Whispers in the Dark (KGI #4)(73)

“This is Steele.”

“Miss Peterson,” Steele said in acknowledgment.

“Behind him are Cole, P.J., Dolphin. To his left are Baker and Renshaw.”

Shea tried to smile but she couldn’t contain her dismay.

Across the room, Nathan turned to look at her and he frowned. Their gazes connected and then she felt him explode into her mind, so different than when she connected with him.

His presence was forceful. Indomitable. Overwhelming her and yet filling her with his very essence.

What’s wrong? It was a quick, impatient demand. She felt his resolve to fix whatever it was upsetting her.

For a moment she couldn’t even formulate her thoughts. It was ridiculous. She was being ridiculous. She should be on her knees giving thanks, but she didn’t want this team to protect her. She wanted Nathan. She didn’t want to be separated from him. Not even for her safety.

“Jesus.”

She heard Nathan across the room. He stalked over, looking angrily at Donovan even as he pulled her into his arms. For a long moment he simply hugged her to him and then he pulled her away, grasped her shoulders and stared hard into her eyes as if willing her to not only hear him but to feel him as well.

“I’m not turning you over to Steele and his team. I’m going to be with you every minute of every day. Do you understand that? Yes, Steele’s team is assigned to your protection. We need them. But it doesn’t mean they’re going to take you away somewhere and that I won’t be with you. Where you go, I go.”

Relief made her weak, and worse, her eyelids burned with tears.

“Well, Christ,” Donovan muttered. “That wasn’t what I meant for you to think, Shea. I’m sorry.”

She shook her head and forced herself to get it together. “I was being stupid. I’m the one who’s sorry. I should be grateful. I just panicked for a moment.”

Nathan pulled her to him and silenced her with a long, deep kiss. It amazed her that he gave so little thought to where they were or who observed. He never seemed to care.

She shivered as his tongue swept over hers, rough and yet so gentle and caring. He was a fascinating mix of intensity and patience. He was fierce and demanding and yet he always demonstrated such loving tenderness with her.

He loved her.

She reminded herself of that fact. He’d given her the words. Very pissed off words but all the more meaningful for the frustrated way he’d expressed the emotions he felt toward her. It seemed to make him crazy that he couldn’t make everything perfect, that there were so many obstacles confronting them, and yet he refused to let anything deter him.

“This is better than a romance novel,” P.J. said with a wistful sigh.

“You read that stuff?” Cole demanded.

Shea pulled away from Nathan but he still held her close, tucked into his side as they faced Steele’s team.

“Why the hell do you ask the question like that?” P.J. said, annoyance evident in her tone and expression.

“You just didn’t seem the type,” Cole mumbled.

She flipped him the bird, and Shea had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. P.J. was easily half Cole’s size but she also looked like she had the confidence to take on the much larger man. She might even kick his ass. The idea intrigued Shea greatly.

“I’m tempted to shove one of my romance novels up your ass,” P.J. said sharply. “But I love my books too much to desecrate them like that. I’ll settle for my boot.”

Cole held up his hands in surrender. “I won’t say another word. Romance novels are great. I love romance novels. I think everyone should read them.”

Dolphin snickered behind Cole, and Cole whirled to glare at him. P.J. smirked and sauntered back to the couch, where she flopped down.

“So what do we do now?” Shea asked anxiously. “Are we leaving? Do we know anything more than we did before?”

“For today we’re going to stay put,” Donovan said. “I’m going to ring Resnick’s bell again. Sam’s trying to reach him now. I know that bastard probably knows more than he’s letting on. There isn’t much that goes on that he doesn’t at least have the resources to find out about. He’s got his fingers in so many dark holes and crannies that half the world is probably afraid of ever pissing him off. He could probably bury any number of world leaders and military brass.”

“You think he can help us?” Shea asked.

“Do I think he can? Yeah, I do. The question isn’t can he. The question is will he. We were polite before. Now we aren’t going to be so nice. We’ve done Resnick plenty of favors. It’s time for him to pay up.”

“Can we trust him?”

Donovan looked surprised by her question, but then his lips turned up into a half smile. “As much as we can anyone who has dirt on everyone who has ever worked for Uncle Sam either officially or unofficially.”

She nodded. “If you trust him, then so will I.”

Nathan kissed the side of her head. “I know you’re worried, baby. But you don’t have to be anymore. Rio will find Grace. Resnick will give us information on who or what headed the experiments on you and your sister and then we’ll go after them.”

“You make it sound so simple,” she said wistfully. “I want it to be that easy, but God, nothing in my life has ever been easy. I’m afraid to believe it could be now. I feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop and something horrible is going to happen.”