Chapter 2

Two

Clara

I t took me all of two days to figure out how to help my brother's best friends. After considering their behavior, I decided there was only one way to approach their problem—divide and conquer.

I'd tried to come up with a reason to separate them, but it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Finally, this morning the perfect opportunity presented itself.

While I spent the morning cleaning cages at the small animal shelter and rehabilitation center I ran on the edge of town, I got a call from an elderly Hardwood resident about a cat. The woman had been feeding the stray for a few weeks, but today the critter showed up injured and looking obviously knocked-up.

My heart twisted at the thought of a scared and injured animal dying alone in the forest. Bad enough on its own, but even more horrible if she was pregnant. I promised the woman I'd check it out. The woman had tried to catch her, but the cat managed to escape into the woods, providing me with an opportunity.

It was only as I was jumping into the battered old pick-up truck I'd inherited after it got passed down the line through each of my brothers that it occurred to me that this was the perfect chance to get one of the guys alone. Together they formed an impermeable shield no one could crack. But I found a simple solution...separate them.

I pointed my truck in the direction of the Kratos offices in Wild Ridge, the next mountain over and home of the security business owned by my brother Sawyer, along with Mac, Dyson and Eeli. I kept my fingers crossed the entire time, hoping I'd find Dyson and Eeli there when I arrived.

Luck was on my side. As soon as I strolled into the office, I found all the guys, plus Trinity, in the reception area. Trinity worked as the office manager, and from the looks of things she had the guys firmly in hand.

I hid my grin as I watched her hand out files and instructions with the precision of a drill sergeant. What made it even better was seeing all four big, tough former Special Forces soldiers nodding and accepting her direction without a word.

When Trinity finished, her eyes found mine over the top of Sawyer's shoulder. I couldn't help my smirk, and judging by the way she pressed her lips together, she shared my amusement.

"Hey lady! Lookin' good! What brings you by?" As soon as my name left Trinity's lips, all four guys swung around to face me.

I allowed my smirk to grow into a full-blown grin. "You guys must be losing your touch if you let little old me get the drop on you." I batted my eyelashes at the group, not the least intimidated by the hard looks I got.

Mac cracked first. He grinned and came over and wrapped a thick arm around my neck, his hold more headlock than a hug. "Don't worry, pumpkin. If a real threat walked in, we'd be more than aware."

I narrowed my eyes and elbowed him in the ribs. "I could be a real threat. You don't know what kind of skills I possess."

"The ability to make a pest of yourself in a single bound?" Mac's easy smile took the edge off his teasing.

I buffed my nails against the front of the black T-shirt I wore. "It's truly a gift."

He laughed and released me, only to pull at the ends of my hair with a playful tug.

"Did you need me, Clara?" Sawyer asked, his brows pulled together in concern.

I resisted the urge to sigh. This is why it was hard to get annoyed when my brothers got so protective. As irritating as their overbearing behavior could be at times, it was always clear it came out of real love and concern for me.

"‘Bout that. I need Dyson, actually." I turned my attention to the man standing quietly in front of Trinity's desk, his expression blank. I searched his features for a few beats, hoping to catch a glimpse of the warmth and affection he always showed me.

When not even a glimmer of that appeared, I went on. "I could use your help. I got a call about a cat on the loose that looks injured and pregnant. The woman who called me said she'd had trouble catching her. I'm worried about leaving her alone in the woods too long, and since you're such an amazing tracker..."

I let the sentence dangle there.

If I hoped the old Dyson would return with a vengeance, jumping in to offer his help immediately, I'd have been disappointed.

"You want me to come help you save a cat?" His tone made it sound like I just asked him to come help me birth her litter.

As he spoke, Eeli, already standing close to Dyson, shifted his weight so he got even closer.

I pulled a slow breath in through my nose. Just that slight movement let me know I needed to handle things with care here. "I know you're a big, tough military man who probably spends his days saving the world now. But I could use your help. It won't take long."

I pulled out the big guns, tossing my dark hair over my shoulder, looking up at him from beneath my lashes and allowing my lower lip to pop out just the tiniest bit. It was the look that allowed me to wrap my brothers and their friends around my little finger since the time we were kids. And it always, always worked.

Until now.

"I don't know, Clara." With a flick of his wrist, Dyson gave the files in his hand a little flip. "I'm bogged down right now."

I turned a pleading look Trinity's way. I did my best to convey the urgency of my mission without Sawyer catching on. "Trinity, can you please spare Dyson for like a half an hour? I promise, if we have no luck, we'll be right back."

