Gino and his fellow GhostWalkers had brought clothes for Zara with them from the embassy. Just a long skirt Gino had approved, one that wouldn’t rub over the bruises or lacerations. He hadn’t bothered to have them find shoes for her—her feet were far too damaged. She dressed on the plane with his help and he did his best to be a gentleman, an impersonal doctor, but he knew he failed miserably. Her top was cotton, a thin material that buttoned down the front. There was no underwear, but she didn’t seem to care, acting grateful for something to wear other than a sheet.
He’d been careful to keep her covered with that sheet whenever anyone else entered her room. He told himself it was because no woman wanted strangers, even doctors, to see her naked when she was unaware, but he knew it was because he felt possessive of her. That was new for him and unexpected. He’d spent five days and nights with her now, taking care of her every need and instead of being bored out of his mind, or done with the entire business, he craved more time with her.
Her breasts moved under the thin material of her blouse, drawing his attention. That wasn’t supposed to happen, not when they had a long ride home from the airport. Gino didn’t believe for one minute that Whitney would give Zara up. That meant they’d most likely get hit on the way home. Ezekiel and Draden poured over a map of the area, so they could take alternate routes. They also called for some of the other members of the team to meet them halfway and escort them home. He couldn’t be thinking about Zara’s body when they might get hit at any moment.
Gino didn’t tell Zara any of that. She was floating a little, looking out the window at the landscape as they rushed past. She leaned into him, her head on his shoulder, her eyes searching his face.
“You’re beautiful,” she said, touching the dimple at the side of his mouth.
“You’re a little out of it,” Gino told her, but he didn’t remove her fingers, now stroking gently over the dimple and tracing scars that dissected the heavy shadow on his jaw. Her fingers felt like a caress. He should move them. He should move her altogether away from him since his body was beginning to give him a really hard time—literally. At first, he just ached. Now his cock hurt like a son of a bitch, but that didn’t matter as much as having her head on his shoulder did.
Every time she took a breath, those breasts moved. That wasn’t something he was eager to share with his fellow GhostWalkers. He had the urge to cover her up, but he knew he would take the worst razzing of his life. It was going to be bad if the looks he was getting from Draden and Zeke meant anything. Rubin and Diego rarely talked, but he caught them looking once and gave them the death stare. Rubin returned a faint grin; Diego rolled his eyes.
“Isn’t he beautiful?” Zara persisted dreamily, looking at the two men seated opposite her.
“Yes, ma’am,” Rubin said. “We say that very thing to each other every day.”
“And so sweet.”
Gino wondered if he leaned forward and took her breast into his mouth right there, right through the thin material of her blouse, if she’d still think he was sweet. Probably. She’d most likely cradle his head to her chest and he’d be lost. He had to get a grip.
“We were just talkin’ about how sweet Gino is the other day, weren’t we, Draden?” Ezekiel chimed in, looking up from the map.
“Keep it up,” Gino warned. “None of you will wake up tomorrow. At least, if you do, body parts will be missing.”
Zara’s lashes fluttered and a ghost of a smile curved her lips, bringing attention to her mouth. He wanted to groan when his cock pushed hard against the material of his jeans. It was much more difficult to control his body when he’d never had a problem with that before. She had that lower lip that just begged to be sucked—or bitten.
“Woman, don’t encourage them.” He growled the order at Zara and was rewarded when her smile went from small to a little bigger. That smile could stop men in their tracks. Maybe even stop wars. He’d walk through fire for one of those real smiles.
Zara leaned into him, her body melting into his. Her head found his neck and nestled there. Yeah, she was floating and he didn’t care. He’d take whatever he could get. He’d made sure he was the one to see to her every need. He carried her to the bathroom, her slender arms around his neck, her face buried in his neck out of embarrassment, but he’d shut that down with a few harsh commands. Still, he’d done it enough times that she was beginning to joke a little when he took her.
She couldn’t stand on her feet yet, at least not without a lot of pain, and Zeke agreed with him that the tendons were damaged. He didn’t give her underwear because of the whip lacerations. The long skirt hid everything. The blouse should have but didn’t, mostly because he was very aware she wasn’t wearing a bra. He tried to be a gentleman and not notice the shadow of the curves beneath the thin material, but it was difficult when his mind seemed consumed with her. Now, his body was all too aware of her as well.
