"I see. Is that the way it is?" Trap said. "What happened to swearing off women?"
"She's the mother of those three babies and I'm the father. They need us both."
Trap groaned. "Listen to yourself, Wyatt. Why do you always have to be the knight in shining armor rushing to the rescue? You don't owe that woman anything. You didn't experiment on her..." he trailed off.
"You mean like the two of us plan on doin'?" Wyatt asked.
"We're experimenting for a good reason. We need the antivenom."
"Which, I believe, is what Whitney and Braden were lookin' for," Wyatt pointed out. "How are we any different?"
"We're the good guys," Draden said.
"Whitney believes he's the man wearin' the white hat," Wyatt said. "He thinks he's a great patriot and that he's workin' to better the soldiers so there are fewer casualities and wars aren't worth startin'."
"The things he does are against the law. You don't experiment on children. You don't keep women prisoners and force them to have babies," Draden snapped.
Trap put his hand on Draden's shoulder. "Don't get defensive. Wyatt isn't saying Whitney is the man with the white hat, he's pointing out that to Pepper and the baby, we're not going to appear any different, and he's got a point."
Wyatt nodded. "We've got to finesse this one. We can' be the bull in the china shop. They've been through enough. On top of that, I feel extremely protective toward the children. They're my children and they've never been out of a damn lab."
He sighed, shaking his head. "I feel possessive toward Pepper. More than that. Far more. I connected us when I went to heal her and I've been in her head. There's no conspiracy she's a part of. Whatever I feel for her is growin' stronger every day and I can be... dangerous. I can feel what she's feelin' and that doesn't make things any easier. If she's upset, I have to take care of that. She's my woman and under my protection."
"And you're certain, Wyatt?" Trap asked quietly.
Wyatt nodded slowly. "She's addicting in ways I can't even begin to tell you, but she's tied to me. Her loyalty is to me. I made damned sure of that."
Draden whistled. "Malichai and Ezekiel know?"
Wyatt nodded. "I'm in a mess here. It's a volatile situation anyway you look at it. You know I'm not exactly the easiest man to get along with."
Trap's eyebrow shot up. "Are you referring to your foul temper?"
Wyatt managed a slight grin. "I've always had to work on my temper, but I've never been a jealous or possessive man. Not once in any relationship I've ever had. Not as a kid and not when I believed I was truly in love. But I have to tell you, this is different. Not easy. And it's me, not her."
He knew he was trying to articulate something he didn't understand or trust - and he was attempting to warn them he could be dangerous around Pepper. He reached for her, a little ashamed that he hadn't protected her from Draden and Trap. She hadn't deliberately enticed them, but they'd still felt her pull.
Are you okay? Did they hurt you? I know there's nothin' to what they're sayin'. They're only tryin' to protect me, sugar. You're very potent.
I wasn't trying to, Wyatt. Honest.
He knew the difference between her keeping her shield up and letting it down. I know that, Pepper.
The thing is, Wyatt, I don't care whether they like me or not. I don't even care if they trust me. I care if you do. You matter to me. When you met me, you were just like them, suspicious. I didn't blame you. Ezekiel and Malichai were as well. I didn't blame them either. Trap and Draden come in here and they meet me and I'm... well... me. Of course they want to protect you. They wouldn't be your friends if they didn't.
He couldn't argue with that. She had a point. He also didn't mind so much that his opinion was the only one that mattered to her.
Trap shrugged. "Why are you surprised that you would be dangerous around a woman you care for? She's under your skin, under your protection. You're enhanced, Wyatt. You have physical changes, of course you're going to have emotional changes as well. Along with all the good things there's always a balance of bad."
Wyatt wasn't going to admit that the intensity of his emotions - especially jealousy when he was around Pepper - could be off the charts. That was his problem, not hers, and he didn't want Trap or Draden blaming her for his own weaknesses.
