Page 59 of Shadow Blind

She used to think that love went hand-in-hand with friendship. That you couldn’t have one without the other. But her experience with Aiden proved that assumption was false.

This time, the melancholy didn’t set in. Not with Kait by her side.

“Hey,” Kait yelled at Cosky. “Can you tear yourself away from your boy band and make yourself useful? Maybe pretend to be a good host and carry Demi’s cat into the house?” She grinned as she yelled, a huge radiant smile that almost split her face in two and proved to everyone that she adored her big lug of a husband.

As Cosky broke away from his buddies, Kait turned back to Demi.

“I put your cat’s litter box and food and water dishes in the basement. It’s quiet down there. Plus, there’s a sofa and recliners. We can sit and chat and keep him company. Maybe once he gets to know us, it will be easier to give him his medicine.”

“The basement sounds perfect.” Demi bent to peer in the crate. A glowing emerald eye stared back. “Although he’s been surprisingly mellow since O’Neill gave him his medicine.” She straightened. “It was kind of weird, actually. Trident was in full-blown murder mittens mode until O’Neill told him to shut up. After that, he settled right down. I tell you; the man has mad cat magic.”

Her face full of shock, Kait stopped dead.

“O’Neill? As in this tall dude?” Kait held her hand a couple of inches above her head. “Brown, bristly hair? Tattoos everywhere?”

“You forgot his green eyes. They’re identical to Trident’s.” Curiosity swelled at her friend’s incredulous tone. “I take it you don’t like him?”

“O’Neill? That’s who you’re yapping about?” Cosky swooped down and lifted the cat carrier. “Trust me, the dude’s an ass.”

Kait waited to continue the conversation until her hubby was several steps ahead.

“I’ve seen him around base, but I’ve never spoken to him.” Their arms still linked, Kait and Demi swung around and followed Cosky toward the house. “But as you see, Marcus and the rest of the clones universally detest him.”

“The clones?” Demi asked in a whisper.

“Zane, Mac, and Rawls.” Laughter rang in Kait’s voice. “Haven’t you noticed that other than hair and eye color, those three and Marcus are four peas in a pod? Tall, dangerous, and seriously ripped.” She fanned her face energetically. “I may be committed to my man, but I still have eyes. They all shed that swoon-worthy sexy, alpha vibe.”

Demi choked on a giggle. Holy shit, Kait had totally nailed that depiction. “You’ll need to broaden the clone club to include Aiden. He definitely meets all those parameters.”

“Ewww.” Kait made a face. “Aiden? He doesn’t spew hot, sexy vibes.”

Demi sputtered out a laugh. “Maybe not to you, as you’re his sister. But trust me on this, Aiden spews out that vibe with every breath he takes.”

Kait heaved an exaggerated sigh. “If you say so.” She glanced at Demi as Cosky disappeared inside the open door. “Have you talked to Aiden yet?” She paused before adding quietly, “Assuming you haven’t changed your mind.”

“I haven’t changed my mind,” Demi said as Kait let go of her arm and stepped through the door. If anything, she was even more certain of her decision. “But I haven’t talked to him yet. There was no privacy on the plane. And I never saw him again after we landed.”

Although, she was certain he’d been somewhere inside the tight knot of men talking in front of the plane. O’Neill had been the one to carry Trident’s kennel to the helicopter and keep her company. Aiden had been too focused on the conversation with his friends to even notice she’d left the plane.

She knew why. Understood it even. He was on a mission to find the people who’d killed his teammates. No doubt that’s what that masculine huddle had been about. Of course she would be a lesser priority. As she should be. But he could have focused on her long enough to say goodbye, long enough to make sure she was okay. His lack of effort proved she was so far down his priority list she didn’t even register.

Kait reached back and tugged her through the door, and into an open, airy room with a ceiling so high, and filled with so many diamond-shaped windows, it seemed to touch the starlit sky. Awe stole her breath.

“Kait,” she whispered. “This room is incredible.”

With her hands planted on her hips, Kait tilted back her head to look at the diamond windows above them. Moonlight crept through the panes, while thousands of stars sparkled overhead.

“I know, right?” She sighed, her braid swaying in the air, her face dreamy and soft with love. “It was Marcus’s wedding gift to me. We couldn’t live outside the base at first, not with a price on the guys’ heads. But I was getting depressed buried inside Denali like that. No sunlight. No moonlight. No fresh breeze or clean air. And then Faith developed her shield. Finally, we could live out in the open, protected beneath the shield. This house was a true collaboration. We designed everything together—except for the ceiling. That was all Marcus. He said he wanted to give me the sun and the moon and the stars. He designed the ceiling himself, then hired some of the base tech guys to build it. After we returned from what I thought was a romantic vacation, he unveiled his gift. He called it a late wedding present.” She sniffled before offering a watery smile. “I might have cried.”

“I don’t blame you. It’s perfect.” This room, with every diamond-shaped window, proved how well Cosky knew Kait, how much he loved her. He’d known the perfect gift to give her. One she’d treasure forever.

Kait was a lucky woman. But then Cosky was a lucky man.

“How do you keep the snow off the roof?” Demi asked, craning her head back to get a full view.

“Through the awesome work of the Shadow Mountain engineers and mechanics. The roof is metal, and slopes on all four sides, so the snow slides off easily. Plus, they wired the entire roof for heat. It’s the coolest thing. You can see the snow falling, but it doesn’t cover the windows. My work shed is outside. I’ll introduce you to it tomorrow.” Kait glanced around the living room. “It looks like Marcus already took your cat downstairs.” She walked around Demi to close the front door. “What did you say you named it? Trident? What did Aiden think of that?” Curiosity brightened her eyes as she headed back to Demi and led her across the light drenched living room.

“He didn’t seem to care about the name. But he sure hates the cat.” Demi followed Kait across the room and into a wide, airy hallway. Halfway down, Kait opened another door and led the way down a flight of carpeted stairs.

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