Whispers in the Dark (KGI #4)(104)

He knew his anger was unreasonable. There could be any number of reasons why Grace wasn’t communicating with Shea. But right now Shea needed to be surrounded with people who loved her. She needed her sister.

“Resnick feels like they’ve been unable to locate Grace and were focusing for now on Shea,” Sam continued.

“Who is they?” Joe demanded. “Do we even know who the hell is behind this? It’s pretty damn hard to fight a nameless, faceless enemy. Those bunch of damn science nerds aren’t the masterminds of this. They’re following orders. Even the security was lame. Someone is fronting the money and the manpower. The question is who and why?”

“That’s just it,” Sam said. “Everyone is denying involvement. We have to face the possibility that we’ll never know. I don’t fully trust Resnick. His ass is on the line. He won’t be completely honest with us unless it suits his purposes.”

“Do you believe that shit about why he took Shea?” Nathan asked. “Do we have any proof that he didn’t make everything up so I didn’t kill him?”

“How would we ever know differently?” Garrett asked.

“Let’s put nerd boy on it,” Joe said. “There isn’t info Van can’t find when he wants it.”

Garrett chuckled. “I wouldn’t let him hear you say that. He’ll kick your scrawny little ass. He’s got moves that I don’t think there are names for.”

“What about those two Russian scientists Resnick mentioned?” Swanny spoke up.

Sam frowned. “Resnick said they were back in Russia.”

“What if he’s lying? What if he doesn’t want them to be found? Or maybe that’s what he was told. Maybe he thinks he’s telling us the truth. Either way, it bears looking into because they’d know a lot of answers to our questions,” Swanny said.

Garrett suddenly grinned. “With Resnick so busy doing cleanup in New Mexico, he certainly won’t be at his office. Van and I could take a little trip so Van can do some hacking. Van would cream himself over getting into Resnick’s secure files. Can you imagine the shit that man has buried in his computer?”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Sam said slowly. “As soon as we land, you and Van take the jet and head for D.C. I want whatever information you can find and then we’ll know exactly how straight Resnick is being with us.”

Nathan eyed his older brothers even as his hold tightened around Shea. “What are we going to do?”

Garrett stared back, his blue eyes steely with resolve. “We do what we always do when there’s a threat to the family. We close ranks. We protect. We built that compound for a reason. Resnick breached it because he damn well knew how to, but we won’t make that mistake again. From now on, we trust no one. We’re not going to let a bunch of crazy-ass nut jobs pick Shea apart because she’s gifted. She belongs to you so now she belongs to us. We’re going to protect you both.”

“So eloquently said, Mr. Smooth,” Sam teased. “But I couldn’t have said it better myself. Stop worrying about us, Nathan. You focus on Shea. We’ll do the rest.”

“I don’t know if I ever thanked you,” Nathan said quietly. “All of you. Not just for Shea, though I’ll always be grateful for the risk you put yourself through for her. She means everything to me. She’s…my life. But thank you for not giving up when I was being such a hard-ass and so unreachable.”

A glimmer of a smile lit Joe’s face. “Now maybe we can stop tiptoeing around you and start beating your ass again.”

Nathan held up his middle finger. “You can sure as hell try.”

CHAPTER 44

IT was time to force herself back into the real world. She knew it. Embraced it. Sort of. But at the same time, lingering fear and terror paralyzed her whenever she made the effort to shake off the shadows that surrounded her.

Shea liked Dr. Scofield. There was a kindness to the young woman that put Shea at ease. At first, she’d been terrified that this woman was like all the others. There to study her. Hurt her. Treat her like a specimen.

But she was achingly gentle with Shea. She talked to her in soft tones as if she knew that Shea could understand exactly what she said. She’d smile and tell Shea not to hurry, that she’d come around when she was good and ready and when she felt safe.

It was odd, how disembodied Shea felt and how she could function and yet exist in a vacuum. She could process simple things like going to the bathroom. Eating. Drinking. Acknowledging simple requests. But it was as if her mind had been damaged, perhaps more damaged than her body, and both were taking time to heal.

The Kelly women fascinated Shea. Her quietness gave her the opportunity to study the women who’d married into the Kelly family as well as spend more time with Marlene Kelly and even Rusty, who she understood wasn’t a blood relation but a Kelly all the same.

Every day, one of the women visited her. Usually they’d sit on the back deck of Sam’s home and enjoy the warm weather and the view of the lake. Sam had insisted that Nathan and Shea stay with him and Sophie, since the home where Nathan had been living was outside of the compound.

At night, Nathan would tuck Shea into bed and then wrap himself around her, holding her, just holding her. He was a constant comfort to her. Rock steady. Unwavering.