Drake Sisters 05 - Safe Harbor

from, but Ilya Prakenskii swung his head alertly, a wolf catching the scent of prey. Jonas watched him closely and he could see everything shift and focus beneath that calm demeanor. Joley walked into the room. It seemed as though everyone held their breath. The tension ratcheted up another notch.
    He knew. Did you see that, Hannah? He felt her before she came in.
    Prakenskii's head swung back, just briefly, so that those piercing eyes could flick from Jonas to Hannah, and for the first time, there was surprise.
    He knows . Hannah's husky voice slid into Jonas's mind. He knows you're telepathic and it surprised him .
    It surprised me as well , Jonas admitted truthfully.
    Prakenskii once again rose to his feet. "Joley. It is always a pleasure to see you."

    She didn't offer her hand, but smiled and inclined her head, queen to peasant, her dark brown eyes going almost black as her gaze swept the Russian from head to toe. "Don't stand, Prakenskii, it isn't necessary."
    "It is, however, courteous," he said with a slight bow.
    Joley blushed, the color sweeping up her neck into her face, and her eyes glittered, twin points of black obsidian. The floor shifted beneath their feet, lights flickered, curtains fluttered, even the walls undulated in sweeping waves as the room swelled with power. A picture above the fireplace fell. It stopped abruptly in midair and then, before it could hit the floor, rose leisurely to hang neatly back in place. Everyone in the room went still as they absorbed Prakenskii's obvious reprimand.
    Hannah's hand slipped from Jonas's and she rose with her usual grace, crossing to Joley, slipping between Prakenskii and her sister to slide her arm around Joley's waist.
    "Thank you for dealing so efficiently with the reporters, Joley. You made me laugh and few things make me laugh these days."
    "I enjoyed it, although nothing stops them for long. They've surrounded the place. The only reason the fence hasn't been torn down and trampled is because we have a security force guarding it."
    The tea tray floated in with several steaming mugs and she directed it toward Prakenskii, as if every day of the week people saw floating trays. "The cookies are Libby's, so they're particularly good for you, along with tasting great. The honey is in the small creamer."
    The Russian deftly plucked a mug and a cookie, lifting the cup toward Hannah in a salute as he reseated himself. He didn't outwardly appear in the least upset over his less than enthusiastic welcome from Joley, but the tension in the room remained. "The place is overrun not only with photographers and reporters, but also your fans. In the crowd it is impossible to tell who is friend or enemy."
    Jonas leaned forward, snagging Hannah's hand and tugging until she sat beside him.
    He shifted slightly, enough to put his body in a position to defend Hannah should the need arise. He didn't trust Prakenskii, not with an aura of danger surrounding him and every single Drake sister on alert. He wished Sarah and Kate had kept Joley out of the mix. Joley and Prakenskii obviously rubbed each other the wrong way and he could see, quite clearly, that in spite of Prakenskii's expressionless features, a storm lurked below the surface when his gaze rested on her.
    He's angry with Joley for some reason , Hannah confirmed, but I can't tell why. Not just angry, Jonas, he's livid with her. I can catch glimpses of it, like a white-hot rage, and it isn't even buried all that well. I don't think he cares if I know or not .
    It was an unexpected complication. And Prakenskii's veiled warnings annoyed Jonas.
    "If you know something, just say it, straight out, Prakenskii. Why would you think an enemy would be in Sea Haven? They're dead."

    Sarah gasped and Kate made a sound of distress. Libby frowned and missed taking a cup of tea from the tray as it passed her.
    "I don't think it's necessary to discuss this in front of Hannah," Sarah intervened.
    Hannah gripped Jonas's hand harder. They were doing it again, protecting her. Had she always been such a baby that they felt the need to wrap her up in cotton and shield her from every danger? Or was it the attack? Had it changed her sisters as much as it had changed her?
    Jonas laid his other hand over hers, trapping her fingers and hiding the white knuckles from Prakenskii's sharp gaze. "Of course Hannah wants to know whether or not Ilya believes there is further danger to her. We all do."
    "I don't think you believe for one moment that the