Sienna (Dreamcatchers Romantic Suspense Series Book 5) Page 17

  “No, Cole! You’re staying here. With me.”

  He smiled sadly, pulling her back in. “It has to be me. I’m the only one who can talk back.”

  “What do you mean?” Sienna asked.

  Lainey answered first. “When Payton first shared her memories with Cole, she left a piece of her with him. No matter where he is, she can communicate with him with her power. More importantly, she can find him.”

  Payton looked at Lainey like she’d just slapped her in the face. She turned back to Cole, her voice muffled as she pressed her face into his shirt. “Please don’t do this.”

  “I have to.”

  “She doesn’t give a shit about you beyond using you as bait. She’ll kill you, Cole. You’ll die!”

  “You’re worth it.” He kissed the top of Payton’s head.

  “No.” She pulled back, unable to hide the fear and anger on her face. “I won’t let you.”

  “It’s the only way we’re going to know what’s on the inside. I’ll be fine. It’ll take more than one woman to take me down.” He smiled, chucking her chin. “You’re the only one that can do that.”

  Payton said nothing, sinking to the floor as if her legs could no longer hold her up. She seemed to drift into her own world. Sienna could almost see the grief surrounding her, just as it had her. She and Payton were similar, matched only by Keila with her fiery nature, but no one else shared memories with someone. It was something intimate, almost sacred. Sienna couldn’t imagine having to use it to see Jace walk into the belly of the beast. She would never be strong enough for that.

  “I’ll leave as soon as I can,” Cole said quietly. He sat on the floor next to Payton, but she wouldn’t look at him. She didn’t even move. Was she talking to him in her head? By the sad look on Cole’s face, Sienna guessed not. One by one each couple drifted away, leaving them be. Jace took Sienna’s hand, but she let it go, pushing him gently down the hall. “I’ll be there in a bit.”

  “Alright.” He nodded. “Just don’t do anything stupid.”

  Sienna kissed him, then turned and walked to where Payton and Cole still sat on the floor. In a few hours, maybe just a few minutes, Cole was leaving, heading to the truck stop. From there, he’d hitch a ride or two and wait for someone to notice him. It was half a plan, but it was all they had. The only problem was Payton. Lost in her own head, would she be able to track him?

  She sat down next to Payton and took her limp hand in hers, looking into Cole’s eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll get her back.”

  29

  Sienna

  Cole looked up at Sienna, smiling gently, despite the sadness reflected in her eyes. “I’m not trying to hurt her, you know,” he said. “That’s the last thing I’d ever do to her.”

  Sienna reached her hand forward and rested it lightly on his, squeezing for a moment before letting go. “I know.” She shrugged. “I don’t know her full story yet, but I know enough to know she’s definitely been through enough shit to last a lifetime. We all have. That doesn’t mean we just give up.” Her mouth thinned into a firm line. “Each of you is so lucky to have found each other. I can tell that already, too.”

  Cole tilted his head toward the hall where Jace had gone. “I think you’ve got yourself someone who cares that much about you, too.”

  She smiled. “I’m beginning to think you’re right. He wouldn’t let me get lost in my own grief, and I won’t let Payton, either.” She looked up, meeting Cole’s gaze. “I may be the new girl, but I know what she’s feeling right now. That the person you love most in the world is leaving, and you can’t do anything to stop it. At the time, I had no idea what my mom was hiding, but she was all I had. Now, I have all of you, and Jace.” Her expression turned serious. “I won’t let her lose herself while you’re gone, Cole, and I’ll keep her safe for when you come back. Because you are coming back.”

  Cole raised his hand in a salute. “Yes, ma’am.” He looked down at Payton, caressing her cheek before touching his lips gently against her skin. No response. His shoulders dropped, for just a moment, before he steeled himself. Leaning forward, he kissed her lips before standing and picking up his duffle bag, throwing items inside. “Don’t let her stay lost, Sienna. I need her.”

  Lainey had wandered off with the others, but the emotion in the room was still palpable. “You got it.” Cole stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug. Sienna was surprised, but for once she didn’t flinch. He squeezed her shoulders before stepping back. After one last look at Payton, still crouched on the floor, he left the room.

