Three blocks away he heard a siren. The ambulance rushing off to the hospital with their patient.
Ghost gestured to a nearby parked taxi. Pulling a set of keys from his pocket, he deftly unlocked the door and hurriedly slipped into the driver's seat as he motioned for Ryan to take the backseat. Following his partner's unspoken commands, Ryan climbed into the backseat, plopped down, placed the suitcase at his feet, and released a relieved sigh.
"Damn."
Ghost drove through the neighborhood streets like a pro, navigating them toward the major highway and the airport.
"Did you…" Ryan began.
"Here. Whatever you do, don't touch what's inside. I presume you have carry-on bag privileges with your government ID?"
"Yeah." With his high level security Ryan walked through airport scanners, flashing his badge or card at security personnel. They always looked at his card and waved him through, along with any bag in hand. Even international flights, through a loose agreement between the US and their allies.
"Stick it in your bag for the flight home."
Curiosity spurred Ryan. Taking the small leather case, he slowly unzipped the top, enough to reveal what appeared to be a pea-sized corkboard pin. "What's this?"
"Dart."
A dart? From a blowgun? Surely not. Those would be longer and leaner. This one appeared to be something placed by hand.
"What's in it?"
"A drop of topical anesthesia in order to make the dart painless when it hits. Inside the injector is a mixture of Australian eastern brown snake venom and epinephrine."
"Traceable?"
"Only in areas that see lots of bites from brown snakes. Which is not Paris. The epinephrine increases the uptake of the venom, which is a neurotoxin and can mimic a heart attack. Which is exactly what happened."
Ryan blinked, amazed at the explanation and of the sheer number of words the man spoke all at once. The contents of the dart sent a shudder through him. "Remind me not to get on your bad side." Where the assassin came up with the ingredients and the know-how to put them together, he didn't even wager a guess. Some secrets best remained uncovered.
"I set the spyware, although it sounds like it might not be needed."
"I doubt he'll be doing too much six feet under."
Ghost reclined back, driving with the traffic. Ryan watched the man, unsure what to make of the military sniper turned assassin. An enigma, he didn't expect Ghost to share anything about his life, his past, or his future.
Silence reigned after their small exchange, lasting until Ghost pulled the car into the parking lot of the airport. Turning off the engine, he twisted to look at Ryan, as bland as always.
"Go back to Rogue and Tempest. Enjoy what they offer."
Taken by surprise, Ryan tensed in defense before grasping onto his control, his gaze meeting the other man's. "How did you…?"
"The expressions on your faces when you're together. They make you happy."
"It's not conventional and to some quite unacceptable." Ryan spouted the truth and one of the obstacles in his relationship path with the two.
Ghost stared at him a long moment before turning back around, looking straight ahead. "Love is fleeting. So is life. Whatever form it takes, you have to hold on tight to what you have and enjoy every minute of it."
Ryan looked at the back of Ghost's head as if he quoted Shakespeare in tongues. From the mouth of what appeared to be a hired killer came logical and emotional advice on his love life. No judgment. No criticism. Nothing but a flat statement that hinted at something deep down inside the secretive man—pain, misfortune, a ball of ice in the man's gut. One thing was sure, Ghost spoke from experience and would say no more about it than he already had.
Stepping out of the car, Ryan stopped at the driver's window, his suitcase firmly in one hand. He looked down at Ghost, seeing him in a different light than before. Cold blooded no longer fit. Instead, he would lay all odds on just the opposite.
Holding his hand out, he waited for Ghost to take it, smiling when he did. "See you on the other side?"
With a brief nod, Ghost shook his hand, then restarted the engine, driving down the lines of cars.
Ryan watched him go, spun on his heel, and walked to the terminal.
Chapter 27
"You son of a bitch. Didn't bother to tell me what you were up to." Rogue stepped up to the table, growling under his breath, his brown eyes snapping in anger at Ryan.
Ryan's shoulders slumped. He had taken a red-eye flight home from Paris, arriving at daybreak. His sister called just after noon, dragging him out of bed and an exhausted sleep, to a restaurant to have lunch with the team. He almost hoped Rogue wouldn't attend, not ready for the sure argument between them.
