What the Heart Takes (6 page)

She turned to meet her husband’s gaze, squeezing his hand as a measure of comfort. Not that it helped. He still shot daggers in Layne’s direction.

“Unbelievable,” he whispered.

“See. I told you that you wouldn’t want to hear it.” The heat of Layne’s energy faded as he stepped away. She tore her eyes from Dylan long enough to see him kneel beside the comforter. “Maybe next time you two will back off when I tell you.”

“That’s not why he said that, Layne.”

His eyes peered over his shoulder, locking onto her. “What do you mean?”

“The dream you had…well, you weren’t the only one who had it.”

CHAPTER 4

The breeze blowing in from the ocean had a level of warmth that made Heaven’s heart steady. After the last forty minutes, she needed something to calm her nerves. Fifteen of those awkward minutes were spent in silence, at least, verbally. But where words failed, energy always triumphed.

Waves of confusion rolled off Layne, sending his energy into a sporadic pulse, one that alternated from a cool calmness to an inferno of irritation. Being her Keeper didn’t come easy, and every time he seemed to find a rhythm, he tripped over another bump in the road. That bump bore the name of Dylan McBride.

She tuned into her husband’s energy, cringing at the bitterness radiating through their connection. The tug of his soul said he wanted her attention, but she refused to face him. Not until he let go of the negativity. After five months of tension-filled rooms, she didn’t know how much more she could take. And Layne’s
stark
appearance in his room had only made things worse.

Stupid testosterone. In times like this, it did nothing but puff a man’s chest and inflate his ego. They had more important things to figure out.

She moved her eyes to the torch burning beside her, recounting parts of the dream. It was this very torch where Layne stood, making the flame rise higher. He’d even formed a miniature version in his hand. Twice. The first time had been from curiosity, the second, from fear. Yet the conflagration he hurled toward Raphe and his crew was purely defensive.

But what did any of it mean?

While she couldn’t deny his energy had grown, it showed no signs of stability, something her father said he must have to master his abilities. She needed to know what it would take to get him to that point, and there was only one way to find out. They had to go home. Not just for answers, but to be safe. The island wasn’t safe anymore. It couldn’t be after the dream.

Maybe that was its purpose—to warn them of impending danger. God knows she’d wished for the same opportunity during the dream.

Citric scented oil lingered in the air. She inhaled a deep breath, shifting her gaze to the lounge chair not far from where she stood. Layne remained inside, sitting in the exact position as the last time she’d checked—head in his hands, elbows on his knees.

She’d caught him by surprise when she recounted his dream, scene by horrible scene. In reality, she’d been just as surprised because she wanted to be wrong, wanted Layne’s dream to be completely different from hers and Dylan’s. Nothing could be that simple. Their lives had twisted together, spiraling them beyond the road of complications, straight into purgatory.

Switching her attention to the opposite side of the deck, she found her husband leaning back on the rail, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes remained forward, in the direction of the cottage. It gave him a somber appearance, but she sensed the war raging inside him, no matter how much he wanted to hide it.

She didn’t enjoy the erratic jolts of his frustration, but she understood why he was upset. The dreams were special to them. They were their only means to escape the reality of their crazy life, to forget about her connection with Layne, and ignore Nate’s threats. Most importantly, the dreams were their chance to be alone, to laugh, to love, to live the way they wanted.

Layne’s appearance took away their last chance at solitude. Now she needed to figure out how he’d managed to get in their dream and why. Hopefully, their parents would have those answers.

“Are you sure it was the same dream and not a similar one?”

Layne’s voice drew her eyes away from Dylan. They swept across the deck, back to the chair where he sat. His elbows remained on his knees, but he’d moved his hands from his head, folding them in front of his legs.

“I’m sure, Layne. A similar one would be too coincidental.” She waited to see if he’d look at her, sensing the battle within him to give in to that desire. But after a moment of silence, she gave up. “I watched your face when I told you about mine and Dylan’s dream. Every single description matched yours to a tee.”

