Echoes at Dawn

“You don’t trust me, do you?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to hurriedly deny any such thing, but she wasn’t going to lie. Instead she leveled a stare at him. “I haven’t made up my mind yet. The jury’s still out. But being able to speak to my sister would go a long way in allaying my concerns.”

The crooked grin got bigger. “Some might say you’re in no position to be bargaining.”

Her cheeks grew warm but she wouldn’t allow herself to lose this silent war of wills with the stare-down. She wouldn’t beg. She’d begged until she was hoarse. Had begged for mercy. For freedom. Her pleas had fallen on deaf ears. Never would she do it again.

“I need to speak to her,” she said in a controlled voice. “If I’m not a prisoner, surely I rate this simple consideration.”

Rio arched a brow. “Prisoner? Honey, I carried you all over the Rocky Mountains on my back. If you were a prisoner, I’d have made you walk it your damn self.”

“I did walk!” she said indignantsaist mely. “I made it by myself. Without your help. Maybe not at first, but I made it in the end.”

Rio’s face softened but his eyes were still bright with amusement. “That you did, Grace.” He ambled forward then perched on the corner of the bed, turning so he could look at her. “I can’t guarantee that I can get you Shea. I can try. You have to understand that she is in as much danger as you are.”

Grace frowned as worry slid down her spine. “I have to talk to her, Rio. She won’t understand why I haven’t reached out to her. She’s probably frantic. I need to know she’s okay but I also need to let her know I’m okay.”

Rio glanced at her, his expression mild but his eyes sharp. He seemed to be contemplating the matter, and she hadn’t realized how close she was to doing what she’d sworn she wouldn’t. She bit her lips to call back the plea. Damned if she’d beg for anything ever again.

“I can try,” he finally said. “I’m not at all certain where Shea is. But I can place a call to Sam to see what I can do. There are conditions, however.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What conditions?”

“I have to have your agreement to my conditions before I’ll consider placing the call.”

Frustration simmered and it took everything she had not to lash out and instead remain calm and centered as she stared back at him.

“What conditions?” she said from behind clenched teeth.

He shook his head. “I’m holding all the cards here, Grace. I’m not trying to be an asshole, but it’s imperative if I’m going to keep you safe that you agree to my conditions regardless of whether you find them unreasonable or not.”

She honest to God wanted to hit him. Her fingers curled into a tight fist, and she had to clamp her other hand around it to keep from flying into a rage. She was tired of feeling helpless. Tired of being subjected to the whims and subjugation of others.

As if he knew exactly what she battled, he reached over and gently picked up her tightly coiled fist. He rubbed his thumb over the white knuckles and gazed into her eyes.

“Would it make you feel better to hit me? You can, you know. Go ahead, Grace. Give it your best shot.”

She stared at him like he was nuts. He wasn’t angry. In fact, he was extremely calm. She couldn’t wrap her mind around what on earth he was doing. Was he mocking her?

“Hit me,” he said again. “Take back control, Grace. Assert yourself. Did you feel weak and powerless when they had you? Did you wish you had more power? That you could fight back? Or maybe you were too scared to. Did you cower in a corner waiting for someone to save you?”

Rage was red-hot, blinding. She swung, connecting with his chin. His head popped back and pain flashed through her knuckles. For a moment she was too stunned to comprehend what she’d done.

He lowered his head, holding his chin. He grinned crookedly as he rubbed at his jaw. “Nice shot. We’ll work more on getting more power into your jab but not bad at all.”

Her mouth popped open. “Are you insane?”

Rio cocked his head to the side. “I’ve been accused of that a time or two. Depends on your definition of sanity.”

“I just hit you. Aren’t you angry?”

“Did it make you feel better?”

She frowned. She wanted to hit him again. He was so damn calm. Did anything ruffle him? She flexed herSheit fingers then glanced at his jaw, where a slight red spot marked his dark skin.

“Yeah, it did.”

And she did feel marginally better. Some of her intense rage and anger had slid away as soon as she’d exploded into action.

He smiled then. “Mission accomplished.”

She shook her head. “You’re nuts.”

He put her hand down and leaned back. “We can work on a few self-defense moves. You’ve got a lot of power considering how low your reserves are.”

“I just want to talk to my sister,” she burst out.

“As long as you agree to my conditions, I’ll do my best to make it happen.”

“What conditions?” she asked in exasperation. “I can’t agree to anything until you tell me what they are.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “On the contrary, until I have your absolute agreement, you don’t talk to Shea.”

Hurt crowded in. For a moment she couldn’t even muster a response. How could he use her sister as a bargaining tool?

“You’re a bastard.”

He shrugged. “I’ve been called worse. And I’m the bastard who’s going to keep you safe.”

He was immovable as a mountain. Somehow she didn’t think tears or feminine distress would make a dent in his resolve. Not that she’d reduce herself to that level of manipulation. She had pride. She’d been stripped of everything, her dignity, her will to live. At times she was convinced that her very soul had been forfeit. But she refused to let go of her pride.

“All right, I agree,” she said in defeat. “To whatever it is.” She braced herself for what those conditions would be and hoped she hadn’t just agreed to a deal with the devil.

Rio nodded but he didn’t appear smug over his victory. His expression became serious. “I know she’s your sister and that your inclination is to share everything with her. However, I do not want our current location compromised.”

Grace’s brow furrowed. “But wouldn’t they know where you lived? I mean, this is your house, right?” Then remembering the clothes she hadn’t mentioned, she said, “For that matter, Shea has been here. These are her clothes. How did you get them?”

