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GQ felt his current boss’s presence, before his mind registered he was there. The man moved like a wraith most of the time. Preacher wasn’t back and Iceman noticed. They were in some deep shit now.
GQ thought he had some nerves of steel, but then he’d met Iceman. He turned to face the music. He certainly wasn’t going to lie to Iceman. That shit would come back at him like a blizzard on steroids and he had no intentions of getting buried by a vicious and merciless avalanche.
Ice narrowed those pale eyes of his and looked around. “I don’t see Preacher. Where is he?”
GQ took a breath and exhaled. “He said he wanted to take a walk, clear his head.”
“What was it about sticking with your swimbuddy that you didn’t get G?”
GQ shifted, his gut clenching at the memory of Striker. Ice would want to know and since Preacher wasn’t here to tell him one way or the other, he was coming clean. They were all teammates and secrets amongst the brotherhood didn’t sit very well with members who relied on each man’s loyalty and the oath to have their backs.
“I gave him some privacy because he was hurting.”
Iceman’s chin lifted and his eyes went to slits. “Was he injured?”
“No. Not that. When we were having lunch, we saw…Striker passing the window. We followed him and he was in a bad way, boss.”
Iceman shifted, bracing his forearm on the jutting corner of the fence, his hand resting across his mouth as he started out into the night. GQ could see part of his face—the hard, drawn angles speaking of his pain. “How bad?”
“Very. Thin, haggard, looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks.”
Iceman swore viciously. Sensing the wealth of emotion in him, GQ watched him, waiting. Finally, Ice took a deep breath and said, “Where is he?”
GQ rattled off the address and Iceman nodded. “If Preach isn’t back in thirty minutes, we’re going looking for him.” He straightened. “And when I give you an order, mister, you better not let me down again.”
The disappointment in Iceman’s voice kicked GQ right in the gut. “I got you, boss. It won’t happen again.”
Iceman nodded. “Striker gave everything to save 2-Stroke. Everything, GQ. We can’t leave him out there hurting like that. First thing in the morning, we’re going over there, and I’ll talk some sense into him. He needs to go home and be with his family.”
GQ nodded and turned to see Preacher walking up to the barracks. Ice gave him a knowing look and Preacher pinned GQ with his cool, gray eyes. GQ looked down and shuffled his feet.
“Don’t worry about it, G. We’re good,” Preacher said, then he walked up to Iceman, and they went inside together. GQ looked up again at the starless sky relieved that they were going to go back to Striker tomorrow. He needed them. He needed his team and as far as the eight of them were concerned, Striker was still very much one of them.
* * *
Karasu letherself into the small hotel room she’d rented, cold, wet, and weary. She closed her eyes and leaned against the jamb for a moment to settle the ache she had inside, which had only grown since she’d left Preacher.
She’d run, like a coward, like a fool. She’d run from his expression of affection for her, feeling like an imposter. She couldn’t do it. Every time she got within a few feet of this man she lost her fucking mind. She’d vowed never to touch him again, kiss him. But she hadn’t been able to help herself. He was irresistible to her.
She knew he was there the moment she’d entered the room, but it was too much to cover up her feelings and show him nothing but the cold woman she could be.
“You have some fucking explaining to do, Karasu,” Volk growled. “I don’t like to be left in the dark about my damn partner. You ghosted me. You know where my mind goes. We’re supposed to work together. What the hell are you doing in Banja Luka?”
“Do they know?”
He huffed out an exasperated breath. “Do you think I would do you like that? No, they don’t fucking know. I covered for you, of course. But I need to know.”
“Ja,” she said in relief. The Company was a little more lenient with the Shadowguard, but they had a motto that kept them free of blame. Don’t ask, don’t tell. As long as their Shadowguard didn’t embarrass them or shine a light on their dealings.
He stiffened, his expression going very still. “Goddammit, Karasu. How dare you leave me out of the loop?” He crossed to her and grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room. Turning on the light, she winced at the brightness and the anger radiating from him like a palpable presence.
A muscle jerked in his jaw and dammit if that anger didn’t funnel away into hurt. “You know what losing a partner did to me the first time because I wasn’t there. Don’t do this again, Karasu. If you do, I’m dissolving our partnership. I won’t be caught like that again. If you died because you left me out, it would kill me.”
Shock immobilizing her, she swiveled her gaze to Volk, caught completely off balance. His eyes were drilling into her, his expression fixed. He meant it, and suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. She abruptly wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him. “I’m sorry. You’re right and I’m an idiot. I won’t ever do it again. I promise.”
He hugged her back with a tight embrace, then let her go. “Contrary to what you believe, you aren’t alone in this.”
She held his gaze for a frozen moment, then she abruptly looked away, an awful, shaky feeling sliding through her. “Sometimes I forget you are a persistent bastard, thinking you’re my keeper.”
