Chapter Nine
Ten hours later…
The Ghosts had descended in force. Tin and Nickel met them on the stairs with medical supplies. Fortunately the shallow cut on Gabriel’s throat was the least of his injuries. The electric shock torture had done a bit of a number, but Copper remained a fixture at his side, her expression unreadable.
Letting the team do another sweep and clear, Brad kept watch over Copper and Gabriel. Blood trickled from the tip of her ear, but she’d waved off medical care while they tended Gabriel. The professor put up with it long enough to stand, but when his legs would have buckled, Brad caught him. Leaving the team to do their job, he helped Gabriel up the stairs with Copper in attendance.
Ghosts or not, she remained armed and watchful. The team cleansed the boat, dealt with the bodies and dumped the computers before they pulled out. Brad and Copper were silent sentinels. Until they were off the boat and home, Brad knew he wouldn’t relax and he doubted Copper would either. When they’d finally boarded the jet with the team, Zinc had paused at Copper’s side and murmured something in her ear before cutting down the aisle to join Merc. The two men exchanged a wary handshake.
Weird. In the last three years the Ghosts had been the only team Brad had been allowed, and he’d never felt further away from them. Gabriel had been given the bedroom, the medic wanted him off his feet. Electroshock could have some nasty side effects and, until they got him home to the docs, they weren’t taking chances. Copper didn’t leave his side.
After takeoff, Tin dropped into the chair next to him. “Titanium’s got a hard on for kicking your ass,” he murmured low, but then held up a thumb drive. “Here’s your get out of jail free card.”
“What the fuck is it?”
A slow, predatory grin slid across his dark face. “Locations for two of Red Wolf’s estates. Whoever that bitch was, she was in bed with Red Wolf and apparently running from him. Use it, shut the commander up, and get your chick back.”
“Thanks, brother.”
Tin bumped his shoulder then hit his feet and returned to where Nickel stared out a window. Turning the thumb drive over in his hand, Brad blew out a breath. Yeah, the information was valuable. He shared Tin’s need to stab Red Wolf in the kidneys repeatedly with a spoon…but he had a more important mission at the moment.
Two bottles of water in hand for an excuse, Brad nudged the door to the bedroom open. They’d be back in Dallas soon enough. Gabriel lay propped against some pillows, a sallow color beneath his tan. Copper was sitting like a rigid statue at the edge of the bed, her gaze on Gabriel like a hawk.
“Thank God,” Gabriel muttered, the relief in his voice pulling Brad further in. “Get in here.” Shoving at the bed, the man tried to sit up further, but his fatigued, over-stimulated muscles collapsed before he made it an inch.
After closing the door, Brad circled the bed and gave him his arm then got him to where he could sit up.
“Ignore me,” Gabriel gritted out between his teeth. “Get her and put her between us.”
Not having to be told twice, Brad dropped the bottles and retrieved Copper. She was stiff, her muscles so rigid and chilled, he half forgot their swim and the fight before it. Post mission ops, they’d always avoided touching each other—at least while the team was around. But they had the bedroom, and Gabriel was right. Copper needed them.
“He needs rest,” she argued when Brad all but deposited her right next to Gabriel then boxed her on the other side.
“Shut up.” He echoed Gabriel or maybe the other man echoed him. Wrapping his arms around her, he adjusted to help Gabriel get his arm around her too. She shuddered once then, muscle-by-muscle, seemed to unwind.
“There she is,” Gabriel murmured. “No more shock for you. Come on, put Copper away and give us our Sachi back.”
Our. The word stuck in his throat. He was still a part of them. When their gazes locked, Gabriel raised his brows. “Really only up to talking one of you down at the moment. Help me get her back, then we can talk you down in the morning.”
A stupid grin crossed his face and Brad nodded slowly. “You got it, professor.”
“Oh, and Brad? You ever a point a gun at her again, and I will fucking kill you.”
Sachi laughed, the broken sound a little jagged, but more human. “I knew he wouldn’t hit me…”
“Nah.” The tension in his gut eased. He was home. Fuck it all, three years of purgatory, but he was finally home. “We didn’t get around to discussing the rules, but trust me, not shooting Sachi is at the top of my list.”
Another weak chuckle slipped free and Brad raised a hand to stroke her tangled hair. She needed a shower. For that matter, so did he.
“Okay, rule number one—off mission, Copper goes in the box.” Gabriel said. “We get to take care of you. Deal?”
Brad liked that rule.
Sachi blinked slowly, then slanted a look at him. “Tungsten, too.”
“Done.” No hesitation. Tungsten spent three years busting his balls to get back to Copper. They worked damn well together, but Brad wanted Sachi.
“Rule number two.” Sachi moistened her lips. “You get a new codename if you’re going to run ops with us.”
“Brass,” Brad agreed. “For both his balls—which clank—and the fact that Copper, Tungsten and Brass is a killer alloy.”
“I like that,” she whispered.
“Fine. Rule number three…” Gabriel grimaced.
“…is Gabriel gets rest right now,” Brad finished for him. “We’ve got a lot to do later, and we can work all this out.”
“Fine.” The other man actually agreed. “Keep an eye on her. She promised to let me tie her up. I plan to hold her to it.”
“Oh, really?” Intrigued, he slanted a look at Sachi, and she chuckled.
“What the hell? We only live once, right?”
Damn straight. Oorah.
“Oh, and Brad?” Sachi’s voice dropped, but she had her head tucked against his chest so he ignored the warning signal. “Don’t think this means I won’t kick your ass if you ever leave us again.”
Taking a page from Gabriel’s book, he grinned. “Duly noted.”