dragging him out in the rain? No way. She fingered the sleeve. She really would like to keep the slicker. “He’s your friend, Gabriel,” Kalesia reminded him. “Please,” she added for good measure.
He shook his head, exasperated. “And if he says no?”
“Blackmail him. You seem really good at that,” she reminded him, her voice just a shade too sweet.
“Sit,” he commanded, pointing at one end of the bench. “And don’t move.” He shook his head. “The things I do for you,” he muttered as he headed in Harley’s direction.
She sat.
Agony exploded in her brain…
Pain.
Betrayal.
Such a fool.
Black Italian loafers filled his vision. They gleamed. He wondered how he managed to keep the dust off them. It was so very dry. Little puffs of dust marked each footstep.
With an effort, he lifted his head off the rough wood.
He couldn’t move.
The pain in his head was excruciating.
He’d been such a fool to think he was in control, to believe he was safe because he was feared.
He should have been more careful.
“Steele! Get over here quick!”
The shout brought Gabriel’s head around with a snap. His heart stopped beating in his chest when he saw Kalesia pitch head first onto the dirt floor.
“ Kalesia !” Gabriel wasn’t aware of his roar as he raced to her side.
He rolled her over gently. Her face was dead white. In the hollow of her throat, a pulse beat frantically.
“ Kalesia , wake up. Come on, sugar, wake up.” He patted her cheeks. He looked up and pinned the nearest man in place with a glare. “What the hell happened?”
The man looked almost as shaken as Gabriel felt. “I don’t know. I saw her as we were arriving. One second she was sitting, the next stiffening up like she was having some kind of a seizure.”
“Back up. Give her some air. She’s coming around.” Harley’s words brought Gabriel’s gaze back to Kalesia . Sure enough, her lashes were fluttering and, beneath the closed lids, her eyes flickered.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Wake up now.”
“Gabriel?” The words were raspy and dry. She looked startled at the sea of faces hovering over her and struggled to sit up.
“ Shh , easy does it. Take your time.” A hand at her back, he helped her. Using his knee as a brace, he cradled her against his shoulder.
“What happened?” She leaned into him, letting him support her weight.
“You passed out. Can you tell me what happened?” He hugged her tighter, his heart just starting to settle down to a normal pace.
She stared at him. “Impossible. I never faint!”
“You did this time. What happened, Kalesia ?” he insisted, too disturbed to care what he was revealing to the men surrounding them.
A deep spasm ran through her. “Oh God, Gabriel, I had another vision!”
“You mean another murder?” It was Harley who asked.
She shook her head fretfully. “No, no. It was the same man. He was sitting there,” her finger shook violently as she pointed to where she had been sitting. “Someone came up behind him and hit him on the head!” Her voice rose shrilly. She bit her lip, obviously fighting for control. After a minute she continued.
“It was someone he knew. Someone he expected. There was such a sense of betrayal…and self-recrimination.”
“Self-recrimination?” That didn’t make a lot of sense. Betrayal, fear, confusion, those Gabriel could understand but not self-recrimination.
“I think they were working together. At least, that’s the impression I got.”
“What else do you remember? Think carefully, Kalesia . Every detail could be important.”
“Shoes,” she said suddenly. “Shoes. I remember the other man’s shoes. They were black and expensive. The shine on them was perfect.”
They were all quiet for a moment. Gabriel broke the silence.
“In your first vision, do you remember seeing the same shoes?”
Kalesia closed her eyes, her brow crinkling. “The killer moved next to the body. He crouched as he ran his
He shook his head, exasperated. “And if he says no?”
“Blackmail him. You seem really good at that,” she reminded him, her voice just a shade too sweet.
“Sit,” he commanded, pointing at one end of the bench. “And don’t move.” He shook his head. “The things I do for you,” he muttered as he headed in Harley’s direction.
She sat.
Agony exploded in her brain…
Pain.
Betrayal.
Such a fool.
Black Italian loafers filled his vision. They gleamed. He wondered how he managed to keep the dust off them. It was so very dry. Little puffs of dust marked each footstep.
With an effort, he lifted his head off the rough wood.
He couldn’t move.
The pain in his head was excruciating.
He’d been such a fool to think he was in control, to believe he was safe because he was feared.
He should have been more careful.
“Steele! Get over here quick!”
The shout brought Gabriel’s head around with a snap. His heart stopped beating in his chest when he saw Kalesia pitch head first onto the dirt floor.
“ Kalesia !” Gabriel wasn’t aware of his roar as he raced to her side.
He rolled her over gently. Her face was dead white. In the hollow of her throat, a pulse beat frantically.
“ Kalesia , wake up. Come on, sugar, wake up.” He patted her cheeks. He looked up and pinned the nearest man in place with a glare. “What the hell happened?”
The man looked almost as shaken as Gabriel felt. “I don’t know. I saw her as we were arriving. One second she was sitting, the next stiffening up like she was having some kind of a seizure.”
“Back up. Give her some air. She’s coming around.” Harley’s words brought Gabriel’s gaze back to Kalesia . Sure enough, her lashes were fluttering and, beneath the closed lids, her eyes flickered.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Wake up now.”
“Gabriel?” The words were raspy and dry. She looked startled at the sea of faces hovering over her and struggled to sit up.
“ Shh , easy does it. Take your time.” A hand at her back, he helped her. Using his knee as a brace, he cradled her against his shoulder.
“What happened?” She leaned into him, letting him support her weight.
“You passed out. Can you tell me what happened?” He hugged her tighter, his heart just starting to settle down to a normal pace.
She stared at him. “Impossible. I never faint!”
“You did this time. What happened, Kalesia ?” he insisted, too disturbed to care what he was revealing to the men surrounding them.
A deep spasm ran through her. “Oh God, Gabriel, I had another vision!”
“You mean another murder?” It was Harley who asked.
She shook her head fretfully. “No, no. It was the same man. He was sitting there,” her finger shook violently as she pointed to where she had been sitting. “Someone came up behind him and hit him on the head!” Her voice rose shrilly. She bit her lip, obviously fighting for control. After a minute she continued.
“It was someone he knew. Someone he expected. There was such a sense of betrayal…and self-recrimination.”
“Self-recrimination?” That didn’t make a lot of sense. Betrayal, fear, confusion, those Gabriel could understand but not self-recrimination.
“I think they were working together. At least, that’s the impression I got.”
“What else do you remember? Think carefully, Kalesia . Every detail could be important.”
“Shoes,” she said suddenly. “Shoes. I remember the other man’s shoes. They were black and expensive. The shine on them was perfect.”
They were all quiet for a moment. Gabriel broke the silence.
“In your first vision, do you remember seeing the same shoes?”
Kalesia closed her eyes, her brow crinkling. “The killer moved next to the body. He crouched as he ran his
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