Vision in Trust (Legends of the North #2) (2 page)

"Jess," Emma chimed in as she walked into the kitchen.

"What?"

Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "Tell him the rest. This isn't just about you, Jess. Matt and I are both involved already."

Jess let out a deep breath, raising her gaze to the ceiling before she dropped her head against the back of the chair. "It wasn't just a dream. Emma found cobwebs in my hair."

"And?" Emma urged.

Jess turned to stare at her but knew Emma was right. Matt and Emma had been willing to fight whatever was behind the attacks; the least she owed them was the truth. "It wasn't just James in the vault. When I-I touched his cheek ... I don't know ... He turned into Rob."

"Rob?" Matt repeated as he abruptly stood. "What the hell has Rob got to do with this?"

"I don't know," Jess said. She stood too, facing him, and trying to stop her tears from falling.

Emma rested her hand on Matt's chest to get his attention. When he looked at her, she shook her head. "Calm down, Matt, please. I also dreamt about James, remember? We don't know what it means yet."

Jess watched as his chest rose and then sank as he let out his breath with a nod. "You're right, Ems. I'm sorry, Jess. It's just ... how many more people are going to be involved in this that I care about?"

Jess raised both shoulders and slowly dropped them. She didn't know the answer. None of them did.

"Maybe we should go back there. Maybe Jess was right, that we shouldn't just leave James in there."

Jess shook her head. "I don't want to go back there. I won't. I can't see James like that again."

Matt moved in front of Jess and squatted in front of the chair she was sitting in. "We're all in this together, Jess. We all need to agree, but it has to mean something that the first vision you had was about James."

She stared into her brother's—her only brother now, she realised—hazel eyes, such a contrast to her deep brown ones—the light to her dark. She glanced up at Emma as she stood behind Matt, her hands on his shoulders. Emma, her soon-to-be sister-in-law, if Jess had her way. They were a team, in this together, so she nodded her agreement.
 

She would go back with them.

Rob stood at the bar and stared at the blonde draped over his chest, one of her hands clutching his shoulder.
 

She looked up at him and said, "Take me home, sexy."

At least, that's what the words slurred together sounded like. He pried her fingers from his shoulder and wrapped his hands around the tops of her arms. Gently, he stood her upright, easing her off his chest. She wobbled, and he set her hands on the bar, helping her to stand on her own.
 

"Sorry, but I have to go, love," Rob said, as he downed the last dregs of his pint.
He grabbed his jacket off the back of his stool and shoved his arms inside. As he walked out into the chilly March night, he zipped it up. 
He looked up at the stars, bright against the black sky, and let out a loud, deep breath. "What the hell am I doing?" he asked the world in general. He shoved his hands deep into his jacket pockets and let out a weary laugh when he received no answer. What had he expected? Head down against the wind, he walked briskly towards home.

He let himself in, throwing his keys on the table before slamming the front door behind him. Tossing his wallet next to his keys, he shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the hook. He grabbed himself a beer from the fridge and sprawled on the sofa, feet up on the coffee table. Taking a long swig of the beer, he rested his head against the back of the sofa, closing his eyes. What was wrong with him? The blonde was just his type. Normally, he'd have her laid out on the sofa with him, tasting her lips, her tongue. Not be drinking a beer, alone.
 

But ever since that night? He rubbed his fingers through the short hair at the back of his neck and sighed again. There was nothing wrong with him; he just couldn't get
her
out of his head. Couldn’t forget their kiss, even though he knew it couldn't happen again.
I should just go to bed.
Instead, he took another sip of his beer and switched the TV on, absently flicking through the channels.

***

Rob jumped at the loud ringing right in his ear. He moved his head away from the noise, groaning as his head throbbed in response to the movement. The ringing started again, and he dug his mobile phone out from between the cushions. Squinting at the glow coming from the screen, he slid his finger across it. He had two new messages, both from Matt. A none-too-happy Matt, who was on his way to Rob's home right then. He stood, rubbing the back of his neck as he made his way to the kitchen. Stretching his back, it protested at the movement, reminding him he was thirty-one and not eighteen anymore. Too old to spend the night on the sofa. Filling a glass with water, he swallowed two painkillers, then headed for the shower.

