From A Dream Read online

“Was she pregnant, Dom?”

  Dom stood up, looking from the blue box in his hand to the man standing up in front of him. “I don’t . . .” He swallowed and tried to stop the pulse crashing through his veins. “We—she could . . .” He looked back at the box in his gloved hand. “She didn’t tell me,” he finally whispered.

  Brody grasped his shoulder firmly.

  “Maybe she wanted to be sure first.”

  Dom nodded and continued to nod as he turned and walked to the kitchen. He reached it with his heart pounding erratically, he set the box on the counter and then grasped the edge of the hard surface with both hands and leaned there, looking at it. He closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing. “Jennah, babe, come on—talk to me.” He had to find a way to reach her. He had to! The idea of her being alone out there somewhere was bad enough before, but if she was pregnant—a baby. He wanted that with her more than he could have ever thought. “I’m going to find you, beautiful, and bring you home where you belong.”

  “Dom?”

  He opened his eyes and continued to hold the counter. He heard Brody walk over to him, but he couldn’t let go of the counter. “I just need a minute here,” he said as he dropped his head.

  “Have you tried to, uh, talk to her?”

  Dom slapped his fist on the counter and spun toward him. “Only every ten seconds since they drove away with her!” He turned and whacked the top of the hard surface with his palm. This time, the little box bounced, and it infuriated him all the more. “Why the hell didn’t I shoot at the tire? Or grab her spare keys and take her car? I just fuckin’ stood there, Brody, and watched them drive off with her!”

  Brody stepped back and shook his head. “What were you supposed to do? Take the chance of the bullet missing and embedding in the back of the truck? What if you’d hit her?” He flung his hands up. “What if you’d come back in and got her keys and then barreled after them in the car? Did they go straight or turn off? You don’t know and could have driven to the next state and never known any different!” He crossed his arms, leaned back on the counter, and glared at him.

  Dom knew he was right, but he just wanted to be pissed right off at this moment. Brody returned the look, as if daring him to point out he was wrong. Dom looked back at the box on the counter and closed his eyes. Exhaling, he tried to get himself together. When he opened his eyes and looked back at the man still staring at him, he nodded. He wasn’t any calmer, but he was back in control. “Did you get the pictures?”

  Brody nodded.

  “Okay, I’m going to go boot up Jennah’s computer and see if I can come up with a make on that truck.” He clicked his teeth together in frustration. “A black truck with a cap isn’t very descriptive for a trained cop.”

  Brody straightened and nodded. “I’m going to grab some of the snow from the front steps, see if any other substances can be determined from their boots. It might give a place to start looking.”

  Dom nodded and turned to follow Brody out of the kitchen. Brody stopped abruptly and he almost walked into him. Stepping around, him he spotted the reason he’d stopped. A redheaded woman was squatted down by the door, pulling things out of Jennah’s purse! Anger flared through him in a flash. He started to take a step when Brody put a hand on his chest and shook his head. He’d handle it. Dom stopped pressing against his hand and put his hands on his hips.

  “Excuse me,” Brody said in a loud tone. “Who are you, and what are you doing?”

  The freckle-faced woman glanced at Brody like he was an insect of some kind. Her eyes flicked briefly over Dom, as well, before she looked back down at the wallet in her hand. “I’m Officer Steelie with the task force. I believe Captain Wilds told you I would be coming.”

  Brody looked back at Dom with his eyebrows raised. Dom frowned and started over toward her. “He did, but I really don’t think you’re going to find any evidence in Jennah’s wallet.”

  She glanced up at him, and then looked him up and down and jerked her head once toward her shoulder. “You’d be surprised.” She looked over at Brody and then put her head back down and reached in Jennah’s purse again.

  Dom’s jaws snapped together. Captain Wilds be dammed! She wasn’t going to go through personal things of Jennah’s. He took two more strides toward her and was ready to toss her into the snow when Brody stepped in front of him and gave him a look telling him that he had it under control. Dom lifted his hands in a frustrated motion and went to stand beside the window.

