Ghostwalker 04 - Conspiracy Game

“They’ll learn. We’ll teach them.”
    “That’s what he meant when he said I’d be a liability.” She looked up at Ken. “He knew someone could use us to go after him, didn’t he? If they captured and tortured us, he’d do anything to get us back, wouldn’t he?”
    “We’ll protect you and the children. You couldn’t be safer with anyone else. Jack and I both would stand between you and anyone who wanted to harm you.”
    “But who’s watching out for the two of you? I’ve just brought more danger on both of you in even more ways than I imagined.”
    “Jack and I are a family. We’ll always be family. We’ll always look out for each other. If you and the little ones live here, you’re part of that family, it’s that simple, Briony.”
    “Are you all right with me being here, disrupting your life, Ken?”
    “Hell yes. You make him happy, Briony. I can’t remember him happy.” A slow smile curved his mouth, but never quite lit up his eyes. “And you can cook. You did make dinner, didn’t you?” There was a hopeful note in his voice.
    A ghost of a smile to match his slipped through the strain on her face. She couldn’t bear for Jack to be angry with her. She hadn’t thought about wandering through the woods alone
    —but she should have. And she certainly hadn’t considered that Whitney might use an old, half-mad mountain man for recon—but she’d remember, and it would never slip her mind again. She could learn their ways. She was smart, fast, and strong, and she wanted to belong to Jack.
    “I’ll put biscuits in the oven, and by the time we clean up, it should be ready.” She hesitated. “Are you going to call Jack?”
    “No. You are. When you have dinner ready, just call him in. Don’t let him brood about this. It happened. It’s over.”
    “I really am sorry, Ken.”
    “I know, honey. It isn’t an easy way to live, and Jack should cut you a little slack, but he’s doesn’t do scared well—and you scared him.”
    “I know I did.”
    Ken dropped his arm around her and walked with her to the house.
    “Aren’t you afraid he’ll get more upset?”
    “Because I have my arm around you? He can learn to live with it. If I feel affection toward you, I’m going to show it. Jack’s a part of me. He loves you and you make him happy. Believe me, I feel affection for you for that alone, but it isn’t sexual and he might as well find out what he can live with and what he can’t.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead.
    “It’s good for him to see he isn’t as bad as he thinks he is.”
    Briony washed her hands and put the biscuits in the oven. “You were worried about me coming to live with you at first. I could feel it.”
    Ken shrugged. “Jack is—Jack. There’s no telling how he’s going to react to anything.
    This is a completely new situation for us, and honestly—I didn’t know how he was going to react. He feels things much deeper than most people, or he doesn’t feel at all. It’s a difficult trait for him to have to live with.”
    Briony took a quick shower and dressed in the soft cotton pants and tank top she liked to sleep in, before hurrying back to the kitchen to pull out the biscuits before they burned. It took that long to work up her courage. Dinner’s ready, Jack. Come in and eat. She tried not to let her voice shake, tried to sound matter-of-fact, but she knew Jack would know she was upset. She couldn’t speak telepathically and not have him know.
    Ken sniffed the air appreciatively. “I’m falling madly in love here, Briony.”
    She forced a smile as she placed the pot of stew in the middle of the table. “I sure hope the woman you end up with knows how to cook.”
    For a moment his smile slipped, but he recovered fast. “Since we’d all be living here together, you could teach her.”
    “Lucky me.” She heard the door open behind her and knew immediately that Jack had stepped into the room. He’d been working on the heavy bag. She smelled sweat and blood and the tangy masculine scent that sent her hormones into overdrive. She swung around, her gaze jumping to his, her heart pounding in her throat.
    “Smells good,” Jack commented, his gray eyes watching her closely. He crossed directly to her side, never once looking away.
    Jack held her gaze captive. Briony felt mesmerized by him—was mesmerized. Her heart beat so hard she was afraid she might have a heart attack, but she didn’t dare lift her hand to press against her chest; she