Free Word and Breath by Susannah Noel Page A

voice calm and reassuring. “But there’s no sense in panicking until we have more information. Is there anywhere Jannie would have gone if she was in trouble? Do you know of anyone who would have wanted to hurt her?”

    Riana opened her mouth, as if to answer, but then she shut it with a snap. She glanced away from him.
     
    She knew something—something she wasn’t going to tell him.

    “If you want, I’ll go with you to the police,” Mikel offered, making sure not to sound offended or disappointed by her obvious reticence. “Maybe, since she’s handicapped, they’ll be willing to start an investigation immediately.”

    He doubted it. Missing persons weren’t one of the Union police’s priorities.

    “No.” She’d closed down—he could feel it as well as see it in her tight jaw and guarded expression. “No police.”

    Mikel swallowed, a hard weight in his chest that he assumed was a remnant of the swell of fear and pain he’d breathed in from Riana. “Why don’t we go down to the businesses on your street and start asking people if they’ve seen anything suspicious today? There are several that are still open. Maybe someone saw something.”

    It was a good idea, and for a moment he thought Riana was going to agree. Then she gave her head a hard shake. “I’m sorry, Mikel. I need to go talk to someone.”

    It was clear from her tone that she meant alone. He wanted to object—annoyed at the rejection. He’d gotten so close only to be shut down abruptly. But he was far too diplomatic to argue. “Of course. I think I’ll ask around to see if anyone has seen anything anyway.” He reached into his pocket and handed her a card. “My number is here. Call me as soon as you can, and I’ll let you know what I find out. If you’d like me to call you instead…”

    He trailed off and was relieved when Riana mumbled out her phone number.
     
    At least he’d be able to contact her easily now.

    She was shaking when she grabbed her bag and headed for the door, but she turned to face him before she left. “Thank you, Mikel. I appreciate your help. I just—” Her words broke off as she choked on an obvious sob.
     
    “I understand. We’ve only known each other a week. But I do want to help. I…I like you.” He didn’t have to feign the stumble over the last sentence. Riana looked so pitiful and broken that he felt like a monster for a moment.

    Which might have been why he couldn’t resist reaching a hand around her shoulders and spreading his fingers on the nape of her neck in a gentle massage. It was the lightest touch—only two fingers and his thumb, and much of the contact was blocked by her hair.
     
    It was so easy for him to make her feel better, and there didn’t seem to be any reason not to.

    He applied gentle pressure and let the connection open just enough. Instead of intensifying her feelings as he usually did, he instead relieved her of them. He breathed in the most urgent of her panic and despair—emotions so strong and pure they were almost blinding.
     
    Riana responded visibly, letting out a hoarse sigh and closing her eyes as her body softened. She leaned her head back toward his hand, as if she wanted even more of his touch.

    He didn’t let himself revel in the sensation or what he experienced of her as he breathed in her spirit. He had to focus enough to end it before it went too far and she realized what he was doing.

    “Try not to panic,” he murmured. “We don’t know what’s happening yet.”

    She let out a choked little sob—an obvious sign of letting down her guard and opening herself up him.
     
    Because it was working, he let himself keep the connection open for another minute. He was now getting flashes of memory and feeling from her—too fleeting to fully process or identify.

    “Mikel,” she whimpered, her eyes still closed and her hands coming up to cling to his jacket. “What if she’s…”

    “Shh,” he soothed, still massaging the back of