Darlings of Paranormal Romance (Anthology) (105 page)

Brandt winced. "I'm sorry. If it's
that hard then we won't discuss this. I didn't mean to upset you."
He walked over, one arm outstretched to touch her gently,
hesitantly before dropping it down to his side. "I thought it might
help to give the victims a voice." This time, he placed an arm
around her shoulders.

She stiffened, but didn't move away.
In truth, she wanted to snuggle in deeper, only couldn't trust her
emotions. "All victims or just those from this same killer?" She
reached up gently to massage the nape of her neck. She hated her
immediate defensiveness. There was no reason not to. After all,
she'd wanted to be able to make a difference. Although, it might be
a lot easier if she had a chance to talk to Stefan first. Maybe he
knew how to help her through the process without the damage she
knew would happen. She needed to ask him at the first
opportunity.

Surprise lit up his voice. "I didn't
know you could choose." He mulled over the concept. "If given a
choice, and if there is the possibility of this killer having other
victims, then that's where I'd like to start." He paused for a
moment. "Although, if you have information on other cases, that
would be a help too. We have an incredible load of unsolved
cases."

"I don't know. I suppose I can try,"
she said. Her voice so soft and so sad, he thought his heart would
break. "It might be easier on me if we do this after I work with
Stefan a few times. Maybe he'll have a few techniques so I can
protect myself." Sam watched the puzzlement wash over his
face.

"Protect yourself? I don't
understand."

He wasn't going to like her answer.
"During recall, a lot of the same energy returns. I tend to slip
between the visions and this reality."

"Whoa! Come again?"

A wry smile played around her lips.
"Sometimes, the same method the person died from will manifest
again – although to a much lesser degree," She rushed to add this
last bit because she saw the horror starting to overtake his
face.

"So you're liable to start bleeding
again?" He shook his head. "Uh, uh. No way are we going
there."

Sam couldn't help it. She laughed
aloud. "The bleeding can be the easy symptoms."

He glanced at her in
disbelief.

"Don't forget, one woman burned alive
in a car accident."

"But we don't know that it wasn't an
accident."

"No, you don't know. I do. Not only
that, I know it was the same killer. I don't understand how or why,
just that there was some connection."

Brandt shook his head as he pulled a
small notebook out. "You're certain that these are all victims of
the same killer?"

"Sure enough that you should do a
search and link everyone they knew and every activity they
participated in. The killer is there somewhere in the mess.
Personally, I'd add Louise Enderby in there. She's the exception
that could show you the rule."

Sam wondered as Brandt spent the next
five minutes writing down something in a notebook. Then she
realized she had something that might help, while not hurting her.
"I'll be right back." She strode into her bedroom. They were here
somewhere in one of the boxes. She rummaged through the first, and
then the second stacked box before finding what she was searching
for at the bottom. Sorting the books out, she grabbed up the one
she wanted.

Brandt was on his cell phone when she
returned. Not wanting to bother him, she refilled their cups with
hot tea then sat down to wait.

"Right. Graph it out. I know it's
far-fetched, but we haven't got anything else to go on so let's
give this a try." He glanced over at her and smiled. "Let's pull
all the data and cross reference with these other cases. If the
information isn't there then let's get it." Brandt jotted down
several notes in his notepad. "No. I'll come in early tomorrow. We
can map out what we have then."

The conversation carried on a little
longer and Sam blanked out. She flicked through the book in her
hand, wincing at the notes. Very graphic and way too painful to
read again, she wondered at her compulsion to write all this in the
first place.

"What have you got there?"

Surprised, Sam looked up.
"What?"

He folded and put away the phone. "So
what's that you've got?"

"Here." She took a deep breath. Then
as if making a decision, she handed the cheap, worn book over to
him.

Brandt accepted it, glancing from her
to the book and back again. "What is it?"

"My journal. It will have some dates
and some details."

Brandt flicked through the lined
pages, daunted by the sheer outpouring of her soul. "Is this about
your visions?" He stopped, read a note, then turned the page. "How
far back does this go?"

"It's close to being the first half
of this year."

"This year?" Shock threaded through
his voice.

"I have one I'm currently working
on." She shrugged, unable to stop the self-conscious feeling. "I
feel compelled to write down every detail I can remember after a
vision. It's my way of letting the victims speak." She crossed her
arms across her chest. "The thing is, I've never told anyone about
these journals."

"Ever?

"No."

He bent forward, placing one hand on
her knee. "Thank you."

A shaky sigh escaped. She nodded, a
tiny smile on her lips. "You're welcome."

Brandt squeezed her knee gently, then
sat up again. "So this is everything written here?" He slapped the
book on this thigh, studying her face.

Soberly, Sam nodded. "Of
those visions. I have more upstairs – at least twenty
more."

***

9:05 pm

Brandt could feel the blood leach
from his face. One of them? She had twenty more journals? Holy
Shit. What kind of life had she had?

"A terrible one."

Brandt's head shot up in shock. His
mind spun out of control. Did she just do that? Please,
no.

"No I can't read minds. Your face on
the other hand..." She grinned at his sour grimace.

He stared at the gold mine in his
hand. He couldn't figure out what to focus on. She'd just handed
him an incredible gift. Sure, he'd have to find proof, depending on
her information, but she could give him a direction to start
digging. Some of these cases might not even be in the files. Some
could have been ruled accidental. Some could have been solved by
now. Some killers could literally have gotten away with
murder.

Sam's hesitant voice broke through
his heavy thoughts. "I might be able to help in other
ways."