He kept her close to him not just there on the seat, but in every other situation, on the long plane ride from Shanghai, to the Louisiana airport and now in the car heading for their final destination—the fortresses they were building in and around the swamp.
Drone flying overhead. About two miles out. Looks to be heading your way. I can take it out in about two minutes.
That was Mordichai. He was good with a sniper rifle. Ezekiel had alerted the home team that they were coming in, most likely hot, with the enemy on their heels. They knew they’d be ambushed. It was only a matter of where, not if. Whitney was full of shit, telling the major general that he would leave Zara to them if the GhostWalker team rescued her. He’d make his try before they got home, hoping his supersoldiers could take on a smaller force.
Take it out, Ezekiel ordered. Trap? Cayenne? You spot anyone in the surrounding swamp?
As always, Ezekiel sounded calm, almost serene. He could explode into action in a heartbeat, but never seemed that way until it was too late. He didn’t sound tense, not even confined in a car with a small team and Zara. They liked to be out in the night where they did their work under the cover of darkness—not to say they couldn’t do the same work in daylight hours.
Took out three of Whitney’s supersoldiers, Trap reported. They’re armored. You’ll have to go for the throat to kill them. These men are souped-up. I’m talking really revved, Zeke.
Of course Trap would give the report. Cayenne rarely talked to anyone but her man. Sometimes to the women. Mostly she observed.
Look alive, gentlemen, Ezekiel warned them all. We’re about to enter the party zone.
Drop me, Draden said.
The car slowed. Adam Cox had picked them up at the airport. He had been one of Whitney’s soldiers, but he hadn’t liked what the man was doing to the women. He had come after Bellisia but hadn’t returned to the fold. He stayed to work with the GhostWalkers. The car was back in motion immediately.
Could have eyes on us, Ezekiel warned.
Not for long, Mordichai said.
They didn’t hear the shot, but they saw the drone fall from the sky just ahead of them. The car came to a rolling stop and Draden was out and running into the swamp. The man could run for miles and not get winded.
Gino was better outside the car. They all knew it. Ezekiel looked at him but didn’t order him out, which was a good thing. Gino didn’t know if he would obey the order or not.
“Best chance is me outside, princess. We’re about to be attacked. Whitney’s looking to reacquire you. We knew that would happen and we’re prepared, but I can serve us better outside the car. You okay with that?”
Zara’s long lashes lifted and she looked right into his eyes. He could read fear there. She sat up very slowly. “Just let me out. They’ll come for me.”
Gino shook his head. “He doesn’t get you.”
“I have a virus in me anyway.”
“One I can remove,” Gino pointed out. “You stay. This is our best chance, but I want you on board with the decision. I’m not deserting you, I’m trying to help save you.”
Her gaze searched his for several long moments and then she slowly inclined her head. The movement was barely perceptible. He was very reluctant to leave her, but he glanced at Ezekiel and nodded. At once he could feel the car beginning to lose speed again.
He caught Zara around the nape of the neck and pulled her close to him. “You stay close to Zeke. I’ll come for you in a few minutes.” Before she could say a word, he settled his lips over hers. The moment he did, his heart went crazy. A roaring started in his ears. Loud. Taking away his hearing. Robbing him of all his senses with the exception of feeling.
He felt far too much. He’d kissed a lot of women. It had never been his favorite thing, but he gave them that. Kissing seemed intimate—too intimate to give to one-night stands, but if they expected it, he gave that to them. Kissing Zara was something altogether different. His heart pounded. His stomach somersaulted. Heat exploded through his body, rushed through his veins until he thought he might burn in hell for all time. Maybe one burned in paradise, because kissing Zara was something he could do for a lifetime.
Ezekiel cleared his throat, and Gino instantly lifted his head. He set her on the leather seat, and let her go abruptly because otherwise he was certain he wouldn’t be able to do it. The car slowed to that snail’s pace and the door swung open. Gino dove out, rolled to his feet and slipped into the swamp. The car—with his woman inside—moved ahead without him.
There was a rhythm to the swamp, and over the last few months, Gino had become accustomed to it. He knew the sounds, the way the insects droned, the slight rustle of leaves as mice, shrew and other little rodents scurried along the floor, scavenging for food. He had learned to become part of it, to pass through the swamp without disturbing any of the creatures. He did so now, moving fast, listening as he went, allowing the animal DNA in his body to tell him where the enemy might be hiding in wait.
