Lainey (Dreamcatchers Romantic Suspense Series Book 4) Page 14

  Despite Cole’s presence right beside her, she chewed her nails the entire trip, staring out the window. A man in a black jacket crossed in front of the car when they stopped at a red light, catching her gaze through the windshield and setting off the seemingly almost constant shivers again. She glanced over at Cole. He didn’t seem bothered, and so Lainey tried to force herself to relax. No luck. It was a fine line between caution and outright fear, and Lainey found herself crossing it every time someone came near. She checked inside every passing car; every flash of black was a gun pointed at her head, everyone running was chasing her. By the time they pulled up outside the gym, she was tripping on adrenaline, giving her body a whole new reason to tremble.

  Aaron was standing behind the counter of the juice bar when Cole walked her in the door, and so Lainey took the opportunity to get in a workout. There was no telling when the mystery organization Payton had talked about would knock on the door, and Lainey had a long way to go. She couldn’t predict when she’d have to fight for her life, but at least until then she could make every day count. She sat with a twenty-pound free weight and got to work. She felt the first flood of endorphins and her head cleared a little with every bicep curl. Customers often came into the juice bar straight from their visit to the gym, their faces lighter and colors dancing. Even when her arm grew so tired she could barely lift it, Lainey gritted her teeth and did two more. Those two more reps every day might mean the difference between landing the punch or not if Josh ever reared his head again. She refused to ever end up lying on the pavement with a needle in her arm again. Finally setting the weight down, she moved to the treadmill. She was going to win this race one damn step a time.

  “Lainey?” She let the treadmill roll to a stop and stepped off the machine. Aaron stood behind her, a mixture of worry and fear wrapped around him. It was so vivid, more than she’d ever seen it before, even flowing from him and moving toward her.

  “It’s okay,” she said.

  “What is?”

  “You’re worried. But I’m fine.”

  “You were just attacked yesterday.” Aaron frowned and his colors swirled deeper. “You shouldn’t exhaust yourself so soon.”

  “I’m fine.” Lainey picked up the towel she’d draped over the treadmill handle and wiped down her face. Aaron’s worry grew thicker, and she laughed. “I’m fine. I promise.”

  “I’m serious. You should save your strength.”

  “No, I should build it.” She stepped back onto the treadmill. “I know you want to be the only one that puts themselves in danger, but that’s just not possible.”

  Aaron breathed deeply. “I’d give anything to make it that way. I hope you know that.” His colors shimmered brightly. They were always bright around her now. She smiled at the thought. It was new, but she liked it. Unlike Josh, Aaron wasn’t hiding anything. It was she who’d been dense, who hadn’t opened herself up to the idea. He’d been her friend for so long, anything else wasn’t on her radar, even though it had been apparently screaming from Aaron’s for years. She saw it now—all of it.

  Perhaps it was from Payton finally opening up, or Lainey figuring out who she was. Maybe her power was just growing. Whatever the reason, things were stronger now, sharper. She looked around the room. Colors shimmered around and over everyone, but mists also hovered where they’d been just before. Faint, but still, a lingering energy filled the space after the person had moved on. Lainey’s gaze followed Aaron’s trail as he walked across the gym floor—a thick orange of determination, mixing with the now ever-present pink and a slight tinge of self-consciousness. She stepped off the treadmill and walked to get a drink of water. Willpower, the faint whiff of anticipation, anger, then relief. The emotions touched her, stroked her mind, as she walked across the floor. She stopped by the water cooler and gulped down a full glass. The new sensations were almost crawling over her. This was going to take some getting used to. What else could she do? Could she sense what her enemies were feeling before they reached her now, use it to predict what they’d do? If her powers were growing or changing, she could only hope. Where any growth would take her, though, she had no clue. It was already hard to ignore the clouds as she passed through other people’s space. Jealousy, happiness, exhaustion. A burst of anger made her curl her lip before she realized she wasn’t the one feeling it. A man walked past, almost checking her shoulder as he spit words into his cell. Lainey turned and backed toward the external doors. She’d promised to not go outside on her own today, but—God!—she needed some air before her brain imploded. As she reached the door, sadness slammed into her and she was caught in a cloud of tears so strong that she couldn’t see or hear anything else. All that existed was sadness, grief, and despair. She pushed through the gym doors and slumped on the seat on the landing outside. A man approached the gym’s steps, a smile on his face. Lainey tensed, but his light was so cheery yellow that it pushed its way through the grief, returning some of her senses. Just as quickly as it came, the man passed through the gym doors and she was left in despair. Lainey closed her eyes, seeking out the light she’d felt from the man. If only she could block whomever was sending out the pain. If she couldn’t shield herself from absorbing what others felt, it would leave her incredibly vulnerable. At first there was nothing, just blues and grays, but then—there—a small spark. She tried to grab at it in her mind, but it darted out of range, twinkling maddeningly in her mind.

