Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“You came because you think we’re going to war?” Diego asked.
Ezekiel waved his spoon around. “You claimed a woman, and from what I understand—and I’ll admit, I don’t know the entire story yet—her commander is going to insist she go back to them.”
Diego filled him in on Leila’s history. “She isn’t really under Chariot’s command because she never legally joined the service.”
“It wouldn’t matter,” Ezekiel said. “She’s a GhostWalker if she’s yours. That makes her ours.” He shrugged as he took a bite of stew. “You’re not in this fight alone, Diego.”
“Thanks, Ezekiel.” Diego was surprised at how surprised and grateful he was that Ezekiel felt so strongly about backing him up. He wasn’t used to relying on others, not even his fellow GhostWalkers. He tended to be the one they relied on for backup.
“You’re not just a GhostWalker, Diego,” Ezekiel said. “You’re family.”
That hit him hard. Zeke had always treated Rubin and him as family. Sometimes, most times, that wasn’t a good thing. Ezekiel was exacting about everything. Education. Training. Code of honor. He backed up his edicts with his fists. If you didn’t want a lesson in hand-to-hand combat or street fighting, you toed the line.
“Leila has a daughter, Grace. And a sister, Bridget. Even if they release Leila to us, we’re still going to have to fight for the baby. If Luther hasn’t managed to get Bridget back, she’s most likely with Whitney. So it won’t end with keeping Leila and getting Grace.” Diego gave the warning.
Who is this man? Are you safe?
Ezekiel lifted his head, his peculiar-colored eyes giving Diego his penetrating stare. It was never easy to take the man’s intense look. Diego always had the feeling he could see right through a man. In his case, he had a lot to hide.
He’s family. Big brother, adopted, so to speak. Don’t get out of bed and crawl out here with a gun. Ezekiel is most likely not alone.
Ezekiel wouldn’t be happy that he wasn’t being given important information, such as Diego being capable of psychic surgery. Diego had no intention of living his life the way his brother had to live—with guards around him nearly all the time. If Diego was being strictly honest, he was responsible for the intensity with which the other members of their unit watched over Rubin. Diego had used his voice to influence them every chance he got.
“Do you think that matters, Diego? I’ve got your back. The boys have your back. The rest of the team does. If I’m not mistaken, the other GhostWalker teams will say the same thing. We’ve all reached the point, between Whitney sending his soldiers to test us and trying to take our women and children from us, as well as our enemies in the White House, that everyone is fed up. We’ve established fortresses and escape routes. We have private satellites and our own helicopters and planes. We have more weapons than we know what to do with. Mostly, we have the ability to disappear. The faction in the government wanting us dead believes we’re too big of a threat to them—and we are. We just haven’t shown we’re willing to fight back.”
Diego thought about Ezekiel’s assessment of the situation. The GhostWalkers would stand together, but the circumstances were explosive any way one looked at it.
I don’t feel anyone else in the house.
Leila was being extra careful not to allow Rubin to hear the communication between her and Diego. He found having her make that effort felt all the more intimate between them.
Someone else is here, more than likely two more. Diego hadn’t bothered to search for Ezekiel’s two birth brothers, but if Ezekiel had felt it necessary to come to Diego’s aid, his younger brothers would as well. They were tight-knit.
“Rubin believes we should try a diplomatic approach,” he ventured aloud to Ezekiel.
Ezekiel shrugged. “There’s always that. I’m sure when Joe hears what’s going on, he’ll want to pursue that avenue.”
As usual, it was impossible to read Ezekiel’s expressionless mask or his lack of tone. Diego could never tell if Zeke agreed with Joe or not. He rarely went against him; only Trap, their resident genius, on-the-spectrum billionaire—and he was probably certifiable—clashed on a regular basis with Joe. And everyone else if he bothered to speak at all. Which, most of the time, he didn’t. Trap was more like a mad scientist, but he always got the job done. Always.
“I just think it’s about time we assert ourselves,” Rubin said. “I’ve had a few conversations with Joe. He’s of the same mind.”
“I thought the idea was to fly under the radar,” Diego said.
“As if the massacre that took place on this mountain wouldn’t be noticed,” Rubin said, an edge to his voice. “You risked your life, Diego, and you had no business doing it.” The floor trembled, and for a moment, the walls seemed to expand and contract.