  Sienna listened as car doors opened then shut, then the rumble of the engine as it turned over and the car pulled out of the drive. She stood at the door for a long time, even after she couldn’t hear the truck any more. Aaron was driving Cole halfway into town before he went the rest of the way on foot. The trip wouldn’t take long. Aaron would be back soon, and everyone else would likely only grab a couple of hours sleep before returning back to the room. She didn’t have much time.

  She knelt down so she could make eye contact with Payton, but she just stared through her. Payton didn’t even seem to realize Sienna was there. It reminded her of the waiting room in the hospital, when she’d been trapped inside her vision. It didn’t take a genius to know that Payton had been through some serious shit. She was the only one who’d actually been captured by the maniac hunting them. Keila had gotten her out in the end, but she’d been trapped there for weeks, drugged out of her mind and subjected to God knows what. Did Payton even remember it fully? It was no wonder she’d become lost at even the thought of losing the person who’d pulled her out of all that the first time.

  From what Lainey had said, Payton and Cole were physically connected from what they’d been through together. Did that mean she physically felt the loss now that he’d left? Sienna’s memories had been visceral, tearing at her psyche. Maybe that was what was happening to Payton, too. She moved to sit directly across from Payton, took her hands in her own and closed her eyes. She imagined them sitting just as they were, holding hands, but this time with Payton awake and looking back at her. She felt a little shimmer, but nothing happened.

  Sienna frowned. Where was the burst she’d felt before? Maybe it was powered by strong emotion? She reached inward, searching for the vortex of power. It had exploded out of her, pushing forward as if she had no control. If she went looking for it this time, maybe it could be tamed. She imagined her hands diving in, pulling on the strings of floating energy, but it slipped through her fingers like water. A rush of frustration surrounded her. How was she ever going to help Payton if she couldn’t control her own power? She looked deeper—there—a light blue string. It didn’t look familiar, but she could follow it. Sienna moved toward it. The closer she got, the more resistance she felt, almost like a shell around her, preventing her from moving forward. She pushed anyway, forcing her legs forward, and then beating at the black walls with her fists. Just when she thought her energy was depleted, the invisible wall fell and the string snapped back into its owner standing on the other side. Payton.

  Sienna’s eyes flew open. This time, they were gazing into Payton’s—strong and clear.

  “Fuck. Are you alright?”

  Payton’s gaze hardened. “For now.”

  “He’ll be okay,” Sienna said.

  Payton blew out a breath, wrapping her hands around her middle. “I don’t remember much of that time, you know. Everyone thinks I do, but that’s not the part that scares me.”

  “What do you remember?”

  “I remember the face of the man who took me. Then Keila.”

  “But she was there to save you, right?”

  Payton grimaced. “She was. But I didn’t know that at the time. I freaked out. I still feel that rush when I think about it. Cole does, too.” She dropped her eyes. “He used to be a cop, you know. He was held against his will for a lot longer than I was. I’m worried he’ll get stuck there again, in his mind.” She looked up, meeting Sienna’s gaze
. “You ever hear of ghosts getting trapped in the place they died, reliving the moment over and over again? It’s like that. You never leave there, not really. It becomes an echo, imprinting itself on everything. If he finds himself in that position again, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  Sienna shuffled to sit next to Payton, nudging her with her shoulder. “You know, I think he’ll be fine. He’s strong, Payton, and this time he’s got you. He’s got all of us.”

  Payton glanced over, a small smile on her face. “Damn right, he does.” She looped her arm through Sienna’s, resting her head on Sienna’s shoulder. “Besides, the man’s as stubborn as I am. There was no stopping him. I just needed some time to get used to the idea.” She tapped the side of her head. “He’s still here.” She rolled her eyes. “And telling me off for not kissing him goodbye.”

  Sienna laughed. “Hi, Cole.”

  Payton smiled and hauled herself to her feet. “He’s walking, nearly into town. Telling me to stop sulking and get to work on your power.” She reached down, taking Sienna’s hand and pulling her up. “Come on. If we’re going to beat an army, we better figure out what the hell you can do.”

