by Susan Stoker, Cristin Harber, Cora Seton, Lynn Raye Harris, Kaylea Cross, Katie Reus, Tessa Layne
Ghost squatted in the grass and nonchalantly began to unlace his military-style boot as he spoke. Chase didn’t know what he was doing, but didn’t interrupt.
“I had no intentions of looking for your sister. I had chalked it up to my one big regret.” At the low growl coming from Chase, Ghost continued quickly, “I didn’t regret her, or our time together, I regretted leaving her. Lying to her about my name. Letting the best thing that had ever happened to me slip through my fingers.”
Ghost wrenched off his boot and pulled his sock down to his ankle while pulling up the material of his pants as far as he could. He stood up and pivoted, showing Chase his calf. “I got this inked a month after I left her. I was driven to put her mark on me, to have her this way, even if I never saw her again.”
Chase looked down and pressed his lips together, not really believing what he was seeing.
Inked on Ghost’s leg was a replica of his sister’s tattoo. It had obviously not been done today, it was completely healed. The eagle’s wings wrapped around Ghost’s calf much as the one on Rayne wrapped around her sides. Even the damn Army logo was included, as well as the rifle and the lightning bolt. The only difference was instead of a carnation in one of the eagle’s talons, it held a magic wand…a stick with a star on top, complete with smaller stars floating around the tip and ribbons hanging off it. Chase wasn’t sure what to say.
Ghost dropped his pant leg and bent to put his boot back on. “I swear to you, I had no intention of disturbing your sister. I was resigned, not content, but resigned to have her live inside my memories. But then I found out that not only was she inside that fucking country, she was in the middle of a goddamn coup. It wasn’t by accident that I was there, Chase. No way will I ever believe that. I might not be a smart man, or even a very religious one, but when God reaches down and puts the best thing to ever happen to me right in my path—twice—I’m not going to ignore it. Not again.” Ghost stood up with his hands on his hips, daring Chase to disagree.
“She knows you lied about your name.”
Ghost’s hands dropped from his hips and he shoved them in his pockets.
Chase continued, “I didn’t know you’d given her a different name.”
Ghost sighed, but didn’t speak.
“I also let Delta slip, although she has no idea what that means. I’m not one hundred percent sure of that, but regardless, you’re going to have a high hill to climb there, Ghost. You lied to her. That wasn’t cool.”
“I know.” He didn’t try to defend himself.
“But as much as it pains me to say it, I understand.”
At Ghost’s incredulous look, Chase nodded. “Yeah, man. I get it. I’m not an idiot. I learned a hell of a lot about what guys like you do in my counterterrorism training. If nothing else, it makes me respect you more because you didn’t pull my sister into something she didn’t understand.”
“Thanks, I—”
“I wasn’t done.”
Ghost nodded for Chase to continue, to get out what he needed to.
“But man to man, I don’t care who you know and what you are, if your plans are to get some pussy and then drop her—”
Ghost couldn’t keep quiet. “Did you not hear me? Did you not see your sister inked on me? If I wanted pussy, I could’ve had it fifty times over by now. It’s Rayne I want. Rayne.”
Ghost held his breath, waiting for Chase’s approval or not.
Finally the man nodded. “She’s waiting for you. She couldn’t keep her eyes off the door all day. Although you should know, she’s going to have a million questions. Just do me a favor, would ya?”
“Anything.”
“Keep her safe. Me and Sam can’t lose her. It’s only the three of us in our family now, our folks died in a freak accident while they were on a cruise a few years ago. Their sightseeing plane crashed. I swear Rayne is now the glue that holds us all together.”
Ghost nodded and held out his hand to Chase, confirming to the other man what he’d already guessed. “She’s Delta now. She’s got six new brothers who would lay down their lives for her.”
Chase shook Ghost’s hand, knowing deep in his heart that every word out of the deadly man’s mouth was true. “Good. Thank you, Ghost.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be in touch.”
Chase nodded and watched Ghost stalk toward the hospital building and disappear through the automatic doors. He let out a long breath.
Rayne was stubborn, Lord knows he knew that about his sister, but she had no idea what she was up against with one Keane Bryson.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Ghost didn’t bother knocking, merely opened the door to Rayne’s room and strode in as if it was his own. She turned her head to him. The look in her eyes was a heartbreaking blend of excitement, welcome, and distrust.
He went over to her bed, pulled up the chair and settled into it. Leaning toward her, he asked, “How’re you doing, Princess?”
She huffed out a breath. “Would you quit calling me that ridiculous name?”
“No. Now how are you? Are you in much pain?”
Rayne narrowed her eyes at him. “Is your name John Benbrook?
“No. It’s Keane Bryson.”
She looked surprised that he’d come clean without a quibble. “And you’re not from Fort Worth, are you?”
“No. I live here in Killeen and am stationed out of Fort Hood.”
“What else did you lie about?”
Ghost could tell she didn’t really expect him to tell her much of anything, but he laid it out. “I never knew a girl named Whitney Pumperfield when I was in middle school and I was never held up at gunpoint.”
“And?”
