Retribution (Dark-Hunter #19)

Retribution (Dark-Hunter #19) Page 15

Jess cursed as he swerved to miss a pedestrian while they drove down the Great Basin Highway toward the Valley of Fire. All over the interstate, people had abandoned their cars which had been wrecked during either the wasp attack or subsequent storm Talon had sent.

In spite of the media telling everyone to remain in their homes, thousands of people had tried to evacuate and were now walking on the side of the road. Many were screaming that it was the end of the world while others trudged on in grim determination to get wherever they were headed.

It was an ugly sight, and it made Abigail pray that whatever plague Coyote unleashed next didn't make it to them.

Cell phone lines were completely jammed, which only added to everyone's panic. There was no way to reach anyone inside or outside the city. Maybe that was what had caused them to try and leave. That need to find your family and hold on to them in a crisis.

Even though she'd lost her parents as a child, she still had that urge to crawl into her mother's arms whenever something awful happened. That burning need to talk to her and have her chase away all the monsters and fears.

It never went away.

Abigail wanted to weep over what she saw. She wanted to weep for the people who'd been hurt because of her stupidity. "I can't believe I did all this." Surely, she would burn in hell for it.

Choo Co La Tah turned in the seat to face her. "It's not entirely your fault, dear. Don't take that guilt into your heart. The Balance is fragile, and it controls everything in the cosmos. If the scales ever tip-"

"We get screwed," Sasha said in a chipper tone with a big grin.

"You're not funny, Sasha," Jess snapped.

"Sorry. Trying to lighten the mood." He met Abigail's gaze. "If it makes you feel any better, this isn't my first apocalypse. There is hope."

She wasn't sure what to make of that. "Obviously the world survived."

Even in the darkness, she could see the pain those words brought to him. "Yeah, not really. It kind of blew everything back to the Stone Age. The good news is, people are resilient, and that which doesn't kill you merely serves as a cautionary tale for others." He glanced out the window and sighed. "It also makes one hell of a bedtime story, especially if the Crypt-Keeper's your audience."

She sucked her breath in sharply at the unspoken agony that lay beneath those words. "What happened?"

"What always happens when preternatural powers are unleashed or go to war, and no one cares about the collateral damage during the battle." He gestured toward the people on the street. "I lost my entire family in the blink of an eye. But hey, I saved a lot of money on not having to buy Christmas cards."

How could he make light of something that was obviously so painful for him?

Without thinking, she reached out and touched his hand.

Sasha didn't look at her, but he closed his fingers around hers and gave a light squeeze that said he appreciated it.

Sasha cleared his throat. "So, Choo? How many apocalypses have you survived?"

"More than you, Wolf. More than you."

Abigail was humbled by their experience. The misery they'd seen. It was easy to lose sight of other people's pain when your own was so strong. What was it that Plato said? Be kind to all you meet, for everyone is fighting a hard battle?

It was so true.

"Are you all right?" Jess asked.

She caught his gaze in the rearview mirror. "Yeah."

No. Not really. Her guilt ate at her.

And one question hung heaviest in her mind. "How did you learn to live with being a hired killer?"

"It's just like any other act of cruelty. You lie to yourself. You say that they deserved it. You create stories to justify why they needed to die and tell yourself that if you hadn't struck first, they'd have done it to you. In the end, you do your damnedest not to think about it all."

Yeah, people did have a nasty tendency to excuse their bad behavior and then to hold it against others whenever they did the same thing.

Sasha let go of her hand. "Hey, Choo? Wanna take odds on our survival tonight? We are in Vegas, after all. I think we should up the ante and have a huge payout for whoever calls it." When Choo Co La Tah failed to respond, he turned his attention to Jess. "What about you, cowboy?"

Jess scoffed. "I only gamble with my life."

"Ah ... explains so much about you. And off on a random topic in an attempt to divert our attention from the fact that we're all most likely speeding to our impending doom, how did you get the name Sundown, anyway?"

