Chapter Ten
Chaos would have been an understatement for the activity on the main floor when Camilla came down the next morning. All the men were dressed in black, head to toe, and had various bags in hand. They moved at fast paces, tossing things across the room to one another, and talking over one another in that way they had.
Gareth caught sight of her first and moved closer. “Hey,” he said with a smile. “Did you sleep well?” He leaned in to kiss her gently.
“Yes, I slept marvelously.” She frowned as she looked around the room. “What’s going on here? You all look as if you’re ready to go into battle. That’s not happening, is it?” she asked hopefully.
“Actually, it is,” he told her. “We’re heading out on a mission. There’s been an attack on a town one state over we need to go and investigate. From the sounds of things, it was a were attack, broad daylight, a complete massacre from the reports we’ve gotten so far. Ares will be by to check on you—we left him a message. Mikhail just got a text back saying he was doing something this morning but would be by as soon as he could manage. Stay inside until he gets here, please. We don’t think anyone knows where we live, but this attack is a little too close to home for comfort.”
She nodded and looked up at Mikhail when he came toward her. She smiled at him and licked her lips. “Do I get kisses before the two of you leave me to go out and make war?” She didn’t want to see them going into war, she was nervous enough as it was. “You will take care, right?”
“Of course you get kisses,” Gareth said before he leaned in. There was nothing chaste about the kiss, either. It was a toe-curling, body-melting kiss that sent little shivers through her. When he let her up for air, he winked. “See you soon, sweets.”
Mikhail watched him walk away. “He always was a showoff,” he said quietly. His attention turned back to her as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “We’ll be fine, Camilla. We’ve done this more than once and we never take anything for granted, not with what we face out there.”
Camilla wrapped herself closer. “Yeah, he is a show-off, but at least you get the last kiss,” she said teasingly, before sobering. “I care for you. A great deal. It would bother me a lot if anything happened to you, so please make sure to come home to me safe and sound?”
“Promise. Be safe, Camilla.” The kiss Mikhail gave her was gentle, soft and generous. Slowly, he parted from her after a quick peck. “Stay inside until Ares gets here, please.”
“I had thought to sit on the porch swing, but if you need me to remain indoors, I will.” It wasn’t what she wanted to do, but she would do it because she wanted Mikhail’s focus to be on the mission, not what ifs about her. “Go. I’ll be fine. I’ll start on dinner for us all.”
He stared at her for a long time, his hand coming up to touch her cheek. “We might be paranoid, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Ares shouldn’t be more than an hour. That will give you time to prepare whatever you need to. I don’t know if we’ll be back in time for dinner, though. We’ll update you as soon as we can.”
“Oh.” She chewed her lip and then smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll make a lasagna. I can reheat it when you guys are back.” She impulsively gave him another hug. “Come home to me as soon as you can, or at least call me when you can?”
“I will.” He gave her a hug, holding her tight for long moments. Finally, he stepped back. “See you soon, Camilla.” Giving her a small, crooked smile, he picked up a large, long bag, as well as a smaller backpack-style bag. With another look her way, he left the house with the other men.
Gareth, Mikhail, and the others moved toward waiting black SUVs. She closed the door and watched them through the window for as long as she possibly could. Sighing, she shook her head and moved away from the door. She was missing them already, weirdly enough.
The house seemed quiet without them. Or it was, until Ares showed up. Didn’t knock, didn’t call, just popped in and nearly scared her to death. He grinned at her and wiggled his eyebrows. “Heard you were stranded all alone out here. How’s it going, sweeting?”
“Oh God.” Camilla laughed. “Uncle, you scared the bejesus out of me. Come on, let’s have a seat on the couch, and you can tell me just where my men have gone off to.” And they were—Mikhail and Gareth were her men.
Chuckling, Ares led the way into the living room where he flopped into a chair. “They’re off saving the world from things with fangs, Camilla. It’s what they were tasked with. They’re an excellent team, unusual given their backgrounds and the two different arms of the military they served in. But they’re good, really good, as a team. I can’t tell you where they are, not exactly.”
“Well, I’m glad they’re a good team. That means that they’ll make sure they all return home.” She settled into the chair facing her uncle and propped her chin on her hand. “So, want to tell me why you put me into their lives? Don’t say you didn’t, because we both know you could have put me anywhere in the world and protected me, so why did you want me to be here with these men?”
“Why should I tell you anything? You seem to know it all. You tell me why you think I stuck you here when I could have, as you so quaintly put it, put you anywhere in the world.”
“I have no idea why you did it. The only thing I can think is that you wanted to give these boys trouble or something.” She shrugged. “We both know that you do know a great deal more than I do, so?” she asked with a frown. “Come on, talk to me.”
“Come on, Camilla,” he said with a groan. He clicked his tongue at her. “I didn’t put you here to cause those two trouble, though that is an added benefit. I put you here because, as much as you needed to be protected, Mikhail and Gareth need you so much more. They’re out there, putting their lives at risk every single time they have to go up against the weres and the vampires. They have no one to worry about them, think of them, care for them, and wait at home for them. That isn’t a life, that’s service. They’ve given their country more than the average person will ever understand. By taking on this assignment with me, they’re giving more than anyone could ever comprehend. Gareth and Mikhail need to have someone to hold them in the dark, when life becomes too much, and they just need the simplest of touches from someone who loves them.”
