Echoes at Dawn (KGI #5)(44)

Rio extended his arm over the back of the couch, wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her toward him until she was settled underneath his shoulder.

“Nathan adores her. I don’t know a whole lot. I left soon after he returned with her to Tennessee. Her first concern and priority was you. She didn’t want to leave Oregon because she was so sure you were somewhere close. But Nathan got her the hell out of there, as he should have, and took her to a place where he could keep her safe.

“Nathan, and by extension, Sam, made her a promise. A promise fulfilled by KGI, that we would do whatever necessary to bring you home. That we wouldn’t quit until you were safe. I asked for the assignment.”

“Why?” she whispered.

“Because when I looked at the surveillance footage, I saw a vulnerable woman with fear in her eyes. But I also saw a strong woman who was a fighter. I saw someone I wanted to know better. I saw someone I considered mine from the first moment I laid eyes on her.”

Grace held her breath until she was dizzy and then let it out in a long whoosh that weakened her to her knees.

“As for Nathan, he’s had a rough time. A time that Shea got him through. She saved him. He was held captive in Afghanistan for two months and was finally able to escape with her help. KGI was able to get to him because Shea helped get us information. But he’s solid. He and Shea both have a lot of healing to do, but they’ll do it together. I don’t think you could pry them apart with a crowbar. The concept of soul mates is kind of cheesy when said aloud, but there’s no other word for the bond that exists between them.”

“It doesn’t sound cheesy,” she said softly. “It sounds wonderful.”

“She’s in good hands, Grace. I swear it. Nathan will never let anything happen to her. He’d die for her. He has five older brothers who are more than willing to go to the wall for him, and then there is Steele’s team and my team. I’m pretty damn picky about who I trust and who I call family, but if I ever call anyone family, it would be the Kellys.”

“They sound so awesome,” she said wistfully.

“You’ll love them and they’ll love you.”

She frowned a moment because they didn’t seem real. Just a topic of conversation, but one day…One day she’d see her sister again and they would be by extension her own family of sorts if Shea married Nathan. The idea of having this huge, protective family wasn’t something she could wrap her head around.

But it sounded so nice, it made her chest ache.

They weren’t hers, though. They were Shea’s. Shea had Nathan. Grace was savagely happy for her sister. And relieved. But she was also envious because she wanted so badly to have those things Shea now enjoyed.

Love. Comfort. Stability. A normal life. Laughter. Children. A big family. Being able to breathe. Smile. Life without fear.

She closed her eyes, reaching out again, her longing for her sister a tangible, breathing entity.

Shea. Please be there.

For a brief moment, she swore she heard an echo in her mind. Just a faint call. So much like Shea. As if Shea was saying her name. And just as quickly it was gone.

But the sensation lingered, and Grace could feel the comfort as it seeped into her mind, soothing some of the sadness away.

She opened her ee oearyes to see Rio staring at her, his gaze so soft and understanding.

“She was there,” Grace said, her voice cracking. “For just a moment, I swear I heard her. Maybe I imagined it but I swear I felt her.”

She rubbed her hands up her arms and then wrapped her arms around herself as if by hugging tightly she could prevent the lingering aura of her sister from fading.

Rio pulled her farther into his embrace, holding her firmly against his chest. She rested her cheek on the faded T-shirt, soaking up the warmth and comfort he offered. He laid his cheek against the top of her head.

“You’ll get there, Grace. You’re already making such improvement. You bear no resemblance to the defeated, broken woman who begged me to let her die just a few days ago. You walked out of those damn mountains under your own power with a broken arm, broken ribs and unimaginable mental and physical strain. I’ve served with men who couldn’t have done what you did, so cut yourself some slack.”

She smiled, absorbing the gruff reprimand as though it were a gentle stroke to her back. She liked Rio when he got growly and bossy.

“So what do we do for now?” she asked, taking the conversation full circle.

Rio stroked his hand through her hair, toying with the strands. “We wait.”

She pushed up so she could meet his gaze. “For what?”

He eyed her seriously, his words as blunt as always.

“We wait until it’s safe to leave or they show their hand. We’ll either bring the fight to them or we’ll let them bring it to us. One way or another, the battle is coming. It’s just a matter of when and where.”

Grace sucked in her breath and tried not to shake but she knew she failed miserably.

“Titan is that dangerous?”

“Titan doesn’t play by the rules,” Rio said matter-of-factly. “In their world the only rules are the ones they make. Failure isn’t an option. They only know how to achieve their objective. In this case their objective is you.”

Helplessness gripped her, squeezing the very breath from her lungs. “Then what is there to do? How can we fight them if they’re so damn undefeatable?”