Echoes at Dawn (15 page)

She’d spent time in the mountains under the worst conditions possible with these men. Rio was a badass. A dark, brooding type that looked like no one ever dared cross him. But here? He was relaxed. Obviously a fan of creature comforts, judging by the custom home, the appliances and all the luxury items.

The bedding alone was simply to die for. She hadn’t stayed in hotels that had better linens.

Rio was obviously someone who liked to live well when he wasn’t out saving the world and getting shot at. It was hard to reconcile this man standing before her with the man who’d carried her all over a mountain tied to his back.

Terrence seated her on a stool close to the end and then took the one next to her. There was only one left on the other side of her, which she assumed was for Rio, since the others were all claimed by his team members.

Rio put a plate in front of her and the scent wafted through her nostrils. Her stomach immediately growled and she closed her eyes, savoring just being able to sit down and enjoy a meal in the comfort of a home.

Rio slid onto the stool beside her after serving the others and glanced over.

“Eat up,” he said gently. “As soon as you’re done, I’ll try to get Shea on the phone for you.”

THE
meal was rather simple. Baked chicken, vegetables and rice, with hot rolls straight out of the oven. But for Grace it was the closest she’d come to having a normal meal in longer than she could remember.

She savored the sheer mundaneness of sitting there, cutting into her chicken, the burst of warmth and flavor on her tongue. She purposely took her time, not wanting to hurry the moment. It was probably a sign that she really had lost her mind that she was taking such pleasure in drawing out a meal.

But for her, it was like Christmas and Thanksgiving all rolled into one. All that it lacked was Shea.

Remembering what Rio had promised her, she dug into her food more rapidly, not wanting to waste a single bite. She was already full, but she was compelled to eat it all. Going for so long without food made a person not take a meal for granted when they finally got one.

When the last bite was consumed, she looked up to see that the men had already finished and were staring oddly at
her. It made her self-conscious and she pushed the plate away, her cheeks warm under their scrutiny.

“That was really good, Rio. Thank you.”

He continued to look at her, his lips set firm. He inclined his head to the side, motioning for the others to leave. When they were gone, he took her plate and the others and stacked them in the sink. Then he glanced up, catching her gaze and holding it for a long moment.

“How long has it been since you ate?” he asked bluntly. “I mean really ate, Grace. I watched you last night and now today and you never once looked away from your food. It was as if you were afraid it was going to get up and walk off your plate.”

She bit into her bottom lip and ducked her head to avoid his scrutiny.

“You’ve lost weight. Even since I saw you in that surveillance footage. You were lean and toned. You had more muscle mass. You look like they damn near starved you.”

His words stung even though she knew he hadn’t meant them to be demeaning. He was angry. Not at her. She knew what she looked like. Like someone who’d been as close to death as one could be without sliding all the way into the grave. There were times when she swore she felt the cool earth cover her and darkness surround her. It was all in her mind. Her mind had become hell instead of a refuge.

“They mostly gave me IV fluids,” she said in a low voice. “I’m not sure what all they gave me, to be honest. Those weeks are—were—a blur. But they certainly didn’t bring me regular meals that I ate on my own if that’s what you’re asking.”

Rio’s expression grew stormier. His eyes darkened until they were nearly black.

“I’ll make you special meals for as long as you’re here. You won’t go hungry again, Grace.”

She blinked in surprise and then smiled, some of the shadows lifting at the fierce vow. Being plied with yummy food and luxurious surroundings wasn’t exactly a hardship.

“Can…Will you call Shea for me now?” she asked anxiously.

His expression grew more serious. “You need to understand that I may not be able to make this happen.”

Her lips turned down and she was unable to call back the unhappy frown.

“I’ll do what I can. I know this is important to you.”

He walked around the island and held out his hand to her. She slid her fingers over his palm, tangling with his fingers, and allowed him to pull her from the stool. He led her beyond the kitchen and into a small enclosed space that resembled a patio except it was cut off from the outside. The windows were dark and seemed thick, and there was almost a distortion of the view.