Camilla smiled and sat up, her elbows on her knees. “You are a romantic at heart,” she whispered in shock. She reached out and touched her uncle’s knee. “I love you, too, Ares. I’m beyond happy that you put me here, because if anyone could ever love them, it’s me. If there is anyone that could ever remind them why they fight, it’s me.”
He glowered at her before rolling his eyes. “Now she gets it. Just be there for them, Camilla. Don’t push, don’t poke, don’t coddle. Be there when they need you, but let them always come to you. They’re trained to compartmentalize things. Pushing will get you nowhere with them. Be yourself, but try not to go too overboard, right?”
“I will try, but we both know me, Uncle, and sometimes I will go overboard.” She winked. “I won’t push. I won’t prod. I love it when they come to me. Silly, I know, but I love knowing that they might need me even a fraction as much as I need them.”
“Sweeting, they need you so much more than you will ever need them. They just haven’t realized it yet. They will soon, hopefully before it’s too late. No, don’t ask, I can’t tell you what I can’t yet see. I just know that there is a darkness coming that all of you will need to be ready for, and you will need to be united to face it down. It could be tomorrow or years from now, but it’s coming, and nothing will stop it.”
Even though his words sent shivers up and down her spine, Camilla replied in a confident voice. “I’ll just be my normal charming self and they’ll realize just how much they need me in their lives. And not a single word from the peanut gallery.” She laughed. “Now, how about we fix us some lunch?”
He checked his watch and nodded. “Might as well. They won’t be on scene for another twenty minutes. That gives us time to get a snack, pop over there, and set up a watch post near Mikhail while the others go in and snoop around. If you want to, that is.”
Camilla laughed. “We’ll be able to go and have a look at them?” Oh, she very much looked forward to that. “Good. To be able to watch them do what they do makes me all kinds of happy.” She wanted to watch them train, but this opportunity to see them in the field, so to speak, was just too good to pass up.
“We’ll pop in once Mikhail has himself in his perch so we can be near him. Safest place to be is behind that boy’s scope. We’ll take our lunch with us, and I’ll keep us shielded from all prying eyes of the were sort while we’re there. You see, I can’t be part of the fight, just an overseer, so to speak. The Gods aren’t allowed to get involved, just watch. Of course, if we do this, you need to know that he’ll likely be pretty pissed.” Ares gave a lazy-looking shrug.
“Hey, as long as he doesn’t turn the weapon on me, I’m perfectly fine with it.” She just wanted to be able to reach out and touch Mikhail and know that he was safe, know that he and the others were okay. “You’ll make sure that he won’t shoot us, right? Because I seriously don’t look good ventilated. I’ve never worn that look, but I’m positive that I wouldn’t be able to pull it off.”
Ares chuckled, but he gave a nod. “I won’t let him shoot you. Not that he would—he’s got damn fine reflexes. He’ll draw a weapon on us, he might even shoot me, but he’d never do anything to cause you pain. So I’ll be standing behind you when we get there. It’s truly the only safe place to be around a pissed-off, armed individual of Mikhail’s caliber.” He grinned when she growled. Getting to his feet, he stretched his arms over his head, his fingers practically brushing the ceiling. “Let’s get a lunch packed up so we can get moving.”
“Sounds good.” Moving alongside her uncle, Camilla helped him get them a lunch packed and even included some goodies for Mikhail should he feel the need for food and drinks as well.
“You do know he probably won’t eat while he’s on over watch, right?” Ares asked.
“I would rather have him know that I’m at least thinking of him then having him wondering why I didn’t.” And she did think of him, often. “And won’t us being there cause people to see him? I mean, you are planning on plopping us right close to him, so how could he not see us?”
“He will see us, but I’ll be shielding us from anyone else. Come on, sweeting, trust your Uncle Ares to know what the fuck he’s doing after all these centuries. Doubting me,” he said with a snort. “Puh-lease.”
She passed her uncle the basket and laughed. “Now then, how about you get us there, and please make sure to warn Mikhail before we pop up behind him. I would really rather not have him point a gun at you.”
“Meh, he won’t hit me even if he does shoot.” With a grin, he pulled her in close, tucking her head under his chin and off they went, nausea and everything right along with them. “Nice spot,” he said when they settled—wherever the hell they’d settled.
“Jesus, what the fuck are you doing here? Camilla?” Mikhail’s stunned voice reached her ears. “You fucking brought Camilla with you, you idiot.”
“Hey now, no one can see us up here, so I’d watch that. Especially if that’s an open comm line you have there.”
Camilla smiled at Mikhail. “Hey there. I figured since he was determined to come and bug you, I should come with him to keep him from getting under your skin too much. We both know that he does have that ability.” She reached out stroked her finger over his leg, the only part of him she could reach.
The muscle twitched under her hand, tightening up more. “She better be shielded, Ares. The team’s about to enter the town, we have no idea what’s down there, and if she’s spotted I’ll take it out of your hide.”
