Chapter Forty-Seven

Ghost

I 'd never had the baser instinct to kill over food.

Until I watched Talerco feed her a sandwich.

Bite by bite.

Touching her lips, her hand—I wanted to put a bullet through Talerco's skull. I wanted to kill him for fucking feeding her, and I wanted him dead because he'd done what I couldn't.

He'd fucking fed her.

And he'd read her.

I'd called him over for an assist on an IV. She needed hydration. She was traumatized. She was pissed about the first IV, and I knew she needed another, but I wasn't going to be the asshole who did it. That's why I'd called for Talerco.

Except she didn't need an IV.

She'd only needed coaxing.

Care.

Aftercare.

Like I'd done countless times for other subs, but this woman wasn't my submissive. I wasn't that man anymore, and I hadn't fucking fed her because I couldn't allow myself to touch her. Except now I was leaning over her shoulder, watching the weather, watching her hold that drink, and telling myself not to fucking make her hydrate like Talerco had.

But maybe I should.

One swallow.

Feed the beast. Make her drink. See how she responds.

"Yo, earth to Apparition."

I glanced a couple rows up toward Talerco.

Fucker looked at her before me. "Air Force One's summonin' you."

Turbulence hit the plane, and Zulu called from the cockpit. "Ghost."

It was instinctual. I reached over and buckled her seat belt. Then I grabbed the food and drinks she hadn't finished and stowed them before I stood. "Stay seated."

She looked up at me with fear in her dark eyes.

Eight years flatlined, and I was staring at the same damn expression she'd had when I'd first met her, except she looked more vulnerable now than she ever had.

I'd done this.

Turbulence rocked the plane again, and Zulu raised his voice. "Ghost."

"Coming." I grasped the back of her neck. "Everything's fine. Be right back." Forcing myself to release her, I strode to the cockpit.

Zulu glanced at me. "Weather has Executive backed up. If we want to land in Miami, we'll be in a holding pattern in worsening conditions for both Executive and PS MIA."

"Land at Romeo's private airstrip." The former Marine pilot who freelanced for Alpha had a property with a long enough runway for the Gulfstream.

"I need fuel once we land if I want to get back in the air."

"Options?"

"Executive Lauderdale. Victor can be on the apron with a helo when we land."

I didn't ask why we needed Victor or the helo. The hacker had already called and said there was a problem with one of the women. I knew which one. "Make it happen." The sooner I got back to AES and dealt with my number eleven, the better.

Zulu glanced at Blade.

"Christ," Blade muttered. "Just fucking tell him."

"Tell me what?"

Zulu had been a fucking force on the Teams. He was a great SEAL and a great pilot—honorable, aboveboard—but you didn't fuck with him. He was Alpha's right hand for a reason.

"There's already chatter."

I hadn't expected otherwise, and I didn't avoid the conversation. "Venezuela."

"Affirmative," Zulu replied. "Alpha suspects you had November send the drone strike—"

"Ghost fucking sent it," Blade interjected. "Call a spade a spade, but don't sit there and act like it matters who pushed what fucking button. We all know who's dead. Alpha's only pissed because he isn't controlling the narrative."

Keeping it level, Zulu continued as if Blade hadn't said shit. "Alpha suspects November's involvement was at your request, and none of us want blowback on him. Per Alpha's request, Helios and Ares stay away from AES. Ground transport will be waiting for them and Talerco when we land. Blade escorts you back to HQ with Victor, and you immediately provide the relocation details for the women so we can start making arrangements."

Catch twenty-two.

I initially hadn't wanted the women all together at AES, but now they were safer there than if they'd been relocated before I'd tied up the final loose end. Which I couldn't do until I got a location, and in turn, that meant I wasn't handing over the relocation details yet.

"I'll call November." I glanced at my watch. "ETA to Lauderdale?"

"Fifty-eight minutes."

"Good copy." Turning toward aft cabin, I passed the galley, then glanced at Talerco. "Are we transporting Helios to a medical facility?"

Talerco smirked. "You sayin' you're gonna try?"

"I'm asking for his status," I clarified.

Talerco turned all business. "Same as you, stitched up and fed antibiotics. Unlike you, he's gonna be in a world of hurt when the morphine wears off. I'll remove his IV before we land and offer him some pain meds to hold him over for a few days, but I suspect he'll refuse 'em. Infection sets in, he needs an ER. Other than rehabbin' that shoulder before he goes full throttle again, he should be good."

"We're landing in fifty-eight minutes."

"Roger that." Talerco stood. "I'll check on him and take care of the IV." The SARC glanced at me. "She good?"

I made a fucking vow. "She will be." Not if she saw the women. That would set her back. But I was selfish enough that I wasn't letting her out of my sight until I absolutely had to.

Talerco grinned. "Can I say it?" He winked. "Just once. For posterity's sake. Agency and—"

"Finish that sentence and I'll finish you."

Talerco chuckled and slapped me on the shoulder. "Better 'an you have tried." He headed aft cabin.

I made a call.

November answered on the first ring. "Ghost."

"Do you have that location yet?"

"Working on it."

"You didn't mention Trefor's riding you for the relocation details." Intel I'd thankfully never uploaded to my servers.

"Been busy."

Bullshit. "You had time."

"Figured you were waiting until I had the profiler's location."

I was. "I am."

"I'll have it by the time you get back here."

"Good copy." I glanced at Safiya. Eyes closed, head back, her dark hair loose, she was beautiful. "How's number eleven?"

"In a corner." The hacker paused. "On the floor."

"Why?"

"Echo approached her."

I exhaled. "Because?"

"She was in a corner."

My stab wound throbbed, and I fought for patience. "Are any of the women talking to her?"

"No one is talking."

Because I'd trained them all on the protocols, but more, none of them were without scars. "Understood. Get me that location." Ending the call, I pocketed the burner.

Then I took the seat next to my number one and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Looking up at me, she stiffened. "Is everything okay?"

"It is now." I inhaled her scent that went beyond any soap or shampoo and leaned my head back. "Close your eyes with me. We have just under an hour until we land."

For a beat, she didn't move.

Then my number one put her head on my chest and curled into me before she whispered my name. "Grayson?"

"Yes?"

"Were you shot?"

"Stabbed."

She drew in a shuddering breath.

I stroked her hair.

"Please do not ever get stabbed again."

"Wasn't planning on it." I pulled her closer. "Sleep, beautiful."

She exhaled slowly, then settled in.

A minute later, I was out.