He couldn't blame Rogue for wanting to take a bite out of his ass. If the shoe had been on the other foot, he would have been pissed too. Too bad it had to be now, in public, rather than in private after more much needed rest and recuperation.
Lark kicked Ryan's shin under the table. "You didn't tell him?"
When he remained mute, she shook her head. "Stubborn mule." She beamed up at Rogue. "I can't vouch for his brains. With all that blond hair he has and all." She shook her own short blonde locks.
The corners of Rogue's mouth twitched. He set his tray down beside Ryan's and scooted him over.
Tempest bounded over, plopped her tray on the table, and gave him an enthusiastic hug and a quick kiss before stealing the spot right beside Ryan. She shot Rogue an impish grin as Rogue scowled at her for taking his place.
"Sorry, slow poke." She squished Ryan over farther and tapped the leather booth seat. "There's plenty of room."
Rogue mumbled under his breath, but took direction, sliding in snugly.
Lark grinned, then leaned into Bryce, who sat beside her, his leg angled out beneath the table in order to keep it straight.
"How is it?" Rogue gestured toward Bryce's heavily braced leg.
"Getting there. Doctor said it would take a few weeks after surgery to get back to normal. In the meantime, I'm on desk duty, and going to physical therapy three times a week."
"Meaning, it sucks?" Rogue asked.
"Big time." Bryce sighed heavily.
"Hey, I thought you liked having your own personal nurse. You sure didn't complain when I put on the outfit and gave you a bath this morning." Lark winked at Tempest.
The corners of Bryce's mouth turned up. "There is that."
Ryan rolled his eyes and grumbled, "TMI. I swear. You two are going to send me into the loony bin with these images I so don't need in my head."
Tempest patted his hand. "I won't let them drag you off in a straitjacket. No way. If anyone is tying you up, it'll be me."
Rogue snorted. Ryan choked. A flush gave Tempest's face a healthy glow.
"Talk about TMI." Lark waved her hand.
"What's TMI?" Loco pulled a nearby table over, bumping it next to theirs.
Spoon, Night, and Cale ambled up, all with trays of food in hand. Each found a seat, Cale being careful of Bryce's leg when he sat next to him. Spoon wore a sling, but appeared fit after his recent bullet wound.
"Seems Tempest wants to try bondage," Rogue tossed out, grunting dramatically when she elbowed him in the gut.
"Man, oh, man." Loco waggled his eyebrows. "I think I need to dig out my handcuffs."
Spoon smacked him in the back of the head. "Oakley will kick your ass if you even think about it."
Ryan glanced around. "Where's Ghost?"
Night shook his head. "Who knows? He's like the wind. Comes and goes without anyone paying much attention."
"You did tell him about our get-together?" Lark asked Night.
"Yep. He grunted, said all threats had been eliminated, and hung up. Whatever that means."
"He saved our asses, but that's one cold, emotionless bastard," Spoon tossed out, taking a bite of his hamburger.
Ryan shook his head, recalling the man's words a day earlier. "No. He's not." Si
pping his drink, he continued, "Something he said to me in Paris spoke of love lost, deep sadness, and mourning."
They all gaped at him.
"Honest. I swear the man has emotions, just has forgotten they exist."
"He's probably lived through hell," Loco added as he stared out the window as if looking into his own past. "Something bad killed his soul."
Lark tapped her lip. "I'm not so sure about that. Buried, yes. From the sounds of it, his soul is still there, waiting for the right person to come along and discover it."
The group remained quiet for a long moment, busily eating and wrapped up in their own thoughts.
Ryan felt a hand lightly rest on his thigh. Reaching down, he intertwined his fingers with Tempest's, giving a squeeze and a grin. Rogue caught his eye, a look of longing mixed with frustration painted on his face. He couldn't wait to be alone with them both, cooling Rogue's pent-up wrath and exploring Tempest's newly discovered kinky side. To share in the moment and learn a bit more about love.
"Mind if I join you?"
Glancing up, he found his recent partner standing at the end of the table, tray in hand. He dressed in jeans and a simple pullover shirt. Light brown hair glistened with dampness as if he just stepped out of a shower, though his eyes remained lifeless.