"You want to know that now?" His tone was incredulous.

"Why not?"

Jess shook his head. "Why?"

"It's just an odd moniker for an outlaw. Figured it had some deeper meaning."

"A newspaper reporter gave it to him," Abigail said quietly. She'd read the article in something Jonah found years ago. "The man wrote that everyone called him Sundown because he did his best and most gruesome work after dark."

"You believe everything you read in the papers?" The anger in Jess's tone cut through the truck as an angry tic beat a fierce rhythm in his sculpted jaw. "They get all the facts screwed up, and I think most of them are so crooked, they have to screw their pants on in the morning. Hell, most of them have to go diagonal just to walk in a straight line."

Obviously that had struck a nerve with him. "It was wrong?"

Sasha gave her a no-duh stare.

"Yeah." Venom saturated his voice. "It was wrong. Some..." He paused as if he was about to say something offensive and then caught himself. "Trying to take credit for something that has nothing to do with anything he did. My real name is Manee Ya Doy Ay ... it means 'sundown' in my mother's language."

How beautiful. She doubted she could ever say it properly, but it sounded wonderful as it rolled off his tongue. "Really?"

He gave a subtle nod. "It was her favorite time of day. When the sun must make peace with the moon and for a few brief moments, the two touch in mutual friendship and respect. Perfect balance between the light and dark. A time for reflection and for preparation."

What a wonderful way of looking at things, and it made her ache for his loss. A woman so kind shouldn't be taken from her loved ones. No more than her own mother had. "She sounds incredible."

"She was."

"She was Cherokee, right?"

"Tsalagi," he corrected. "It's what they call themselves."

Abigail frowned as she saw a strange expression cross Choo Co La Tah's face. It was like he wanted to say something, but knew that he shouldn't.

Before she could ask him about it, something hit the car. Hard.

And set it on fire.

"What the-?" Jess swerved again as more fire rained down on them. It hit the hood like a gel egg and splattered, spraying flames that clung to the metal.

Abigail gasped as some hit the window, staining it red. Blood red. "Is that bloodfire?"

Choo Co La Tah nodded. "The worst part? It burns in water."

Lovely. Couldn't anyone ever invent a friendly plague? Something like raining daisies? Euphoria? Dancing flying pigs?

Nah. They always had to be nasty.

"Uh, guys?" Sasha said in a droll tone. "It's not just a plague."

Abigail understood what he meant a heartbeat later when the Bronco was literally swatted off the road so hard that it bounced over the concrete bridge wall on Interstate 15 to land them beneath it on Highway 93. Even after the jarring crash, the Bronco continued to roll fast and furiously toward the area where several tractor trailers were parked.

By the time they stopped moving, she was completely disoriented.

And upside down.

She lifted her hand to her brow and touched something wet along her eyebrow. Crap, she was bleeding. At least that explained her sudden headache. She glanced to Jess to make sure he was all right. Like her, he had a head injury on his temple, and his left hand was bleeding. Other than that, he appeared fine. Choo Co La Tah seemed to be the one with the least injuries. He held one arm over his head, bracing it against the ceiling to hold his weight so that his belt wasn't cutting in to him the way hers was.

Gravity was a definitely a bitch right now.

Sasha groaned from beside her as he struggled with his belt. "I think I'm going to barf a hairball."

Jess let out a frustrated breath as he tried to loosen himself. "You can't. You're canine."

"Tell that to the hairball in my stomach."

Jess cursed as his hand slipped while he was trying to get loose. "Bet you're glad I made you fasten that seat belt now, aren't you, Mr. I-can-flash-myself-out-if-we-get-hit?"

Sasha groaned. "Shut up, asshole." He glared at Jess. "And I would have flashed out of the car, but because we were rolling, I didn't want to get hit by it. Damn those Rytis laws."

