CHAPTER FOUR
It didn’t take a psychic to know Max would be waiting for her outside of her little office.
Sure enough, there he was, leaning against the wall alongside the door with his arms folded and a scowl pinching his features.
Detective Sanchez and Max exchanged curious glances as the policeman passed on his way out of the cafe. Then Max turned that brilliant blue gaze on her and her heart slammed to a stop.
Max in the flesh was way more potent than he was in her dreams. He was a beautiful man, much too pretty than any man had a right to be, but the square cut of his jaw kept him from appearing too feminine.
She laughed to herself. There was no way anyone would mistake him for a woman, not with those large shoulders that stretched the leather coat at the seams. Although he was tall and lean, his strength was palpable, and she knew from her visions that he welded it with power and authority. Energy surrounded him like electricity. It was a warm hum that buzzed and sent goose bumps racing across her skin. The sensation was entirely too pleasant, encouraging her to brush up against him and feel it seep into her bones.
Between the fringe of his long black bangs, his piercing eyes were filled with silent questions. The blue matched the radiant glow that surrounded him like an aura and made his skin appear ethereal.
That effervescent light, more than his sudden appearance, was what shocked Crystal more than anything. Max literally glowed as if he were plugged into a light socket. The only other person she saw with a glow like that was herself when she looked in a mirror. They had to be connected. But how?
“You’re a clairvoyant? A real one,” Max added, getting right to the point.
She replied with a sharp nod.
“Is that how you know about…me?”
Crystal nodded again and swept a glance around the coffee shop. In the middle of the cozy Victorian décor, Max, in his black leather, looked like an S&M fantasy run amok. Whatever they were to discuss needed to remain private.
“Hey, Hailey.” Crystal waved to the other waitress on duty. “I have a last-minute appointment. I’ll be awhile yet.”
“Okay,” Hailey replied as if she hadn’t a care, then behind Max’s back waved her hand like a fan while mouthing, “Oh my God. You go, girl.”
Crystal rolled her eyes. “Come with me,” she told Max before walking back through the beaded curtain. When she turned again, she collided with his chest and jumped startled. “Whoa.”
Usually her cozy reading room was a place of peace and comfort, but with Max and his dominating aura overwhelming the tiny space, she was reminded of the power he wielded.
Golden light bathed his skin in and effervescent glow that did nothing to soften his stern appearance as he looked around, taking note of every nook and cranny. So attuned was she to him that she swore she could sense him rating the level of danger she presented, almost as if it tickled her bare arms like the bristles on a wire brush.
“I guess we should start with a proper introduction.” She held out her hand, hoping her palm wasn’t sweaty. “I’m Crystal Evans.”
“Max Madden. But you knew that,” he replied in a voice that was smooth and fiery, like her favorite whiskey.
His palm was hot against hers, hard and strong. It was a capable hand that held many talents.
A perverse part of her brain wondered just what magical abilities of the sexy kind he might possess. She wasn’t blind, the man was hot. And there was that vibration still ringing inside her, buzzing along her blood stream from her fingers to her nipples and everywhere in between. Since it was still undetermined if this man was friend or foe, she’d do best to keep her wits about her.
“Are you all right?” she could hear him ask through the sexual haze clouding her mind.
“Yeah,” she breathed out in as firm a voice as she could manage before diving into his memories.
Holy crap. The power of his mind astounded her. There was so much activity, so much knowledge, she couldn’t process the images fast enough. Flying objects, computers, large buildings and classrooms, always changing. A woman, dark like him, beautiful and haunted. Alive one minute, dead the next by her own hand. A man, someone close, shot in the back. A ball of flame lit up a rainy night sky.
Crystal broke the link and drew a shaky breath. So much sadness, so much isolation in his life. Was this why they were destined to meet? Was she supposed to help him somehow?
She choked back a snort of disbelief. Right. As if he was going to allow her to grill him about the images she saw. And it wouldn’t do her any good to make him think she was a stalker. At least not yet. Depending on the next few minutes, it might be in her best interest to have him believe she was batshit crazy, but for now she needed him to be willing to talk.
“What exactly do you know about me and how?” he asked.
“Well…” She considered just how much she should reveal. “Besides the obvious information that’s on the internet, I know you’re telekinetic. A real telekinetic. You see, for the last month, I’ve been having dreams about you. Saw you manipulate your environment at will. I also knew our paths would cross. I just don’t know why.” Yet.
“Why not?” He frowned and crossed his arms.
“My power is limited. I can only see the next step. It isn’t until the vision comes to fruition, or something happens to change it, that I see the outcome.” She gestured to the stack of cards on the table. “That’s where the tarot cards come in. I use them to get a direction on what I’m seeing.”
The furrows between his brows deepened. “That man earlier—I heard you. You knew details about his past. Not his future. How did you do that?”
Crystal sucked in a breath. Well. He was an observant one, wasn’t he? With excellent hearing, too.
“I…had a vision he was coming and read the cards this morning for more information about his visit,” she lied, not ready to spill all her secrets.
Tha-thunk, tha-thunk, tha-thunk. The longer he stared her down, the harder her heart pounded. Her eyeballs grew dry and itchy as she held his gaze. Unable to hold completely still, she swallowed against the tightness in her throat.
