by Angela White
Jeremy reddened, but he didn’t deny it. “That scene comes later in the story.”
Samantha snorted again, flattered and wary. “Guess I need a copy of the script.”
“I’ll see what I can do about that.” He stood up, taking his untouched tray. “Try to have fun with Neil tonight. He’s a good man.”
Samantha was aware of the surprised, uneasy people around them as he left. Jeremy had to know how this would end. He would be left out. As nice as he was, there was no way that Eagle would ever be able to break through the wall of ice around her heart.
Samantha’s gaze slid to the center table and found Neil staring at her. There was enough heat there to melt an iceberg and she dropped her gaze. There was little choice between the two, but she wasn’t sure if she even wanted one of them yet. She didn’t have enough of her self-respect back to be in a relationship. All she wanted from either of them right now was friendship and training. Everything was secondary to surviving the slavers.
Adrian’s table was much quieter than usual. Kenn tried to keep the conversation going, knowing the boss didn’t like the tension, but with Neil distracted, Doug on sentry in the QZ, and Kyle still angry that Kenn had been allowed to return, there was little cooperation.
“I’ll catch you guys later.” Neil left the table and let his feet go where they wanted instead of where they should.
“You ready?”
Samantha jumped when Neil dropped onto the bench across from her.
His tone was defensive and she responded sarcastically, “Shouldn’t we wait and let Becky have her say, too?”
Neil followed Samantha’s line of sight to the teenager staring at them furiously, frozen in place.
The line around her advanced and Becky forced herself to do the same. She did her best to clear her expression, female mind flying through suitable retaliations. She could ignore them and keep up the act that there was nothing going on with her and Neil. She could also cause a scene and force him to claim her early, but she knew both of those options would lose her his affection.
Becky spotted Rick sitting by himself in a far corner and hoped he wouldn’t mind, but didn’t hesitate to carry her tray to his table. Take that!
“Talk to her. Tonight,” Sam ordered and Adrian’s gesture demanded the same.
“I will,” Neil answered them both. He glanced at Samantha. “Let’s go now, okay?”
Samantha was glad to escape the attention, but her mind was on Rick and Becky. At this point, not telling the girl some hard truths would be more dangerous than keeping quiet.
The sight of the training tent had Neil’s stomach twisting. He didn’t want to do this, but the thought of Seth (or Jeremy!) alone in there with her was enough to make him follow through.
“So, are you ready to fight?”
“Sure,” Samantha responded shakily to the joke.
Neil held the flap for her, and ducked inside after a quick glance around verified only one bitter guard lurking in the shadows. He had no idea how this might go. The fewer witnesses, the better.
Samantha waited by the flap for Neil to light a lantern and lead her into the canvas room. When he took them inside the large area made of hay bales, she held her nervousness in check and followed him without a protest. She’d asked for this and he was breaking the rules to give it to her. She wasn’t an Eagle or in official training, so they had to be somewhere private.
This fits the bill, she thought, taking off her gun and placing it next to his. It was so quiet in here, it was almost like they were alone.
Neil kicked off his boots, stalling as she did the same. He was hoping to spot cold feet that he could respond to. If she would give him a sign that she didn’t want this–
“So what’s first?”
Eager. Damn it! “I’ll show you the basic moves and we can go from there.”
“No, Neil.”
“What?”
“I want exactly what you gave Angie.”
“You’re not ready for that yet.”
They found Adrian in the doorway and Neil hid a sigh of relief, grateful.
“Angela was already a level fighter when Marc got her here. You’ll need to build up to that.”
Samantha could feel how much happier Neil was as Adrian left them alone. He hadn’t wanted to give her the lesson. Afraid to hurt her? Maybe. Afraid to be caught was more likely and she didn’t stop herself from reacting.
Neil was unprepared for her swing and took the full hit.
Samantha saw the blood run from his split lip, and waited nervously for his response. She needed this and if she had to push him to get him to do it, she would. As for Adrian’s rules, well, he hadn’t said anything about a workout.
“What was that for?” Neil questioned, ears ringing from being caught unprepared.
“Lying, pretending, and screwing around with my mind,” Sam stated coldly. “Take your pick.”
“But it was Adrian’s choice,” he protested as her fist clenched again.
“He did it for you. He felt your fear.”
Neil opened his mouth to argue and found he couldn’t lie to her. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. Now show me.”
Neil stared at her, more confused, if that was possible, than he had been before. She had a hell of a swing.
“Later. Let’s do a workout first. It’ll settle you down, let you concentrate.”
Samantha raised a brow. “Who says I can’t now? As I’m sure you know, anger is great for that.”
Neil laughed and knew it was a mistake when her fists clenched again.
“I challenge you!”
He had time to think she’d picked up a lot in her short time here, and then she swung and he tried not to fall down.
Thud!
For the fifth time, Neil landed with a hard thump, blood dripping, and Samantha retreated.
“Why are you letting me beat on you?” she demanded, almost yelling.
Neil winced, but didn’t answer. There was a method to his madness. Telling her wasn’t a part of it.
