Free The Mind Games by Lori Brighton Page A

ocean waves our only company. As my mom disappeared into the house, so did my anger, leaving me lost and confused.
    “Well,” Sierra said softly. “That was quite dramatic.”
    I slid a wary glance her way, wondering what her point was.
    She started toward the cottage. “I’m off to bed. You better get some sleep, you’ll have a long drive ahead of you tomorrow.”
    I stiffened at her comment, watching with some shock as she moved toward the deck. How had she known I was planning to leave with or without my mom’s permission? I shook my head in exasperation and started toward the cottage. It didn’t matter what Sierra knew. What mattered was she was obviously not going to tell Mom.
    It was settled; in the morning, I would save Lewis.
    ****
    While the rest of the house slept, I shoved a pair of jeans, an extra T-shirt, and my measly fifty bucks in a backpack. The sun had yet to rise, but the sky had turned from black to gray, indicating dawn would soon make an appearance. I didn’t plan to be here when that sun peeked over the horizon.
    “They’ll most likely catch you,” Nora said, her voice unnaturally loud in the quiet morning.
    Startled, I glanced toward her bed. She was wide awake, sitting up and watching me. So much for sneaking out. Seriously, was I being punished for some crappy past life where I’d murdered bunnies or something? I wondered how much I’d have to pay to keep her mouth shut.
    She drew her knees to her chest and leaned back against the headboard. “And if they catch you, they will torture you.”
    How many times would they try that line? The threat hadn’t worked when Mom and Aaron said it, and it wasn’t working now. I pulled the backpack straps over my shoulders. “I can handle the pain.”
    She released a wry laugh as she jumped from bed. “Right. So your plan is to stroll in there and rescue the damsel in distress? No problem.” She grabbed her jeans and T-shirt and started dressing.
    I frowned, wondering if she was going to tell Mom and the others. “Yep, that’s the plan.” Okay, I was acting completely blasé about the entire situation, but I knew enough to show no fear. Any weakness and they’d pounce.
    She flipped on the bedside lamp, adding a soft glow to the dark room. “Aaron thinks I should tell you in detail what they did to me so you’ll drop this asinine plan.”
    My face flushed with annoyance. Ignoring her, I turned and started toward the door, but she was too quick and stepped in front of me, blocking my exit. Dressed in jeans and a baby blue T-shirt, she pulled on her tennis shoes as if she had plans to go somewhere. My instincts clamored in warning.
    “Here.” She lifted her hair, pulling the strands away from her face. Even in the low lamp light I could see the thin white scar that followed her hairline under her ear and down around the back of her skull.
    A shiver of unease raced across my scalp, as if I’d been the one to have the surgery.
    “The first thing they did was crack open my skull.” She let her hair fall back into place, hiding the damage. “Dad didn’t know. Although I’m not sure he would’ve stopped them even if he had.”
    I felt ill, my knees suddenly weak. Were they doing the same thing to Lewis even now? If she’d thought to talk me out of leaving, she was only doing the opposite. In fact, I should have left days ago.
    She grabbed her purse and pulled the strap over her shoulders, letting it fall diagonally across her chest. “They placed some sort of implants in my head, to collect my brain waves. After I healed they used me to break into the thoughts of other mind readers.”
    The same thing they’d done to me, except I hadn’t been forced.
    She grabbed her own overnight bag and hefted it upon her shoulder. “Mom had a surgeon friend, another mind reader, who extracted the implants once I escaped and returned home.”
    She’d had two bouts of brain surgery. Yeah, you could say I felt like a wimp for whining about the