His sharp gaze caught the fluttering movement. He shook his head as his eyes narrowed. “No. You knew specifics about his day. Things that happened in the past. Psychics foretell the future. How did you know?”
She concentrated on keeping her breathing even and hoped the sweat she felt on her forehead didn’t show. “What makes you an expert on psychics? I’m the first one you’ve ever met.”
“A-ha,” he barked and pointed his finger at her nose. “That’s something specific about my past. What are you hiding?” He took a step closer, then another, backing her up until her butt hit the tiny table behind her, rocking it on its legs.
“Hey!” She shoved against his chest. “Stop crowding me.”
The scent of leather and the outdoors filled her head and muddled her thinking. She didn’t believe he would physically harm her, but he definitely wouldn’t be happy if he found out she knew the darkest moments in his life.
“Stop lying to me,” he demanded. “How did you know?”
“Back off.” She punctuated the command by shoving again against the solid wall of his chest. The fact that her efforts to move him were completely ineffectual was more annoying than frightening.
“The truth, Crystal,” he said with a hard glint in his eyes. The firm set of his jaw told her that he wasn’t going to budge.
She glared at him, realizing that this was a no-win situation. “Step back three paces or I’m not saying another word.”
He squinted at her and his nostrils flared in annoyance. His lashes were so thick they looked like coal as they shaded the blazing blue of his irises. He issued a silent sigh before he took one step backward.
She pointed at him. “Keep going.”
His nostrils flared again, but he stepped back until he was across the room. He was still too close for comfort, but the tiny space only allowed for so much maneuverability.
She licked her lips. “With skin to skin contact, I can see a person’s past.”
Those long lashes batted once, then twice. “You can see someone’s past?”
She nodded.
“So when you shook my hand…” he trailed off. His breathing quickened. “What did you see?” When she didn’t answer immediately, he got right back in her face. His lips pulled over his teeth as he snarled, “What did you see?”
She lifted her chin. “Enough.”
“How much?” he growled.
“All of it.”
“All of it?” He began to sway. “No. That’s impossible.”
“Says the man who can move objects with his mind,” she reminded him. “And I’m sorry for your loss.”
“No. No.” He shook his head, but when she held his gaze, he snarled and turned away.
As he tried to back and forth in the alcove, his lips rolled and pinched as if he wanted to say a thousand things but he didn’t know where to start. His hands alternated between tightening into fists and repeatedly brushing his hair out of his eyes.
“How dare you!” he grunted. “Do you understand anything of what you claim to know? About what I’ve been through? How dare you read my mind?”
“I didn’t read your mind. Like, I don’t know what you were thinking as events happened, and if I touched you now, I still won’t know what you’re thinking at the time. I only see what happens like it was a movie.”
“That’s semantics. You still had no right.”
“I understand why you would feel that way,” she said. “It might seem intrusive.”
His eyes bulged. “Are you kidding me?”
“Can you look at it from my perspective, please? I’ve been having visions of encountering a man with unheard-of telekinetic powers that would turn my world upside down. You cannot stand there and tell me that you wouldn’t use every ability you have to keep the advantage for your own safety.”
He grunted and backed away as his lips drew into a thin line. Ha. She was right and he knew it.
“Look, Max,” she began and held her hand out in a silent plea for trust. “I believe there is a reason we met. Maybe we were drawn together because we both have powers. Maybe there are others like us.”
“Others?” He stared at her in genuine surprise.
“Yes, others.” The corner of her lip ticked up. “What, are you such a special snowflake that you thought you were the only one?”
“Well…yeah.” He shrugged.
“Why would you think that?”
“It wasn’t like I heard of anyone else with powers. I thought… I mean…”
For some reason the defensiveness in his tone and the uncertainty on his face amused her. From what she had seen, Max had never been wrong, and the chance to open his mind to different possibilities gave her the courage to press her case. If she was ever going to get out of this nowhere existence and make a difference in the world, she had to make him listen.
“Think about it. Once upon a time people used to be covered with hair and they were four feet tall. It’s evolution. The world is becoming increasingly unstable, and nature will do all she can to adapt to the environment. Maybe that’s where we come in.”
The leather of his coat creaked as he crossed his arms. “So humans evolve and gain powers. For what purpose?”
Like he had to ask. “To save the world.”
He snorted. “That’s very Pollyanna of you.”
“What else do you think our powers are good for, working in sideshows? I have been given my power for a purpose. You have been given your power for a purpose. I knew we would meet, and now you’re here. Why? Of all people to be granted such a gift, why you? It was destined. Just as you came to this specific shop. Destiny. You are here because—I think I’m supposed to help you.”
A cool mask settled on his sharp features. “With what?”
“To stop your father.”
“Nope,” he barked like a shot from a gun. “No, no, hell no. You will not get involved with Madden. This is my fight. My mission. No one else’s.” He slashed his hand definitively in the air.
Argh. Now she was the one ready to pull her hair out. “I get it. You’re a big bad alpha male. You are also making it personal. D’oh—” She pinched the bridge of her nose.