  Lainey took in a deep breath and tried again, forcing herself to ignore the sadness, and this time snagged the tail end of the spark. It pulled at her mind, just like a muscle, daring her to flex it. Was that it? Practice flexing her own emotions just like the workout from that morning? She’d spent her entire life reading and reacting to others; it came naturally. Somehow she’d started reflecting so well what others felt that she’d lost herself. The spark flickered and Lainey pushed at it again. That wasn’t going to happen any longer. Payton’s personality was so strong, and she’d survived when they’d come for her. Lainey was going to do the same.

  At the thought the spark grew, blazing and filling her with warmth. The cloud of depression was still there. She could still see it, but it no longer affected her inner being. She tugged it, twisted it, but this time it stayed firm, a barrier between her and others.

  The wooden bench seat creaked and Lainey looked over as Aaron lowered himself to sit next to her, just inches between them. He was still mad. Not at her, but at something. There were spikes of fury jutting out of his consciousness. They were small, but to Lainey as obvious now as the man himself. “Are you okay? I saw you out here just staring into space.”

  She smiled. “I’m fine, just got a little . . . overwhelmed there for a minute.”

  His gaze turned sharp. “Talk to me.”

  She took his hand in hers and squeezed it briefly before letting it go. “It’s okay, really. It wasn’t me. I was—how can I say it?—feeling someone else.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “That happens a lot?”

  She frowned. “No, actually. That part’s kinda new.”

  “I just want—no, I need—you to be okay.” The pink pulsed, taking over, and Lainey smiled again. She took his hand, and didn’t let go this time.

  “I will be.”

  “Not if you sit around outside by yourself. You need to stay where I am—”

  She cut him off. “Not every second. I won’t do that,” she replied firmly. “It’s not good for either of us.”

  “But—”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll check in whenever I can. I’m not being stupid about this, Aaron, but I’m not letting them turn me into a scared idiot, either. Payton didn’t, and she was fine.”

  Aaron swallowed and his lips pressed together. “Yeah, she was fine. After Cole was nearly tortured all over again. She still can’t talk about that night. You saw that yourself.”

  “Then you’ll just need to make sure you follow the same rules you expect me to.”

  Aaron stared
at her in silence, and then his head tipped back and he laughed. A chuckle, then a great, full sound, surging up from inside him as he threw his head back. “You never did let me get away with any bullshit. No reason you should change now.”

  Lainey grinned. “Exactly.” Her face turned serious. “Though there is something you can do.”

  “Name it.”

  “Give me another Krav Maga lesson.”

  Aaron closed the door to the small room at the back of the gym, blocking out the noise from the other patrons. Every now and then an emotion would drift under the door, but it was formless, almost like smoke, and Lainey found she could easily ignore it. He moved them to the center of the mat and then stepped back and took his stance. She mirrored him, and the pink tenderness that radiated from him turned pulsing red. A moment later he moved—fast—flying toward her before she could react. Lainey moved to dodge, but his foot reached around the back of her leg. She toppled over, but Aaron was faster again, wrapping his arms around her and catching her as she was about to hit the floor. He had his arm around her waist and a smile on his lips.

  “You can’t just dodge. In every fight, you need to look at the dynamics first. Too many people forget that.” He reached out and brushed her hair aside, catching her gaze for a moment longer before pulling her up.

  “I won’t forget.”

  Aaron stepped back again. “Watch what I do and move only when you know what you’re doing to defend against that. How are you weak, what are you advantages?”

  They moved to the center again and she watched. As he stood, eying her from across the floor, she caught his every move. The way his leg lifted just a fraction, how his hands moved up to his face. Every movement was a lesson she could learn from. He walked around her in a circle and she followed him closely, watching a fluctuating ball of color that got bigger and smaller as he moved around her. It suddenly expanded and then burst a split second before he lunged forward, aiming a punch toward her face.

  This time, she was faster. Lainey jumped back and wrapped her leg around the back of his knee, sending them both tumbling to the mat.

  “Hey now,” Aaron said, chuckling. “Come here.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her over, nearly lying on top of him, their chests touching. He stared into her eyes. “I like the view from down here.”

  “Yeah?” She moved over him, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and flipped them over, so that he now lay on top, staring down. “Today’s most important lesson. Never let a guy pin you to the ground.” He grinned. “Unless it’s me, then go for it.” His aura pulsed passionate red, like velvet drapes and satin sheets. Lainey opened her mind and the emotion wrapped itself inside her, so soft and warm she couldn’t help but hang on it. It came rushing in, igniting something inside her. She drew in a sharp breath and Aaron moved again, so close that his face hovered inches from hers. A sensual cloud sent the red light moving, enveloping them both, and she felt a hard bulge against her belly.

  “Can I kiss you?” His words were husky, his voice rough.

  “Yes.”

  His lips slammed into hers. He wasn’t gentle this time, his tongue taking possession of her mouth as he deepened the kiss. His wide shoulders sank down, locking her between his hard body and the mat.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, and the emotions slammed into her again. She closed her eyes and let them slip through her, igniting her core, as his lips met hers again.

  24

  Lainey

  Days passed, and when no one jumped out at her from behind a pillar or sneaked in through her bedroom window, the tension that had been constant since she’d struggled with the man on the sand slowly drained away. At some point, Lainey even started to look forward to the day, instead of waking up expecting the boogeyman to have taken up residence in her room while she slept. She couldn’t run from this, but that didn’t mean she had to live every moment in fear.

