Fatal Strike (McClouds & Friends #10)(45)

you ok? he queried.

yes think we r out of range now There was a pause, and then, can i stay anyway? i like it here Heat rose in his face. His heart quickened. Get a grip, bonehead.

sure whtevr he replied. c u in a few Aaro, Connor, and Sean waited outside the vehicle at the meeting point on the logging road. Lara remained in the backseat, face pressed to her huddled knees.

Aaro held out his hand. “Give me the keys,” he said. “Connor drives the SUV. You sit in the back.”

“But I should be driving!” Miles protested. “I’m the only one who wasn’t compromised by the—”

“I’m fine,” Connor said. “Deal with your lady friend.”

“She’s not my lady friend!” Miles protested. “I just met her!”

“Doesn’t matter,” Sean said. “She’s your problem now, buddy.”

“She’s crying,” Connor added, darkly.

“I’m not dealing with that,” Aaro said. “My quota is full. She’s all yours, my man.”

“You got her out. You comfort her.” Sean splashed a handful of water from a bottle onto his hand to rinse the dried blood from his pallid face, and looked Miles over. “What’s with the naked torso under the jacket?” he said. “That’s a new look for you. And the caveman hair? Are we trying to impress someone with the sixpack abs, my friend?”

Miles exhaled, counting down from five. “She needed the shirt.”

Sean’s eyes widened, and flicked to Lara, who was still hiding her face. “She didn’t have a shirt on? Oh, man. I’m so titillated.”

Miles got into the vehicle, ignoring Sean’s jibes. Connor picked up speed. Lara had her hands clamped over her face. She gave him a wet-eyed look between her fingers. Shook her head, mouthing sorry.

Aw, shit. His throat tightened like a lug nut. Fuck this.

He reached for her, hauled her up onto his lap. Not that there was much effort involved. She was so thin and light and fragile. Though the lovely tits did not reflect that at all.

Her ass felt nice against his lap, too. He tucked her head under his chin, to preclude eye contact, and tried not to think about that. His synapses would overload if he had to look at her in addition to feeling her. And having her tucked up tight inside that secret private place in his head was titillating, too. Titillation every damn place he turned.

Her body had that delicate, baby-bird vibration, like she was afraid to be held or touched, but she didn’t pull away. He could hear her heart racing as if she’d been running. And her subtle female scent made his hormones zing. His animal instincts knew that she was aware of him, too. Her body was answering this glandular racket his own body was making, but he could not trip out on that response. She was in no way responsible for anything her body might non-verbally say in the wake of this craziness. She was f*cked up to hell and gone.

But he was so aware of her face against his chest, the hot moisture of tears, the tickle of her eyelashes. His collarbone had become as discerning as eyes or fingertips.

Her hand was splayed over his chest. So pale.

Sean caught the vibe, human antenna that he was, and craned his neck with a grin. “That’s more like it,” he said. “Do your duty.”

“Shut up,” Miles snapped. “She does not need your bullshit.”

“Ooh, aren’t we protective.”

“I mean it, Sean.”

“Lighten up,” Sean said. “We all have our coping mechanisms, and getting in your face is one of my favorites. So shoot me.”

“I will,” Miles warned. “I swear, I will.”

Thankfully, Sean turned around, still grinning. Miles felt guilty about letting himself be needled. Sean always got manic after intense danger. He’d crawled up that hill at risk to his own life, and gotten his brain zapped by a psycho monster, all for Miles’ sake.

But sad experience had taught him that an apology just encouraged the guy to be annoying again. Best to zip it. Let it pass.

His torment was not destined to cease, though, because Connor promptly started in on him. “We need to talk,” he announced.

The edge in Connor’s voice made Miles’ stomach sink. “It’s been a tough night,” he said. “Let’s not and say we did.”

Connor ignored him. “This Greaves. He f*cked us up from a considerable distance. With his mind. All of us. At the same time.”

“Yes,” Miles agreed. “That he did.”

“So, he’s like that guy Rudd, then? Same deal?”

“Not exactly,” Miles said. “Stronger. A lot stronger. To a power of ten at least, and I think he has other tricks up his sleeve, too. Though I don’t have any evidence to back that up.”

“He does.” Lara’s voice was soft, but steady. “Telekenisis. He moved me across the room like a doll. Telepathy, too. Stronger than Anabel’s. Other things, as well. He hinted at them.”

“Yikes,” Sean muttered, under his breath.

Connor ruminated on that as he drove. “And yet, you were not affected by the attack. How is that possible?”

Miles felt defensive. “My shield just happens to work well against his psi energy,” he said. “I don’t know why.”

“And where did you learn this technique? After running away from everyone, refusing all help when it was offered it to you?”