The Final Omen: Second Sight Book Four (4 page)

Jared interrupted him. “Yes, I know. I looked into it before she left for Wildwood. The girl’s name is Kendall McDuffy and Kate found her working as a waitress at a diner. She called me to ask for advice on how to convince the girl to return home to her mom.”

“Kendall was being abused by her stepfather; it was the reason she ran away. Kate urged Kendall to come forward and tell her mom about what had been going on. The stepfather’s name is Barry Franks. Since we know how Kate loves to speak first and think later, she got in Barry’s face and swore he’d have to get through her before he ever laid his hands on Kendall again. Barry threatened to kill Kate before getting hauled off in handcuffs.” Declan let out a shaky breath. “Dude, I’m glad you’re back around to take your crazy girl off my hands. My blood pressure has never been higher since you broke up with her.”

Jared swallowed down his retort. He’d try to keep the peace with Declan for Kate’s sake. “Barry was arrested yesterday though. Even if they didn’t hold him overnight, which is highly doubtful, he would’ve never had enough time to break into Kate’s house and attack her.”

“That’s all I got. But maybe the cops will uncover something at the house that’ll lead to an arrest.”

Jared nodded absently. His gut twisted at the idea and he questioned himself why the statement bothered him. If he was honest with himself, it was because he wanted to find the person before anyone else. He wanted to be the one to exact justice, to make sure whoever was responsible would never pose a threat to Kate again.

Chapter Six

“What do you mean you’re not going to tell me?” Kate’s face fell. It was clear she wouldn’t remember who tried to kill her despite Rose revealing his identity, but for Kate’s own personal satisfaction, she wanted to know before she returned to her life.

“Kate, the fact that you’re here is upsetting enough as it is…for both of us. You can’t imagine what I’d trade to have the chance to hug Jared again. I do feel envious over the fact you get to do that soon. Revel in that and don’t waste your time here focusing on the negative. You’ll be consumed with hatred and only wish you could find a way to hold onto your memories.” Rose smiled wanly. “You’ll just have to trust me and believe that I have yours and Jared’s best interests at heart.”

It was difficult to argue with Rose. The way she said Jared’s name, it was equal parts beautiful and tormenting. Kate was frustrated with Rose’s vagueness, but she had the ability to make the concerns feel small.

“Are you in control of the premonitions I receive? Will you make sure I get the memo about stopping Jared from killing the person?”

“I can’t be actively involved in what happens in your world. Your psychic gift will help you and I have faith that you’ll continue to master your abilities. The premonitions are unpredictable, what you see are the same glimpses I have of potential futures. I don’t decide when or what you see. A part of being psychic is being able to tap into the possible destinies of others.

“The first time you were healed I was permitted to send you away with a vision—the abduction of Matt Spencer. I wished for you to wake up and see what good you could do with your powers. Beyond that, your abilities are ever-changing.” Rose’s skirt swayed as she walked in a half-circle around Kate, studying her. “My hope is you’ll see something in Jared’s future that will incite your protective instincts and keep him on the right path.”

She inwardly groaned. Maybe Rose was right and Kate should stop asking so many questions. It was disheartening to hear she’d have to rely on her gift, powers that were unreliable at best, to save Jared from a disastrous fate.

“I feel like we should be having a metaphysical discussion or something. My mom would be very disappointed in me if I didn’t ask about godly stuff,” Kate admitted. “I’m assuming you’re an angel, right? Were you assigned to me or something?” What a crap job that must be, she thought wryly. She hoped Rose had earned her wings by now if she was the one responsible for consistently saving Kate’s butt.

“We’ll save that for when you’re here permanently. For now, you should get ready to return.” Rose’s smile was sad and Kate understood how hard it was to say goodbye. She was the woman’s one tie to Jared. Although Kate wasn’t the touchy feely sort, she reached for Rose and impulsively gave her a big hug.

“You’ll see Jared again,” Kate swore. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t kill anyone; and, when the time is right, you’ll be reunited with him and your husband.”

