them.
The stagnant air was heavy with humidity and smoke. He made his way across the span of lawn to the point where the grove stood as a gateway into a densely wooded area, thick with water oak and pine.
The light stopped where the tangle of vegetation began. He hesitated. The hair on his neck bristled and oddly enough, he could feel her watching him, nudging him forward, begging him to accept her proof. Believe her claim…take the bait.
He shook it off and stepped into the grove, listening for the sound of movement, anything that would indicate he wasn’t alone.
Irritation jetted through him as he moved deeper into the stand, determined to disprove her information.
The grass rustled to his left.
He focused on a cluster of shadows and stepped toward the sound, ready to scare the hell out of whatever small creature had the unfortunate luck of crossing his path.
A flurry of movement disoriented him. He heard footsteps behind him, but it was too late.
Someone slammed an object against the back of his head and his world went black.
SAVANNAH’S MIND went blank for an instant.
Kade was in trouble.
In a full sprint, she ran to the grove, pausing near the overgrown opening, before pushing into the center of the trees.
The light was minimal, but she could just make out the shape of a body on the ground. “Kade!”
He moaned. “Get out! Run!”
“He’s gone.” She knelt next to him, helping him into a sitting position. She brushed his shoulder with her hand, feeling a degree of his pain.
“Looks like you and your mom get to share an ambulance ride tonight.”
“I don’t need an ambulance. I need the guy who just tried to take my head off.”
“I should have warned you.”
“You knew this was going to happen?”
“Not exactly, but I felt his desperation when you cornered him.”
“I’d like to say I believe you, but…”
“Save it, Decker. I eat skeptics for breakfast and I’ve dined on the finest. Why do you think I hide my abilities and my eye color? It’s to protect myself from people like you.” She picked up his cane and stood up, feeling exhausted.
“Can you get up on your own?” She already knew he could, but she helped him to his feet anyway, placing the cane in his hand.
“What’s wrong with your hip?”
“I was in an accident.”
“Is it painful?” She knew the answer; she’d tapped into the sensation.
“For the most part, yeah. But I’m working through it.”
She pulled his arm around her shoulder and they stumbled out of the grove in silence.
Nick Brandt spotted them and crossed the lawn, a frown on his face. “This isn’t summer camp kids. It’s no time to be sneaking off into the woods.”
Kade grinned at his friend, but didn’t take his arm off Savannah’s shoulder. He liked the way she fit next to him, liked the tension he felt trapped inside her body screaming to get out. It was sweet torture with a twist. The contact made him feel better, eased his pain.
“You’ll like what we found on our foray. A voyeur with a club. He was watching.”
“I’ll get a team in here. If he left anything behind, we’ll find it.”
“Then there’s Dr. Dawson.” He purposely stared down at her. “She arrived on scene in her nightie again. Better check her for residue.”
“He really needs the bump on his head examined. It’s affecting his brain.”
He liked the glimmer of challenge he saw in her cool blue eyes.
“I’m sorry, doc, but you’ll have to come with me.”
“Gladly.” She pulled free of him. “If it proves I’m not your firebug.”
Kade watched her walk away and be helped into the backseat of a black-and-white, satisfied when it pulled away.
“Better get that knot looked at, buddy.” Nick Brandt moved up next to him.
“I’ll live. Why didn’t you clue me in about Dr. Dawson’s…interesting talent?”
Nick shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Would you have believed me?”
“Probably not.”
“Do you remember that kidnapping case a couple of years ago, the little girl who went missing down in Mobile? Her kidnapper was in a car accident shortly after the ransom drop and died before he could tell us where the girl was?”
“Yeah, made the news in Chicago.” Kade fingered the back of his head, feeling for blood.
“Dr. Savannah Dawson found her.”
“No kidding…”
“From the station downtown. She’s the real deal, buddy. An honest-to-goodness, credible psychic.”
Kade sucked in a long breath and let it out, trying to get his head around the details. “Is that your only case?”
“There are dozens just like it. She’s my department’s secret weapon. I can’t disclose every case she’s worked. If the media got hold of it, we’d take a beating. We’re already being scrutinized on a daily basis. It’d be fuel on fire.”
“You’re right. And she said as much tonight. I got the impression she’s been ridiculed for her talent.”
“Yeah. This city’s got a knack for putting folks through the grinder for being different.”
Admiration stirred in his mind. Savannah Dawson was a survivor. He liked that.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“You said she grew up in Atlanta and moved here five years ago.”
“Yeah.”
“Where was she born?”
“She’s a native. Born right here in Montgomery.”
A chill screamed through his body, waking up a long buried memory.
“I’ve got to get down to the hospital, check on my mom. I’ll be back to have a look as soon as this mother cools off.”
“No problem. Maybe we’ll have some forensics on your assailant by the time you get back.”
Kade squeezed his cane and limped toward his car. Gritting his teeth, he climbed in and fired the engine.
He’d known Savannah Dawson once upon a time, as sure as he knew his own name. Now he had to confirm it.
Chapter Three
Kade tried to force up the sliding glass door latch, but it was melted in place. It proved one thing. His mom had been locked out when the fire started.
Relief coursed through his veins as he turned back into the charred apartment where the arsonist had left his mark in the middle of the room. A point of origin that had dropped from the ceiling onto a tile. Too bad the intense heat had destroyed the incendiary device itself, leaving him little to go on.
Fear worked its way into his mind. His mother’s home had been targeted, but had she? Most firebugs didn’t give away get-out-of-fire-free cards or lock their victims out of a fire.
Don Watson from the crime lab entered the apartment with his kit. “Want