The Mind Keepers (The Mind Readers)

  “So he’s in North Carolina now.” She surged from the barstool. “When I talk about transfer, I’m talking Siberia. You know as well as I do we’ll never see him again.”

  I laughed, although it came out sounding harsh and bitter. “The farther away, the better.”

  “You don’t mean that.” Her cheeks were flushed with righteous indignation. Leave it to Cameron to stand up for a criminal. “He saved me. He saved Lewis. He saved Caroline.”

  She was brilliant at that, always believing in the good in people. I wasn’t so forgiving. Then again, she didn’t know the real Maddox. “Wonderful for him.”

  I shoved another box of cereal into the pantry. With about twenty people living on the estate, we went through a lot of food. Fortunately Cameron’s father had plenty of money in the bank. I forced my thoughts away from Maddox and instead focused on the night’s dinner menu. Chicken was always good. Kids were picky but they always liked chicken.

  “Nora, if we don’t save him now, I have a feeling we’ll never see him again.”

  Hamburgers would work, too. “And why would that be bad?”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  My anger flared. I slammed the pantry door shut and moved around the island, heading toward the hall. Let her put the rest of the groceries away. If I didn’t leave now, it wouldn’t end well.

  “Nora,” Cameron called out desperately.

  I spun around to face her, fury making me see red. “I don’t feel sorry for people who try to murder me. He can rot in hell for all I care.”

  With those parting words, I made my way toward the stairs, swearing to never think again about the man who had torn out my heart. But fate was a real bitch, and she had other plans.

  Chapter 2

  “Where are we?”

  The deep, familiar voice echoed eerily around me, vibrating against my skull. A familiar voice I never thought I’d hear again. Didn’t want to ever hear again.

  Slowly, I opened my eyes. Cement walls wavered in and out of focus, a world of glistening gray and darkness. A world of nothingness. For a moment, a brief heart-stopping moment, I thought I was back there again. I shoved my hands into the cold hard floor and bolted upright so fast the room spun.

  With a groan, I brought my knees to my chest and lowered my head. No, I wasn’t in that prison. My father wasn’t still alive. They weren’t going to hack open my brain. This place was different. Familiar, yeah, but not frightening. No, the cold sweat that broke out on my skin was from the memory of the prison. Just a memory.

  “Where are we?” the voice asked again.

  Oh God, I hadn’t imagined him.

  No. No. No. Why was he here? How? I jerked my head toward the left, searching the darkness. Sure enough I found him sitting on the floor not ten feet from me. Instantly my instincts kicked in, my hands curling into fists, my heart pumping madly. I wanted to hit him, hurt him before he hurt me. But deep inside, always, every time I came into contact with him, I also wanted to go to him. To wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips to his.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded.

  “I don’t know.”

  He wore a dark jumpsuit…a prisoner suit. Damn Cameron for telling me about Maddox. This was obviously a dream brought on by our conversation. He shifted, coming closer and into the lone light of the fluorescent bulb that hung above. It was an odd walk, a stiff gait. A limp.

  I would not feel sorry for him. Slowly, I stood, hardening my heart even as I noticed he was lean. Much leaner than he’d been the last time I’d seen him almost a year ago. Scruff darkened his cheeks and chin, giving him an almost desperate look. Despite not wanting to, my heart lurched. He was still gorgeous as hell, but he looked different. Haunted. I knew the look well. I’d seen it in my own eyes, in my mother’s eyes, in Cameron’s eyes.

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  He shrugged. “Prison has a way of getting to a person.”

  It was a dream. All a dream. I knew because my body felt odd, like it wasn’t attached to my brain. I rolled my shoulders, then swung my arms around and around, attempting to get the blood pumping but nothing I did mattered. I felt buzzed. “I don’t understand.”

  “It’s a dream,” he said, exactly what I’d been thinking, so why didn’t it make me feel any better?

  “You dream about me often?” I asked. “Because I never dream about you.”

  He grinned, reminding me of the Maddox I’d once known, charming and sexy as hell. “Liar.”