  Brody went over, reached down, and took the purse from the woman’s hand. He picked up the wallet, stuffed it back into the purse, and then stared at her. “The evidence is sitting over there.” He pointed to the bags and vial sitting beside the camera on the couch. “I don’t think Jennah’s lipstick is going to tell you who took her.”

  The woman stood, and Dom realized she was even shorter than Jennah. She put her hands on her hips and glared up at Brody. Crossing his arms, he stood there and waited to see how this was going to play out. They had two minutes, and if things weren’t turned back toward finding Jennah, they were going to both be leaving.

  The tiny redhead took a deep breath, as if she was trying to calm herself. “Listen, buster! I don’t care if you’re the size of an ox and filled to the rim with manly, chest-beating testosterone! I’m here to do a job, and if you hinder it in any way, I’ll take you out!”

  Dom had expected a lot of things to come from her mouth, but that had not even been a possibility he’d considered. He met Brody’s look over her head and raised his eyebrows at the amused look on his friend’s face.

  Brody snorted in an insulting way and looked down at her. She moved her one hand, rested it on the butt of the gun at her side, and stepped closer to him. Dom watched Brody’s jaw clench and his nostrils flare. This wasn’t what he needed right now, two trained professionals going at each other when Jennah could be hurt somewhere.

  “Tess! I see you’re making friends as usual.”

  Dom sent a startled look toward the door to see Captain Wilds standing in it.

  The little redhead laughed softly. “Of course, Uncle Mike. Don’t I always?”

  Dom looked at Brody, whose expression mirrored Dom’s shock. Uncle Mike?

  From A Dream

  Chapter Three

  Jennah had no idea how long she’d been lying there. There was no sound coming from outside of her prison. There was no noise inside it either, she thought with relief flooding through her. At least she knew that she was in this place alone and without rodent companionship. Her head ached and her eyes were hurting from straining to focus on something in the dark. She had come to several realizations while lying there. She couldn’t reach Dom—for whatever reason she couldn’t figure out. She concluded that she could be here for a long time and that blind people were amazingly strong and brave to live in blackness like this all the time.

  With no watch—she snarled. They’d even taken her damn watch—she had no idea how long she had searched around her own private hell. If there was a way in and out of here, she hadn’t found any evidence of it. Just as she hadn’t found any sort of light. What possible use could a space like this be for?

  A scraping noise had her bolting upright. She cocked her head and listened to see where it had come from. Creaking, followed by blinding light, came from above her. Holding a hand over her eyes, she squinted and looked through her fingers. A hatch was opened above her and a blurry shadow loomed over her. She moved up onto her knees, her adrenaline flowing and ready for action. A scuffling noise was followed by a small ladder appearing in the hole. It was lowered.

  “Climb up!” the shadow demanded.

  He didn’t have to tell her twice. She scrambled off the cot and went toward the ladder. Whatever waited for her at the top had to be better than the sightless solitude she’d just experienced.

  * * * *

  Dom sat at the table, scowling at the screen of the laptop. He’d narrowed down the type of vehicle, which didn’t do him
one bit of good without a plate number. For all he knew, they’d taken it off on purpose and then put it back on. So searching for a black truck with no plate wasn’t exactly a sure thing.

  It was morning now and had been almost fifteen hours since he’d watched the truck leave with Jennah in it. Fifteen hours of searching for hints to lead him to find her. Fifteen hours of people coming and going and not one, as far as he was concerned, was making him feel they had a chance. Jennah’s coworkers were all onboard and out searching. Dom didn’t like riding all of his hope on a few people, but they had just worked through the night to help find her, and if they came up with a string to follow, he’d be indebted to them forever.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small, velvet box. He flicked it open with one hand and looked at the ring nestled in the plush material. If he’d never invaded her dream, she wouldn’t have been taken. He rubbed a hand over his heart. The very thought of her not being in his world made it ache. He shoved it back into his pocket.