“Thank you, Kate. When I saw that his path would cross with yours, I was certain I had to save you to make sure you were in each other’s lives,” Rose breathed into Kate’s hair.

She pulled away and smirked. “It’s either the sweetest or creepiest incidence of matchmaking I ever heard of.”

Rose shook her head and smiled. “I’m excited to watch your journey, Kate. I may be on the sidelines, but I’m still content knowing there’s the possibility of a good and full life for you and Jared.”

“Yeah, about that future…do you want to give me any clues to what happens?” Kate asked leaning forward. “Do we get married? Do we have kids? Are the kids cute? Because your son is drop dead gorgeous and extremely hot people often have funny looking children.”

Rose’s laughter twinkled around her. “The things you worry about…”

Kate shot the woman a mock indignant look. “Hey, I’m just thinking about my poor future kids. You don’t happen to have a photo, do you?”

“Goodbye Kate,” Rose said softly. “I wish you success in, not only keeping my son from danger, but using your powers for the good of others.”

“Before I go…please just tell me…who tried to kill me?” Kate whispered.

Rose pulled the girl close and embraced her, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and murmured a name.

Kate pulled back and her eyes widened with dawning horror. “No…” She opened her mouth to demand more answers, but Rose and the kitchen began to dissolve. Kate tried to hold on, tried to not succumb to the darkness trying to claim her, but it was pointless. Everything she’d seen and learned in the inbetween disappeared into a void.

***

“I know that tone, Corbett, and the answer is no. I can’t tell you anything about Kate’s case.” Detective John Thompson’s voice was resolute over the phone line, but Jared understood it was an act. A few minutes of badgering and his friend would divulge everything.

“Come on…what if your wife was the one who was attacked? Do you think I’d keep you out of the loop?” Jared coaxed. Adjusting his Bluetooth at a red light en route to the hospital, he waited for John’s reply.

“No, but I’d trust my friends to do whatever they could to find the asshole who did it,” he asserted. He took a gentler tone. “I know it’s impossible to ask, but we’re going to find who did this, just let us do our jobs. In the meantime, focus on Kate and be there for her family.”

“I know the spiel, Thompson, I’ve given it before,” Jared groaned. “Just tell me what was found at the house.”

“Kid, you’re a pain in my ass…”

“Don’t call me kid,” he muttered.

Becoming a detective at twenty-eight made him a target at the department. He’d been on the police force since he was twenty, but he was still treated like a rookie. The heckling from his colleagues never usually got to him, but he wouldn’t let them not take him seriously when it came to Kate’s case.

“Listen, Corbett, I’ll tell you what we know, but you can’t be involved. Don’t go interviewing witnesses or looking for more evidence. If you try and dig around, it could blow the case once we catch this guy,” Thompson advised.

Jared made a noncommittal sound of assent. He didn’t plan to let the guy make it to a trial, so it didn’t matter.

The moment Jared saw Kate’s blood pooling around her, bloodied footprints of the person who did it creating a trail to the backdoor, he’d irrevocably changed. He was as by the book as they came; a rule following, regimented person. It was the reason he was hired at such a young age and advanced swiftly. But that persona splintered into thousands of pieces when he saw what someone did to the woman he loved.

“I’m not going to throw you under the bus, just let me know what you guys have found,” Jared said softly.

“There was a forced entry from the rear of the house. We believe the perp arrived first and attacked Kate as soon as she entered the residence. When you arrived, he was scared off and fled through the back door. We have his footprints, a size eleven shoe, because the soles were soaked with blood.”

The bitter taste of bile stung his throat as he thought of her blood caked onto the floor of her home. “What about the alarm?” Jared interjected. “Why didn’t it go off when the back door was busted in?”

“The alarm was disarmed at five, around the same time Darlene Edwards reported she left the home. After talking to her, we believe she forgot to set the alarm as she left for her party. Ms. Edwards thought she entered the code, but couldn’t be a hundred percent. The alarm had only been recently installed and she was still getting used to it,” John answered.

