Brides of the Kindred Volume One Read online

  For some reason Nadiah’s heart started racing. “Down to Earth? Right now?”

  “After the things you accused her of?” Sylvan frowned at Rast. “I don’t think so.”

  Rast frowned back. “Look, if you and your wife will vouch for her, I’ll take your word that Nadiah isn’t connected to this. But I need her to look at something. To see the spot where Tabitha disappeared.”

  “Tabitha?” Nadiah asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “The girl who was taken.” Rast ran a hand through his hair. “Her parents are frantic.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse but at the mention of the girl’s parents, Nadiah felt something loosen inside her. She lifted her chin. “I’ll come. But only if you give your word to treat me with respect. I don’t care if you believe in my gift or not but I won’t be verbally abused by you or anyone.”

  “Fair enough.” Rast nodded shortly. “I’ll meet you at the HKR building in half an hour.”

  Sylvan frowned. “I have not given my consent for this.”

  Sophia shook her head. “Honestly, Sylvan, when did you turn into such a caveman? Nadiah can go if she wants to.”

  “Not if she’s heading into danger.” Sylvan leveled a stare at Detective Rast. “See that you treat my kin with the respect and courtesy she deserves, Detective, or you’ll have me to answer to.”

  “You can think what you want about me but I’d never harm a woman.” Rast’s voice was harsh. “I’ve devoted my life to finding and protecting them, damn it.”

  For a moment Nadiah’s eyes fluttered closed and she saw a picture in her mind’s eye. A boy with light brown hair and truegreen eyes—the same color as Detective Rast’s. The boy was crying, tears streaming down his face as his lips formed a name she couldn’t quite catch. And then he was gone.

  The vision came and went so quickly she barely registered it, but somehow Nadiah knew it was important. “It’s all right,” she said, putting a hand on Sylvan’s arm. “He’s telling the truth—he won’t hurt me.” She looked at the viewscreen. “There’s a reason Detective Rast acts the way he does. A personal reason.”

  Rast’s face got red. He seemed about to say something but then he shook his head. “I’ll see you in thirty minutes,” he muttered and then his image winked out of sight and the viewscreen went dark.

  * * * * *

  “I got here as fast as I could. So you’re seriously calling in a psychic? I thought you hated that kind of shit.” Detective Jack Barnes, who had been Rast’s partner before he left the PD, looked at him in amazement.

  “I know how it looks.” Rast ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “But she seems to know something about the case. And you know how critical the first twenty-four hours are.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Barnes said dryly. “Critical enough for you to leave the PD and set up your own agency.”

  Rast nodded. “What else could I do? Just because someone is over eighteen we’re supposed to waste an entire day hoping she just ran off with her friends instead of being snatched by some creep?”

  Barnes waved a hand at him. “Don’t start on that again. Besides, I’m totally with you on this one. Most girls don’t take off all their clothes in a public place and suddenly—poof—vanish.”

  “Her friends say they saw her one minute and the next it was like she’d disappeared off the face of the Earth.” Rast frowned. Maybe literally if what Commander Sylvan is saying is true.

  “Well if anyone can find her it’s you.” Barnes clapped him on the shoulder. “Which is why I’m giving you this evidence.” He handed Rast a sealed plastic bag with the missing girl’s clothes and personal effects. “Just be sure you get it back to me by the end of the day, okay? It just came from the lab—not that I think we’re going to find much of anything on it. Whoever took her was quick and clean. A real professional.”

  “You got it.” Rast gave his former partner a nod. “Thanks, Jack. I owe you one.”

  “Just find her.” Barnes sighed. “Find her so I don’t have to tell her parents she’s gone for good. God, I hate that part of the job.”

  “Not half as much as I do,” Rast muttered. “I—”

  Just then the sliding glass door of the HKR building opened and a tall, slim blonde girl walked in. Though he had seen Nadiah just thirty minutes before on the viewscreen, Rast found he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her long waterfall of pale blonde hair brushed her bare shoulders. It was set off with a single streak of dark blue which emphasized her slightly tilted, exotic blue eyes. To cap it all off, she was wearing a long, clinging, pale blue gown that clung to her high, firm breasts and curving hips in a way that made it clear she wasn’t wearing anything underneath it.

  The effect was more exotic than erotic—somehow he knew Nadiah wasn’t trying to be provocative. Probably this was just the way people dressed where she was from. But despite the innocent way she carried herself, Rast still felt his shaft spring to attention inside his khakis.

  God, he wished he could forget the way she’d felt in his arms! Not to mention the sweet taste of her lips when he’d kissed her, like ripe cherries… Get hold of yourself, he told himself fiercely. She’s a fake. A fraud. Right. He just wished she wasn’t so fucking gorgeous—it was damn distracting. And the way everything shifted so enticingly under her gown when she walked didn’t help either. In fact—

  “Hey, is that her?” Barnes nudged him with an elbow, breaking his train of thought. “Wow, you can really pick ‘em, Rast. What a looker.”

  “Shut up.” Rast gave him a glare. “She’ll hear you.”

  “Hello, Detective.” Nadiah gave him a glacial smile.

  Rast opened his mouth to answer but Barnes beat him to it.

  “Well, hello pretty lady, I’m Jack Barnes, Detective first class.” Smiling, he took Nadiah’s hand in his and raised it to his lips. “When Rast told me he was having an expert come down from the Kindred ship to help with this case, I didn’t know he was bringing in a model.”

  Rast rolled his eyes. He loved Barnes like a brother but his old partner was kind of a dog when it came to women.

  “Thank you.” Nadiah smiled politely at Barnes. “But isn’t a model someone who wears clothing the manufacturer hopes other people will buy? I can’t possibly be one of those because my tharp is one of a kind.” She nodded down at her pale blue gown.

  “It certainly is,” Barnes murmured, eyeing her appreciatively.

  Rast felt a stab of jealousy as his old partner’s eyes crawled over Nadiah’s slender form like greedy spiders. “That’s enough, Barnes,” he said roughly. “She’s here to look at the evidence, not be your girlfriend.”

  “I don’t see why she can’t do both.” Barnes was still eyeing Nadiah like a hungry dog with a juicy bone.

  “Because you are already mated.” Nadiah withdrew her hand pointedly.

  “What?” Barnes frowned. “Oh, you saw my wedding ring, right? Let me tell you, though, we’re separated right now and I’m leaving her. So that shouldn’t pose a problem.”

  “What about your children?” Nadiah raised one slim blonde eyebrow disapprovingly. “You have a little boy and a little girl. Won’t they miss their father?”

  Barnes frowned. “Hey, how did you know that? You must have done some research on me or something, right?”

  “I’ve never seen you or heard of you before this minute,” Nadiah said. “I saw it when you took my hand—saw your family. They’re counting on you, Detective and your wife loves you very much. You should honor that love.”

  Barnes drew back, his meaty face suddenly pale. “Wow, Rast she’s spooky! How does she do that?”

  “I have no idea and no interest in finding out.” Rast frowned. How the hell had the girl known so much about Barnes and his family? Could it be just a lucky guess? He looked at Nadiah. “Let’s go.”

  “Where are you taking me?” She stood her ground, arms crossed over her breasts. “I’m not going until I know.”

  “To see some gian