Iris Johansen - Pandora's Daughter

"Like the Devanez family."

He nodded. "Your mother's tests showed an unusually high percentage of that fluid."

"What about your tests?"

"Not as high as Sarah's. Her results were practically off the charts." He met her gaze. "I'd bet your tests would be astonishing. Sarah said you were stronger than she was."

"We're not going to find out. I don't want to be a guinea pig for your Michael Travis."

"You may change your mind. I wasn't enthusiastic either, but you can't control a problem without knowledge. I'm all for control." He smiled. "I thought you'd embrace this particular hypothesis. It's much more scientific than voodoo, witchcraft, and black magic."

"Do you believe it?"

"I believe it's entirely possible. First, you have to accept that the universe is not necessarily laid out in nice, logical, patterns for us. Then you only have to accept that we're not all capable of seeing, hearing, and experiencing to the same degree the universe around us. Dogs and cats see and smell things differently than we do. Birds see more brilliant colors and nuances of shades than we could ever dream." He smiled. "I don't hear what you hear. I'm deaf to it. You can't do what I do. You don't understand it. Maybe every now and then someone who ordinarily has no psychic ability has a rush of adrenaline or a chemical shift that surges the pertinent DNA to the brain. For a second, a moment, five minutes, whatever psychic gift being suppressed breaks free."

"Maybe."

He chuckled. "But you do like that explanation. I knew you would. Your practical soul has felt violated since you were plunged into all this."

"You're right. I'm reaching for whatever sanity I can find." She made a face. "And maybe I like the idea of everyone having some degree of psychic ability. It makes me feel less alone."

He reached out and covered her hand on the chair arm. "You're not alone."

Her hand was warm, tingling, beneath his grasp and the pulse in her wrist was pounding erratically. He might have meant to touch her in comfort but it wasn't comfort she was feeling. Did he know? Dammit, of course he knew. He'd said he was sensitive to her emotions and she was being bombarded with emotion right now.

"Don't… touch me."

"Why not? You like it. You want it."

Lord, that was no lie. The tingling that had started in her hand was now suffusing her entire body. She was acutely aware of him. The tension of his muscles, the faint scent of spicy aftershave and musk, the heat he was emitting. Don't look at him. She knew what she'd see and it would only add fuel to the fire. Her hand clenched on the arm of the chair. "I don't always take what I want."

"Neither do I." He muttered a curse. "And this is a hell of a time. I didn't intend to start this now. It just happened."

And how had it happened? A mainly cerebral discussion and then this explosive sexual tension. "Then take your hand away."

"I'd better do more than that." He unbuckled his seat belt and stood up. "I'm going up to the cockpit and talk to the pilot and Harley." He looked down at her and she caught her breath as she saw his expression. "But you'd better get used to the idea. I could control it when I wasn't sure you wanted it too, but that's not the case any more. Is it?"

He didn't wait for an answer.

She watched him stride away from her down the aisle and smothered a ripple of disappointment. For God's sake, what was wrong with her? Had she wanted him to jerk her onto his lap and screw her?

She closed her eyes as the answer came to her. Yes, primitive, raw, any way he wanted. She still wanted it.

It would be a mistake. Right now she was on an emotional roller coaster and she didn't need to have sex thrown into the mix. She drew a deep breath and unfastened her seat belt. She'd go wash her face and give herself time to calm. By the time she saw Grady again she must be cool and composed.

Not likely.

"JED HARLEY?" MOLINO REPEATED. "That circus bitch was sure that Harley did the payoff to that roustabout?"

"The description Pierre Jacminot gave her fit him like a glove," Sienna said. "But that means Grady."

"And I'd bet the Blair woman."

"Why would they want inside the trailer? Grady has to know we wouldn't leave evidence."

Ordinary evidence, Molino thought bitterly. Who knew what information one of those freaks might come up with? "I don't care why they wanted inside the trailer. If they found any lead to the Ledger, I want to know about it. Did you send someone to Chantilly?"

"Five minutes after I got the call. Falbon should be there in a few hours." He paused. "What are his instructions? If he sees an opportunity, should he kill the woman?"

Molino thought about it. Two attempts at downing Megan Blair and no success. It was totally ridiculous. If Falbon could do the job, he should let him kill her.

The Ledger.

Lists of names of all those other monsters like the one who had killed his son.

"No, we can wait. Just tell him to find her and then watch every move she makes."

And let the bitch lead him to the Ledger.

"RENATA WILGER." HARLEY SHOOK his head as he glanced over the list he'd been handed at the airport. "Seven names. It's not going to be easy. What do I do? Just go up to them and ask if they'll please give me the Ledger? She'll probably know what happened to Edmund Gillem."

"Maybe not," Grady said. "Gillem wouldn't have entrusted the Ledger to anyone who was known to be close to him. Molino's probably paid a visit to everyone who might fall in that category."

"What about his ex-wife?" Megan asked. "Even though they were divorced, would Molino-"

"She drowned in a boating accident a week after Edmund died."

"Molino?" Megan whispered.

He shrugged. "She was a good sailor and the weather was fine. There were bruises on her body when it was found."

"You didn't tell me."

"What good would it have done? It was declared an unfortunate accident and you were facing enough ugliness."

"I don't want you keeping things from me."

He shrugged. "She probably didn't know anything about the Ledger. From what I found about the divorce, it was a complete break. Edmund wouldn't have confided in her."

"I still want to make up my own mind." She turned to Harley. "I'll help you go through the list."

"No, you won't," Harley said. "It's my job. I'll narrow it down and then I'll let you and Grady sift through what's left." He glanced out the window. "The Sheraton's right ahead. Nice hotel. I spent a few days there last year. Luscious feather mattresses and steaming hot chocolate in silver pots. A little Sound of Music ambiance, but that's not bad. I like schmaltz."

"What were you doing here?" Megan asked.

"Attending a pastry school. Everyone thinks that Paris has the finest schools for cuisine, but I learned how to make the most-why are you laughing?"

"Another career, Harley?"

"Not a career. I only took an internship for a month or two. There was a chef here who had the secret of how to make incredible Baumkuchen. He created twenty-eight layers of batter and each one was magnificent."

A smile was still tugging at her lips. "And you can never tell when you're going to need to know something as valuable as that."

He beamed. "It's wonderful to be understood." Grady had pulled up at the front entrance and Harley jumped out. "I'll check in for you. One glance at Megan and the desk clerk would be able to describe her. She's got that kind of face. Wait in the bar."

"Adjoining rooms," Grady told him.

"Right." He disappeared into the hotel.

"You tensed up when I said that," Grady said tightly. "A door between us isn't going to make any difference. It's a matter of choice."

"That's why I didn't say anything." But the intimacy of the thought had had an affect on her. Dammit, everything about him was having a physical affect on her. She opened the door and got out of the car. "This isn't an old fifties B movie. I'm worried about staying alive, not about preserving my honor." She smiled without mirth. "Do you know I've always thought that phrase was ridiculous when you consider keeping their women pure and intact was historically to preserve a man's honor. Actually, they thought women were livestock and had no honor."