To make matters worse, this entire misadventure made her reflect on just how vague Mason had been about the details of his life since getting out of the Navy.
Including—why had he left the Navy in the first place? Why his whole team had left?
He’d told her it was because their missions had taken a toll on him—emotionally and physically. Which made sense. She couldn’t imagine what those guys might have gone through. The things they would have been required to do for their country.
At the same time, he’d always loved that stuff. And he was the kind of guy who rose to a challenge.
Quinn had meant to look into it. Question him further. Make sure everything was okay. Only, she hadn’t. She’d been thousands of miles away and her job had all but consumed her life.
Guilt ate at her that she hadn’t made time for Mason. He was the only family she had left.
When he returned, she would make sure she talked to him. Really talked to him. About him leaving the Navy. About this whole enemy with superspeed thing. With no distractions. She wanted to see his face when he spoke to her. He thought he was good at keeping his emotions masked, but he wasn’t. Not from her, at least.
Since their parents had passed away, Mason and she had never lived in the same state. When their mother passed, he’d wanted to return home. But he’d been nearing the end of his BUD/S training. There was no way she or their father was letting him walk away from that.
Only a few years later, their father had his heart attack.
Losing a second parent, her last parent, was the hardest time in Quinn’s life. That’s when she’d moved to New York. Immersed herself in her work. In her new life.
Mason had visited a few times, but the stays had never been long enough. And they’d barely talked about the important stuff. Like the passing of their parents. His leaving the Navy.
Now was time. Past time.
Quinn ran her hands over her chilled arms. She hadn’t turned on the heat because she hadn’t wanted to be here long. The cold house, in combination with her wet clothes, did nothing good for her body temperature. But thankfully, she was done. Done searching for things she wasn’t even sure were here.
And that meant she could go home. Have a bath. Maybe bug Wyatt.
Once downstairs, Quinn reset the alarm, then stepped back outside. As she stood under the awning, she eyed her car. She’d thought the rain was falling hard when she’d arrived. That was nothing compared to now.
Well, Quinn, you’re going to be one soaked rat, aren’t you.
She was about to step into the downpour when a car stopped beside hers. She could just make out the face of the person behind the wheel.
“Wyatt?”
There was no way he would have heard her. She could barely hear her.
He hadn’t gotten out of his car yet. The moment he did, he’d be just as soaked. She stepped into the rain and immediately felt the heavy water hit her body. Hunching her shoulders, she jogged across the yard.
Hopefully, she would get to him before he got out. Then she could find out what the heck he was doing here.
She was halfway to the car when deafening thunder sounded, and lightning sizzled from right beside her.
Screaming, Quinn fell to the ground—and looked up just in time to see a huge nearby tree falling.
She couldn’t look away. She couldn’t move. Her breath stopped.
The tree was a moment away from crushing her when Wyatt suddenly appeared beneath it, holding it up with his back.
A moment later, he was joined by Kye.
Kye—who had come from seemingly nowhere.
Quinn’s mouth opened to scream again, but no sound came out. Her blood rushed through her veins.
That was no human strength they were using. It would take ten normal men to hold that thing. And the speed Wyatt would have had to use to reach her…
Who the hell were they?
Now her breaths were coming out quickly. So quickly, she was almost light-headed.
Crawling backward, she attempted to put space between them.
Wyatt’s mouth opened and shut. Although she couldn’t hear him, she knew he said her name.
She shook her head. An all-consuming need to get away took over her body. Her brain was struggling to comprehend what was right in front of her. That Wyatt and Kye were the same as them. The men Maya had spoken about. The men Darren had warned her about.
She stared at Wyatt, terrified. “You’re one of them.”
She wasn’t even sure if she spoke the words or just mouthed them. Icy fear and confusion were stealing her breath and her clarity.
Without another thought, Quinn pushed to her feet and ran. She wasn’t sure where she was going, just knew that she needed to get away.
Wyatt parked his car beside Quinn’s. On the drive over, the sky continued to light up with thunder as the rain steadily grew heavier.
The paper that sat on Quinn’s kitchen counter was the furthest thing from his mind right now. Her safety took precedence. This weather was dangerous. No way did he want her out in it. He didn’t even like driving in it.
Just as he undid his seat belt, he saw Quinn exit the house. He could see that her hair and clothes were already wet. She wasn’t even wearing a sweater.
The woman must be freezing.
A noise behind his car pulled his attention. He barely heard it over the storm. Glancing over his shoulder, he could just make out Kye standing in the distance.
At least she’d had someone watching her.
He knew the moment she noticed his car. A small smile tugged at her lips. She said his name. He saw it form on her lips. With the storm raging around them, he barely heard it.
His hand had just touched the door when she began to run across the yard.
Damn it to hell. There were puddles everywhere. The woman was going to fall down and hurt herself.
Throwing the door open, Wyatt had only taken a couple of steps when lightning lit the yard.
He watched in horror as it hit a huge oak tree only a few feet from Quinn.
As Quinn cried out and fell to the ground, Wyatt took off.
