Intuition (2 page)

Emma pushed through the door and stepped into the cooling autumn air. Tonight, even the normally quiet streets seemed bustling with energy, like her café. Kids hanging out on skateboards and couples strolling the streets. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a shadow move between the buildings, but dismissed it to the setting sun.

She looked across the street at the cherry-red VW she loved so much, but even it didn’t lift her spirits like it usually did. Growing up in this small town had always been kind of dull for most of the locals, but  the gifts her and her siblings possessed always seemed to keep them entertained.

Before she stepped off the curb, she spotted Vivian, her hairdresser, a miracle with shears. Her natural red curls bounced around her shoulders as she headed Emma’s way. Dark sunglasses covered her jade eyes. Vivian called out and scurried up the sidewalk, almost tripping as she glanced over her shoulder. Her black spandex leggings accentuated the bulges her bright-yellow top failed to conceal. The ensemble reminded Emma of a bumblebee, and the woman was just as noisy, too. No matter how the woman dressed and acted, she was still one of Emma’s only friends, and Emma wouldn’t change a thing about her eccentric personality. Not counting her sisters, Vivian was her only friend who knew her secret and never judged.

“Hey, Viv,” she said.

Just weeks before, Momma Mae pestered the crap out of Emma, insisting she warn Vivian to get away from her abusive boyfriend. She said the asshole had a dark aura, one of the worst kinds she’d ever seen and feared he was going to kill Vivian. It was so out of character for Momma Mae to interfere with fate’s plan it left Emma with no choice.

Emma hesitated before telling Vivian the truth about Momma Mae and her message, but in the end, her friend’s safety won out. It was worth more than any ridicule that would ever be thrown her way. Since she’d discovered her ability all those years ago, Emma adamantly refused to reveal her secret to another soul outside of her family, always keeping people at arm’s length, worried they’d think she was a freak as her elementary teacher had.

Vivian stopped in front of Emma and lowered her glasses. “You were right about Roger.” The black eye she sported glistened an ugly shade of green and yellow. “He hit me when I broke things off.”

Emma gently squeezed her hand and gave her a sad smile. “I’m so sorry, Viv. Are you okay?”

“I’m terrified! My last nerves are ready to snap. I don’t know what hole he might crawl out of next.” She wrapped her arms across her waist, and her body slightly shivered. “I’m staying with my sister until the restraining order is issued and he moves out.”

Vivian did a slow, deep inhale and exhale, an obvious attempt at calm her nerves. Emma should have thought it odd that she’d never been to Vivian’s house since they were friends, but now she understood why.

Emma leaned over, wrapped her arms around her friend, and whispered, “I’m glad you got away from the bastard. You deserve so much better.”

Vivian’s older sister, Janet, pulled into the empty parking space next to Emma’s car and got out. She smiled and waved as she crossed the street in their direction. “Hey, Emma,” she said, before turning to her sister. “Viv, sorry I’m late. I lost track of time. Are you ready to eat?”

“I think I need a drink,” Vivian mumbled under her breath, glancing up and down the street. Her nervous energy was almost like a living thing rolling off her in waves. Vivian turned to leave, glancing over her shoulder, she shouted, “Don’t forget about your hair appointment at the end of the month.”

Emma nodded and crossed the street toward her car. Instant headache.
Not again.
The pain hit hard, and the intensity had her gripping the car door for support. She scanned the surrounding area and clenched her jaw.

Trouble is brewing somewhere.

Emma’s second gift was one she would gladly give away—her own personal warning system for trouble. Headaches and stomach cramps for most normal women meant PMS; for Emma, they were precursors to dangers that lurked nearby. When Emma was growing up, her family had called it her intuition, but Emma commonly referred to it as a pain in the ass.

And my radar is shining like a beacon tonight.

CHAPTER 2

Ben Johnson stood in the shadows between the two buildings and ran a hand through his hair, watching the exchange between Emma and Vivian.
She ruined everything
. Ben clenched his fist tight, almost breaking his cell phone clutched in his palm. The loan shark’s threats for their money were getting worse. If he didn’t do something soon, it was just a matter of time before they’d kill him. It was money he didn’t have and had no way to obtain. Emma had made sure of that.

