under instruction to protect them. “What happens when your people stop listening to you?” Fear encompasses everything within me. There’s a very real possibility, that someday my parents will be killed, because of me.
Jude tilts his head to the side, shocked by my question. “My people always listen to me. And if they don’t, they know what the consequences will be.”
“Jude, you have to promise me you’ll do everything you can to protect them.”
“My only concern is you and your safety. Nothing else matters to me.”
Suddenly, my body reacts to his words. Why is he so damn protective of me? “What aren’t you telling me?” I ask.
His severely dark eyes hold my stare for a second before he turns his head away from me. “My concern is you, Lexi. Only you.”
What does he mean? “You frustrate me.” Running my hand through my hair, I massage the nape of my neck. “Just . . . please, I’ve done everything you’ve wanted me to, all I ask is you protect them.”
He reluctantly nods his head while still looking outside.
Relief floods me. An overwhelming sense of relief wipes out the worry. Stepping forward, I move into his personal space and hug him. He’s my captor, but at least he’s going to protect the people who matter most to me. “Thank you,” I whisper as I lean my head onto his chest.
Both of us lose ourselves for a split second. His lips touch my forehead, and I’m standing in an isolated, stark though well-lit room. Looking around, Jude’s standing in front of a man who’s sitting on a chair.
The man is dressed in a white, blood-splotched t-shirt, and his jeans are covered with blood splatters too.
“Where am I?”
Jude turns his body in my direction. I notice he has metal rings on his right hand, which are covered in blood. The head of the man on the chair is slumped, but I can see his shoulders rising and falling rapidly.
Jude steps in front of the body, like he’s shielding me from the blood and gore. But it’s too late, I’ve already seen what he’s done. “What are you doing?” I ask.
Jude steps forward, as if he can see me. “You need to leave,” he tells me.
Looking around the room, I see a surgical trolley beside the man. There are implements on the trolley that don’t appear to be of surgical grade.
Pliers.
Rope.
A manual saw.
A utility knife.
It doesn’t take a genius to know what’s been happening, and what’s about to happen in this room.
I’m back in my room, and Jude gently grabs me by my shoulders and moves me back. I look down at his hands and wonder how something so soft on me, can cause so much devastation. “How can you do it?” I ask.
“What did you see?”
“You. You’re going to kill him, right?”
He doesn’t even try to deny it, or even lie. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“He stole from me. He needs to die.”
I suck in a breath and avert my eyes from him. Stepping back, I try and push the images of the man Jude was hurting as far away as possible. “I know it’s naive of me, but I don’t want to know.”
There’s an awkward silence before Jude starts to speak again. “Tell me about the guy you saw who killed the nurse.”
A shiver of ice rips through me as the memory of Hayley being killed becomes vibrant. “He had a scar, like this down his cheek.” I point to my face and indicate how the scar was positioned. “He was wearing a hoodie. Even though he looked at me, I can’t describe him very clearly. His face should be burnt into my memory, but the night I saw him I was doped high on drugs the hospital had given me. “The only thing I can tell you is that he’s young, around the same age as Hayley. But he knew her.”
Jude takes his phone out of his pocket and walks toward my front door. He dials someone while watching me. “Find me everything you can on a nurse who was killed a couple of months ago. Her first name was Hayley. Hang on.” He lowers the phone so it’s against his leg, looks at me and asks, “Where did she die?”
“It was at the train station, close to the hospital where I had my operation.”
He brings the phone up to his ear, and begins to talk in a soft voice so I can’t hear him. When he’s finished, he places the phone back in his pocket and returns to me. “Will you be okay tonight? I have some work to do.”
I’m confused and bewildered. “Seriously? I know exactly what you’re going to do.”
“It’s work.”
“Why did you want to know about the guy who killed Hayley?”
Now it’s his turn to look at me in a way that says. ‘Come on, Lexi, you know exactly why.’ “Seriously?” he repeats my word back to me.
“You should let the authorities find him.”
“I have no faith in the justice system.”
“Hey, my mom is a damn good judge.”
He holds his hands up, then sits in one of the armchairs in my room. I sit on my bed, and cross my legs. “Your mom is a damn good judge. And an honest one too. But let me tell you something. There’s so much work the cops have to do before the case even gets in front of your mom. Most criminals aren’t caught.”
I start to chuckle, then cough. “Present company included.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he replies coldly.
“You really should let the police do their work and have him prosecuted.”
“Do you know why I’m doing this?” I shake my head. “Because I know this is important to you. You saw something you can never unsee. He took a life he didn’t deserve to take, so I’ll make sure he can never hurt anyone again.”
