Whispered Words

by Marie Harte

Josh couldn’t have said why finally finding her made him so nervous. For the better part of their lives, he and Xavier had been connected to her. Their girl. The dependency had built throughout the years, until she felt like another, extended part of them. Fear that she might not be everything he’d once dreamed her to be crept over him, and he almost wished they had never found Chloe King in the snow, standing with a gun as she peered through their window.

  Christ. He didn’t know what to feel. Excited? Scared? Angry?

  Trying to concentrate on what he did know, he turned his thoughts back to their guest. “Chloe said she’s hiding from her stalker. He has to be the same guy with the big knife. I just wish we’d caught the bastard.” Another thought struck. “If Chloe is hiding from this guy, he could track her here. Wouldn’t that be fun? A crazy killer who likes knives, a mystery woman we both like who’s distracting as hell, and the Werlin clan coming to slit our throats. All in one happy little cabin.”

  “With one bedroom and one bed, don’t forget that.” Xavier grinned. “You know, we should keep a sharp eye on her. Who knows what kind of trouble she might get into on her own?”

  Josh considered the king-size bed in the sole bedroom. He and Xavier had planned to share it. “I guess there’s room for one more. But no sex, Xavier. I mean it,” he reiterated when Xavier continued to grin. Josh groaned. “Not yet, okay? Let’s at least verify she is who she says she is first.”

  “That I can do.” His brother made a face. “Now I’m going to clean up while you keep an eye on sexy in there.” He turned away muttering, “I can’t believe I came in my pants.”

  Josh couldn’t believe it either. He took another look at Chloe and amended that. Actually, he could. He sure the hell hoped she was on the up-and-up. She was a fighter, and he respected that. Sexy as hell and aggressive. Now if she had intelligence and moral boundaries he could live with, she’d be the perfect woman. A lot of ifs.

  She rolled over, and the blanket slid off her shoulder.

  His cock rose again, and he sighed. One way or the other, he and Xavier were going to have her. He just hoped she wasn’t working for Werlin.

  He’d hate to fuck her, then have to kill her.

  * * *

  Nathan flinched as he sat across from Jack. “It’s bad, boss. Really bad. Chloe’s idea to use her shirt where he touched it to get a read worked.” He pointed at the collar of the sweatshirt she’d been wearing when she’d been in that warehouse. “I felt him.” Jack pierced Nathan with a stare that still unnerved him, no matter how many times he’d seen it. “Work with the others on this. I’m putting you on as lead. I need a full-out profile on this stalker asshole before she comes back.” Under his breath, he added, “Before I let her come back.”

  “No problem. I’ll work with Ian on victim profiling, and maybe James on IDing the guy.” He paused. “Still no precog on our perp?”

  Jack shook his head. “Avery can’t get a bead on him. I fucking know this guy is psychic. But what are the odds he’s out here in Bend with the rest of us? Is he PWP

  or not? I need a fucking name.” Jack growled. “Get me answers, Nathan.” Nathan left the room with one task on his mind. To find the son of a bitch before he could even think about hurting Chloe again. That in mind, he sought out Ian and got to work.

  Chapter Three

  Chloe blinked into sunlight. Bits of dust floated through the hazy rays and settled over the thick comforter cocooning her in warmth.

  “Finally. I thought something might be wrong with you.” Her trip to the cabin came back to her in startling clarity, and she stared at one of the twins, Josh or Xavier, she couldn’t tell which, sitting in a chair in the corner. He stood and crossed over to her.

  The man had short black hair, brown eyes, and a square jaw. He wore jeans and a dark sweater, the same as what both men had been wearing when she’d happened upon them.

  “To be honest, I was surprised you fell asleep this morning. I was sure you’d have taken off.”

  She’d planned to. But the cold had gotten to her, and she’d pulled the covers over her, just to offer some respite from the low temperature while she made her plans to escape. Then she’d gotten dizzy and must have passed out. She didn’t remember much more than clutching the covers and inhaling the strong, soothing scent of man and soap on the pillow.

  She wanted to kick herself for being stupid enough to fall asleep, unarmed, near strangers.

