Marie Harte - Whispered Words

“Ian has a knack for handling people. Nathan just pisses them off.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, then opened them again and glared at her. “Hell, he pisses me off on a daily basis. And before you say it, yeah, everyone pisses me off. I tell you what. I’ll keep Nathan where he is, but I’ll move Avery to nights to help the guys. It’ll do him good to get away from the pool.” She didn’t know if that would be such a good idea, since Nathan and Avery started arguing the minute they caught sight of each other. But, eager to depart before someone else prevented her from leaving, she nodded. “I’m good, then. The voices are telling me to hustle. Gotta go.”

He stood with her, a frown on his face that turned to outright hostility when Keegan Price suddenly occupied the doorway. Like oil and water, Jack and Keegan didn’t mix. Too much testosterone to occupy one small space, Chloe thought and held back a smirk.

The long, tall Texan drink of water grinned at her. “Hey, little bit. Just the person I wanted to see. James and I are going into the mountains with you.”

“No, you’re not.” Jack folded his arms across his chest. He looked like a rock wearing a frown.

Not to be outdone, the good old boy blocking the exit did the same. Keegan had to be the only one in their organization with the balls to cross Jack on a regular basis. Even finding himself happily married and in love with both his wife and his partner hadn’t softened the man. But at least his interference would guarantee she had Jack’s okay to go solo. Jack would agree with the devil himself just to aggravate Keegan.

She patted Keegan on the arm. “This is my cue to head out. I’ll talk to Ian, Jack.” She turned to Keegan. “Keegan, wish Rory and James a Merry Christmas for me.”

“But—”

“Look, dickhead…” Jack cut him off, and the pair started in on an argument about to turn ugly. On her way up the stairs, she ran into the team’s resident empath. Just the person she didn’t want to face. She constantly feared Kitty would see her facade and know Chloe had issues with her abilities.

Chloe pasted on a smile and forced herself to remain normal. Strong. In control of herself and her abilities. “Just the person I wanted to see. Kitty, Jack needs you.

Keegan’s down there in Jack’s face, and Jack’s not having one of his better days.” Kitty sighed. “Crap. Okay.” But before Chloe could move past her, Kitty grabbed her by the shoulder. “Don’t think we’re not going to talk about this anxiety that flares up whenever I see you lately.”

Chloe frowned, sure she’d put a lid on her worries. “Not sure what you’re talking about. But Jack’s waiting.”

A burst of psychic power flashed up the stairwell. Kitty’s eyes widened, and she raced down the stairs.

Relieved at her narrow escape, Chloe hustled up the remaining steps and out the door into the staff changing room that was off-limits to everyone but her psychic peers. No one in Bend knew their history, and they intended to keep it that way.

Maintaining a low profile kept them off the government’s radar as well as let them live normal lives. More or less. She exited the room and made sure to close the door behind her, the lock overloud in the silence. On her way back into the main gym, she passed a few of the regular staff, locals who had no idea the rest of the staff bulked up because they had to, not just because they were into health and fitness.

Chloe nodded to their new aerobics instructor and passed Avery, their precognitive genius, on the way out. “Hey, Avery, you’re going on night shift while I’m gone on vacation. Jack will be talking to you about it soon, if you didn’t already know.”

His frown came and went in a split second. “Okay.” He stopped her before she walked past him. “One thing before you go.”

She prayed he hadn’t seen anything dire in her future. “Yeah?” He pulled her in for a hug. “Merry Christmas, sweetie.” Her return wishes that he have a nice holiday were lost, muffled against his expansive chest.

Avery laughed and let her go with a chuck under her chin and a sly look in his eyes. “Don’t worry. You’ll like it once you’ve tried it.” His wink did nothing to settle her nerves. “Man, what I wouldn’t give for a pack of Doublemint gum right now.”

“You’re a loon, you know that?” She ignored his laughter and left before another of her friends delved into her business. Even the snow didn’t bother her as she left the gym and drove to Frank’s— Ian’s —house.

The forger previously known as Frank Hanover answered the door before she could knock. The wide smile on his face did nothing but raise her blood pressure.

“Chloe King. My favorite person in the whole wide world.”

“Asshole.”

He chuckled and pulled her into the house. She wasn’t surprised to see artwork all over the place. The once-master forger and art thief couldn’t stay away from paints and canvas. She’d busted him enough times to know. “All legal, Frank?”

“Quit calling me Frank. Frank’s dead and gone. I’m Ian Ryder. Say it with me.”

“Hell. Okay, Ian .”

“Good.”

“So, is this legal?” she asked again.

“You wound me, boss. Of course it’s legal. Mostly.” He laughed, and she remembered the first time she’d nailed him for art theft during her rookie days as a cop. So very long ago.

Ian continued, “What’s up? It has to be something important to get you to my place on your day off. Unless you’re determined to prove you can turn me from the dark side.” He wiggled his eyebrows and tried to feign interest in her breasts.

“Ian, I’m glad you’re gay.”

“I’m thinking of going bi for you.”

She groaned. “I don’t have time for this. I’m going away for two weeks. I need you to manage the night shift.”

Ian beamed. “Really?” He studied her with a keen eye. “Jack forced me on you, didn’t he?”

“Of course.”

He shook his head. “Too much to hope you trusted me by now. I won’t let you down, boss.”

“Stay out of my office, and stop calling me boss.”

“I will if you’ll tell me the truth.” His smile faded. “I know how to read people. I mimic for a living. I mean, I used to mimic for a living,” he hurried to correct. “So what’s up? The ribs are barely healed, and you’re going away without backup. The voices come back yet?”

She didn’t know what to say. “I, what, how…?”

“I know the look you get when you hear them. You haven’t made that face in weeks. But I’m told you normally hear from your otherworldly friends all the time.

So spill it, Tinker Bell, or I’m going to Jack.” She poked him in the chest. “First of all, you’re not that much taller than I am.

You’re also five years younger. So can the Tinker Bell crap.”

“Hey, I’m six foot.”

“Five-eleven, if that. And secondly, you tell anyone what you suspect, you’re on toilet duty at the gym. I’ll sic Avery on you.” He threw his hands in the air. “Okay, okay. I’m just worried about you. Is that so wrong?”

She let out a breath, tired, achy, and strangely relieved to share the truth with someone, even Ian. “I have to go away. I need to regroup, so I’m going to a cabin in the woods. The coordinates are in my desk at work, under the King file.” She’d been planning to let Jack know after she’d gotten a head start on her “vacation.” Ian nodded, no questions.

“Why is it I have the feeling that you already know where I stash my secret files?” She wasn’t surprised when he nodded with a sheepish grin. “ Damn it . Okay, okay. I don’t have time to rip you a new one.” She took a deep breath and let it out, annoyed when Ian continued to watch her with a rapt expression, as if he’d never been so entertained. “The coordinates are there. I’m supposed to check in with Jack twice a day—you know about the crazy guy from the warehouse.” They’d had a group meeting right after it happened; the group always pulled together to protect their own.