Abigail wanted to ask what that was, but there was no time as they were hammered with more bloodfire. The smell of gas was thick. If the Bronco wasn't currently on fire, it wouldn't be long before it ignited from the rain.

"We have to get out of here." Jess kicked at the broken windshield with his booted feet.

Sasha flashed out.

Abigail tried to undo her seat belt, but she couldn't. The buckle had broken during the crash. "I hate to be all girly, but I'm trapped."

"Where's Sasha?" Jess asked.

The answer came from just outside her window. "Getting his ass kicked while deflecting this asshole from you. Any time you want to help me, Jess. Step right up."

Jess snorted at the acerbic shape-shifter as he cut his belt, then slammed down to the ceiling. "Whatever you do, keep him busy."

"No problemo. Using my face as his punching bag seems to be working. I'll just need you to help me find all my teeth later."

Abigail saw Sasha hit the ground near them. Oooh, that looked really painful. His face turned deadly before he pushed himself up and vanished out of her line of sight again.

Choo Co La Tah was strangely calm while the scent of gas grew stronger. And her breathing became more labored. It was hard to draw a breath while the nylon belt dug into her.

"Guys!" Sasha shouted. "You might want to think about getting out now. Flames are spreading all over the bottom of the truck."

She could hear the fire and feel the heat of it. I'm going to die.

And yet she had no fear. No idea why. It made no sense whatsoever. In fact, she was strangely calm, too. Like a part of her might even crave it.

Lying on his back, Jess kicked furiously at the windshield. "Damn. It. Break. Already. You. Sorry. Son. Of. A. Biscuit. Eating. Cat." He had the most colorful way of speaking as he punctuated every word with a solid kick.

Something let out a high-pitched whine. A second later, the windshield flew out onto the ground. Jess moved toward her.

She shook her head. "Get Choo Co La Tah first."

He hesitated.

"No," Choo Co La Tah snapped. "Free her. I'll be out in a second."

She saw the indecision in those lush dark eyes. "He's more important than I am."

Not to me he isn't. Jess barely bit those words back before he said them out loud. Every part of him cringed at the thought of her being hurt any worse. He couldn't stand to see her trapped and bleeding. It brought back memories he didn't understand.

Not memories of Matilda. These were something else. Faded images of a time and place he didn't understand.

But he saw her face so clearly.

Her face. Same black hair and that sassy smile that dared him as she crooked her finger for him to follow after her.

I will always come for you, Kianini. Nothing will keep me from it.

She laughed as she pulled him into her arms and stared up at him coyly from beneath her lashes. And I will never leave you, my heart. Forever yours.

Those words whispered in his ears.

"Get her free."

It took him a moment to register Choo Co La Tah's words, which had been spoken in a language he'd never heard before. Yet he completely understood them.

Blinking, he moved to comply as Choo Co La Tah crawled out through the missing windshield.

Abigail met Jess's determined gaze, and the horror in his eyes told her that the clock was ticking down for them. The sound of fire was now deafening. More than that, the pungent gas odor clung to them so thickly that she tasted it and it made it even harder to breathe.

Undaunted by the danger, Jess struggled to cut through the belt. The car thudded and popped.

Her time could be counted in heartbeats now. But it touched her that Jess was still helping her.

Moronic, but touching.

She put her hand over his to stop him from cutting the belt. "Go. There's no need in both of us dying."

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I'm not leaving you. If we go, we go together."

"Don't be stupid, Jess."

He scoffed as he returned to sawing on the belt. "Brains don't exactly run in my family. Suicidal lunacy, on the other hand..."

"Runs thick?"

He grinned at her. "Move back."

The metal whined a warning to them as the belt finally snapped.

Jess caught her against him and took a second to savor the feeling of her there before he kissed her temple, then pulled her from the wreckage.

They barely cleared the Bronco before it exploded into one impressive display of pyrotechnics. Fire shot up to the dark sky while pieces of the truck rained down all over them. Jess snatched Abigail under him to protect her from the shrapnel.

