Possession (8 page)

The aura around the monster was a flame of blackness, sucking and feeding on life. The thing took a second step toward her, then a third.

“I do not want you here,” it said with a voice that echoed inside her skull.

J never heard the scream that ripped from her throat as the thing reached for her with its free hand. Nor was she aware of collapsing to the grass in a small, unconscious puddle.

* * * *

She was moving. That was the first thing she became aware of as the present slowly crept back into her body. She was moving, and she was lying down on her back on a bed of sorts. Moving, gently swaying.

Her ears started to function again. There was the low growl of an engine. A car. She was in a car or van. If she was lying down, she was probably in an ambulance, which would explain the slight pain in her left arm. The IV drip.

Slowly opening her eyes, J caught the pale yellow aura of someone looking down at her. Managing a weak smile, she said, “Who’s there?”

“Shh. Lie there quietly, Miss.” It was a female voice. Very low, professional, and soothing.

“Am I in an ambulance?”

“Yes, ma’am. My name’s Rosen. I’m an EMS Tech. We’re on our way to Saint Mary’s.”

“Why? Why am I here?”

“You had some kind of seizure and collapsed. Are you on any medication?”

J licked her lips and wished for something to drink. Her throat felt raw, irritated. “No. I’m not on any medications.”

“Did you take any drugs? Prescription or otherwise?”

“No. Can I have something to drink, please?”

“You’ll have to wait until a doctor checks you over,” the tech told her. “You have a pretty nasty bump on your head. They’ll have to take some x-rays to make sure you don’t have a concussion.” The woman proceeded to take her pulse.

Sighing, J turned her head when she saw the brilliant orb of fire sitting near her feet. Joy swept over her like a surging wave. “Kiel!”

The tech jerked in surprise. “Who’s Kiel?”

J kept her sight focused on the searing bright flame hovering at the rear of the vehicle. He appeared to shake his head as he leaned forward slightly. J felt a touch on her foot, like an errant breeze. He was with her but the tech couldn’t see him. For some reason, he didn’t want anyone else to know he had come along.

Closing her eyes, she tried to swallow again. “A-a friend. I was supposed to meet him. He’s probably wondering what happened to me.”

The pat on her shoulder was probably supposed to reassure her. “Once we get to the hospital, one of the nurses can call your friend for you.”

“Thanks,” she said to the tech, and looked back at the sparkling diamond of light. She could swear he was smiling at her.

When they arrived at the hospital, another tech opened the rear doors and helped to pull her gurney out of the ambulance. J finally heard the soggy slap of the saline bag hanging just above her head as they wheeled her inside. Kiel remained with her, floating nearby, never out of her line of sight.

They put her in a room and drew a curtain around her. Nurses came in to take her temperature and blood pressure. One drew blood and another dropped off a hospital gown.

“We’ll be taking you to x-ray in a few minutes. You’ll need to change into this gown. Just leave your things on the table over there and I’ll bag them up for you.”

“Will I be here long?”

“That’ll depend on what the doctor says. But that bruise on your forehead looks pretty nasty.” There were some shuffling sounds, and the nurse said, “I’ll be right back.”

It got very quiet, although J could still hear movement going on just beyond the thin curtain. Not far away the glowing flame remained still.

“Kiel, please say something,” she whispered. “Let me know you’re there.”

The flame shifted almost imperceptibly. Then a warm hand closed around her free one. “Oh, God, J, you scared the crap out of me! Are you okay?” The mattress beside her hip dipped, and she felt him sit down on the bed next to her.

She no longer cared about the implications or the impossibility of the situation. Lifting her arms, she felt his wide, strong shoulders and the soft short hairs at the nape of his neck as he bent his face and pressed his mouth to her neck. His arms, like wide bands of warm steel, drew her against his chest, pressing her tightly against him.

To be held like this fed her soul. It bathed her parched heart with life-giving hope, and there was no way she could doubt how he felt about her. Love had its own color because she had seen it in her parents, in Douggie, and shining out of Grandmama. And this blinding beacon of light was edged in that same color like a second aura.

“Oh, God, J. What happened?” His lips were muffled against her neck. They tickled her skin, sending hot threads of something indescribable streaking straight to her abdomen, then further down. Teasing. Arousing. Consuming. For one of the rare times in her life, J was acutely conscious of the fact that she was a woman. A woman starved for affection, for acceptance, and the need to be completed.

“I saw the killer,” she whispered. His arms tightened around her.

“You saw him? How?”

“I saw his aura.”

“But you said he was dead.” Kiel had lifted his face and was almost nose-to-nose with her.

