Ruthless Game (GhostWalkers, #9)(101)
She sniffed. “You fell on your ass,” she repeated. “My big, strong, white knight fell on his ass. You couldn’t keep up.”
He grinned at her. Happy. “I can keep it up. Just come over here and kneel down right there.” He opened his legs for her in invitation. “You look sexy as hell.”
She rolled her eyes, but her mouth curved into a smile. “I’m sure I do, all sweaty with milk running down my breasts. You’re insane, Kane, but I think I’m crazy about you.” She turned abruptly and left him.
He let himself slide down the chair until his head rested on the back of it, totally spent, drifting between awake and dreaming.
CHAPTER 17
Rose tightened her arms around Sebastian as she followed Kane down the stairs to the second floor. The entire team had assembled in hushed silence. Javier and Ethan crouched beside the stairway and door leading to the outside fire escape, examining walls and railings in an effort to find whatever Eric had left behind. Ethan looked up as they came down the stairs and signaled them to silence.
Is Brian alive? Kane asked.
Paul and Marc saved him, Mack answered the question.
Rose was astonished that she was able to hear the master gunnery sergeant’s voice in her mind. She and Kane had a strong connection, something she believed stemmed from Whitney pairing them together. She could initiate telepathy, but it had never been strong, and unlike Mack or Kane, she could never have held a bridge for an entire team.
He’ll be down for a while. Jaimie’s going to take care of him until we can get a nurse we can trust. We could use Rhianna right about now.
Javier straightened to allow them to get past him.
Sebastian stared solemnly at the man and then suddenly smiled, leaning toward him. The move was unexpected and strong enough that Rose had to catch him with a little gasp. Her heart jumped. There was no doubt her son wanted Javier to hold him. She had to console herself with the fact that Sebastian had already shown he could sense and recognize an enemy.
She swallowed hard and made her first attempt at accepting Kane’s family as her own. Sebastian wants you to hold him.
Javier’s smile flickered for a moment in his eyes and then faded away. He held out his arms for the child. Top, have Gideon give it a try. I can’t spot anything, and I want to hold my nephew. It’s time we got acquainted.
As if testing her, Javier cuddled the baby close and, moving in his silent, fluid way, turned his back and strode out of Rose’s sight behind the tent. Rose’s pulse thundered in her ears, and she literally had to twist her hands together to hold herself in place beside Kane.
Kane dropped his arm around her shoulders and moved her closer beneath his broad shoulder. He bent his head, turning his body partially, shielding her from the stairs. He brushed a kiss along her hair. “Javier’s taking Sebastian away from what we believe is Whitney’s camera or some sort of monitoring device.” The words were barely audible.
She let her breath out and turned her face toward his, needing to kiss him, uncaring if any of them saw her. She was grateful he was the kind of man who read and cared about her feelings. He nearly lifted her off her feet, his larger frame completely shielding her, reminding her of when he had gotten her pregnant. He had not only destroyed Whitney’s cameras and recorders, but he had kept his much larger body positioned over hers to protect her from the guard’s prying eyes.
It was silly, really, to think that she needed a white knight, but he made her feel protected, cherished even. There was something to be said for a man who was so willing to offer a woman his own body to use as her armor and shield. She slipped her arms around his neck and clung, unashamed, allowing herself a moment of weakness. It was difficult to trust her son to anyone out of her sight, let alone the most dangerous of all the team members.
He keeps smiling at me.
The moment Javier spoke inside her mind, she felt herself settle, the wild churning in her stomach subsiding. There was awe, maybe even a hint of joy in the tone.
He’s so little I thought I might crush him, but he’s strong, isn’t he?
She recognized an uncle’s pride, and something hard inside her broke open. Javier was a man dedicated to his team and his country—but everyone else was an enemy. She could hear in his voice that Sebastian was family and always would be.
Rose blinked rapidly and tightened her arms around Kane’s neck for courage. She made herself laugh softly in her mind. He’s very strong. He pushes up off the floor already. Sometimes when he’s kicking, I have to duck very fast, because he’s got quite the kick.
Javier’s laughter slipped into her mind. Kane urged her forward, and she moved toward the hospital tent. She knew it was impossible for someone like her—someone with her background—to trust the people around her, but they were soldiers, and they knew their jobs. They worked well together, knew one another. They were offering her the opportunity to have everything she’d ever wanted—a family—and to be able to serve her country as part of an elite unit. She spent nearly every waking minute of her life training to be what these people were—a GhostWalker—and she wanted the chance to use her skills again.
She smelled bleach and blood as she skirted the makeshift hospital. Is Brian going to be able to recover fully?
Kane had to have been holding a bridge to allow the others to communicate telepathically with her, because once again, it was Mack who answered.