He glanced at Trap's face. The man was sheer stone. He always had been. He ignored all social cues. He just didn't care about fitting in or making friends. Even in college, he'd ignored everyone. As far as Wyatt knew, there were only the team members who accepted Trap's brutally honest personality. He couldn't imagine a woman putting up with him for very long.
He was also the most dangerous man Wyatt knew, and all members of the team were hell on wheels. Trap was just... lethal. He didn't hesitate to go into an encampment of the enemy utterly alone, move like a ghost through the guards and take out the primary target.
There was no doubt that he was brilliant and everything he touched seemed to turn to gold - although Trap could care less about money. He didn't have any family, and Wyatt felt a little sorry for him at times. Trap wouldn't understand that. He didn't long for things he didn't have. He had a strict code he lived by. He knew he wasn't good at any kind of relationship, and when he'd joined their team, he'd been brutally honest about himself to the team members. They'd all liked him better for it.
Wyatt had found that if Trap gave out a piece of information, it was always correct. Always. One didn't question Trap's abilities or knowledge, because he was a walking library of facts, which made him an unbelievable asset both on and off the battlefield. It was easy enough, once you accepted his personality, to like him.
Wyatt shrugged. Trap was right. He should have realized that when his DNA had changed, so had his emotions.
"Let's go eat before Nonny disowns me. And Trap, Nonny's important to me. Very important. Her protection and happiness. I know it's hard for you to bother with the little niceties, but I would greatly appreciate you tryin'."
Trap frowned and looked to Draden for an explanation. Draden clapped him on the shoulder. "Play nice with his grandmother, Trap."
"And Pepper," Wyatt warned softly. "She's important to me as well."
Draden nudged Trap. "Remember that book of manners I gave you and you read in three minutes flat? Use those little tips and be courteous."
"You gave him a book on manners?" Wyatt asked.
"Actually he gave me three different ones and I found a couple of others," Trap said, serious as usual. "They didn't make a whole lot of sense. I can see why society would want to implement some of the rules, but others are just a waste of time."
"Use them anyway," Draden suggested as they approached the kitchen.
"If we're going to actually waste time eating, shouldn't we at least discuss our entry point into the compound? When you called, I found someone to help us out with the blueprints, specifically the water system. That might be a point of entry."
Draden groaned. "Just because you're a fish in the water doesn't mean the rest of us are." He pulled back a chair and plopped in it, giving Nonny a big smile. "Ma'am, this looks like a feast. Thank you for going to the trouble of fixing us all food." He kicked Trap hard under the table.
Trap looked up, blinking as if coming out of a fog. Wyatt wanted to laugh. Trap's mind was far from their dinner, already trying to solve the puzzle of how to get them safely in and out of the laboratory without bloodshed or raising an alarm.
"Yes," he murmured, clearly unsure of what he was supposed to say or do. He actually looked a little helpless.
Wyatt covered his mouth and coughed. "Ginger isn' eatin' with us?"
"We've been trying to get her into a routine," Pepper said. "Children do much better when they have a routine."
"She's right," Trap said, "Statistically, routines actually provide children with the feeling of security as well as teaching them self-discipline." He looked across the table at Pepper. "You've been with these children since they were born?"
She shook her head. "I was brought in when they were around three months old."
"Were they already exhibiting signs of superior intelligence?" Trap asked eagerly.
Pepper nodded slowly. "I think that's one of the reasons they brought me in to help. They were already communicating with each other. That was very clear."
"But not verbally. They wouldn't have been developed enough to create actual words," Trap continued.
Draden sighed. "At least put food on your plate, Trap," he encouraged. "You need to keep the fuel up, remember? We had a long talk about why a person needs to eat nutritiously. You took my bag of chips away and gave me a twenty-minute lecture."
"I can assure you, Trap," Nonny said. "That fish stew is very nutritious."
Trap ladled a large helping into his bowl, frowning a little. "That would entirely depend on the fish and whether or not it was exposed to any kind of pollution. Since the hurricane..."
"Trap." Draden shoved a piece of fresh warm bread into the man's mouth. "Don't talk anymore. Just eat."
