Hopefully, together we’ll get a better picture of what happened and confirm who

attacked her.”

I bit my lip, considering. “You’re not seeing what I’m seeing?”

He shook his head.

It still didn’t make sense, but he seemed to believe it would work. He had me

go back over everything from my earlier trip down memory lane, then he

suggested we concentrate on the last scene, explaining he hoped his presence would trigger more details. That explanation made me wonder if I was missing

something. I searched his face and the studied calm he gave me. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Something too quick to read flashed across his face. “I’ve never tried this with anyone else, so I’m not sure what will happen.”

“Can we hurt each other doing this?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “But if it helps find Kelsey, does it matter?”

Nope, not one damn bit. I sighed and gingerly laid my hands on top of his.

Heat curled through my palms as my pulse picked up speed.

Obviously catching it, he said, “I’ll be right here, Cyn.”

I appreciated his attempt at comfort, but he couldn’t understand. Reliving things left me open and vulnerable. Having him witness what was about to happen was akin to standing in front of him naked.

Unexpectedly, a whole other type of heat rose, and mortification had me

closing my eyes in a vain attempt to block out the dangerously good-looking man at my feet. What the hell was wrong with me? Yeah, it had been a while, but there were reasons, good reasons not to let this edgy awareness sink its teeth in.

Not now, and if I was smart, not ever again.

Shoving the distraction far, far away, I took a deep breath. Then another. The

feel of Kayden’s hands under mine helped me to center. Within minutes, my hastily rebuilt mental wall resembled a pile of rubble. Nerves trembled. If this worked as he expected, Kayden would see the psychic signatures loud and clear

as we cruised through the memories, some of which belonged to me. It was unsettling to consider what he might pick up.

Opening my eyes, I met Kayden’s gaze and my vision filled with flecks of gray sprinkled through the blue depths. For a suspended moment, I swore I could

feel him in my mind—strong, bright, determined, rock steady. His presence

acted like a magnet on my ability, drawing it close and deepening the connection

between us. My stomach bottomed out and my breath stalled at the unusual sensation. I blinked once and the feeling faded, leaving me strangely bereft.

Shaking it off, a flicker of movement around Kayden caught my attention.

Bracing, I switched my focus beyond him to the hall. Concentrating on the nebulous image, I rose and lost my grip on Kayden’s hands. The world spun, then steadied.

“You okay?” Kayden’s question came from behind me, and a warm weight

settled on my shoulders, a welcome anchor in the disquieting deluge of images.

I nodded but watched the entryway. With the touch of his hands, the

memories around me brightened, becoming more concise than before, and

allowed me to zero in on the one I wanted quickly. Seemed his idea about keeping a physical connection had some merit.

Kelsey’s attacker stepped into the living room. Then he backed a frightened

but determined Kelsey up. She swung out, knocking my gun from his hand. This

time, I watched it skitter under the couch. A faint scrape of metal against the hardwood floor followed.

At the slight noise, excitement rose and so did Kelsey’s emotions, stronger than before. They curled like waves, dragging me relentlessly closer. I fought to

keep my distance. Not an easy feat as her emotional imprint grew in strength.

The effort to stay above it, roughened my voice. “Are you getting what you need?”

Kayden’s fingers dug in, his voice tight. “Holy shit.”

Sounded like a resounding yes to me. I focused on her attacker, but that strange static cloud still covered his face. Part of me hoped with Kayden tagging

along this wouldn’t happen. Frustration rose and the images shook, threatening

to break apart. I drew in a slow breath and tried to push my careening emotions

aside. The images steadied, but the strange occurrence remained behind. “Damn

it.”

“What’s wrong?” Kayden’s voice was low.

“Can’t see his face.” I took a step closer, but he held me back.

“Maybe you should tell me what you’re seeing, Cyn,” he said.

Puzzled, I looked back to him over my shoulder with a frown. Watching the

memories hovering around him proved to be a strange experience. “Can’t you follow the signatures?”

“They’re a hell of a lot stronger than I’m used to, but all I see are faint pieces