  But to her confusion, the terror she should have felt at being nearly naked and vulnerable to these men didn’t appear. She’d been in dangerous situations. She knew what crazy felt like. Hell, Psycho Stan had scared the hell out of her. But this guy? She couldn’t feel anything but her heart beating like crazy because she wanted him to touch her. God, I am so messed up. Who the hell thinks about sex in danger?

  And hell, there are two of them to lust over. Two sexy, large, handsome men she’d have to manipulate in order to go free. Her nipples beaded, and she stifled another shiver.

  On a sigh, she asked, “Which one are you?”

  “Does it matter?” He quirked a smile.

  Charmed despite her intent to remain wary, she smiled back. “Xavier?”

  “Good guess.” He tucked his hands into his front pockets. “So are you working for Werlin or not?”

  “Not. I have too much on my plate to start working for someone else. My boss is enough of a headache.” Oh hell. She hadn’t phoned in yet. “What time is it?”

  “Three. Why? Got a hot date?”

  “Smart-ass.” She rubbed her eyes. “I don’t suppose you can get me my radio?”

  “No.” He didn’t seem the least bit sorry. “But you can use our transmitter.

  Smart of you to bring that instead of a cell phone. Cell reception is iffy at best up here, and with the storm, it’s gone.”

  She thought about sitting up, but the cold air across her shoulders made her shiver. So she lay there, under his stare, feeling way too vulnerable. “Can you leave so I can dress?”

  “Nope.”

  She frowned. He smiled back. The jerk.

  He’d thrown a gauntlet she had no intention of refusing, despite wanting nothing more than to burrow under the covers until the snow thawed in another couple of months. Being nearly naked in front of a man this hot made her want to puke, but she’d be damned if she’d let him see he’d rattled her. She cleared her throat. “Fine. Not like you haven’t already seen me nearly naked.”

  “I’d rather see you totally naked. But I’ll settle for nearly.” He didn’t move.

  Frustrated and embarrassed, yet not nearly as annoyed as she should be, she refused to concede he had the upper hand. Chloe tossed the covers back and hurried to her feet. “Bathroom?” She hugged herself and tried to pretend she wasn’t standing in her panties and bra in front of a stranger.

  He nodded to his left, his gaze absorbing her from head to toe.

  She raced in and took care of business, not surprised to see her toothbrush and other personal items laid out on the counter. It seemed the Cannons intended she stay for a while. She shrugged. It wasn’t like she had anywhere better to go. As she took a quick shower to clean the grime off her from her hike, she mused on her new circumstances.

  She still couldn’t believe she’d fallen asleep after all the excitement earlier.

  Not sure she could exactly trust them, she had to admit if they’d wanted, she’d be dead by now. Instead they’d let her sleep the day away, warm and snug in their bed.

  A tingle of lust lit her from within, the thought of her and the Cannon twins, together, racing through her mind. How many times had she wondered how Rory felt, sandwiched between her buddies Keegan and James? A threesome—her secret fantasy—but not one she’d ever considered might play out. She was too aggressive, too short, too curvy, too everything for most men. Yet she hadn’t imagined their interest earlier. That kiss… Holy crap, Xavier knew how to use his mouth.

  The brothers had an odd connection with that telepathy
, but how deep and what that meant to her, she couldn’t tell. Not yet. She’d figured on using her time away from the others to center herself, yes, and perhaps prod her stalker out of hiding. Since her boss and friends still hadn’t made heads or tails of what had happened in that warehouse last week, they were all going on the assumption her stalker was alive and well. Yet what to make of the Cannons and their questions about Werlin?

  She needed answers. Her stomach rumbled. Make that answers and something to eat.

  After finishing in the bathroom, she wrapped a towel around herself and exited to an empty bedroom. A change of her clothing waited for her on the bed. She wanted to chalk up the pile as thoughtful on behalf of the Cannons, but she knew it to be a nosy examination of her things.

  She dressed in a hurry and made due with jeans, wool socks, and a thick sweater. The chill in the air grew warmer when she entered the living room. A fire blazed in the hearth, and the aroma of something delicious filled the air.