Jared cringed at the news. Darlene was overprotective and it was likely killing her to realize she hadn’t secured the house before leaving. The situation felt off and he wondered at what kind of rotten luck would’ve had to happen in order for the person targeting Kate to come to the house one of the few times the alarm was likely not set. “What else? Anyone see or hear anything?”

“One of the neighbors heard their dogs in the backyard going nuts at six-thirty. The woman said her dogs have a tendency to bark often, so she didn’t think anything of it, but once she heard snarling, she looked outside. She saw a figure wearing dark clothing cutting through the yard next to hers, but couldn’t make out any details.” John groaned. “We didn’t lift any fingerprints, but we’re working on the lead about the flowers. We’re also interviewing everyone in the neighborhood to see if anyone saw or heard anything suspicious that night.”

“Hmmm,” Jared mumbled as his brain continued to work the details of the case. If he took Kate out of the equation, removed his personal connection, he’d be able to effectively process the evidence. “Once Kate wakes up, I hope she’ll be able to tell us who did this to her.”

“Of course,” John said. He was trying to disguise it, but the pity was in his voice, the hidden belief Jared was kidding himself. The underlying message was: John didn’t believe she’d ever wake up.

With little else to offer Jared as far as the case, he thanked the detective and hung-up. But not before making John promise he would call as soon as additional evidence was uncovered.

It had been three days. Three days of standing before Kate’s bed and willing her to wake up. He’d prayed, negotiated and raged in order to get her better, but her condition remained unchanged. He was at the hospital all day, only leaving to shower and change clothing. While talking to John, Jared had been driving back to the hospital to see her again.

As each day passed, his despondency grew. He’d stand in front of her bed and allow the darker thoughts to control him. What if she was gone forever? How would he function day to day if she wasn’t beside him? The only thing that could bring him out of his melancholy was to replace his sadness with loathing. His rage was a comfort and he stayed sane by allowing images to flash through his head of employing obscure torture techniques when he got his hands on the person responsible.

Kate’s best friend, Julie, was sitting in the waiting room alone when he arrived at the hospital. His breath hitched and the room spun as he took in her torn expression. Her cheeks were moist and her skin flushed, as if she’d been crying for some time. Jared rushed over. “Kate?”

Julie’s eyes watered as she stared at him. The silence dragged on before she finally spoke. “Her mom is visiting her now. But the doctors have concerns about Kate’s condition. She’s not showing any type of motor response when they shine a light into her eyes. They’re worried it could mean she won’t wake up or she’ll have a major disability if she does.”

Jared sank down into the green hospital chair next to Julie and set his elbows on his knees. After drawing in a long and shaky breath, he let it out it in a rush. “Kate not waking up isn’t a possibility. Kate’s a fighter and…”
And she won’t leave me
, Jared finished the thought silently.

“I’ve been a horrible friend. She warned me about the visions and I blew it off,” Julie confessed.

“It’s not your fault and Kate’s going to give you hell for blaming yourself when she wakes up. The person who did this to her is the only one at fault and he’s going to get what’s coming to him,” Jared said.
He will die
, he swore to himself.

“I’m glad you’re here. I know things have been a complete shit show between you and Kate since she met Declan, but she’s never stopped having feelings for you. Even when I told her you were a complete asshat for having dinner with Nikki.” Julie’s sad disposition disappeared and a fiercely protective expression took over her features. She’d been a loyal friend to Kate for a long time.

“Well, I plan on making things right with her,” Jared offered.

“If she wakes up.”

“When she wakes up,” Jared corrected. He pointed to the diamond on Julie’s ring finger. “I guess belated congratulations are in order.”

Julie smiled tightly. “Although there’s no love lost between Kate and my fiancé, she still has dutifully been dragged to bridal appointment after bridal appointment. She has to be my maid of honor and once the two of you get your shit together, I’ll be hers.” Julie’s voice caught and she looked on the verge of dissolving back into tears. Jared was about to comfort her again when his breath caught.

Kate’s mom was running through the door with an indiscernible expression on her face. Breathlessly, she froze in front of them. “Katie’s awake.”

