Page 30 of Raven's Nest
She laughed, appreciating his attempt to lighten the mood. “Guess I have something to look forward to, then.”
He inched closer and slid his palm across her cheek. “We all have ghosts, Saylor. Or maybe they’re demons. Regardless, none of us came out of our time in the service unscathed. And we sure as hell aren’t going to judge. If you need to shut us down, you shut us down.” He leaned in. “I’m still going to want to make breakfast for you in the morning.”
She nuzzled into his touch, then nodded, slipping out of the truck and into the rain. She took Zain’s hand as they ran for the porch, tugging him to a halt after he’d cracked open the door. “How do you make peace with them?”
Zain arched a brow. “With who?”
“The ghosts. Or demons.”
He dipped down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. “When I figure it out, I’ll let you know.”
She slid her fingers behind his head. “That’s not going to hold me over until we get to your place.”
He didn’t hesitate, claiming her mouth as he held her close, her fingers scratching his scalp until he finally eased back — kissed behind her ear.
She brushed her thumb across his mouth. “Better.”
The hinges creaked a moment before Foster appeared in the doorway, one hand on the frame, theother stuffed in his pocket. “Do you two need some alone time before we talk?”
Saylor shook her head, trailing her finger along Zain’s shoulder as she faced Foster. “Is that on the table?”
“Only if you can promise us once will be enough.”
“Doubtful.” She pushed past him, accepting the mug Kash held out to her.
He handed another to Zain. “I made coffee for everyone.”
“Thank god.” She took a cautious sip. “Damn, this should be illegal.”
Zain bumped her good shoulder. “Don’t praise him. His damn head’s already big enough.”
Kash grinned. “Don’t be jealous just because you burn every pot you make.”
Zain rolled his eyes, then offered her a spot on the couch, claiming the seat next to her. He scanned the room, looking as if he was searching for men hiding in the shadows before his muscles eased a bit. Not fully, but they were a step down from when he’d shoved her beneath him earlier.
The rest of his teammates settled in, and the room fell into silence for a moment, as if everyone had paused to breathe before Foster cleared his throat.
He glanced at Zain, and she swore they had some kind of internal conversation. “Tough night.”
She scoffed. “It likely would have turned out much worse if Zain had simply dropped me off and left.”
“That’s never been Zain’s style.” Foster raked his hand through his long hair. “I don’t suppose you haveany idea who ransacked your place or what they were looking for?”
“You didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you?” She took another sip, letting the warm liquid soothe some of her restlessness. “I guess it could have been those pirates.”
“But you don’t think so.”
“They got away. None of us can identify them. Why risk getting caught or killed after already escaping?” She glanced around at Zain’s teammates, noting the similar stoic expressions. “But, you’d already come to that conclusion.”
Kash shrugged. “I could see it if you’d confiscated a stash of weapons or drugs, but we didn’t find anything on that ship…” He trailed off for a moment, staring directly at Zain, then back to her. “Other than that body.”
She groaned and let her head tilt back. “It’s always gonna come back to that, isn’t it? Which means you think this has something to do with theVigilant.”
She closed her eyes against the rush of images. Lights on the water. Footsteps sounding in the distance. That tone forever ringing in her head.
Zain wrapped one arm around her, tugging her in tight against his side. “Breathe, sweetheart.”
How was she supposed to breathe when her greatest failure kept returning to the spotlight? Sure, she’d survived, but at what cost? Her career? Her sanity? A past that wouldn’t let go?