  “Evening, Chloe.” Xavier, or Josh, nodded at her. They both wore the same clothes. On purpose? To keep her off balance? One of them stood by the pot on the stove, the other hovered in the kitchen, just standing there.

  She raised a brow at the one standing nearest her, asking without asking.

  “I’m Josh.”

  He seemed quieter, more sedate. But damn if she could tell the difference between him and his twin from just looking at them.

  “Right. Josh. I need to contact my boss before he worries.”

  “First you eat. Then you get the phone.”

  She studied him. “Why do I get the feeling Xavier’s the troublemaker, but that you’re a lot harder to deal with?”

  “You must be psychic,” Xavier said wryly from behind her.

  “About that…” She looked from one brother to the other, trying to detect the subtle nuances setting them apart. They looked exactly alike, down to the parts in their hair, their height, and the expressions of humor, annoyance, and interest they wore. “You two are telepaths, right?”

  “We’re twins who happen to share a unique closeness, yes,” Josh explained.

  “So you’re telepaths,” she said again.

  Xavier skirted answering. “Maybe. You’re awfully accepting of psychic labels for a civilian.” Xavier considered her. “But you aren’t just any civilian, are you, Chloe? You’re PWP.”

  The Psychic Warfare Program was top secret. No way these guys should have known about it unless they’d been involved in the program at some point. “What’s that?”

  “You want to pretend? Fine.” Josh shrugged. “The Psychic Warfare Program came into being more than five years ago. The government recruited a bunch of psychics, drugged them with something that mutated their genetics and strengthened their psychic abilities. Then they closed up shop a year ago. And here you are.”

  “Here you are,” Xavier repeated, his gaze decidedly carnal. “Short, sexy, and looking good enough to eat.”

  “Xavier.” Josh’s warning growl surprised Chloe.

  “I just meant she looks hungry.” Xavier grinned and looked over his shoulder at the kitchen. “Josh made stew. Want some?”

  “Sure. I’m in no rush to leave.”

  The men looked at each other, and she could almost feel the communication between them. Josh glanced at her. “Tell me about this stalker of yours.” He stood and crossed to her while Xavier dished their food into bowls, which he placed on an oak kitchen table. Josh placed his hand against the small of her back to guide her toward the food, and the contact felt overly warm.

  As if she connected with him on another level. His touch unnerved her, and she hurried to sit. “I’ll tell you about my problems if you’ll tell me how you know so much about this supposed PWP.”

  Xavier snorted as he sat down. “Supposed, nothing. We know it’s true.”

  “Yeah? How?”

  “Can’t tell you. It’s classified.” Xavier looked smug and took a bite of stew.

  “Damn, this is good.”

  She ate some and had to agree. The hot meal warmed her stomach and eased her hunger. “This is. Thanks.”

  Josh nodded. “Mom’s recipe. She insisted we learn how to cook before she kicked us out of the house.”

  “Nice.”

  “She was, actually. To this day, Xavier and I can fend for ourselves. We can cook, clean up, and defend ourselves from intruders bearing arms.” The look Josh gave her promised a need to know more.

  “Hey, I was as surprised as you. Although you couldn’t have been that shocked.

  You did meet me outside with a gun.”

  “You tripped one of our sensors,” Xavier explained. “After last month, we upgraded the defenses around the place. So if you have any thoughts about checking out early, we’ll find you. And we’ll be a lot less pleasant the next go-round.”

  Annoyed at the warning, Chloe forced a smile. “Gee, you’ve been awful nice so far. You stripped my clothes off, pinned me to the bed, and kissed me until you got your rocks off.” As if that hadn’t been the sexiest thing ever. But damn if she’d admit it.

  A slight flush lit Josh’s cheeks. “Xavier went a little crazy.”

  “Me? I’m not the one who…” Xavier turned back to her. “Look, Chloe, the fact is, we don’t have to answer jack shit. We helped you last week with that nutjob in the warehouse. And we’re now sharing our cabin, our bed, and our food with you.

