Whispered Words

by Marie Harte

“But I didn’t know you guys then. This is new,” she ended, her excuse more than lame. Hell, she felt the same way they did, and the smiling bastards knew it.

  “Yes, I love you both. And I don’t know why. And if your smiles grow any larger, they’ll split your faces wide open,” she grumbled.

  Josh laughed. Xavier didn’t, but she could tell he wanted to. God, she loved them both so much.

  “But what does this mean, really? Yeah, I feel it, tied to you, in love with you.

  But day-to-day? Where do we go from here?”

  Their hands moved in tandem over her back, and she wondered if they were aware of it. Probably not. Both of them seemed so in tune with each other—and her—right now. One person, yet not. And she knew that no matter how much alike they were, they would always be two sides of the same coin. Not the same side of the coin but different sides.

  “We go wherever you want to go,” they said at the same time and laughed at each other.

  Josh continued. “Chloe, we want a life with you. Marriage, kids, everything.”

  “But my work is dangerous.”

  Xavier snorted. “Yeah, all that personal training at the gym is scary.” She frowned, and he laughed.

  “I’m teasing. Look, what we do is dangerous too. Are you asking us to quit our job?”

  “No, why would I?” The thought hadn’t occurred to her.

  “Then why should we ask you to quit yours?” Xavier shrugged. “If you like what you do, we’re fine with it.”

  She swallowed hard. This couldn’t be that easy, could it? “You mean that?

  You’re not just saying that to sucker me in?”

  “In to what? Our devious death trap?” Josh asked. “Honey, you forget.

  Anything that’s out to harm you comes to me first. And then Xavier will warn you.

  We’re a unit. Sometimes we’ll be apart, because grown people do that.” The patronizing tone of his voice set her on edge, no doubt as he’d intended. It should have been strange that he knew her so well, yet it wasn’t.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t know you two for so long, but now it’s like we’ve always been together.”

  “Welcome to my world,” Xavier said and crossed his eyes at his brother.

  She sighed, so happy yet afraid to reach out and grab it. “Marriage? Kids? I don’t know if I’m ready for all that.”

  “You will be.” Josh’s eyes twinkled. He looked smug, and she knew he’d had glimpses of their future.

  “Josh, be nice.” Xavier nudged his shoulder.

  “I will if she will.” Josh dared her to argue.

  “You’re an ass, you know that?” But she couldn’t keep the affection from her voice. She rubbed his nose with hers and accepted his kiss.

  “But I’m your ass.” He squeezed her right butt cheek. “I’m not as sexy as this, but I try.”

  Xavier huffed. “Your humor is juvenile at best.”

  “Oh. Big word, bro. Still trying to impress the little lady? Maybe if you had moves like mine, you wouldn’t need to pretend you’re a human thesaurus.”

  “I’m surprised you know what that is.”

  “Hey, I’ve used one before.” He grinned up at Chloe. “To prop up a table with a bad leg.”

  Chloe laughed at the pair of them. “So we’re going to try to make this work. At my pace,” she warned.

  They nodded in tandem.

  “Oh man. What am I getting myself into?”

  Chapter Nine

  Josh looked around the gym with interest. He hadn’t yet met Chloe’s friends, though he’d seen them enough in visions. She’d been staying with them the past week on supposed vacation. The woman clearly didn’t understand the words personal safety, because she kept trying to get back to her place. And this, even after he’d told her about what he’d seen in his nightmare vision of her and her stalker.

  Stubborn little thing.

  “Can I help you?” A big dude with sandy hair, a broad chest, and dimples when he smiled stood at the front desk. He looked familiar, but Josh couldn’t remember if it was because the guy was PWP or just a friend of hers from the gym.

  “Yeah. I want a membership.”

  “Sure thing. Hold on.”

  If the guy thought applying for a gym membership at nine at night was odd, he didn’t say so. He reached behind him to grab a clipboard, and Josh couldn’t help noticing the play of his muscles as he flexed. He frowned. Chloe was around these fitness freaks all the time. Is that what she wanted in a man?

  Most women would probably find this guy attractive. The thought didn’t sit well.