Ryan shot him a grin. "Glad you could make it." Though surprised, he was happy the other man joined them. By what little he knew about the guy, Ghost could stand some socialization and friendship.
"About to think you were going to snub us." Night shifted over, making room for Ghost to sit at the end of the joined tables.
"And miss this?" He settled down in the seat and opened the wrapper on his hamburger.
All eyes locked on him until Loco took the lead. "To catch you up, Tempest here wants to tie Ryan down and do naughty things to him. Rogue likes that idea if the gleam in his eye is any indication. I considered it, but Spoon reminded me my fiancée would kick me to the curb should I show up in bed with a set of handcuffs." He sucked in a breath. "Did I miss anything?"
"Bryce gets sponge baths from Lark dressed up as a sexy nurse," Rogue reminded everyone.
"How could we forget that?" Bryce leaned in to brush a kiss over Lark's lips.
"My eyes. My ears," Ryan protested.
"Yeah, you're a dork," Cale threw out with a smirk.
"Am not, dickhead."
Ghost's gaze bounced from person to person.
Shooting him a quick grin, Ryan explained, "Don't worry. They don't know you well enough to throw insults. Yet."
"My advice," Night offered, "is to practice selective hearing. Keeps my sanity intact."
With an eye roll and a long suffering sigh, Ghost went about eating his meal.
Ryan listened to the banter for a bit longer, shaking his head at the antics of the highly skilled group, as he looked over the motley band of brothers and sisters. Some would call them mercenaries. Others, hired killers. But he knew better. The Wind Warriors flew under radar to rid the world of deadly bullies intent upon destruction, havoc, and endangering the lives of everyday people. Innocent people. He had another term for the small group willing to sacrifice everything in order to protect others. Heroes.
Chapter 28
"Why in the hell didn't you tell me what you were going to do?"
"I couldn't," Ryan bit out. No sooner had they ventured into Rogue's home than the dark-haired man started ripping him a new one. He knew the blistering argument would come after Rogue's earlier huffiness at the restaurant. So be it. Get it out in the open and over with. He had plans for much more entertaining events today, if the stick-up-his-ass gorilla would cooperate.
"That's a fucking poor excuse and you know it." Rogue crossed his arms over his chest, his cheek ticked as his jaw clenched.
"The mission was classified. You remember what that means, right? I couldn't say jack shit about it. To anyone."
"You couldn't have just told me what you were going to do? Not like I was going to go around whispering national secrets. Instead you race off halfway across the world with no backup."
"There wasn't any choice. We had to move when we did. And, what do you mean, no backup? What do you call Ghost?" Ryan bristled under the scathing interrogation. Realizing the pent-up fury stemmed from worry, he soaked up the evidence that Rogue truly cared. However, the fact didn't cool his quickly erupting temper.
"Not good enough. Who was watching your six while he was out playing with poisonous darts?"
Tempest's head swiveled back and forth like a toy top.
"I don't need a fucking babysitter. Ranger here. I am more than capable of taking care of myself."
"Bull shit. Any number of things could have happened. What if Rossi made you? You would have been dumped in the river."
"A chance we all had to take."
"Shouldn't we just be happy no one is trying to kill us instead of bickering over what it took to make that happen?" Tempest frowned up at both of them. "It's over. We're alive. Why in the world would you want to spend the day fighting when we're all home. Together. Alone."
Rogue sighed heavily. "You're right." He shot Ryan a glare. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."
"I'll do what I can." He shrugged. Like he had much control over FBI secrets.
"Gonna let bygones be bygones?" Tempest poked Rogue in the side.
"Okay. Okay. I give." Rogue threw up his hands in surrender.
"Personally, I think the end of this mess calls for a celebration." Ryan grinned, waggling his eyebrows at the other two. He knew as soon as they agreed to meet at Rogue's house what would happen. Despite being a bit nervous, he embraced their first time together as a threesome. Not sure what would actually happen and on the fence about his readiness for man on man intercourse, Ryan refused to let his concerns ruin his time with the two people he cared deeply for, maybe even loved. He could ponder that later, after they came together as a trio, expressing physically what they hadn't verbally admitted.