His last little Vegas trip had wiped him clean, and now she’d single-handedly ruined his only way out. Emma was going to be his ticket; now he wasn’t sure what he was going to do.
The bitch is going to pay
. He wanted to bang his head against the brick building for being so stupid, for screwing the little socialite that had thrown herself at him. Ben hadn’t expected Emma to walk into his office while he had the curvy redhead bent over his desk.

Ben punched in numbers on his phone. “I’m watching them now. She’s in front of the café about to leave to meet her sister. I’ll follow her until you get there. Yeah, you know the place. It never changes.”

Ben grunted a few times before adding, “She’s talking to Vivian. I’m sure it’s all Emma’s fault and don’t forget you owe me. Your ass would be rotting in jail right now if it hadn’t been for me getting those charges dropped so get your ass over there.”

A smile formed on his lips as a plan formed in his mind. Emma was going to give him the money one way or the other. Either dead or alive, Emma was his ticket out of this mess, and the best part was, the slime ball would be going down for it. Ben’s hands would remain clean.

****

Emma’s inner danger radar simmered in her gut but never fully left as she and her younger sister, Abby, lingered at Bernie’s, letting their food settle. The local Mexican restaurant had been a family favorite since childhood. The familiar aroma of salsa filled the air. The place had aged over the years; the faded red and tan walls had lost their shine years before. The torn vinyl seats of the booths needed replacing, and the menus now had writing on them indicating the changes. Other families sat nearby laughing and talking, oblivious to everyone around. She could remember a time in her life several years before when her family had been the same way. Her heart ached a little bit more each time she came here, remembering the happy times and the sad.

The pain from losing their parents wouldn’t stop Emma and her siblings from going there once a month. They all longed for the good memories this place brought back; it offered a little peace in each of their crazy lives.

Once she had asked Momma Mae why she couldn’t see her parents, considering her gift. The old lady shook her head and said she wasn’t ready yet.

What the hell did the old bat know, anyway?

Like Bernie’s, all the surrounding buildings were falling apart. Broken bricks and windows littered the landscape. The fact that the restaurant was still standing and not abandoned like the rest of the buildings amazed her. A talented graffiti artist had expanded his canvas, using neighboring buildings to display his work. This part of the city was a ghost town, if you didn’t count the homeless that covered the streets and alleyways. The once thriving community had suffered when the economy had taken a nosedive and people started losing jobs. Emma was blessed her small café was doing so well. It was a shame this neighborhood now stood in ruins, but even the decay of the community wouldn’t stop their monthly dinners. The only thing missing tonight was the rest of their siblings.

“Where’s Mike?” Emma asked her sister.

“I think he’s still at the station.” Abby peeled the label off her beer bottle, her lips pulled in a tight line as she sat lost in thought.

Emma had seen that familiar look of concern before. Mike’s choice of professions wasn't easy for the Bennett sisters to swallow after their dad’s death. The Bennett women had learned the risk involved with having a family member as a cop the hard way, and their dad hadn’t been invincible. Not having answers to his unexpected death prevented any of them having closure. Their grief was enough for a lifetime, and Momma Mae was the crutch Emma grabbed hold of for dear life to help her cope with the pain that threatened to consume her.

Momma Mae was a constant pain in the ass, but she had been Emma’s only comfort the night her father died. Momma Mae had soothed her through hours of tears, bloodshot eyes, and unanswered prayers. The family had survived, and the pain got less as the years went by, but Emma’s heart had never truly healed from the loss and probably never would, not without the answers Mike and the rest of them were desperate to find.

Emma, Abby, and Claire all worried their brother might meet the same fate. A dragon slayer would have been a safer profession than a cop on these streets.

“Claire couldn’t make it either. She’s having another one of her fundraisers tonight.” Emma loved her sister and would paste another fake smile on her face in the name of sisterly love. Fundraisers were Claire’s way of dealing with her loss. She would throw herself into the events one hundred percent and expect the family to play along. If they hadn’t been so damned important to Claire, they’d quit showing up.

“I guess she’s expecting us to show up?” Abby played with her beer bottle, making rings of condensation on the table and picking at the label.

