Toxic Game (GhostWalkers #15) - Christine Feehan Page 0,32

soldier and a piece of property, yet she retained such incredible kindness and compassion. She loved her friends, embracing them as deeply as possible, as if they were siblings.

He had every advantage. Hard times maybe, but he’d created his own isolation and hell. He had teammates who accepted him for who he was. He had freedom and money and gifts. She wanted to live life to the fullest whenever she could, to experience every moment. He’d read that in her mind, yet he’d been the opposite, nearly throwing every opportunity away.

“You do know that the only reason you’re feeling that way is because of the extreme circumstances. We’re both going to die.” She regarded him over the bowl. “Seriously, Draden, we’re attracted to each other because we’re in this mess together.”

“I haven’t accepted that we’re going to die. I’m a fighter, Shylah. I’ll fight until there’s no reasonable way I can get out of knowing it’s over.”

“Keep eating. You might want it over.” She shot him a little grin.

His heart did that strange stuttering thing again. Looking her in the eye, he ate a spoonful of the mixture. It was hot. Wet. Tasted like …

“Vomit?” Shylah suggested. “We took a vote once and included Whitney’s supersoldiers. Vomit won, although quite a few other colorful suggestions were written in.”

He could imagine her laughing with her sisters over the idea of a poll on the field rations Whitney sent them out with. She knew how to have fun in the worst circumstances.

“Yeah, I’m voting for that,” Draden agreed, but doggedly ate the stuff. They needed their strength and if Whitney’d had some nutritionist concoct the crap, it probably did its job.

“If we get a chance to use the satellite, I’ll get word back to Whitney to send someone after the three I’m hunting, because they need to die.”

“I’ll double the odds in our favor by alerting the GhostWalkers. If you’re right and we’re a target, all of the teams need to know. One of them is located in San Francisco. That would be a disaster.”

“I know you’re going back to the village the MSS have taken over and that you intend to kill more of them. I’m going with you.” She took his bowl along with hers over to the sink.

He liked the way she moved. She was quiet. An asset hunting prey, especially in the forest. “I’m going to have to find out if they have any more of the virus. They managed to shoot me with a dart. I can’t assume that was all they had. They wouldn’t need much.”

She looked at him over her shoulder. Just that little movement, a turn of her head, her hair sliding around her shoulders, falling in waves now that it was dry, the profile of her face, with her long lashes and straight little nose—that was all it took. She might think it was because they both were going to die, but he knew better, and he knew he’d been robbed of the greatest gift he could have had.

“I’m going with you. If they get you, Draden …”

“They won’t.”

“We don’t get to take a chance on something like this. This virus has the potential of doing as much damage in the world as Ebola or Marburg. You know that.”

She was right. Damn it. He didn’t have to like it, but she was definitely right. “I’m going to have to take a prisoner and interrogate them, sweetheart. It won’t be pretty. For one thing, I’m in a fucking foul mood and for another, we just plain don’t have the time to be nice about it.” If his body was anything to go by, he might not even have the time for that.

“I’m aware of that. I know some things are necessary.”

“Not for you. I can live with what I have to do. You can’t live with interrogation.”

Her laughter slipped out again. “Draden, we’re not going to live. You don’t have to worry so much about that.”

“Indulge me then, Shylah. I don’t want to die with you looking at me as if I’m a monster. You can stay back and if something goes wrong, you’ll be there to protect me.”

“I can do that.”

That simple. Who knew he would find a woman who would be a perfect partner; when he asked for something important to him, she gave it to him. “Just how lethal are you? Bellisia can kill with just one bite. I think Zara has venom under her fingernails. You must be able to