Mercy Hollings

I've never been certain I'm human Oh, the X-rays and blood tests are normal, and most people have no reason to suspect I'm more than I appear to be. But if I tell you to do something? You do it -- no ifs, ands or buts. I call my power the 'press. ' My name is Mercy Hollings, and if you think that having the power to control people makes my life easy, you're dead wrong. Because when I get angry, everyone around me is at risk -- Sukey, my friend who has frightening taste in men; my clients, who, ironically, come to me for help; my neighbors, who regard me as a loner; and Sam, a man who wants to know my darkest secret. I have hurt people in the past, and I don't want that to happen again. But now a powerful stranger is threatening the new life that I've made for myself. And I'm afraid my anger is taking over.

Last month I killed a man. . . and now I'm afraid what I might do nextAs a hypnotherapist with a special talent, I'm very good at getting people to overcome their problems. My own problem, however, is that my talent comes from a dark place. If I tell you to do something, trust me: you will do it. Most of the time I can keep things from getting out of hand, but when my emotions interfere, I lose control. That's when people get hurt, sometimes even killed. The only ones who know I've got a secret are my best friend Sukey and my boyfriend Sam. So far I've been able to keep them safe from the psychic cross fire, but what if one day I can't? Like now. Because now I find myself in the shadowy world of battered women and children, where I've met a little girl who's been violated in the worst possible way. As you can imagine, my emotions are about to interfere. . . .