Gino could see that his answer shocked Ezekiel. The man stopped dead in his tracks, ran a hand through his hair and glanced back toward the house. “Shit, Gino. You’re right. Why the hell didn’t I see that?”
“I’ve known Joe since we were kids. His dad was best friends with my father since grammar school. When the murders happened, it was Joe who found me. They saved my life when Ciro took me in and raised me as his son. Joe’s a little older than I am, so I guess I looked up to him and I learned his every mood. His expressions. I can read him like a book.” The trouble was, Joe could read him just as well.
Ezekiel shook his head. “Thanks for letting me know, but just so you know, I may have gotten upset with him if Bellisia told me she didn’t like his questions, but I wouldn’t ever attack a man, a friend, when I know he’s wounded. If you’d thought about it, you know me too well to think I’d do that.”
“Before the enhancements, yeah, I get that. None of us can predict what we might do now. You need to hunt. It’s in you now. It was always in me, even before the murders, but you got that in you, Zeke. We have to watch out for one another. Your brothers covered you, and I covered Joe. Next time, you might have my six while I’m taking Mordichai’s.”
Ezekiel flashed him a smile. “You’re a good man, Gino.”
Gino regarded him soberly. “No, I’m not. I try to be. I want to be. But I’m not. Joe’s a good man. I think we were born into the wrong families. He never wanted to be a part of his family’s business, and I would have followed in Ciro’s footsteps. In the end, I looked after Joe for so many years I just followed him into the service.”
“And you’re still at it.”
Gino nodded. “This mission, Zeke. You’re married. Maybe you should turn it over to one of the others. Let them take it. I’m an officer. A surgeon. I can run it and you stay back this time.”
Ezekiel clapped him on the shoulder. “You know I can’t do that, but thanks for the offer. We’ll bring her home.”
Gino wondered if Zeke still thought the same thing when the next two jumps proved to be a nightmare. No one hit their mark on the first jump with the heavy power paragliders attached to them. The second jump wasn’t much better, and Ezekiel lost patience and growled orders at them, reminding them they still had to simulate the actual rescue and this was the last jump before their practice night jump. The man definitely wasn’t happy with them.
“Get it together. Focus. There won’t be room for mistakes up on that roof. One of you fucks up and goes over, we’re all dead. Every single one of us and the woman, so hit your damn marks,” Ezekiel snapped.
Gino pushed down amusement. Growling sometimes worked, but Zeke could look like a Bengal tiger when he wanted. Joe always spoke softly. Zeke did the same, but the two were so different in their delivery. Joe had the way of his father. He could be scary with that soft voice. Zeke growled, looking every inch the predatory male he was.
Somehow Ezekiel’s order was followed and every one of them managed to hit the mark with their bulky and very heavy equipment on the third try. They repacked everything and went into rescue mode, ready to simulate the actual retrieval of the prisoner.
Rubin jumped first and disrupted the cameras as he came down, hitting the roof and hurrying into position as soon as he removed the powered paraglider. His brother was on his six, hand on shoulder at the door. Gino moved into position. He would go in first, checking for guards, making certain the way was clear. Draden stepped up, his fingers working magic on the lock, and then dropped quickly into the last position, watching their backs. Ezekiel was positioned right after Diego.
They moved quickly and silently down the stairs leading to the floor. It was Gino who signaled all clear so they could open the door onto the floor, while Rubin disrupted the cameras. Small glitches only. The lights flickered, so that it seemed perfectly logical that the cameras would be having trouble as well.
Once on the floor, they split into two teams, Draden and Ezekiel going to the left and Rubin, Diego and Gino going to the right. Each room would have to be checked. Draden had gifts similar to Gino’s and would be the one to hopefully know the positioning of any guards.
Gino had to strain, using his gifts, the ones that burned his eyes but allowed him to see beyond walls. He could feel for the energy that told him someone was behind a door waiting and just how focused they were on their job. He moved with authority, with confidence, along the hall. Sensing someone behind a door, he signaled to the others. Diego nodded and he and Rubin stood to either side of the door.
To the left of the door, Gino told them. One man.
The count was silent, but the moment Diego got the door open, Rubin exploded inside, was on the “guard” and took him down with a tranq. They hadn’t wanted to take down any guards, just in case there were radio checkins, but they had to check each room that was occupied.
They repeated the same entry and operation several times until it felt smooth. They broke for dinner and prepared for their night jump. They’d only do one and then they’d have to repack gear to be ready to leave.
They ate dinner at the Fontenot house—all of them. The entire family together, and as promised, Nonny and the women fixed a feast for them. It was plain Cajun cooking, which meant it was amazing. Gino looked around the table. These were good people, all of them. He liked them. They were loyal, true to their word, warriors ready and willing to fight for one another and yet quick to give a hand to a neighbor.
Did he fit in? He was never certain. Wyatt was the closest thing to him, and Wyatt was a good man. Gino had a cold edge that set him apart, and yet the triplets kissed and hugged him, accepting him as their uncle just as they did the other men. Pepper looked at them all with affection, although she stuck very close to Wyatt and never touched any of them physically.
Cayenne was beginning to overcome her anxiety around them. She’d lived alone in a cell for too many years, and it had taken her longer to warm up to the idea of one big family. She and Trap never seemed to be able to keep their hands off each other and she looked to him for cues around the others, which was laughable as Trap was the most antisocial man Gino had ever met.
Ezekiel and Bellisia were good together. She was a tiny little thing, but very strong and, like Cayenne, lethal as hell. Gino liked watching their interaction. He liked all three women and the way they were devoted to their men. He sat back in his chair, smiling at Pepper when she poured him a cup of coffee.
“You don’t have to wait on me, honey,” he said.
“I know. That’s why I do it. I can’t wait on Wyatt or he’d expect it every time.” Pepper tossed her wild mane of dark hair—it was almost as thick as a man’s arm when she braided it. It had a faint darker pattern strewn through the silky mass.
The men erupted with laughter at Wyatt’s expense. He just wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist as she tried walking past him and pulled her down onto his lap. “You wait on me,” he announced, nuzzling her neck. “Anything I want. Anytime I want it. Everyone knows you worship at my feet.”
“I do not.” Pepper pretended to struggle.
Gino noticed that her butt wiggled around all over Wyatt’s lap. He liked that for his friend—that a woman loved him enough to show him.
“Maybe not my feet, but you do worship other parts of me.”
“Wyatt.” She punched his shoulder lightly and buried her face in his neck. “I do worship you, but I think it’s gone to your head.”
The men, including Gino, burst out laughing. He could tell Pepper had no idea why they were laughing, or that Wyatt could have come back with something even more embarrassing.