Chapter Seven

When Kate first woke up, it felt like she was seeing everything underwater. She could make out figures, but they were distorted in front of her. She recognized features: her mom’s short bob, Jared’s ebony hair, her father’s blue eyes, but Kate couldn’t put them all together. Voices called to her, saying her name, firing questions. She answered in her head, but couldn’t form the words to give them what they wanted. The question that stuck out the most was: “Who did this? Who hurt you, Kate?”

The question rocked her to the core because she couldn’t answer. The man who attacked her wore a mask fashioned out of a burlap sack and clothing that didn’t give her a clear indication of his body type. The worst part was the question meant they didn’t catch him. He was still on the loose and still a threat to her safety.

Instead of answers, she was able to moan a few words as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She tried to stay awake, tried to avoid succumbing to a dreamless sleep once again, but she felt herself slipping. It made her unsure of her survival. Was she still dying?

If it weren’t for her survival instincts, she would’ve allowed herself to fade—because her body was in agony. She felt like a girl on fire, burning up from the inside out. As she lay paralyzed in her own personal hell, she relived her attack and imagined she felt the stabbing pain that pierced her skin as the maniac drove the knife into her again and again. What awaited her when she regained complete control of her senses?

At the edges of the anguished feelings that threatened to consume her was something else. A desperate urge to keep fighting, to battle for the people she loved. When she awoke, the war for her survival would rage on, but she’d have the ones she loved by her side.

Her mother’s pleas were what came first—her beautiful voice begging for Kate to come back and never leave again. Her mom told Kate in an urgent whisper that she’d been almost snatched away permanently too many times and a parent shouldn’t outlive a child—it went against the laws of nature.

After what felt like an eternity, she was able to focus on her mother’s face. She had worry lines etched into her forehead and a grimace as she met Kate’s gaze.

Darlene’s features relaxed, as she must’ve realized recognition was growing in Kate’s eyes.

“Katie,” her mom said sharply. She looked at the two figures standing behind her and addressed them, “I think she’s finally coming to.”

Her father cut a striking figure as he stood at the base of the bed. He was out of his usual accountant uniform of a suit and tie, and had on a pair of jeans and a polo shirt.

Declan was standing nearby, shifting uncertainly from side to side. His chocolate eyes appeared tired, but he managed a smile when Kate looked his way. Her dad was giving her a reassuring smile while Declan was giving her the thumbs up signal.

Her head rolled around and her eyes widened while looking at her surroundings. She was supine on a hospital bed, hooked up to a plethora of machines that were beeping and clicking, monitoring her broken body. She was scared to look down at her form, to see what was left of her after the attack. A choked sob escaped as she felt the panic from her assault return.

“Katie, you’re okay. You’re safe now,” her mom whispered fervently, sensing the source of Kate’s distress.

“What happened?” she managed.

“You were attacked by someone when you came back from Wildwood. You were in a coma for three days. You woke up yesterday morning, but haven’t been able to say much since then,” her mom clarified in a breathless rush.

Kate had more questions, but was interrupted by the arrival of a doctor. The doctor fired question after question and it left her with little chance to completely regain her bearings. Between each breath of explaining how she was feeling she wanted to ask the question most nagging her at the moment:
Where is he?

The doctor explained she’d been stabbed five times and had gone through surgery to repair the damage and suture the lesions. Because of the severity of her wounds, she’d been put in a medically induced coma as part of her recovery. She was unresponsive to motor tests and they’d feared the worst. But then her vital signs improved and they were able to wean her off of the drugs keeping her comatose.

She was on medications to deal with the pain and prevent infections. The drugs were making her loopy, and it was a struggle to stay alert during the conversation. She wiggled her fingers and toes, but found it a struggle to try and lift her legs and arms more than a couple of inches. The doctor explained she’d most likely need extensive physical therapy to regain full motor function.

After the doctor left she was quiet for a second, trying to process everything he’d said. As she opened her mouth to talk, she shut it quickly when she heard a disruption at the door of her room. Declan and Kate’s father were forced to step back as Jared’s tall form went barreling past them.

Abruptly, he stopped at the side of her bed and grabbed her hand. Although she felt a sense of disconnection due to the painkillers being pumped into her body, she managed a smile for him. “Jared,” she sighed.