He came across a dead body. Draden’s work. He kept going, keeping his passing as silent as possible. He felt at home in the swamp. Anywhere outdoors. When he was inside, he felt confined, trapped. Most nights he slept outside, on the roof, on the porch, wherever he couldn’t be easily spotted. How was that going to translate to having a woman? A woman like the one he needed? One that needed taking care of.
He knew most people would say that wasn’t a partnership, but for him, it was. Already, Zara gave him a sense of a purpose. Of home. Of affection. To him, giving attention and care was showing love. It didn’t matter if others thought his particular needs were fucked-up. He was fine in his own skin. He hadn’t thought he’d find the perfect woman, but Zara fit with him. He didn’t know what she’d be like when the threat to her was over, but for now, she fit him.
He wanted—even needed—his woman dependent on him. He wanted her looking forward to his coming home because the things he did for her, no one else would ever do. He wanted to wrap her up in a silken cocoon and give her everything she ever could need or want. He needed her world to be him. He hadn’t thought such a thing was possible until he’d met Cayenne and had seen her with Trap. She didn’t see anyone else. He wanted that for himself. Cayenne was a warrior woman, but still, that aside, Gino wanted his woman looking at him the way Cayenne looked at Trap.
The attack came from his left, but he’d known the soldier was there, waiting, hunched down in the brush. He’d felt his energy, a large mass that didn’t belong in the swamp. The man exploded into action, leaping toward Gino, hoping to overwhelm him with a blitz attack. He had both hands on his semiautomatic, swinging the weapon in front of him as he came at Gino, his face a mask of determination.
Gino hurled the knife on the move, not slowing his run, his stride exact. The snap of his wrist as he threw the blade added power. The knife was one of his favorites, perfectly balanced, and he hated to lose it, but he didn’t have time to retrieve it, not with Zara’s freedom hanging in the balance. He had a gut feeling that if Whitney couldn’t reacquire Zara, he would have her killed. He didn’t know why he felt that way, but his instincts were usually right.
Zeke, left my favorite knife in an asshole’s throat. Want it back if possible.
I’ll tell the cleaners.
Thanks.
He was coming up on another one. He timed his steps, veered to his right, throwing the knife underhanded, but using the same hard wrist action that always assured the blade would go in accurately, deep, and do the most damage. The big soldier took several steps and then went to his knees, shock spreading across his face.
Whitney’s men were armored under their skin. They didn’t last long. He used rejects from his GhostWalker program for the most part. The men couldn’t stand up psychologically to the enhancements. They went downhill fast. Whitney had changed up his experiments, moving into trying new things, like body armor. That had sped up the deterioration of his supersoldiers.
Found their nest Mordichai reported. Four waiting about one click from your position, Zeke. You’re heading toward them fast. Two spread out just ahead of the nest, two behind it. Gino, you’re clear. Draden took out the others.
Where one of the others might have joked about not leaving any behind for the rest to be in on the fun, Draden rarely said anything. He just got rid of the enemy and left their bodies where they fell.
Gino, you’re coming up on the two just in front of the nest. Draden’s taking out the two from behind. Malichai is with me and we’re going to take the four in the nest.
It’s too damn easy, Zeke said. Look for a vehicle. These are his sacrifices. Find the real threat.
The shots rang out over the swamp. Four in rapid succession. Mordichai didn’t have to report that they’d hit their targets, all of them knew they had. Gino nearly ran right into the first soldier waiting in ambush for him. He was hidden in a patch of elderberry bushes. He came up fast, reaching for Gino, determined to get his hands on him. Gino took several steps to the right, unable to get a good angle on the soldier.
It was useless to waste ammunition on him. Unless he managed to get a throat shot, there would be no putting him down. The soldiers were slow, but immensely strong. He felt the energy of the second soldier just before the bastard plowed into him. He hit with the force of a freight train, knocking Gino straight at the other soldier.
The first soldier caught him in a bear hug, squeezing hard, turning him so his partner could stab him with a knife. Gino used his feet, planting both boots’ soles hard into the oncoming soldier’s chest. He used his enhanced strength, driving the man away from him, hoping to crush through the armor plate, but knowing it wasn’t going to happen.
Using his speed and strength and the force, he continued his momentum, pushing off the soldier’s chest and flipping over him, wrenching his arms free as he did so. He landed on the soldier’s back, took his head in a firm grip and jerked. There was an audible crack. He landed behind the dead man and held him in place as a shield to take the barrage of bullets.