Ghost stood up and settled next to Rayne on her bed. He supported his weight with one hand by her opposite hip and leaned toward her.
“That’s it, Princess. Everything else was the truth.”
She looked up at him with unhappy, untrusting eyes. “I don’t believe you,” she said finally, a bit sadly.
“I know you don’t. But I told you once, and I’ll repeat it as many times as you need me to. I won’t lie to you again.”
“Why were you in London?”
“I was on my way back from a mission.”
“What mission?”
Ghost sighed; he’d known it was coming, but hoped it wouldn’t be so soon. “I can’t tell you.”
“I thought you just said you wouldn’t lie to me,” Rayne said belligerently.
Ghost brought his free hand up to her face and smoothed her hair behind her ear. “I didn’t lie. I’ll tell you what I can, but there are some things I simply can’t share. I know you understand that, Princess. Does your brother tell you everything he does for his country?”
She shook her head reluctantly.
Ghost lowered his voice and leaned closer to her, deepening the intimacy between them. “I’m Delta Force. I don’t know if you know what that means, but we’re the most secretive branch of the military. Even more so than Navy SEALs. You are the only person, outside of those in the military who are on a need-to-know basis and your brother, who I’ve ever told.”
He paused to let that sink in for a moment. When her eyes widened, he figured she understood the enormity of it, and he continued.
“We go where the government sends us, when they send us. We were sent in to get the hostages, get you, out of the middle of that coup. You think the President wants anyone to know American forces were anywhere near there?”
He could see the understanding in her eyes, and he pressed his point.
“I might want to tell you where I’m going, but I won’t. I won’t ever put you in danger for knowing more than you should, Princess. I was on my way home from a mission that day. And I was lucky enough to have crossed paths with you.”
“It was a one-night stand,” Rayne said in a confused voice, obviously still fighting her attraction to him. “What are you still doing here?”
“I thought it was. I told myself i
t was, but I think we both knew differently.”
Rayne shook her head in denial.
Ghost sat upright, reached into the pocket of his pants, and pulled out a cell phone. He put in the password and clicked a few times on the screen. He turned the phone toward Rayne and watched her face as he explained.
“I’ve never taken a photo of a one-night stand before. I’ve never wanted to bring a piece of a woman home to look at first thing when I woke up and to be the last face I see when I fall asleep.”
Rayne looked in disbelief at the photo on Ghost’s phone. If was of the two of them in front of Buckingham Palace. She was in his embrace with her arms wrapped around his waist and was looking up at him and laughing. She remembered the moment. She’d been teasing him about taking a selfie picture. She had no idea he’d taken the picture when she hadn’t been looking at the lens.
She looked away from the picture and up at Ghost. “But you left.”
Ghost put the phone back into his pocket and leaned down to her again and agreed. “I did.”
Rayne didn’t know what else to say. Had no clue what he wanted. Everything he’d told her made her think that he was trying to let her down gently. He couldn’t talk about what he did, he was Delta Force, he was one big secret. She was so darn confused.
“How’re your wounds?”
Rayne shrugged.
“Can I see?”
“Uh, I don’t think you’re supposed to remove the bandages. The doctor said he’d look at them tomorrow.”
“I’ll be gentle. Please, Rayne. Let me see what they did to you.”
She held out a hand to him, allowing him to unravel the bindings there. “I’m pretty sure I did it to myself, Ghost.”
“No,” he immediately countered. “They did this to you.”
Rayne kept her eyes on Ghost’s face as he undid the last of the bandage and gazed at her wrist. Ghost looked up at her.
“You seen this?”
“Yeah, earlier.”
“Does it look better now?”
“I’d rather not look.”
“Why not?”
“It made me feel sick this morning.” Rayne felt Ghost’s grip tighten on her for a moment before he relaxed.
“I’m sorry, Princess. God, I’m so fucking sorry.” He leaned down and gently, oh so gently, kissed the palm of her hand, above the wound. She barely felt his lips whisper against her skin.
She dared to look. Ghost’s large hand held her wrist in his grasp. The torn and infected skin looked obscene next to his tanned, calloused palm. She forced herself to look more closely.
“I think it’s looking better, actually,” she told him. “It’s not quite as…oozy…as it was before.”
Ghost leaned over to the table beside her bed and picked up a piece of gauze. He carefully dabbed the wounds on her wrist, wiping away some of the pus so he could get a closer look. He even leaned in and sniffed her wound.
Rayne tried to pull her hand away. “Gross, Ghost, quit it.”
He held firm and she couldn’t pull out of his grasp. “It doesn’t smell putrid. The infection is clearing up. The antibiotics are doing their thing, Rayne. It’s good.”
“Okay, whatever you say. It’s still gross.”
He smiled at her then, carefully rewrapping her wrist. He gestured to one of her ankles. “May I?”
Rayne shrugged and watched as Ghost went through the same procedures with her ankle as he did with her wrist. Obviously deciding she was healing nicely, he pulled the blanket back up and returned to his position from before, one hand at her hip and leaning over her.
“Do they hurt?”
Rayne shrugged. “A little.”
