The Protected

Nobody who hunted kids deserved to live.

As he rose, he watched Vaughnne steady herself as she got back to her feet. “Please tell me you did not just do what I think you did.”

“Hey, his heart gave out. That’s all.”

“Damn it.”

“What was I supposed to do? Just let him walk?” Tucker shrugged as he tugged his glove back on. “You think you can arrest him and tell the judge . . . Hey, Judge . . . he wrecked that car with the power of his mind. Yes, sir. He really and truly did. And they’ll believe you and lock him up until . . . oh, wait, it won’t happen.”

She glared at him.

He just shrugged and headed over to the car. He was five feet away when the driver door budged. He heard somebody grunting and then there was another smash as whoever it was kicked it again. Determined son of a bitch.

He surveyed the damage to the door and glanced over at Vaughnne. “That door isn’t opening without some serious assistance.”

She grimaced and went to one knee, peering down.

A gun was shoved in her face.

Tucker swore and went to kick it away, but she lifted a hand to stop him.

Sighing, he turned his back and stared off into the distance.

* * *

THE battered face staring in at him was the very last one he’d expected to see. For a minute, he thought perhaps he hadn’t lived through the crash. But then Vaughnne stared at the gun he held for a long, long minute before shifting her dark eyes to his. “You know . . . I don’t think I’ve ever had a man spend as much time threatening me as much as you do without me doing him serious bodily harm. I’m contemplating just how much I’m going to make you suffer for it once this is all said and done, Gus,” she said, her voice tired, husky.

He just glared at her. Alex was behind him, his breath coming in harsh, panicky little stops and starts, and the one thing that Gus knew . . . they were trapped. They were completely trapped and he was out of options. The only chance he had was the woman in front of him.

And Vaughnne knew it.

“Don’t you think it’s about time you start trusting me?”

He gripped the Sig Sauer, staring into her eyes.

You must promise me . . .

That voice danced through his mind, teasing, taunting.

Promises.

Trust.

Behind him, Alex sobbed softly.

His gaze locked on Vaughnne’s, he laid the gun down. Her hand caught his, and gently, she squeezed.

Gus closed his eyes.

FOURTEEN

“A SIMPLE babysitting job, you said.”

She had to give him credit, SAC Taylor Jones had the grace to look the slightest bit shamefaced as he joined her at the door. A doctor had cajoled her into being treated, but not until somebody else had shown up to stand guard over the kid.

Somebody was Taige Morgan. She freelanced for the unit. Taige now spent more of her days playing mama to her own gifted child, but Vaughnne knew she could trust the woman to guard that kid while she was poked and prodded by the doctor.

Taige was currently sitting by the boy’s bed, and although the doctors had told him to rest, she was holding his hand and going over some of the basics that Vaughnne had tried to explain to him. Taige would get further. She had a limited telepathic ability, not as strong as Vaughnne’s, but her overall psychic skills were a lot stronger. If anybody could get that kid on the right path to shielding, it was Taige. She’d trained herself, and her abilities had come on her young as well.

“He needs to be resting,” Vaughnne said tiredly. “Instead, he’s being taught shielding.”

“He needs to survive,” Jones said bluntly. “So he’s being given the tools he needs to do it.” He looked over at her, and although his eyes were expressionless, she knew he wasn’t the cold bastard he seemed to be. It was just better if he came off that way, she guessed. “If he keeps broadcasting the way you seem to think he is, he’s a walking target. Best way for him to get any rest is for him to learn how to lock it down. Morgan can do this without scaring him or pushing him too far, and while she’s at it, she can build some passive shields around him that will last for a little while, even when she’s out of contact.”

She nodded and glanced at her watch. Gus was out, getting his turn with the doctor. Now that he’d finally taken it. He’d been gone only twenty-eight minutes. If he made it thirty—

A shiver raced down her spine and she angled her head around, looking out the door to see him striding down the corridor toward her. Grim-eyed, stone-faced, and so damned beautiful. She suspected he’d given them hell every second he’d been gone—given them hell, or terrified them. He had made her look like a little pussycat when it came to stubbornness.

She shot a glance at his arm as he came through the door, and she studied what she could see under his sleeve. A few stitches were visible.

“Wow. You were generous,” she drawled. “You gave them almost a half hour.”

Gus flicked her a look. There was a bruise forming along his right cheekbone. It made him look even darker, more dangerous. Deadlier. Sexy as hell.

Shit. Everything the guy did was sexy as hell.

He looked away from her to stare daggers at Taige’s skull, although Taige didn’t spare him even a glance, focused intently on Alex.

She needed to let the kid get some rest. They were all damn tired.

By the time they’d gotten both Gus and Alex out of the car and the emergency medical personnel had gotten the two to the hospital, it had been nearly six. Then Jones had arrived on the scene, and Vaughnne hadn’t been surprised when he’d decided to relocate the two to a different hospital—in Atlanta. A more secure one, a bigger one. More anonymous. By the time they’d been transferred to Atlanta, both Gus and Alex had been assigned new aliases.

How long they’d stick, Vaughnne didn’t know. How long Gus would hang around, she didn’t know.

But for now, the kid was getting something he desperately needed . . . some teaching. For now, he was safe, and he was getting some much-needed rest, too. Or he would, once he stopped talking to Taige.

Or rather, when Taige decided he’d had enough, Vaughnne amended a few minutes later.

“That’s enough for now,” Taige said quietly.

“But—”

“No.” She shook her head and stood up. “You’ve had enough for the day and you’re already making some progress. Get some rest and I’ll do some more tomorrow, but for now, you need some sleep. You’re not going to be able to do your best anyway if you’re not resting.”

“But—”

“Alex.” Gus spoke from the shadows of the room, standing in the corner. All he said was his name, his voice soft, almost gentle, but that was all it took.

Alex closed his eyes and turned his head, muttering under his breath.

Taige grinned wryly and flashed Vaughnne a look. “Man, I wish I could command instant obedience like that from my kid,” she said. She rose from the chair and came over to stand at the door. “I’ll see if I can hunt down a chair and I’ll be at the door . . . in case I’m needed.”

She didn’t say anything else as she passed between them.