  I ignored him and strolled the cement room, needing space, needing to break eye contact. The walls were a thick gray brick. Across the side were three rows of lockers that faded into darkness. All so very familiar. Only one door. “Where the hell are we?”

  “Locker room.”

  “Yeah, figured that out, Genius.”

  He was silent for a moment, which made me curious. I turned toward him. He was holding his side as if in pain, but his gaze was on me, like he couldn’t quite figure something out. I was a puzzle he was trying to solve.

  “What?” I demanded.

  “You don’t remember?”

  The words brought images to mind, a memory that tugged at my brain. Suddenly I did remember. I glanced toward that far corner where he’d been sitting just moments ago. A bench placed along the wall.

  “You sure you know what you’re doing?” he asked.

  “Just sit still.” I settled beside him and pressed the cotton pad to the cut on his forehead. “I’m going to school for nursing, remember?”

  “You can’t be a nurse.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re too beautiful. Your patients will fall in love.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Please, you think that line will work on me?”

  His firm fingers wrapped around my wrist. “It wasn’t a line.”

  Before I could properly prepare myself, his lips were on mine.

  “You remember,” his voice intruded.

  I jerked back from the memory, startled to see I was still in the locker room, still in the dream. Years ago he’d been injured playing football. I’d volunteered to be the nurse on staff during the game just to get closer to him. I hadn’t meant to get that close. Our first kiss. A shock went through my body, a heated flush that left me breathless. I’d done my best to repress any memory where he was concerned.

  “No,” I whispered.

  “Liar,” he repeated.

  He had his hand pressed to his side as if in pain, but he was focused on me, his gaze intense. So very intense. As much as I hated to admit it, he knew me well.

  “You look like hell,” I snapped, attempting to change the subject.

  He flashed me a grin. “Thanks, Sweetheart.”

  I frowned. I didn’t want to hear that endearment; a pet name that was as familiar as my own name. And I didn’t want to care. I swore I wouldn’t care. “I’m outta here.” I turned and started toward the metal door.

  “Yep,” he said, “Do what you do best…run.”

  I actually stumbled, my shock was so great. Was he seriously mocking me after what he’d done? The urge to confront him overwhelmed me. But I managed to come to my senses and quickened my steps toward the door. No way was he going to draw me in, even if it was probably just a dream.

  “Screw you.” I grabbed hold of the doorknob and pulled. The door opened easily, but it wasn’t what I had expected to see. A great sucking void of blackness roared before me. The air tugged at my hair, pulled at my body, making me stumble closer, balancing on the precipice of nothingness.

  “Move, Nora!”

  Suddenly Maddox was there, throwing himself between me and that black void and shoving the door shut with a thud. He leaned against the panel, gasping and hurting, if the grimace on his face was any indication. I started to reach for him, my concern overwhelming me before I thought better. At the last minute I managed to pull back, crossing my arms over my chest and staring at him mutely. The room fell quiet. Damn, why did m
y body have to react to him? Why did my heart have to thump so painfully hard at his nearness?

  “What the hell?” he demanded.

  “That’s not normal,” I whispered. “We’re dreaming, aren’t we?”

  He pushed away from the door. “We have to be.”

  I didn’t want to be stuck in a dream with him. I wanted out. Away from him. So why wouldn’t I wake up? Frantic, I spun around, searching the dark room. There had to be a way out.

  “Maybe…” he started. “Maybe we’re supposed to talk. Maybe we’ve got unresolved issues.”

  I snorted. “To say the least.”

  “Well then, how are you?” he asked sarcastically.

  I paced the dark room, ignoring his biting tone. There had to be some way out. Hell, I’d take a cold shower, a bullet, falling from a building, anything that would wake me up. “Why do you care?”

  “Careful, you reek of bitterness and bitterness means you still have feelings for me.”

  I gritted my teeth. He’d always known how to get to me. “Hardly.”

  “I think you do.”

  I spun around to face him. “Remember Cameron? My sister you tried to make out with?”