  How about a little common courtesy and answering some questions?” She blinked. “That was you two in the warehouse?” Josh looked annoyed, but Xavier kept his attention on Chloe. “What happened?”

  Josh answered. “We got word about something off at the warehouse. We scouted it and found you and a guy with a big knife playing hide-and-seek.

  Unfortunately, he managed to get away from me in the dark.” His eyes narrowed.

  “He a friend of yours?”

  “Did you get a good look at him?” She leaned forward, eager for a lead.

  Josh and Xavier shook their heads. Josh apologized. “It was too dark. What little we saw when the lights flickered was an average face. He hid a lot beneath his clothing. But that knife I’d recognize.”

  “I guess that’s something.” Chloe sat back, disappointed. “I got a call about a missing watch. Belongs to a friend of mine. So I went to check things out.”

  “At night, in an abandoned warehouse? Must be some friend.” Xavier just looked at her.

  She frowned. “A great friend. The point is, I was there for information about the watch. Instead of info, I was attacked. The creep bruised a few of my ribs and was planning to do worse. You two arrived just in time.” She still didn’t understand how they’d gotten there. “So why did you? How did you know to go to the warehouse?”

  They shared a moment of silent conversation. What interested Chloe was that she could feel them speaking, like a low-pressured hum that vibrated through her brain.

  “We had a tip that someone might be in trouble,” was all Josh would say. “So tell me. You worked for the PWP, then it closed down. And you’re out here?”

  “Working for a gym?” Xavier added. He studied her. “You’re obviously in shape. And you’re sexy as hell, but a gym? Please. We know it’s a front for whatever Keiser is running. Who’s his client, anyway?”

  She didn’t like how much they knew. Jack wouldn’t either. “This sure is good stew.” She concentrated on eating.

  “You don’t want to answer, hmm? I can respect that.” Josh nodded at Xavier.

  “How about if I tell you about Werlin? Think that might help you decide to share with us, your new best friends?”

  “Maybe.” She turned back to her stew and nodded her thanks when Xavier dished her more.

  “My family and I work together, a kind of fix-it agency. We’re independent contractors, and we take on cases most people can’t bring to the authorities. We provide quiet resolutions to conflict.”

  “He’s pretty when he talks fancy, ain’t he?” Xavier moc
ked.

  She couldn’t help laughing.

  “Shut it, moron,” Josh said to his brother. He gave her a quelling look, which stifled her amusement. “Anyway, we had a job in Idaho a few weeks ago. A family of bullies with shotguns terrorizing a town. Small-time thugs getting bigger. So Xavier and I stepped in. We shut them down and landed a few of them in jail after taking down the local sheriff—a Werlin cousin.”

  Xavier continued. “The old man didn’t much like us. And he’s not a man to have as an enemy. The bastard was ex-military. A demolitions expert. Caught us unaware, somehow. And we were out of it for a little while.” Both of them looked at her, and the silence made her anxious. “What?”

  “You sure you don’t know Otis Werlin? His brothers Arlo and Ken? Any of those names ring a bell?”

  “I told you. I work here.”

  “Right.” Josh didn’t seem to believe her. “We know where you work, where you live, what you supposedly do for a living. But that’s on the surface.”

  “Where I live?” She hadn’t brought a driver’s license with her. She’d left it in the car. Just how much “checking up” had these guys done?

  “Honey, while you were asleep, we ran your prints.” Xavier grinned. “But I’m betting you weigh a pound or two more than what’s on your license.”

  “Hey.” So she’d fudged the numbers. What woman didn’t?

  “Xavier.” Josh sighed.

  “What? Look at her shape. And no way she’s five foot five.”

  “I’m close.”

  “If you’re more than five three, I’ll eat my hat.”

  “Your point?” She fumed.

  Josh interrupted before Xavier could open his fat mouth again. “His point is that we have resources. We know things, and we’re not your enemy. The question remains, are you ours?”

  Chloe glared at them both, wishing they hadn’t put her on the spot. “So you two just want me to trust you because, what? You’re handsome? Because you’re both bigger than me? Because without your okay, I’m out on my ass?” They answered “Yes” in stereo.