Page 7 of Dark Visions

When her head poked through the hole of the sweatshirt, he was standing in front of her.

“Do you need to lie down?” he asked quietly.

“No, actually, I’m really hungry. I can cook, or I can order something for us,” she said shyly.

“No need,” he said with a grin. “I’ll order some Chinese if that works for you.” She nodded her head and moved toward the beckoning warmth of the fireplace.

“I’ll be out in a minute. I just want to get some clothes on,” he said.

She nodded without turning, knowing that he would be naked directly behind her. Aislinn heard the muffled sounds of fabric against skin. She could see his long, strong body moving in her mind, his limbs deftly moving through the openings of the garments. Touching his skin in the shower, she felt his pain and knew that, in time, he would tell her where the scars came from.

The soft sounds of music filled the apartment, and Aislinn let out a long, slow breath, sinking further into the sofa. She heard the low tones of Kane’s voice on the phone ordering the food and then felt rather than heard his presence beside her. Despite the size of the sectional, he was only a few inches away from her.

“Are you ready to tell me everything?” he asked.

“If you are.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Kane watched her features as she spoke. The pain that filled her face when she mentioned the headaches was nearly his undoing.

“So, when did this happen? I mean this time. When did you meet the doctor?” he asked.

“I didn’t meet him,” she said, staring up at him. “I think, I think I bumped into him at the coffee shop yesterday. It usually takes twenty-four hours for the vision to come on full force. It happens so casually I never know what I will see. I try to avoid touching people altogether, but it’s nearly impossible. I’ve even tried wearing gloves, but that’s no good.”

“I see,” he said, looking into the fire.

“You don’t believe me,” she said, staring at him. “It’s okay. I wouldn’t believe me either. I wish I could tell you it isn’t the truth, but unfortunately, my track record is pretty spot on. I used to call the police and report that a crime wasabout to take place. You can imagine how well that went over. Then when the murder happened, they knocked on my door.”

“Jesus! That must suck,” he said with a sideways grin.

“Oh yea, especially when three of them happened out of state. The thing is, Kane, the thing is, I think this guy has done it before. This vision was beyond what I normally see. It was so painful, so violent. I thought I would die.”

“Could that happen?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. I’ve always only seen one murder. Usually, a husband kills his wife or another man. Once, I had a woman who killed her mother-in-law. But as far as I know, they’re all one-time murders. This one, this one had flashes of others. Other people than the one I know will be killed tonight.”

He nodded at her and stared at the fire once more. He didn’t move, didn’t try to make her leave, didn’t look at her as though she were crazy.

“You don’t believe me.”

“Actually, Aislinn, I do believe you. I believe every word of what you’re saying.”

“You do?” she said with a shocked expression.

“I do,” he said.

The doorbell broke the moment, and Kane stood to ring the deliveryman up. Aislinn watched his every move. He was so large yet moved like a cat, slow and lazy, sleek and smooth. It occurred to her that she knew nothing of the man who brought her home. All she knew was that when he touched her, the visions lessened. She would pay a million dollars for that blessing. No one had ever found a way to lessen the severity of her headaches.

“Hungry?” he asked, setting out the boxes of food. She nodded and immediately started in on a box of lo mein.

“Tell me about you,” she said between bites. “How were you burned?”

He stopped mid-bite and looked up at her. He had to give her credit; she had courage. Most men didn’t dare ask him about his scars, let alone a small woman.

“Afghanistan. Courtesy of a Taliban leader that didn’t like the fact that my unit took out his weapons cache. It was my sixth tour.”

“Six? Wow! That’s impressive and awful at the same time. Thank you for your service, though, sincerely, I mean that.”

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