Rafe tensed against her and then began to relax, snuggling against her neck as he licked behind her ear. It was a particularly sensitive area he had found out sent her reeling on more than one occasion when he was trying to distract her, but now was not the time for distractions. They had to get out of here. Finally, Jollie was able to take stock of her surroundings and look around. They were lying in a very uncomfortable hospital bed in what looked like a medical facility. Slapping Rafe’s hand when it started rubbing her breast she pushed him back and moved to finally get a look at his face.
“Rafe, where are we?” she whispered, careful to keep her voice down. “Where’s Davy?”
Sorrow so profound filled Rafe’s eyes, so deep that Jollie knew it would take her man a very long time to get over the betrayal of what Davy had done to him and the team, if ever. He had been the baby of the group. The one they had protected and coddled the one that was the baby brother so many of them had either never had or had lost along the way. For him to turn on the team, and especially Rafe and Kayne, was to turn on everything they stood for and had fought for to be the very people they had become.
“Oh baby, I’m so sorry.” Jollie gathered him to her breast, pulling Rafe to her as she felt him shake in her arms as if he would come apart. The long, quiet sobs were soul wrenching and something few would have understood from a man who was always so strong and so stubborn. She feathered her fingers through hair he was finally allowing to grow a little longer because she liked to play with it instead of keeping it buzz-cut short and whispered softly how much she loved him. Only a man who loved so deeply would feel the loss and betrayal of a team member like Davy. It reminded her just how different Rafe and his brother were, and just how fortunate she was to have him in her life.
Suddenly, Jollie remembered her frantic call for help to Chayle.
“Rafe, babe, can you hear me?” she whispered to him now that he had calmed down and was seemed to be resting against her. Jollie felt him nod against her chest and smiled. Even bad boys needed mothering sometimes, even her bad boy.
“Babe, is Chayle alright?”
Dark blue eyes looked up at her, slightly red but now sparkling with mirth like he had a big secret to keep. Rafe crawled up her body and took her face in both hands, kissing her like she had never been kissed before.
“Chayle and the twins are fine. Just fine.” Rafe watched as the news sank in and couldn’t keep back his grin with Jollie’s eyes popped open wide. He nodded, confirming her questioning look and stood, pulling her to him as he rose.
Without letting her say a word, Rafe led her out the door and down the hall of the facility they were in, and Jollie was reminded to have him tell her again just where the hell they were at. She was getting tired of waking up in someplace other than her own bed. Down a long hallway, around a corner and then they were standing in front of a window where Kayne was looking inside, a goofy grin on his face. He looked up as the two of them came to stand next to him.
“Damn, you two look like you’ve been rode hard and put away wet.” He laughed and pointed to the window. “Let me introduce you to my sons. Jollie, please meet Adam and Darren McIntyre.”
Jollie stood in the circle of Rafe’s arms and stared down at the two babies wrapped in blue blankets. At the moment it would be almost impossible to tell them apart just looking at them.
“Chayle has already figured out they will be terrors, just because they came so early. At least we will be able to tell them apart because of their birthmarks.” Kayne motioned to the male nurse who stood to the side and he pulled back the corner of each blanket. Each baby had a small birthmark, except it was on their opposite shoulders. An exact mirror image of the mark.
“Good lord! What will ya’ll do if they are mirror images of each other? Two of either one of you will be too much.” Jollie’s remark had the brothers laughing as the boys were covered back up and tucked away to take a nap. “Is Chayle doing ok?”
“She’s good. Sleeping at the moment and I wanted to give her that. She almost took my nuts off during delivery and then promised to make it better, so I think she’s forgiven me. At least I hope so!” Kayne had the cutest look as he watched his sons and Rafe knew there would be hell to pay if anyone tried to take them.
“Let’s get you to the house, shall we?” Rafe pulled her close. “We can come back to see Chayle later.” He turned to led her away when Mercury ran down the hall.
“I need both of you now. It’s Gabe!”
Chapter 36
“When did you find him?” Rafe stood beside the bed, looking down at a comatose Gabriel and wondering just how much more the team could take at this point.
“I found him in the Security Compound once Davy and his men were contained and the situation defused. When no one could raise him on coms, I went to see what the problem was and found him slumped over on the floor unconscious.” Merc’s description left Rafe feeling baffled. The only reason blood could have been leaking from Gabe’s nose and ears, and his hands shaking that hard would be from convulsions. It would mean he had tried to over extend himself with his abilities. But Gabe’s abilities had never been that advanced, at least not as far as Rafe was aware of.
“Get me Commander Derek on the phone. Now!” Rafe headed to his office, Jollie and Kayne close behind. He was tired, hungry, and just wanted to hold his woman, but first he wanted to know what the hell was going on with his men. And why he didn’t know about it? The instant Commander Derek picked up and answered through the speaker phone, Rafe lost it.
“I have a man down, Derek. I have another one who I thought was incapable of betrayal who put a bullet in his own head, and two outsiders who are almost brain dead from some twisted motherfuckers idea of brainwashing. So you had better tell me right now what is wrong with Gabriel and why he would be comatose after using just his basic telepathic abilities or so help me God, I will put a bullet through your head myself the next time I see you.” It was deathly quiet on the other end of the phone for long minutes once Rafe finished.
“Is Gabe alive?” The softly asked question took Rafe off guard, causing him to finally take a hard seat in his large chair behind the desk. Jollie came to stand behind him, gently rubbing his shoulders.
“Yes, but I don’t know how.” Rafe ran his hands through his hair. “Derek, what the hell’s going on? All Gabe did was talk to us telepathically while we were cornering the kidnappers.”
