"Of course. But stay in the playground area or come right back here," Pepper said. "It's going to be dark soon, so you come in when I call you."
The yard was set up to the left of the house, in plain sight of the porch. Bellisia could see swings and slides and a little playhouse, a replica of the Fontenot house, complete with a porch. "Ezekiel built that?"
Pepper nodded. "He loves the girls. He acts all gruff and tough in front of us, but he's very gentle with them. They crawl all over him and he never protests. He also sneaks them to one of the local grocers and gets them snowballs. He thinks I don't know, but it's rather obvious when they come back with blue or red tongues and smears of color all over their faces."
Cayenne burst out laughing. "He's such a tough guy."
"He sings to them," Bellisia said. "I think that's when I fell for him, listening to him sing to the girls. His wonderful stories and then his songs."
"He doesn't think we know that either," Pepper said. She ducked her head and then sent Nonny a quick, guilty look. "When I first came here with Ginger and Wyatt and the others rescued Thym and Cannelle, I had a difficult time trusting all of them with the children. I was so used to everyone wanting them dead."
"Never apologize for loving your children and looking after them," Nonny said.
Pepper sent her a quick, appreciative smile. "I followed Ezekiel and any of the others when they took the girls out of my sight. I learned, over time, that I could relax and let the others help me with them. Believe me, I need help with them. They're so smart, and what one doesn't think of, the others do."
"Even Trap is pretty good with them," Cayenne said. "And I never thought he'd ever be good with children. The girls love him though and they seem to understand him."
"Why wouldn't Trap like children?" Bellisia asked, puzzled. The triplets were a handful, but they were sweet and funny.
"He has difficulty reading people and he doesn't get social cues," Cayenne explained. "He's extremely intelligent, but he has something called Asperger's syndrome. It's a neurobiological disorder."
Pepper nodded. "It's on the higher end of the autism spectrum. Their IQs can be normal but typically are extremely high, yet they have trouble with social and communication skills."
Bellisia raised an eyebrow at Cayenne. "Is that hard to live with?"
Cayenne laughed softly and shook her head. "Not for me. Trap tends to communicate in the bedroom if he's upset or frustrated. That works for me. And I love him. Really, really love him. I have a tendency to think things over before I react, so we work. When he's not getting it, I have no problem telling him exactly what I want or need or what I'm feeling. I've learned, with him, that's best. The girls seemed to get it right off that he needs that."
"So when I meet him, I need to be prepared to be ruthlessly honest with him."
Cayenne nodded. "Subtleties are lost on him. Completely."
"Trap's a good man," Nonny declared and lit up her pipe. "Bellisia, run along into the kitchen and fold in the lump crab and shrimp. Turn the heat down a little more and we'll be all set for dinner later tonight when the men are ready for it."
Bellisia nodded and hurried back into the house. She had fallen in love with the Fontenot home and the people occupying it. They were close, all of them, even the GhostWalker team. Nonny treated them all like her sons and daughters. She loved the feeling and wished the other women she'd grown up with were able to be there and feel the way Nonny made such a home for everyone.
Very carefully she folded in the crab and then the shrimp, taking her time, afraid she might mess up dinner. If she did, she knew Nonny and the women would just simply start over again, but the men would tease her unmercifully in the way they did both Pepper and Cayenne.
It was impossible not to love Pepper or the triplets. Pepper was--sweet. Her enhancements were extremely difficult to bear, but she handled them with grace. She had a bright, easy energy that shied away from violence. She'd confided to Bellisia that if she had to hurt or kill someone, her brain reacted with a bleed, much like an aneurism that might actually kill her. She'd always had terrible, debilitating migraines if she was in a combat situation, but Wyatt and Trap had discovered her brain couldn't take the psychic overload. In some ways it had made her feel better about not being able to handle fighting--that there was an actual reason.
Cayenne and the men protected her in the way they did the triplets, not because Pepper asked for it, but because she needed it. She was always willing to stand with her family to protect the children and Nonny, but they wanted her used only as a last resort.
