Page 25 of Raven's Claw
“Damn.”
Her voice sounded low.Gravelly.
He pushed onto his elbows, arching a brow.“Really?You keep a weapon under the pillow?”
Jordan huffed.“The real question is, why don’t you?”
“There’s a Sig in the nightstand if that’ll make you feel better, but I don’t think we’ll need it.It’s obviously one of the guys or Nyx would be losing her shit.”
He tossed off the covers and swung his legs over the edge, stumbling to his feet.Everything ached, though that probably had more to do with falling off the cliff than making love to Jordan half the night.
Jordan tossed a pillow at his head, hitching out one hip.“Are you going to answer the door with that caveman grin on your face?Because I’ll definitely grab the Sig if that’s the case.”
“Shouldn’t you be more insulted if I wasn’t this happy?”
“There’s happy, and then there’s you smiling like some nerdy teenager who’s just lost his virginity to the prom queen in the back of a flatbed.”
“Personal experience?”
“Do you think I was ever a prom queen?”
“Damn it, Kash, I know you’re awake.”Zain’s voice echoed through the converted barn.
Kash blew out a rough breath.“I swear, one day…” He pointed to the closet.“There’re more sweats in there.Take whatever works.We’ll grab your clothes after I strangle my brother.”
Kash walked over to the doorway, pausing to watch Jordan shuffle across the floor, his shirt hugging the bottom of her ass.The woman was just too sexy for his well-being.
He turned, then headed for the front room, drawing in a deep breath before opening the door.“Someone better be in jail or dying.And if it’s the first, they can wait.”
Zain huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.“It’s damn near eight.Since when do you sleep past six?”
“Since I had a damn good reason to stay in bed.What couldn’t wait?”
Zain looked past him, and Kash turned, inhaling as Jordan walked toward them, hips swaying.Her long brown hair pulled up into a ponytail, the ends swishing over her shoulders as she moved.And it wasn’t hard to see the operative in her.Imagine her taking out a bar full of tangos with whatever was handy on the tables.
Zain slapped him in the chest.“You might want to close your mouth before Jordan slaps that stupid look off your face.”
Kash glared at his buddy.“Why are you here?”
The hint of humor faded as he glanced at Jordan when she stopped next to Kash, then over to him.“Someone vandalized your truck.”
“They did what, now?”
Zain leaned against the doorframe.“All four tires.Slashed.”
Jordan scoffed.“We went by Kash’s Chevy at four.”
“I know.Which means they were either waiting for us to go inside or planned to strike just before dawn.Neither scenario sits well with me.”
“Crap.”
“I agree.”Zain gave Kash a pointed look.“And you say I’m paranoid.”
“Because you are.”Kash pulled back — took a calming breath.
“Obviously, not quite enough, or I would have been standing behind the asshole when he tried to cut that first tire.”
“Zain.I get that it was your job to protect us.That you spent ten years watching our every move through a scope from a nest a mile away.Keeping our path clear.Holding the line until everyone else was safe.Then another ten, running point — identifying any threat before it bit us in the ass.That it’s hardwired into your damn DNA.But you can’t work all day, then run maneuvers at night.Like it or not, buddy, even you need to sleep.”