Trap chewed thoughtfully for a few minutes and then looked up at Nonny. "Ma'am. Apparently I'm not good at conversation, so I apologize ahead of time for any mistakes I make."
Wyatt was proud of his sincerity. As a rule, Trap could care less if he hurt someone's feelings. He didn't notice.
Trap started to pick up his coffee mug. Pepper made a single sound, a low, long hiss escaping between her small white teeth. Her dark eyes radiated a diamond-colored starburst as she looked at the man. Trap cautiously removed his hand from the mug, and looked across the table at Pepper.
Malichai grinned at Ezekiel. "Better think twice, Trap. She might of really done it." He winked at Pepper.
Instead of laughing with the others, Trap leaned toward Pepper, his face carved so only his eyes were alive with curiosity. "Do you really have the ability to spit venom? Can the babies? I can't wait to get them in the lab and examine their teeth and mouths. I'll have to look at you too. Do you know if you're their biological mother?"
There was a silence. Pepper continued to stare at Trap. Wyatt felt her instant fury, although she looked sweet and innocent, her smile alluring. He felt the sudden electrical charge building between the two. He stood up so fast his chair fell over, breaking that swelling charge.
Judging by the shocked faces and stares, he knew no one else had seen or felt anything out of the ordinary. Only him. He knew Trap was in trouble immediately. He barely registered anything but the current tying a thread between Pepper and Trap. He reached out and shackled Pepper's wrist, uncaring of the consequences. He yanked her out of her chair and dragged her out of the room, away from the others.
"What the hell do you think you're doin'?" he demanded, his voice low and more than a little threatening as he took her down the hall and into his bedroom. He retained possession of her wrist as he kicked the door closed and shoved her hard against it. Stepping close, he trapped her body between the hard wood and his body.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don' play innocent with me, Pepper. Do you think I'm not aware of every single thin' you're doin'? Where you are in this house? Who you're talkin' to? Every single thin' you do? Every breath you take in and exhale. Don' lie and tell me you aren' aware of the same thin' with me."
He pinned both her arms above her head. "Admit it, Pepper. Admit to me you know where I am at all times."
"Maybe I do, but that doesn't have anything to do with your behavior."
He heard the desperation in her voice. The ache. He knew the exact feeling. It was always there for both of them when they got together, especially if emotions were running high. "What the hell are you doin' throwin' out a lure to Trap? Do you want to get one of us killed? He came here to help me and he's my friend. Are you angry with him because he threatened you?"
"I don't care that he threatened me. Of course I want him to be loyal to you and to make certain you come back alive, but he doesn't care anything at all about the children. He's like the men in that laboratory and the ones in France."
"It shouldn't matter a damn what he's like. You don' use that lure on any other man, do you understand me? You belong to me, not someone else. We'll sort it out between us. You're not goin' to bring anyone else into the mix. It's too dangerous."
"What other weapon do I have to protect myself or the children? Unless you want me to kill him, because that's always a possibility."
"You trust me. Me, Pepper. To look after you and the children. I wouldn't have brought Trap here if I thought he'd be a danger to the kids. He's my friend. He's different, yes, and he's analytical and a little obsessive, but he's loyal to me and my team, which means..." He put his hand over her mouth when she would have protested. "Which means he's loyal to my family."
"You're not being fair, Wyatt. I might know you, but I don't know him. I trust you with me and the girls - but not him. He wants to put them right back into another lab and dissect them. I don't know who you'll choose, us or your friends if it comes down to that."
Anger ripped through him like a tidal wave. "You know me." He bit the words out between his teeth. "You're bein' a coward and you know it."
Before she could protest, he took her mouth. He wasn't the least bit gentle. He didn't feel gentle, not with adrenaline pouring through his body like a fiery, hot stream. He leaned into her, deliberately imprinting her body on his, all her soft skin and lush curves. In that moment he could care less whether or not her kiss was lethal. His hunger for her was brutal. Coupled with his volcanic anger, there was no way to stop the rising passion, the terrible need that was so primal he almost couldn't control it.