Several times Bellisia had noticed Pepper pressing her hand to her stomach and turning her face away as they were preparing the ingredients for dinner. In the end Pepper stayed at the sink, washing the dishes for the most part, stepping in occasionally to participate in the conversation and laughter, but she clearly wasn't feeling good.
Bellisia had asked her what was wrong, and she just shrugged and admitted that sometimes the smell of fish and seafood made her feel sick, but she wasn't about to tell Nonny that. Living around the bayous or swamps meant preparing and eating a lot of fish.
Bellisia caught the scent of spice and wood and turned her head quickly to see Ezekiel sneaking up on her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head in her neck.
"I love coming home to you." His teeth scraped back and forth and then he drew her skin into his mouth.
"Don't you dare put another mark on me, Ezekiel," she cautioned, not really caring if he did, but protesting anyway. She tipped her neck farther to one side, giving him better access. "Nonny gives me the hardest time."
Ezekiel took his time, enjoying the taste of her skin. The kitchen smelled like home and comfort, his woman smelled like his own personal piece of paradise. She tasted that way too. Vanilla and orange. The scent clung to her, the taste was on her skin and deep inside her, spilling out for him every morning or evening, or if he suddenly decided he just had to have her. Like now.
"I thought about you the entire time I was working," he confided, bunching her hair into his hand to get it off her nape. "Laying out the rooms and what we'd do in every one of them." He kissed his way along the back of her neck and down one shoulder. "I have to tell you, baby, mapping out a house on blueprints is very different when you're building the house for the person in your life who matters most."
He meant that. Having Bellisia had changed his entire world. He hadn't realized he'd wanted a woman of his own so much until she'd shown up practically on his doorstep. He nuzzled her neck again just to inhale her scent and taste her skin.
"You say the sweetest things to me," Bellisia said. "I have to wash these dishes really quick. Nonny says it's better to clean as you go so you don't end up with a huge mess at the end of the evening when you're tired."
"Nonny's word is gold," he said, not in the least distracted from his task of seducing her. He doubted there would ever come a time when he didn't want to be inside her. Just thinking about her got him hard.
We have company coming, Zeke. Look alive. The warning came from his brother. I'm up on the roof. Gino's in the trees.
"Company, Bellisia," Ezekiel announced, all business. And if it was that fucking asshole Gerald coming to take her back with him, he'd already picked out a nice place to bury his body.
He was on the move, heading for the front porch, striding through the house fast with Bellisia right behind him. "Girls." He raised his voice as he stepped out onto the porch. "Come to me now." He wasn't kidding around and the triplets recognized his tone and the command signaling trouble. Pepper stood up and caught the railing, watching the girls anxiously.
"Nonny, keep your shotgun with you. You and Pepper take the girls to the safe room. You'll be first line of defense, Pepper second, if they penetrate."
"Who?" Cayenne asked.
"We don't know yet, but it could be the two sniffing around trying to find a trail to Bellisia." He should have gone hunting. He and Gino would have
found the two men and taken them out quietly, but he'd respected Bellisia's wishes. He found he wanted to please her, make her happy, but he realized there were some things he couldn't do for her. He had a need to protect his own. He'd always been that way, the dark rage rising like a tidal wave sending him into a cold place where he did whatever needed doing to protect the people he loved.
No one other than Donny had reported two strangers asking questions other than at her work. She'd had to quit, of course, which she'd done reluctantly, but Ezekiel wasn't taking any chances. There were too many civilians, and he couldn't protect her out in the open like that. He knew the men hadn't left the area. There was no way they would. Joe had gotten service records on them. Both men had exceptional careers. They'd served countless missions and were decorated numerous times.
"Bellisia, into the river. Now. You don't come out until I give you the all clear. If it's a firefight, do you have a weapon?"
"Always. I always carry a Glock, the ammo's sealed. It will survive the water. I have a knife, and I'm good, although after seeing Draden and Gino fooling around with one, maybe not so much. I also hid an assault rifle in the bank, completely sealed in a watertight case."
