Page 93 of I Dream of Danger
A heavy thud and a man bounced off their van, bloody fist raised in rage. He was an office drone in a once good suit and trendy haircut, and he snarled at them like an enraged baboon.
“Let’s get out of here,” Jon said grimly, and Mac pressed the accelerator shift forward as far as it would go, turning right at the Ferry Building, speeding toward the Bay Bridge.
“Oh yeah,” Nick said. “Let’s go home.”
Mount Blue
It was raining. How annoying, all those drops of rain on her face. Drip drip drip.
Elle lifted a hand to wipe them away, but her hand was heavy, like it weighed a hundred pounds. Something caught her hand, something warm and hard. Something that anchored her mind, which felt like a balloon cast free to rise in the sky.
The soft touch of something on her cheek. Lips? More rain.
Her eyelids fluttered.
“That’s right, honey,” a deep voice said right in her ear. “Open those beautiful baby blues.”
She did. Nick’s face was pressed to hers. His cheeks were wet. His voice sounded normal, almost cheerful, but his face was pale, deep white brackets around his mouth.
“I remember,” she croaked. Her voice was hoarse, almost painful, as if she hadn’t spoken in years. She blinked once, twice, looked around. They were in the infirmary. She was on a gurney. Catherine was standing a couple of feet away, Mac’s big arm around her shoulders. Standing next to them was Les, her colleague and fellow test subject, face pale against his blond dreadlocks. Together with Moira and Roger.
Les smiled faintly. “Welcome back, Connelly.”
She managed to nod, though her neck hurt.
It all came back in a rush, the memories black and painful. “I remember. I was going ahead of you to see if there were any more prisoners. There weren’t but I saw victims of violence on the floor, as if a particularly vicious army had swept through. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Then I passed by something, I heard a click and then everything went black.”
Les looked angry. “It was a trap, set just for you. Or for those who can astrally project. It traps your electromagnetic field in stasis and your body starts dying.”
Nick drew in a deep breath, looking even more stressed. He screwed his eyes shut. “You did die.” He opened them again and looked at her fiercely. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again.”
“No,” Elle croaked, and a funny cough came out of her throat. A laugh. “I won’t.”
He pulled his head back a little and stared in her eyes. “You’re staying right next to me for the rest of our lives. I am never letting you out of my sight again. Ever.”
“That could get awkward.” Elle wanted to roll her eyes but was afraid it would give her a headache. “What about going to the bathroom? Or when I watch the 18th season of Fashion Runway Reality?” She smiled at Nick’s wince. It hurt to smile but it was a good hurt.
With each passing second she felt stronger, better. She had no intention of dying again, ever, because it hurt.
“God, Elle,” Nick whispered. His eyes dropped to her mouth and just like that, strength rushed back into her body and with it heat and sex. The promise of sex, anyway. She felt too weak for it, but the way he made her feel, she’d be up for it soon.
He bent and kissed her. A mere brushing of lips, a token kiss. The kiss you’d give your sick grandmother.
Oh no. She’d almost died here and she deserved better.
Even that chaste touch of his lips against hers gave her strength, gave her power. Her arm lifted, snaked around his neck and held him to her. She opened her mouth under his, licked the seam of his lips. She could feel, taste his surprise. It only lasted a second though because he pressed down more firmly against her, mouth open now, tongue exploring…
“Get a room,” Mac’s deep voice, laced with humor, made her start. Nick’s mouth lifted from hers. She held out her hand. Nick took it and pulled her upright.
“Gladly,” Nick said, and looked at Catherine. “Can we go?”
Elle blushed bright pink. Nick’s meaning was very very clear.
“Elle?” Catherine was trying hard not to smile. “How do you feel? Any dizziness?”
How did she feel? She felt great. Completely utterly fine. She swung her legs over the edge of the gurney and did a quick internal check. No dizziness. No weakness. No pain. Nothing but a sudden embarrassingly strong sexual desire. She met Nick’s eyes and nearly fainted when he smiled at her.
Oh yeah. She felt just fine.