“Are you sure? Rafe, think about it. Tell me exactly what happened.” Derek’s command was sharp and direct, causing Rafe to bristle but he recounted the incident as best he could. What he couldn’t fill in Merc did, since he was in the helicopter with Rafe on the side door and could clearly see the front of the other aircraft.
“Oh Gabe,” Derek groaned through the connection.
“What?” Rafe and Kayne both shouted, demanding to know what the Commander was keeping from them. They were both tired of being kept in the dark and now their friend and team mate was lying in a hospital bed, possibly dying.
“Boys, you have no idea just how powerful Gabriel Sorrel really is and neither do most people. There are only about four individuals in the entire history of science who have ever shown as much promise or as much ability as Gabriel. He is what is considered a Class 4 but was always unable or unwilling to control it. Because of his lack of abilities, he chose to go with your group wanting to stay under the radar and out of government hands.” Commander Derek groaned, and the connection was quiet for a long time.
“Is. He. Going. To. Live?” Rafe’s question hung in the air between all of them.
Merc sat against the wall, his strong face pale and sick looking, shaking his head with the knowledge that the young IT geek could be lost to them now after so much had happened. Kayne sat on the corner of the desk, his impressive face unable to hide the anger and hurt at not knowing how to help one of their own. Both of them echoed the same feelings Rafe worked to pushed down as he waited for the Commander’s next words.
“Gabe will wake up when he’s ready. Evidently, he used a lot of power to knock out those in the other helicopter, especially from such a long distance away and without line-of-sight connections. It’s almost impossible to do and the fact that he was able to do it shows you just how strong he really is when he puts his mind to it.” The soft reply lay over the airways and settled in the room like a prayer.
“All you can do now is keep him comfortable and warm. Once his mind heals and his body catches up, Gabe will wake up on his own. Until then, please,” Derek paused. “Take care of him.”
“Sir, may I ask you something personal?” Kayne came to stand close to the phone but locked eyes with Rafe.
“You want to know what my connection is to Gabe.” Derek’s statement was almost a sigh. “He’s my son. His mother was the love of my life but refused to marry me. She wouldn’t be second to the service. I didn’t get to raise him, but I’ve kept track of him since he was born. Made sure she had the money to take care of him. So you see, Gabe is important to me in more ways than one.”
“Yes Sir.” Rafe wasn’t sure if it was smart but decided it was the only thing to do. “Sir, do you want to move Gabe from the Compound? It would be understandable if you did.”
“No. He’s safer there than anywhere else and I’ll know you will take care of him. If you need anything, let me know. Anything.” With that, the line went dead.
“Damnit, I want some quiet for a while,” Rafe growled, standing from his chair.
“Agreed. I’m going to see my mate and boys. Call me if you need me.” Kayne slammed out the door, Merc right behind him. Looking over at Jollie, Rafe held out his hand, who walked into his arms.
“Take me to bed,” she whispered.
Chapter 37
Epilogue
The dog days of summer were getting long and sticky and Jollie decided a trip to the lake would be the perfect cooling off project for the day. Chayle and the babies were still getting their routines down so it was just her and she was determined to get Rafe to take some time off to go swimming. Packing a knapsack with a picnic lunch for both of them, she grabbed a blanket and headed for the water, sending her mate a silent message.
“Lover, I have a skimpy two piece on, a t-shirt, and a picnic. Come join me by the water.”
“Where is your bodyguard?”
“I told him my husband was meeting me for a swim,” Jollie could feel the jolt that come back at her along their bond. They hadn’t talked about getting married, but she was determined that if they were to have children then it would be after they married.
“Woman, did you just propose to me?”
“Well, I guess you will have to come down to the water to find out. Now won’t you?” Jollie laughed out loud as she spread the blanket out under a large tree out of sight from the Compound but close to the water. She was just propping the knapsack up against the tree when strong arms wrapped around her and lifted her off the ground.
“Say it again,” Rafe whispered in her ear.
“Say what?” she wiggled against him, feeling his arousal poke her belly as she slid down his body to stand in front of him.
“Woman!”
“Gezz! You are so easy to spin up, aren’t you.” Jollie pushed back the black hair that hung over his eyes, loving the fact that he grew it for her. Looking deep into his dark blue eyes, she caught her breath.
“My Heart, will you marry me?” Rafe asked, just before he kissed her.
Jollie’s eyes filled with tears and she was unable to hold them back as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He took them both to the ground on the blanket, taking all the weight on his haunches as he lay back with her pressed to his stomach. Looking down, there was no way she could deny how much she loved this man who was so strong yet willing to protect with his life. If she could give him even a little piece of herself to make his life easier, then that was her destiny in this life.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” he whispered, kissing her chin and wiping away her tears.
“I am your mate and your lover. But you are my soul!” Jollie opened her soul to him, letting him see just how much he meant to her. “Yes, I’ll marry you!”
“Thank god. Kayne was going to whip my ass if I didn’t get it done soon. Guess I’ve been a bear lately,” His look was comically.
“Yes, you’ve been beastly and you owe everyone an apology.” She kissed him, but then laughed at his face. “What, I can agreed with you. Get used to it, lover. I never said I would always be nice, now did I?” Rafe promptly picked her up and walked to the edge of the water.
“You wouldn’t?” She fumed, and if looks could kill Rafe would sleep somewhere else if he knew what was good for him. An evil laugh rang over the lake as Rafe jumped and a scream echoed as he hit the water.
“I’m going to kill you.” The Fates had succeeded once again.
THE END
Promises (Blood Brothers #1) Page 20