"You're golden then, baby. If we're attacked . . ." She had to know there would be no protecting Gerald and Adam if they came looking.
She hooked her arm around his neck, pulling his head down to hers. Her lips brushed his, as she whispered a soft promise. "I'll kill them, Ezekiel. This is my family now. All of you come first for me."
Before he could catch her up in his arms the way he wanted, she was gone, running lightly down the stairs and across the yard. As she ran, her skin and hair seemed to disappear, blending in with her surroundings. Then she dove off the pier and vanished completely in the water.
He could breathe easier then. He knew she was safe in the river. No one could get to her in the water, and she was a weapon no one would expect. She hadn't so much as trembled. She was like Cayenne, a complete warrior and one he could count on.
Five men dressed in suits with Senator Violet Smythe. Looks like trouble, Mordichai reported. I've got them covered from the roof.
Covered from the trees. That was Gino.
I'm in position just to the south of them, Draden said.
We're circling to come in behind them, Diego said. Gino, Draden, do you see us? Don't want you hitting Rubin or me accidentally.
I see you, Gino reported.
Eyes on you, Draden said.
Ezekiel was pleased with the layout. Even if Violet and her mercenaries were aware seven GhostWalkers were home as well as Cayenne and Pepper, they couldn't be certain about Bellisia. They would have the advantage no matter what.
"Cayenne, can you get up onto the porch roof just above where they'll come up the stairs? You could drop a net over them or cast one if you needed to. I don't want you seen, and you'll need enough cover if there's a firefight." Cayenne was deadly accurate with her webs and lethal with her bite if needed.
"No problem. I've been up there several times for recon. They won't see me," she reassured.
He caught her shoulder as she reached up to make the climb. "Trap won't survive it if something happens to you. You're his entire world." He didn't have to ask her to help. Cayenne would give her life protecting Nonny, the triplets and Pepper, but he still wanted to caution her. She had never been a team player and took chances. Trap had worked with her on that, and hopefully he'd gotten through to her that she couldn't risk herself in a fight. She sent him a small grin, nodded and was up the side of the porch and on the overhang in seconds. That was all he was going to get from her, but he hoped it would be enough.
All in all, they worked together in under three minutes, getting the civilians under cover and placing his team in the best positions possible. There would be a rifle on every one of Violet's mercenaries.
Their team leader walked up very slowly, his expression unreadable. "It's definitely the senator, Ezekiel. Violet. She's got five men with her, presumably all mercenaries, although she's got them dressed in monkey suits. They aren't Secret Service. She's a vice president elect and should have them guarding her, but she's come with her own men."
Ezekiel gave Joe a small, grim smile. "Could mean she came without anyone knowing. Not good for her."
Joe shook his head. "Let's hear what she has to say."
Ezekiel studied his teammate's face. Joe Spagnola was a man everyone could count on. He never left anyone behind in the field no matter how bad the circumstances. Once, he'd carried a wounded man on his back, running down a steep slope, gunfire all around him, trusting Ezekiel to protect him. Ezekiel had, but when Joe got the wounded Ranger to safety, they discovered he'd been hit at the same time. He'd run on sheer iron will. That was Joe.
Something was wrong. "You have a reason for not taking her out?"
"Like her being a United States senator and a vice president-elect?"
Joe sounded sarcastic, but Ezekiel wasn't buying it. There was a hollow note in Joe's voice, something off-key. He just nodded and stepped back, allowing his team leader to take the reins.
Violet was a beautiful woman and she knew it. A powerful presence, tall with a good figure, she walked between five big men, but all eyes would always be drawn to her. She wore a form-fitting red jacket over a white blouse and black trousers. The red suited her, adding a vibrancy that might not have been there. Ezekiel couldn't fault her on her confidence. She walked right up to them, coming from the road where they'd parked their vehicle down from the Fontenot property.
He had to wonder why they'd done that. Why not just drive up in the big SUV with its tinted windows? She'd look just as powerful. So why the walk, especially in her fancy boots with the heel? Had she hoped to surprise them? Something wasn't right. He didn't like anything that didn't make sense.