He pulled a T-shirt over his head as he made his way downstairs, towards the banging on the front door. He pulled the door open, knowing it would be Matt. "Hi," Rob said.

"What the hell did you do to my sister?"

Shit, what had Jess said to Matt? Rob would have thought he’d be the last person she would have said something to. He certainly wasn't going to tell him anything. It didn't matter how good a friend Matt was. It simply wasn't any of his business. And nothing had happened anyway, not really. "I didn't do anything to your sister. Why, what has she said I've done?"

Matt stopped pacing at his question and stared at him. "So there's nothing going on between you and Jess?"

Rob shook his head. "She's your sister, Matt. We're friends, and I will always look out for her, but that's all." Not actually a lie, just not the whole truth. Hell,
he
didn't want to know the whole truth, so why would he tell it to anybody else?

Matt dropped onto the sofa; his head propped up on his hands. "She had a dream about you."

Rob fell onto the sofa next to Matt and fought the urge to smile. Jess had had a dream about him? Wait, she wouldn't tell her brother about that kind of dream. "What kind of dream?"

"She dreamt about James, and then he turned into you."

Well, shit, that wasn't a good sign. Was that what she saw him as, an older brother substitute? He turned to look at Matt, but he just shrugged.

***

After Matt left Rob headed for Altenchester and Jess. He stopped, his hand on the gate, and looked up the path to Emma's house. He couldn't believe he was there; he felt nervous, excited, and a little like he had betrayed Matt’s trust. Matt had asked him to come round and keep an eye on Jess because both he and Emma were working. What was he supposed to say? "Sorry, Matt, I can't. I don't trust myself to be alone with your sister." Yeah, he couldn't see that going down too well, so there he was. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the gate and strode up the path to knock on the front door.

 
It opened to reveal Jess in her pyjamas. Rob’s gaze dropped to her cleavage, on show from the tight, low-cut top she was wearing, before she wrapped a dressing gown across her chest. Her black hair curled around her face and stuck out in all directions. Dark, long lashes only emphasised her pale skin, as did the dark circles under her eyes. The smile on her face was gone, replaced by a cool look.

"I thought you were Emma and had forgotten your keys again. If you're looking for Matt, he's not here."

He grinned at her; he couldn't help it, remembering how she'd been that night. Okay, so she had been drunk, but she had still kissed him, even giggled at him. But every time they were alone, she became this ice queen, except he knew it was fake. He just didn't know why yet.
 

"Hi, Jess. I'm good, thanks for asking. How are you?" She didn't answer him unless he counted the face she pulled at him. "I'm not looking for Matt, I know, he's not here. He asked me to come round, though." Knowing she wouldn't like his explanation, or ask him to come in, he squeezed past her into the house and towards the kitchen.

***

Jess closed the front door and rested her forehead against the cool wood. What was he doing here? And what was Matt playing at? And why could she only focus on how he had looked at her in her vision when he'd reached for her, his voice as he told her he would protect her. She took a deep breath. What if it was
him
she needed protecting from? He was dangerous—to her, anyway. Dark and dangerous, with his short, almost-black hair and slate-like eyes. Except her body didn't respond like he was dangerous. No, it seemed to be far too excited by the barely concealed muscles beneath the stretched T-shirt he wore.

Gently, she hit her forehead against the door, again and again. Then she straightened her spine, chin raised—she could do this. She
would
do this, she told herself, as she pulled the belt tight around her waist and headed into the kitchen.
 

Rob was leaning against the cupboards, legs crossed at the ankles, coffee cup in hand. She went to pick up her own cup and said, "Please, make yourself at home."

"Thanks."
 

He gave her that grin. The one that made her want to kiss him until she couldn't remember who she was. Either that or slap the grin right off his face. And she hated violence. She moved so the dining table was between them and felt the tightness in her shoulders ease a little. "Why are you here?"

