With Every Breath (Slow Burn 4)

He didn’t have a sense of humor. Or at least to the rest of their knowledge. Eliza knew, but Dane was closer to Lizzie than to the others. She made him feel at ease, comfortable. She didn’t have a chip on her shoulder because she was a woman in a predominately male profession and she didn’t get involved in pissing matches. He knew she looked to him as her team leader, though Caleb and Beau ran the operation. But then no one argued with Dane. Ever. Not even Caleb, and he could be one cold, ruthless, mean-as-a-rattlesnake son of a bitch. Especially when it came to his wife, Ramie, and her protection. With good reason. Her psychic abilities made her extremely vulnerable and they also made her a target for everyone who had a missing or kidnapped loved one. Ramie had eerily accurate abilities to track and find victims by connecting to them—and the killer. It was a sickness that pervaded her soul, made her feel foul and unclean and every time she did it, it took another piece of her with it and Caleb was determined there would be no more.

Dane didn’t blame him a bit. Although he was damn glad Ramie had defied Caleb and helped locate Eliza when she’d gone missing. Hell, Ari and Gracie had said to hell with them all, determined to give back to a woman who’d risked her life time and time again for them. Without them, Lizzie would be dead.

His fists curled into tight balls and he had to control the betraying quiver of his nostrils at the thought of just how close they’d come to losing someone so important to DSS. To him.

He nearly missed Eliza’s stifled grin or her shared commiseration, even turning to include Zack, which meant she too had been aware of his impending departure whether the meeting was declared officially over or not.

Zack sent a look in Dane’s direction. Though it was more of a scowl, Dane could see it for what it really was. A plea. Because once Dane declared a meeting over, it just was. It didn’t matter if the Devereauxs had more to add. Everyone deferred to Dane. And as Zack had only just returned from his honeymoon with Gracie, he must be itching with impatience to get back to her.

Dane allowed a small smile, all he would give away on his otherwise deadpan poker face, but Zack got the message and closed his eyes, mouthing, “Thank you God” behind the backs of the others.

But Eliza, damn her hide, who’d been clued in from the very start of the exchange, suddenly suffered a coughing fit, covering her laughter, so it sounded more like a cat trying to hack up a fur ball and cupped a hand over her mouth, pretending she had indeed gotten something caught in her throat.

His glare promised retribution, but she stuck out her tongue at him and the deep intuitive alarm inside him he hadn’t even realized was screaming relaxed and settled. And his internal alarm was rarely wrong, and it had alternated screaming alarm and false alarm all fucking morning when it came to Eliza. Zack too had uncanny knacks or hunches as his teammates grumbled. They swore his gut had made a deal with the devil because it had gained so much respect that if he so much as muttered that his gut said something was off, the mission was immediately halted.

Dane had been convinced something was wrong and it had everything to do with Eliza. But in that one moment of irreverence—as if he expected anything less from her—she set his world to rights and he got to the matter at hand. Damn it, but his hands were shaking! He hadn’t realized just how fucking terrified he’d been over Eliza’s weird behavior earlier. He had the odd sensation of her thinning in front of him, like a ghost or apparition, going from solid form to insubstantial light and shadow, slipping away from him like sand in a breeze. DSS would never be the same without Eliza and he had a lot of people to thank for the fact she was alive, healthy and still very much part of DSS.

But it was Wade Sterling he was most grateful to—twice—for his help in ensuring Eliza was rescued and safe. He’d taken a bullet for her that would have killed her in seconds. She didn’t know that. How close she came to death or the fact that if Wade hadn’t stepped in front of her she would have died. Or maybe she did and refused to acknowledge the other man in any way. There was some serious antagonism between Eliza and Wade and Dane knew it was because Wade was still firmly stuck in the Middle Ages.

“Okay, we’ve been repeating ourselves for the last fifteen minutes,” Dane said, interjecting himself for the first time. Zack was tired of waiting for Dane’s intervention and was about two seconds from walking out. And despite his earlier moment of relief, his gut still nagged him that all wasn’t right with Eliza. He wanted this shit done now so he and Eliza could talk about what the fuck was on her mind—and had been on her mind for the last week.

Caleb looked slightly annoyed but Beau flashed him a grateful look as did the other operatives gathered—Isaac, Capshaw, Eric and Brent. The new recruits hadn’t endured the meeting in its entirety so they weren’t being obvious with their gratitude.

“Everyone has a job to do,” Dane continued. “Though one of us is still on his honeymoon and I doubt he appreciated being dragged out of a warm bed next to an equally warm but much softer woman just to hear us spout the same shit we spout every month in these state of the union addresses.” He directed his gaze toward Beau and Zack, which would likely annoy Caleb, but Caleb had backed off while Beau and Zack were very much on top of things. “You two take the new recruits, show them the ropes, put each with a team and go over our current caseload, divide them up and get to work.”

The initial laughter over the first of Dane’s remarks died and a more serious mood quickly replaced the amusement. Dane turned and sent Eliza a mocking smile and silently told her he never got mad. He got even. And then he proceeded to throw her under the bus. Precisely what she would do given the opportunity.

“You can thank Lizzie for the name she’s dubbed our monthly meetings,” Dane said in a smug tone that surprised some, while others snickered—those who understood Dane better and were privy to the unique relationship he and Eliza shared.

“I’m sure she meant it with the utmost respect, though,” Dane said in a solemn voice that would have worked were it not for the sarcasm dripping like syrup from his lips.

Normally Eliza would be fuming and already plotting her revenge on Dane. Some days it was the only entertainment she enjoyed. Instead she found herself walking toward Dane’s office with leaden feet, her heart heavy because she knew how much she’d miss this. The camaraderie. The ease in which they operated together. Like one mind, a well-oiled machine where everyone was so familiar with their co-operatives that they could predict their next movement before it was made.