Abigail couldn't breathe with his heavy weight pressing down on her. But she was grateful to have him as her shield. Her only hope was that nothing hit him.

Jess froze the moment their eyes met, and he caught the full force of the adoration in her gaze. It stole his breath. She lifted her hand and laid it gently against his cheek. The warmth of her hand set him on fire.

Suddenly, the sound of a loud dragonesque call caught his attention and shattered the spell.

Abigail turned her head in synch with Jess. She gaped at the sight of Choo Co La Tah, Ren, and Sasha embroiled in a bitter fight with the most hideous thing she'd seen since Kurt's attempt to cut Hannah's hair when they were kids.

Solid black, it was extremely tall and thin with spidery limbs that twisted out like living tendrils. Whatever it was, it could sling its arm out like a whip and crack it against their friends. It moved so fast, it was hard to follow, and it said a lot about their fighting skills that they were able to stand toe to toe with these new creatures.

Jess pushed himself off her and ran to join the fight.

Rolling over, Abigail got up, intending to join them in battle. But before she could move or Jess reached the fight, Ren appeared in front of him.

"Get back."

Jess shook his head. "We can't let Choo Co La Tah get hurt."

"He's expendable, Jess. You and Abigail aren't."

That news floored her.

Jess scowled. "What?"

"Do what he says!" Choo Co La Tah shouted as he drove one of the creatures back while another one moved forward to fight him. "Both of you have to live."

Jess would argue, but honestly he wanted to protect her. Fine. He would trust them.

"What are these things?" she asked him as he returned to her side.

"A good fable gone bad."

"What?"

Ren kicked the one he was fighting away from him. "They're tsi-nooks."

He said that like she should understand it. "Gibberish is not my native tongue, Ren. What's a tsi-nook?"

No one answered, as they were a little occupied by fighting them, and while they were getting in some good blows, they didn't appear to be winning.

Abigail hated the feeling of being so vulnerable. She had no idea what she was up against or if she should poke out their eyes or kick them in the knees. Though to be honest, she wasn't sure they had either one. "Okay, I don't care what they are. How do we kill them?"

"With great skill, my girl. With great skill." Choo Co La Tah uncoiled his feathered bracelet from his arm. As he unwound it, it grew into a staff almost as tall as he was. One that expanded so that he could attack the tsi-nook nearest him.

But that didn't work. It seemed to only upset the beast. The tsi-nook fell on the ground. On its back. At least that's what she thought was its back. Their forms were so twisted, it was hard to tell for sure.

After it landed, she saw its face clearly for the first time. Strangely, it reminded her of a wooden mask. Weathered with deep lines all over its features, the eyes were nothing more than slits, and it didn't appear to have eyelids. For that matter, it didn't seem to blink.

In one word, they were ugly.

As if it sensed what she thought about it, it turned to face her and let out a piercing shriek. Apparently in freak-speak, that was some kind of rallying call because the moment it started, the others stopped to glare at her and Jess.

It was never a good thing to be the center of unwanted attention, and right now she felt like Carrie at the prom. Or more to the point, the only steak in a dog kennel.

Her heart pounded as fear tackled her to the ground and held her there.

Moving with an eerie fluid grace and a speed that shouldn't be possible, they ran in her direction. Jess went to fight them, but they actually ran past him and kept going full speed.

At her.

Abigail's eyes widened as she realized they didn't care about the men. She was the target.

The only target.

C-r-a-p.

She braced herself for the fight. What am I doing? There were more than a dozen of them, and there was only one her. One. While it was noble to be brave, it was stupid to be suicidal. Fighting a dozen ... when she didn't have a weapon and didn't know how to kill them flew right past the realm of noble and landed solidly in the kingdom of stupid.

To quote her favorite play of all time ... Run away! She turned and headed for the desert as fast as she could.

Jess went cold as the tsi-nooks ran for Abigail. His vision darkened at the same time fear for her rushed through him. For one second, he was mortal again, and then the sensation was gone.

