Murder Game (GhostWalkers, #7)(67)

She nodded. “I’m careful to wear gloves so I don’t handle things. It keeps a barrier between me and everyone else unless the energy is particularly strong, such as violent energy. Then I read it whether I want to or not.”

He studied the weariness in her eyes. “It takes a toll.”

“Yes. Does it on you?” She shook her head hastily when his gaze went hard and dangerous. “I didn’t pick up any national security secrets. I have no idea what you can do, but your energy and Ian’s both indicate strong psychic ability. Without Kadan here, I can read that just standing in the same room with you.”

Tucker nodded. He’d read her energy as well.

Ian came back in and handed Tansy her bag. “You look pale. Maybe you ought to sit down. If Kadan sees you looking like that he’ll kick our asses.”

Both Ian and Tucker were very large men with defined, bulging muscles. Neither looked as if he could get his ass handed to him very easily.

“He really isn’t as scary as you make him out to be,” Tansy said, swallowing the pills.

They looked at each other. “Honey-girl,” Ian said, “don’t you go deceiving yourself. Kadan Montague is hell on wheels in a fight. I don’t want any part of him.”

A strobe light flashed, and both men went from easygoing to alert, their demeanor changing abruptly. Tucker glided on silent feet, catching Tansy by the arm and pulling her with him to the living room. Ian plunged the house into darkness, drawing his weapon.

“Coming in,” Ryland’s voice came, and the front door opened.

He came through first, sweeping the area with his cool, hard eyes, gun out just in case they were walking into a trap. Ian relaxed and put his weapon away. Tucker released his hold on Tansy. The rest of the rescue team walked in, Don and Sharon Meadows in the center.

“Mom! Dad!” Tansy eluded Tucker’s grab and rushed her father, charging across the room, nearly knocking him down as she flung herself into his arms before anyone could stop her.

Kadan stood close to Don, inches from his side, the hilt of his knife already a part of his hand, and knowledge burning in him that he could stab deep, severing the jugular before Meadows would know what hit him, if Tansy’s father made one wrong move toward her.

Tucker and Ian moved to cover Kadan, and Nico and Gator took up positions in back and front of Meadows. Each had a knife blade up against his wrist where no one could see. Ryland was stuck with Sharon, still woozy from the drug Kadan had injected into her system to quiet her. He moved her to the side, making a show of placing his body between Meadows and his wife.

Even as Tansy kissed him, Don caught the movement, correctly interpreting the threat. He gently put Tansy away from him, holding her shoulders at arm’s length.

“Are you all right, Tansy-girl?”

“I’m fine, Dad, but I was so afraid for you. I heard Mom scream and I thought the worst. Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?”

“No, he just knocked us around a little. It was just such a shock finding out he’d been betraying us all of those years. I considered him family.”

Don Meadows was lying to his daughter. Kadan flicked a glance at Ryland. Meadows had known Fredrickson belonged to Whitney.

“What did he do to Mom? And how could he, after sitting down with us all those years eating and watching movies and being a part of our family?” She looked beyond her father to her mother’s delicate frame.

Her eyes darkened when she saw the bruises. “Mom! Oh no. What happened?”

Kadan looked from Don Meadows to his adopted daughter and then to his petite wife, Sharon. Tansy’s hair was a thick mass of almost white gold, an unusual color at her age, almost a silver gold. Sharon’s hair was dyed the same color, but Don’s hair was prematurely silver gold, lending the parents a similar appearance to their adopted daughter.

Tansy hadn’t once looked at him, not even a stolen glance, not a hint of recognition, and part of him felt dead inside. He kept his hand curled around his weapon, not speaking, not interrupting the reunion, when he really wanted to drag her against him and make her notice him.

Sharon touched the bruise on her face. “Fredrickson hit me very hard when he took over the phone call. I nearly fainted.”

“I’m sorry he did that, Mom. He was a horrible person. What happened to your mouth?”

Sharon glanced at Don. “He was angry at your father. We didn’t know Watson was in on it, and when he came in, Don tried to jump Fredrickson. They didn’t touch him; I think they knew it wouldn’t do any good.”

Don swore. “Damn cowards. Hitting a woman.”

“They knew if they threatened me, Don would do whatever they said. They hoped you would too.”

Tansy was more careful with her mother, hugging her gently and kissing the bruises on her face. “Come sit down.” She caught her mother by the hand, tugging, leading her to the couch. “I would have gladly exchanged my life for yours, Mom, but fortunately I have friends who were willing to help.”

Don made a sound that was suspiciously like derision. Tansy didn’t look at her father. She wanted to go to Kadan. He was all she could think about. He filled her mind, but she needed to comfort her mother. She needed to touch her and know she was all right before she was selfish, before she acknowledged to herself, to everyone, that Kadan was her heart and soul. Because if her parents were involved with Whitney, she’d lost them and she needed this one last time to be wholly loved by them and love them back without reservation. Once she saw Kadan’s face, nothing else was going to matter to her for a long while.