“I told her I’d be at the cancer benefit at the end of the month. She’s already sent over my dress.” Emma didn’t quite feel the smile that formed on her lips. The benefit was important to all of them, a constant reminder that a cure hadn’t existed for their mom. Attending two fundraisers was a lot to ask from someone who felt uncomfortable around the type of guest expected to attend. Avoiding her ex, who ran in the same circles, would be hard enough once a month, much less twice. She guessed it was time to come clean about Ben and tell her siblings why she’d broken it off… Well, it couldn’t hurt to wait one more day.
Could it?

The air around her grew heavy, making it difficult to breathe. The prickly hair on her nape stood on end, and the severity of the cramps fueled her unease. The air suddenly vibrated with energy, bad energy she felt deep down in her bones. Emma grasped the table to root herself in the booth. The need to flee was overwhelming. She glanced around at the patrons sitting close by, looking for a plausible reason for her panic. An older couple holding hands smiled lovingly at each other. A child made silly faces at her parents. An old man sat at the end of the bar, reading a paper and sipping his coffee. Nothing seemed out of place.

Momma Mae appeared beside her and whispered into her ear, “You need to leave now, baby girl.”

Abby leaned forward. “What’s wrong?”

Emma tried to keep most of it to herself when things were about to happen, but she refused to hide possible danger from her siblings. They had their own gifts to deal with. Like genetics that suggested a big nose in some families, the DNA of her family held a unique and strange code. They all had some craziness to deal with.

“I’m not sure… but it’s not good.” She dug in her purse for her cell, hit speed dial, and prayed for an answer.

“Hey, Em, what’s up?” her brother, Mike, asked.

Emma felt a little of the tension coursing through her shoulders ease when she heard his familiar voice, but it did nothing for the cramps assaulting her midsection.

“My spidey senses are tingling.”

“You sure? Or is Momma Mae bored and ready to go?” he asked sarcastically.

“Yeah, I’m positive. Abby and I are at Bernie’s. Can you stop by Claire’s and check on her? She’s having one of her parties and won’t hear the phone ring if I try to call.” Emma had figured out early on that the feelings didn’t necessarily mean the danger was directed at her. Every one of her family members seemed possible targets.

“I’ll check on her myself… Em, do you have your gun?”

“I left it in the car. There’s nothing suspicious or out of place, but Mike, I’m just not sure.” Emma continued scanning the restaurant, experiencing some of the most intense feelings she’d ever had. Her head was pounding, and a shiver ran down her spine. “It’s strong this time, and Momma Mae says we need to leave.”

“Stay put. I’m sending someone to get you.”

The stench of food burning hit her nose moments before the kitchen staff burst through the doors. Emma heard their rapid Spanish but had no idea what it meant. She noticed the smoke billowing out of the kitchen only seconds before the alarm blared throughout the building.
This can’t be good.

The alarm intensified the pain. Her head felt ready to explode, and now a ringing erupted in her ears.

“Call the fire department! The kitchen’s on fire!” she yelled into her phone before she flipped it shut. Budding fear crept up her spine like the rising smoke coming through the kitchen door. Emma rushed to her feet, throwing her purse strap across her body, and pulled Abby from the booth, bumping into the old man running for the closest exit. Children cried as their parents snatched them from the tables and ran for the door.

“We need to get out!” she screamed over the loud noises.

The exits were the first thing Emma noticed when entering any building. Growing up in a family full of cops had its benefits. She knew her surroundings, the exits, the people, and cars in the parking lot. The games they’d played as children would pay off today. Emma jerked to a halt when she noticed a large man blocking the exit closest to their table. He was dressed in black with his massive arms crossed over his chest. A sinister smile etched in the lines across his face. Fear crept up Emma’s spine and had her backtracking for the front doors instead.

She inhaled, and smoke filled her lungs, burning and making her cough. She lowered to a crouch to avoid the gray smoke enveloping most of the restaurant and making it difficult to see. Emma scurried to the front doors with a firm grip on Abby’s hand. The snapping of the fire echoed in her ears as she pushed open the door. The night air echoed with sirens in the distance. Help was on the way.