certain they can’t come looking.”
“You can’t kill them all, Ken. And in any case, we don’t know who the bad guys are. She said they weren’t there to kill the senator—that they were supposed to protect him. If the order came down that way, they’re no different than we are. They want her back because we don’t leave a GhostWalker behind.”
“One of them did this to her.”
“We don’t know which one.”
Ken straightened slowly and turned to face his brother. “She doesn’t want Briony to know.”
“Briony’s not a child. I don’t lie to her, not even for you, and you can’t ask me to, Ken.” Jack spread out his hands. “Let’s get her on the helicopter and we can sort all this out later. We’ll take her to the small house Lily rented for us and stay there a few hours. The van will meet us there and we can disappear with her.”
“Are you bringing Briony in?”
Jack shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. She’s pregnant and Whitney wants her. I’m not willing to risk her life, although she wants to see her sister. She’s staying with Lily now at the big house, and Kadan and Ryland’s team is guarding her while we make a run for it.”
“You mean while we figure out how best to use Mari in our little game with Whitney.”
Jack pushed the gurney toward the door, ignoring the bite in his brother’s voice. “She’ll go back the first chance she gets, Ken. You can’t trust her. You heard her. You saw her. She’s not Briony, as much as they look alike. This one is tough as nails and could rip your heart out if you take your eyes off of her. Don’t you forget that. At this point I wouldn’t trust her with Briony’s life, let alone yours.”
“I haven’t forgotten.” Ken slung his rifle around his neck and checked his guns and ammunition belt. “I just am not willing to turn her back over to whoever hurt her like that.”
“Don’t identify with her. She’s our prisoner. And she could easily cut your throat—or mine. We don’t know anything about her. She’s capable of running a con just like we are. She was trained as a soldier, so her first duty is to escape.”
“Copy that, Daddy,” Ken said.
Jack halted so abruptly Ken ran into the bed. Their eyes met, a slash of steel swords clashing over Mari’s head. “I’m going to look out for you, Ken, whether you like it or not. You think I don’t know how shook up you were looking at the deer carcasses? You’re identifying with them.”
“Maybe, but I’m not letting anyone take this woman back to Whitney.”
“If she goes back, we can follow her, rescue the others, and cap Whitney’s ass,” Jack pointed out. “It all sounds good to me.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a bloodthirsty son of a bitch?” Ken asked.
“Yes,” Jack assented. “More than once.”
“Well, it’s true.” Ken lifted Mari into his arms while Jack steadied her leg and took the medical rigging. The helicopter was a few yards away, Nico waiting, rifle ready as he searched the area around them for an enemy. “You always think in terms of killing, Jack. I thought once you were with Briony, you’d get out of that habit.”
Jack shrugged. “It’s easier than jawing at everyone the way you do. By the time you finish talking to them, we realize we have to kill them anyway. I just save you all that trouble.”
Ken scowled at his brother. “You do realize everyone thinks you’re the pretty boy, now that my face is scarred. It doesn’t go well with your Dr. Death image.”
“ Pretty boy!” Jack glared at him. “If I didn’t have my hands full, I’d shoot you for that comment.”
“You mean to tell me Briony doesn’t tell you how pretty you are late at night when the two of you are all alone?”
“Don’t think I won’t take you out,” Jack threatened.
Ken flashed a sudden grin, genuine this time. “She does, doesn’t she?”
“She thinks I look rough and tough,” Jack corrected.
“Hey, Nico,” Ken
Alan Cook
Unknown Author
Cheryl Holt
Angela Andrew;Swan Sue;Farley Bentley
Reshonda Tate Billingsley
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Peter Kocan
Allan Topol
Isaac Crowe
Sherwood Smith