No Place to Run (KGI #2)(35)

She too was dressed in a black T-shirt and camo pants. A large knife was secured to her belt, and she wore a shoulder holster with a pistol tucked under her arm.

Sophie felt a rush of envy. Here was a woman who was wholly self-sufficient. She didn’t need the men who surrounded her. She was obviously an equal, and she could take care of herself. These men trusted her to look out not only for herself but for the team as well.

P.J. wouldn’t have run scared like Sophie had done. Nor would she have made such a pitiful attempt at escaping Tomas’s assassin.

She glanced down at her hands and almost laughed. It was rather pointless to be comparing herself to a female mercenary. Though she did wonder about P.J.’s story. How awesome that she had choices, that she could do and be anything. She was in control of her own destiny.

So were about a billion other people on the planet, and now so would Sophie be. No longer would she be controlled by another human being. It was a vow she repeated often.

Her gaze drifted to where Marlene and Frank sat in the corner of the room. Marlene was on Frank’s lap, and he had a firm arm around her. They were talking in low tones, and it was obvious Frank was comforting her. Every once in a while Marlene’s worried gaze would seek out her sons, but there was also fierce pride reflected there. And love.

It made Sophie’s chest ache. It hurt to see such love, such a sense of family in this sprawling house. Pictures and memories littered the walls and the mantel over the fireplace. Occupied every available space on the surface of end tables and over the television.

It was everything she’d ever wanted and never had.

The baby kicked, just one gentle nudge, like she was turning over to a better position in her sleep. Tears burned Sophie’s lids. Already she loved her daughter so much, and she vowed with everything she had that somehow, someway, her child would grow up with the love and security that Sophie never enjoyed.

She had no experience. But she had dreams. She had imagined a thousand times how normal families lived and loved. She wanted that for her daughter.

She wanted it for herself.

“Are you all right?”

She jerked her head up to see a tall, dark-haired man—Rio?—standing over her. She froze as she studied him. He looked fierce, but there was something soft in his eyes as he stared down at her.

“You looked upset.”

She cleared her throat nervously. She wasn’t sure what to say, or if she should say anything at all. This might be one of Sam’s men, but that didn’t automatically give him a pass.

Then he smiled, and white teeth flashed. “You remind me of my little sister. Magdalena was her name.”

“Was?”

It came out little more than a whisper, and when pain flashed in his dark eyes, she regretted making the distinction.

“She passed on a few years ago. She was pregnant like you. And just as beautiful. Pregnancy does that for a woman.”

Sophie didn’t know what to say or how to respond, so she said nothing. To her surprise, Rio held out a glass of iced tea and carefully put it into her hand.

Touched by the gesture, she gave him a genuine smile and raised the glass to her lips. “Thank you. Who are all these people?” she asked, looking beyond him to the others.

He glanced over as she did. “The man standing to Sam’s right is Steele, the other team leader. I’m Rio, by the way. My team is standing to the side. All this togetherness isn’t really our thing.”

She followed his direction to a group of five men standing silently with no expression. They merely observed. She shivered. They looked dangerous.

“That’s Cole and P.J. with Donovan. They’re the two sharpshooters. They both belong to Steele. On the other side of them are Baker, Renshaw and Dolphin.”

She raised her head to look at Rio. “Dolphin?”

Rio grinned. “Because he swims like one.”

“Why are you being nice to me?” she asked bluntly.

His eyebrow went up and he studied her for a moment. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

She shrugged. “You don’t know me.”

“I think maybe you’re used to people not being very nice to you. Maybe it’s time to alter your expectations, hmm?”

He offered a smile, then returned to where his men stood. He leaned against the wall, propping one foot behind him, and stared at Sam and Steele with a bored expression on his face.

Every once in a while he looked back over at her and smiled. He had no idea how much that small gesture meant to her in a room filled with people she didn’t know or trust. It gave her something to grasp. He may not like her or trust her—she doubted either—but he was nice to her and he didn’t have to be. How silly—but unsurprising—that she was such a weak sucker for someone showing her any sort of kindness.

She was already firmly under the spell of Marlene Kelly, and for all she knew, the woman had changed her mind about her the moment Sam gave her the story.

Talk of safe houses and leaving turned Sophie in Sam’s direction. He was speaking to Steele, and Rio had closed in on the small circle of men surrounding Sam. Garrett and Donovan stood on either side of Sam, and she was struck by how fierce their expressions were.

She struggled to lean forward so she could hear, and Marlene and Sam both saw her at the same time. Sam turned in her direction, going silent as his gaze roved over her. Marlene left the shelter of her husband’s arms and slid onto the couch next to Sophie.