“And who are you to play God and decide when he should die?”
&n
bsp; “Usually I don’t give a shit. But it’s important to you to make sure this guy is found. I’ll find him, Lexi, I promise you that. But I’ll be taking care of it, the way I know how to.”
“But then I’m shouldering more of the responsibility because I know what you’re going to do to him.”
“You have nothing to do with it, because you don’t control me. I’ll never bring you anywhere you can see anything.”
I let out a humorless chuckle. “Problem is, Jude, every time I touch you, I’m exactly where you’re going to be, and I see exactly what you’re doing. I see everything.”
Jude responds with his own humorless chuckle. “And if you tried to explain it to a judge, they wouldn’t believe you. They’d think you’d lost your mind.”
This angers me, because he believes me, which means in today’s day and age, I’m sure others would too. But then if that’s true, why didn’t I speak out much sooner and save Hayley’s life? Because, deep down inside, I know Jude’s right. No one will believe me. Hell, if Dallas told me she had this gift, this power, I’d think she was delusional.
I’m stuck in a conundrum. I know Jude will find him. He’s a man who has demonstrated how proficient he is. He’s also shown me the persona he adopts when he’s in that zone. I want the guy who killed Hayley to be dealt with, but the only choice I have is to let Jude take care of him.
“This is too much for me, Jude.” Grabbing my head, I flex my fingers and try to angrily massage my scalp.
“You have nothing to worry about.” I hear him stand, and the bed dips beside me. “I promise you, Alexa, I’ll never let anything happen to you.” He rubs gentle circles on my back. His touch is welcomed.
“You’re forcing me to accept what you do, which goes against everything I’ve been taught by my parents. It’s too much for me to handle.” Looking up at him, I notice his eyes have softened. They aren’t as hard as they normally are, there’s no anger or dominance behind them.
He whispers words I already know. “I can’t let you go.” But this time, the words seem to have a different meaning to them.
“I know,” I reply with a small frown. The silence between us is weighted with strain. “I know I have to accept my life as it is now, and move forward with the hope you keep your word and watch out for my parents.” So much is riding heavy on my shoulders. It literally feels like my body is crumbling under such a burden.
“You have my word.”
He now needs to prove it to me. I nod my head and opt to remain silent.
It’s a long few minutes before he speaks again. “I have work to do tonight, so I won’t be around. Do you need anything?” I shake my head, still quiet. I saw the ‘work’ he had to do tonight. “And, I have some work out of town that I have to tend to.”
Swinging around, I look into his eyes. The softness has been replaced with his usual cold hardness. “Okay,” I say.
“I leave in two days, and I’ll be gone for no longer than three days. Everyone here has been briefed on their role with you.”
I frown at him, suddenly feeling like I’m his pet project. I suppose I am. “And what exactly have you told them?” my voice comes out snappy, and pissed off.
He tries to contain his smirk, but I catch the edge of his mouth move upward before he notices. “Whatever you need, they’re under instructions to get it for you. Frank will be staying here for those nights, so if you want to talk to someone, he’s here.”
“And the rest of your people?”
“Know if anything happens to you, I’ll kill each and every one of them.”
I sigh a deep breath and look forward. I exhale again and know he means what he’s said. “I won’t ask what you’ll be doing.”
“I won’t tell you even if you ask.”
His reply makes me smile. At least he’s truthful. “Tell me something?”
“Anything.”
“Is there honor among thieves, or is it each man for himself?”
He chuckles for a second, then answers, “There’s no such thing as honor among thieves. It’s each man for himself. I could have dinner with an associate one night, then rat him out the next. It’s all about survival, I do what I need to do in order to survive.”
“Then why should I believe that you’ll look after me and I won’t end up like one of your associates?”
He narrows his eyes at me. I’ve asked a hard question. “Because you’re different.”
I don’t ask how I’m different, because at this stage I don’t want to know.
Jude left for his out-of-town business yesterday. Other than Frank, no one else has talked to me. The guards pass me and give me a curt nod, but no words are exchanged.
“Miss Lexi, are you okay?” Frank asks me as I sit in the kitchen for breakfast.
“I’m okay, how are you?”
“My day is always better when I see you hungry and wanting to eat.” He smiles at me, and brings me over a stack of pancakes.
“These look great. I don’t like eating alone. Would you care to join me?” I like Frank; he always makes me smile.