But beyond was a lush garden, well attended. A small pond sporting Japanese koi had a cascading waterfall that slid over a series of rocks before splashing into where the fish swam in lazy circles.

“What is this?” she asked as she stared around at the enclosure.

“It’s a safe room. A place to enjoy the outdoors without actually being outdoors. There’s an indoor pool just around the corner and behind the same bulletproof glass that currently surrounds us.”

Her eyes widened. “Do you have that many enemies?”

“Yes.”

She hadn’t quite expected his terse, blunt response, and if she’d thought he’d go into further detail or perhaps elaborate, she was completely wrong. He said nothing more and instead drew out a phone and began punching a series of numbers.

Rio waited while the call connected, capturing Grace from the corner of his eye. She’d turned away but her body posture was stiff. Agitation rolled from her, almost tangible in the quiet. Then she paced a few steps, turned, and he could see her hands clenched tightly together.

When the line opened, Rio uttered the password and then Sam was there, immediately brisk and all business.

“Rio, what the fuck is going on? Where are you and is Grace okay?”

Rio lifted a brow. “Is there any reason she shouldn’t be? She’s with me and recovering well.”

“I got a call from Resnick. It would appear you have a problem that isn’t entirely exclusive to Grace.”

Rio almost laughed. Like that was anything new?

“Cut the bullshit, Sam. Just tell me what he said. I assume you mentioned Titan to him.”

“Yeah. He said that as of two years ago they no longer unofficially existed. They were disbanded and retired.”

Rio snorted. “That’s a pretty damn naïve assessment from someone who should damn well know better. Does he think just because the government no longer had a use for them that they’d just go away quietly, take up normal jobs, buy houses with picket fences and raise a brood of children?”

There was a long silence. “He said you were one of the original members of Titan.”

Yeah, Rio had figured that would come out. It wasn’t a shock. He’d be damned if he spent even a minute apologizing or explaining his past.

“What’s your point?” Rio asked.

Sam blew out his breath. “There is no point. Look, I know you’re a secretive bastard, but do you think at any time this would have been a good thing for me to know? If everything you and Resnick say about Titan is true, then you’ve put KGI in a dangerous situation. Groups like that don’t just let people walk away, as Resnick so eloquently put it. Which means they’ve probably been hunting your ass all along.”

“If they wanted me dead, I have no doubt I’d already be six feet under. Or in pieces somewhere.”

“You give them that much credit?”

“They’re the real deal, Sam. They aren’t amateurs or a bunch of boys playing at being G.I. Joe. I’m sure I’ve remained on their radar, but the man who took over after
I left owed me. I saved his life. That and that alone is the reason I’m still breathing.”

“Just as long as I know where your loyalties lie,” Sam said quietly.

Rio was silent for a moment. He didn’t like being questioned even as he knew why Sam had to do it. “I’m here, Sam. I’m doing the job. That should be enough loyalty for you.”

“You should bring Grace in.”

“I don’t agree.”

Sam sighed. “You can’t keep her forever, Rio.”

“No, but I can damn well make sure I don’t put her in any more danger by exposing her and doing the very thing they expect me to do, which is reunite her with her sister.”

“I’ll agree to go along. For now,” Sam said. “I want frequent updates. We made a promise to Shea, one I’m not willing to back down on. Not after all she did for Nathan and Swanny.”

“Grace helped them too,” Rio said evenly. “They wouldn’t have made it out if not for her.”

“I’m not arguing that. I just want to make sure we make it right for both of them,” Sam said.

“For now she stays with me. Now, Grace wants to talk to Shea.”

Rio could all but hear the wheels turning in Sam’s head.

“She can’t use her telepathy,” Rio said quietly, hoping Grace couldn’t hear. “She’s too damaged. But she’s desperate to talk to Shea and I promised her I’d try to make it happen.”

Sam swore. “I can’t do it. Not yet.”

“What do you mean you can’t do it?” Rio snapped.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. I sent Nathan and Shea away. At your suggestion, I might add. They haven’t checked in with me yet. They’re still traveling. As soon as I hear from them, I’ll make the call happen. You have my word.”