  Lifting his head, he glared over at Brody and Tess. Once again, they were nose to nose and bitching at each other about something. They were starting to get on his nerves, acting like two kids instead of professionals. He cleared his throat to get their attention. They froze and turned toward him with startled looks. “Has Rudy called in?”

  Brody shook his head.

  “Get the map again. I want to know where Rudy is and where he’s going.”

  Brody nodded once and left, but not before he glared at the hostile-looking redheaded woman. The only reason she was still here was because her Uncle Captain Mike had asked him, in a giving-you-an-order tone, to let her stay and help. So far, the only thing she had helped with was to piss Brody off like Dom had never seen before.

  “Sorry,” she whispered with a shrug. “I think your partner is offended by a woman.”

  “I’d love to be Dom’s partner, but he flies solo most of the time and we just catch the debris.”

  She turned and gave Brody a blank look. He stopped right in front of her and looked down at her.

  Exasperated, Dom hissed out a sigh. “Could you two please—”

  “Dom? Please be there. I don’t know how long I’ll be out of the hole and able to reach you. Please be there! I need you to be there!”

  Dom held up his hand toward the two so they’d shut up. “Babe? I’m here. Tell me you’re all right. I’m here.” His pulse sped up just hearing her voice inside his head. “God, babe, I can’t tell you how hearing you makes me feel.”

  “I know. I just—I can’t.” There was a short pause. “I’m all right so far. Scared and a little smelly right now, but okay.”

  He placed a hand over his heart in relief. Hearing her had never meant more to him. Grabbing a pen, he waved his hand around. “Stay calm for me, beautiful. I need you to help me. Tell me anything and everything you can to help.” Brody dropped a note pad on the table in front of him. He held the pen ready over it and waited to write anything she could tell him.

  “I’ve been in some sort of cellar.”

  He sat forward when she stopped.

  “Heavy metal lid. So I’ve been underground. It’s small, homemade, no wiring, only way in or out is in the ceiling. There are two of them. One is tall, your height, black hair, short, spiked . . .”

  He wanted a piece of the man as she described him.

  “Eerie green eyes, goatee. The other, shorter, a few inches taller than I am, blonde hair, balding, moustache.”

  He heard her clear her throat.

  “With a very broken nose.”

  He smirked at the last part as he wrote everything down, not interrupting in case she didn’t have a lot of time.

  “I’m in a small cabin, I’d say—possibly a hunting retreat. There are three doors, one leads to the outside. One small window and one large one, both with dark blue shades pulled down. I can’t see outside.”

  He glanced over at the counter and spotted the blue box sitting there. He had to ask, had to know. “Babe? Are you pregnant?” He heard her sigh.

  “You found the box. I don’t know, Dom, maybe.” She sounded hesitant. “I can’t dwell on it right now. I’ll fall apart. I have to focus.”

  He could hear the emotion in her tone. He tried to roll some of the tension out of his shoulders. “It’s okay if you are, Jennah. I just want you to know that.” He wanted to hold her while they discussed this.

  “Oh.” He heard her let out a slow breath. “They’re over in the corner by the door talking about something. I can’t hear what. I’m going to try to get you more. Hang on.”

  He tensed and waited. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that both Tess and Brody were looking over it, reading everything he wrote. Both had cell phones in their hands, ready for the first viable piece of information Jennah was able to give. He paused on it, for only a passing thought, but why hadn’t Tess asked how he was getting this?

  “Dom?”

  “I’m here.”

  “They’re letting me go into the bathroom, alone.”

  “Baby, if there’s a window, I don’t care how you do it, get out it and run like you never have before.”

  “I’ve already been informed the window is too small to go through.”

  His heart thudded. “Okay.” He squinted, trying to focus and keep his head in the game. “See if you can spot anything outside that will help us.”

  “Okay”

  He wrote “location markers” in large letters and underlined it. Brody turned, grabbed the map, and pushed it onto the table and leaned over it, ready.