I could see her fighting a grin. The one good thing about the sweet and innocent reputation I had with my family? They never seemed to question my intentions. Trinity, on the other hand, knew better.

Trinity won the fight with her smile. She schooled her features into some semblance of normal. "We can spare Dyson for the morning. Take as long as you need." She turned her gaze to Dyson and nodded at the folders in his hand. "Nothing so urgent you can't wait until this afternoon to get started on."

I kept my eyes trained on Dyson's face. He shot a quick glance at Eeli, a fleeting expression of panic flashing over his face, there and gone so quickly, I would have missed it if I blinked.

Eeli moved so that his shoulder brushed Dyson's. "I'll help, too."

Shit, shit, shit. That wouldn't work. The name of this plan was Operation Separate and Conquer. Having Eeli tag along would defeat the purpose.

I dragged in a long breath to calm myself and did my best to give Eeli a wave of my hand that I prayed looked nonchalant. "Don't worry about it, Eeli. I think we'll do better if just the two of us go. Dyson can help me track her, but I'm afraid too many people would just scare her away again, ya know."

Eeli's already chiseled jawline hardened further and something so bleak passed through his eyes that my heart wanted to jump out of my chest and land in a heap at his feet. It took all my self-control not to take back my words and tell him of course he could come along.

I swallowed hard and pasted on a smile that felt more like a grimace. I turned to Dyson. "Ready?"

He pressed his lips together in a flat line and squared his shoulders like a prisoner about to face a firing squad. What the hell was going on here? Instead of arguing or finding some excuse that I half expected, he simply nodded, dropped the files on the desk and headed for the door.

I followed him out, glancing over my shoulder to take in the mixture of expressions of the rest of the occupants of the room—worried, hopeful, and on Eeli, a blankness so devoid of emotion it made me shiver and my heart ache.

I gave them a half-hearted wave and scurried to catch up to Dyson.

Dyson slid into the front seat of his shiny, black SUV without pausing to ask my preference on the vehicle we took. I wanted to grab the cat carrier from my truck, but I was too afraid of giving Dyson time to formulate an excuse not to come.

I swung into Dyson's vehicle, slamming the door and pulling my seatbelt across my chest in one quick motion.

"We're going out to Mrs. Helda's place," I informed him.

His only response was another nod as he put the car in gear and pointed us toward the edge of town.

I stared out the windshield for a good two minutes as I searched my mind for ideas on how to pull Dyson out of his shell. Now that I had him to myself, I didn't want to waste the opportunity.

It took a minute but an idea came on how to get us headed on the right path.

I turned to him. "Sawyer said you and Eeli are renting the house at the end of Weldon's property."

As soon as I said Eeli's name, Dyson's shoulders flexed and a muscle ticked in his jaw. He didn't even bother with a nod.

"I didn't realize you guys were in the market to be roommates." And that was the truth. "How's that working out for you guys?"

Dyson shrugged, and if possible, his shoulders tensed more.

I did my best to plow ahead. "That good, huh? Aren't you worried about what'll happen when one of you finds a girlfriend or something?"

"Not worried about it." Dyson's voice sounded like it traveled across a cheese grater to make its way out of his throat.

I sank my teeth into my lower lip and wrapped my arms around my middle. What was I doing? What made me think I could offer any help to these two men? Surely they needed some professional help, not some meddling sister of a friend.

But even as the doubt flooded my mind, I knew Dyson and Eeli wouldn't allow professional help. And I knew without being told that Sawyer and Mac, and I'm sure others had already tried to break through to these two. Nothing had worked up until now, so I had to try something.

"Mrs. Helda said she last saw the cat over there." I pointed to the woods on the west side of the older woman's house.

Dyson wordlessly followed my directions, pulling the SUV to the side and parking near the spot I'd pointed out. We hopped out and moved to his side.

"She said the little lady ran off here. Any ideas on how to get a fix on her?"

His shoulders flexed and he moved toward the tree line, his fists clenched at his sides. I could almost see his agitation building.

He pulled in a deep breath and strode to a spot a little farther away. "She went in here. Paw prints are in a small patch of wet dirt. See?"

"I do." I peered into the dense greenery. The forest here was thick and full with plenty of places for a small animal to hide. I sighed. "This is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack, isn't it?"

Dyson didn't respond. He took a few steps into the trees and then shifted to the right, following whatever it was trackers followed. I kept up, realizing this hadn't been a bad idea after all. This really would have been an impossible task for me, but Dyson was known for his ability to find anything and anyone. It's what made him a great marine and now a member of the Kratos team.