Something's off. They walked in, but parked the car down from the property. Why would she do that?
Joe glanced at him sharply, but didn't reply. That bothered Ezekiel as well. Joe never missed anything. Ezekiel had the feeling he hadn't even noticed or thought about how she'd arrived, and that made even less sense.
I'm on it, Zeke, Gino said.
I could take her out right now, Mordichai informed them. I have a perfect shot. Just say the word. He didn't sound his usual dispassionate self. Clearly he was holding a grudge against the woman who had sold them out to Cheng.
Do not take the shot, Joe commanded.
She's the reason those hostages were taken in Indonesia. She's the reason my brother was tortured.
Ezekiel allowed himself a small sigh of relief. At least the others were acting as usual.
I don't need a reminder of her sins, Joe snapped.
That was a serious red flag. This time Ezekiel didn't look at Joe, afraid his expression would give him away.
"Senator Smythe," Joe greeted as the group stopped just short of the stairs. "You should have called ahead. We could have arranged security for you."
The men with her bristled but she shot them a quelling look and no one spoke. "I didn't want anyone to know I've come," Violet replied softly, looking almost demure. Her voice was sinful, a definite sweet-sounding deception. "I needed to speak with you."
"You should have called me. I would have come to you. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to dodge your security? They aren't going to be happy with you."
She indicated the men surrounding her. "I brought my own. In any case, the Secret Service agent assigned to me thinks I'm safely in my home. No one knows I slipped my leash."
"Violet." Joe shook his head. "Someone always knows."
A shadow crossed her face and her head jerked up. "What does that mean?"
"It means you can't run off anytime you feel like it, and nothing you do is secret."
Ezekiel held his breath. If Joe sold out Bellisia, by admitting to Violet they knew she'd gone to Cheng, he had no idea what he'd do. Take out his gun and shoot both Violet and Joe? He shifted slight
ly to give himself a little cover from her five bodyguards. His team would open up on them and he had no doubt Bellisia had them in her sights as well. What the hell was going on with Joe?
"I'm sorry, Joe." Violet's voice dropped to a hushed whisper. Intimate. Beguiling. That was her gift. She could persuade a roomful of hardened senators to vote just the way she wanted them to. She could convince leaders of nations to do as she wished.
Ezekiel felt his heart jerk in his chest. Clearly, Joe and Violet knew each other outside of the rare times the team had encounters with her. His heart sank. Who is she to you? he had to ask, but he already knew. Joe would never act like he was, protective and almost gentle with her. He took another step back, putting himself in the shadows.
Joe didn't answer, nor did he look at Ezekiel, although he had to have sensed the movement behind him. "Violet, what are you doing here?" His voice was weary, filled with a kind of anguish he didn't try to cover.
She stepped closer, put one booted foot on the stairs. "I want you to come head my private security. You can have anything you want. Recruit your own people, within reason." Her voice had dropped an octave so that it played over a man's senses, making him want to give her anything she asked for. She moved up the stairs until she could put a hand on Joe's chest, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "Just not those insects or vipers. We have to get rid of them, Joe. You can do that for me, can't you?"
She turned her head to smile at Ezekiel. "You would be welcome. Just help Joe get rid of the insects." She gave a delicate little shudder. "I find them so frightening. Such abominations. They crawl around killing people with a bite. They aren't human. Whitney should never have conducted such horrendous experiments." She sounded totally reasonable, her voice persuasive. "We can't allow those women to be let loose on the world." She lowered her voice as if telling them a secret. "They have children. Vipers. And they could have more. You know what ants do? And cockroaches? There are millions of them, billions. We can't have that."
Ezekiel looked right past the woman who had sold out her country to the five men behind her. They clearly were completely enamored with her. More, they believed her declarations. If she makes speeches like this when she's in the White House, we'll all be in trouble. It was true. Fanaticism had a smell to it, and Violet and her bodyguards reeked of it.