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  Joshua’s Mistake

  A.S. Fenichel

  Book two in the Psychic Mates series.

  Accused of treason and the murder of her Psychic Special Forces team, Tessa is in the custody of the FBI. She’s shocked and terrified when the most powerful Psi Agent in the world shows up to probe her mind and discover her guilt or innocence.

  Joshua never expected to find a victim of one of his probes attractive, but he can’t seem to leave her behind when all hell breaks loose. Saving the stunning blonde means being drawn into a psychic war that will definitely end his career—and likely both of their lives.

  The rhythm of their psychic auras hums to perfection and neither can fight the bond, but it’s all ripped away by a madman with a grudge. Tessa falls into a coma and Joshua will have to risk his heart and soul to pull her back from the brink.

  A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

  Joshua’s Mistake

  A.S. Fenichel

  Dedication

  For Dave. No books filled with love and hope could ever be completed without the support and inspiration of my wonderful husband.

  Acknowledgements

  Special thanks to Amanda, Stormie and Karla. If not for these three spectacular women I would be lost.

  Chapter One

  It wasn’t his first time in the safe house at the New Jersey Shore. He’d always liked the location. The simple slip-covered couch and recliner were all the furniture in the living room. The shaded windows looked out toward the dunes and the Atlantic beyond.

  He didn’t like the man standing in the middle of the room. He had to force his hands from clenching into fists. It was a tell and there was no reason to give his emotional state away.

  “Blake.” Joshua kept his voice even and detached.

  “Lakeland. You’re late. I called for you three hours ago.” Blake clenched his teeth.

  Joshua crossed the room before the other three FBI agents could react. He grabbed Blake by the throat and pushed him up against the wall, thrusting his forearm across the shorter man’s neck. “I don’t work for you, Special Agent Blake. Just because we both work for the same government doesn’t mean you get to tell me when to arrive. Frankly, if I hadn’t gotten a call from much higher up than you, I wouldn’t have come at all.”

  The other agents had pulled their weapons. Three Glock 22 handguns had their barrels directed at Joshua’s head. He was confident he could crush the agent’s throat before they killed him.

  Blake probably knew it too. He waved them off. His eyes watered but he managed to focus on Joshua. “Let me go.”

  The guns lowered slowly. Joshua’s psychic ability allowed him to sense they were reluctant to let down their weapons, but they respected orders from Blake.

  Joshua had to admire the way Blake kept his cool in spite of the fact that his windpipe was nearly crushed under the weight of Joshua’s arm. The agent’s glare remained steady.

  He released him. “What do you want?”

  Blake tilted his head to one side, cracking his neck, before straightening his shoulders. He pointed to a small monitor on a desk in the middle of the room. “Your assignment is to interrogate her.”

  “Interrogate? If that was what you wanted you would do it yourself. You want a mind probe.” He’d done it a thousand times and it still made his stomach clench.

  Blake had no psi skills. He made a disgusted face. “It’s what you do, Lakeland. It’s your specialty.”

  Working for the government hadn’t been Joshua’s choice. The little boy they’d acquisitioned from an orphanage was only a vague memory. Still, he’d done all right over the years. Ripping the throat out of an FBI agent would not help his career. He turned toward the monitor. He knew the room. It was just beyond the door to his left. In any other of the vacation homes on the block it would have been a bedroom in the two-story house. However, this was an FBI safe house and all it had was a large metal table and a few shelves. A six-inch steel ring had been welded into the middle of the table. Her hands were cuffed in front of her with the chain running through the ring. The weight of the table and strength of the cuffs were enough to keep her secured. She looked familiar, though he was sure he’d never met the tall blonde before. Her straight hair was cut to her chin and her pale-blue eyes narrowed at the camera.

  She sensed him. He could feel her psi energy radiating throughout the house. Rage, curiosity and just a touch a fear swam through his senses in an oddly pleasant way.

  Joshua had been in that room before. The camera was hidden in the wall. She knew it was there. Then he recognized her from her records. “That’s Tessa Clark. She’s with the psi unit. What is she doing here and why is she chained to the table?”

  “Double agent. As soon as you prove it she’ll go to trial and get the death sentence for treason.”

  “What makes you so sure I’ll find what you’re looking for?”

  Blake stepped forward until he was inches from Joshua. “Don’t get sentimental just because she’s a woman, Lakeland. Her entire detail was killed and she was responsible. Somehow she managed to survive with barely a scratch. Three men dead, all of them with psi abilities. I had a long briefing from very high up. There are people in the government convinced she’s a traitor and she is all but convicted. Just go in there and get the information. We’ll take it from there.”

  “Did you chase down the information yourself?” Regardless of Joshua’s personal feelings about the agent, he’d admit the guy was good at his job even if his tactics were a bit repulsive.

  Joshua sensed anger and frustration from Blake without even having to tap in. Not good.

  “I have superiors and I have orders, Lakeland. The fact is that the business with your brother and Thorn last year brought the existence of your kind into the light with some politicians who are not too happy about Psi Agents having so much power.”

