I don’t want her agitated. She’s in very fragile health, as you well know.
Who is she to you?
Diego made the effort to turn his head and look his brother directly in the eyes.She’s my Jonquille.By stating Leila was to him what Jonquille was to Rubin, he knew his brother would understand exactly what she meant to him.
If she’s yours, Diego, take it from someone who has made a million mistakes already: Don’t keep anything from her. Not anything. It isn’t worth the misunderstandings that can occur.
Diego had never witnessed any discord between Jonquille and Rubin, but Rubin was sincerely imparting advice. Diego had nothing to base relationship behavior on other than the few observations he’d made with his fellow GhostWalkers and their wives.
“Had a couple of close calls earlier,” he admitted reluctantly. “During the fight at Luther’s place. Burned my shoulder and biceps. Took some flesh wounds, nothing to write home about.”
“Diego.” Leila just said his name. Whispered it.
It was the way she said his name that got to him. As if she could barely breathe at the thought that he might have gotten hurt. His heart clenched painfully in his chest. In all the years he’d been alive, he had never heard that particular tone. Not once. Not even when he was a child.
“Told you, sweetheart, I’m perfectly fine.”
“You’re not,” she protested. “You can’t move. Your brother just performed surgery, and yet he’s more alert than you are.”
“Diego performed the surgery first and took on the damages,” Rubin explained. “I reinforced what he did, but there wasn’t damage for me to take on. Using this particular gift takes a toll, mostly because we expend a tremendous amount of energy. I suspect Diego was running on empty even before he used his healing abilities.”
Leila turned her head to meet Rubin’s eyes. “What does that mean?”
“It just means he’s extremely tired. I’m going to take a look at him to ensure that physically he’s fine. I may want to strangle him with my bare hands every now and then, but he’s my brother, so he’s safe.”
“From you,” she muttered and turned back to Diego. Her fingers tightened in his.
Rubin laughed. “She’s got your number, Diego. A smart woman. He will make you crazy,” he cautioned.
“You’re supposed to be on my side, Rubin,” Diego said. He closed his eyes and leaned his head all the way back. Now that his warrior woman was settling, he felt he could rest. “Tell her all the good things about me so she doesn’t want to run off.”
All the teasing went out of Rubin’s voice. “You’ll never find a better man than Diego, Leila, and that’s the truth. He’s loyal and protective, and he’ll stand with you no matter what. You’ll always be able to count on him. But he will drive you absolutely insane.”
Leila’s soft laughter played along Diego’s nerve endings.
“You could have left that last part out, Rubin.” Diego brought Leila’s hand to his chest, right over his heart.
“Didn’t want her to think I was lying about you.”
His brother. Diego felt a smile well up. Leila had given him that gift. He loved Rubin but never acknowledged to himself what that emotion really was. He’d always called it protective. Loyalty, just as Rubin had described him. He wouldn’t have said he was genuinely capable of love. Maybe he shied away from that emotion because once acknowledged, his heart could be ripped out.
“He was, baby,” Diego said. “Not about me driving you insane. I’ll be doing that. Can’t help it.”
“I know you will because you’re a teensy bit bossy, and so am I.” There was that sweet note of humor, almost a little girlish giggle. Everything about Leila was unexpected.
“Got a daughter to protect,” Diego informed Rubin as his brother made his way around the bed to Diego’s side. “You’re going to be an uncle as soon as we make things official.”
He felt Rubin’s shock. Leila had to as well. Her fingers tightened in his again, and he pressed her palm against his heart.
“A daughter?”
“Name’s Grace,” Diego continued. “Leila is Luther’s niece. Technically great-niece. I prefer ‘great’ because that makes Luther great, Rubin. He always wanted that title.”
Leila laughed softly. “I can’t wait to tell Luther your theory. I wasn’t certain how he was going to take finding out he had two great-nieces, and we were bringing a war to his doorstep.” The laughter faded, and there was guilt in her mind. “He didn’t hesitate.Not for one second. He didn’t even question the relationship. Bridget looks like his sister, apparently. He took one look at her and immediately took us in.”
“Luther’s a good man,” Rubin said. “Let me take care of Diego, Leila, and then I’d like to hear about your daughter and this war you brought to Luther.”
“She didn’t bring it,” Diego corrected. “That was the choice of Commander Chariot. He sent his soldiers after her. They were seriously fucked-up, Rubin. Willing to rape her when she was shot all to hell. Chariot is having the same problems Whitney has. Too many enhancements shoved into the men, and they can’t handle the aggression.”