“He’s dead like you,” she somehow managed to squeak. She could smell his clothes, his soap, even his toothpaste. It was crazy.

“Dead but alive?”

“Which means he has the ability to solidify himself like you can. That’s when he kills.”

“When who kills, J? Who is this guy? Why does he kill?”

“Get me out of this place, Kiel. I don’t like hospitals. There’s too many dying and diseased auras in this place.”

His face was too close to hers for her to think twice. When he kissed her, it was forever. With little trouble she could drown in his taste and the pressure of his mouth. When he grew more demanding, she brushed aside her fears and surrendered to his silent hope. He lifted her slightly before lowering her back down upon the bed. She could feel his chest as it pressed against hers, mashing her breasts. His arms never roamed, but neither did they loosen their grip around her waist and below her shoulders. It was the most wonderful weight she had ever felt in her life. A hard and wet heat pounded between her legs, insistent and demanding until she almost whimpered.

Suddenly Kiel released her and raised up. She started to say something when she felt the bed move. The mattress lifted as though he had gotten off, but she could still see his flare remaining in place. J struggled to sit up when a nurse parted the curtain and stepped inside.

“Not changed yet? They’re ready to take you up to x-ray.”

“I-I'm sorry,” was all J could manage as the woman began to help her shed her dress. The nurse was quick and efficient, helping her off with everything and wrapping her in the flimsy cotton hospital gown. As the woman tied the strings in the back, the sound of the curtain pulling back alerted J to the fact that she was about to be taken away. She glanced to the side to see Kiel hovering nearby, and she wished he would remain with her.

Either he sensed her reticence, or he had never intended to let her out of his sight in the first place because the fiery glow followed the narrow bed she’d been transferred to. They went up an elevator to another floor, then down more random hallways before they stopped. A breath of air touched her hand to remind her he would wait for her, then she was wheeled inside the lab.

Three hours later J was taken to a semiprivate room that was fortunately vacant of a second patient. Once the nurse left to fetch her a late lunch tray, J watched for the subtle changes in the luminescence to see if she could tell when Kiel solidified. There was a tiny flicker, and her hand was covered by his.

J smiled. “I can tell now when you change.”

“Oh?” There was a touch of humor mixed with his worry. “How do you feel?”

“I feel fine except for the headache. The doctor should be here in a little bit to let me know if they’ve found out anything.” Shaking her head slowly, J added, “I think they’re going to keep me overnight for observation.”

“Is it your ability telling you that? Or common sense? You have an ugly cut on your head. I’d feel a lot better if you stayed.”

J recalled the technician removing the bandage above her left eyebrow. “Kiel, that body you went to go see? The guy wasn’t killed there.”

“Yeah. Sam and I figured that one out. But he was chopped up there.”

“It all goes back to that apartment complex. I just know it does. You need to take me back there.”

“Not until we figure out who that dead killer is. I felt the thickness in that place like you did, and it made me sick to my stomach.” He moved slightly, releasing her hand. “I need to go back there alone.”

J tried to grab his hand, his arm, anything. She encountered only air. “No! No, don’t go there alone. Please, Kiel, promise me!”

“Hey.” He half-chuckled. “What could happen to me? I mean, you can’t kill someone who’s already dead.”

“Then what are you going to do when that dark man comes after you?” she whispered. “Kiel. Please don’t. At least, not until I can go with you.”

She knew he was shaking his head. It was and always would be a natural gesture. “What good would putting you back on the front line do for me? I’m already damned. I won’t risk your life, too.”

“Because I know what he looks like. And you know from being a cop that there’s safety in numbers. Wait until I get out of here, Kiel. Then the three of us can go after this guy together.”

“Three? Including Sam?” A sound rumbled softly in his chest.

She could tell he was thinking. Probably arguing with himself. Strong fingers found her cold hands and gave them a squeeze.

“J, listen to me. Regardless how this all turns out, I want to be upfront with you because there’s no tomorrow for me. You know that. I’m a man who isn’t even a man anymore. I don’t have a future, nothing. I can’t even promise if I’ll be around a week from now, or even an hour from now.” He paused, contemplating how he would continue.

Smiling, J decided to make it easier for him.

“If you’re trying to tell me you love me, I already know it,” she murmured. The hands tightened around hers. A sense of rightness filled her, as if this was how it was meant to be. A person like her finding love with a noncorporeal spirit, and then giving back that love in return. She had always been different from normal people. And Kiel was obviously just as different. Too bad it had to be for such a short time. “And I think you know by now I love you, too. I know there’s no forever for us. At least, not until
I
die. Call me selfish, but I’d like to remain among the living a bit longer, thank you. But I do love you, Kiel, and whatever you can offer me I’ll accept. I don’t have any trouble with that. Whatever time you can share with me is all I need. It’s all I want or could ask for. It’ll have to be enough to last me for the rest of my life.”

