Page 90 of Explosive Vengeance

She smiled as she typed back a response to the message, then paused. For a moment she considered writing more. A clue that a fellow Valkyrie would understand, just in case. It had been many years since she’d seen any of her sisters. Eden wished she could see them again. Feel like she belonged again.

In the end, she decided against it. Shutting the laptop down, she leaned back against the nest of pillows behind her and polished off her sundae, already pondering how painful a death befitted her next victim.

****

“Whoa.” Chloe couldn’t wipe the grin off her face as Megan drove them up the long driveway toward the manor house. As threatened, Trinity had put her and the others onto a private plane and flown them here to the UK as soon as Chloe had been released from the hospital.

Laidlaw Hall was like something out of a movie, and even the sunglasses she had to wear because of a new sensitivity to light couldn’t dull the color of the stone in the evening light. Warm, honey-yellow, almost glowing against the emerald green of the perfectly manicured lawns and shrubs out front.

“I know, isn’t it gorgeous?” Megan’s voice was filled with pride. “It’s not even mine, but it still feels like home.”

They passed the gatehouse where she and Ty lived, and headed for the main house. A man came out of the house and down the front steps to meet them, a white-and-brown dog at his side.

“There’s Marcus.”

Heath’s arm was solid across her shoulders, keeping her tucked into his side. He wasn’t too happy about her being up and around yet, but she’d wanted the hell out of the hospital, even if she had a constant, splitting headache. The meds they’d given her had helped a bit, though she was still dizzy and the ringing in her ears hadn’t stopped. All in all, she was lucky to be alive, let alone without serious internal injuries or brain damage.

“Go slow,” he warned, reaching in to help her out of the backseat. “Easy does it.”

She scowled but did as he said, grabbing his shoulders when she stood because the ground seemed to move under her feet.

“You good?” he asked, those piercing blue eyes assessing her expression.

“Yeah.” But she was so damn glad to have him beside her.

He wrapped a steadying arm around her waist and she leaned into him as they slowly walked to the stairs. Megan made the introductions. Heath shifted his hold on her to shake hands with the master of the house, then Marcus focused on Chloe.

“Welcome, Chloe.” He had a cool accent, and his dark eyes seemed to see through the tinted lenses of her shades. He had burn scars visible around his left eye and in patches where his dark beard hadn’t grown in on his cheek, jaw and neck, and he walked with a cane.

Megan had said he’d been wounded in an explosion in Syria. But Chloe had to wonder if he was truly okay with having her here, knowing she specialized in the kind of weapon that had taken so much from him. “Thanks. Good to be here.”

“The others are inside. We’ve got your room ready for you.” He turned smoothly and made his way back up the steps. “Karas, come.” The dog jumped up and trotted after him.

A woman emerged through the darkened opening of the front door. Shorter than Megan with a slender build, Asian features. She smiled at them. “I’m Kiyomi. Nice to meet you both,” she said, offering her hand.

“You too,” Chloe replied, shaking it. The woman was tiny, her fingers so slender Chloe was afraid to squeeze too hard, but the proud posture and the steel in those dark eyes told Chloe all she needed to know about Kiyomi’s inner strength.

Amber and Jesse were inside waiting for them. “Hey, you made it. And look at you, walking around on your own power already,” Amber said.

“It’s cuz I’m indestructible,” Chloe answered with a grin. She wanted to lie down, and Heath would probably make her soon, but she also wanted to get the lay of the land here and be brought up to speed on what was happening.

“Ty and I’ll grab your bags,” Jesse said, heading for the Range Rover.

Meanwhile, Megan led them up a wide staircase to the second floor. “Here’s your room,” she said, opening the second door on the right side of the hallway.

Everything about this place was amazeballs. Old, custom woodwork, fancy oil paintings on the walls, and her room was… “Wow.” She gazed around her in amazement. “Are you serious? I get to stay here?” It was fancier than the nicest hotel she’d ever been in. The king-size, four-poster bed had a deep red satin spread on it.

“I always thought it looked like the inside of a brothel,” Marcus said wryly from the doorway, “but I’m glad you like it.”

Megan swatted his shoulder and spoke to Chloe. “I figured if anyone should have the Crimson Room, it was you.”

“Oh my God, is that afireplace?” She pulled off her sunglasses, squinted as the light streaming through the window hit her sensitive eyes, shooting off a spike of pain in her skull.

“Yep. Wood’s already laid in there if you want a fire later.”

So cool. A fire crackling away, Heath and her alone together in this gorgeous room all night… Would be downright romantic if she wasn’t recovering from an acute concussion and a couple of bullet wounds that prevented her from enjoying Heath the way she wanted to.

He squeezed her good shoulder gently. “You guys hang out for a bit. I’ve gotta get my flights figured out.”

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