  Though Josh and Xavier were fit and battle ready, they didn’t have the mass this man did. He looked like he ate steroids for breakfast.

  “Problem?”

  The odd look in the guy’s eyes unnerved him. “Nope. Just wondered how friendly you and Chloe King are.”

  At mention of her name, he smiled. “Chloe? You a friend of hers?” He reached for Josh’s hand before he could move and caught the sleeve of his jacket.

  After a second or two, the guy’s grin turned into a cough as he hurriedly released Josh’s jacket.

  “You okay?”

  “Oh wow. Yeah, man. So you and, uh, Chloe, huh?” The lurid glance made Josh uncomfortable.

  Then he remembered what they knew about some of the PWP folks who worked for the gym. “Oh, hell. You’re one of them, aren’t you?” The guy’s expression cooled. “One of who?”

  “Chloe’s woo-woo friends.”

  The big guy’s eyes narrowed, but before he could move, another man joined him at the desk. This one was more slender, extremely handsome, with long hair held back by a band. He should have looked effeminate, but instead he seemed even more manly, which was weird.

  “Is there a problem here?” His bright blue eyes invited a smile, but the hard look behind his easy mien said wonders.

  “Chloe’s dude has a problem with gays.”

  “What? Oh.” Josh grinned, his eyes unsmiling. “Nah, I just have a problem with steroid abusers who look where they shouldn’t.” He glanced down at the sleeve of his jacket, where the man had held him. “Caught an eyeful, did you?” Before the guy could say anything, the smaller man pushed him away.

  “Nathan, go help somebody lift something. Take your steroid self inside.” The large male moved but sent a frown over his shoulder.

  “Sorry about that. I’m Ian Ryder, Chloe’s best friend.” Ian held out his hand, and Josh took it.

  “Josh Cannon. Chloe’s fiancé.”

  Ian paused and slowly released Josh’s hand. “Fiancé, eh? Oh man, is this going to be good.” He yelled over his shoulder for Nathan and Avery.

  Nathan and another man returned, the second man just as big and brutal-looking as Nathan. But when Avery saw Josh, he laughed.

  “Congrats, man.” He turned to Ian. “Can you imagine? Twins.” Ian sighed. “She has all the luck.” To Josh, he said, “Come on in, and I’ll show you around. If Chloe’s keeping you, you’ll want to see everything.” Knowing Xavier had Chloe protected, Josh moved with Ian inside the PowerUp! gym. To his surprise, the place had an elegant feel yet still looked like a real gym, where a guy could get a workout. Free weights, Nautilus stations, exercise bikes, and treadmills were positioned in easy access areas around the spacious middle. Above them, a small indoor track sat.

  “Twelve laps to a mile. It’s not big, but the track gets a lot of work.” Ian greeted a few fitness buffs as he continued through the gym. Then Ian led him down a side corridor, past a section marked EMPLOYEES ONLY. He pulled Josh with him into a smaller room used for changing clothes.

  “Uh, Ian? What gives?”

  “Hold on.” Ian turned to a section in the wall and pushed, and a partition slid aside to reveal another door.

  “Nice.” Josh nodded. “Fits with what we know of the PWP.”

  “She told you?”

  “Nope.”

  Ian considered him for a moment. “You’re one of us,
aren’t you? Not PWP, but a mental case.”

  Josh chuckled. “You could say that.”

  “Figures.” He unlocked the door with a quick movement of his fingers over a discreet keypad, then preceded Josh down the stairs. The door closed behind them, but the lights showed the way. “Let me tell you, if I could be straight for anybody, it’d be for Chloe. Treat her right, or I’ll make your life a living hell.” A lightbulb clicked. “You must be Frank. From Brownville.” The slender male grinned over his shoulder. “She mentioned me, then?” Josh snorted. “In between rantings. She’s convinced you’ve totally disorganized her happy chaos of an office, as she likes to call it.”

  “Chaos, right. The woman has a bad case of OCD. Everything in its place and all that crap.” Ian guided them down another hall, where they passed a few other people, some of whom he’d seen in his visions with Chloe. Every one of them looked to be in incredible shape.

  Then he spotted Keegan and James. He lifted a hand to wave before catching Keegan’s wary glance at Ian.