“Do you need another pain pill?”
She shook her head. “They make me feel weird.”
“But you’re in pain?”
Rayne shrugged again and rolled her eyes when Ghost leaned over and pushed the call button on the side of her bed. When the nurse came in, he told her that Rayne was in pain and needed a pill. The nurse left and returned in a minute or so with a little white pill and a small cup of water. Ghost helped hold the cup while Rayne washed the pill down with the water.
He had spoken with the doctor before he’d left that morning, and explained a bit of the situation. Ghost might have insinuated that Rayne could be in danger and it was in her best interest to have either he or one of his teammates there at all times, even past the ten o’clock end of visiting hours…but he couldn’t be sorry for lying. His words, along with the colonel’s conversation with someone at the hospital, assured he’d be allowed to spend the night. There was no place he’d rather be other than at her side at the moment. He’d lost her once, he’d be damned if he’d do it again.
“I hope you don’t mind some company tonight,” Ghost told Rayne.
“Of course not, although don’t be surprised if I fall asleep before visiting hours are over.”
“Yeah…about that…” His voice trailed off.
“What did you do, Ghost?” Rayne asked suspiciously.
He shrugged. “I might have convinced the Doc that it’d be okay if I stayed in here with you.”
Rayne studied him before saying in a soft voice, “Okay.”
Ghost brought a hand up to her head and palmed the back of her neck. “You want me here.” It wasn’t a question.
She nodded anyway. “I think after what’s happened, it’d make me feel better if you stayed one night with me…at least until I get my feet under me again. I’m sure I’ll be all right tomorrow.”
Ghost inhaled deeply. She had no idea what her words meant to him. She might act as though she didn’t trust him, that she was upset with him for lying, and she most likely was…but when push came to shove, she trusted him to keep her safe.
“You’re safe here with me, Princess.”
She nodded, eyelids beginning to droop.
“You’re tired. Close your eyes.”
“I told you. It’s the stupid pill,” she complained. “It’s why I don’t like to take them.”
“Ummm.” Ghost made the sound in the back of his throat, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her.
“Will you sleep with me?”
“What?” Her question surprised Ghost.
“Sleep with me. You’re very warm.”
He smiled, understanding what she meant. For a second he thought she was propositioning him and his body had reacted accordingly. He never would have done anything when she was half-conscious and in the hospital, but his body sometimes had a mind of its own.
Ghost moved his hand from her neck to her cheek as he palmed her face and ran his thumb over her cheekbone. “I don’t think we’ll fit, Princess.”
“We fit on the plane.”
“You remember that?”
“Yeah, sorta.”
Ghost considered it. Her hospital bed wasn’t any smaller than the cot she’d been on while they’d been flying home on the plane. He mentally shrugged. The hell with it. He might get in trouble with the staff, but there was no place he’d rather be than wrapped around Rayne.
He stood up and leaned over to unlace his boots. He quickly removed them and placed them by the side of the bed. He pulled the sheet up to completely cover Rayne, then scooted in behind her, on top of the covers. Ghost carefully arranged her with her back to his front, put her head in the crook of his arm, and wrapped the other arm around her waist.
“God, I love this,” Rayne said sleepily. “I missed this. We slept just like this back in London.”
“Well, not exactly. We were both wearing a few less clothes.”
She chuckled and pushed back farther into him, trying to burrow to get as close as she could. “True.”
She didn’t say anything else for a while, and neither did Ghost. He knew things had been way too easy so far. Rayne wasn’t the type of woman to just let what happened go by without more of a protest. But he’d take what he could get.
“Ghost?”
The word was soft
and slurred.
“Yeah, Princess?”
“I was scared.”
His heart nearly broke. “I know you were.”
“I was really glad to see you.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But I’m still mad at you.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“You might not trust me, but you know I’ll keep you safe.”
“Yeah.”
“Go to sleep, Rayne. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
“Mary’s coming tomorrow.”
“Mary?”
“My best friend.”
“Ah, the one you sent my picture to when we were in London.”
“Um-hum. She tried to find you for me.”
“She did?”
“Ummm. She’s pissed.”
Ghost kissed the back of Rayne’s head. “As any good friend should be.”
“Really pissed.”
Ghost’s voice got serious. “I’m glad you have a friend like Mary looking out for you. But I swear to God, Princess, this time is different. I’m in this for the long haul. We’re going to figure this out. Please give me a chance. Don’t let your friend drive a wedge between us. She can be pissed, but please, don’t let her talk you out of giving me the chance to show you how much you mean to me.”
Rayne was silent for so long Ghost thought she was finally asleep.
Her sleepy voice broke the silence of the evening. “I want to believe you.”
“If you believe nothing else, believe that I’m not letting you go. You’ll never wake up and wonder where I went again. Okay?”
She didn’t answer him with words, but she turned in his arms and cuddled against him, her chest to his. Both arms curled up in front of her, her fingertips resting on him. Ghost could feel her hot breath against him. He felt her nod once, before she finally drifted off into the sleep of the drugged and exhausted.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“You had better not be that fucking liar John-bullshit-Benbrook.”