The tree was a few feet from her body when he caught it, holding it up with his back.
It was damn heavy. Likely over five tons. If it had hit her, she would be dead. No question.
A second later Kye was beside him. Taking half the weight.
He scanned her body, needing to make sure she was okay.
Relief flowed through him when she appeared unharmed. When his gaze stopped on her face, the concern returned. Her expression was a mixture of confusion and uncertainty and utter fear.
Her chest began to rise and fall in quick succession. Then she began to crawl backward, putting distance between them. Like he was an enemy.
“You’re one of them!”
Before he could question her words, she was pushing to her feet and running.
Cursing under his breath, Wyatt and Kye moved quickly to shove the tree to the side before he took off after her.
It took him three seconds to catch her. Wrapping his arms around her middle, he tackled her to the wet ground.
She immediately lashed out. It was a good move. On most men, it would likely injure and stop them. Not Wyatt.
“Quinn, don’t fight me. You know I’m not a danger to you.”
Surprisingly, she did stop. Fire raged in her eyes, replacing the confusion and fear of moments ago. “Who the hell are you? And don’t bother lying to me.”
Rain pelted them, almost drowning his words. “I’ll tell you everything once we get back to the car.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you, you lying asshat!” Again, she attempted to kick at him.
There was no way Wyatt was going to attempt a conversation in this weather. He was surprised she’d even heard him. Lifting her body, he hunched over, attempting to protect her from the worst of the weather. Her skin was icy cold and he could feel her shivering. Still, she fought him.
&
nbsp; “Get your hands off me!”
Ignoring her anger, Wyatt went to the place she’d fallen to grab the key, only to find it was gone. Looking up, he noticed Kye standing by the open door.
Good. That would save him the hassle of unlocking the thing and keying in a code, all while subduing the woman in his arms.
Firming his hold, he moved the final distance into the house.
The moment he set her down, Quinn took off, running straight past Kye, not even sparing him a glance.
The only reason Wyatt didn’t immediately follow was because she went upstairs. Maybe she needed a moment to process what she’d seen. Hell, any sane person would.
“Thanks for your help tonight, Cage.”
He indicated to the stairs with his head. “Need more help?”
He needed a lot of help. But it wasn’t the kind Kye could give. He needed to figure out how to explain things to Quinn without terrifying her further.
“I’ll be okay. I think it would be better if it’s just me here.”
He dipped his head. “You got it. Take care, brother.”
After Kye stepped out, Wyatt took a moment to turn on the heat before heading upstairs.
He had a feeling there was more to her fear and anger than simply witnessing his and Kye’s strength and speed. And it probably had something—or everything—to do with that story she was working on.
When he reached the top of the stairs, he heard rummaging noises from the master bedroom. Light shone from the bottom of the door.
Walking to the room, he opened the door, only to stop immediately.
Quinn stood in front of him, gun in hand, trained directly at his chest.
Chapter 12
Quinn was aware that her hand trembled. She was also aware Wyatt was likely fast enough to dodge a speeding bullet. But the gun was her only layer of protection.
She’d thought Wyatt was normal. Average. He wasn’t. He was something else completely. What, exactly, she wasn’t sure.
Was he one of the killers Maya had seen? He certainly possessed the speed and strength.
“I know how to shoot, so don’t even think about moving.” Quinn was grateful her voice was steady. “How did you do that?”
Wyatt raised his hands. She almost scoffed at the action. If he thought that made him appear less threatening, he was dead wrong. It did nothing to ease her fear.
“Can we talk about this without the gun, Quinn?”
“No. Does Mason know what you can do?”
His veiled expression didn’t change, but there was the slightest flicker of emotion in his eyes. “Your brother is just like me.”
Shock rendered Quinn silent. Shock and disbelief. He was lying. He had to be.
“I’m not lying,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “Our whole team, all eight of us, are like this. We didn’t choose to be this way. It was done to us.”
He took a small step closer. She took a step back, causing her legs to hit the bedside table. “Explain this to me. Because right now, nothing is adding up.”
Not the fact that her brother and Wyatt had superhuman abilities or that those abilities held a scary resemblance to the ones she was warned about.
“There was a program called Project Arma. It was government funded and supposed to teach us how to fight more efficiently. We were given drugs to help us recover quicker.” His hands dropped to his sides. “The drugs weren’t what they told us they were. They altered our DNA. Made us stronger. Faster. We can heal quickly, see everything, even if it’s pitch-black. Hear things a mile away.”
No. That wasn’t possible. Was it?
If what he said was true, then there was a huge chunk of her brother’s life that she knew nothing about. A trauma that he’d experienced, that he hadn’t shared with her.
Wyatt took another step forward. “Your brother didn’t want to tell you until it was over.”
Her brows pulled together. “You’re saying it’s not over?”
Fury washed over Wyatt’s face. It was an expression she hadn’t seen him wear before. “It should be. It’s not. Shylah was a nurse at the base. She discovered what was really going on and exposed the truth. Before the place was raided, the people working on the project ran and went into hiding. Our old commander, the head of the program, also went into hiding.”