  “Someone you know, Josh?” Ian blinked with innocence, and Josh had a feeling he’d just nailed Keegan’s coffin.

  “Nope. He looks familiar, though.”

  “I bet he does,” Ian said loudly enough to be heard.

  Before Keegan could bear down on the guy, James corralled Keegan past Ian and up the same stairs from which Josh and Ian had just come.

  “In here. You’ll want to meet Chloe’s boss. And maybe yours soon too?” Ian paused in front of a thick oak door, then pushed it open without knocking.

  “Sorry. I’m happily employed elsewhere.”

  “But your boss has control issues, I’m told.” Jack Keiser stood behind his desk, and Josh’s eyes narrowed. The body he recognized as Chloe’s boss, but those eyes…

  He’d seen this guy, looking a lot different, laughing with his father a few times.

  Years ago, back when his dad had done a few jobs for the government. So. Keiser was his name, not Jonathan Grant.

  No wonder his dad had been able to dig up so much on the PWP.

  “I take it you two know each other?” Ian’s nose might as well have been twitching. Chloe had been right. He was too smart for his own good.

  “Ian,” Jack warned.

  “I’m going, I’m going.”

  “And next time, knock first, or I’ll put your head through my wall.” That Jack didn’t look like he was kidding occurred to Josh and Ian.

  “Uh, right. Sorry. Won’t happen again.” Ian disappeared in a heartbeat.

  Josh chuckled. “Well, Mr. Grant, nice to see your disposition is the same as the last time I saw you.”

  The guy smirked and closed the door behind Josh. “Have a seat, Cannon.” Josh did and waited for Jack. “So you think you’re taking my Chloe, hmm?” Jack sat, leaned back in his chair, and linked his hands behind his head.

  “Jesus, what do they feed you guys around here?” He couldn’t believe the size of Chloe’s boss. Seated, he should have looked smaller. But Josh had seen bears with less breadth.

  “If you know anything about the PWP, you know we have to work out to keep our abilities in check. Some of us need it more than others.” He paused. “I take it Chloe’s working out regularly.”

  Josh couldn’t help smiling. “Oh yeah.”

  Jack rolled his eyes. “Ah, to be young again.”

  The guy couldn’t have been more than ten years older than Josh, but he acted like he was ancient. Josh shrugged. “I just thought I’d swing by and check out Chloe’s work. She’s hanging with my brother right now. And I wanted to talk to you about her situation.”

  Jack leaned forward. “You’re done with the Werlins, right? Price and Foreman evened the playing field?”

  “Ah, well…” Josh didn’t bother lying, not when he saw through Jack’s blasé question. “You sent them.”

  “I might have left out her coordinates so that anyone with little regard to privacy could steal them.”

  Josh grinned. “They don’t know you set them up.”

  “Yes, and the thought that I might know they disobeyed my orders will torture them for days.” Jack shook his head. “Keegan’s such a pain in my ass. But he and Foreman are a real go-to team to get the job done.” He paused. “You’re not planning on joining us, are you?”

  “Nope.”

  “And you’re not going to try to make Chloe leave?”

  “Not at all. I just wanted to come by and say hi. I didn’t realize you were her boss.”

  “She’s dictatorial, short, and has a big mouth.”

  “Yeah, and she’s mine. Mine and Xavier’s,” Josh warned.

  Jack didn’t so much as blink. “I thought so. I knew you Cannons would be a problem at some point. Stealing my best night manager. I suppose you’re going to expect me to switch her out to days.”

  “Only if she wants it. She’s high on the real job you guys do, and she needs to keep doing it.”

  Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Oh?”

  “Yeah, oh. Her voices and mine like to talk. She’s happy here, so she stays. The minute she wants out, she’s gone.” Josh wasn’t making an idle threat. Jack needed to know that Chloe was part of something more than his team.

  To Josh’s surprise, Jack didn’t argue. “I can live with that. We’re not government anymore, Josh. I tried to tell your father that before we arrived. I don’t think he believed me.” Jack’s lips twitched. “Stubborn bastard. Just like his sons. I wish you the best with Chloe.” His eyes crinkled, and an honest-to-God smile curled his mouth. “She’s a pistol. And she deserves to be cared for. Screw with her, and she’ll make your life a living hell. Not to mention what the guys here will do to you.” Josh smiled. “I gathered that. I met Ian. I don’t think you need to say anymore.”