Simultaneously, over the head of the remaining soldier, he saw the silk of a spider web descending from the tree surrounding them. One of the thick gnarled branches glistened with silken strands, the anchor for the silky rope snaking down toward the soldier. It wasn’t alone. More lines were cast. Gino couldn’t help but admire the way Cayenne threw the silk. She was an expert at it.
The first looped around the soldier’s neck, never once touching his skin, so he had no idea he was in any kind of peril. The second dropped over the barrel of his semiautomatic at precisely the same time she pulled the first one tight. The silk, stronger than any steel, tightened around the enemy’s vulnerable throat and he was dragged upward, off his feet, as the second line stripped the gun from him.
Gino dropped the soldier he’d killed and turned toward the road. Are we clear? Thanks, Cayenne. Always admire the way you use that silk.
Whitney had never conceived that his creations, once out of the lab, might turn on him. Cayenne had been scheduled for termination. They’d always been afraid of her, but Trap had sprung her loose and now she was with the other GhostWalkers. In a fight, she was invaluable. Silent. Deadly. Just what they needed.
Don’t like this, Ezekiel said. Stay away from the car, Gino. I think …
The sound of an explosion rocked the night. Gino swore and turned back toward the sound. What the hell, Mordichai?
His heart accelerated with every step he took. Calm and cool deserted him completely. That hadn’t happened since he was a kid with his family falling all around him. He realized, in that moment, as he ran back toward the car, he’d already let Zara in. Somehow. Someway. That damned fast. She was in. She was his.
Has to be a drone. They fired from a mile or more out.
Find the fucking thing and get rid of it, he ordered. He leapt over a fallen, rotting tree trunk and stopped himself from bursting out onto the road.
The car was surrounded. The road was gone in front of the car, leaving a gaping hole where it had been. No one moved. The soldiers couldn’t get into the car, and Ezekiel wouldn’t hand Zara over to them.
“Zara, no one else has to get hurt,” one of the soldiers said. He glanced at his watch. “You don’t have much time before you make up your mind. The next round takes out the car and everyone inside it.”
Gino could tell by his voice the soldier meant exactly what he said. If he put a bullet in the man’s throat, killing him, it wouldn’t save them. That would be the signal to fire. Don’t let her get out. The second you do, they’ll blow the car.
They’re going to blow it anyway, Ezekiel said calmly. Her only chance is to go with them. You can recover her once she’s out of here.
You’re not disposable. The moment she’s out of the vehicle, they’ll blow the car. Gino shook his head. He had to resist sending another plea to Mordichai or Malichai to find the drone. The two were Ezekiel’s blood brothers. Rubin and Diego, both inside the vehicle, had been raised with them. If Mordichai or Malichai could find the drone and take it out, they would.
The window rolled partially down. “How do I know you won’t kill everyone in the car when I get out?” Zara asked.
Zeke, she can’t walk.
He’ll have to reach for her. Hold her. The other two we can take. The timing has to be just right.
“Whitney doesn’t want them dead. He wants you home. Alive. You can’t survive here. You know that. Come home, Zara.”
Gino willed her not to open the door. Once she was in the open, if they had a sniper, and most likely they did, she could be taken out at the first sign something was going wrong.
“She can’t walk,” Ezekiel said. “She was tortured and her feet messed up.”
The soldier’s body jerked, clearly reacting to that news. “Zara, did you give them any information?”
Gino frowned. Information? What information? She’d gone in to destroy their computers, wipe the drives clean so there was no chance of Cheng having data on the GhostWalkers. They didn’t need him selling the intelligence to the highest bidder. So, what information could Zara have that would make the soldier tense up like that?
“Of course not. I’m going to come with you, Damon, but if you hurt these men in any way, I won’t go with you. I’ve got a weapon and I’ll use it on myself. You know me, you know I will.”
Gino heard the resolve in her voice. This is fucking crazy, Zeke. Stop her.
It’s our only chance, Gino. They don’t know you and the others are out there.
Tell her I don’t want her to go. Tell her now. Tell her to stay with me.
Ezekiel clearly relayed the information. Like Gino, he was stalling for time, hoping Mordichai or Malichai found the drone before time ran out on them.
She says she has the virus implanted and would die anyway.
