Read Online a Touch of Ice by L. j. Charles - Free Book Online

on the roof, a relentless spattering that raked along my nerves. I wanted everything to be right again. I wanted Mitch to be safe, sated with apple pie and cinnamon ice cream, and I wanted to snuggle under the covers and wake up with him next to me. Anticipation shivered under my skin, tingling. It was soon, way too soon to plan an intimate relationship, but he didn’t denigrate psychics, didn’t run from my touch phenomenon…it had to be right. A smile started somewhere around my heart—but a muffled scream escaped from my lips when the third step from the bottom of the stairs creaked.

Seven

    Footsteps? On my stairs? Panic zinged along my nerves, and as I frantically fought to free my arms and legs from tangled blankets, got twisted between my pillows. Possibilities poured through my mind. Roll under the bed? No, not enough room. A weapon? Something to throw? I kicked one leg free, knocking a book to the floor. Damn. Too much noise. A gun would be good. Except I hated guns. Didn’t have one, didn’t know how to use one, and would probably shoot myself if I did have one.
    “Everly? Are you all right? What was that crash?” Must be nerves that put the bite in Violet’s questions.
    “Fine,” I croaked into the pillow.
    “Your door was unlocked and you didn’t answer when I rang the bell.” Violet’s voice floated up the stairs, all normal and sweet with innocence.
    My heart rate slowed to a fast thud. I needed to yell at her, if I could just stop shaking long enough to get my mouth clear of bed linens. I jerked the sheet. It tore, giving me breathing space.
    “You scared the shit out of me.” The words erupted from my mouth in a muffled roar. “What were you thinking, breaking into my house when I’m asleep and we have all these creepy things happening around us? I will bloody well kill you when I get untangled from these covers.”
    “Door wasn’t locked.”
    She stood in the hall looking at me with a flash of green sparking from her eyes. The rest of her, way too controlled. And that told me something was very wrong—besides her scaring the bejeezus out of me.
    “What is it?” I asked as I sat up and swung my feet to the floor. “You’re looking all blank and…wrong. Worried.”
    “I’ll make us a pot of herbal tea.” She started back down the hall. “We can both tolerate tea as long as it’s hot and not sweet.”
    A pot of tea?
    Not good.
    I grabbed my clothes off the floor, tugging them on as I hustled into the bathroom to splash water on my face. Wake up, El. Get it together .
    Violet never, well almost never, looked worried.
    I stomped into the kitchen, fear pulsing through every step. “What is it? What’s happened?”
    She picked up her mug, sipped the too-hot tea, and placed the mug just so on the table. “Sitting down would be a good idea.”
    “Talk.” I put some threat behind it.
    Silence.
    “I’ll touch you.” Serious threat.
    Violet shook her head. “It’s not that bad. Really it’s not. Have some tea.”
    I dutifully swallowed some Lemon Zinger, keeping my eyes on her over the rim of the cup.
    “It’s Mitch, El.” She blew out a sigh. “He’s been found. Adam Stone, a detective from the Apex police just stopped by to tell me he was dumped at Western Wake Emergency a few hours ago.”
    I set my cup down. Adjusted it just so. “How bad?”
    “He’s alive—” Relief crashed through me, and it took a minute for my brain to catch up with the rest of Violet’s sentence— “but not conscious. Concussion. Probably from being kicked in the head and beaten. He was drugged.”
    “Drugged? I didn’t see that.” A chill shivered under my skin and I cradled my hands around the warm cup of tea.
    Violet’s hand closed over my wrist in a comforting squeeze. “He’s under police guard tonight, so we can’t see him until tomorrow.”
    My eyes caught hers, held. “You’re sure he’s okay?”
    “I’m sure.”
    My mind started to clear out from under the rubble of