Hide and Seek - Lara Adrian Page 0,88

told you, I’ll fill you in later.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.” She sighed. “But if I don’t text Smith a recording soon, he’ll know something went down, and he’ll be looking for me. I’ve gotta disappear right now, or he’ll get me.”

Nick froze.

“She’s right,” Stingray said, turning back to them.

The two men exchanged a look, then they both started grinning.

“Well, then let’s give this Smith dude something to keep him busy,” Nick said.

“Always wanted to do a little acting,” Stingray replied. “You want me to do an accent? I can do Colombian real well.”

Nick rolled his eyes, while Stingray pulled Michelle’s cell phone from his pocket and navigated through the menu.

Michelle leaned into Nick, bringing her mouth to his ear. “Can you trust him? He was pointing a gun at your head earlier.”

“Just as I was pointing a gun at yours. Yet you trust me.”

“I didn’t say that.”

He moved his head back to lock eyes with her. “But you do.” He tipped his chin in Stingray’s direction. “I trust him about as much as you trust me right now. That’ll have to do.”

“Hey, if you lovebirds would stop doing whatever you’re doing, we could get this show on the road.”

Michelle stepped away from Nick abruptly, feeling herself blush in the dark. They weren’t lovebirds, far from it. They were… Well, she didn’t really know what they were. No word came to mind.

“I’m ready,” Nick announced and walked up to Stingray.

18

Stingray opened the back of a dark van. “Hop on in.”

Nick got inside and offered his hand to Michelle to help her up. The interior was dark, but not empty.

“Who’s she?” a big, dark-haired man sitting on one of the benches asked, suspicion rolling of him in waves.

“Fox’s girl,” Stingray explained from behind them and hopped in, pulling the door shut behind him.

“Fox? So your name isn’t Nick Young?” Michelle murmured next to him.

“I’ll explain later.” Right now there were more important things to discuss. He offered his hand. “You must be Ranger.”

The other Phoenix nodded and motioned to his shoulder. “I’d shake your hand, but I had a bit of run-in with a bullet the other day, and it hurts like a bitch when I move my arm.”

“No worries.” Nick lowered himself on the bench and pulled Michelle to sit next to him.

“So you’re Fox.” Ranger looked past him at Stingray. “Did you explain to him why we’re here?”

“Yep.”

“Did you tell him about the premonition?”

“He did,” Nick interrupted, sensing Michelle’s inquisitive look. He squeezed her hand in reassurance, but this wasn’t the time to go into long explanations about his special gift.

“You have ’em, too? The premonition about the inferno? The destruction? Your skin melting from the intense heat?” Ranger pressed.

“Yeah. Though I’m not actually there when it happens.”

“What?” Stingray asked.

Nick turned his head and looked at him. “I’m somewhere at a lake, on a porch of some fancy mansion.”

“Tell us more,” Ranger insisted.

“I’m in front of my computer. Somebody I can’t see gives me iced tea to drink. I think it’s poisoned, because as soon as I drink it and try to type something into the computer, my hands are paralyzed. I can’t do it. I can’t stop it. I’m helpless. On the screen, I can see the explosion. Then the shockwave hits the lake and catapults five sailboats right out of the water, turns them into matchsticks. It’s all I see before I get slammed against the side of the house.”

“Sailboats on a lake?” Stingray mused, rubbing his chin. “Wonder whether that means anything.”

“Could be a location,” Ranger said. “And the person who gives you that iced tea that paralyzes you? Can you remember anything about him? Or her?”

Nick shook his head. “I only see a hand. It’s a man, I can tell that much.”

“Any rings, scars?” Ranger asked.

“I don’t remember any.”

“Next time you have the premonition, focus in on that. We need to find out who’s behind this. In Stingray’s and my visions we don’t see any man. You might be the first one who’s gotten a glimpse of our enemy.”

“Next time?” Michelle interrupted, her gaze bouncing back and forth between the three of them. “You guys have visions? You’re psychic?”

Ranger growled, tossing an angry look at Nick. “I thought she’s your girl. You could have mentioned that she doesn’t know what you are. Damn it.”

Nick put a protective arm around Michelle, pulling her against his side. “She won’t talk. We have the same enemies.”

Michelle nodded quickly, tossing a scared look at Ranger. “I’m no threat