“Kate, I love you,” he said hurriedly.

Her eyes enlarged and she swore she stopped breathing for a second. Kate waited for the alarm to sound, alerting the hospital staff of the spike in her heart rate. Before she could overcome her shock and manage a reply, she heard a dark chuckle from the foot of the bed.

Declan walked over and tossed his arm around Jared’s shoulders. “Dude, tone it down a notch. You haven’t even exchanged pleasantries and you’re busting out with I love you.” He chuckled. “Too soon.”

Jared shrugged off Declan’s arm and addressed Kate. “Sorry. I’ve just been waiting to say that to you and I had to get it out.”

Jared’s gray eyes found hers and she found herself lost in the intensity of his stare. It seemed like minutes ago she imagined it was the last time she’d see him. She’d told him she loved him as part of saying goodbye, and her body sagged with relief as she realized the most miraculous thing had happened: she survived.

Kate’s mom cleared her throat. “Boys, maybe we should give Katie some space and let her get some rest.”

Kate found her voice. “That’s okay, Mom. Can everyone give us a minute? I’d like to talk to Jared alone.”

Darlene nodded while Kate’s dad looked sternly against the idea. He shouldered Jared and Declan out of the way to lean at her bedside. “Katie, you’ve been through one hell of an ordeal. You’re on a lot of medications and should be supervised by your parents and the doctors. Not left alone with people who may not have your best interests at heart.”

“Robert,” her mother snapped. “Jared is the reason Katie is alive. If he hadn’t come to our house when he did, God only knows what could’ve happened to our daughter. Katie is twenty-two years old, and if she wants to be alone with her boyfriend, then you need to step aside.”

She sounded furious and it made Kate curious over what had been happening while she was unconscious. Kate’s father had never been particularly fond of Jared, mainly because of the seven-year age difference between the couple, and the fact Jared had been involved with Nikki when Kate first met him. She hoped her dad hadn’t dredged up old resentments while she’d been recovering.

Kate looked past her dad at Jared. A vein was pulsing in his forehead and she could tell it was taking a concentrated effort for him not to argue with her dad. She appreciated Jared reining in his annoyance and keeping the peace.

“Dad, please. I’m too tired to fight with you and I only want a minute alone with him,” she begged. Her dad may be tough on her, but she also knew he cared about her enough to relent when she really needed something. At the moment, she
needed
Jared.

“Fine,” he huffed. He turned and addressed Jared. “But I don’t want you saying anything that’ll upset my daughter.” Her dad pressed a kiss on her forehead before striding out of the hospital room.

Her mom squeezed Kate’s hand. “Don’t worry about your dad, sweetheart. It’s been a tense few days and he’s only concerned about you getting better. You were pretty out of it yesterday…” Her mom trailed off and gave Jared a knowing look before continuing. “And I think he’s terrified of losing you.”

“Why? What was I like yesterday?” Kate’s eyes volleyed between her mom and Jared. The day before was a blur, the memories surreal, feeling more like dreams than actual moments of lucidity.

“You just mumbled a lot of stuff that didn’t make much sense,” she said kindly.

“And you may have asked Jared to take off his shirt while your dad was in the room,” Declan added helpfully.

“Thanks Declan,” her mother snapped. She grabbed him by the arm. “I’ll take this nuisance away now, so you can have some time alone with Jared.”

“I’m glad you’re okay, Kit Kat. Don’t scare us again like that,” Declan said before allowing Kate’s mom to lead him out.

Kate’s energy was depleted and she didn’t have it in her to snap at him for using the annoying nickname he’d assigned her. She cringed as she cast a sidelong glance at Jared. “Did I really ask you to undress in front of my dad?”

“Yes, I felt very objectified by you,” he joked while pulling a chair over to the side of the bed. “Kate, it was no big deal, honestly. You know Declan loves to be a shit stirrer.”

She understood that about her friend, but wondered why they were talking about Declan like Jared was unbothered by the psychic. So much had obviously changed while she’d been unconscious, she wondered if she’d actually been in a coma for years instead of days.