Stay calm. Don’t argue. Keep it logical. Max is a logic kind of guy.
“Max, what you’re facing is way too big of a task for any one man to take on alone, even with your powers. I can help you.”
This was her moment. She felt it in her bones. This was her chance to use her powers for more than reading tarot cards for the lovelorn. When her mother was murdered, Crystal promised she would do whatever she could to prevent others from facing the same fate. If the police wouldn’t allow her to help, perhaps assisting Max on his quest was what she was meant to do with her gifts.
“No,” he said as if that was the final word and she would bow to his wishes.
For a smart man, he had a lot to learn.
She started to argue further then sucked in a breath as a vision hit her hard enough to buckle her knees.
Damn it. This one was big.
If she focused as the sensation began, she could slip into a vision as if she were sliding into a warm pool of water, but usually they hit her so hard her conventional sight and hearing were overwhelmed, leaving her vulnerable to anyone and anything.
Never had so much information been thrown at her at once. And never had any part of it not make lick of sense. What in the hell did cotton candy, penguins, and a Ferrari have in common?
While her mind raced to process the images, Max calling her name was a faint refrain in the background. Slowly, she became aware of a reassuring pressure on her back and a touch at her elbow that was keeping her from collapsing to the floor.
“Crystal? Crystal. What’s wrong?”
“Who do you know in Portland?” she asked when she regained feeling in her lips.
“What? No one I can think of.” He backed away when she finally straightened, worry still etched on his brow. “What did you see?”
“I saw us in Portland. We’re driving down the freeway in your car. Nice wheels, by the way,” she added with a shaky grin. “But we are together and we’re at the—Portland.”
Yeah. There was no way she was going to tell him exactly where she saw them ending up. He’d laugh in her face and disappear without another word.
“That doesn’t make any sense.” He fixed a wary gaze on her and she could see the wheels in his head turn as he sorted through every possibility to find a connection. “I don’t remember a source or contact of my father’s in Oregon. Of course, that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be one. Did I miss something?” he muttered, more to himself than at her.
“See, you do need me,” she said.
He snorted again. “If I believe you. Maybe I’ll check out this lead in Portland, but you are not getting involved.” He turned his back to her, and the tails of his duster slapped her in the legs with a whoosh.
She around him and blocked him before he got to the doorway. “I am going with you. There is a reason I have this power, and if I’m stuck with it, then I want to do something useful. And besides…” She placed her hands on her hips and stood as tall as her five foot nothing height allowed. “You know you need me.”
“Do I?” he asked as his eyes flashed in amusement.
“I’m the real deal, and you’re curious about what’s in Portland. You won’t be able to stop thinking about what it is. Every time you hit a dead end, you’ll wonder if I had the key all along. You have to take me. I’m the only one who knows what we’re looking for.”
“Why don’t you tell me what you saw, and I’ll decide if it’s worth my time.”
“I’m with you the entire time. I saw that.”
“Tell me,” he repeated, his teeth clenched.
She flashed him her sweetest smile and batted her lashes. She so had him right where she wanted.
His lips pressed together in an expression of aggravation she was rapidly becoming used to, and for some perverse reason delighted in causing.
However, her time to gloat was cut short when he held up his hand. Before she knew it, she was lifted into the air and pressed against the wall. Invisible bonds held her immobile as she struggled against—nothing.
Max stepped closer until his chest brushed her breasts and his cool blue gaze met hers. He did that twitchy-lip thing again as if he were trying to start a sentence but was too frustrated to formulate a response. Every second that passed, his frustration reverberated through her as if it were a piece of thick metal struck with a mallet.
Okay. Perhaps she wasn’t entirely safe in his presence. On the other hand, this testosterone-laden display was right dead sexy. Seriously, Max was an incredibly compelling man. The places where their bodies touched tingled with awareness, and everywhere else was jealous of the contact.
Good thing she was trapped against the wall. If she had the ability to move, she’d probably do something stupid like wrap her legs around him and gyrate as if she were a stripper trying to make rent.
She concentrated on calming her inner hussy and kept her gaze locked with his. He was behaving like an animal, and it was important to establish her refusal to kowtow. Not now, not ever.
He leaned back ever so slightly with a small sigh.
Yes! He blinked first.
His voice was deliciously husky as he rasped, “What do you know about taking down bad guys?”
“I’m not completely helpless. I’ve learned how to fight and how to use a gun.”
He didn’t look convinced. “These are not common hoodlums I’m after. These men are clever, conniving, and ruthless. You may end up staring death in the face. Can you handle that?”
“Been there. Done that.”
He froze, waiting for her to deliver the punchline. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one.
Max let out a sigh, but didn’t back away. “You have tonight to tie up all of your loose ends. I don’t know how long this will take.” Somehow, he managed to lean in closer until they were nose to nose. She fought the urge to roll her eyes in pleasure at the press of his body. “I cannot be responsible for your safety. You come with me, I will expect you to keep yourself alive. You got that?”
She couldn’t hold back the brief grin his warning provoked. “I’m not afraid.”
His answering smile was tinged with darkness and 100 percent pure male ego. “When going up against my father, sweetheart, you should be.”