The desire within him spilled over, sending curious eyes rushing in her direction. “What makes you think that?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she smirked. “Maybe it’s that little dip you get between your brows every time I hit on the truth. I never noticed it when we first met, but since we became friends, I notice every time.”

“So you’re basing this off my facial expressions?”

“I could.” She rubbed her finger down the torch, tracing over a knot in the wood. Then she flashed her eyes back to him. “But your energy is all the proof I need. Can you honestly tell me that the dreams are different?”

He wanted to lie, to hide the fact that their dreams were the same. The way his jaw flinched said as much, but he dropped his eyes to the boards below his feet.

“I’ll take that as a no. Now, let’s discuss what we’re going to do about it. We need answers, and we need to leave this island.”

“No!” Layne made it to his feet in a split second. He took two steps before his eyes darted to Dylan.

She followed suit, not the least surprised to see her husband was heading their way, glaring at Layne with each step.

So much for silence and civility.

“Heaven’s right,” he growled, slowing his pace as he neared her. “We need to get out of here.”

“I disagree.” Layne continued his advancement with slower steps, but his face showed all the anger pounding within him. “It’s my duty to protect her. Wouldn’t I sense the danger?”

“You haven’t sensed it before.” Dylan wrapped his arm around her waist, chasing the chill from her body. Yet Layne remained his focus. “For Christ’s sake, they kidnapped her in Aruba, under
your protection
.”

Layne stopped just a foot away from the torch. The hardness in his eyes faded as he met hers, and then her husband’s. Disbelief showed on his face, but it was guilt and regret that tore at his heart.

“You think that doesn’t bother me? I live with the guilt every day. I didn’t know what I was to her then, but I do now, and I take it seriously. I think I’d know if we were meant to leave.”

“You also thought you’d have more abilities by now, but I guess you were wrong on that account too.”

“Don’t underestimate me.”

Heaven pressed her hand to Dylan’s chest before he reacted to Layne’s comment. She shook her head, hoping he would let it go, but irritation throbbed in his energy.

“Look, you may be new to the dreams, but I can tell you this much.” He brushed his fingers over her hand and met her eyes. “She and I have dreamed of the future before. I have no doubt we did again, tonight.”

A flash of remorse swept over his face. It coupled with the self-loathing beating in his soul. She knew he didn’t want to fight in front of her, but a man could only take so much before he snapped. Dylan had taken his share and more.

Layne stopped on the other side of the torch and gripped the rail. He gazed at the flame, just as he had in the dream, but it didn’t gain the same strength.

“I didn’t want to be in that dream. Trust me. I know how horrible it was, but it’s not enough reason to pack and run.”

“So you’d rather take a chance on her life? I thought your job was to protect her?”

Layne hit his fist against the rail. “I am trying to protect her. Why don’t you let me do
my job
?”

“Stop it,” she shouted, unable to listen to another word. She ignored the twinge in her stomach, even shrugged off Dylan when he tried to touch her belly. “This is why we didn’t escape in the dream. We have to work together.”

Both men scowled at the other. Then Dylan looked away, but not before he sent her a remorseful pulse. She hoped he would sense that she wasn’t angry. That all she wanted was for them to get along and make the best of their situation with Layne.

When he didn’t return his attention, she turned her eyes back to Layne. “Can’t you see that the dream was a warning? We have to leave. Tonight.”

The crease between his brows deepened. He opened his mouth for what she assumed was an objection, but his rebuttal clung to his tongue. “Seriously?” He stepped closer to Dylan, scanning him from head to toe. Then he cast his eyes on her. “`Why does it have to be tonight? We can’t leave the island until morning. Don’t you need to call your parents and tell them we’re returning?”

“They already know,” Dylan snorted. “You know my mom has impeccable intuition.”

“Is that really it, or are you afraid that if you call, she’ll tell you the same thing I am. That it won’t be any safer in Brightsville.”

Heaven braced for Dylan’s comeback, but he was still wallowing in the hurt of her refusing his touch. “Maybe it won’t be,” he said, his eyes moving to the stars, “but at least we’ll have something we don’t have here—the support of experienced psychics.”