  “They weren’t joking about the window. It’s more like a small port hole. Outside I see a lot of dense bush . . .”

  He wrote it down and glanced over to the map to see if it marked out the forest regions. It did.

  “Judging by the slope of the trees, I’m going to say it’s along the eastern ridge, or near to it. We can still reach each other, so we know I’m still somewhere in the area.”

  He wrote it and, circling it, nodded to Brody. Brody leaned over the map and started highlighting the roads and trails along it.

  “You’re doing great, babe. Is there anything in the bathroom to help identify the place, or the scum responsible? A weapon, find something you can use.” He heard her chuckle.

  “I’m not a rookie, Dom, just retired to a quieter place.”

  A feeling of pride filled him. He was so proud of how she was handling it. He’d never be able to explain how much to her. “I know you’re not. I’m just trying to make me feel better.” He felt warmth spread over his cheek as she thought of touching him. Wanting to feel close to her right now, he stifled the urge to cup his own cheek.

  Someone tapped his shoulder. He turned and cleared his vision to look at Tess.

  “Can she touch one of the assailants?”

  “What?” He frowned at her and then glanced to Brody.

  She closed her eyes and then glared at him. “Please, there isn’t time to explain. If she can touch one of them while the two of you are connected—I can make it so we can see him. Maybe even both of the assailants, I’m not sure. Please, Detective Palmer—trust me!”

  He turned, and the look on Brody’s face said what he was feeling. She was nuts! But a small chance at anything helpful was worth it. What did he have to lose? “I’ll ask.” Shaking his head, he looked back to a spot on the table and reached for Jennah again. “Jennah, can you touch one of them?”

  “Them? The bozos that grabbed me?”

  He sighed at her tone. “Yeah. I’ll explain in a few. Just tell me if you can.”

  “I’ll try.”

  The apprehensive tone she used had his skin crawling. He’d just asked her to touch one of the men that had taken her from him. He nodded to Tess. “She’s going to.”

  “You ready?”

  “Yes.” He raised his hand toward Tess and Brody and waited for her to tell him when.

  “Now, Dom.”

  He nodded. Tess placed her hand
on his shoulder and then glanced to Brody. “Touch my shoulder and try to stay quiet. This takes a lot of concentration.”

  Brody raised one eyebrow at the crazy little woman but did as she asked. She closed her eyes.

  Dom turned back to the table. He heard Brody’s astonished “Whoa” just as the image filled his mind. He could see the bastard, and he recognized him. His whole body tensed. It was one of Cherry’s goons from Wyestate. When the hell did he get out? “Son of a bitch!” He tried to focus on the image being sent to him.

  “Babe, did you find anything in the bathroom to use as a weapon?”

  “Sort of. A two-inch piece of tile—it’s pointed. Why?”

  “That bastard you have your hand on is from Wyestate. One of those who was charged with attempting to take me out.”

  He heard her inhale deeply just when the image left. “You have some lovely friends, Dominic.”

  He hadn’t realized Tess and Brody were still connected until he head Brody chuckle at what Jennah said.

  “Just be careful, babe.”

  “I always am, Dominic—except when men show up inside my dreams.”

  The sultry tone in her voice as she whispered the last part sent a heated buzz shivering through him. He smirked before he remembered, and then turned to look at the other two. Tess dropped her hand away.

  “See if you can observe anything else. Anything at all that might help me find you.”

  “I will. Don’t go too far on me.”

  “I’ll be right here, going over the map.”

  “Okay.”

  He turned in the chair and looked over at Brody. Brody moved his hand from Tess’s shoulder and then grinned and waved both arms around.

  “That rocked! I mean, seriously, I watch sci-fi and never once imagined it could be real!”

  Dom raised both eyebrows and looked at Tess. She stood there with her hands on her hips while sending the other man a bored expression.

  Brody gave her an expectant look. “Can you do anything else?”

  Tess hissed out a long breath. “Like what, Detective? Transform you into a braying ass? No, however much I’d like to!”