“She’s fine,” Ares said with a snort. “I’d never let her come here if I couldn’t keep her hidden from all eyes. I’m letting you see her because she’d have a fit if I didn’t. Oh, looks like things are about to happen. We should settle down and let Mikhail do his job.”
Camilla leaned back. It was an odd sensation; they were not exactly in the best of positions, but she felt as if she were in the softest of chairs that cradled her body and made her relax even more. She looked to her uncle and whispered, “Keep him safe, too? For me, please?”
Ares shot her an “Are you kidding me?” look and rolled his eyes at her pointed stare. “Fine,” he muttered. “He doesn’t need it, though. None of them do, not really.”
“Sphinx, there’s movement at your four o’clock, low, near a building that looks like it could be a house. Can’t see what it is, I’ve got no shot, be aware,” Mikhail said. His tone was deadened, cold even, as he spoke to the team below.
Camilla shivered at that tone, but she knew that this side of Mikhail that was necessary. “Yeah, well, they might be good and all that, but he’s mine to worry about, so stuff it, Uncle.” She moved so that she rested her head on Ares shoulder, watching everything as if she were in an action movie, and not liking it one small bit.
“Of course they’re yours. Doesn’t mean I can’t point out the obvious. Oh, cover your ears, sweeting,” he warned. His hands came up over her ears since she wasn’t fast enough. The sound of Mikhail’s rifle still rattled through her. “Bullseye,” Ares said with a laugh.
“Tango down, repeat, tango down,” Mikhail said. He didn’t move his eye from the scope, but she knew he was aware of every breath she and Ares took.
Camilla frowned. “Are you sure we should be here? I don’t want to be a distraction.” Now she felt like an ass, being there when they likely shouldn’t be. “Maybe you should take us home?”
“Mikhail’s the only one that can hear us. He’s very good at focusing. I say we stay until you at least eat your lunch. If you want to leave after that, we’ll go back to the house. I’ll show you some of the cool toys the lads put into place, too.”
“As long as you’re very certain that this won’t bother him or distract him, then I’m good with it.” She pulled out a sandwich and nibbled on it as she watched Mikhail.
“Hardly a blip on his radar,” Ares said, digging through their lunch bag.
“Gunner, at your three o’clock, I have movement. I repeat, movement at your three o’clock. Uncertain what it is. There’s an overhang blocking some of my view.” After a moment, realized he was moving. In very slow increments, but moving nonetheless. “Copy, will disregard.”
“Curtain fluttering,” Ares said when she frowned.
“Right.” Camilla couldn’t believe that this man could see something as small as the flutter of a curtain. “He is really very good at this, isn’t he?” she asked with a frown. “And the rest of them are just as good as he is?” She left that one as a question because she couldn’t see the others, just Mikhail.
“Pretty much,” Ares said. “They all have their own unique skill sets. You have the sniper, explosives experts, computer experts, language experts, and so forth. It all boils down to creating the perfect team, because they each bring something to the table.”
“Huh. That’s amazing. Did you select them because of their expertise or did you already have them in mind and simply helped them to hone their abilities?” She really should have asked that earlier, but she had been busy first trying not to get killed and then, truthfully, enjoying the loving she was getting from Gareth and Mikhail. How they’d all formed a team and came together hadn’t been important to her. Now she felt a little bit like a simpleton for waiting to ask and wondered what other bombs they would drop on her.
“They were already put together as a joint task force team. SEALs and Rangers. Unusual for the two branches to want to cooperate, but they thought it a unique opportunity. Originally, it was a test program. After a while they realized that it worked, so they made it a permanent thing. The bonus? That this team could draw on other SEAL teams as well as other Rangers, should it be needed. They were a tight-knit unit long before I got my hands on them. Now they are beyond anything on this world.” There was absolutely no ego in Ares’s voice.
“I guess having the God of War as your patron helps them a bit, huh?” Camilla wasn’t being rude or mean, just simply stating fact. “Well, whatever it is that makes them work as well as they do is a good thing, right?” She was just happy that the men worked so flawlessly together and that they all seemed to have each other’s backs.
“They know their business and do it well. Always have, likely always will. It’s in their blood.”
“Copy that,” Mikhail said suddenly. Camilla watched as he shifted ever so slightly. “Nothing visible, Gunner, no movement.” He fell silent for a time, but she saw him narrow his eyes. “Copy, keeping eyes open.”
Camilla looked up at Ares and sighed. “Okay, Uncle, take me home. Let’s leave the men to do what they do best, and I’m going to go home and bake or cook or something so that I’m not thinking of them risking their lives.”
“Cookies would be nice,” Mikhail said to her. He never once took his eyes off whatever he was looking at. “Or a pie. Pie is good.”
Snickering, Ares packed up their lunch but left a sandwich and bottle of water next to Mikhail. “Come on, sweeting, let’s get you back. If we stay any longer, that list of things to bake will only grow.” On his feet, he tugged her up and wrapped an arm around her waist. “See you later, Mikhail.”
“Uh-huh,” he grunted in reply.