“The general wants people to be afraid of him. The crueler he is, the more everyone fears him and he gets what he wants. Torture and genocide and rape are good ways to intimidate people.”
Briony was silent for a long time. She sighed. “My brothers won’t listen to me. They think I’m paranoid, but the music festival offered us an enormous sum of money to perform here. It didn’t make sense to me then and even less since I’ve been here. The festival doesn’t have that kind of money and we weren’t going to be that big of a draw. You served with my brother and we’re both enhanced psychically and physically. I’ve never met anyone like me before. In fact, this is the first time in my life I’ve ever been able to be near another human being without feeling their emotions and being sick. Don’t you think it’s all too much of a coincidence?”
“If you’re paranoid, Briony, I am too.”
“Tyrel told me there’s a rumor that rebel soldiers are sneaking into town. If they aren’t here for the music festival, my guess is they’re looking for you.”
“I’d have to say when they find the bodies on the outskirts of the city, they’ll definitely come looking.”
“Jebediah’s going to be really, really angry with me.”
“Don’t worry about your brother. He knows me.” Jebediah knew him all right, and he sure as hell wouldn’t want Jack Norton lying in the same bed with his sister. Jack lay staring up at the cracked ceiling, one hand in her hair, the other over the gun, listening to her soft, even breathing and wondering why he already felt like she belonged to him.
CHAPTER 4
Pounding on the door jarred Jack and Briony from their sleep. The gun was already in Jack’s fist and he waved her to the safety of the bathroom.
“Open the door, Bri!” Jebediah yelled. “I’m standing out here with coffee and you’re still asleep. Get a move on.”
“It’s my brother,” Briony said unnecessarily, but she wanted Jack to put the gun away. She deliberately moved in front of him, blocking his sight to the door, pressing her hand to his head to check for fever. She raised her voice. “Just a minute, Jebediah. Have a little patience.”
Jack swept her out of the way with his arm. “Stay to the side of the door when you let him in. Someone could be standing behind him with a gun to his head.”
“He would have warned me,” Briony objected. “Don’t shoot my brother.”
“Stand to the side of the door.” When she remained frowning at him, he clenched his teeth. “Damn it, do what I tell you.”
Briony huffed out a breath just to show him he annoyed her, although it didn’t seem to faze him. She told herself she obeyed to keep Jack from getting upset as she unlocked and opened the door, not because he was downright scary at times.
“Here.” Jebediah handed her a cup of coffee as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. As he did, his gaze jumped beyond her to the bed where Jack lay on his side beneath the sheet, the gun steady in his hand, aimed straight at Jebediah’s heart. “What the hell are you doing here, Norton?” Jebediah jumped to place his body between the gun and Briony.
“I’m so glad you remember Jack, Jeb,” Briony said, trying to be cheerful. “He needs to get out of the country and I thought you might be able to help.”
“Lock the door.” Jack slowly lowered the gun and put his head on the pillow, draping one arm over his eyes.
Briony turned the lock and leaned against the door, blowing on the coffee to keep from having to look at her brother.
“Just how did you meet up with Jack Norton, Briony?” Jebediah demanded.
“I went to the forest on the edge of the city,” she admitted.
“Damn it, Briony.” Jebediah advanced on her threateningly, looming over her shorter figure. “What were you thinking to take a risk like that? Going out into the forest when I told you to stay put.”
“Jebediah.” Jack’s voice cut in, his tone very low, almost purring. “You talk to her like that again around me and I’m going to rip out your heart. We clear on that?”
Briony’s heart jumped at the threat. Coming from anyone else, it would have been melodramatic, but Jack sounded like he meant it. His tone was mild, he hadn’t raised his voice; in fact he hadn’t even sat up, one arm was still slung over his eyes, but something in his ultrarelaxed posture seemed deceptive-as if inside he was coiled like a snake, ready to strike at any moment. She had never in her life met anyone so casual about violence.
Jebediah backed up. “She’s my sister and my responsibility, Jack. She could have been killed.” He almost sounded conciliatory.
“I already raked her over the coals. Once is enough for anyone.” Jack’s tone said to drop it.
Briony sank down onto the edge of the bed and looked up at her brother. “I’m sorry. I needed to breathe. I couldn’t stay here surrounded by all the people… ”
Jack’s arm snaked out fast, his fingers settling around her wrist. “Don’t apologize. You’re not an anchor. You can’t be around so many people and not feel their misery. Your brother ought to know that about you by now.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Jack?” Jebediah demanded. “My sister isn’t any of your business.”
Jack sat up slowly, the sheet falling away to reveal the masses of cuts and burns and carvings on his chest and shoulders.
“God, Jack.” Jebediah swallowed hard, his gaze jumping to Briony’s. “Who got ahold of you? You need a doctor.”
“Briony took care of me.”
Jebediah’s expression hardened. “
“Wild sex, Jebediah,” Briony snapped, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “I’m not sixteen, you know, and you’re totally embarrassing me.” She handed the coffee to Jack. “Does he look in shape to perform?”
Jack looked at her over the top of the cup, his eyes meeting hers, a sudden raw intensity turning the deep gray of his eyes to a liquid silver. “I would have accommodated you had you asked.”
A ghost of a smile curved her mouth, but inside her stomach did a funny little flip. He didn’t look as if he was joking. Her womb did an unexpected clench and she had to look away from him.
“That’s not funny, Jack,” Jebediah snapped. “Don’t even think about my sister that way.”
“I’m heading to the bathroom and don’t have much on,” Jack pointed out. “So if you’re on the shy side, you might not want to look.”
She’d already looked. Briony turned toward the window, not wanting either of them to see the color stealing up her neck to her face. “I washed your clothes,” she said, “and hung them up on the shower, but I doubt if they’re dry. Jebediah, would you get him jeans and a shirt?”
Her brother waited until Jack disappeared into the bathroom before crouching down in front of her. “Are you crazy?” he hissed. “Do you have any idea who that man is? Or what he’s capable of doing?”
Even with Jack out of the room, his close proximity kept the anger, shock, and alarm her brother was exuding from hitting her quite as hard as it usually did. “As far as I can see, Jeb, he’s been tortured and needs help. Can you get him out of here?”
“The soldiers in the city are all stirred up. That’s why I brought you coffee rather than have you go out this morning. A few dead bodies were found early this morning, reportedly rebels. The fear is that they’re infiltrating the city, and that’s why the army is on alert. They were searching bars last night.”
“The rebels are looking for Jack. He escaped from their camp.”
“And they want him bad enough to come into Kinshasa, with soldiers on every street corner?” Jebediah scratched his head. “You’re right, we’ll have to get him out of here. They’ll look closely at us because we’re foreigners. I’ll get clothes for him and you keep him out of sight. Is he strong enough to travel?”
“Yes, but I don’t have any idea how. He needs a doctor, though. If you have antibiotics in your travel kit or any of the others do, bring them to me.”
Jebediah nodded. “Are you sure you’re all right, Briony? He didn’t hurt you?”
She shook her head. “He protected me, Jebediah.” She wanted to share with her brother the things Jack had
