RYAN ROCKED CARSON FROM side to side. Her tears had subsided, but he knew this wasn't over.He didn't care how much of a hard-ass a guy was or how cold a woman could be, seeing someone killed shook your world. That was infinitely worse when the one dying was someone familiar. There were personal connections and history, good or bad, that came back to haunt the living. He didn't have a guide that told him how long this would stun Carson for, he just knew that their shit had to wait. Not forever. He had a deep seated need to understand. He'd grown to care for this woman. It wasn't a choice. He couldn't change how he felt, but he did get to decide his role in the future."Better?" he asked. The sooner he could get her eating the sooner she'd feel more human.Carson sat up, wiping her face."Yeah." Her voice was hoarse from crying and she sniffled a bit."Want to eat? You might not feel hungry, but it will help. I promise." His stomach growled. Eating at Chloe's kitchen was always a t
HAD CARSON HEARD RYAN right?Had he just said he loved her?As in l-o-v-e?She'd felt the deep moving waters of what she'd jumped into. It was different from anything she'd ever experienced. Bigger, more powerful, sometimes scary. But love?When she'd been little, the people who told her they loved her hurt her. It had taken Mom and Dad years to change love from a bad to a good word. Carson had never loved anyone besides Mom, Dad and Frankie. Maybe Jessica. They had been friends for most of their lives. Carson didn't even know she was capable of loving a man like that. She'd never had a boyfriend that lasted long enough to get past that stage.Love was a scary word, but she wanted to face that fear. She wanted to learn to love someone outside her family circle. She had to be certain about how she felt before she said it. Especially with Ryan. She'd hurt him so much already, she couldn't lie and tell him she had feelings she didn't know for certain were true.But maybe that wasn't
"WHAT? WHAT'S WRONG?" CARSON blinked at Ryan, needing answers as her body seemed to throb, aching for release."Not the time," he replied.Not the time? Was he serious?That was bullshit.He'd pounced on her the first day together and whenever they were remotely alone. And it hadn't always been the right time then, so why now? Life didn't follow rules or order.Carson dug her fingers into his short hair and tugged his face up. She pressed her lips to his, but he held back, keeping it sweet. That wasn't what she wanted. It wasn't his style. She wanted him to be real with her. The only way they'd find their trust again was if they started at the ground level, being honest about everything. And right now she wanted him. She wanted to feel that release and pleasure without the burden of truth haunting her. She wanted to hold him and know this was right. That they were together. And that maybe she did love him and just not know it yet.Carson grabbed the back of the sofa then swung he
RYAN SAT BACK IN the cushy bar stool nursing his second cup of coffee. He didn't know how Carson could be so cheerful with the little girls this early with nothing to go on. Both Chloe's daughter and Ian's step-sister had latched onto Carson from the moment she entered the house. They were at the age where they were enamored of anything to do with being a woman.The one thing that struck him watching Carson with the girls was how patient and attentive she was with them. She'd make a great mother.Did Carson want kids? With her history he wouldn't blame her if she didn't. He wasn't as certain he could part with the idea of having a baby. There'd been something about the expectation of becoming a father that had awoken a need in him and he didn't think that was going away.Ryan's phone vibrated on the marble counter. He snatched it up and glanced at the text from his former detective turned FBI friend Owen: Outside.Ryan glanced around for any sign of Chloe, Ian or Taylor, but they'd
CARSON PEERED AT THE front windows. Ryan had been out there a long time. She'd heard the murmur of voices a few times, but could never make out who was speaking. She wasn't keen on bringing the discussion in to where the kids would hear, but she desperately wanted to know what had been discovered while they'd slept. Or at least been in bed.She pushed those memories down deep before her cheeks turned that mortifying red color.The front door opened and three men entered, led by Ian."Girls go get dressed," he ordered.Ryan came to her and offered her a hand up while the two girls scampered from the room."What did you find out?" Carson asked glancing between the three. She wasn't sure she wanted to know."This is Owen, he's a friend the FBI recruited." Ryan nodded at the unfamiliar face."Hi," Carson said."Agent King." The newcomer offered his hand. He had intense blue eyes, dark hair and was shorter than both Ryan and Ian, but there was a kindness to his face that made her wa
"HE'S CALLING AGAIN."Kawa grimaced and took the phone. He'd put the senator off and made excuses for a week. The truth wasn't going to help them. They were no closer to finding the sister or tapping resources that would allow them to reclaim the woman to trade. Without that bargaining chip, Senator Neilson could destroy Akkadia's chances at independence. The burden of this rested on Kawa's shoulders.This trip was supposed to be easy. Sign some documents. Deliver a message. Make a few phone calls.He hit the answer button on the phone and lifted it to his ear."Senator, good to hear from you.""Good to hear from me? You haven't called me back in two days.""This is true.""What about my sister? How is she?""We are still locating her. Like I said before, we missed our opportunity to rescue her due to our delay. These things take time.""How much time?""It's hard to tell.""The Aerospace investigation is going to attach your people to the case soon. I can't stop that unless