  “I didn’t try.” He grinned. “I did…in a hot spring. How is she?”

  A hot spring? Was he kidding? It was like a bad music video. “She’s fine, and guess what? She told me you’re probably going to die soon, and guess what else? I don’t care. In fact, I told her to let you rot. So see, there’s nothing unresolved here.”

  God, I sounded like a child throwing a tantrum.

  His grin fell. He was silent, too silent. I actually started to feel guilty. But no, that sadness and resignation I saw in his eyes wasn’t real. He was a dream. A freaking figment of my imagination. I was so not going to feel sorry for him.

  “What?” I dared to ask, crossing my arms over my chest. “Why the puppy-dog eyes?”

  He shrugged. “I was just thinking about the time we dated. How innocent you were.”

  “Innocent?” I snorted. “Please, I was using you. It was all a set up so I could learn more about S.P.I.”

  “Maybe at first.”

  His response hit too close to home. “Don’t flatter yourself into thinking I cared.”

  He was silent for a long moment. “If I am going to die, I want you to know…”

  “No!” I was terrified of what he’d say and how it would make me feel. I couldn’t let my guard down; I’d learned that long ago. “Don’t get serious on me Maddox.”

  But the jerk ignored me, stepping closer, so close. “I never used you, Nora. I did care.”

  Just as the last words left his mouth, the locker room faded as quickly as it had arrived. I jerked awake with a start. The warmth of my comforter, the softness of my bed and familiarity of the house didn’t make me feel any better. One moment I’d been in that room, the next in my bed, gasping for breath.

  “No, no, no!”

  Maddox’s words echoed around me.

  I did care.

  “Bull.” I raked my hair back with trembling fingers. I knew for sure it had been a dream because Maddox only cared about himself. Hadn’t he proven that again and again? A soft spring breeze billowed my curtains, whispering words of relief. It was dawn, the sun barely above the horizon. A new day. He’d been right about one thing: I had been innocent then. I thought I’d found a knight in shining armor in Maddox. I knew better now.

  A dream. I shoved my blanket aside, the weight of my down comforter like a freaking boulder. I could barely catch my breath. I stumbled from the bed and to the open windows, breathing in the crisp scent of morning, salt water and damp grass. It had been a dream. Just a dream. I pressed my hand to my chest. My heart pounded so hard it actually hurt.

  Apparently my body didn’t care if it had been a dream. Being that close to Maddox again had sent my mind spinning, totally throwing me off balance. Those years ago I’d practically lost myself within him, and I swore I’d never do it again. I’d never give up my independence, my own mind, my freedom for a man. Yet all it took was a freaking dream to send me careening off balance.

  But then I’d barely slept last night. How could I? Thoughts of my mother warred with thoughts of Maddox thanks to my sighting at the grocery store and to Cameron’s mind travel. It wasn’t surprising that I’d dreamt about him.

  Determined to ignore my emotions, I glanced outside. The sun was just beginning to rise, the sky turning from black to gray. The kids would be awake soon. The little brats never slept in; they were actually excited to get up. I started to turn back toward the bed, intent on shoving thoughts of Maddox from my mind when I heard the mumble of voices from below. Bemused, I shoved the curtains aside to get a better view. Lewis and Cameron stood below next to their car. An early morning drive wasn’t so unusual; they went to the mainland for college classes all the time. But the fact that they had a suitcase gave me pause.

  Where the hell were they going?

  An inkling of worry traveled over my skin. “Oh no, she wouldn’t.”

  But even as I said the words, I knew she would. I tore across my room and out into the hall, nearly barreling over Caroline in the process. She stumbled back just in time. The long, white nightgown she wore flowed innocently around her, reminding me once again of her vulnerability.

  “Sorry.”

  I jumped around her and raced down the hall. In the past the children had been kept in a room in the basement. Aaron, Cameron’s father, had treated them like they were at a military school. We weren’t as strict. In fact, we were a family. Maybe it was wrong, but no way could I lock a bunch of kids in a basement. And if Cameron was doing what I thought, she just might ruin our cozy little nest forever.

