To Die for... Duty

THREE

THREE

IT TOOK MORE THAN twice as long to get back to camp as it had to flee the previous night. She wouldn’t have minded the same pace both ways. They didn’t go straight back to camp either. Although she noticed they were taking an indirect route, she didn’t say anything. He’d have his reasons. Though he’d said the signal it was safe to return was on show, he may assume the situation could’ve changed since they last checked.

As they came around a tall bundle of boulders, they almost walked straight into someone. A guy… Broad, built solid, definitely Olympus. The rifle in his hands was already pointed their way, but Styx raised his hands then lunged forward to grab the barrel to throw it aside.

Thinking there was going to be a fight, she almost leaped back behind the boulders. Before she did, the men started laughing and slapping their palms together.

“I should’ve taken that shot,” the guy said.

“You hesitated,” Styx said. “Hades will love that.” He stepped aside to grab her shoulder and haul her forward. “Pandora, Coltrane. Coltrane, Pandora.”

“Harry told me you were out here,” Coltrane said, scanning her figure, not in a s****l way, it seemed he was curious. “And that we had a passenger.”

“She’s a little more than that.”

Styx kept hold of her when he and Coltrane fell into step walking in the direction of camp.

“Yeah. She’s our ticket back. Sure can’t live like we have for the last year,” Coltrane said. “We shouldn’t be spread all over.”

“Guess we know where you fall on the debate about the future,” Styx said. “Garrick with you?”

“Yeah.”

“Who else?”

“Boze, Lowe, Zip, Milo.” Those were the guys who’d been in Vegas. Minus Albany. “Rice, Kingsley.”

Styx stopped to look at his colleague, letting her go as he did. “Kingsley is at camp?”

“Yep,” Coltrane said, smirking. “You are in for a rough ride, buddy.”

The normally relaxed Styx tensed, she didn’t see it in his form as much as the almost sulking scowl that took over his features. “Whatever.”

The guys started to walk again, so she hurried along with them. Quickly adding everyone up, they had nine soldiers and two principals. Not bad odds… though she couldn’t be sure of that until they knew who Zeus had working for him.

“What is Garrick’s plan?” she asked, figuring that if they were going to walk the rest of the way together, she could at least try to figure this Coltrane guy out.

He glanced at her, but only for a second. “I heard you weren’t shy.”

Damnit. During their walk, hadn’t she told herself to be a happy, friendly, easy person to get along with? That didn’t really gel with an interrogation. Already it seemed that she was making enemies. The whole damn situation was frustrating. If she couldn’t get answers from others and she wasn’t allowed to talk to Daire, how was she supposed to be kept in the loop? Her father sure wouldn’t be having any heart to hearts with her. Garrick was his equal and both of them were superior to the soldiers. They’d take the reins and everyone would follow orders.

Everyone else anyway. She might not want to rock the boat while they were in training camp. But it was her blood they’d need for JARR. She wasn’t going to just trot along and offer it unless she knew it wasn’t going to be used for anything nefarious.

“Would be interested to know how he got you and Rice on board,” Styx said. “Don’t think you took him at face value.”

“Boze got us on board. Him and Lowe. ‘Cause if P had rocked up on his own…”

“Yeah, that’s what we figured.”

“Felt good to see Ares again, I gotta tell you. Wouldn’t say it to his face but…”

Styx and Coltrane shared a snicker. “Yeah, guy already thinks enough of himself.”

It was difficult not to get in on the teasing when they were talking about her love. She figured she’d let the boys be boys and refrain from letting them know that Daire had the goods to back up his confidence and then some.

“So what’s the plan?” Coltrane asked Styx.

That was annoying. So it was presumptuous for her to ask about Garrick’s strategy, but just fine for Coltrane to quiz Styx on theirs?

“I leave that to the higher ups,” Styx said. “I go where they point. Kill who they point at.”

“Yeah,” Coltrane said. “We’ve got guys still out there… We’ll need to bring them in. You got numbers?”

“No,” Styx said on a shrug, planting a hand on her back to push her forward a few steps, so she didn’t lag behind. “No way to know.”

“Can’t say I’m sorry we were on Zone when this happened. Wish the damn thing was better though… We’ve lost guys, right?”

“You can bet on it,” Styx answered. “You hear about Albany?”

“Yeah. Should never have happened. What the hell are we doing killing our own? What was he trying to do? Was it a warning?”