  Joshua had to admit there was truth in the statement. The Psi Agency had been better off with only a very select few knowing about them. Ultimately it didn’t matter. He had his own orders, but it didn’t mean he had to like them.

  He studied the agent. A year earlier Blake had used his position and influence to help arrest Oscar Thorn, a very wealthy and powerful man. He was also corrupt and evil to the core. Blake’s influence had saved Joshua’s sister-in-law from death or worse, a hellish life with Thorn. Blake’s tactics had been questionable. He’d left Lena in prison for months even though he knew about her abusive marriage and that she was innocent of the charges against her. He’d known Thorn was abusing Lena, but Blake abandoned her in a dangerous marriage so he could build his case. He thought it would help him manipulate Lena more effectively if she was really desperate. He planned to use her fear to get her to testify against her husband. Blake would do anything and risk anyone to make an arrest.

  Joshua’s brother Kane had been assigned by the court to find Lena after she escaped prison. He’d found her and then had to rescue her from a homicidal mercenary, another bounty hunter, and ultimately Thorn. In the process the two had fallen in love and nine months later Lena had given birth to a beautiful baby girl.

  In spite of the “favor” he’d done for Joshua’s brother a year earlier, Joshua didn’t like Blake. The man was too much of a sheep for his taste. He had no problem letting someone suffer if it furthered his goals. Still, he didn’t sense any deception. Blake followed orders. He didn’t make policy.

  Joshua took a step away. He reached over to the back of the monitor and pulled the wire, tearing it from the back. The screen went black. Turning back at Blake, he drew close to the shorter man, whose eyes were wide with suppressed rage. “I’m going to tell you again. I don’t work for you. I’m going in there, but a probe is rather intimate. I’l
l need some privacy.”

  “Who are you protecting, Lakeland? Don’t want us to see you getting excited over a piece of ass?”

  There was nothing pleasant in the smile Joshua gave. Losing his temper could lead to a dangerous outcome. His fingers already tingled with pent-up energy. “Don’t test me, Blake. You won’t like the result.”

  He kept the six inches of wire in his hand and walked through the door into the holding room. The charge of psychic ability buzzed around the room. Every psi had a rhythm to their abilities, a vibration called an aura. Tessa’s thrummed louder and more synchronous than that most people with psychic abilities. A layer of darkness shrouding the soul was the byproduct of having psi powers and using them as most agents had to. It was a hazard he had long ago accepted. With an aura as strong as hers, she would be difficult to probe.

  Her good looks didn’t make him any more comfortable digging into a mind that would likely scar him. He was used to it and knew how to deal with the damage. He had his own dark places to hide secrets. Still, he couldn’t ignore how stunning Tessa was, her heart-shaped face and full lips were set off by crystal-blue eyes.

  She turned her attention from the hidden camera and focused on him. Her mouth opened, but he held his index finger to his lips. She cocked her head and studied him. He walked to the wall of shelves where the small camera was hidden and pulled it from its perch. He then turned it to face away just in case someone got an idea about fixing the link. He tossed the wire from the monitor on the floor in the corner.

  Returning to the door, he held his hand over the lock and concentrated his energy before he heard several satisfying clicks of the tumblers within. If the agents in the other room tried to enter, changing the tumblers would buy them a few seconds time. Then the door would come crashing down.

  Of course, if she was what they said, the delay could be his biggest mistake and he’d be her next victim. He didn’t think so. Already he sensed she was exactly what she seemed, a dedicated agent for the government.

  He nodded to her.

  “Joshua Lakeland. I think I’m honored to have elicited such a high level agent’s attention,” she said sarcastically.

  “Tessa Clark, I’ve been ordered to probe you.” His words were even, in spite of the gravity of what they conveyed. The room was wired for sound. If he pulled the listening devices, the outside agents would likely force their way in.

  Her eyes widened and he saw fear for only an instant before her training returned and she masked all emotion. “I understand.”

  He pulled a chair around to her side of the table, sat and leaned in very close. “Do you? Because I don’t really want to kill you or leave you a vegetable, Tessa. I have orders and they come from pretty high up.”

  “You’ll have to follow them.” Her voice was even, but her emotions bubbled just under the surface.

  He already liked the feel of her energy swimming around him. It didn’t happen often, but once in a while a psychic came into contact with another whose energy meshed with their own. He thought of it as if they were two musical instruments that had been perfectly tuned to play together. It was rare for anyone with psi talents, but for Joshua it had never happened. His abilities were off the charts. Theoretically he was the most powerful psychic talent in the world.

  Joshua stood up and walked a few steps away. “I’ve read your file. You were on the short list for my next field team.”

  “I’m flattered.” She sounded as if she actually was.

  The irony wasn’t lost on him. “I’ve been doing this a long time. I didn’t notice anything in your record that would indicate you were a traitor about to cause the death of three good men.”

  “No.”

  “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

  “No.”

  He spun around and found her staring at the empty table. “Because you had them killed?”

  Her head snapped around and her eyes locked with his. “Because it was the single most horrifying experience of my life and I’ll be fucked if I’m going to relive it here with you.”

