Revealed (The Found Book 1) (5 page)

“I remember that day. I think you’re right dad, I think I did say Kali. But I loved hearing your voice say my name in your accent.” Mike grinned at his daughter, and they both turned to look at Sam or was he Noah?

“After your rescue, and I left you in the hospital, I had a mission in the jungle. I thought about you Kali. I had dreams of your life here in Chicago. I flashed to moments when you were still in the hospital, or in a house with your parents. I thought I might be losing my mind, or I was just obsessed with a really pretty girl.” Noah flashed his most winning smile, and Kelly gave him a wan smile in return.

“Ten days ago, my fun little dreams started to get weird, and then three days ago they turned into nightmares. It was as if my dream girl was back in captivity, being drugged and I had to rescue her, so I took leave to find out what was wrong. This morning I felt a burning spike of pain in my head. Your dad told me you’re getting electro-shock therapy, and I must have felt it.” Sam knew he was wincing again at the memory, but he couldn’t help it.

“It wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t like before,” she assured him. This time her smile reached her eyes.

“It was worse before? No wonder you ripped your flesh to the bone. Do you realize what I’m saying? We’re connected. I’ve been in the jungle fighting a warlord and his rebels. The reason you’ve been thinking you were a soldier named Noah, is because you’ve been experiencing flashes of my life.”

She shook her head, dislodging his hands. “That’s not possible.”

“Kali, you’re not going crazy. You’re exhibiting the same psychic abilities I am. I think you and I knew one another before we woke up, me on the beach and you in your dad’s patrol car. I think somehow we’re connected on a psychic level.”

He left off the part where he thought they might be from another world. He watched her assimilate his words, and turn to her dad.

“What do you make of this story, Dad?”

“Three things make me think it’s real. Do you remember Owens and al Mussad, they’re partners, and they come over to our house for barbecues all the time.”

“Sure, I remember them.”

“They’ve accidentally saved one another three times…each. Neither one of them should be alive, but somehow they just knew things, and were so in tune with one another it’s crazy. They talked about these funny feelings and have gotten one another out alive.”

“What else?”

“Two, I called Samson Noah Kukailimoku’s grandfather and according to him, he was found the exact date you were found in my patrol car. I tried to get it verified with the Kauai Police Department, but the best they could do was narrow it down to the week. And three, well, I know you’re not crazy. I understand about mental illness, I know how heartbreaking it is, and if I thought you needed help I’d be the first in line for you to get it, but Kiddo, you’re not sick, so that’s why I believe this.”

Kelly reached for his hands, and Noah smiled in relief, and took her hands. “What was the name of the person who took care of me?”

“What?”

“If we have this connection from before, what was the name of the person who took care of me? Before we came here?”

Noah grinned. He untangled one of his hands, and reached out to stroke the wheat color hair away from her face, reveling in the fact she was going to be leaving with them. “You called your grandmother Nana.” he whispered quietly. For just a moment he could almost feel the arms of the old woman as she held him close.

“Noah, it’s real.” He watched a smile bloom across Kali’s beloved face and felt happier than he could ever remember.

“Yes, baby, it’s real.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. They were together again. It had taken them twenty years to find one another, but they had done it.

“I was so happy in the meadow with you. No wonder I kept you with me as a friend even when I couldn’t truly remember you.” Kelly caressed the smooth skin of his cheek, basking in his presence. Finally she pulled her hand away, and looked at her father, breaking the intimate moment.

“Dad, can you go find Dr. Weston? I’m checking myself out. Is Mom here?” Sam was impressed with how fast she could go from fragile to take charge. Apparently nothing kept his Kali down for long.

“Your mom went to find Dr. Weston while Noah and I came in to talk to you. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was working on getting your discharge paperwork completed. No moss grows under that stone.” Kelly burst into laughter, delighting Noah. “As soon as Sam-Noah explained everything to us, your mom was positive you would be going home.”

Kelly threw back her covers, and her Dad came over and shouldered Noah out of the way, pulling the covers back over her. “I think it’s time for Noah to leave, and I’ll help you get ready to go.” After getting a look at Kali’s legs, Sam was of two different minds. Part of him really wanted to stay and watch, but he knew right now she still needed time to recover. As he left the room, he couldn’t stop thinking about her smile and those mouth-watering legs.

Chapter Nine

Kelly swung her legs over the side of the bed. When she tried to put weight onto her feet, she realized she wasn’t steady enough to stand on her own. Her dad was there in an instant. She both appreciated and resented the consideration. God, she hated how prickly she was. Her dad gave her a look that told her he too could read her mind.

“Guess I needed to take it slower.”

“Guess you did. What did you think of Noah?”

“Yes, what did you think of Noah?” her mother asked as she bustled into the room. “And tell me quick, I told him he could come back in as soon as I had you dressed.”

“What did Dr. Weston say when you said you wanted to check me out?”

“She didn’t have any choice. You voluntarily committed yourself, if you sign the papers to leave, you’re free to go. Mike, get out of here we can discuss things after our daughter is dressed.” As soon as the door was closed, Primrose Wachowski hugged her daughter. “Oh my baby girl…” She burst into tears.

“Mom, it’s okay, I’m fine. I’m coming home.”

“I’ve been so worried about you. I knew they were going to hurt you, and when that young man told us the pain you were in, I almost died.” She looked up at the beautiful face of her mother, and hugged her close, sorry she’d ever caused her pain.

“I’m fine now.”

“No you’re not, you’ve lost even more weight, you’re still not healed, and we still don’t know where those motherfuckers who kidnapped you are.” Kelly stared in shock at her mom, who still said horse pucky.

“Don’t look surprised Kelly Rose Wachowski, it’s the proper term for those people who tortured you.”