She heard his breath hitch. Her hands were lifted until a pair of lips pressed along her fingers. Suddenly her hands were released as the door to her room opened and footsteps approached the curtain. She heard the partition moving back.

“Miss Laurent? I’m Dr. Anderson. How are you feeling?”

“Fine, except I have a headache, and I’d love something to drink.”

“Water okay?”

“Yes, thanks.”

“Do you have any idea why you might have fainted like that?”

“I’ve been feeling rather run down of late.” She managed a rueful grin. “Guess I haven’t been taking my vitamins like a good girl.”

“Well, your blood work does show a low iron count, but nothing serious. I also have some good news. Other than that laceration above your eye, you don’t appear to have any other problems. But because it’s a head wound, I’d like to keep you overnight, just to be on the safe side. Will that be a problem?”

J glanced over at the beam of light not far from where she was. “No. Not a problem.”

It would never be a problem as long as Kiel was with her. In fact, now that they had gotten the awkward part out of the way, she was looking forward to seeing what would happen next.

But more than that, a tiny question had begun to form in the back of her mind. And J wondered, if he could hold her and kiss her, would he be able to make love to her?

As if he could read her mind, she saw him nod. Now there was another good reason to look forward to tomorrow, and tomorrow wouldn’t come soon enough.

That is,
if
they had a tomorrow.

* * * *

“How she doing?”

Kiel lifted his head from his hands and turned to look at his brother. “She’s asleep,” he answered. “The doctor ordered her a sleeping pill so she could rest.”

“Any problems?” Sam parked himself in the chair next to Kiel’s.

A shake of the head. “She has a nasty scratch on the forehead, but they just put a band aid on it and took some x-rays. They’re keeping her overnight. She’ll get to go home in the morning.”

“How are
you
doing?”

Kiel gave a shallow laugh. “Any news downtown?”

“You need to get your report done and turned in. The longer we take on this case, the antsier the captain is gonna get.”

They sat in companionable silence for several long minutes until Kiel got to his feet. “J fainted because she got a good look at the killer.”

“Our dead killer,” Sam commented.

He no longer questioned what she had to say.

“Yeah. The dead killer who manifests himself when he kills.” He watched as Sam’s eyes widened.

“Like you. He has to solidify himself first before he can touch anyone, or handle anything solid, just like you.”

“Yeah. Kick in the butt, ain’t it?”

Sam glanced over at the young woman sound asleep on the hospital bed. “Did she tell you anything else?”

“Yeah. She told me she loves me, and that she’ll take whatever happiness we can share.” This time when he beat his fist against the wall, it made a nice, loud thump. “I’ll take ‘Doomed Relationships’ for two hundred, Alex,” he muttered brokenly.

Taking the chance, Sam reached over and backhanded his brother on the arm. The contact felt good. “Hey! Did dying make a wuss out of you or what?” he hissed. “You’re one of the bravest men I know. I’ve worked with the best, and you have more balls than any of them. Stop and look at what you have, Kiel. You died. All right, that sucks big ones. But you’re not gone. You’ve been given the chance to find the prick responsible and bring him to justice.”

Throwing a hand out toward the bed, he continued. “And now you’ve found someone to love. All right, so it’s not going to be forever. It won’t include a walk down the aisle, but you can touch her, dammit. You can kiss her. And if you can kiss her you can take her to bed.” He squinted at his brother. “Or have you thought about that already?” Seeing the flush rising on his brother’s face, Sam smothered his laugh. “Shit, you can still blush? Listen, go on back to the station. I’ll stay here and keep watch while you go take care of that report.”

“Okay. But if she wakes up before I get back, call me, okay?”

Sam nodded, watching as Kiel gave J one last look and blinked out of existence as if he had never been there. Having seen the man do it before, it didn’t throw him for a loop like it used to. But the sight of it still gave him the willies.

A complimentary copy of the day’s paper had been sitting at the end of the nurses’ station when he’d passed by it on his way to the room. Make that
had
been. Sam pulled the folded paper out of his jacket pocket and opened it as he settled in for a long wait.

The nurse came in around eleven that evening to check on her patient. While she was taking vitals, Sam took the opportunity to grab a cup of coffee from the dispensary down the hall. At exactly eleven thirty the same nurse came to ask if he was Detective Sam Reese.

“Yeah.”