RYAN GLANCED UP AND down the street at the corner coffee stand. The meeting spot was too open for his tastes. Anyone driving on the road could see them sitting here plain as day. They hadn't gotten to pick how and where she was taken into custody. If he had to bet, there were a few plain-clothes police spotters watching them now. That didn't make him less nervous, knowing the guys were also out there did.He pushed the cup of coffee toward Carson. She'd barely eaten her breakfast or touched her cup. Ever since she'd gotten off the phone with her parents she'd been in a sort of daze, staring off into nothing.Stress did odd things to people. Not everyone responded the same. He was used to women crying and men going straight to angry when their lives were threatened. The silence was the worst. He couldn't let her shut down on him. They were going to get through this."Talk to me," he said."About?""I don't know." What's something they hadn't talked about? Something to get her mind
CARSON DIDN'T LIKE BEING in the open like this. She wanted her family to get here so someone could whisk them away to safety. So she could beg for forgiveness. Anything was better than sitting here doing nothing.An SUV so dark blue it looked black pulled into the parking lot next to the coffee stand.She froze, staring at the vehicle.Her stomach knotted up.Carson knew that SUV."About damn time," Ryan muttered.She gripped him tighter and opened her mouth, but couldn't make words come out.That wasn't the police.Agent Walker got out of the driver's seat, his partner no doubt remaining behind and out of sight. He fastened the top button of his jacket before ambling toward them.Where was her sister? What about their parents?She could feel the security of Ryan's plan slipping away from her.Agent Walker wasn't going to give up his goals without a fight."Miss Adair, I was hoping we wouldn't meet like this." He came to a stop at the other side of their circular table.Ry
Two months later. Ekko's Apartment, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.EKKO STARED AT THE table with the spread of food laid out.Was there enough? Did she need more? Would Coco and Paxton like it?She reached out and adjusted the tray of cheese so it was at more of an angle instead of perfectly aligned to everything else.It looked too neat."Stop." Silas took her hand and spun her toward him, capturing her against his chest with strong arms around her waist."It looks like I'm trying too hard." She smoothed her hands up and over his shoulders."Stop. It's just Paxton and Coco.""Your best friend and his fiancé, who I haven't met yet.""What?" Silas' face scrunched up. "You've talked to her dozens of times.""In the background of you and Paxton talking. That doesn't count." She pulled away from him and proceeded to turn dishes a little this way and that."You do realize Coco spends most days digging in elephant shit and stuff, right?""Silas." She scowled at him."What?" He gr
IT FELT LIKE THE weight Silas had been carrying around in his gut had now attached itself to his eyelids. He floated in darkness, no longer asleep but not yet awake. Someone had called this twilight once, though he couldn't recall who. Something wouldn't let him go back to sleep. There was something he needed to do. It was urgent.What the hell was it?That nagging question hounded him as he ever so slowly gathered his strength.He wasn't aware of time or how long it took to wrestle one eyelid open, but at long last he peered out of his darkness into...more darkness.Well that was just dandy. What the fuck?He blinked that one eye again, letting his vision adjust. He was in a room and there was a light on, it just didn't do much.Machines beeped and whirled around him.That was a sound he could never mistake and it told him the first piece of his puzzle. From there the others fell into place, one after another.He was still in the hospital.He'd been hurt.There was a fight.
EKKO CLUNG TO THE stretcher bearing Silas out to the parking lot.She hadn't realized how bad his injuries were. He was barely keeping his eyes open. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she kept pace with the two paramedics. Silas covered her hand with his as they came to a stop at the bumper of an ambulance.Paxton, Brett and Vito were sitting inside. They were worse for wear and grim, but seemed okay.All around them police were marching uninjured people they'd arrested to sit in a line next to a chain-link fence blocking the sidewalk. The night was lit up with swirling lights that made her head spin."Where's Chayan?" she asked. Her heart was tearing in two, aching for both men.A little distance away an ambulance took off, sirens blaring. She hoped it was the one with Pasley in it."Ma'am, I need to look at that wound," a paramedic said to her.She held tight to Silas' hand. "What about Chayan? Older man, little taller than me? Salt and pepper hair?"Silas had said he was fine.
