BOOK 7

Rachel took a sip of red wine, letting the dark, velvety taste pool on her tongue before it eased down her throat. She rarely drank more than one glass of wine, not liking the way it dulled her senses, but tonight she thought she might have a second. She could use a bit of numbing to take off the edge.

Since leaving Jackson’s office, her nerves had become twisted ropes of energy, amplifying every thought and emotion she possessed as well as those she picked up from others. The trip to the grocery store had become unbearable. The frustration of women trying to balance work and family, a stressed check-out clerk, a manager who was furious over receiving a shipment of milk that had already expired had all somehow woven into her own frantic state. She’d felt them all in a way she’d never experienced before. It had been overwhelming, even painful, leaving her nerves raw and exposed.

Taking a fortifying drink of wine, she vowed to regain control of the safe environment she’d created for her