In her opinion, Zeus obliterated the Vegas house in the midst of a temper tantrum. There was no denying he’d been pissed, at her specifically. That meant she had to accept some level of responsibility for Albany losing his life.

“Who knows what’s going on in his crazy head,” Styx said.

“Someone needs to figure it out,” Coltrane said, coming to a stop. “This is as far as I go.”

“Stand alert,” Styx said, smacking Coltrane’s upper arm in what was probably supposed to be a friendly gesture.

Coltrane turned to go back the way they’d come. She was still watching him when Styx took her arm to guide her back onto the route to camp.

“Why isn’t he coming back to camp?” she asked.

“Because he’s on perimeter duty,” Styx said. “It’s his duty to keep everyone inside safe.”

From that side anyway. The only way anyone would know where they were, or be able to sneak up on them, was if there was a mole in camp. Given they’d just taken on a bunch of new members, that was a possibility. Just because Styx shook the guy’s hand didn’t mean she trusted him.

“I don’t know how you do this,” she murmured. “The paranoia is driving me insane.”

“What do you have to be paranoid about?” Styx asked. “You think your guy’s gonna let anything happen to you? What do you think he would do to the rest of us if we let it happen?”

“Who is Kingsley?” she asked, recalling his reaction to learning that guy was with them. “What does he have against you?”

“Nothing,” Styx said. “Quit asking questions.”

“You know, I’m really going to try to get along with everyone. But if I think you guys are cutting me out or on the wrong path—”

“What?” Styx asked, stopping to whip her around toward him. “You wanna be careful before you threaten anyone around here.”

She swallowed, not because she was afraid, but because she didn’t want to get emotional and start an argument. It would be dangerous to be distracted by an argument any time, but so close to camp, when they hadn’t declared themselves, that would just be stupid.

“It’s not a threat,” she said though could forgive him for thinking that. “I know you have a lot to consider. But, at the end of the day, it’s my blood that’s needed to free JARR.” He frowned. “Regardless of what happens to me after, that in itself is a big responsibility and it’s on my shoulders, no one else’s.”

“You’re going to be protected. Ares wouldn’t—”

“We have no way to know how this will play out,” she said. “And I’m still not convinced that I can trust what either side will do with the information stored in JARR. It’s temptation. Even with the best intentions, there will be…” The hue of his frown became something else; his attention began to drift. “What?”

“JARR,” he murmured. A second later, he closed his eyes and hissed out a breath. “Goddamnit.” Grabbing her wrist, Styx tugged her along, much as he had the previous night. “Come on.”

Their pace was as punishing as it had been on their departure. Whatever had occurred to him, it had changed the urgency of their journey.

“What?” she asked, jogging to keep up. “What did you figure out? What are you—”

“We’ve gotta get back. We need to talk to Ares.”

They did? Tess didn’t know why, but if they were heading for her Heart, she didn’t have any worries about whatever would happen when they got there.

Camp wasn’t much further away. Within ten minutes, they broke from the thin line of trees that tapered from the end of the woods behind the Beast. Styx didn’t slow down. There were people dotted around. One by the water. Another at the tree line. Someone else wandered in the distance, near the path into camp.

When they were noticed, the various people paused to look their way. They probably wondered who’d gotten through the defenses. At least they would until they recognized Styx. Once they did, they went back to their patrols.

By then, she had noticed who was standing next to the Beast. Her Heart. Standing alert, just as he had the first night she’d met Harry. Styx didn’t have to drag her half as hard when she had Daire in her sights. He didn’t flinch. It was incredible how he could be so aware and yet completely ignore them at the same time.

They were no threat; he knew that even better than those patrolling elsewhere. As they came closer, Styx swung her around to put her body in front of his. As a shield, there wouldn’t be a better one against Daire, if it wasn’t for the fact that she was a head shorter than Styx. Kind of left an important part exposed.

Putting Daire at the entrance to the Beast was smart if Harry and Garrick were in there, which it seemed safe to assume. It was their roving headquarters. Ironic that Daire was the one who’d acquired the thing, yet he was the one most often kept from the inside.

Harry wouldn’t mind if his most valued lieutenant overheard whatever conversation was going on inside. Well, he’d mind least if Daire heard anything. And the guy on the door was the last line of defense. If any enemy got through their patrols, they’d have to face Daire before getting to the valuable principals. Daire wouldn’t let that happen. It was as simple as that.