  “Yeah. He’s little but a real annoyance.” Jack sighed. “But look, if you guys ever need anything, call me.”

  “Same goes. The Cannons are at your disposal.” The offer was anything but casual, and the gleam in Jack’s eyes told Josh he knew it.

  “Damn. The old man sent you, didn’t he?”

  Josh stood. “He might have mentioned I should stop by. He’s been on me for weeks to sign up for a membership. My application is upstairs with some Neanderthal named Nathan. Your staff has a lot of attitude. Might want to work on that.”

  Jack sighed. “I’m trying. Believe me. Wait one.” Jack grabbed a file from his desk and handed it to Josh. “While you three have been fending off some bullies in the mountains, my guys have done some digging into Psycho Stan. Read up on him.

  We’ve got a serious problem that needs to be handled. I’m giving you, your brother, and Chloe the benefit of the doubt on this. But don’t think for a minute my team won’t be with you when we take him down.”

  Josh gripped the file in hand, frustrated he’d have to wait to read it until he got home. God forbid he see something vital without Chloe present. She’d probably gut him like a fish. “Thanks, Jack. I’ll let you know what we plan as soon as we work out the details.”

  Jack nodded and walked him out of the office and back upstairs. The other staffers watched him with caution while Josh shared the story of Chloe berating his brother for nearly getting himself killed, when she’d been in just as much danger.

  “That’s our Chloe. She gets annoyed when the people she loves are in danger.” Josh brightened at the thought. “That she does.”

  They paused at the front desk, where Ian and Nathan pretended to be heavily occupied with something on the computer.

  “Tell her I’ll see her first thing after New Year’s.” Jack grew serious. “There’s just one other thing to take care of before she comes back.”

  “It’s being handled.”

  “You don’t need any help with that?”

  Josh glanced over to see Ian and Nathan no longer pretending not to eavesdrop. The pair looked fierce, no doubt aware he and Jack discussed Chloe’s stalker. “Nope. Xavier and I have it covered. Chloe’s voices don�
��t fuck around when it comes to her safety.”

  Jack nodded, looking more than satisfied. “That’s what I thought.

  Outstanding.” To Nathan, he barked, “Set him and his brother up. Waive the application fee. First month is on us as well.”

  Nathan blinked at Josh and grinned. “Sure thing, boss.” He turned to Josh. “So you and your brother are twins, hmm?”

  Ian chuckled. Jack grumbled and left.

  Josh explained in no uncertain terms, “We’re Chloe’s. Both of us.”

  “That lucky, lucky girl.” Nathan winked, purposely baiting him.

  Then Avery returned. “Hey, anybody here have a sudden hankering for gum?” Chloe tapped her foot as Xavier tried to wriggle out of another excuse. Hanging around in his parents’ house wasn’t going to save him from an argument.

  “I want to know where he went, Xavier.”

  “Baby, we’re just trying to protect you.”

  “Dammit. I don’t need protection. I keep telling you that, but—” His father passed through the dining room, whistling. She waited until he left before she yelled at Xavier again. This time without making a sound.

  “Enough is enough. No one has seen this guy anywhere. We need to draw him out, and you know I’m right.”

  “But you in danger… I can’t do it. On the job, I get. But knowingly setting you up when we’ve seen him hurt you?” Xavier drew her close for a hug and laid his forehead against hers. “Honey, I’m in love with you. I can’t lose you now.”

  “You won’t.”

  Mike passed through again. Whistling even louder.

  “Why does he keep doing that?”

  Xavier grinned. “He’s trying to save my ass from doing something stupid and scaring you away for good.”

  She grinned with him. “Well, he’s not very subtle,” she said aloud.

  The whistling ceased.

  “Xavier, I promise. We’ll take every precaution, but I can’t sit around while the major holidays and the rest of life bypass us. Hell, Christmas is in two days, and I still haven’t gotten anyone anything.”