Read Online Jacob's Ladder (String of Fate) by Bianca D'Arc - Free Book Online

his fingers.
    He would get her one of these days…no matter how long it took him.
     

     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Jake woke with a start a couple of hours later. They had made spectacular love once more and then settled into an exhausted, well-satisfied sleep—only to be disturbed by the visions that never quite let him go. This one had been a doozy.
    He sat up in bed and realized Ria was awake beside him. He scrubbed at his face with one hand, even as he reached for his phone, forgetting for a second that it wouldn’t work all the way out here at sea.
    “Damn.” He got out of bed, knowing he had to reach the communications center on the bridge as soon as possible. He had to warn—
    “What is it?” Ria asked, already up and throwing on some clothes as he did the same.
    “Vision,” he answered in a clipped voice, before he could stop himself. He felt bad instantly. Ria deserved better than a one-word answer. “Sorry. I had a vision. It happens sometimes, in my sleep. It can be disorienting.” He apologized as he stepped into his pants, dressing as quickly as he could. He didn’t bother with the shirt, pausing only to step into his boots before arming himself and heading for the door.
    He paused for just a moment, surprised to see Ria right behind him. She had dressed quickly and silently, ready to assist. In that moment, he realized he couldn’t love her more. She didn’t even know what was going on, but she was ready to help him, no matter what. Having a mate was going to take some getting used to. Jake had been on his own with his talent for so long. It would be nice to have someone else to depend on when the more disruptive visions hit.
    They would have to have a long talk about what happened to him when the really big ones struck him. He wanted her to be prepared before it happened, in case she was with him at the time. And judging by her willingness to follow him into who-knew-what, she probably would be. It would take time to readjust his thinking, but he looked forward to having a partner in life now in a way he had never anticipated before.
    He opened the door, a smile on his face despite the situation. “I have to get to the comm center. I have to call Ben and warn him. The guys who tried to take you earlier are going to try to kidnap one or more of your Guards, hoping to use them to get to you. They think your Guards either know where you are or can be used to force you out of hiding.”
    He heard her gasp, but other than that small reaction, she was right beside him as they climbed up through the ship toward the bridge. It was the middle of the night, but Jake noted a number of dark shapes skulking in the darkness, observing their path. No doubt the crew on the bridge knew they were on their way already and would be waiting for them when they got there.
    Jake thought it was interesting that nobody seemed in any mood to stop them and question why they were prowling around the ship in the middle of the night. All they had to do was take one look at Jake to know he’d been in a hurry. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, for one thing, his pants were just barely fastened, and his boot laces weren’t tied. It would be obvious to anyone looking at him that he had dressed in a hurry. He liked the fact that Edvard had apparently given Jake the run of the ship—instructing his people not to interfere. That level of trust was something he hadn’t expected and greatly valued.
    “Did you see anything about when this might be happening?” Ria asked, still keeping pace with him. She was as silent as her cat and an excellent companion. Jake realized he couldn’t have asked for a better match. Ria was everything he had never dared hope for in a woman—and he knew he had only just scratched the surface on getting to know her.
    “It was daylight. Angle of the sun looked like afternoon. They have a few hours yet to prepare, and maybe turn the tables on their attackers,” he replied, climbing the last set of stairs