His voice was a low whip of sound. He couldn’t help the sudden animosity welling up. He could be every bit as aggressive as or more so than the soldiers who had come after Leila. The difference was he had Rubin and the code of honor they lived by. It didn’t matter how many predatory animals vied for supremacy in him. A part of him always clung to his humanity.
“Is Chariot aware you put his soldiers in the ground?” Rubin used his casual tone, the one that always alerted Diego to trouble. Rubin knew him, knew he would send a hard message to the commander and mean every word.
Rubin knelt beside Diego, his palms moving over him, starting at the top of his head. Diego took the opportunity to catalogue everything his brother did. He needed to learn as much as possible from him while he could. He had no intentions of having a career as a psychic surgeon, but he was going to be a family man. As such, he wanted to be able to supply his family with whatever they needed—including medical care.
“The sisters were taken by the government before Luther was ever aware of their existence,” Diego said.
Leila nodded. “They took Bridget and gave her to Whitney. I would hear things, mostly through Marcy Chariot, the commander’s wife. She knew I needed to know Bridget was alive, and she kept track of her as best she could.”
“When Chariot sent his soldiers after Leila, he must have made a deal with Whitney to return Bridget to him, because those taking Leila were bringing her up the mountain to a helicopter that would take her back to the compound in Maryland.”
Diego once again caught up Leila’s hand to link their fingers. He needed the closeness with her but, more importantly, found he needed the intimacy between them. He felt protective of her and wanted her to feel his presence at all times, particularly when they were discussing difficult subjects like the kidnapping of her sister. She needed to feel that he was always on her side, that he would always have her back. She’d never had that, and he wanted to be the one to give her that confidence.
“Bridget was taken down the mountain to trucks waiting to transport her to Whitney.” Diego continued the explanation. “When the second wave of soldiers came to take Leila, it was Whitney’s soldiers attacking, not Chariot’s.”
Rubin frowned. “Chariot and Whitney conspired to take Leila and her sister?”
Diego nodded. “I wanted to make it very clear to Chariot that he would be dealing with me. That Leila isn’t going back, and we’re coming for Grace.”
Leila shook her head. “It will be an all-out war, Diego. You know I don’t want to be responsible for that. I can go back, bide my time, and when I’m ready, take Grace with me and run.”
“Not happening, Leila,” Diego said. “If Chariot is so brainless that he’d continue to pit his soldiers against GhostWalkers, that’s on him, not you. In any case, that doesn’t get us Bridget back. Wehave to find out what’s happening with her. Hopefully, Luther managed to get her back, but if he didn’t, we’ll have to track her to wherever Whitney has her.”
“There is another way, Diego,” Rubin said. Finished with the exam, he stretched out on the floor on top of his sleeping bag. “One that might avoid bloodshed.”
“Leila is staying with me, and we’re taking the baby back,” Diego said firmly.
“There’s no other outcome,” Rubin agreed. “The baby is family. She belongs with us. With the GhostWalkers, just as Leila does.”
“Did you see the number of soldiers they sent after me?” Leila asked. She poured into Diego’s mind.He doesn’t understand that they’ll do anything to keep Grace and me. Chariot made it clear through his men that I had to come back if I wanted to have Gracie in my life.
“Leila,” Rubin said, “I’ve been sharing space in my brother’s head since he was three. Maybe before that. I can hear every word you say.”
Leila’s green eyes blazed fire at Diego. “You could have said.”
“Babe, seriously? Rubin’s giving you the heads-up, but you would have figured it out soon enough. You weren’t paying attention.”
“That’s not an excuse or an explanation. I’m your partner. You don’t leave me hanging like that. It just makes me feel more vulnerable than I already do.”
He liked that she explained her emotions to him. He wasn’t a man to guess. He liked things clear and direct. He brought her knuckles to his mouth and brushed a kiss over them. “Understood. It won’t happen again.” He leaned over and brushed another kiss on the top of her head.
She flashed him a tentative smile. “I can see you’re never going to stay in trouble for long.”
“That will be a first,” Diego assured. He turned to Rubin. “You have a better idea to keep my family together?”
Rubin nodded. “I believe I do. Diplomacy sometimes works far better than violence, Diego. In this case, I think it would be best if we pursued that avenue first.”
“Diplomatic channels?” Diego echoed. “Seriously? When has that ever gotten us anywhere? The powers that be want to sweep our existence under the table.”
“True, they’d rather forget how we got the way we are. But they also know each team backs up the others. We stick together. If every general running a team, as well as our team leader, shows up and confronts Chariot and his people, do you think they’ll turn us down? They’ll see the underlying threat, and they won’t want any part of it.”
Diego turned the idea over and over in his mind. “My fear is they’ll stall before they’ll consent to see us, Rubin. We need to get Grace as soon as possible. For all we know, they could be enhancing her. I wouldn’t put it past them.”
“I think we can rely on Major General Tennessee Milton to ensure the meeting takes place immediately.”
“And Bridget, if Luther hasn’t been able to get her back from Whitney?”
“We cross one bridge at a time. Let’s secure little Grace and ensure no one can get to her. Once we know she’s safe, we can concentrate our efforts on finding Bridget. Leila is going to need a few days anyway to recover before she can safely go into action. We could try the diplomatic approach, at least set it in motion while she’s recovering,” Rubin suggested.