He glanced at her in surprise. "You
already have," he said lifting up the journal. "Can I take
this?"

She cringed. "I don't really want the
information shared with the rest of your team. Maybe read it over
and see if there is anything useful. Take notes or photocopy the
pages. I would like the original back."

"Absolutely. Photocopying is a good
idea. And don't worry, I won't let Kevin or anyone else get their
hands on this." Brandt knew the value of what he held. He wasn't
planning on letting anyone else in on it until he could find the
proof to match with the information. He flicked through the
journal, stopping to read a page, wincing at the pain and the
horror that dripped from the pages. Sam had come up behind to read
over his shoulder, her long blond hair falling over his
shoulder.

His nostrils flared as her fresh
womanly scent sank in. He glanced up, still caught by her feelings
so transparent, her torment so real, before just focusing on her
now. How quickly she'd slipped under his guard. This gentle woman
had experienced so much pain already. He wanted to make her feel
better, to make the pain go away. Setting the book aside, he stood
up and stepped up next to her.

She stilled, her eyes wide like a
deer caught in headlights.

Brandt grinned and dropped a kiss on
the tip of her nose. Sliding his arms around her, Brandt tugged her
into a gentle hug. When she relaxed against him, he rested his
cheek on the top of her head and smiled.

He hesitated. Should he even broach
the subject? Still, if this wasn't a good time, when would there
ever be a better one? "You know you're never far from my mind,
don't you?"

Sam tried to pull back slightly, when
he wouldn't release her she contented herself with tilting her head
up instead.

"Really?" Her voice came out as a
gentle whisper, full of wonder and enchantment. Brandt immediately
fell under her spell.

"Really." He stared down at her
porcelain skin, the huge eyes that said so much, yet nothing at
all, and those lips. He hadn't noticed them the first couple of
times he'd seen her, now they were all he could think about – so
red and full, so very inviting, so very ready to be
loved.

He couldn't help himself. He bent and
claimed them for his own.

***

9:15 pm

Overwhelmed by his words, Sam was
blindsided by the touch of his lips. They coaxed, yet entranced.
She'd never been kissed in such a way before. She wondered if she'd
ever truly been kissed. She craved his touch. She wanted so much
more. That there couldn't be a forever, didn't matter. She needed
this, right now, right here...with him.

Letting herself slide under the spell
he wove so magically, her hands slid up to either side of his face,
and she kissed him back.

Her lips twitched at his startled
pause. Excitement surged through her as he turned the tables on her
and deepened the kiss.

A moan escaped. Oh, Lord. Her legs
had turned to jelly – she'd never felt so weak. He tightened his
arms, supporting her against him. He lifted his head.

"Sam?"

She opened her eyes. God, he was
beautiful. Inside and out. She wanted what he offered. She wanted
not to be alone – at least for one night. "Yes."

"Yes? Are you sure?"

Her smile turned to a full-blown
laugh. "Yes, I'm sure."

Her answer darkened his eyes to an
almost jet black. She smiled, reaching a hand to stroke the side of
his face. "Yes, yes, and yes." She snagged his ear and tugged him
toward her. "So what are you waiting for?"

"For you. For a very long
time."

Sam's heart swelled. She knew exactly
what he meant. She felt the same. She'd waited so long, she'd
become so accustomed to the sensation, she'd forgotten what it
actually meant. Now, she knew. She'd been waiting – for him. For
this.

Still, she couldn't promise much. She
frowned, not knowing how to let him know. He placed a finger
against her lips.

"Don't. Don't think about tomorrow.
Don't think about any of the many 'what ifs,' just think about us –
tonight."

She closed her eyes, the tension
draining from her shoulders, and relaxed against him. "You're
right."

"I know. That wasn't so hard, was
it?" He grinned at her even as he scooped her up in his arms and
carried her to the bedroom.

"Always got to be right, don't you?"
She couldn't resist teasing him. He set her on the bed, only she
bounced to her knees and started opening the buttons on his
shirt.

"Nope. Like right now. I think you're
right." His grin blew her away. She couldn't help but respond to
the lightness of his tone. She never knew lovemaking could be so
much fun. She quickened her pace, pulling his shirttail out of his
jeans and down his arms.

"Whoa, take it easy. We've got all
night." He shrugged out of his shirt, dropping it to the
floor.

Sam snorted. "Like hell." She reached
for his belt buckle, when the tantalizing bulge just below
sidetracked her. Her fingers wandered, caressing with exploratory
strokes before finally wrapping around and gently
squeezing.

"Jesus Christ," he yelped, trying to
put some distance between them. "This will be over before we ever
get started if you don't stop that."

Sam grinned, feeling a lightness to
her soul she'd never experienced before. "I don't care."

"What?" he responded, outraged. "Oh
you don't, huh? Well, two can play that game." In a smooth move she
hadn't even seen coming, her sweater and t-shirt were pulled over
her head and wrapped around her arms, holding them above her head.
He applied gentle pressure and Sam found herself lying on her back.
Using only one hand, Brandt easily held her there while undoing her
jeans and tugging them down her hips, to send them flying across
the bed.

He grinned, his smile sensuous and
teasing. "Now, it's my turn."

Sam's eyes widened. Expecting to be
ravished, his slow sensual assault slid under her
defenses.

Ever so gently, his tongue stroked
around her nipple. First on one breast, then the other. Tiny
nibbles followed the moist path, close, but not quite touching her
nipples. She sighed and moaned, twisting closer, then moving
sensuously away.

When he did finally take her nipple
into his mouth, she arched her back. "Oh God," she whispered almost
in prayer.