Rolling to his feet, Neil rushed her, dropping under her wild swing and he took them to the ground with his hand braced under to keep her from hitting too hard.
“Ankles!” he ordered sharply.
Sam did as he’d shown her, using the force of her locked legs to gain leverage. She slammed his ribs with quick, hard knuckle punches, and used her head to connect with his nose.
Grunting, Neil rolled over and off to keep from spraying her with fresh crimson and they stayed on the floor, breathing hard. They’d been at it for almost their allotted hour and Neil was hurting. He’d given her the perfect workout. He let her hit him repeatedly.
“Be at the self-defense ring at dawn,” Neil stated, running on instinct.
“You’ll clear it?”
“No. It’s important for this to appear like your idea. Only the teachers are there so early. Go to Doug and challenge him. After, demand to be signed up for the level classes, not the crap we give the sheep. You’re way beyond that.”
And she is, he thought. She was clumsy and had bad habits that would have to be broken, but she also had a fury Neil wasn’t sure even Angela could match. Samantha had an endless supply of rage to draw from and every hit she’d delivered had been solid. When she was ready, Samantha would follow Angela into the Eagles. Neil was positive of it.
“You okay?”
Samantha sighed, sitting up. “Thinking.”
“Yeah.” Neil examined his feelings on being in the background while she went through what Angela already had and found he could understand completely why Marc had been so upset. If he witnessed a man hit Samantha, he’d react. It was that simple.
“Can we do this again?” she asked, her voice pointed. “But without the passive teacher.”
Neil hesitated, still not sure about anyone, including himself, hurting her even for lessons. Sending her to Doug would make it so he didn’t have to see it until he’d had more time to adjust
.
Samantha waved a hand. “If not, no big deal. Jeremy will probably–”
“I’ll do it!”
Samantha only felt a little guilty for using his jealousy. “Good. You’ll let me know when?”
“Yes.”
“Great. Thanks, Neil.”
“Adrian sends ‘em and I beat ‘em.”
“But Adrian didn’t send me and you never hit me. Wonder what that means?”
Her thoughtful voice had his lids flying open.
“Might be nothing,” he warned.
She gave him a sharp tone that cut through his indifferent façade. “I’ll keep that in mind when Jeremy asks me out. He’s very nice.”
Samantha retrieved her gun. “See ya, Neil.”
Neil was fast, on his feet and then right behind her in an instant.
Samantha stopped, waiting. She’d pushed him tonight, in more ways than one.
“Please.” Neil’s voice was ragged, tortured.
“Please what, Neil? Don’t tease you about Jeremy?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Samantha hadn’t turned and the trooper was able to give her the honesty that the sight of her face would have locked up. “I need…time.”
Samantha’s heart jumped. “For?”
She heard the tremor in her voice as clearly as he did.
Staring at her stiff shoulders, Neil felt his caged need spring forward and he smothered the urge to spin her around and demonstrate his desires. “To be sure.”
Samantha let that sink in, understanding she was now firmly in contention for him with Becky.
“I won’t play those games, Neil. And I’d never share.”
She rotated slowly, let him view her indifference. “Plus, I don’t know if I’m even interested.”
A dark flush slid up her cheeks and Neil slammed his hands into his pockets. He wanted desperately to expose that lie. “Ouch.”
“Sorry. Long day.”
“Long life full of pain.”
Samantha’s voice lowered. “And it’s not over. Things are happening too fast for me.”
“Did you tell Jeremy the same thing at mess?”
Sam swung to him. “No. I don’t need to. He understands that without being told.”
Before he could respond, she slipped out of the tent, unable to help a shiver at the immediate darkness.
“Hey, there.”
Jeremy’s voice was unexpected and Samantha’s hand went for her gun.
“Easy. I’m the guard he posted.”
Sam cringed at those words, thinking Jeremy had been able to hear them.
“I wouldn’t do that to you. I’ve been in the shadows and on patrol. I heard nothing.” His smile widened. “Saw some vicious swinging shadows though. Good workout?”
Samantha realized he knew of Adrian’s visit and what it meant. “It helped.”
“You gonna have another lesson?”
Samantha heard the familiar tones of jealousy and her voice was cool. “That hasn’t been decided yet.”
Jeremy fell in step as she took the path toward her tent, wondering what she was thinking.
“He wants me to wait,” Sam blurted suddenly, horrified to hear it fall out so bluntly. “Until he makes up his mind.”
Jeremy scowled. “He what?”
Samantha instantly wished she hadn’t told him.
“He’s not sure,” she stated, letting him see how stung she was.
Jeremy responded to her need without hesitation. “Come here.”
Samantha let him surround her with his big arms, surprised at the way she enjoyed being held. The tears were rare for her and she was glad when only a few rolled down her cheek to soak into his jacket.
“He’s an ass,” Jeremy stated harshly, not caring that Neil had emerged from the tent and stopped in shock. “It’s not your fault he’s stupid, baby. That’s on him!”
Jeremy glared at Neil and then led them away from the training area, fighting the urge to say something nasty to his team leader. What the hell was wrong with Neil that he couldn’t recognize the differences like everyone else? Was that little tart worth his place?