“Mom, I’m going to be fine, you don’t have…”

The knock on the door interrupted them. “Hold on,” her mother called out.

“Let’s get you dressed. I’d say we have two minutes max.” She hurried to the dresser, pulled out underwear, jeans and a sweater. Her eyes welled up when she saw the jeans were at least two inches loose in the waist.

“Mom, it’s going to be okay.” Kelly hugged her mother with a trembling hand, and realized just how weak she was feeling. Who knew she was going to need time to recover from her recovery?

A louder knock sounded on the door. “Come in,” her mother called out. Her dad came in first, followed by Noah, they took up all the space in the small hospital room. How had she not noticed it before?

“How do you intend to make sure our daughter remains safe?” Kelly’s mom asked.

“Mom, the school year is going to start soon. Now I know there isn’t anything wrong with me I can move back to my condo.” Kelly prayed she was telling the truth. She knew she had always healed fast the few times she got sick. A little rest and few good meals and she’d be fine, right?

“No way in hell, Kiddo.”

Oh God, he wasn’t yelling, he was using the smiling voice.

“You’re coming home with your mother and me. Our house is easier to have watched than your apartment.”

“I refuse to put you and Mom at risk. Find a way to make my condo easier to watch.” Arguing with her dad felt good, normal, they always enjoyed their fights.

“There’s the added benefit of a cop living with you, you’ll be protected.”

“You work, so it’s a moot point.”

“I’ve decided to take a leave of absence until these assholes are apprehended.” She looked at him, he was serious.

“Dad, you can’t do that.”

“I can do whatever the hell I want.”

“I’m going to live my life the way I want to live it, and it includes moving back into my condo.” There was no way she was going to let her dad put his life on hold for her.

“Listen here little girl…”

“I think I might have a solution. I’m going to stay with Kali.” Kelly forced her eyes away from her father to see Noah grinning at her. Oh, she wasn’t going to like this.

“Well, first you’re going to have to tell me what I’m supposed to call you,” Mike said.

“When I’m here with Kali, I’d like to be called Noah. It was my name when I knew her before.” It worked, because Kelly couldn’t see herself calling him any other name. He was her Noah, but still, she wasn’t going to have another alpha male dictate to her, and she was positive it was about to happen.

“Noah, we don’t want to hear any plan you might have. I really appreciate all you had to tell me…”

“You’re wrong little girl, I’m
very
interested in what Noah has to say.”

“Well I’m not. I’m not having some stranger stay with me!” She looked at him incredulously, he just raised his eyebrow, which raised her ire.

“Kali, we’re not strangers. You and I have known each other all of our lives, we just didn’t remember until now. I have months of leave saved, and I intend to stay here until all threats to you are gone.”

Kelly narrowed her eyes as she saw the same look of determination she remembered from another time, another place.

“This is my problem Lieutenant Kukailimoku. You can go spend your leave elsewhere. My dad is a captain for the Chicago Police Department, he’ll have cops watching me. I’d say my safety is covered.”

“Kali, I think you’re forgetting the threat is also a threat to me. Didn’t you say they kept asking you where you came from? Well they would want to get their hands on me too. I remember there being a crowd of children, not just the other
found
children besides you, Alfred and me. That means they would really want to get their hands on me.”

“Oh my God Noah, I didn’t even think. I’m so sorry, of course this impacts you. You shouldn’t even be seen with me. Nobody knows you’re one of the
found
. I forgot about Alfred being killed. You’re in danger being seen with me. You have to leave now before they suspect something.”

“It’s too late now. We’ll have to stick together.”

She looked at her parents, and then back at Noah, all them were smiling at her. She knew the decision had been made. She didn’t have much to pack, but her dad and Noah made quick work of cleaning out her closet and putting it into her suitcase. She was still having trouble keeping up with how fast her reality had changed. As fantastic as this story was, it made her much happier than the ‘
I’m crazy’
reality she’d been living with for the last few weeks.

When Noah bent to pick up her shoes all thoughts flew out of her head. She had never seen a more enticing ass in her life. She’d already been drooling over his body. She was in heaven. Kelly gave herself a mental shake. She shouldn’t be having these kinds of thoughts about her super-hot imaginary friend, but he wasn’t her imaginary friend, he was the delectable warrior who’d rescued her.

But no matter what her long denied libido wanted she had to focus on the fact this man was here to help. They had some weird-ass psychic connection, and he thought of her as some long lost childhood friend, nothing more. It didn’t matter he had skin like melted caramel and she wanted to lick it to see how it would taste.
Damn it Wachowski, put a cork in it. For all you know he can read your mind!
Noah finished zipping the suitcase and picked it up, and gave her a slow smile.

* * *

Despite Kelly’s mother completing a lot of the paperwork, there was still quite a lot for Kelly to read and sign. Dr. Weston seemed like a very nice lady, and she prescribed some pain medication for Kelly. She suggested Kelly take something now, but she declined, and that’s when he’d enough.

He waited until the doctor and her parents were talking, and then pulled her aside. “Kali, take the medicine.”

“What?” She looked at him with a dazed expression. He touched the spot right above her left eyebrow and started a soft circular motion and watched as she sighed in relief. She closed her eyes, and he wrapped his other hand around the back of her neck, gathering her close, continuing with the gentle massage. “Take the medicine Kali, I can feel your headache, it’s a doozy.” Her eyes shot open.

“I didn’t think about you being in pain as well. I’m sorry, I’ll take the meds.” She broke away and went and talked to the doctor. Noah smiled, he’d hated seeing her in pain. The echo of her headache wasn’t much more than an annoyance, nothing like the pain that jerked him awake that morning. Apparently taking care of herself wasn’t something she thought was important. It was going to be one of Noah’s missions while in Chicago. He watched as Kali’s mom headed towards him.