Night Visions (Night Series) (14 page)

"Well how do you think she's going to feel tonight when you add one more deception to the growing list?"

Letting out a low growl, Ian shook his head, raking his fingers through his hair. "It can't get any worse."

Trent snorted. "You may regret saying that."

Nodding his head, Ian couldn't deny Trent's words. He already had a ton of regret where Sam was concerned. And once she found out her entire life was a lie, he'd probably lose her forever. "Still no word on Jason?"

Trent shook his head. His eyes fell on the horizon as he stroked Storm's muzzle. "Logan checked in yesterday. He met this guy at a bar. Bought him a few shots to loosen him up. Then listened to what he had to say. The guy kept talking about how his life was about to change. He described this mansion where his boss lived and how he must have some serious money to afford the amount of security he had. Logan found the house outside of
Bozeman and they've been watching it. No sign of Jason, but that doesn't mean he's not there.

"Any other excitement on the way that I need to know about?"

"Nothing new since I talked to you. I don't know if that's a good thing or not." Trent's eyes scanned the property, his posture shifted from relaxed to rigid. "Something just doesn't feel right. Mack and Garrett are out patrolling the perimeter. No one's getting on the property without us knowing."

"Yeah
, we passed Mack on the way in."

Trent placed his fingers in his mouth releasing a shrill whistle. A ranch hand ran over and took the reins from Trent, leading Storm to his stall.

"So…are you ready to talk to Sam?"

"No. I've run this conversation through my mind a thousand times and each time it sounds unbelievable to me. I wasn't supposed to do this alone." He dropped his head, resting his hands on his hips. "She has no reason to trust me anymore."

Giving him a firm slap on the back, Trent pushed him forward, joining him on the walk. "Well, we don't exactly have a choice now that Jason is gone. The sooner she knows the sooner she can help us find him."

"But we don't even know what we're dealing with."

"Hopefully her mind will break free of the curse once we enlighten her. If not, we're all screwed."

Stopping near the edge of the fence, Ian turned to face Trent. "You seem to be forgetting the fact that she has to believe us first."

"We're about to validate every strange occurrence that she's had. I think she would choose to think she's not crazy."

Yes.
She would. And what better way than to accuse all of them for being the crazy ones.

Releasing the tension in his shoulders, Ian took a few more steps toward the house. "Who's been watching my place?"

"Jessica and Les have been rotating with Will and Mike. It's been quiet up there. So either they haven't found your place yet…"

"Or they've been following us. Hoping I'll lead them to it. Damn." Ian clenched his jaw. His gut telling him the latter was true.

"But why not make their move when we were alone? Sam thought someone was following her in the woods the other morning. It's possible Ginger scared them off, but why would they only send one person after her? Especially if she's that valuable."

"It's the machinations of a mad man. You'll make yourself just as crazy as him if you try to figure it out."

At this rate, he'd lose his mind in a matter of days. "What about Eve? Has anyone seen her?"

Trent avoided his gaze. Instead
, his eyes shifted to the house. "I've asked around. Even had a couple of guys try to track her down, but the trail came up cold."

"You don't think they got her
, too, do you?" He should have warned her. Told her to hide out until all of this was over. But the night he tried to tell her was the same night she confessed her feelings for him.

Silence hung between them for what seemed like forever. When Trent finally answered, he didn't make eye contact. "You said she's a loner. With you gone
, what reason did she have to stay?"

"Yeah
, but if anything happens to her, it will be my fault."

That response earned him a narrowed glare. "You gotta quit blaming yourself for everything. Eve can handle herself."

Well, that was one thing he had in common with Trent. They both bore the weight of the world on their shoulders. At that thought, a wave of guilt punched his gut. He was so caught up in what to do with Sam, he'd forgotten to keep tabs on his friend. "I'm sorry to dump all this on you. How you holding up?"

Trent's eyes softened before he moved them back to the house. A half smile lifted his lips. "I haven't picked up another bottle of whiskey if that's what you mean. Look, I don't want to deal with the three nursemaids again."

Ian rested his hand on Trent's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "Hey man, we're just glad to have you back amongst the living."

Trent rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. "Let's check on your girl. I wouldn't leave her alone around here long. Once the guys catch sight of her
, you'll have a real fight on your hands."

* * *

Sam took a sip of her iced tea, as she gazed around Trent's great room. This, was no bachelor pad. The stone framing the fireplace extended around the room. A cool breeze blew through three sets of French doors that were opened onto an outdoor sitting area.

She was admiring a black and white framed photo of a mountain range wrapped in a blanket of clouds when Trent and Ian walked in with their bags.

"Trent, your home is stunning. And these photos… The photographer is extremely talented."

The smile vanished from Trent's face as his eyes darkened with sorrow. "Yes. She was." He cleared his throat, set her bag on the floor, and moved toward the back door. "I need to wrap a few things up before dinner. If you'll excuse me." With a tip of his hat
, he exited the house.

She turned to Ian. "What did I say?"

He rubbed his hand over his face. "I should have explained to you before. His fiancé, Rebecca, took those photos."

Reaching out she placed her fingertips against the smooth glass. Trent sat astride a horse, his arm draped across his thigh. His hard features soft and full of love for the woman behind the camera.

"She was killed in an accident."

She snapped her attention to Ian, her heart breaking for the man who loved and lost. "What? How?"

"She went out to take some pictures," he continued. "The storm came in quick, spooked the horse, and it threw her. Trent found her. Her neck was broken."