With a glance at him, I couldn't help but wonder what it must have been like to use his abilities while deployed. To hunt down the enemy. It made me wonder if it was part of what had happened to him when he was overseas to make him this way?

A sharp crack of a tree branch falling came from our left. I jumped, startled, but turned to continue following Dyson.

Only Dyson was no longer moving. He'd frozen solid in his spot. He stood stock-still, his eyes wide and frightened, the breath coming from him in harsh pants that made his chest rise and fall rapidly.

I eased up beside him. "Dyson?"

His wild gaze slid to me, and I had to hold back a gasp. His face was a mask of horror that I couldn't even put words to. His dark eyes seemed to be looking at something I couldn't see, something far away from Hardwood's dense forest where we stood.

"It's okay, sweetheart. We're okay." I used the voice I often used to coax an injured animal into trusting me. "The sound was just a falling branch. And we're safe right here."

As I spoke, I could see reality leaching back in. It took a few more seconds for his eyes to lose the faraway look and for him to focus on me. Even as he did, I could see tremors shake through him. It started at his hands and worked outward from there.

I moved forward slowly, not wanting to startle him with any sudden movements. "We're okay. What do you need, Dyson?"

His lips parted, but before he could speak, I reached him and gently placed my hand on his back, intending to offer comfort.

But the instant my hand made contact, something changed. Dyson seemed to slide right back into consciousness, his gaze going from a little fuzzy to laser-focused in half a heartbeat.

Deep inside me something changed, too. A fierce desire ripped through me with such force, it was a struggle to keep on my feet.

I swayed, lips parted, staring up into his dark, molten eyes. The same word that floated through my mind at my aunt's gathering came back to me, this time with a vengeance.

Mine, mine, mine, mine.

"Clara." His voice came on a deep growl with a note of the same possessiveness I felt deep inside.

My name on Dyson's lips and the sound of his voice, made me shiver. I slid my hand around to rest on his chest and my other one joined it. Dyson's arms came up and around me, crushing my body to his.

"Dyson. I?—"

I wasn't sure how I planned to finish the sentence, but a crashing sound tore the chance away from me and it grew closer and closer.

I gasped as the cat we'd been searching for came charging out from underneath a bush, moving straight toward us. I broke free of Dyson, and scooped her into my arms.

Dyson rocked back on his heels, drawing my gaze even as I whispered to the animal in my arms. "It's okay, sweetheart. I've got you."

At my words, something shifted again behind Dyson's eyes, the coldness seeping back in.

No, no, no. Damn it.

I didn't know what happened when I touched him, but I felt him coming back to me. Felt him calming from his panic and beginning to come to life again. All from my touch.

The cat wiggled in my grasp and I turned my attention back to her. "You're okay. I've got you." I kept one arm underneath her to support her and used my other hand to stroke softly from her ears down her back, whispering nonsense to her the whole time.

In minutes, the cat slumbered in my arms, eyes at half-mast as she purred under my hand. As soon as I knew she wasn't going to leap away from me, I flicked my gaze back up to Dyson.

He stood a few feet away, his hands on his hips. His eyes were a little wild and his breath came in shallow huffs.

Damn. I lost him again.

"Dyson!" A male voice came at us from the area where we'd parked the car.

Dyson's eyes closed briefly and he dropped his hands to his sides. Hard to miss the relief he wore so clearly. Even harder not to be a little offended by it.

"Eeli, we're here," Dyson called back.

Eeli burst through the trees, and if Dyson had seemed close to panic before, Eeli looked completely feral. His jaw was clenched so hard that his teeth were bared. His chest heaved with the exertion of pulling air into his lungs. His eyes all but rolled in his head, wild with some emotion I couldn't quite figure out.

Dyson moved to him and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Shift."

Eeli stared at him, unblinking, for several long beats.

"Come with me. We're needed back at the office." Dyson dug in the pocket of his dark olive cargo pants. He fished out his keys and tossed them at me without ever looking away from Eeli.

I juggled the cat in my arms and just barely managed to catch them. "What?—"

"Take my car back, Clara. Eeli and I will take his." Before I could argue, the two men disappeared up the small slope back toward the vehicles, leaving me standing alone except for the stray cat. And feeling more than a little shell-shocked and itchy under my skin.

Force unhappiness at being denied what I most wanted—to be alongside the two men—took root in my gut.

"Not that we'd been invited," I murmured into the breeze.

"What just happened here?"

I swore my new pregnant friend shrugged right before she nudged my hand so I could continue petting her.