Ghostwalker 01- Shadow Game

definitely the biggest plague of my life." He sighed. "One of the men is in bad shape. They said he had a seizure and all of them are worried about a brain bleed."

    Her heart dropped to the floor. Her legs turned to rubber. She clutched at Arly's sleeve.
    "Who? Who is it?"
    He shrugged, his gaze narrowing as her agitation registered. "I don't know, someone they call Jeff. He's out like a light."
    Lily breathed a prayer of thanks that it hadn't been Ryland. "Take me to them, Arly and I'll need our medical kit."
    "Are you certain about this? If these men are caught here, we could get into a lot of trouble. Are you prepared for that?"
    "Are you prepared for the alternative?"
    Nine
    RYLAND met her at the door, his silver gaze devouring her face, taking in every shadow, noting how pale she was. Without preamble, he pulled her into his arms. Needing her.
    Needing to feel her against him. Needing to run his hands over her body and assure himself she was unharmed. "Why the hell are you so late? Didn't you think I'd be worried about you? I didn't have the energy for wave communication." He gave her a little shake.
    Lily rested against the hard strength of his body, grateful he was alive. His heart was reassuringly steady and his muscles were solid beneath her hands. "I was so worried about you, Ryland. I was held up at the laboratories. I had to talk with General McEntire.
    He was there when the escape took place and Higgens and Thornton asked me to join them in explaining everything." At that moment she didn't care to reason out why it was so important to her that Ryland was safe, it only mattered that he was. That her world could continue and she could breathe again.
    Lily found that her fingers were curled possessively in Ryland's hair. She had to touch him. She wanted to weep with relief. "Arly tells me someone had seizures." I was so afraid for you . She was revealing too much of her feelings but she couldn't stop herself.
    "Jeff Hollister. We haven't been able to wake him." He clasped both her hands in his, brought her fingers to the warmth of his mouth, all too aware he wasn't alone with her when he needed to be desperately.
    "Do you know whether he was given anything to sleep last night?"
    "He was hurting bad. Telepathic communication is difficult at the best of times and he was already worn down. I was trying to sustain the bridge myself for everyone but I…"
    He trailed off, guilt riding him hard. He had been selfish. He had wanted to dreamwalk.
    Wanted to comfort Lily. Be with Lily. In using up his energy that way, he had been unable to provide as much for the others.

    Lily tightened her fingers around his. "Ryland, you aren't responsible for everyone.
    You're not."
    There was too much compassion in her eyes. Lily could so easily turn him inside out. Just the way she looked at him made him feel different inside. He liked her. He liked being with her, hearing her voice, watching her expressions. She was burrowing into his heart, he could feel her there.
    "Sure he is." The voice was deep and edged with humor.
    Lily whirled around to face Kaden, ready to battle for Ryland. Kaden was tall and thick with muscle and sinew. A man with cold eyes and the face of a Greek god. And he was grinning at her.
    "Just ask him. He thinks he's responsible for the entire world." The flat black eyes swung to taunt Ryland. "And you're making a damn fool out of yourself looking at her all goofy that way. You're making the male gender look bad."
    Ryland's eyebrow shot up. "It's an impossibility for me to look goofy at anyone."
    "He talks about you all time too, we can't shut him up."
    "Do you make it a habit to sneak up on people?" Lily was trying not to laugh. He'd deliberately made her blush. She tried to control the faint color but his hawklike gaze had definitely spotted it. Arly stared at her as if she'd grown two heads. She resisted the desire to kick him in the shins, struggling for serenity instead.
    "Yes, ma'am, now that you mention it, I'd have to say that's one of my specialties." Kaden looked unrepentant.
    Lily rolled her eyes. "Where did you put Jeff Hollister? I'd like to take a look at him. And did any of you think to bring out those sleeping tablets so I can run an analysis on them?"
    She fell back on what she knew best. Science. Logic. Knowledge. Anything but men.
    "Close your mouth, geek boy," she hissed as she swept past Arly with her head held high.
    "You're catching flies."
    Arly stomped after her, hurrying to catch