Colby, Mace, and West filed into the living room at The Drift. They sat down on the chairs and couch. Thane and Reid stood with Dalir at the fireplace.
Reid’s gaze connected with Thane’s. They exchanged nods. This was the right thing to do. Dalir had been straight up with him and Thane about everything. They’d decided to stand with him in the fight. They functioned as a team, but every man was in charge of their own destiny. The mission had changed from stopping sick bastards from destroying the world, at least for a time. Now, they’d only focus on one sick bastard. Kell. Once they took him down, they could get back to handling business as usual.
Dalir rolled his shoulders. A brief swell of energy pulsed and rippled through the room. He met the gazes of their other three team members. They sat a little straighter in their seats. “Thane and Reid already know what I’m about to tell you…”
For the third time, Reid heard about Dalir’s lost dimension. The loss of the people Dalir cared about and Kell’s motive for revenge. He finished. Silence hovered in the room.
“I’m extending the same offer that I gave to Reid and Thane. A release from your oath. You joined me to save your world, not mine.”
“I think we all can relate to family issues.” Mace pursed his lips and blew out a breath. “Sounds like your brother has a head full of them.” He looked around the room “Everyone here is family. We protect our own. I’m in.”
Colby leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “What about people who’ve been close to us?” He tipped his chin toward Reid. “Like Lauren. Is Kell going to go after them to get to us?”
“Not if he’s smart.” Dalir’s gaze cooled to an arctic freeze. “I weakened him. Working with the human mind takes effort and skill he won’t waste. His objective right now is to grow stronger, not weaker. In the case of Lauren, if goes near her, I’ll know and then it’s over for him.” His eyes flicked to Reid. “Her mind is also not a safe place for him. He knows. Again, it’s not worth the risk for him.”
A vision of Lauren emerged in Reid’s thoughts. If she knew her mind was literally a trap, she’d have something to say about it. Actually, she might like it when it came to exterminating Kell. If she only knew how special she was in every way. A pang of regret lodged in his chest. He swept it away along with the vision of her.
West crossed his arms. “So revenge, that’s all he wants?”
“Revenge, a way back to our homeland, power.”
West grunted. “Well, I guess he’s headed for disappointment. In my book, he fucked up as soon as he touched Reid. Count me in.”
Colby nodded. “Make it a third.”
“Thank you.” Dalir’s energy receded as if he’d released a huge sigh of relief. For a brief moment, the harshness in his expression lessened. “I am honored to have you join me on the hunt.”
Reid removed the empty magazine from his Glock. He stowed it in the side pocket of his camo pants and slammed in another one.
Ten miles from the house, the course they’d created gave them room to maneuver on foot and in a phase. He adjusted the Velcro on his shooting gloves. Most of the stiffness was gone, but his grip still felt off. During today’s training, he’d hit all the targets, but he could do better. Tighten the cluster of bullets, more head shots.
Sun peeked through the tall oaks, providing the right amount of soothing warmth. Not too cool to make his short-sleeve T-shirt impractical. Not too warm that he broke a hard sweat, despite the work. Another afternoon in The Drift. Another day spent looking for Kell. During the past three weeks, they’d covered ground, year by year, searching for anomalies. Serving as bait to lure him out.
A light stirring of leaves raised honed instinct. He turned and aimed.
Thane walked into the clearing. “You still at it?”
“Yeah, I thought I’d run it through a few more times.”
“You’re pushing pretty hard. Why don’t you take a break? Celine made us lunch.”
“You mean she made you lunch.”
Thane snorted a laugh. “Come on. You know she’s not like that. We’re the only three here. She’s not going to leave you out.”
“Oh, I’m sure she won’t.” A strong breeze blew in from the left. He’d have to compensate for that. “Your fiancée loves me. That’s why she dumped coffee on my lap.”
“It was an accident.”
“Once is an accident. Three times and we’re either dealing with a poltergeist or the truth. She’s pissed at me over Lauren.”
“Should she be?”
Finally, the talk they’d avoided. Honestly, he’d half expected for Thane to hate him, too. “No, but I don’t blame her. She’s looking at it through how she feels for you. Not how Lauren felt about me.”
“What about how you feel for her?”