He held up his hands. “One thing at a time. Yes, they’re Shea’s clothes. No, she hasn’t been here. I saw her last when she and Nathan returned from your parents’ house just after you contacted her last. We had video surveillance of you in the house. Shea asked KGI for our help in finding you. I volunteered to go.”

She glanced up in surprise. “Why?”

He cocked his eyebrow. “Why what?”

“Why would you volunteer? What could you possibly care about a woman you didn’t know?”

The corner of Rio’s mouth curled upward. “I get that a lot of your life has been spent dealing with people without honor. But not everyone is an asshole. I wanted to help Shea. I wanted to help you. It’s as simple as that.”

Ashamed, Grace glanced down, only to have Rio nudge her chin upward again.

“As for your other questions, yes, KGI knows of this location. They only recently acquired knowledge of it. But knowing I own it doesn’t mean they know where we are. I’d rather keep it that way.”

“Don’t you trust them? You work for them, right?”

“I do">&rned from n’t trust anyone,” he said bluntly. “Not when it comes to something as important as your safety. Which is why if you speak to your sister, the extent of your conversation has to be that you’re okay and whatever pleasantries you exchange. She’s going to want you to come home. She’s going to want you right there with her.”

“Why can’t I be?” Grace asked quietly. “Didn’t you say when you first came to me that you were there to bring me home?”

Rio nodded. “Eventually. When it’s safe. When we know for certain it’s safe. Until then the very last thing you and Shea need is to be together. Makes the enemy’s job that much easier.”

“So all I have to do is agree not to tell her where I am and you’ll let me talk to her?”

Rio nodded. “I, of course, will sit in on the conversation. If at any time you venture into forbidden territory, I’ll

shut it down immediately.”

She opened her mouth to argue but remembered that this was a take-it-or-leave-it situation. Rio showed no sign whatsoever of being able to be talked into anything.

“All right,” she finally conceded. “I agree.”

Rio rose from the bed and stood at the end. “Okay then. Why don’t you come out, get something to eat and then we’ll make the call.”

CHAPTER 16

GRACE walked down the hall shoeless, flexing her toes into the plush carpet. When she reached the living area, polished wood replaced the carpet and was cooler on the soles of her feet.

She paused just a few steps in, staring at the array of men slouched in chairs and on the couches across the room. They were watching a football game on the big screen and arguing about point spreads and fantasy football picks.

It all looked so…normal. Like she’d stumbled into some bachelor pad. Not like she was surrounded by mercenaries hired to protect her.

Terrence looked up and saw her first. He raised a beefy hand—one that was nearly as big as her head—and waved her over.

“Come on, Miss Grace. You don’t want to miss the big game.”

She glanced around, automatically looking for Rio. She found him behind the island bar in the kitchen, obviously preparing something to eat.

He dipped his head in Terrence’s direction. “Go on over. They don’t bite.”

Wiping her hand down her jeans, she walked hesitantly toward the mass of testosterone. There was a mad scramble as they sat up straight and made room for her on the couch next to Terrence.

She took the corner, grateful to have a guy on only one side of her, and leaned into the arm.

“How you feeling?” Terrence asked.

Grace nodded. “Better. Thank you.”

Diego cast her a sideways glance, studying her for a long moment until she was ready to fidget right off the couch.

“Your color is better,” he finally said. “Still a little pale but you’re getting there.”

“Thanks, I think,” she mumbled.

“You care if I ask you something?” Browning called out.

She blinked and looked in his direction. He was sitting sideways in an armchair with one leg dangling over the arm, beer in one hand, his other propped on the back of the chair.

“Uhm, I don’t guess so.”

“That healing thing you do. How do you do it?” wane cD;

She was so used to being highly guarded when it came to any mention of her abilities that she immediately tensed and became wary.

Terrence frowned in Browning’s direction. “Don’t be an ass.”

Diego shrugged. “He’s only asking what the rest of us are wondering. We’ve all met Shea. We know what she did for Nathan. According to Shea, Grace here is the one who helped Swanny when he and Nathan were escaping in Afghanistan. I’d say that makes us curious.”

Grace turned almost in panic, her gaze seeking Rio. He stood in the same spot as before, tending to something on the stove. But he was looking at her, his gaze steady and unreadable. Almost as if he was telling her that she was on her own. Fight her own battles.

For a moment, it irritated her that he wouldn’t come to her rescue, but then realization was swift that he saw what she didn’t want to. That she needed to toughen up. She needed to regain her confidence and spirit. How could she do any of that if she was always leaning on him?

She glanced back at Rio’s men and forced herself to relax. Of course they’d be curious. Any normal person would be. And they likely thought she owed them some sort of explanation given they’d risked their lives to save her ass.

They’d probably be right.

She took a deep breath. “I don’t know how I do it. I just always…have. The first memory I have of healing is when I was very young and I found a bird fluttering on the ground with a broken wing. I picked it up and I can remember wishing with all my heart that I could make it better.”

The rest of the men tuned in, leaning forward in their seats.

“Did you? Heal it?” Browning asked.

She nodded. “For a long moment it remained completely still, cupped in my palms. Then it started flapping and struggling, trying to get away, so I opened my hands and it flew off. But the next thing I knew, I felt this awful pain in my arm. I could literally feel my own bone breaking. I was terrified. I went running to my mother, who told me I was never to do such a thing again.