Toxic Game (GhostWalkers 15)

He didn’t wait. Now. He let go and sprang away, all in one motion, leaping for the tree branches overhead. They were high, some twenty-five feet, but his hands gripped a twisting limb and then he was up, standing beside Shylah. He slipped one arm around her and held on to the trunk with the other. No doubt the tiger could leap the distance. They had to be ready to go higher or get to the next tree.

The tiger stood up slowly, shook his head and then turned his gaze on them. Those eyes were piercing. Wholly focused. They stared at one another for a few moments, but instead of leaping at them in murderous fury, the animal turned away from them and slipped into the heavier brush.

Shylah’s smile was worth the righteous chewing out Draden was going to get when he made his report. He bent his head and kissed her. Quick. Barely there. Meaning it. Hoping she felt what he did. When he lifted his head, she had stars in her eyes, and he had the satisfaction of knowing he’d put them there.

8

“You’re insane,” Shylah whispered.

She hadn’t spoken a word on the way back to the remote lab. Not a single word. Draden had tried. He’d dropped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him, but she hadn’t reacted, not even to pull away. She’d kissed him in the trees, but once on the ground, heading toward the remote lab, she had withdrawn.

It wasn’t like he could blame her. He knew why she was upset. It was insanity to tackle a tiger and put it in a choke hold. “I’m strong, Shylah,” he reminded. “Enhanced.”

“The tiger could have killed you. Its teeth were inches from you. Inches, Draden.”

“I’m living under a death sentence,” he reminded gently.

She cast him a singular look from under her lashes, and his heart clenched. Her brown eyes looked liquid, the lashes wet and spiky. “You aren’t alone. You aren’t one anymore. It’s the two of us. Together. We do this together. That was the plan. That was your promise and I count on you.”

His first thought was to defend himself. He’d freed the tiger instead of killing it for her. She’d wanted the damn thing alive, and he’d given her that gift. She hadn’t hesitated, not one bit, to help him do it. She’d almost begged him to keep the tiger alive. Still, she was right. She’d probably expected him to find a way to put the animal out and he hadn’t explained why it was so dangerous. He wasn’t sorry he’d saved the animal and he wasn’t going to lie to her and tell her he was. There were so few of the tigers, and the male was in its prime or getting there.

More, he knew she’d been happy about it, that kiss had told him so.

He remained silent, trying to puzzle out what other men might say or do to defuse the highly charged situation. He didn’t know the first thing about relationships.

“That wasn’t fair,” Shylah said, her face turned away from him as they walked. She studiously kept her gaze on the thick grove of trees marking where the clearing was. “I practically forced you to save the tiger and I don’t have the right to be angry about your methods.”

He knew for certain that wasn’t true. “You aren’t angry, baby, you’re hurt,” he pointed out. “And scared. Both of which you have every right to be.” The last thing he’d expected was an apology from her. Those tears. Her averted face so he couldn’t see them. She turned him inside out without trying. “I knew I could do it and I wanted to do it for you. I’m not going to pretend to be noble and say I was risking my life to save the endangered tiger. I risked it for you, but you’re right, I was risking a lot. I should have talked it over with you first, so you’d be comfortable with it.”

Mostly he hadn’t told her his plans because he’d been afraid that he’d choose to kill the tiger instead. That he would fall back on his training, the thing that made it easy for him to avoid all people as well as controversy. He’d spent years keeping to himself and staying quiet, barely acknowledging those around him. It was entirely new letting Shylah so completely into his life. He’d deliberately opened himself up to her, made himself vulnerable. And if he was being completely honest with himself, he knew he wouldn’t have done that—certainly not so quickly—except that he was going to die, and he had nothing to lose.

“I knew I had the speed and strength. I’m as flexible as he was. But I should have taken the time to explain myself to you.”

“You knew I would have argued.”

He shrugged and pulled her closer, molding her body against his, needing her forgiveness. His entire life, he hadn’t cared if he’d upset someone or made them angry. No one had mattered. He’d found a place inside himself where he was safe, where no one could get to him. But she could—she had. Evidently, he wasn’t as safe as he’d thought.

“Say it, Shylah. I need to hear the words.” He did. He’d let her in, and he wasn’t the least bit sorry he had. Every moment in her company was worth the feeling of vulnerability.

“You’re touching my mind. We’re connected.”

“I don’t care, sweetheart. You know what I need.”

I forgive you, but please don’t do something like that again unless I’m ready for it. I could barely breathe.

The words, sliding into his mind, were vibrant with her emotions. Dripping with sensitivity. Weeping with her reaction. Intimate beyond measure. Because she murmured forgiveness into his mind, she gave more of herself away to him. She was feeling very fragile, so much so that when they entered the remote lab and he switched on the computer to be able to talk to Trap, the moment she caught sight of Bellisia, she backed out.

I can’t talk to them yet.

Draden glanced at her sharply, assessing how close to tears she was. Too close. She wouldn’t be able to keep it together for her friends.

I’ll cover for you, until you’re ready, he promised as he put the ampule he’d taken from the MSS into the freezer. That gave her time to exit before anyone really caught a glimpse of her. The camera was pointed toward him. For him, it wasn’t about whether or not the freezer was even cold, it was about containment. If the generator went out and the freezer went to room temperature the virus would be contained in that airtight box until it died.

I’ll try to be fast.

Take your time. They’re going to want to talk to you.

I want to talk to them, I just don’t want to cry in front of them.

He sat down in front of the computer. The screen was split in two. Ezekiel was on one screen with Bellisia looking over his shoulder, but he didn’t see Zara anywhere around. Joe, who was still in Indonesia, was looking at him from the other screen. Wyatt and Trap appeared just over his shoulder, both looking exhausted.

“Azami Yoshiie moved one of their satellites for us to use,” Joe said. “She’s married to Sam Johnson, a GhostWalker from Team One. Her family owns Samurai Telecommunications, so we were able to get a satellite for our exclusive use. The Indonesian government has sent their military into the area to keep everyone away from the lab and you. They’ll stay away as well. Their orders are very c

lear.”

Joe glanced over his shoulder for a moment, which told Draden he wasn’t alone and someone, most likely high up in the military, was monitoring everything said.

“That’s good,” Draden said. “We’re taking out as many of the MSS as possible. They’re well entrenched in the village, but the people don’t want them there.” He didn’t want the military sending soldiers in. There would be a slaughter.

Joe turned his head to talk to someone behind him out of sight. When he did, Shylah slipped up behind Draden, her arms around his neck, chin on his shoulder. Draden’s heart slammed hard in his chest before settling into a strong rhythm. She was showing the others they were together, a team. He reached up and covered one of her hands with his.

“Shylah!” Bellisia called out, uncaring that Ezekiel remained in front. She was tiny, but she just went around him, so she was practically sitting in his lap.

Trap heaved a huge sigh, which Draden wanted to laugh at. He didn’t. Not with strangers around, but he wanted to. Trap didn’t have much use for niceties and having Bellisia hog the computer when he obviously wanted to talk about the virus was almost more than he could take.

“I’m right here,” Shylah said. “We’re good. Wish we had some decent food.”

“We’re arranging for food,” Joe said. “You ladies have the floor for a couple of minutes and then we have to get down to business.”

Bellisia rolled her eyes, but she didn’t sass Joe. It was never a good idea, and she’d been there long enough for Joe to have assimilated her into the team. She was the best they had in the water, lethal as hell, but she also knew, when push came to shove, Joe was in command.