I can remove the capsules. I can find an antidote. It’s what we do. I told her that. She knows I won’t let her die. Gino felt almost desperate enough to rush Damon. Once he did, the other GhostWalkers, already silently surrounding the vehicle, staying in the cover of trees and brush, would move in with him. They could easily kill the soldiers surrounding the car, but the drone would fire and take out all of them.
It had been years since he’d felt so vulnerable and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like that Zara wasn’t in his control. He’d put her under his protection and he wasn’t about to fail her.
Tell her I’m going to keep them from taking her. Even if they get her now, they won’t get out of the swamp with her.
They’ll put a gun to her head, Gino.
I’m aware of that. He was accurate with a knife. More than accurate. He knew there were few alive better than he was, but was he willing to bet her life on that? Especially now, when he realized she was already a part of him? Hell yeah. He’d bet his training, his dead calm when he needed it. Tell her.
She said she’s counting on it.
That settled him. Her belief. Just that. She was counting on him. Believing he’d come for her. Be ready, he warned the others.
The door began to open slowly. Damon spoke into his radio. “Delay strike. She’s coming out. Shoot only if they make a move against us.”
Got something. Got something, Mordichai reported. Eastern sky. Nearly two clicks out. Bastards staying low, but it rose just for a second, enough that I caught the movement. Can’t take it out because it sank again, but it would need to rise to make the shot. I’ve got a lock on it now. The moment it comes up, I’ll take it out.
Everything depends on that shot, Mordichai, Ezekiel warned.
Sheesh, Zeke, his brother said, just add more pressure. Malichai is backing me up. It’s going down.
Need Malichai to help out here.
No, you don’t. Joe’s lying up here, and he’s got your six. You awake, Joe?
Mordichai. That was all Joe said, but it was enough.
The team was in place. They had a plan. They worked together all the time, so much so, they always knew what the others were going to do before they did it. Cayenne was new to them, but they were beginning to get a feel for her strengths and how to use them. Bellisia was still too new and would be defending the house, Nonny, Pepper and the children.
“Zara, don’t blow this by doing anything stupid,” Damon said.
Gino had the idea that the soldier was pleading with her and he didn’t like it. At. All. Something was off.
“I can’t do much, Damon,” she said. “I can’t put my feet on the ground.” She pushed the door open and tried to straighten her legs to show him her mangled feet.
“What the fuck did they do to you?” the soldier burst out.
“I’m on painkillers,” she answered. “I just can’t walk, but I won’t slow you down.”
Damon signaled to one of the other soldiers who was guarding the rear of the car. He moved warily, not liking being so exposed, but he came around to Damon’s side, wincing a little when he saw Zara. Her face was still very swollen, but at least she could open her eyes now. They were black and blue, as was most of her face, and the swelling was still horrendous.
Damon shoved his weapon around to the back, letting it hang from his shoulder strap while he reached for Zara. Her breath hissed out in a long rush of pain, and Damon hesitated before bringing her in close to his chest.
“We don’t want to kill her,” Damon told Ezekiel. “We’re going to take her home. She’ll be well cared for there.”
“She’ll be a prisoner,” Ezekiel pointed out. “She seems to matter to you. Don’t you mind that she’s a prisoner?”
“We’re all prisoners in some way, and she has more freedom than most. Sir, stay in the car. It’s safer for you. If you get out, you’ll be shot. I give you my word as an officer that your crew and car will not be fired on if you stay there for the next five minutes.”
“You know we can’t let you take her,” Ezekiel said softly.
“She’ll die if she stays here. Her only chance is with me,” Damon said.
Gino definitely didn’t like that. The soldier hadn’t said with Whitney or that her only chance was to come back; it was with him. As if he had some proprietorial rights to her, including the right to keep her safe. So safe, the other soldier was pointing a gun at her head. When Damon stepped back, the soldier stepped with him, mirroring him as if they were dancing.
Find their sniper, Gino ordered. No one can safely leave that car until you do.
He’s down, Trap reported. Cayenne swept the trees, all clear.
“Bring the car now,” Damon ordered. “Tell the helicopter to meet us at the rendezvous location.”
Of course there was a car. There had to be a car. Damon and the others needed an escape route. They’d need a car and a helicopter. Where would the helicopter meet them? What possible places, close, were there?
Find that helicopter and take it out, Ezekiel ordered.
