Into the Mist (Falcon Mercenary Group #1)(18)

She pushed the plate aside and slouched in her chair.

Mad Dog’s fork paused midway to his mouth. “Everything okay?”

She sighed. “I’m just tired. I don’t feel very well. Would you mind going over to the club by yourself and letting me catch some sleep?”

His gaze narrowed as he contemplated. “You sure? I can hang out here if you prefer.”

She smiled. “You know you’re dying to go play. I just want a nap. I didn’t sleep too well last night. Too hyped up from playing. I’ll catch up to you later.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

She reached down to gather her bag in her hand. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll feel better after some sleep.”

She ignored Mad Dog’s questioning stare and walked away from the table.

* * *

Tyana. The name hovered in Eli’s mind as he settled into his own hotel room just a block from the Royal. Her companion had called her Tyana. Unusual name and he’d only heard it once before. His team’s guide into Adharji, Damiano Ruiz, had mentioned a sister named Tyana.

A weary sigh escaped him as he flopped onto the bed. He needed a shower and a shave. And about twenty-four hours of sleep. Not necessarily in that order.

If the woman who’d sought him out in Singapore was Damiano’s sister, he could only come to the conclusion that she blamed Eli for his death and had revenge on her mind.

He shook his head. No, that didn’t make sense. She would have gone for his throat, not f**ked him senseless then snuck through his belongings.

He dug into his pocket for his cell phone, flipped it open and punched a button. He’d f**ked around long enough. It was time to figure out what the hell Tyana wanted. And how Falcon Mercenary Group played into the picture. The last thing he wanted was a damn merc group on his ass.

“Ian,” he said when the other man answered the phone. “I need some fast intel.”

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” Ian growled.

Eli checked his watch and did a swift calculation. “You lazy shit, it’s only six a.m. in Argentina.”

Ian grunted. “Only? What the f**k do you want so goddamn early?”

Eli grinned. “I need whatever info you can dig up on Falcon Mercenary. And I need it fast.”

Ian was quiet for a moment. “Isn’t that who we got to…”

“Yeah, it is.”

“What’s up, Eli?”

“Don’t know yet, but I’ll let you know when I do. Give me a buzz when you have details on the group.” He paused for a moment. “How are you and Braden doing?”

Eli heard a sigh.

“We’re making it,” Ian finally said.

Eli gripped the phone tighter. “I’ll find help for you, Ian. I swear it.”

“I’m not sure you can. Let me go. I’ll get back with you as soon as I have what you need.”

Eli let the change in topic slide and quietly closed the phone. There wasn’t much he could say. There wasn’t a way for him to ever make up for what happened to Ian, Braden or Gabe.

Before, he’d lamented being the only freak of nature. An elemental shifter. An accident of birth. Something born of science fiction movies and bad action adventure flicks. But now he realized having others like him didn’t make him feel any less isolated.

While Gabe didn’t seem to have the instability issues that Ian and Braden did, he knew Gabe wasn’t any happier with his newfound abilities.

Eli was fortunate. He nearly laughed at the irony of that statement. But it was the truth. He had complete mastery of his shifts. He’d been born with the ability. His team wasn’t so lucky.

Set up on a false mission, they’d been ambushed and an unknown chemical had been unleashed on them. They’d managed to escape, but within months, Ian and Braden began to randomly shift into animals. Cats. A jaguar and a panther, while Gabe could make himself invisible.

Bizarre didn’t even begin to cover it.

In light of those developments, Eli no longer felt compelled to hide his own abilities from his teammates. With Gabe’s stability, Eli’s could be explained as well. And the truth of his past remained hidden.

Eli reached over to the nightstand and turned on the small GPS unit. In a moment, a small blip lit up the screen.

So, she was still in Paris. A smile crossed his face. Maybe he could arrange to run into her again. After he got more information from Ian.

* * *

Damiano stood on the deck, hands braced against the wood railing as he stared over the ocean. A cool evening breeze blowing off the water washed over his face, filled his nostrils with a salty tang.

“You okay, man?”

Damiano turned his head to see Jonah watching him from the open doorway. He eased around and leaned his butt against the wood. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Jonah ambled out holding two beers. He tossed one of the cans into the air, and Damiano caught it in one hand. Jonah popped the tab on his and came to a stop a few feet away.

Damiano studied him for a moment and opened his own beer. For once he didn’t feel edgy and out of control. For a few blissful hours he’d enjoyed a normal existence. He almost felt like his old self. He wanted to be in Paris with Ty and Mad Dog, playing poker and drinking like a fish.

His hand trembled as he held the beer to his lips.