"Oh no you don't." His powers surged in a way they hadn't in decades. Suddenly, he felt stronger than he ever had before. Something deep inside him snapped, and out came what he could only describe as an inner warrior. One who knew the taste and feel of the tsi-nooks' blood on its hands.

No one would harm Abigail.

He went after them. And as he neared her, he realized her eyes were turning red. The demon was taking possession of her again.

It could be a good thing.

Or a really bad one.

Since the tsi-nooks, much like a traditional Daimon, preyed primarily on human souls, they might not want any part of a gallu demon. Or if they were like the new generation of Daimons, eating her soul might charge their powers and make them stronger.

Either way, he wasn't going to chance it. Not tonight.

Jess reached deep inside and tapped the only other power he did his best not to use. One so strong and painful that later it would make him wish he were dead.

But first, it would save their lives.

Closing his eyes, he conjured a gun-and not just any gun. The one that had made him infamous. An 1887 lever-action Winchester with a five-round tubular magazine. Not that it would need that tonight. His powers would make sure he didn't run out of rounds.

The smell of blood permeated his nostrils. His nose always bled whenever he accessed this power, which was why he almost never used it. That and the vicious headache he'd have later from it. So much for Dark-Hunters not getting those.

But if it kept her safe, it was worth it.

Abigail froze as she caught sight of Jess approaching her with long, determined strides. The desert wind whipped at his long black duster, stirring it back from his muscled body. The grim lethal glare on his chiseled features promised the tsi-nooks hell wrath and then some. This wasn't the tender man who'd made love to her while cramped in a tiny car. Nor was it the goofball who joked with and teased her.

This was the fierce, cold-blooded killer who'd left legions of dead and a legend so terrifying that one marshal had surrendered his badge rather than take Jess's horse into custody.

True story.

And Jess had been only seventeen at the time.

No wonder his partner had shot him in the back. She doubted anyone with a brain would ever assault this version of Jess Brady while he was facing them. Even she had a chill running down her spine as the hairs along her arms and neck raised. While she was pretty sure he wouldn't hurt her, she really didn't want to find out for sure.

Without breaking stride, he cocked the lever of the shotgun across his chest, took aim, and blew the tsi-nook closest to her apart.

She flinched in reaction to the ringing sound of the gun followed by the shrill scream of the tsi-nook. Blood from the creature sprayed all over her body. She tensed, unsure of what to expect from the blood touching her skin. Luckily, nothing happened.

Before she could think to breathe again, Jess kept firing, rapidly blowing apart every one of them in turn. Their screams echoed around her until the night swallowed the sound and silenced it forever.

Until he took aim at her head.

Eyes wide, she seized in terror. What did I do? Why would he kill her now? She stared straight into the barrel. Black and evil, it gave her a profound understanding of the people he'd killed.

Don't. The word caught in her throat.

His features stone cold, he fired.

Abigail sucked her breath in sharply at the sound, expecting pain and a recoil that would knock her off her feet. Instead, she remained intact.

No pain. No impact.

Jess continued toward her, taking aim again. It wasn't until he fired another round that she realized he was shooting past her and not at her.

Thank God, she hadn't moved. Then he might have really killed her.

In fact, he didn't stop shooting until he was standing right beside her. Only then did he put the gun down and scan the darkness to make sure there was nothing else out there.

The wind whistled around them, and out in the distance, she heard the cry of a single coyote. Though to be honest, she was amazed she could hear anything, given the last few minutes.

"Is that our friend?" she asked Jess.

"No." Jess tilted his head back and sniffed the air like a lycanthrope might if he was tracking someone. "They're bounty hunters."

"Pardon?"

Jess's memories burned as he was pulled back in time to age fifteen. Then, as now, there had been a chill in the warm air. But no one except him could feel it. Bart had left him holed up in a small dugout on the side of a mountain out in the middle of nowhere Arizona. A posse had been chasing after them, and he'd had nothing more than a handful of bullets.

