Ghostwalker 02 - Mind Game

her body and mind, poured into her with the force of concentrated silken heat and hot promises. His mouth moved over hers, his teeth nibbling at her bottom lip, at her chin before sliding away from her. They stared at one another for the beat of eternity while the clouds spun overhead and danger prowled in the street below them.

    Stay here.

    Dahlia took a deep breath and nodded. She made herself breathe again as he slipped over the edge of the roof. He left his pack and rifle and went in silence. She strained to keep him in sight, following his progress as he climbed down two stories, his darker shadow blending in with the night. He moved fast, a smooth descent that made her think of a night creature. She watched as he gained the small patch of shrubbery close to one of the three men stealthily waiting outside the windows and doors on the street side of the house. He was much taller than the bushes, yet he seemed to blend, his body nearly indistinguishable from the leafy branches.

    She loved watching him move. He came up behind the man nearest him, standing directly behind him, close enough to breathe on him. She caught the glint of metal in his hand and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the violence of the act to swallow her. Her stomach lurched. She detested the act of taking life. She had developed her own philosophy based on the books that had appealed to her. She did believe everything in the universe was connected and that each life had a purpose. While she certainly believed in defending her own life, she had firsthand knowledge of the severe repercussions.
    Violence, once committed, lingered behind and subtly worked on those sensitive to its ugliness.

    She lay still. The waiting was much more difficult than she’d anticipated. She could feel the gathering of energy from the men below, surrounding the house and cutting off escape. They were in various stages of adrenaline high and nervous anxiety. She was no telepath and couldn’t read their thoughts, but she was certain Nicolas could.

    Dahlia? I think these men are from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or at least were sent by them. Let’s hang back and watch them. If they came to assassinate you, we can still slip away. I don’t know why they’d fire a shot through the window, that doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t feel right to me. They’re too cautious. This feels exploratory, not a hit. We don’t want to make any mistakes and kill an innocent.

    I don’t want to kill anyone, innocent or not . She let her breath out, opened her eyes and blinked. Nicolas was nowhere in sight. She would never find him now, even with her awareness of him. He was a chameleon, blending into his surroundings.

    We prefer GhostWalkers . There was a tinge of amusement in his voice. The night belongs to the ghosts .

    She rolled her eyes. He actually sounded arrogant. Men were strange, there was no doubt about it. Do you want me to carry your pack and rifle off the roof? It isn’t going to be safe up here, no matter who they are .

    His hand slipped lightly over her mouth and Dahlia was rolled over to lie on her back staring up at him. He was on his belly beside her, grinning as her eyes widened in shock.

    You’re lucky I don’t kick you off the roof . She took refuge in false annoyance. She couldn’t help drinking in the sight of him, nor ignore the relief that swept through her.
    Which, she decided, was annoying in itself. She loved being independent. It was the best part of who and what she was. He seemed to be destroying her solitary nature.

    Nicolas shrugged into his pack and retrieved his rifle. Follow me .

    Dahlia bit down on her lip to keep from muttering curses. She lacked social graces, no doubt about it. Following him gave her a great view of his backside so she wasn’t going to complain… this time. The man certainly enjoyed snapping out orders at every opportunity. Her heart was still pounding from him sneaking up on her. No one had ever managed to get close to her without her knowledge, because the energy always reached her first. It was something she’d always taken for granted. She was beginning to realize she couldn’t take anything for granted around Nicolas.

    She did her best rendition of a lizard, scooting across the roof to the far side. Nicolas waited by the edge, drawing a rope from his pack. She touched his arm and shook her head, pointing to an inch-thick cable running between the two buildings. Jesse has those