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source.”

    “That’s because he’s not used to doing without it. His family always has had loads of money. They are like new age Royalty. If Tyler hadn’t had a falling out with them, then they both wouldn’t be here. But you know Dylan, wherever Tyler goes, he follows.” Samantha rolled her eyes. Suffocating pain wound its way around her heart. Tyler . God, how she missed him! If he were still here, he would have been waiting for her when she came back with Clayton.

    “Oh, sweetie. Are you thinking about Tyler again? We could ask Dylan where Tyler is, you know. I’m sure he knows. He must. I know he’s always getting messages from him, even though he tries to be secretive about them.”

    “It’s okay. Don’t get him mixed up in this. That isn’t fair.”
    RECKLESS BOUNTY Marly Mathews 11

    “Fine. Why don’t you just try to put Tyler out of your head for a bit? That shoulder is still tender. Since I’ve given you a sleeping tonic, you’ll be getting drowsy soon. So, I’m going to leave you. We’ll be at Notting Prime by early morning at the latest, and that’s where we’ll collect the bounties on Gus and Clayton. Believe me, you earned every bit of it. By the way, I saved the bullet that was lodged in your shoulder. I thought maybe you’d want it for a memento.”

    “Thanks. I’ll add it to my growing collection. I’ll put it in the anything that doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger box.”

    Johanna leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead.
    “Sleep
    well.”

    Johanna gently pushed a stray lock of light-blond hair off of Samantha’s forehead. Her deep violet eyes fluttered closed. The sleeping tonic and painkillers finally overwhelmed her.

    * * * *
Samantha’s
    sleep
    was
    frantic and tortured.

    She jumped when she heard the sound of a bullet ripping through the stillness of the night. She was there in the room. There was a man standing over her father’s lifeless body.

    Blood was spilling everywhere. The strong cloying scent of jasmine lingered in the air.
    She had never been fond of it, and now the smell of it made her feel as if she were suffocating.
    She turned when a soft breeze fluttered through the open window.

    The man was tall and cast a long shadow across the marble tile. His shoulder length white hair was pulled back into a severe ponytail. He wore a long silver coat that was inches off of the floor. His black boots were splattered with blood. He whistled an odd tune as he calmly placed the gun back into the folds of his coat.

    Turn around. Turn around, she willed. Just one glimpse of his face, that’s all she needed.
    But he remained impervious to her mental commands, and then stepped away, cloaking himself in the shadows and disappeared into the night, leaving no psychic imprint for the trackers to hunt. The trauma of seeing her father murdered, caused her astral form to be sucked back into her human body. She sat upright in bed, shaking and screaming out for her father… but she knew he would not answer, he never did. She had failed her family—her powers should have been able to save him but they had been no match for the psychic assassin sent to take out her father.

    Samantha struggled to let go of the horrific memory that tortured her dreams when from out of the mists of time and space someone else reached out to her and her sixth sense picked up on the message.

    She heard another familiar male voice call out her name with heightened urgency.

    “Samantha, help me!”

    “ TYLER! ” Samantha screamed. Her psychic abilities rattled and went on edge. Her eyes popped open and she sat up. For one brief second, she caught the wispy tendrils of a purple mist swirling around her. When she blinked and opened her eyes again, the mist was gone. Reigning in her shattered emotions, she attempted to harness her volatile powers. She wasn’t as strong as her twin Charlotte, but when her powers surfaced they could have startling effects on the world around her. The