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“No. He met an old friend. What is going on?” She plastered her hands to her face.
He stopped before the ham art. His big, gentle hands covered hers. “I have no idea. I was about to ask you.” He removed her hands and gazed deeply into her.
It made her skin crawl, a toxic itch.
“Yes,” he said quietly at last. “It is there.”
“What is there?”
“His mark. Nathan’s mark is clearly on you—the beginnings of it. Do you know Nathan?”
She began to deny it, to say she’d never set eyes on him, but that wasn’t exactly true. “I only know his name and his sculpture.”
“Do you see him? Visions?”
She nodded miserably.
“And you can hear him?”
Another nod. She didn’t understand why she felt compelled to confide this to a stranger, but somehow knew Will could help her understand.
“You spoke with him,” she whispered.
He grinned. “Yes. He’s elated. He’s coming.”
“Here?” Panic fluttered in her chest.
He nodded. “Coming for you.”
The space became a great vacuum, sucking all breath from Lillian. Her lungs hardened and the fragile sacs deflated as a cancer of understanding grew in her breast. Her mind swam with images of Nathan at a ticket counter. Brief flash of wristwatch, leather, exchanged paper. His chest burned too, but with frustration.
“Lillian?” Will’s voice reached her from a distance. “What about this man you’re with? What is he to you? Is he really your mate?”
The scope of her vision clamped shut and blackness fell. Will Cochran’s arms caught her, and a great roar of rage sounded. It vibrated her organs.
“Get your hands off my wife!”
“Sorry, man, she’s just fainted.”
John’s arms came around her, crushing her to his chest. He strode away with her, calling her name.
By degrees, the full sound returned to her ears. The autumn air was cool on her cheeks, entered her nostrils and parted lips. John held her too tightly.
If I open my eyes, I’ll see Will Cochran and his damned cell phone.
John spoke senseless words to her. “My love, you’re safe and I’m here and I’ll help you.”
“What the hell do you want?” John snapped.
Lillian opened her eyes to see his black expression.
“To make sure everything is okay. She doesn’t need an ambulance?” Will knew damn well she didn’t. He was not letting her out of his sight.
“We’re fine. She’s fine.”
Lillian attempted to disentangle herself from John’s hold and he suddenly noticed she had roused. “Lillian, my God. What happened? Was it something you remembered from your past?”
She shook her head, but she was so tired and weak, it flopped back on her neck. She stared at the azure sky. “Yes.” From a distance she could nearly hear the hum of Nathan’s voice, low on Will’s cell phone.
