Chapter Five
Peyton’s heart ached at the thought of shutting Cole out of her life, but she had to. If he kept asking her, she wouldn’t have the strength to continue to refuse him. How could he be so blind? In the end, he’d find someone to love. She had to be the strong one for both of them.
The pain surfaced from deep within her broken soul. Life was unfair and Hendricks had the upper hand. Drying the wet streaks from her cheeks, she straightened her spine resolving to put Pig Man behind bars while she still had more waking hours than unconscious ones. Truthfully, she didn’t know how long she had. When she opened the door, Cole towered over her. His hands grasped each side of the threshold.
“I want to put the man you’re defending in jail. Will you be with me or against me? She swallowed hard waiting for his answer.
His gaze fixed onto hers. “Believe it or not, I think he’s guilty too. How did you know…your visions?”
“You’re fast.” She ducked under his arm and marched toward Cole’s desk.
Several hours later, Cole closed the last file. “How strange your episodes began when you were in Louisiana. The car accident happened on your way there, so I’m not sure you can blame the wreck.”
“I viewed the collision as though it jostled my brain. Kind of like radio signals via new fillings syndrome.”
Cole laughed. When he settled, he swiped his fingers through his hair. “I’m wondering if there may be a possibility of intervention.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not an alcoholic or on drugs.” Peyton paled at Cole’s thought process. Was the next step placing her in an institution?
“You jumped to the wrong conclusion.” Cole shook his head once. “I’m speaking of black magic.”
“That’s nonsense. You don’t believe in that stuff and I only write about it.” She rose and strolled to the window. For whatever reason, the outdoors always soothed her frayed nerves. A bird on a snow covered branch captured her attention then the feathered creature flew away.
“Jilly had said Leah was researching something down there. Maybe, I can phone her and get her to check on a few things for me.” Cole withdrew his cell and initiated the call.
Peyton needed fresh air. She stepped outside and exhaled; seeing her breath, she crossed her arms to ward off the chill. The cold crept over her frame inundating her with a stern warning. An alarm bell rang inside her mind as she remembered the toxic memories of each crime scene. Every time Hendricks confronted her with his victims, the atmosphere was hot and muggy. How odd she never realized the temperature of the surroundings, until now.
The door opened and Cole joined her. His chest snuggled against her back. “You’re shivering.”
“I swear I wasn’t two seconds ago.” Her teeth shattered and her body shook.
“I didn’t mean to scare you about the voodoo stuff.” Cole rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
“Wha-what di-did Le-ah have to sa-say?”
“You should come inside. I can’t have my bright-shining star catching the flu.”
Her knees buckled. Cole caught her before she hit the ground. “Peyton?”
“Y-you sou-sound stra-strange.” Cole’s voice seemed as though he were a thousand miles away talking through a megaphone. Her head swam, and her vision blurred. She succumbed to the vortex.
When she opened her eyes, a pile of blankets had been draped over her. Cole must have been trying to keep her warm. She had stopped shivering, the heaviness of the covers felt good, just like when Cole made love to her. His weight had always given her a sense of security she never understood. Even though she acknowledged they couldn’t have a relationship, deep down she truly missed Cole’s touch, his kisses, and above all, their joining. “What happened?”
Cole sat on the edge of the couch. She scooted over to give him more room. His forehead wrinkled with concerned lines and he grasped her chin until her gaze connected with his. “You passed out.”
“This one wasn’t like the others.” Moisture clouded her vision. What was Satan’s spawn doing to her?
“Tell me what happened out there.” Cole’s fingers brushed her hair to the side.
“You’re going to think I’m crazy.”
“No, I won’t.”
She might as well tell Cole everything, maybe then he would realize they could never be a couple. “When Hendricks makes me watch him torture his victims, I have a warning and the environment is hot and humid. Afterward, there is a curtain of darkness that shrouds my consciousness and I feel like I’m falling into a maelstrom. Eventually, I wake up with a migraine and very weak. With each occurrence, he forces me to stay longer in his hell.
“Go on.” Cole’s ice-blue eyes watered.
“This past time, I was sucked in a whirlwind with debris, like a tornado. I was freezing, couldn’t catch my breath and knew I was going to fall to my death. But something or someone stopped me before I hit the ground.”
“God, I feel…so helpless.” He thumbed tears from his eyes. “But we’ll figure this out, okay?”
She swiped the moisture he’d missed and was surprised Cole let his emotions show. “Are you really going to stick with me on this or are you going to run for California as fast as you can?”
“If you never trust me in anything else, believe this. I won’t leave you.”
She nodded. Cole had never spoken in terms of a couple even when they were. On numerous occasions, he had shooed her away and told her he would text what they would do. Not once did Cole ask for her input. Under no circumstances were they a team. However, that was the past. Now, Cole had changed for the better. She would have to be blind not to see his transformation. She relaxed knowing he had her back and that he possessed the wherewithal to handle this situation. She sure didn’t.
“I’ll be with you every step of the way. If there is anything else you remember that could help me piece this together, I want to know immediately. Meanwhile, I need to try Leah again and Sparks never returned my call.”
Peyton tilted her head.
“Kevin Sparks is a colleague, a friend and the prosecutor for this case. Also, I want Leah to check on a few things while she’s in New Orleans.”
“While you do that, I’ll go fix us some lunch.” She withdrew her hands from underneath the pile of blankets.
Lunch? “No, you need to rest. I’ll pull together an early dinner.” And find out what the hell is going on.