  Aaron hadn’t kissed her again, not like that, anyway, but she could wait. Her days were busy, and she was still picking up extra training on top of work, leaving her exhausted. He wasn’t avoiding her. There had been a hand at the small of her back, guiding her when she walked, whispered goodnights and soft brushes of lips against hers as her eyes fluttered shut. Getting dressed that morning, she smiled at the memory. He was still camped out on her couch most nights, and when he couldn’t be there, he promised someone was still looking out for her. Lainey never saw anyone, but she felt it, a warm comfort somewhere there in the night. Her powers were growing still.

  One such person had been there last night, and so without Aaron’s presence that morning, Lainey drove herself to work. As she moved through the streets, a new energy bubbled just beneath her skin. It was more than a sense now, almost palpable. She’d always seen the colors, but now they were so much more intense. It was like a new muscle that she could bend and stretch, an extension of her body, if only she could just figure out how to use it. At times it was almost effortless, her skin sizzling beneath the surface. But other times there was almost nothing. Just the soft waves that had been there her entire life. What triggered things to amp up, Lainey didn’t know.

  She pulled into the parking lot next to the gym and a cool breeze blowing in from the beach awakened her mind. It had been days, weeks maybe, since she’d taken a walk along the beach, feeling her toes sink into the soft sand. Her vision darkened for just a moment, replaced with memories of the man lying in the dark, but Lainey shook it away. She’d already made up her mind that she wasn’t going to let some coward who hunted from the shadows take over her life, and the first step to that was doing what she used to love. The smell of the ocean beckoned her and so Lainey locked her car, kicked off her shoes, and stepped onto the sand.

  She walked down to the water’s edge, her feet tingling as the cold water rushed over them. Even though it was still early in the morning, people were all around her, bathed in the orange light of the sun, and all happy. At least, that’s what she felt. Lainey tilted her head as the thought entered her mind. Was she absorbing the happiness of those around her, or had she impacted others with her own happy thoughts? The idea seemed wild . . . but then, perhaps not so much. She’d had a knack for cheering people up her entire life, so obvious that others had noticed. Lainey frowned, deep in thought. She’d never made anyone angry or sad—that she knew, anyway—but she’d never explicitly tried, either. No, that wasn’t something she ever wanted to do.

  Except it could come in handy if someone tries to drag you away again.

  A man ran past, looking straight ahead as his feet pounded the wet sand in a brisk jog. She cupped a hand over her eyes and looked over to the horizon, then scanned up and down the beach. A couple with their arms linked together strolled higher up on the shoreline, watching a boy chase his dog along the water’s edge. The dog dodged and lunged for a stick in the boy’s hand, making the boy’s eyes sparkle as he grinned at his companion. Lainey grinned as her gaze moved to the couple. The man, while watching his son, was obviously also taking care of his wife. As the boy and his dog turned around in happy circles, the woman’s foot hit a dip in the dune and she stumbled. The man’s hand shot out, wrapping around her waist and stopping her fall before the woman could even gasp. Lainey smiled, and a rush of pink flooded her own awareness. The man, although older, reminded her of Aaron—large, but gentle. To her. He was always gentle with her, but Lainey knew he could be equally fierce if she was threatened.

  Because he loves you.

  Her heart pounded as the truth washed over her. Like Aaron’s colors, it was as obvious to her as the day now that she’d opened her eyes to notice. Her own emotions swelled and she felt a rush through the air. A sensation, like a burst of energy, bloomed in the center of her chest. It grew, and within seconds, Lainey could see the pink light surrounding herself. She smiled as the feelings intensified and light pulsed. It was almost easy now. She turned back to the couple, admiring the simplicity of their life: walking the dog on the beach with the f
amily. How wonderful would it be for her life to be like that with Aaron. Lainey looked at the couple almost wistfully. She wished them all the love in the world.

  Whoa!

  Even as she thought it, the pink light grew again and the couple walking along the sand shifted slightly. If Lainey hadn’t been watching them, she wouldn’t have even noticed. They stopped walking and stared at each other before the man reached around to draw the woman into an embrace, their lips meeting, as passionate as Aaron had been that night in the gym. Lainey turned away, feeling like an intruder into such an intimate moment, and the warmth inside her body dulled along with it. When she looked back again, the couple had moved on, once again walking hand in hand along the sand.

  Christ on a cracker. Had she really done that?

  Lainey’s knees gave way from under her and she flopped to the sand. She brought a shaking hand up to pull windblown hair out of her face. She took a deep breath in, then another, but the weakness persisted.

  How the hell had she done that? What the hell had she been able to do?

  She was still sitting there, nearly shivering from the cool sea breeze, when Aaron found her a good time later. He dropped down onto the sand next to her, tracing patterns in it with his finger. He didn’t say a word, but even feeling drained, Lainey could see the worry pouring over him.

  “Nothing happened, Aaron. It was just a walk on the beach. No one got me, I was fine.”

  He gave her a wry grin. “Sometimes I hate that you know exactly how I feel.”