IGNEY PACED IN A circle, looking down each hall in turn.Where were they? Had he miscalculated? Were they willing to lose the woman so long as they got the man?His orders were clear. Get both the man and the woman.The woman was a symbol. Too many young people had taken to the streets because they listened to others like her.The man though, he knew things.Killing the woman was personal. Chasing her had cast him in a bad light. But the man was more important in the grand scheme of things."Fuck," Igney muttered. He glanced at a pair of men striding for the doors. "You. Come here."The men never glanced at him. Because they didn't understand him?He whirled to face Alban. "Where are the others?""I don't know where Delem and Michil are." He grimaced. "I haven't heard from them since we split up to search the building."That wasn't good.Igney had heard a lot of gunfire. Was it possible the other men he'd brought with him were dead?If both Chayan and Pasley escaped, leavin
EKKO'S ONE OFFENSIVE ATTEMPT was an utter failure. Her head spun and she was going to be sick.This wasn't good.She felt like a ragdoll being drug around, first by Igney then another man she didn't recognize. He spoke Daurian though which could only mean one thing.He was London DSS.Her body chilled. Was that from fear or the blows to the head? She didn't know anymore."Come find me, Pasley, or your little bird dies," Igney cackled into the radio.She tasted bile.Pasley had called her little bird back in the park.Igney cackled like a bad movie villain. The man was enjoying this. He was getting off on torturing them all.What about Silas?Pasley was with him.If Pasley told Silas, if he knew, they would come for her. Silas was determined to bring them all home and to keep her safe. But if he did, if he came to her rescue, Igney would kill them. Igney needed her and Chayan. Which meant he couldn't kill her here and now. It was an empty threat. Wasn't it? Did she dare belie
SILAS PUSHED HIS GROUP hard as they traversed the second floor. The sun had fully set, plunging them into complete darkness where there weren't windows or other lights.This building was a damn maze, and every turn they needed was blocked by too many people to fight their way through.There had to be more than the fifteen or so they'd estimated. More like thirty.This wasn't good.What about Ekko? Where had the others gone to?He'd hoped getting down here meant they would find her and Paxton, but so far all they'd found were a few bodies. At least they knew Paxton and Brett were eliminating the other side. But no one had taken the ammo or guns. Why? When resources were this precious, why not take them?Could they have gotten free? Did he dare hope?Something thumped in the darkness. Like a heavy footfall.Silas cursed himself as he skidded to a stop. He didn't see anything, but his gut screamed at him. He pivoted and threw himself at Chayan, shoving the other man aside. Silas w
THE DARKNESS FELT AS if it were swallowing her.Ekko clung to the back of Paxton's shirt like he'd directed. She couldn't shake the sensation that there were hands out there reaching for her. That Igney or one of the others were biding their time and waiting for the chance to kill her.Where was Silas? What about Chayan and the others?They'd been separated before she realized what was going on.Behind them a burst of gunfire spurred her on, shattering the silence.She knew it was Brett. Was he trading gunfire with someone? Those shots all sounded the same to her. She hoped he was safe. He was only one man and they had no idea how many were behind them."Stay close." Paxton reached back and pressed her hand to his back.Her head pounded with each and every step. It hurt so bad, but she didn't want to say anything. Her pain was minimal compared to what could happen."Will you cut that out?" Paxton yelled behind them.He side stepped and sort of skipped through a narrow gap betw
SILAS GRIT HIS TEETH to keep from telling Paxton to hurry the fuck up. It wasn't like Paxton was slow. The knife on his belt tool was small and no doubt dulled after cutting through several sets of thick, plastic restraints.Sitting like this it felt as though there was a ten pound weight sitting on his guts. He didn't know what the knife had cut, but Silas knew from the woozy feeling and blood making his jeans sticky it wasn't good. He had to get the others out of here before his clock ran out."Which way did they bring you up?" Silas asked Brett instead of chafing at how long getting free was taking.Brett stood by the door, a discarded piece of wood held as a weapon. "We came in some doors, up a stair to our right then a long walk down here. You?""Different way." Silas grimaced. "Do we retrace our path, or avoid it? How many people were with you?"Brett grimaced. They'd been hooded when they arrived. "Hard to say.""Let's assume at least the three that came in here plus one o
EKKO STARED IN SHOCK, her head spinning as the men left the room again."S-Silas?" she whispered so softly she barely heard herself.He slumped sideways groaning.Had that man-that monster-just stabbed Silas?"Man, Silas, dude, talk to us." Paxton had scooted forward, his arms extended behind him, attention on Silas."I'm fine." Silas' voice was strained. "Brett, Vito, how are you two?""Alive," Brett groaned."Vito? Man?" Silas shook his head and sat up straighter."Fine."This was it.Ekko swallowed.They'd done everything and in the end, they were outplayed.The DSS would kill them. She wasn't sure why they hadn't already, but she didn't doubt that death was the final move. All of these people, they were going to die because she'd been arrogant. She'd thought she knew what she was doing, when in fact she hadn't a clue.A sob tore out of Ekko making her already aching head pound harder."Ekko?" Silas called out. "Ekko, listen to me, this is going to be okay. Pax?"A ch