  30

  Sienna

  Payton led Sienna out the front door and over to a field. It was the same path that she’d taken just a few hours ago, when she’d run from the house. Had that really been just a couple of hours ago? The waxing moon hung high in the sky, illuminating everything with an eerie gray light, and yet the world felt peaceful. Lainey was tucked up somewhere in the house with Aaron, probably sound asleep or—Sienna cut that thought off before it could go further. She was growing closer to each of them already, but she didn’t need to picture that. She chuckled, wondering if Payton ever got an eyeful of more than she was wanting.

  Payton looked back, making a face. “Not yet, thank God. But thank you for that. Now every time someone “takes a nap” I’m going to have to leave the building.”

  Sienna jogged to catch up, and Payton playfully thumped her in the shoulder. “Lainey broadcasting your lust was bad enough.” She looked over at Sienna. “Once you learn how, you can control the light inside you, you can wrap it around yourself and direct it. Which I’m now incredibly thankful for, thanks to you.”

  “Controlling it doesn’t even seem possible,” Sienna dropped down on a large boulder sitting near the top of a hill. She looked down over the desert spread out before them. “The few times it’s happened, everything is completely overwhelming. I get sucked into the pictures in my head and I can’t seem to find my way out.”

  Payton turned, sitting down opposite her. She pulled on Sienna’s arm. “Sit here, facing me, so I can get a good look at you.” She ran her hand over Sienna’s eyelids and Sienna obliged, closing her eyes. She sat, unmoving, still and quiet, until she was nearly twitching with curiosity. She knew Payton was looking into her mind, fishing around inside her head, but she couldn’t tell. It was like the creepy feeling you get when you felt eyes staring at you but turned around and saw nothing. At least with Lainey, it was obvious when she was using her power. Sienna could feel it, learning quickly to tell the difference between her own emotions and Lainey’s influence. Then again, Emily and Keila’s were practically invisible, too. But seeing her future felt a little different than having someone rummage around in your mind. Sienna forced herself to relax. Payton was only trying to help. Without her, it could be months before she figured out what she could do, and that was time they just didn’t have. Taking in a deep breath, Sienna forced down the walls she’d built around her mind for years.

  “You do push people away too much. Your mom meant well, but it’s time to move on.”

  “I’m trying.” Sienna’s hands gripped onto her knees, squeezing. “I was told my entire life that my mom and I were our own little family, that I had to be wary of everyone else.”

  “But you pushed past that,” Payton said.

  Sienna’s lips thinned. “Yeah, and all it did was drive a wedge between my mom and me, and then she was killed and I have some kind of crazy-ass stalker after me.”

  Her eyes were still closed, but Payton was smiling. She was sure of it, even though she had no way of knowing. She frowned. Could this be some sort of weird two-way street, like Payton and Cole?

  “Maybe. Right now, though, I can hear your inner monologue, but I can’t go much further than that. Your memories are there, but I can only see the ones that are at the forefront of your mind most of the time. I’m sure you know the ones I mean.”

  Her mother. Every time she stopped the whirlwind in her mind for a moment, it was always her mom. Would she ever get over the way she found her?

  “I’m not sure anyone ever gets over that,” Payton said quietly. “Not really. But you can learn to live with it. That’s all we can do.” She paused. “There’s a barrier inside your head. Like little bubbles. I can’t see around them.”

  Bubbles? Was that what she and Jace had been trapped in before? It had felt so damn solid. “Is that what we’re looking for?”

  “I can’t tell for sure, but I think so. You’re still too closed off. Loosen up and let me see inside one.”

  “How?”

  The soft moonlight that had been filtering through Sienna’s lids went away, the world pitch black and quiet. Seconds passed and then Payton appeared—inside her fucking head! She jumped, nearly losing the connection, and felt a warm hand land on hers back in the physical world. “It’s okay, Sienna. Show me.”