Samantha let the concerned Eagle take her into the darkness, thinking she would have to seal up these feelings that she now had for Neil. If this continued for long, it would hurt her and she couldn’t allow another man to do that.
Neil’s heart thumped with guilty anger. Jeremy would be a better mate for her. Clearly, he was more attentive, as Neil hadn’t even realized he’d hurt her until he’d witnessed the tears when Jeremy led them toward the shadows. But…that male part of him, the side that his dad had built from the ground up, was insisting he could give her more.
What about Becky? his body asked and Neil grimaced uneasily. She was in the shadows behind him and Neil didn’t hide it. “Becky, we need to talk.”
He waited until he heard her behind him.
“Hey, Neil.”
Her tone was cool and he sighed resignedly. It just wasn’t his day. “I’d like to talk to you about your new friend.”
Her clenched fists told him to brace himself. He had also learned something tonight.
“And don’t forget your new friend, Neil. We’ll have a talk about her, too.”
Neil started toward the tent he’d left and Becky sneered angrily. “You know nothing about women, Neil. Do you know that? I don’t want to talk in there, where you were with her!”
“You need to stay away from Rick…and stop following me.”
Becky froze, heart thumping. He was doing it now.
“Did you hear–”
“I heard you! Anything else? Like October isn’t happening because you’ve found something better?”
Neil winced. “It’s not like that. I…I need some time.”
Becky grew red. “To pick.”
He gave a short sigh, realizing she deserved to know the truth, too. “Yes.”
“Well, then I don’t see a problem with my spending time with Rick while you spend time with Samantha. Maybe someone as a comparison would be a good thing.”
Becky spun away, tearing up, and Neil was ashamed at his first thought. He already had a basis for comparison, but wasn’t sure how he now fared against Jeremy in Samantha’s estimation.
“I’m sorry.”
“Slam you!” floated through the stillness.
Well, that went well, Neil thought sarcastically. He glanced in the direction Jeremy and Samantha had gone, and went to the showers instead. What he wouldn’t give to hear that conversation.
“Try not to let it keep eating at you. He’ll come around.”
“I’m not a second prize, Jeremy. It’s already too late for that.”
Ignoring how his own heart responded, the Eagle said, “Neil’s wired differently than most of the people here, Sam. It’s a cop-thing.”
The storm tracker became cold. “I’m not interested.”
That was supposed to be the end of it. Jeremy heard the tone, but the need to make his team leader and this soft, furious woman happy was stronger than her desire to be left alone.
“Give him a little time, baby, like he asked for.”
Samantha’s weathered face held no trace of the tears that had brought them to this secluded part of the camp. Showing misery was a luxury she refused to indulge in. There was just too much of it. “And in the meantime?”
Jeremy let a brief glimpse of his feelings show, unable to deny her the comfort she wanted and the hope his heart needed. “In the meantime, we’ll get to know each other. If he waits too long, it’s his loss.”
Samantha sighed restlessly, thinking again that this man would never hurt her, wasn’t dangerous to a woman, and that was why it wouldn’t succeed. She needed that edge of unknown. Still, at least she wouldn’t be walking through her days completely alone. “Okay, for now. How long I’ll last in this play, I don’t know.”
Jeremy understood completely. “Same here, baby. Same here.”
7
Still running through the dark trees in a wild rage, Becky hit a hard body and came to a jarring stop. They fell in a tangle of limbs and the crying girl’s sobbing increased.
“Slam this place!”
“I don’t think so much of it either.”
Rick was amused, and Becky didn’t get off his chest. The tears were still coming and she shuddered when he slid an arm around her.
“Sshhhh…”
Rick comforted her easily and enjoyed the feel of her young body against his. If not for the guards… He pushed himself up, gently hauling her along, and though he left his arm around her, he put clear space between them. Too bad he wasn’t on his own time right now, but sneaking around had to be done carefully.
“It’ll be okay. You’ll think of something.”
Becky sniffled against his hot arm. “And you’ll help me with it.”
Glad her voice had been barely audible, Rick said soothingly. “Yes. In a little while, they’ll all be too busy to think about her.”
The shadows observed tensely, hoping Rick would cross any line, but the suspected traitor only offered a little more comfort and then gently pushed the teenager toward camp. It would be reported, but without an actual crime, Rick was safe.
Chapter Thirteen
Playing with Fire
April 24th
Safe Haven
1
Fate isn’t something you can plan for. Sometimes, all you can do is hold on and steer toward the shallows.
I was expecting all men. My council will be only half that. I’m struggling to be careful with them and the camp. Samantha needs time to adjust before I can pull her in openly. Angie has to be trained, taught. The load has increased, but so have the benefits. Not one Seer, but three!
Fate blessed me and cursed me by sending me so much power it can’t be used freely. Somewhere, laughter is spilling on my account, I’m sure.
I now have what I need, but where to begin! What to push the hardest? We’re spending the next two days on the Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge and I hope to get further in my plans. These women need to be accepted and I have total faith that fate will provide the right places, at the right times.
