Murder Game (GhostWalkers, #7)(74)

“Shut the hell up,” Kadan snapped and pushed past him.

Ryland took another whiff and gave a low whistle. “You smell yummy. I’m getting hungry. Maybe cinnamon buns.”

Kadan flipped him off rudely.

Nico stood waiting by the front door. As always he was their backup. He frowned when the two GhostWalkers got close. “What the hell is that smell?”

“Kadan’s new spicy cologne.”

“Go to hell, Rye,” Kadan said and shot him a look that should have withered him on the spot. “Both of you can go to hell.”

“I think his blood sugar’s dropping,” Ryland explained. “Must have been all the cinnamon candy he got tonight.”

Nico put on an innocent face. “That woman of yours smells a little like cinnamon.”

“Makes you hungry, doesn’t it?” Ryland said.

“Yep. Can’t wait to tell Dahlia about this one. The ice man gets all hot and bothered around cinnamon spice. Who would have guessed?”

“Don’t make me shoot you.” Kadan yanked open the front door. “Because I’ll do you both in a heartbeat and never look back.”

Ryland smirked at him, not in the least intimidated. He began humming a tune overly loud under his breath.

Kadan shot him a look of intense irritation. “What are you doing now?”

Nico nudged him. “Don’t you know that tune? I’d think it was your favorite. You’re such a music cretin. Neil Young wrote some great songs.” When Kadan still looked blank, Nico sang the lyrics while Ryland hummed. “I wanna live with a cinnamon girl . . .”

“I really am going to shoot you both.” Kadan shook his head.

They’d never let him live it down. By tomorrow both of the clowns were going to buy him a Neil Young album with the song “Cinnamon Girl” on it. He shook his head and kept his grin to himself. He’d probably play it too, but hell if he’d ever tell either of them that.

He gave a small salute to Tucker, who was making the rounds and emerged out of the bushes as if he’d just materialized.

“Everything’s quiet. Gator ditched the Humvee on the other side of town. He’ll be back in a while,” Tucker said.

Ryland nudged him. “You smell love in the air, Tucker?”

Tucker inhaled. “Kadan. Man. High-five me, bro.”

“I’m going to make every one of you eat those smiles,” Kadan groused and pushed through them to stalk around to the side of the house, ignoring the soft, taunting laughter that followed him.

He crouched just below the window of the bedroom they’d given Don and Sharon Meadows. It was time to pay the man a little visit. They’d told him the window was wired, but there was no alarm on, not until Kadan knew exactly what he was dealing with. Just in case Don had his own method of alarms, he checked all around the window and listened for the telltale hum of a live wire. It was silent, other than a few soft snores from Tansy’s father.

Kadan slipped his blade along the windowsill before levering the window up. He’d made certain there would be no noise when he opened the window before he’d ever put the couple in the room to begin with. He went headfirst into the room, creeping down the wall to the carpeted floor, knife in his teeth, Ryland right behind him.

They split up, one on either side of the large double bed. Ryland pulled out the air syringe and made certain Sharon would stay asleep. When he was certain she was out, he signaled Kadan and slipped into the shadows where Don wouldn’t detect him. Nico took up a position just outside the window where he could train a gun on the man at all times.

Kadan crept up the wall at the head of the bed and slipped behind Don to settle his weight carefully. He didn’t bother with a knife; if he had to kill Don, he would do it with his bare hands. He didn’t want blood for Sharon to wake up and find.

He placed his hand carefully on the man’s throat and pressed hard enough to wake him.

Don’s eyes snapped open and he stiffened.

Kadan’s fingers dug deeper, letting him feel his enormous strength. “I wouldn’t move if I were you,” he said quietly. “I’m a patient man, Mr. Meadows, but I’m tired tonight, and I’ve got a long day ahead of me tomorrow. I’m going to ask a couple of questions, and whether you live or die in the next few minutes depends on your answers.”

Don flicked a quick glance at his wife, his lips compressing tightly.

“She’s fine. I can read minds, and hers was fairly open. She loves you and Tansy. The two of you are her world. She despises Peter Whitney and can’t understand why you insist on having him in your lives when you know he’s a monster.” Kadan leaned close. “I can’t understand why you would ever risk your daughter with that man. You know she’s one of his experiments.”

Don jerked, his eyes widening in shock.

“You think the government doesn’t know about all the little girls whose heads he f*cked up? He did the same thing to a bunch of Special Forces men. I’m one of those men. I don’t have a lot of love for Whitney and you shouldn’t either.”

“I don’t,” Don snarled. “I despise the man.”

Kadan stared down into the defiant, angry eyes and read guilt. He didn’t let up on the pressure at all. “You despise him, yet you force your daughter to see him even when she says he makes her uncomfortable.”