Drake Sisters 05 - Safe Harbor

danger to Hannah is past,"
    Prakenskii said. "It read like a hit to me. And hits, as amateurish as that one was, are usually paid for and ordered by another individual hiding in the shadows. But you know that, Mr. Harrington."
    "Jonas?" Hannah looked at him, forcing him to meet her inquiring gaze.
    "Damn it, Hannah, don't look at me like that."
    "Don't swear at her, Jonas," Libby snapped.
    Both ignored her.
    "It isn't over?"
    "You didn't think it was either, so don't even go there. That couple were idiots. Like Prakenskii said, amateurs. Someone else had to be behind it. Why do you think you're not in the hospital right now? I needed you where you had protection around the clock."
    "Did it occur to you that if I'm in danger, and you bring me here, so are my sisters?"
    Hannah hissed the words between her teeth at him, her bright hair crackling with electricity and the liquid in her tea mug boiling.
    "Sarah is a security expert. Your sisters are all psychic and they have enough powers to help. We can see what's coming at us here."
    "I'm not going to put my sisters in jeopardy, Jonas, not for one minute. You should have told me immediately what you thought."
    "I agree with Hannah," Prakenskii said, joining the fray without a qualm. "The others shouldn't be placed in harm's way. It only makes for more targets and therefore more suspects."

    Joley threw her tea mug at him, her aim deadly accurate. Prakenskii waved his hand and the missile and liquid stopped in midair. He flashed her one, deadly look, his blue eyes darkening to a turbulent sea. He snapped something at her in Russian.
    Hannah made a small strangled sound and Joley's breath was a hiss of warning.
    What did he say to her? Did he just threaten her ? "If you have something to say to Joley, Prakenskii, say it to everyone. If you're threatening her…"
    He told her to stop being childish , Hannah reassured Jonas.
    "Joley is perfectly capable of looking after herself with me, aren't you?" Prakenskii said.
    "Absolutely," Joley acknowledged and waved her hand toward her tea mug. Liquid filled the cup and it floated back. "Don't worry, Jonas, I'll be fine." She snapped something back at Prakenskii in his language and then switched to English. "And for your information, Hannah is our sister. We're not about to cower in the corner while she's in danger, so go beat your chest somewhere else."
    What did she say ? Jonas asked.
    She called him a few vile names.
    "One of these days; Joley, I'm going to retaliate and then what are you going to do?"
    Prakenskii asked quietly, his gaze holding hers.
    "Don't," Hannah intervened. "I need you to tell me what you think is going on, Prakenskii. Joley, please." See, Jonas, he keeps directing the focus back toward Joley.
    What does he want from her? I'm afraid for her. Could this be about Joley ?
    Jonas turned the idea over in his mind. It felt wrong to him. Everything so far felt wrong. He was missing the crucial piece of the puzzle that would snap everything into focus for him.
    "Please accept my apologies, Hannah," Prakenskii said. "It was not my intention to upset you. I wanted to assure myself that you were doing better and to warn Mr.
    Harrington that I still feel a threat is imminent. Unfortunately I can't tell where it's coming from or who it's directed toward."
    "Why would you warn us?" Jonas asked bluntly.
    Prakenskii sighed and put down the mug of tea. "Perhaps it is as simple as Hannah's sister is marrying one of the few men in the world I call friend." His gaze strayed to where Joley stood rigid against the wall. "Or perhaps I wanted to see, one more time, whether the reason I can no longer sleep at night is worth it."
    Joley pressed tighter against the wall as if making herself small, yet there was defiance in every line of her body. "I don't owe you any explanation whatsoever."

    "Then I call in one of the favors your family owes to me. It is not your personal debt, but a debt of honor your family owes to me."
    Joley's face went pale. "For that? We owe you two lives, yet you'll give up one for a simple explanation of my behavior? You aren't the brightest bulb on the planet, are you?" Her melodic voice held the whip of insult and she tossed her head defiantly. "I thought you knew everything. You're not nearly as powerful as you want us all to believe you are."
    "Too powerful to be goaded by a rude, ungrateful coward who is still a child playing at being an adult."
    But her insults were getting to him. The balance in the