Kate cleared her throat. “So you love me, huh?”

“I expected to tell you in private and in a way to sweep you off your feet, but it slipped out before I could plan my delivery better,” Jared admitted. “I had regrets of not telling you sooner.”

“What do you mean? Like when I was dying and said it to you first?” she asked meaningfully.

“I’m sorry, Kate. If I told you then, I was afraid you wouldn’t come back to me. Like that moment would be our way of saying goodbye to each other.” He confessed. “I never want to say goodbye to you. I love you.”

Despite everything her body had been through, Kate was still able to find the ability to smile. “I love you, too.”

Gently, Jared leaned over and brushed his lips against her mouth. She closed her eyes and felt the strongest sense of contentment. It seemed like a lifetime ago when she felt the softness of his mouth against hers. After the initial tease, his kiss was firmer and she felt a familiar heat building inside of her. She wanted to shake with relief. She’d almost been robbed of beginning a new chapter with Jared, but for some reason she’d survived.

She let out a half-laugh as he pulled back. “This is a pretty great way to wake up. Maybe I should go into a coma more often if it makes all of the sucky things about my life disappear. Any other good news? Did all of my credit card debt get paid off? Did the government forgive all of my student loans?” Her smile faded as a thought chilled her. “Was the man who did this to me caught?”

Jared’s expression changed and hardness crept into his eyes. She almost wished the words back. Her question had stolen away the feelings of happiness and love that they had just shared. It cast a shadow over both of them and she had a feeling the fight for her life was far from over.

“What can you tell me, Kate? Who did this to you?”

Kate closed her eyes. It stung to make Jared disappear from view. But she forced herself to return to the night of her attack. She could see herself coming through the door, noticing the alarm wasn’t set. Picking up the phone to call her mom and receiving no answer. At the first sound of heavy footfalls on the floor, Kate was flying towards the door. She fought him off, she fought like hell, but he still was able to stab her again and again.

“I can’t tell you who he was. He wore a black sweater and dark pants. He was drowning in the sweater, so it was difficult to tell his exact size. He wore a mask…” Kate sniffed as the memories overtook her. “It was a homemade sack with holes cut out for the eyes.”

“Kate, look at me.”

She forced open her eyes and disappeared inside of Jared’s gray-eyed gaze.

“You have nothing to be scared of. No one is going to ever hurt you again. I’m sorry for everything, but I’m here now. I love you and I’m going to keep you safe.”

“And cue the swelling violins,” Declan joked as he reentered the room.

Kate wiped at the moisture on her cheeks. “Didn’t my mom kick you out?”

“I ducked out when your priest came into the waiting room,” he said.

“Father Bernard is here?”

“It was touch and go there. I guess maybe your parents called him to do the last rites,” he said nonchalantly.

“You’re lucky I’m incapacitated or I’d hurt you,” she retorted.

“I gave you two your five minutes to kiss and makeup. Now, we have to get to work and catch the asshole who put you here,” he explained. He leaned over and gripped the railing of her hospital bed. “What can you tell us?”

“Nothing,” she sighed. “He wore a mask and dark clothing. The one thing that struck me as odd was the scary looking hunting knife he used. It was long and thin with a fine point and serrated edges. Maybe the cops can track him down by finding a record of who bought that kind of weapon.”

“Someone breaks into your house and stabs you and that’s the only thing that struck you as odd.” Declan shook his head. “Luckily, Jared and I have been playing murder mystery theater while you were laid up.”

Kate’s eyes shrewdly examined Jared and Declan. She lifted up her hand and pointed her finger between the two of them. “You two have been working together?”

“Yes,” Jared said with a nod. “He’s been jumping into suspects’ heads, but nothing has turned up yet.”

“But you two hate each other,” she said.

“Kit Kat, we’re all good now. Jared and I came to a bro understanding about you,” Declan said in an excited rush.

“What the hell Dec? Was that even in English?”

Jared’s smile was forced. “What Declan is trying to say is that we’re fine now and he’s going to help me find your attacker.”