Rio cursed under his breath and stole another glance in
Grace’s direction. She was staring at him with hope in her eyes. Hope he had to now crush.

“I need this fast,” Rio said in a low voice.

“You’ll get it. Just give me time.”

“I don’t have it.”

“Nothing I can do, man. I’ll let Shea know what’s going on the minute I hear and then I’ll arrange the call.”

Rio muttered his agreement then ended the call. Even before he turned fully to Grace, he could feel her disappointment.

“What happened?” Grace demanded, her voice quivering. “Is she all right? Why can’t I talk to her?”

Rio framed her shoulders in his hands and squeezed. “Nathan has taken her somewhere safe. Sam’s going to let her know you want to talk to her as soon as they check in. I know you want to talk to her, Grace, but your safety—the safety of both of you—is the priority here.”

She swallowed back bravely but he could see the grief and devastation in her eyes. Then she turned away and went to stand by the glass looking out to the garden. She leaned her forehead against it, closed her eyes, and then he could see the strain ripple across her forehead.

An uneasy sensation prickled his nape. His gaze narrowed as he watched Grace. Her hands pressed against the glass and then curled into balls.

She squeezed her eyes shut, and her entire body tensed and bowed inward. She let out a small cry and then she went limp. Tears slipped down her cheeks in silver trails. She turned and slid down the glass until she sat on the floor, her legs tugged up to her chest, and she buried her face against her knees as quiet sobs shook her shoulders.

PAIN
echoed through Grace’s head, pain she was responsible for because she’d kept pushing, refusing to believe that she couldn’t carve out that path to her sister again.

“Grace.”

Her name came softly. So gentle and quiet that she almost didn’t hear it. But she
felt
it. Like a warm brush, soothing away some of the darkness in her mind. Calming the wild, chaotic buzzing in her head.

She barely managed to lift her head and saw Rio crouched on the floor in front of her, concern creasing his brow.

“What is it? What happened?” he asked.

She lowered her forehead to her knees once more and took in long, steadying breaths. “I can’t do it. I tried so hard but it’s just not there. Oh God, Rio, what will I do?”

“What’s not there?” he asked quietly.

“The link,” she said in frustration. She raised her head and stared fully into his eyes, despair overwhelming her. “The link I destroyed to my sister. It’s gone. All of it’s gone. I can’t focus. I can’t reach out to anyone. It’s like
there’s this yawning black hole in my mind and it’s consuming me.”

Instead of saying anything further, Rio rose and then reached down to pry her hand away from her legs. He tugged upward until she gave in and let him pull her to her feet.

“You need shoes,” he said as he pulled her back toward the main living area.

She stared after him, utterly baffled. “Where are we going?”

He remained silent as he walked through the kitchen and then to a closet off the living room. He let go of her hand to rummage around a moment and then came out with a pair of shoes that looked like they’d fit her.

He dropped them on the floor beside her feet. “Put them on.”

She stood there a long moment wondering what she’d missed, but seeing his determined look, she sighed and did as he said. When she was done, he went to the gun rack just inside the back entrance and pulled a pistol off the shelf. He shoved in a clip, pocketed two others and then reached for yet another gun. After giving it equal treatment, he donned a shoulder holster and tucked away both pistols.

He glanced her way and then crossed the room, took her hand and started toward another section of the house.

She shook her head to rid herself of the cobwebs that seemed to cling to her brain. She couldn’t imagine what on earth had spawned this reaction. “Rio, where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

They took a short flight of stairs down into what appeared to be the basement. To her surprise, he stopped and pushed a button and elevator doors opened. Her mouth gaped as Rio ushered her inside. He hit another button and the elevator started down.

She tried not to think of down, because down was below the ground. Like way below. She had the sudden hysterical thought that he was taking her somewhere to execute her.

When they stepped off, they were surrounded by complete darkness. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out dim lighting ahead. Rio tucked her hand in his and guided her toward the distant glow.