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"We already know each others thoughts, Nikki"

"But I can’t--"

"You can" He studied her, face gri neither of us can really control, soer every tiain "The point is, do you trustwould it be?" The prospect made her stomach turn Did she really want Michael to know all her wants, all her secrets and fears?

"It would have to be coh to allow me some kind of control if I need it But I promise not to delve, not to open any doors you wish kept closed And you must promise the same" She nodded and wondered if it mattered Michael’s abilities far outstripped hers There was no way on earth she’d be able to control hi screw up the kind of trap Jasper had waiting last tihtly different path" She licked her lips For all intents and purposes, he’d have control of her Her willingness to go along with this would allow Michael to succeed where Jasper had so far failed--would give him the access Tommy had wanted but couldn’t fully control

"Damn it, Nikki, I’m not Jasper Or To only a foot away from her She bit her lip and backed away a step Her back hit the wall The wood paneling felt cool against her palaze

"I don’t want control of yourelse, for that h your head? I just want you to trust me"

She stared at hi and knew in that instant he wanted so more than he’d ever adhed and turned to the , staring out through the lace "Instead ofJake’s whereabouts, I intend to join hisus, and it will give us a better idea of what is going on"

So Michael would have control of two minds She remembered how easily he had made the waiter do as he asked, and shivered But that had only been surface control This would be sothat deals with this kind of erous"

"For us or for Jake?"

"For everyone But we should have no trouble linking with Jake I’ve already done it" She gave hih she knew by the taut aze "When was this?"

He shrugged "The night before I round in a hurry, and ould know ator?"

Who indeed? And Jake had been an investigator long enough to know his fair share of secrets She just had to hope he’d be around long enough to learn a few more

She sed to ease the sudden dryness in her throat "Will we be able to feel what he feels?"

"Yes But I will protect you from it as much as I can"

"I don’t know--"-- if I can cope with Jake’s fear on top of ently "If you want him to survive" She took a deep breath then nodded Jake was the closest thing she had left to family She didn’t want to lose him "What do I do?"

"Sit in his chair and relax"

She did Michael held her hand Heat burned through her flesh, war the ice formed by her apprehension

"Now relax and close your eyes"

She listened to the rhyth and tried to in to leave her limbs

"Relax, relax" Michael’s voice was a whisper that soothed her soul "Allow our thoughts to touch, becoh her, warh every fiber of her being It was a caress, a lover’s kiss, and nothing like the invasion she’d i when compared to the inferno they raised as their minds becahts whispered through her His mind ran like a wave before hers, separate yet united with her own She could see his thoughts before he spoke them See his emotions, a blaze of color that almost left her blind Could see the areas he wished kept hidden, vast tracts of forbidding darkness

Find Jake, Nikki

She reached for the watch The ainst her skin, but her hands twitched, burned by the i the trail that led to Jake Shapes began to form She felt a tremor of fear, only to have Michael chase it away Concentrate on Jake, Nikki See hih his teh his hair, only to stop when he felt the sticky daled into a sitting position and tried to reed his butt, and a breeze pulled at his wet clothes Where on earth was he? The air was heavy with age and the scent of decay Somewhere ahead in the darkness he could hear the steady drip of water

It had to be a cave of sootten here--wherever here was?

"Hell is an apt enough description of this place,around the walls Jake tensed, studying the darkness

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Questions" The stranger’s voice dripped cold sarcasm "Always questions from my captives" Jake sed He kneho had hih to fall into your trap a second ti shape Became a man with the eyes of a deht, studying the muscular form warily He wasn’t psychic, but he could feel the power that oozed from the man And those eyesthey were alht with a frown

"Interesting," Jasper th I did not expect" Jake made no comment and studied the darkness beyond Jasper There had to be some clue as to his whereabouts--some way to warn Nikki not to cole" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>