Sam's hand shot to her mouth as she choked back the emotion surging forward. She couldn't begin to imagine what it would feel like if she found Ian that way. Her heart seized in her chest. Shaking her head, she buried the image in her mind. "I feel horrible."

Bowing his head toward hers, he grazed his knuckles down her cheek. "It's okay. You didn't know."

She held her breath as his head dipped lower, his eyes locked with hers. Just when she thought he would kiss her, his attention averted. Lost in thought, he stared over her shoulder. Lifting his head, he laced his fingers through hers, drawing her to a group of picture frames on a table across the room.

"That's Rebecca," he said, pointing to a picture of a woman with long auburn hair. She was blowing a kiss toward whoever stood behind the camera. And judging from the warmth in her eyes, the photographer must have been Trent.

"How long ago did it happen?"

"Almost three years." Not releasing her hand, he led her through the doors Trent had just vacated. Dusk began to cast a soft glow across the dusty ground. "He withdrew from everyone. Buried his sorrows at the bottom of a bottle. The guys kept up with the day-to-day work on the ranch, but the business side needed Trent. Logan took a leave of absence from his job to help."

So that was part of the reason he was gone so long. He was helping Trent battle his demons.

A trainer passed in front of them, leading a tan horse to the corral. He nodded his head toward them.

"It must have been hard for you to watch your friend fade away."

His hand tightened around hers. Sam dropped her eyes to their entwined fingers. Their connection felt so natural, she forgot they were still holding hands.

"Trent blamed himself for not going with her. It took a long time for him to realize it was an accident."

She stopped, turning to face him. His eyes held a hint of sadness. "He's lucky to have you as a friend."

Taking a step forward, he reached his hand up, brushing a strand of hair off her forehead. His hand slid down, cupping her cheek. Her pulse leapt at his touch. Leaning in to him, she lifted her chin, pressing her lips to
his. Her body melted into his as his thumb rubbed against her skin. A shout from across the yard broke the spell. She stumbled backward, releasing his hand.

She dropped her eyes, staring at the dirt below her feet as she continued toward the stable. Ian hesitated a moment before falling into step next to her. Why was it so hard to control herself when she was around him? She couldn't afford to lose her heart to him again. He would probably be gone by morning.

She needed to keep her distance. To find Jason and get back to her life.

Entering the stable, the smell of straw and the faint tang of manure hung in the air. Row upon row of horses extended before her. A man swiped a brush up and down Storm in front of them. As they approached, Storm snorted and pawed at the ground.

"Easy, Storm," the man crooned. Glancing up, his lips curled into a smile. "Hey, Ian. What can I do for you?"

"Hey, Derrick. I'd like for you to meet Sam."

Derrick rested his fingertips on his brim. "Hi, Sam. We've heard so much about…"

"Yeah," Ian cut in, his eyes roaming over the dozens of stalls surrounding them. "I was looking for Abigail. Trent thought Sam might like to take a ride."

Derrick gestured toward the back door. "She's in the corral. I'll bring a saddle out when I finish up with Storm."

Ian left the barn in long, quick strides. Sam had to jog to keep up. She tugged her lip
between her teeth, rolling the information around in her mind. She thought Trent teased Ian earlier, but Derrick just affirmed that Ian did speak of her. But that didn't mean anything. She was Jason's sister. Of course he would talk about her.

In the distance, she noticed a chocolate mare circling the corral. Ian gave a shrill whistle that caused the horse's ears to twitch. She trotted over, snorted, and shook her head.

"May I present, Abigail."

Sam extended her hand toward Abigail, anxious to stroke her muzzle. The big
, brown eyes staring back at her melted her heart. She never knew she could have such a soft spot for horses.

Extending her arms over the fence, she reached for Abigail. But the moment she made contact with the horse, Sam felt as if a freight train slammed into her chest.

CHAPTER 13

The distant cries of Trent's voice and Ginger's whimpers faded from Ian's mind. He couldn't concentrate on what his friend was saying. Couldn't do anything but stand beside the fence, frozen. His eyes fixed on Sam's body, convulsing as if a thousand volts of electricity surged through her.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he caught her before she crashed to the ground. Her violet tinted eyes widened, boring through him as if he were invisible.

"Sam, honey," he said, running his hand down her pale cheek.

"What happened?" Trent's voice finally made its way through the confusion clouding Ian's mind.

Unable to tear his gaze away from Sam, Ian eased her to the ground still cradling her to his chest. Ginger paced in front of Sam, then stopped, pressing her body against Ian's arm. "I don't know. She touched Abigail. A second later, her body seized up." The blood in his veins chilled. With fear. Regret. Anger at himself. He'd waited too long to tell her. Should have told her years ago and now, because of him, she could die.

Tipping his head at Sam, Trent's voice remained calm. "Bring her in the house. I can see if Doc is still here."

Ian cradled her limp body in his arms. Her shallow breaths spread panic through every part of him. Each second that passed gnawed at his soul. He said a silent prayer to her ancestors.

Please watch over her. She has this gift for a reason. Don't let her die now.

Sam's voice stopped him in his tracks. He bent his head toward her mouth. "Don't hurt him. Please!" she said. The agony lacing her words pierced his heart.

Her head rocked against his chest, her haunted eyes fixed on some unseen evil. He'd never felt so helpless. Not even when Trent faced his darkest days. How could he stop what he didn't understand? What if she needed her powers to survive these episodes?

Ignoring the questioning stares from the ranch hands, Ian continued into the house. He sat on the couch, still cradling her in his arms.

Her body stilled, the cold from her skin seeped through his shirt. Running his hand up and down her arm, he lifted his gaze to Trent. "What if she doesn't wake up?"