“I’ve already eaten this morning, Miss Lexi. If I have too much more, I’m afraid it’ll spoil my youthful good looks and rocking hard body.” He pats his stomach then flexes his arm muscles making me laugh. “But I will have coffee with you.” Walking over to the coffee machine, he makes one for himself, and a hot chocolate for me. “Here you go.” He places my mug in front of me, and sits opposite me.
“How long have you worked for Jude?’ I ask as I slice into the stack of fluffy, delicious pancakes. I grumble an appreciative moan which makes Frank laugh.
“Good, are they?”
“Mmm,” I reply, my mouth full.
Frank’s moustache has coffee drops in it and I can’t help but smile at them. He begins to tell me his story, more about his wife Janet. “She is the love of my life, there’s been no one since her. No one else can compare to what I had with her.”
I already know this, I can feel the love in his heart when he talks about her, and I can even feel it the few times I’ve been in a vision with him. “How did she die?” I know their son passed away from cancer, but I don’t know about his wife.
“She passed away too early. She had a stroke, and by the time I got her to the hospital, she was gone.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Frank.”
He looks at the mug between his big hands, and smiles. Tears well up in his eyes, and he tries his best to contain them. For a man of his age, it must be difficult to talk candidly and be so open with someone he barely knows. But it would be even harder for him to show emotion. Men of his generation didn’t do feelings. They kept it bottled up and refused to show any type of emotion.
“It was hard when Samuel passed away. Jude was at the hospital when Samuel got sick.” He smiles as he recalls the day. I can’t imagine what he’d be smiling at. “He heard me trying to make a payment arrangement with the hospital for Samuel. I had no health care, and Samuel had exhausted his. Jude was my guardian angel. I still have no idea why he helped me.”
This is intriguing. Why would Jude help Frank? “And you didn’t know Jude?”
He chuckles and looks at me. “I don’t live under a rock, Miss Lexi. I knew exactly who he was when he stepped forward and told the nurse to charge it to him.”
“What happened next?”
“He told me he needed a chef because his last one didn’t work out.”
A chill rips up my spine, and my shoulders shudder in response. Both Frank and I know exactly what it means when Jude speaks those words. “Oh,” I respond.
“I’ve been here going on five years now, Miss Lexi, and he looks after me like I’m his own flesh and blood. I keep my nose out of all his business.”
“Oh,” I say again, not really sure how to respond to him.
“Even his lady friends, they don’t last long. A night or two.”
“Ugh.” Grimacing, my pancakes suddenly taste sour. “It’s not my business either.” But t
he knot in my stomach and bad taste in my mouth tells a different story.
“This house was always so cold. Now, I see a difference in him. He’s . . .” I lift my head to see Frank smiling. “ . . . different.”
“How?”
He furrows his brows together, then takes a sip of his coffee. “I think you’ve made an impact on him.”
“Me?” I almost screech. “I haven’t done anything.”
He shakes his head. “Well, whatever you haven’t done, keep not doing it.” He chuckles again.
Suddenly, one of the guards comes running into the kitchen. “COPS!” he yells at the top of his lungs.
Stunned, Frank doesn’t respond. “What?” I ask with panic starting to climb.
“Cops!”
Frank leaps out of his chair, accidently knocking the coffee cup over. Like slow motion, the contents spill all over the table. He lurches forward, grabbing me by my shoulder, pulling me to my feet and pushing me behind him.
“What’s happening?” I question as I watch men in vests with big letters spelling ‘POLICE’ on the front and back yell commands.
“Get down!”
“Where’s Jude Caley?”
“Lay on the ground.”
“Hands behind your head.”
A heap of demands are being shouted, so many people are scrambling. My body shakes with fear as more and more people yell.
“Get down, now!”
I drop to the ground, and someone lays a knee into my lower back.
“Don’t touch her!” I hear someone yell. I want to look up, but I’m too terrified of what I might see. The voice is familiar. A female voice, but I can’t quite place it.
“It’ll be okay, Miss Lexi. Just be quiet and don’t say anything. Mr. Jude will get us out of this,” Frank whispers from beside me.
I’m too frightened to respond to him. I don’t know what’s going on, or who these people are. I mean, the guard said they’re cops, but other than that, I don’t know what department they’re from. Looking at Frank, his eyes are filled with worry, and his face shows every day of his age. The lines etched across his forehead seem deeper, even though his words are trying to calm me.
“Hands behind your back,” a man says to me and nudges me with his foot. I do exactly what he says. The cold, sharp sting of handcuffs encircles my wrists. Closing my eyes, I try to get a vision of who’s touching me. But I’m getting nothing.
The Gift: The Butterfly Effect, Book 1. Page 16