He poured himself into her, his mouth hot and demanding, forcing her response. The taste of her burst through him like an addicting drug he would never be able to find anywhere else. Never be able to get enough of. Her arms slid around his neck and she melted into him with a small gasping sob.
Her mouth moved under his and he was lost in her sexual web. Drowning. Going under for the last time. The thing was, he didn't want to come up for air. Not ever. He could kiss her forever and it would never be enough. The ground shifted, and he didn't know if it was his reaction or hers. Only that the world dropped away until there was only the woman in his arms and her incredible mouth breathing for him.
He dragged her closer, desperate to be skin to skin. She was made for him. She fit. Perfectly. The chemistry just got hotter the more they kissed, inflaming his every sense until he couldn't think straight. Until there was no way to do without her. She was inside of him, living and breathing, and without her body to sustain his, there was no Wyatt. He knew part of that was the biochemical spilling from her mouth to his, but more, he already knew the taste of her, what it felt like to be inside of her. Once he started kissing her, it was difficult to pull back without having her.
This isn't going to work, Wyatt. It's not.
She didn't take her mouth from his, but she protested, and that made him all the more crazy. Thunder roared in his ears. He slammed his palm against the wall beside her head. He had never wanted a woman so much in his life. Not just wanted her - needed her. No one else was ever going to satisfy the craving inside of him, a terrible empty hole that only she could fill.
You damn well aren't goin' to change your fuckin' mind because I'm angry with you. You had no business throwin' out a lure to him and you know it.
She startled when he hit the wall, trying to draw back, but there was nowhere for her to go. Wyatt had her there, captured between the wall and his body. His prisoner. He held her there, his brooding gaze drifting over her face.
"You belong to me and no one else."
"You don't own me," she denied.
He could see the panic in her eyes, feeling it rising like the tidal wave of sheer lust had risen in him. "I do," he said softly. "You're mine and I'll be damned if I'm ever goin' to give you up, so just know that, Pepper. Know as much as you belong to me, I belong to you. We're in this together. We had this
conversation. We talked it all out. I've been inside you dozens of times. You knew when we first started this that there was no goin' back."
"What is this?" She sounded as scared as she looked. "Doesn't this scare you, even a little bit?"
Her body trembled, shivering against his. He leaned down and brushed a much gentler kiss over her mouth. Her eyes were huge, her breath coming too fast. She was very close to panic and seemed more vulnerable than ever. Wyatt realized her fear was very genuine. Pepper hadn't been made to feel passion and attraction - only to make men feel it. She had no idea what to do with the intense chemistry sizzling between them. She had no idea what to do with him, especially when he was angry.
"You're safe with me. You are. I'm a loyal man, a family man. You don' have to be afraid of what you're feelin'. I'll take care of us."
She shook her head. "How do you know what you're feeling is genuine, that I didn't cast a lure for you too?" She touched her mouth with shaking fingers. "Because a week from now, I don't want to hear you say that."
He captured her hand and brought it to his mouth, his teeth scraping gently at the pads of her nervous fingers. "I can not only feel the lure when you test the waters, but I can see it as well, a thin line of energy going from you to your victim. No one else in that room spotted it and they're all GhostWalkers. What does that tell you?"
She winced visibly and lowered her lashes. They were wet. Spiky. His heart contracted hard in his chest. He pushed back the stray tendrils of cloudy waves that just refused to stay tamed in her braid.
"Don't say 'victim,' Wyatt. Don't use that word."
"I know you didn't deliberately seduce me, Pepper, because you're scared to death of me - of what you feel when you're with me. I connected us when I attempted to heal you, but you connected us long before that, when you jumped between Ginger and me and took that bite. I knew in that moment that you were the one for me. There was no sex involved right then. None. Just a woman showin' tremendous courage, the kind of courage a man livin' in the bayou needs when he wants to raise his family here."
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