“See you soon, Lady.”

I had a sudden urge to get a vial of holy water.

Chapter 31

“I’m having second thoughts,” Skeeter said, jiggling his leg up and down. “I say we abort.”

“Why?” I asked. “What’s changed?”

“That man is pure evil, Rose.”

“You knew that before, Skeeter. What’s changed?”

“I think he knows.”

“Knows what?”

“That I’m part of this.”

Jed pulled into the neighborhood where we were meeting J.R., parking down the block from the house. He re-watched the short video clip.

“What do you think, Jed?” I asked.

“I say you have another vision.”

I nodded and put my hand on his shoulder. The vision came almost immediately this time. We were in the living room, and I was standing behind the Lady in Black’s chair. J.R. Simmons and Mick Gentry were sitting on the sofa across from us.

There was a smug grin on J.R.’s face as he leaned back on the sofa. “I’m ready to embark on a partnership. Are you?”

Lady moved her hand from her crossed leg to the arm of her chair, then said, “I definitely have what I need.” She sounded pleased as she said it.

Then the smile fell from J.R.’s face as he looked behind me. “You. What are you doing here?”

The vision ended, and I said, “I got everything I need.” Then I blinked and quickly told them everything I had seen.

Nobody said anything for a moment, and then I finally said, “I’m doin’ it.” I looked up front. “Jed?”

He glanced back over his shoulder. “No gunfight? No skirmish?”

“It could have happened later, but not in the part I saw. J.R. was too concerned with whoever he saw walkin’ in behind us.” I turned to glance at Skeeter. “Were you planning on dropping in?”

“While I considered it, no. If I show up, all hell’s gonna break loose. I wouldn’t risk your life that way.”

“So who shows up?” I asked. “He definitely seemed surprised.”

“I have no idea,” Skeeter responded. “But whoever it was could be the catalyst for the gunfight.”

Jed looked over his shoulder. “So when the surprise guest shows up, take my lead and run for cover.”

“Have another vision,” Skeeter said, his voice low. “Of after.”

“Okay,” I whispered. I touched Jed again and tried to see what happened after it was all said and done, but all I got was that same gray haze from earlier.

“I don’t like it,” Skeeter said, looking straight ahead through the windshield. “It’s too ambiguous. What’s it mean?”

“I don’t know,” I confessed. “Something like this has happened to me before. When I ask to see things that don’t end up happening, I kind of get stuck. But these visions are different. For one, I can leave them without having another vision, and for another, they just feel different.” I turned to look at him. “Like the future is shapeless and waiting to be formed.”

“I don’t like it,” Skeeter repeated. “I want to know.”

“We can’t know everything,” I said quietly. “Sometimes we have to write our own future.”

“Skeeter,” Jed said. “Time is tickin’. If we’re doin’ this, we need to get in there.”

Skeeter stared at me for several long seconds. “Rose, if you don’t want to do this, I’ll give you a new life—money, a new name, anything you need to get away from here and be safe.”

“But everything I want is right here,” I said with a soft smile. “Besides, I’m tired of hiding and being afraid of my own shadow. I’ve grown up, and the new me fights for what she wants.”

“That’s my girl.” The corners of his lips lifted, and his eyes twinkled with mischief. “J.R. Simmons won’t know what hit him.” He leaned over and gave me a lingering kiss on the cheek, then he sat up and was all business again. “Jed’s gonna be with you, but I’ll be listening in with Bluetooth as long as I’m not too far out of range. If you need to get out of there, just say bananas and we’ll get you out.”

“Bananas?”

“Yeah.” He looked up front. “Jed, I’ll get out here and get into position. You move the car up and get Lady inside. We have five minutes tops.”

“Will do.”

Skeeter opened the back door and grinned. “Knock ’em dead, Lady.” Then he hopped out and shut the door behind him.

Before I knew it, Jed had parked a little farther up the road and was opening my door. “Bring your burner phone.” He pointed behind me as I started to slide across the seat. “He might text or call you.”

“Good thinkin’.” I grabbed it in a death grip. It was also my access to 911 should I need it.

“How are you doin’?” he whispered as he led me across the street and up the driveway.

“Nervous. Scared to death.”

“That’s good,” he said. “The adrenaline will make you sharper.”

“It only makes me feel clumsy and uncoordinated.”

“Focus that fear on your job, and I promise you that you’ll be even better at it.” He looked down at me with a grin. “But if you get any better, I’ll be out of a job. Skeeter’ll replace me.”