Part 15 (1/2)

Heavy footsteps on the stairs. Stefan hadn't taken five minutes, he'd taken only two, and there were still drops of water caught in his curling hair. He was b.u.t.toning up a clean s.h.i.+rt of dark blue silk. He'd changed to a fresh pair of jeans, too.

Katie felt obscenely grubby, suddenly.

”More in common than you think,” Stefan said, as calmly as if he caught his dad talking about his relations.h.i.+ps every day-which maybe he did. Katie had no idea how normal families dealt with this stuff. Hers had never been a model to follow. ”Katie's a precog.”

”No!” Ben's eyes widened. ”You're kidding.”

”I hope he is,” she said. ”What's a precog?”

”Precognitive,” Ben said before Stefan could get the word out. Stefan, behind his back, looked exasperated, and continued b.u.t.toning his s.h.i.+rt. ”Means you sense or see things before they happen. Stefan's always been more an empath than anything else. His mother's precognitive, though.”

He said it as if it were factual, as straightforward as saying that Stefan's mother had brown eyes or jogged every morning. Okay, Katie thought, here's where things get strange. And then she had to mentally shake herself. You're on the trail of two supernaturally gifted girls abducted by drug dealers, tracking them with the help of a gypsy psychic. And this is where things get strange?

”Dad, great, but we really have to get going now,” Stefan said and moved around to face him. ”Thanks for the car.”

”Hey, that's between you and your brother. It's a good thing he's halfway around the world, or he'd be coming after you to make you sign some kind of waiver. In blood.”

”Say goodbye, Dad.”

”Goodbye, Katie. I have a good feeling about you,” Ben said. The hedgehog in his hands yawned, displaying a perfect pink tongue, and sneezed again. ”Come back soon, will you?”

Stefan kissed him on the cheek. ”Yeah, thanks for saying that to me, Dad.”

”You come back whatever I say,” Ben said. There was so much love in his eyes when he looked at his son that it almost brought tears to Katie's eyes. ”Stefan.”

”Yes?” He fussed with the cuffs of his s.h.i.+rt, not looking up.

”Come back soon. And come back safe.”

Stefan looked up into his eyes, and there it was, that same glow of affection, devotion, connection. Katie realized that she'd never felt that, not really. Not since her mother's disappearance. She had to swallow a lump in her throat.

Without a change in that adoring expression, Stefan asked, ”Can I borrow five hundred dollars?”

The elder Blackman's eyes went wider. ”Excuse me?”

”The girl outside in the car. I owe her some money. Services rendered.”

”What did she do for you for five hundred? No, don't answer that, I'd only have to tell your mother about it later, and I'd rather have plausible denial.” Ben seemed to have second thoughts. ”Wait...If it was worth five hundred, maybe you should invite her in...”

”Dad! She gave us a ride, I promised her some cash. Please? I'll get some out of my bank later and drop it by.”

Ben sighed and handed Katie the hedgehog. She took it, too startled to do anything else, and was fascinated by the warmth of it, the way it turned to look at her, then settled down into the cup of her hands. Cute, she thought. And then she thought, I haven't got time for cute. But it was too late to protest because Ben was already crossing the room, swinging aside a painting on the wall and keying in numbers on a safe. He extracted a bundle of bills, removed some and closed it up.

”Dad must like you,” Stefan commented in an undertone. ”He never lets anybody hold Pasha.”

His father handed him the money and retrieved the hedgehog. ”Actually, I never let anybody see me open the safe,” he said. ”Pasha loves everyone. But you looked like you could use a little animal relaxation therapy. Even a few seconds' worth.”

”Animal relaxation...”

”Dad's specialty,” Stefan said, counting the bills. ”Well, he does vet work, mostly, and he trains animals, too, kind of got a Dog Whisperer thing going-”

”I do not! What I do is completely different!”

”Whatever, Dad. He has a program where he takes animals in for sick kids, seniors, even into prisons. Animal relaxation therapy.”

”It helps,” Ben said simply. ”Maybe sometime you can go with me, see the effect it has on people. It's pretty dramatic.”

”Dad, we really have to-”

”Go.” Ben nodded. ”Yes. I know. I'll tell your mother you said h.e.l.lo. She's out with one of her clients.”

”Which one?”

”The blond one.”

Stefan grinned and stage-whispered, ”We're top secret around here about clients. But her initials are Cameron Diaz.”

”Wrong,” his dad called from behind them.

”Or maybe Uma Thurman.” Stefan guided Katie out the door. She looked back, once, to see Ben Blackman still standing there, the hedgehog nestled contentedly in his hands, watching them go with a frown of concern on his face.

”I'll watch out for him,” she promised.

And he nodded. ”I believe you will, Katie.”

Stefan shut the door behind them, jogged down the steps and leaned in to hand Marine the money. A conversation ensued, which Katie watched closely, and then Marine backed up her Volkswagen and drove off with a cheery wave. The iron gates swung open for her, then closed.

Stefan came back up and took Katie's hand, then kissed her. It was a gentle, sweet kiss, and she leaned into him to savor it, just for a second.

”What was that for?” she asked. Stefan smiled.

”For not laughing at my crazy family,” he said. ”Come on. Jag's in the garage. And because of my current vision disability, you get the pleasure of driving.”

Once the family hacienda gates had closed behind them, Katie felt the pressure close in again. The Jaguar was clean, and looked fast. She knew little about cars, but she knew what she liked, and she liked this one. It was forest-green, very sleek, with a finish like gla.s.s. The interior wasn't roomy, but it was comfortable.

”Your brother likes cars,” she said. There had been quite a selection under tarps in the garage, which was actually more of a converted stable, or part of one.... The other half had still housed horses. She s.h.i.+fted gears, and the Jaguar leaped forward with a low growl, pressing her back in her seat.

”No, my brother is insane over cars,” Stefan corrected. ”Those are just the ones he couldn't stand to part with. He sold off about twenty, I think. Gave the money to charity a couple of years ago. This one's his favorite-a 1968 XJ6.”

”Is that good?”

”Very good.” He watched as she s.h.i.+fted gears again, and the engine practically purred. ”Very fast. And Dad's right, we'd better not scratch it or it's my a.s.s.”

He didn't seem that worried, though.... Not worried enough to ask her to slow down. The Jaguar continued to pick up speed, rocketing down the deserted street until they reached an intersection. Katie sent him an inquiring look.

”West,” he said.

”You're sure?”

”Sure enough.”