  She was huddling in her canvas tent, hidden away in the closet under the stairs. It was raining outside and she was scared. The lightning had started when she had been watching TV, a bright flash against the window. She’d rushed into her sanctuary. Her mom said she was safe in her tent. She’d always be safe there, as long as she didn’t make a sound.

  She ducked down, listening to the rain pounding the pavement outside. Where was her mom? This was the worst storm ever. Thunder rumbled overhead before a loud clap made her scream. The second blast made her duck down, hiding under the quilt. She wanted to get out, go find her mom and make sure she was okay, but she was too afraid. She couldn’t leave the bubble, not with rain pouring down like that. She huddled down under the quilt and waited.

  Bam! Another clap of thunder. Sienna jumped. But this one was different. It was closer. No! Not thunder. It was a knock on the closet door. “Sienna, I can make it stop.” The voice was strange. She wasn’t supposed to let anyone in that she didn’t know. Sienna stayed as still as possible. If she didn’t make a sound, no one would know she was in there, hiding from the storm.

  The next blast was so loud it burst the light bulb above the space, plunging her into complete darkness. “Please, make it stop!”

  “You have to let me in.” The voice was calm, kind, but Sienna didn’t know her. Her mom told her never to let anyone know where she was.

  “No!” The force of her words shook the house, and the blast that followed rattled the walls. If she didn’t do something, the house was going to tear itself apart.

  “You have to let me in. I can help. I can stop the lightning.”

  “I’m not supposed to. Mom said I can’t let any strangers know I’m hiding here.”

  “You do know me. It’s Payton.”

  Payton? Sienna had been talking to her, but then she’d gone back to her mom’s house again. She’d left the field where Payton was, hadn’t she? She stood, suddenly a lot taller than she remembered. Had her secret space always been so cramped? She crawled over and pushed at the door. It opened to a bright flash, and then she was sitting back on the boulder with Payton.

  Sienna’s hands shook. “What the hell was that?”

  “That was your memory. I entered it with you. You made the bubble all on your own, saw what you wanted to see, because you were scared.”

  Sienna frowned. “But I’ve made them before, I think?”

  Payton shook her head. “Not when I’ve been close enough to see. Watch.” She closed her eyes and
the world around Sienna went black again. This time, Payton was standing with Sienna from the beginning. Wisps of light were flying above them, almost like shooting stars, before they coalesced into a tangle, wrapping themselves around and between each other. “This is what I see inside your mind when you lock yourself into a memory.”

  The night was still warm, but at Payton’s words, the air went cold. So cold that Sienna could barely stand it. Something drove the lights up, higher and higher, until they were nothing but a tiny bright dot in a pitch black sky. “Fear did this?”

  “When you’re upset or afraid, you react, almost instinctively. It forms a shield of light. When you feel better . . .” Payton gestured, and the small circle of light high above them opened up and fell back to earth, almost like water being poured from a jug. “Open your eyes, Sienna.”

  She hadn’t been aware she’d closed them. Sienna’s eyes flew open. She was still there, sitting on the rock in the field with Payton.

  “Our powers might be different, Sienna, but they all link back to emotion in the end. Your journey here has simply been a little harder and more recent than some others’. You’ll need to learn to control your emotions if you’re going to control your powers.” She reached out, laying a hand on Sienna’s arm. “Next time, tell yourself that you’re safe. That there’s no danger. The bubble will go away. I promise.”

  Sienna closed her eyes, breathing in deep. Picture your happy place. Wasn’t that what the motivational gurus always said? What was her happy place? A vision floated into her mind, unbidden and yet welcome. She didn’t know whether it was a memory or whether she was seeing time as it stood now, but it didn’t matter. Jace lay asleep, resting his head on his arms. He hadn’t gone to bed, but instead had fallen asleep over a table, still studying a document he’d dug out of one of the many boxes. His gun lay nearby. He hadn’t let that out of his sight since the man had threatened her at the truck stop. Now that they knew the real threat, she supposed he never would. He was still, peaceful, and safe. Jace was her safe space now, and Sienna had a feeling that he was going to stay that way. She felt a small jolt and when she opened her eyes, the tangle of lights was gone.