Styx’s pace didn’t let up until they got right up to Daire who didn’t move away from the door. His momentum was such that he actually propelled her right up against Daire. Her Heart still didn’t flinch and Styx didn’t pull her away, so there she was, stuck in a sandwich between the brothers.

“You’re not getting in,” Daire said.

He seemed to be looking straight ahead and definitely wasn’t looking at her. But his brother was blocking her Heart’s view if his intention was to keep an eye on things.

“We missed something,” Styx murmured, laying his hands on her upper arms.

The comment caused Daire’s blind focus to shift to his brother. “Missed what?”

“JARR,” Styx said. “We missed something.”

From the twitch in his brow, she could tell her Heart didn’t understand. His brother didn’t seem to be in any hurry to fill him in. Although she didn’t know what Styx had deduced, she did know what had sparked his comprehension.

“I said it was a big responsibility on my shoulders,” she said, ignoring how Styx’s grip strengthened. “That I wasn’t sure I could trust either side with it. Even with the best of intentions, it’s temptation and it’s on me if it gets out there.”

Styx’s hands slid a little higher. The brothers remained fixated on each other. “It’s on her… if temptation—”

“s**t,” Daire exhaled.

Trying her best from her restricted position to get some hint of what was going on from either of them, all she saw was Styx slow nod. “What?” she asked, frustrated. “What is going on?”

“We have to keep this close,” Daire murmured so quietly that she almost didn’t hear him.

“My Heart.”

On a blink, his attention dropped to her. “Styx told you? We keep this under wraps.”

“I don’t know what either of you are talking about,” she said. “Safe to say I can’t tell anyone something I don’t know.”

“I mean this,” he said, a tinge of longing polluting his otherwise severe gaze.

“You wanted the guys to know.”

“Things have changed,” Daire said, setting a glare on his brother. “You’ve gotta keep her in your—”

“In my eyeline, I know,” Styx said.

The conversation was so quiet, so discreet, it was obvious they didn’t want any hint anyone could listen in, even those in the trailer.

“Kingsley gonna be a problem?” Daire asked.

That name again.

A tremor of tension vibrated through Styx. “No. No problem.”

“Pandora comes before everything else,” Daire said, demonstrating exactly how to threaten someone.

“I get all of the aggravation and none of the sex.”

Her Heart wasn’t amused by his brother, she inhaled through her nose. “No one’s getting any of that any time soon,” she murmured.

If they were a secret, they couldn’t take the risk of anyone catching them in an intimate position. They didn’t have only Styx and Harry to concern themselves with anymore. There were others. Highly trained others. Who may or may not be loyal to them.

“Take her to town with you,” Daire said. “Do not let her out of your sight.”

“Why are we suddenly so worried about me?” she asked. “I know we’ve been worried about me for a while, but you should share whatever you’ve just figured out… Share it with me. You’re the only two I trust here anyway.”

“Keep it that way,” Daire said.

Behind him, the door made a sound, so Daire stepped aside to let it open. Her father stood on the threshold.

“You’re back,” he said to her.

She opened her arms. “Apparently I am.”

He nodded to the side. “Inside.” It was automatic to look at Daire for permission. “Tess.”

Her father obviously wasn’t impressed with her reaction. Inching forward, she didn’t let her father’s glare intimidate her. It actually helped her out. While he was glaring, trying to berate her without words, her hand moved closer to Daire’s. Her pinkie brushed his, which was quick to respond, stroking hers in return before they curled together.

She needed his love. Needed his strength. It didn’t matter if they could acknowledge each other. As long as she knew he was there. Close. With her in their love, she would battle whatever tried to tear them down.

The stairs weren’t out. She guessed that was why her father offered her a hand. “You’re needed inside. Come on.”

Her relationship with Daire wouldn’t stay secret for long if she refused her father’s request. Her Heart must have had the same thought because his finger drifted away. So she slapped her hand onto Harry’s, letting him pull her up into the trailer.

Garrick was seated at the dinette. Already she hated it. The more Olympus contaminated her safe space, the harder it became to leash her emotions. In any other circumstance, she’d tell the intruders to get the hell out of her home. With their veil of compliance still shrouding each of them, all she could do was smile.

She glided across the space toward him, “Mr. Garrick,” she said, saccharine sweet, offering him a hand. “Always a pleasure.”

The Beast’s door slammed shut as he joined his hand with hers. That was her chance. Maybe she didn’t want these men in her home. Maybe she did need a shower and a change of clothes. But everything else would wait while she took the opportunity in front of her. Information. Intel. It was the key to survival.