His smile faded and, for one fleeting moment, he looked serious—worried even, going by the lines around his mouth. But then it was gone, replaced by his usual cocky grin. "Matt told me you had a dream about me," he said, lifting and then lowering his eyebrows suggestively.

Oh, my God.
She was going to kill Matt. She could feel the burn in her cheeks and wished the ground would just open and swallow her whole. Placing her cup on the table she turned her back on him, starting for the stairs to escape from him when he grabbed her arm.

"Jess, I'm sorry. Matt told me it was about James. I know you think of me as a brother too, and I'll do anything I can to look out for you."

Jess laughed, and it sounded bitter to her own ears. "God, if you believe I think of you like a brother, you couldn't be further from the truth. Now, let me go." His hand dropped, as did his expression, but she ran upstairs. She knew she'd hurt him, but she just needed to get away from him. From his restraining hold. She slammed the bedroom door behind her and slid down it, her shaky legs giving way. This was why she couldn't be alone with him. He confused her, her brain and body pulling in two very different directions, and she didn't know what to do about it.

Jess didn't know how long she had been in her bedroom when she heard the front door slam. Had he left? She cracked open her door and pressed her ear to the gap.

"Oh, you made me jump. Jess didn't mention she'd asked you to come round."

"She didn't."

Jess closed the door again, but she knew she'd have to go down now; she couldn't leave Emma alone with Rob. She brushed her hands down her blouse, pulling it across her hips. Checked her makeup and teeth in the mirror, then tightened her ponytail. Standing straight, she yanked open the door and headed down the stairs.

"You should come with us," Jess heard Emma saying as she walked into the kitchen. "Oh, hi, Jess. I finished early, and I was just saying to Rob that he should come with us to Altenbury Hall."

Jess's eyes widened as she stared at Emma, but she just stared right back at Jess, smile firmly in place. "Are you serious, Emma? It's not a bloody family picnic we're going on." Emma just smiled more at that, and Jess was seriously beginning to wonder if her friend was high, or drunk, or something.

"Hey!" Matt shouted from the hallway. "I got Miriam to cover at the museum, seeing as it was quiet, and you finished early." Matt stopped and kissed Emma before nodding at Rob.

Emma leaned into Matt and said, "I told Rob he should come with us."

Matt looked down at her, then over to Jess, who glanced at the three of them staring at her and felt like she had entered a parallel universe.
 

Before she could say anything, Rob spoke. "Look, I'm not stupid. I know something's going on. The whole village knows you were attacked, Matt, and I suspect you might have been too, Emma," he said, studying her.
 

He turned to face Jess. "I've known you and Matt for years, but if you don't trust me, with whatever this is ..." He waved his hands in the air, taking a deep breath before he carried on. "If you don't trust me, just tell me, and I'm out of here."

Jess knew what he meant, and she
did
trust him, in so far as he was Matt's friend. Actually, it was herself she didn't really trust, not when it came to Rob.
 

She held out her hand towards the chair. "Sit down." She took a seat herself, and Emma sat opposite her, still smiling. Jess looked at Matt, who was now sitting huddled up to Emma, because this wasn't just her story to tell.
 

It began when Emma moved back to Altenchester, when she had started having visions about James and Matt. And then, when Emma and Matt got together, Matt had been attacked, several times. But whatever had attacked him had killed James. And now, Jess was having visions. Ones that involved Rob.
 

Jess took a deep breath and held it. Slowly, she released it, turning to Rob.
 

"It wasn't just a dream." And, once again, Jess found herself explaining her vision.

***

Rob followed Matt and Emma down Altenbury Lane. Jess walked beside him, a healthy gap between them. He slid his gaze in her direction, but she was looking straight ahead, seeming determined if not a little nervous. He wanted to touch her, reassure her, but he thought that was probably the last thing she wanted. Ever. He'd meant what he had said, though; he would protect Jess, look out for Matt—hell, even Emma. They were his family, had been for years, and Emma too now. His mum had died two years before, and he couldn't remember the last time he had seen his dad. Didn't want to ever again.