"What did you have in mind?" Tempest shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
"Oh, I don't know. Getting naked?"
She shot him an impish grin. "You're fixated on naked. Obsessed even."
"Yeah, but he looks great nude." Rogue stepped into the byplay, staring at Ryan and licking his lips.
"Yes. Yes, he does. You both do. It's enough to make a girl's mouth water."
Ryan's erection throbbed with both their antics.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Rogue grabbed Tempest's hand. She, in turn, took Ryan's, forming a train to enter Rogue's bedroom.
Rogue stopped and turned around. "Anyone wants to walk away, now's the time to do it." Rogue's gaze flicked from Tempest to Ryan.
"Do I look like I want to leave?" Ryan stood with hands on hips, his jaw locked as he met Rogue's verbal challenge. He wouldn't back down, no way, not with so much at stake.
"This is a dream come true. Why would I want to call it off?" Tempest reached out to run her fingers over Rogue's chest, then Ryan's. "I want you both. Together."
Her words sent a jolt through Ryan, hardening him even further. Without waiting for an invitation, Ryan reached for Tempest, pulling her into his embrace, placing delicate kisses along her neck and collarbone. Grabbing the hem of her blouse, he tugged, leaning back enough to pull the garment over her head, before tossing it to the floor.
Rogue moved in, stepping behind her. In seconds her bra slackened. Rogue tossed it aside before covering her modest breasts with his large hands, molding and lightly squeezing. Ryan took the opportunity to latch onto one of her raspberry nipples, sucking as Rogue held the tasty treat up for his taking. She gasped, grabbing onto his shirt and tugging. Reluctantly, Ryan stepped back, took his shirt off, letting it fall to the floor as he saw Tempest turn in Rogue's arms, sealing her lips against his in hot passion. Rogue reached down, cupped her ass, and yanked her flush against him, his hips grinding into hers.
Ryan quickly shucked his jeans, kicking them off, leaving h
im completely naked. Stepping around Tempest, he sidled up behind Rogue, leaning in to lick the other man's earlobe. "You're wearing too many clothes."
Twining his hand between them, Ryan managed to find the buttons on Rogue's jeans, unsnapping them one by one. Rogue took advantage of the space to do the same for Tempest, unzipping her fly, grabbing the waist and pushing her pants and panties to her ankles. Gracefully, she stepped out of the pooled garments, standing in naked glory before them. Ryan hastily grabbed Rogue's shirt, removed it, and threw it into the growing pile of clothing. Rogue finished the jeans on his own, taking only a moment to join them in nakedness.
"Damn sexy." Ryan couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful bodies before him. Tempest with her smaller frame and feminine curves made his mouth water. Ripe nipples stood out against paler skinned breasts while a tiny line of dark brown hair led a path to her promised land. Rogue's larger build full of muscles, hills, and valleys sped his heart. The other man's thick erection bobbed, a tiny droplet of moisture sitting on the tip.
Tempest stared at Rogue, her gaze dipping lower. She licked her lips. "Beautiful." She looked over at Ryan, her eyes sparking with appreciation. "Simply beautiful."
"You're the beautiful one." Ryan stepped forward, taking her lips in a decadent kiss, his hands wandering over her chest, down her belly, before heading south to sink between her legs. "And wet. Oh, so wet."
Rogue wrapped his fingers around Ryan's aching cock, exploring him with a gentle, yet firm touch.
Ryan moaned low, fingers of desire skirting over him with each movement of his lover's hand.
With a knowing grin, Rogue patted Tempest's rear and nibbled on her earlobe. "I can't wait to have your mouth on my cock."
She sucked in a breath and pressed into Ryan's touch. "I can't wait any longer." Stepping back, she moved to the side of the bed, her eyes raking over first Rogue then Ryan, sending them both a 'come hither' look, one Ryan couldn't resist if he tried. "I need you both. Now."
Crawling on the bed, she paused long enough to wiggle her shapely derriere, a hint if Ryan ever saw one.
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