  I raced down the stairs, wanting to catch them before they left. Deborah stood in the foyer. I’d never liked her. She was cold, unemotional and reminded me a little too much of myself. It was like looking into a mirror and seeing the future, the bitterness in her gaze…it was me in ten years. But she had protected the children when they’d been imprisoned at the compound, and I knew she genuinely cared about them.

  “Where are they going?” I demanded.

  “Best to ask them,” was her vague reply.

  I tore open the front door and leaped down the steps. “What the hell are you doing?”

  Startled, Cameron jerked her gaze toward me. “Hey.”

  “Where are you going?”

  I could tell by the flush of guilt staining her cheeks that my suspicion was right on. “To rescue Maddox.”

  I wasn’t sure if I should be annoyed or amused. Hoping to find an ally, I glanced at Lewis. “You’re letting her rescue the guy who was trying to get in her pants in some sort of hot spring?”

  His jaw clenched. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have been quite so blunt. “She was going with or without me.”

  Totally whipped. I shook my head, disgusted with the both of them. “He tried to kill me!”

  “Wait,” Cameron muttered, stepping between us. I didn’t exactly care for that gleam in her eyes. “I never mentioned the hot spring.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When I told you he tried to kiss me, I never mentioned the hot spring.”

  It was my turn to flush.

  “Nora, you just said that he and I kissed…” She glanced at Lewis, whose jaw was clenched as he tried desperately not to react to her past indiscretions. Too late, he knew all of her dirty little secrets now. I wanted to mock the little lover’s spat that I knew was to come but couldn’t because Cameron returned her gaze to me. “So how’d you know?”

  I shrugged, confused. She’d told me, hadn’t she? “You had to have mentioned it.”

  She shook her head. “No, I didn’t.”

  What the hell was she implying? I stepped back and slumped onto the front steps, looking out onto the ocean in the distance. I liked it here. It was peaceful. And for some reason, surrounded by water, I felt safe. Yeah, it was an illusion, but I still enjoyed th
e feeling. She wanted to ruin it all by going after Maddox.

  “Nora,” Cameron pleaded. “Think. How do you know?”

  I kicked at a pebble, confused, anxious. “This morning I had a dream about him. I wouldn’t have dreamt that he said it, unless—”

  Cameron sat next to me. “He told you this in a dream?”

  I nodded, uneasy.

  “Maybe it wasn’t a dream.”

  “Then what?” I demanded, annoyed because deep down I knew where she was going with this. And I didn’t want to go there because it made no sense.

  “You mind traveled.”

  I shook my head, more than uneasy. “I…I can’t. I’m not the source, I don’t have that kind of power. Besides, I’ve never done it before. Why would the ability show up now?”

  “I have more than one power,” Lewis said, “and I’m not the source either. Maybe it’s just her powers coming into being. Who knows?”

  Cameron rested her hand on my knee, drawing my attention back to her. “What did Maddox look like?”

  I shrugged. “Same.”

  “Come on, Nora,” she sighed, growing annoyed with my half-answers. “The truth.”

  I surged to my feet and paced the brick path. That was the bad thing about family: they knew you too well. “Thin, okay? Tired. Haggard.”

  I didn’t miss the knowing glance Cameron shot Lewis. “So, then he was different from the last time we saw him?”

  I didn’t respond, just stared at that large oak, the only big tree on the windswept property. Realization was slowly weaving its icy fingers through my body. My heart pounded fiercely, denying what my head knew was true.

  “If it had been a dream, he wouldn’t have looked like the Maddox I’d seen. Somehow you traveled with your mind,” Cameron said the words I’d been dreading.

  It hadn’t been a dream. I pressed my hands to my stomach. Maddox really was limping, injured, hurt. Oh God. Which meant the words he had said actually might have been true?

  He cared.

  “Not only traveled,” Lewis added, “but you brought Maddox, or at least his energy, with you.”