Murder Game (GhostWalkers, #7)(80)

Tansy studied Kadan’s grim face. So tough. So rugged. So uncompromising. He looked dangerous, but when he touched her, his hands were gentle and his mouth loving her whether he knew it or not. Something was wrong. Not the murders. This wasn’t about the murders. She took a deep breath and let it out, wrapping her arms around his neck so he could pull her into a sitting position.

“You’re upset.”

The love in her voice shook him. As if he mattered. As if it mattered that he might be upset. If he was, it was on her behalf, not his own. He lifted her into his arms. “I’m taking you out to the car. We’re heading back to the other house.”

“I’m naked. I can’t ride naked in the car,” she protested.

His blue eyes slid over her, dark as midnight. “Yes, you can. Cuddle up next to me, I’ll keep you warm.”

She wiggled and he put her down. “It will only take me a minute to dress and pack, but, Kadan?” She waited until he looked at her. “When we’re in the car, you’re going to tell me everything.”

“You won’t like it, baby. Make certain it’s what you really want.”

She caught the nape of his neck, raised herself on her toes, and kissed him. “It’s what I want.” She turned away to pull on a shirt, not bothering with underwear.

Kadan watched her through half-closed eyes: the graceful, efficient movements, the lack of hesitation as she padded across the room in front of him to retrieve her jeans. He loved her. The words were in his mind, but they didn’t manage to make it to his mouth. But his soul moved. He felt it.

Tansy smiled at him. “I’m ready.”

He stalked across the room, long, purposeful strides that might have cowed someone else, but she stood her ground, just looking at him. He caught her face in his hands and kissed her again. Telling her. Saying it without words. Loving her.

He let his hand slide possessively down her shoulder, then her arm, until he could tangle his fingers with hers. “Let’s do this.” He pulled her beneath his shoulder and walked her through the house.

Tucker and Ian were waiting by the back door. Tucker leaned in close to brush a kiss over her forehead. “We’ll take good care of the parents,” he assured her. “No one knows they’re here, so we won’t have problems.”

“You’ll check in with us?” she asked anxiously.

“You got it,” Ian told her.

“Thanks, both of you,” Tansy said.

“I owe you,” Kadan added, his voice gruff.

He opened the passenger-side door for Tansy and she slid onto the seat. Tossing her bag in the back, Kadan slipped behind the wheel and reached for the key. Instantly the back doors opened and Ryland, Gator, and Nico piled into the backseat.

Kadan looked into the rearview mirror, at their set faces. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Ryland shrugged. “Covering your ass, like always.”

“I have to do this alone, but I appreciate the offer.”

“No way are we bailing,” Gator said. “You’re up to your ears in a mess and we’re goin’ to back your play the way we always do, bro, whether you want it or not.”

“This is one of those classified—”

“Bullshit,” Ryland said. “You have the girl. You think I didn’t click on it the minute her old man mentioned the murders? They suspect us, don’t they? That’s why you dragged her back here, to help clear our names. They’re after us, aren’t they?”

“Who the hell are they?” Gator asked.

“They are the ones who have been trying to kill us off from the beginning. Once it got out that Whitney made supersoldiers, the technology was worth billions to other countries,” Ryland explained. “With us dead, no one can do a snatch-and-grab and try to dissect us and get the answers for free. No one can find Whitney and get the information, so they have to find a way to bring us out into the open, where they have a better chance of killing us. If GhostWalkers are accused of murder, there isn’t going to be a trial, is there, Kadan?”

Tansy tangled her fingers with Kadan’s. “We’re not going to let that happen.” She spoke with supreme confidence. “I’m an elite tracker. I’ll find them and Kadan will take the proof back to Washington.”

“I’ve never heard of an elite tracker,” Gator said. “What is it that you do?”

Nico leaned forward over the seat and there was respect tinged with awe in his voice. “You’re the serial killer girl. You track murderers using your mind.”

She smiled at him. “That would be me.”

“How the hell do you do something like that?” Ryland asked.

She shrugged. “All of you do unusual things. It’s a gift.”

“It isn’t easy,” Kadan snapped. “She ended up in the hospital the last time.” He brought her hand up to his mouth. “Don’t make it sound like it’s a breeze.”

“They helped my family.”

“You were willing to do it before they helped your family.”

Color rose, staining her cheeks. “It’s no different. Don’t make it be different.”

Ryland touched her shoulder. “We appreciate it, Tansy. You should have told us, Kadan. We could have helped.”