Thunder roared outside, echoing through the bedroom. The lights flickered. “How did they learn about the raid?”
Wyatt lifted a shoulder. “That’s one of the great mysteries of Project Arma. They must have people on their payroll who could access that information. We just haven’t been able to find any evidence to suggest who it might be.”
Quinn was tempted to lower the gun. What Wyatt was saying fit the guy she’d thought she knew. It fit who her brother was.
Good people. Possible victims of a tragic situation.
But it didn’t explain where he fit into Maya’s story. She had to know. Even if she didn’t like the answer.
“Do you have anything to gain from robbing pharmaceutical labs?” She searched Wyatt’s face. Studied his body language. Waiting for any signs of deceit.
“No.”
There was a ring of truth to the word. That, in combination with the fact he’d never given her reason to question his ethics, made her inclined to believe him.
Slowly, Quinn lowered the gun. The adrenaline that had been rushing through her system slowed.
“Can I have the gun?”
Quinn almost found it comical that he was asking, seeing as how easily he could take it. “Yes.”
Lifting the weapon, she offered it to Wyatt. He approached and took it from her fingers, immediately turning the safety back on. “I didn’t know Eagle kept this in his room.”
She lifted a shoulder. “He’s told me before he stashes one in the dresser.”
And probably a million other places.
“Smart.”
Quinn stepped to the side and watched as Wyatt put the gun back where she got it.
When he straightened, he didn’t move closer or move away. Rather, just stood and watched her. Like he was trying to figure out whether he could touch her.
To be honest, she wasn’t sure. A million different emotions swirled through her.
Wyatt was the same man he’d been this morning. The man she’d been craving to see and unable to get out of her head. But he was also different. So much so that she felt like she needed time to digest what he’d told her.
He must have read her hesitation, because he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I think we should stay here tonight. I’m not too comfortable with either of us driving in this weather.”
As if on cue, the thunder sounded again through the room. It was deafening.
Quinn had all but forgotten the storm. Only minutes ago, she’d been seconds away from being crushed to death.
“I’ll sleep in here.”
Wyatt nodded. “I’ll take the one across the hall.”
He took a step toward the door, only to stop when Quinn touched his arm. The same zing of awareness shot through her body at the touch.
“Thank you. For saving me tonight.”
If Wyatt hadn’t been there, she would likely be dead. And in the process of saving her, he’d revealed his secret. Her brother’s secret.
“If I hadn’t been there to save you, Cage would have.”
Quinn had questions about that, but right now she was too tired to ask them.
“Seeing that tree almost fall on you scared the hell out of me.” He paused as if considering his next words. “I know you’ve had a lot to process tonight, and this probably isn’t the best time for me to say this, but I care about you. I feel a connection to you.”
Quinn wet her lips. She couldn’t deny that she felt the same. “I feel it too.”
A warmth filled his eyes. “Good. I’m going to go downstairs, fix us something to eat. You can have a shower and get warm—”
“I’m actually not that hungry. A hot drink would be n
ice though.”
She felt abnormally tired. Probably due to the huge adrenaline dump.
“I’ll bring you a hot drink.”
She thought he was going to leave. Instead, his head lowered, and he pressed his lips to her forehead. She sucked in a long breath, giving herself permission to enjoy his touch.
When he stepped away, she had to stop herself from pulling him back. She went so far as to cross her arms over her chest as he walked toward the door. It wasn’t until he was in the hall that he stopped.
“Would you have shot me?”
A smile tugged at her lips. Absolutely not. But there was no way was she telling him that. “I guess you’ll never know.”
A ghost of a smile appeared on his face, then he left.
Once she was alone, Quinn realized she was no longer shaking from the cold. Wyatt must have switched on the heat. She was still cold, thanks to her wet clothing, but not freezing.
Moving to the adjoining bathroom, Quinn turned on the water. As it warmed, she stripped off her clothes before stepping under the stream.
At first, the water felt like tiny pins pricking her skin. Quickly, the water turned from painful to warm.
She didn’t know how long she stood there, just letting Wyatt’s words swirl through her mind. She did know it was a long time.
She was consumed by a myriad of emotions. Shock. Surprise. Relief that it sounded like Wyatt was in fact one of the good guys.
Also, an overwhelming sense of sadness. Sadness because Mason hadn’t told her about what he’d been through. That he’d experienced something that had no doubt altered his perspective of the world he lived in. Hurt him.
It was her fault he hadn’t told her. She’d known that it was suspicious for him to leave the Navy. He’d damn well lived and breathed his job. Only, she’d been so absorbed in her own life, her own career, that she’d accepted his subpar explanation of “being done.”
Heck, she’d barely checked on him—her own brother. Her last immediate family member. She should have come down here and visited him. Put more time into ensuring he was okay.
She was an investigative journalist, dammit, and she hadn’t even been able to see that there was a whole part of her brother’s life that had gone wrong.
Wyatt: A steamy contemporary military romance (Project Arma Book 5) Page 9