The gun never wavered from the exact location on Zara’s skull. Exact location. Gino noticed small details like that. Every step they took, that gun was relentless, aimed in the same spot, as if that one spot was more important than any other spot on her head. Like her temple. No, this was specific. He filed that information away. They’d done an MRI, looking for the virus capsules, and Whitney had used a new PEEK-carbon nanotube to hide it in, knowing it wouldn’t show up in a scan. So, what if something else was hiding there as well?
Zeke, you let them get too far from the car, you’re risking them blowing it the moment you exit. That was Mordichai.
You miss that drone shot and we’re all going to die, Ezekiel said.
Miss? I don’t fucking miss. Mordichai sounded outraged.
Gino knew that was their way, talking it up, joking, giving each other shit when the tension mounted. His eyes were on Damon and the soldier walking with him away from the vehicle. The door was still open, Ezekiel sitting on the edge of the seat, both feet out of the car.
“I’d like to move my men to the side of road, no weapons,” Ezekiel said.
Damon shook his head. “Sorry, man. We have to follow the plan. Whitney doesn’t want to hurt anyone, just get Zara back.”
Why would he need Zara back? What about her was so important that he sent pawns to be massacred and a crew to retrieve her? Why? The question nagged at Gino. The GhostWalkers had Bellisia. She had escaped. For the most part, once the women were gone, they were left alone. Whitney would make a try every now and then, but the general consensus was Whitney was keeping them on their toes, mostly testing his supersoldiers against them, not all that actively trying to get the women back.
Gino matched every step Damon made with Zara. He walked backward, away from where there was a hole in the road under cover of the swamp. Any minute a car would be driven up to collect them. Damon kept throwing expectant glances over his shoulder. Gino relaxed, suddenly realizing why the car wasn’t coming. Draden was loose in the swamp. You never wanted Draden after you, not for any reason. He didn’t know how to stop coming at you.
Three. Two. One. Ezekiel did the countdown.
The men remaining in the car popped open all doors and came out shooting, rolling on the ground, each targeting a soldier. Gino was on the man holding the gun to Zara’s head. He’d outpaced him, getting a perfect line to his throat, not willing to take any chances. One tiny knife went straight through the space where the trigger met the weapon, severing the trigger finger. The second knife, thrown a heartbeat after the first, hit the soldier in the throat and buried itself there.
Gino was already running, knowing Damon would turn back toward the car, expecting the drone to fire, to blow it up. He ran between Zara and the possible bomb. He didn’t stop. He trusted Mordichai, but it would be stupid not to take precautions. He moved fast, slamming his body hard into Damon’s, driving him backward. At the same time, he reached for Zara.
She wrapped her arms around his neck without hesitation and he kept going, running for the relative safety of the swamp, aware Damon had a semiautomatic and knew how to use it. Right now, it was pointed between his shoulder blades. He knew, because he had that itch that warned him.
He heard the bullet hit Damon’s head, and Zara cry out almost simultaneously with the sound of Joe’s rifle. Gino kept running. Once in the thick brush, he took to the ground, trying to protect her as they went to earth. Even so, he knew he’d jarred the hell out of her body. Her breath was coming in ragged pants and she bit off a moan of pain.
“Sorry, princess,” he whispered as he set her on the ground. “Lie flat.” He lay over her, his body covering hers, his gun out and ready, although the others had disposed of the soldiers.
More shots rang out. Two. A third. Drone down. Helicopter in air, heading your way, Mordichai reported.
It wasn’t as easy to bring down a helicopter as the movies made it look. They’d done it, more than once, but it wasn’t easy. Mordichai, Malichai and Joe would concentrate on three targets. The pilot. Probably Mordichai, the best of the three. Malichai would go for the tail rotor, and Joe would go for the engine. He was counting on Mordichai. The moment Mordichai killed the pilot, they would load Zara back in the car and get the hell home.
Gino felt her body heave under his. He frowned. “You crying?”
There was a small silence and he imagined she was making up her mind whether to admit it to him or not. His hand found her face, fingers tracing the tears there.
“Trying not to,” she admitted.
A surge of adrenalin hit hard. “Damon? You like the guy?”
“Most of the soldiers aren’t very good to us,” she answered slowly—slowly enough that he knew she was reading his mood. “They know eventually Whitney will insist we go into their breeding program and we’ll have no choice. They’re … vulgar. Not dirty and kind of sexy, if you know what I mean, but just rude and vulgar. They treat us like we’re so much less than they are. Damon was one of the few who wasn’t like that. He treated us with respect.”