“There’s a call for you at the nurses’ station. From a Detective Stark.” Since cell phone usage was not allowed in the hospital, the only way Kiel would be able reach him would be through the hospital operator.

“How’s the report coming?” Sam asked as he took the call.

“I feel like I’m having to write a thesis on
War and Peace
. I can’t keep focused. How’s J?”

“You know it wouldn’t take you two seconds to pop over here and check for yourself.”

“I know, but I’m afraid if I do I’ll talk myself out of coming back and getting this damn report finished. She still asleep?”

“Yeah. The nurse said she’ll probably be out of it until morning, so don’t fret.”

There was a slight pause. Sam could visualize Kiel rubbing his chin as he had a habit of doing whenever he was thinking. “Sam, I really appreciate you sitting with her for me.”

“Just wait until you get my bill. You’ll think differently.”

There was a snort over the line. “Give me another hour. I should have something passable cranked out by then, and I’ll come relieve you.”

“Not a problem. I’ll be here. Later, bro.” Leaning over the counter, Sam dropped the receiver back in place and thanked the nurse on duty. He was very aware of her provocative smile. In the back of his mind it clicked that the woman had given him a critical evaluation, and he had made a passing grade. Discovering he was also a police detective must have jacked up his score a few more points as well. Flashing her his professional grin, he went back to the room to resume his vigil.

“Hi, Sam.”

The soft voice from the bed surprised him as he walked through the door.

“Hello there, sleeping beauty. I wasn’t expecting you to be awake. That sleeping pill was supposed to keep you in la-la land until morning.” He then realized she had known who he was before he had spoken. “How’d you know it was me?”

J gave a sleepy yawn. “Your aura. It’s as distinctive to me as someone else seeing your face in a crowd. Where’s Kiel?”

“Down at the station filling out his report. I just talked to him on the phone. He should be back in another hour or so. Look, do you need anything? Want some water?”

“No, thanks. I’m still sleepy. Just talk to me, Sam.” A slow smile touched her lips. With her hair unbound and spread out around her face, she was a very beautiful woman. Between her looks and her bravery despite her handicap, plus her insistence in staying on the case, Sam could understand his brother’s feelings for the woman. And why Kiel was growing more fiercely protective of her. “Sam. Is that short for Samuel?”

“Samson.”

“Samson? How odd. Like the biblical Samson? Samson what?”

“Samson Kyle.”

J gave a little giggle. “Your mother must’ve liked the name Kyle.”

“It was her father’s name. Except mine is spelled K-y-l-e, and Kiel’s is spelled K-i-e-l.”

“Really? I didn’t know that. Why did she give him such an unusual spelling?”

“Who knows why Mom did what she did?”

“And Kiel’s middle name is?”

“Michael, after Dad.” Scooting his chair closer to the bed, Sam sat down and got comfortable. “Laurent. That’s French, isn’t it?”

“Uh-huh. My father was a foreign exchange student at the university. He met my mother in a class they had together. They were married almost eighteen years before they had me. By that time they’d given up having any children naturally and adopted Douggie.”

“What happened to your family?”

He watched as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly before answering. “They died in a car crash when I was six. I was in the car with them, but I survived. Grandmama raised me.”

“In that big old house?”

“Hey! I love that old house!”

“Yeah, if your last name is Addams,” Sam teased. To his delight J laughed at the joke. Presently the room grew quiet again.

J had closed her eyes, and he was beginning to think she’d fallen back asleep when she murmured, “I love Kiel.”

“He told me you’d told him.”

“You must think we’re nuts.”

“Why?”

Turning her head in his direction, she opened her eyes. “I can tell when you’re pulling my leg, Samson Kyle. You can’t hide the inflections in your voice.”

“I’m not teasing you, J.”

“I know you’re not. Not this time. But you’re afraid. God, it must be hard on you, wondering every day how much longer he’ll be around.”

There was pity in her voice, besides concern. Normally he wouldn’t have been able to stand it, but coming from her it touched him. Sam realized he welcomed her opinion.

“He’s changed,” he confided in her.

“Changed? How?”

“He’s more cautious. He’s not as headstrong as he used to be. Kiel used to be what people referred to as a ‘tough little bastard’. Extremely independent. Real gung-ho. That’s all gone now.”

“Yeah, well, wait until you die, then see if
you’re
the same person you were,” she commented philosophically.

“Ouch.”

She started to giggle, but got ambushed by another yawn. Shifting to her side, J snuggled her face against her pillow.

“J?”

“Mmm?”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For giving my brother a reason to hold on.”

He waited for her response, but when none came, he got up and peered over the bed to find her fast asleep. But he knew she had heard him because of the tender smile slowly fading from her lips.