  “The powers that be don’t believe you.”

  “Obviously.”

  “I have to probe you. Do you think you can let me have access? It would be better for both of us.”

  “I don’t know.” Her expression remained unchanged. She didn’t look or sound afraid of the probe. She put up a good facade. Fear bubbled as if it were in a cauldron under her calm exterior.

  He’d probed hundreds, maybe thousands, of people over the years. Blake was right, it was his specialty. Even so, he hated that he was the cause of her distress. Shit, get your head in the game, Josh.

  Her fear was warranted. Guilty or innocent, having a stranger pulling down the walls of your mind was a terrifying prospect. Regret for what he was about to do had already begun to fill him. He didn’t want to hurt her and he cringed at the idea of her hating or fearing him. Worse, he could damage her. If he made a wrong move, pushed too far, he could change the vibrations of her gifts. If that happened she would no longer be the same woman. It was not something he could afford to think about.

  What he really wanted from Tessa Clark was inappropriate to their current situation and he forced down his desire. Distractions would not help him navigate his mission.

  “Why did you pull the video feed? If they’re right about me I might try to kill you and you’ll have no backup.”

  “That’s true.” He placed his fingers over one side of the handcuffs and concentrated until the mechanism tripped and opened the manacles around her wrist. He did the same to the other side.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m taking a leap of faith. What are you going to do, Tessa?”

  He saw the flash of fear again. She rubbed her wrists where the cuffs had scraped the skin raw. Then she ran her fingers through her hair. The short, silky strands fell back into place around her face.

  “Everything I’ve been trained for goes against allowing anyone to do what you’ve been ordered to do, Lakeland. I don’t know if I can let down my defenses, but I’ll try to let you in.”

  He sat down again and pulled the chair even closer. He could do it with just his hands touching her skull, but he leaned his forehead against hers for a better connection. Actually, in most cases, he didn’t have to touch the subject at all. “Forgive the darkness. I’ll do my best to shield you from it.”

  “Do you apologize to all your victims?”

  The word victim made him want to shake her and scream he had orders. He couldn’t just ignore a direct order no matter how much he wanted to. He could have stormed in, taken what he wanted and been gone a minute later. He didn’t want her to be a casualty, didn’t want to hurt her.

  “No.”

  He felt the surge of power as she let down her most basic barriers. Her psi power was impressive. Her voice was strong even when no words were spoken. The walls of her complex mind opened to him and Joshua’s consciousness stepped through. Externally he felt the tickle of her hair against his hands and the warmth of her skin. His thumb grazed her temple and he had a sense of her vulnerability. Yet she was a Psi Agent, which meant any weakness was at least, in part an illusion. What other falsehoods would he find within her mind?

  Internally he was fascinated by the twists and turns of the roller coaster living inside this remarkable woman. Darkness and light bleeding together in a way he had never seen before. It was uncommon to probe the mind of a truly gifted person. He’d been in his brother Kane’s head, but that was different. They shared a link forged in childhood. He trusted Kane and they didn’t need a probe to share intimate data. They were connected.

  There had been a few sexual experiences where his partner had allowed a connection, but those were shallow explorations to heighten the experience.

  Something about being inside Tessa’s aura was exciting and dangerous. His cock responded against his will as he passed through her desires. He caught a fleeting glimpse of her fantasies. Under differ
ent circumstances he would enjoy lingering there and perhaps adding to her cravings by sharing his own. The temptation to do it anyway was strong, but he moved on.

  He could try to quell his desires, but what was the point? She would know. She’d known he found her attractive from the moment he walked in the room. The feeling was mutual, that much was obvious. Being in a woman’s mind when she was aroused could be extremely mutually satisfying. He hated not being able to mask his need, but then he felt her pussy clench. Her nipples brushed sensitively against her blouse.

  “I’m trying not to be turned-on by you, Tessa. Believe me, I don’t want gratification that’s not offered willingly.”

  “I’m struggling as well. Our timing is a bit off. Just get what you need and we’ll be done.”

  The fact she admitted her arousal so openly only made Joshua’s condition more acute. He breathed deeply and pushed down his desires as best he could. It didn’t help knowing she also felt the attraction. His cock remained uncomfortably trapped in his trousers, but he was a grown man. He could deal with a few minutes of discomfort.

  “If you show me what I need to know, this will go faster.”

  She didn’t respond in the silent conversation they’d been having, but an area that had been obscure beckoned him closer. A wall forged up around him, sealing him in.

  “Tessa?”

  “I’m trying.” Pain threaded her words.

  He stopped his advance and mentally placed a hand on the obstruction. “Relax, beautiful. I won’t hurt you. I just need to see what happened. Take a deep breath and relax your mind. Let me walk through it with you.”

  “I can’t” Her inner voice was near panic.

  “You can. Just settle your mind and let me in.” The tone he used was assured, steady and calm over all.

  The wall solidified. He hated that he was going to have to break it down. She would never be the same. He only used a fraction of his abilities to put pressure on the wall. Another few minutes and a bit more from him and she would crack. Fuck. “Tessa?”