He'd been dead asleep and then awakened to nothing other than his heart racing. As he tried to force himself back to sleep, he'd smelled that haunting stench that defied explanation.

It was the same odor he smelled on the wind now. He glanced over to Choo Co La Tah. "What's going on?"

"We must get to the Valley. Quickly. Coyote is growing desperate."

Putting his hands on his hips, Sasha stopped in front of them. "Coyote got boys." He jerked his chin toward the bodies. "And a lot of them. What the hell did we just fight?"

Abigail was even more grateful to the wolf. "Thank you for asking. That's what I wanted to know."

Jess didn't answer as he locked gazes with Choo Co La Tah. "What is out there?"

"You're asking me a question you already know the answer to. And yes, they have been after you before.... Many times."

Ren sighed. "They're skinwalkers who lost wagers to Coyote. Now they serve as his bounty hunters."

"They're the same as you?" Abigail asked.

Ren shook his head. "I'm a shape-shifter, not a skinwalker. They are the nastiest of creatures. Evil so foul that it rots them from the inside out." He turned to Jess. "That's the odor you smell. Nothing else like it."

Sasha growled. "What are their powers?"

"They can track as well as you do. Maybe better. They can shift forms, but only so long as they hold the pelt or feather of the animal they want to become next to their skin. Superhuman strength."

Choo Co La Tah agreed. "And halitosis so bad, it could knock down a building."

Great. Just great. Jess was really getting tired of being hunted. "I understand why they're after us tonight. But I remember them chasing me when I was human."

Sasha whistled. "Let's come back to the why in a few. First things first. What the hell is lying in pieces on the ground around us? I'm Greek, remember? So all this is ... non-Greek to me, which means I know nothing about it. And I need to know in the event I have to fight it again. Obviously shotguns are effective against them. What else?"

Jess rested his shotgun over his shoulder. "The term is tsi-noo. Tsi-nooks for the plural. Not to be confused with the Chinook Nation, because they have nothing to do with each other.... In short, they're our version of Daimons."

"Apollo curse them, too?"

Jess snorted at Sasha's irreverent question. "No. They were humans who committed crimes so unspeakable and horrific that the winter winds turned their hearts to ice. Now they can only live off the souls of humans."

"And they were one of Snake's plagues," Ren added. "Which means he and Coyote will be even more hell-bent on finding Old Bear's."

Sasha nodded as he listened. "Point taken there. Now, the important question, so pay attention, ye ADD degenerates. How the F do I kill them? 'Cause no offense, I was trying and they were kicking my ass all over the place. It really wasn't pretty and didn't do much for my ego either. My only reprieve is that no one I have to face on a regular basis witnessed my beating. Don't know why you wanted me here when I'm about as useful as a wart on Artemis's bum."

Smiling at his rant, Choo Co La Tah melted his staff back down to the bracelet, then coiled it around his wrist again. "Simple, Wolf. Like a Daimon, pierce the heart and the ice shatters inside. They die instantly. As you saw from Sundown, a shotgun will blow the heart apart and end them."

Sasha narrowed his gaze on Jess. "How you know that, cowboy?"

"Didn't. But a twelve-gauge round to the head or heart will take down just about anything. And if doesn't, kiss your ass good-bye and run like hell."

Abigail crossed her arms over her chest and drummed her fingernails on her biceps. "By the way, you and I need to talk about how you got that gun when I know it wasn't in the truck." She raked him with a glance from head to toe that succeeded in making him flinch. "You've been holding out on me."

Help ...

How in the world could he be more afraid of her, a tiny little slip of a woman, than he'd been of the tsi-nooks?

"Um..."

"What was that?"

They all turned to look at Sasha who was staring into the darkness.

Jess frowned. "What?"

Ren stepped back as if he might have heard it, too. "We need to get going."