Gino took a breath. Let it out. He swept his hand down the back of her head. “I’m sorry, then, that they had to cap him, baby.”
She struggled with tears, managed to press back another sob and nodded. “Damon would have followed orders, Gino. He would have killed me, both of us. Me and himself. He wouldn’t have allowed you to keep us alive.”
“Why?”
“Why?” she echoed.
“Yeah. Why? Bellisia is with us and he hasn’t cared all that much. Cayenne and Pepper are with us too. And the little viper chicklits.”
“Little viper chicklits?” she repeated.
He rubbed his chin on top of her hair. “That’s what some of us call Wyatt’s triplets, just to annoy Pepper. They pack venom in their bites and when they’re teething, the little munchkins like to bite.”
“How extraordinary.”
“Why would Whitney be okay with us keeping the other women and the children, but not you? He promised the major general that if we went to get you, he would leave you alone.”
She turned her head in order to look up at him. Her face, so swollen, was an abomination after seeing the photographs of her flawless, soft skin. He stroked his finger gently over the terrible bruise where Cheng’s gun had struck her. He wanted to go back and kill the bastard.
“Whitney did that? He called a major general about me?”
Gino nodded. “Our boss, Major General Tennessee Milton. Whitney called him and Major General gave the order to Joe, but it was voluntary status only.”
“Why?”
He didn’t hesitate. “It was unsanctioned and considered a suicide mission.”
Her breath caught, and then she asked, “But you volunteered. Why?”
“Everyone did.”
“Why did you?”
Shit. He didn’t want to tell her that. The truth would make him sound like a stalker. “Not sure I want to give you that, princess. You’re still making up your mind about me.”
“I already made up my mind about you,” she whispered. Her gaze slid away from his.
His gut clenched hard. “Baby, you know I’m not leaving it there. Look at me.”
Her fingers dug into the dirt, pulling up a few rotting leaves. “Tell me why you volunteered.”
He sighed. “You look at me and I will, but I’m warning you, I look like some kind of stalker.”
“That’s good.”
The amusement in her voice surprised him. It was shy, but it was there. “Read everything about you I could get my hands on. Got every image the Internet had available. It’s all on my personal laptop. Fell hard. Long fall, Zara, and surprising, but the real thing is far, far better than anything I could have thought I saw on the Internet.”
“I’m not like that.” There was hurt in her voice now, and she closed her eyes and turned her face away from him.
“Like what?” He kept his hand in her hair, fingers working her scalp. He half expected her to be upset that he’d gotten every piece of information available about her onto his computer, but hurt wasn’t the emotion he anticipated at all.
“Like what you see on the Internet. I detest traveling. I know I’m not supposed to waste my brain and all that, I’ve been told enough times how selfish and worthless I am for not being grateful for my opportunities, but I can’t help how I feel. I’m not like that superconfident woman you see on the Internet, Gino. I’m not her.”
“You don’t have to talk in front of everyone in order to not waste your brain, Zara. Trap is the most intelligent man I know. Wyatt runs a close second. They do all kinds of good. They don’t talk about it, or give speeches. Trap would light himself on fire before going public like that.”
She turned her head back toward him. “Really?”
He brushed a kiss along that long, wide bruise. “Absolutely. So, baby, I’ve got to ask you again, why is it that Whitney would rather have you dead than with us?”
“He always plants a virus in us before we leave the compound. That way he ensures we have to return.”
She was telling him the truth, but definitely hedging. “Yeah, we know that. So why send Damon as a safety net? He promised Major General. Going back on his promise to Major General isn’t a smart move or a good political one. Whitney still has friends in the White House. If Major General, a very popular man by the way, goes against him, he might lose those friends. So, again, Zara, why does Whitney want you dead or back with him when he leaves the others alone?” Gino poured icy cold into his voice, wanting her to know he meant business.
She didn’t answer him.
“You know you’re going to have to trust me sometime.”
She still didn’t answer him.
Two boots planted themselves right beside their heads. Gino looked up to see Ezekiel staring down at them. “You two going to play in the dirt all night or come on home?”
Gino was going to choose home for them, but he wasn’t going to drop the subject Zara wanted so desperately to avoid. And he wasn’t going to forget that the soldier had trained a gun to one specific spot on her head.