Layne scoffed at the remark as he shook his head. “You’re making a mistake. You’re going to put her in danger.”

“Well then, I guess it’s a good thing you’ll be with us.”

Dylan’s eyes dropped back to Layne’s as both men began another stare down. What irritation didn’t show on their face vibrated in their energy. She sensed every anger-filled thump.

Wedging herself between them, she glared at Layne, and then Dylan, before shaking her head. “At least when the baby is born, I’ll have plenty of experience baby-sitting.” Regret rolled through her connection with both, but she was too pissed to appreciate it. “Do you think you two can avoid killing each other while I go pack?”

“We’re fine,” Dylan assured her. “I’ll be in to help you in a moment.”

She hesitated taking another step, only because she didn’t know if they would draw blood the second she entered the house. She narrowed her eyes on Layne again, and then her husband. “You promise you won’t bash each other in the face?”

A chuckle rumbled from both. One even snorted, but both nodded. What a miracle it would be if they kept their promise.

She released a breath, moving toward the door with quick steps. The sooner she could pack their bags, the better. Even if they couldn’t leave the island until morning, at least they’d be away from the cottage and out of harm’s way.

Because Dylan was right. They had dreamed of the future before. Everything in those dreams came true. She couldn’t take a chance on this one being different. Not without putting Dylan and Layne in danger, and her dau—

She stopped in the threshold, tossing Dylan another glance. More flashes of the dream flitted through her mind, like the way his lips curled upward, the way he pressed them to her belly, and said words that moved her soul.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, taking a few steps in her direction.

“Nothing’s wrong, I just… I have to know something.” She watched as he cocked his head to the side, drawing his brows down. “In the dream, you told me something about the baby. Do you remember what you said?”

A few more steps brought him within a foot of the door. Humor played in his eyes as he nodded again. “Yes.”

“So is it true? Are we having a girl?”

He gave Layne another look-over, but the moon held his friend’s attention. Then he turned his eyes back to her. The smile stretching across his face took even longer to spread, and when it finally did, her heart pinched.

“Guess we’ll know for sure in a few months.”

* * *

Dylan stared at the sliding glass door as Heaven’s footsteps faded toward the back of the cottage. The only sound that remained was the waves crashing in with the high tide. He savored the thought of his wife’s smile, how her curiosity swirled around him when she asked about their baby’s gender.

He couldn’t tell her the truth. She wanted to be surprised when the baby was born, as had he, but he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed the connection with his child. Enjoyed how much love radiated in that tiny soul every time Heaven caressed her stomach.

He’d give his life to save them both, because he couldn’t face what happened in the dream. There were no words to describe his gratitude when he’d awakened. Nor were there any to describe the amount of pain he would inflict on the person who tried to take her away.

Though he didn’t know how to prevent the dream from happening, he knew one thing for sure. Layne needed to quit being a jackass. Had he not been so stubborn in the dream, they would have escaped.

He held on to that very thought as he spun on his heel, facing his friend. Layne hadn’t moved from his position. He stood with his back to Dylan, hands resting on the rail. One leg continued to shake, a telltale sign that he wanted to get something off his chest.

Perfect. Dylan had a few things to get off of his, too.

Clearing his throat, he took a step forward, searching for the right words to say. He could think of plenty of wrong ones, ones that would send Layne off the edge and ready to fight. Not that it would do either of them any good. Heaven would sense their anger and be back to berate them.

Before he could come up with something suitable, Layne’s eyes fixed on the torch near his arm. “Are we going to get this over with? I’m a little pressed for time, seeing as how I need to pack for a trip I don’t want to make.”

Dylan clamped his jaws together until they burned like the skin on his newly formed fist. He’d love nothing more than to knock the arrogant attitude out of Layne’s system, fought real hard not to give into the urge. But he’d made a promise to his wife—to always put her first. Layne needed to do the same.

“Get used to doing things you don’t want to do. This isn’t about your wants. It’s about her needs and what it takes to keep her safe.”