Predatory Game (GhostWalkers, #6)(47)

“He is good, isn’t he?” Saber said with pride.

Mari nodded. “I’ve never seen anything quite like that.”

It was kind of funny that they were all sitting at the same table pretending they were all just friends—normal people—instead of their reality. Saber had learned to handle the crush of energy others gave off, but it was difficult over long periods of time. She usually avoided crowds. Mari wasn’t an anchor either and she would have the same problems being out in public. It gave Saber a kindred feeling toward Mari.

“I love to dance, and Jess was so good about dancing at home with me.”

Home. Jess liked the way she said it. He’d never thought much about having a home. He’d taken it for granted, growing up in a loving family the way he had. He wondered what Saber’s childhood had been like. He knew Mari’s had been extremely difficult. Jess reached for Saber’s hand, thumb feathering over her knuckles. “It was fun,” he said decisively. “Although I think she’s always afraid I might fall over backward.”

“That’s because you deliberately scare me.” She laughed because she couldn’t help it as he caught at the wheels to do a pop-up. “Stop, you know I hate that.”

“Stop showing off for your woman,” Ken ordered. She’s laughing but she’s really worried about it.

Jess shot his friend a shut-up look, but he stopped teasing her. “I do it all the time, honey, and I never fall.”

“I know,” Saber sipped at her drink and flashed him a reassuring smile.

That was the problem right there, Jess decided. That smile. Like she was taking care of him, watching over him. Afraid he’d hurt himself. He knew where all the exits and windows were. He knew who would be the most dangerous men in the room in a fight. He knew the make and model of every car in the parking lot and exactly how they were parked. He knew which of the customers were armed and which ones he could take—most likely all of them—without breaking a sweat and still sitting in his wheelchair. But she didn’t see him as someone who could take care of her.

He wanted to shake things up. He was tired of pretending to be less capable than he truly was. But he couldn’t tell her the truth because he was a top secret national security weapon. And most likely, she couldn’t say anything to him for the same reason.

As if reading his mind, Ken gave a small shake of his head. Mari thinks she’s on the run.

Was he really that transparent? He wanted to lean across the table and kiss her. She melted when he kissed her, forgetting all about the chair. Jess sighed and sought a safe topic of conversation. “How’s Briony? Her baby must be due soon.” He found Saber’s hand again, tangling their fingers because he needed to touch her. “Briony, Mari’s sister, is married to Ken’s brother, Jack.”

“Jack and I are twins,” Ken explained. “And so are Mari and Briony. Briony is expecting twins.”

“How did that happen?” Saber asked. “Because that’s plain scary.”

Ken laughed. “It’s a curse in my family. We always have twins. The men in our family find women who produce identical twins. It’s either a blessing or a curse, we’re not certain which.”

Mari shot him a look. “Not me. My poor sister is terrified of having children and with two of them coming, I can’t blame her.”

Saber was horrified. “Two? I’ve never even held a baby.”

“Neither have I,” Mari confessed. “Briony hasn’t either, but I told her I’d help her. Jack is really good with her.”

“Jack has these books he’s always reading,” Ken said with a little grin. “On pregnancy, having twins, labor, and now parenting.”

“He makes us all read them,” Mari added.

Saber felt tears burning behind her eyes. It was so unexpected she wasn’t prepared for the emotion overwhelming her. Their voices, she decided, held so much love, so much warmth. They were a family. Jack and Briony. Ken and Mari. And now children. Somehow they’d made it out of the insanity that was the life of a GhostWalker.

She wanted to ask them so many questions, but at the same time she wanted to beat back hope. Because if you hoped and then it was taken from you, life was far worse than ever before. She had escaped, but Whitney kept coming after her. Sooner or later he would catch up with her, and she would be dead, because there was no way she’d ever go back to that hellish captivity. She’d die first. How had Mari gotten out? And was Briony a GhostWalker as well? Why had Whitney let them leave? Why was he leaving them alone and not her?

Jess tugged at her until she came out of her chair and settled on his lap. “Dance with me again, baby,” he said, keeping his voice soft and low. The look on her face was heartbreaking. If there was ever a moment in his life when he really considered breaking security clearance, it was right then.

Her arms circled his neck and she relaxed into him as he powered the chair onto the dance floor. He found a quiet corner where the shadows felt intimate. The music was soft and soothing. Saber relaxed into his arms, burying her face against his throat.

He spotted Logan Maxwell in the crowd, and Martin Howard at the bar. He felt better knowing they were close. Whoever was watching them would get more than they bargained for if they made a move against Saber or him. Logan wielded power with infinite skill. Ken was one of the toughest GhostWalkers in the business. Martin was lethal in any situation. Mari was an unknown to Jesse having recently married Ken, but if she was strong enough to stand with Ken, then she was welcome.