Sasha gestured toward the smoldering remains of the Bronco. "How? Are you an African swallow in another form or something?"

Choo Co La Tah scowled. "African swallow? What are you going on about now?"

"Oh c'mon, surely all of you get the Mon ... ty ... Python..." Sasha paused as if he remembered his audience. "Never mind."

Jess rubbed at his jaw. "He's right. It's too far to walk, and with the exception of Sasha and Ren, we don't have a ride."

Choo Co La Tah pointed to the parked tractor trailers. "What about one of those?"

Jess considered it. "Someone might have left keys in one. Let's go see."

Abigail walked in the center of the men while she listened for another attack. It was so dark, she could barely see. There was a low-lying cloud cover that held back the stars. It made the air feel heavy. Ominous. Or maybe that was from the fact that she knew what was out to get her.

Without thinking, she reached out and took Jess's rough hand. When he laced his fingers with hers, it warmed her in spite of the cold desert wind. She took strength from his nearness, and it made her wish that they didn't have to do this.

Made her wish that she could find some way to end the nightmare and return to a normal life.

Your life was never normal.

That was certainly true. But for the first time, she wanted normality. She craved it now that it was too late to claim it. She'd already cast her die and come up bust.

One way or the other, her life was over. If by some miracle she did survive all of this and convince Choo Co La Tah not to sacrifice her to the spirits she'd offended, she had no doubt that one of the other Dark-Hunters would kill her for what she'd done.

There was no hope. Not now.

How could I have screwed up my life so badly?

The same way everyone did. She'd listened to and trusted the wrong people. Had put her faith and energy into the wrong things, only to learn too late that she shouldn't have harbored hatred.

I'm so stupid.

Jess paused as they reached the trucks. He and Abigail searched the first one for keys while the others spread out to check the rest.

One by one, they reported failure.

"Hey!" Sasha shouted after a minute. "I don't have keys, but this one's open. Anyone know how to hot-wire?"

Ren gave him an arch stare. "Can't you use your powers to start it?"

Sasha raked him with an equally offended sweep. "Can't you?"

Abigail held her hands up. "Step aside, boys. I have the evil powers for this."

Jess smiled as she climbed inside the cab and vanished under the dash. "My lady got mad skills," he said, imitating the slang Sasha used.

Then he sobered as he realized what he'd done.

He'd claimed her. Publicly. But that wasn't what shocked him. The fact that he truly thought of her like that did. She was a part of him now. Even though they hadn't known each other long, she had breached his defenses and wormed her way into his heart.

Oh my God. The very idea terrified him.

He wouldn't call it love.

Would he?

It wasn't what he felt for Matilda by a long shot, and yet there were enough similarities that it left him wondering. When had he known he loved Matilda?

The day he'd realized he couldn't live without her.

Bart had told him that he wanted to move on. That it was time for them to find a new base of operations. Normally, Jess would have been packed up in a few hours and been ready to ride. Instead, an excruciating pain had ripped him apart when he thought about not seeing Matilda again. It'd been so debilitating that it brought him to his knees.

Nothing had struck him like that since.

Not until he'd seen the tsi-nooks going after Abigail.

I would die for her. That fact hit him like a punch in the jaw. He really would. She had a power over him that not even Matilda had possessed. I'm so screwed.

The semi started up, startling him away from his train of thought.

Blinking, he realized the other men were staring at him like he'd grown a third head. "What?" he asked defensively.

Sasha snorted. "I have never in my extremely long life seen anyone take so long to answer a question. It's like you went into your mind and got lost. You need a bread crumb, buddy?" He made a noise like he was calling his pet. "Here, Lassie, here. Come back, girl."

Jess shoved at him. "Shut up. What did you ask me, anyway?"

Sasha slapped himself on the forehead and groaned. "Really? Good thing I didn't tell you to duck a bomb."

He started to respond, but Abigail's frantic voice stopped him.

"Gentlemen. We have company."