My woman is going to find out messing with her man isn’t the brightest thing to do. And yes, she’s watching out for them. Get us out of here. I don’t want to give this toxin a chance to get out of my system. It must leave fairly quickly or she wouldn’t have the time to stick around and guard her victims.

Victims. I like that. Trap Dawkins, a victim of his own woman. She totally scored on you. Kicked your butt thoroughly.

Trap wished his facial muscles worked so he could scowl at Wyatt, who was still laughing like a hyena, the sound floating out over the top of the motor.

CHAPTER 5

Wyatt whistled low, a two-beat note that traveled over the water. They were being followed. He was all about sound, and as much as Cayenne tried to muffle the engine on her boat, he could not only hear it, but feel the vibration in the air. She stayed well back, but she was definitely following.

Your woman is behind us. She stopped just at the entrance to the canal. She tied up so she’s determined to make an approach by land.

Trap swore to himself. The woman was going to get herself killed if she kept encroaching on GhostWalker territory. The men were building a fortress with the idea that they could keep out Whitney’s private army of supersoldiers. Every single one of them was determined to protect Wyatt’s family. For them, Wyatt’s family was their family, and they’d move heaven and earth to protect them.

Gino, circle around and get in behind her. Don’t engage, Wyatt cautioned, but make certain you’re in position if her intentions are anythin’ but lookin’ out for Trap. I don’ think she’s here to cause harm, so it’s just a precaution.

Fuck that¸ Wyatt, Trap snapped.

I’ve got three little girls, Trap, Wyatt reminded.

Pepper and Wyatt’s three daughters needed the relative isolation of the swamp. The GhostWalkers realized that in order to provide what the children needed to survive and thrive, they would have to band together to protect them, and that meant buying up all the land around Wyatt as well as most of the land they could acquire along the way to Trap’s chosen location.

Fortunately, they had a good amount of money to put into their joint venture. The plan was that eventually each of the men would build a home for himself and his family. Each home would be protected, but in the end, should there be trouble, Trap’s much larger place would be their ultimate fortress. Right now, it was Wyatt’s home they protected. That meant Cayenne wasn’t safe sneaking in.

What does she want, Trap? Wyatt understood Trap being upset, but he had to know security was going to be taken seriously.

Trap didn’t know what Cayenne was doing following them. Cayenne was impossible to predict, mainly, he knew, because she didn’t have a clue what she wanted. She was lost. Confused with her emotions regarding him. More, she’d lived her entire life in a cage. She really had no clue about life outside that environment. She had to be scared. Cayenne scared was dangerous.

Baby. He reached out to her. Sending telepathy over a distance was tricky. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. He was a strong telepath. Their connection was strong and growing all the time. That alone made her uneasy.

There was a long silence. Trap felt his brothers – his teammates – moving through the darkness, spreading out to cover their butts. Gino was a ghost in the swamp and would do exactly as Wyatt cautioned. Two would go high to the roof. He managed to swallow his fear. Ezekiel, Malichai and Mordichai were brothers and extremely close. They all had the same rough features. Scars. Longish hair. Cool, steady eyes and hands that never shook, not in the worst situations. Ezekiel and Malichai would lay up on the roof with sniper rifles, and Mordichai would go hunting on the ground. What Mordichai hunted, he found.

Malichai, Ezekiel, don’t shoot her. You get her in your sights, you don’t pull that trigger. She’s mine. Ezekiel and Malichai never missed what they aimed at either.

What the hell happened to Trap, Wyatt? That was Malichai, ignoring his order as if he hadn’t heard. Ezekiel didn’t say a word. He didn’t make an inquiry. He didn’t flinch or hesitate, and that told Trap Cayenne was in trouble. More trouble than she’d ever been in, and he was lying paralyzed in the bottom of a boat.

You fucking heard me, Malichai, Trap snapped.

You got your head so far up your own ass, you’re not making any sense. Chasing that woman, thinking with your dick. She hurt him, Wyatt?

Trap’s heart stuttered. He knew. He felt her now. Close. She’d already made her way through the swamp, up the canal. Ezekiel had her in his sights, and Ezekiel never missed. Never. He had so many kills, impossible shots. Trap felt something close to terror.

Baby, for God’s sake, get the hell out of here. They’ve made you. Whatever you were thinking of doing here, go.

There was a small silence. I’m just making certain you’re okay. You should be recovering. I might have injected a little too much venom because I was… excited. I’d never experienced anything like that. There was anxiety in her voice. When you kissed me, Trap. I was scared and confused and feeling too much. Her admission was raw. Honest. Terrified for him.

Instantly he felt settled. She’s worried about me. That’s all, Wyatt. Tell the others to stand down.

Wyatt tossed the rope to Draden. Draden was known in their team as Sandman because he didn’t sleep much, and he often put enemies to sleep. He had the looks of a male model – had in fact been very successful in his modeling career before joining the GhostWalkers. He stayed close to Trap, clearly understanding something in Trap most of the others didn’t. He ran often and for long distances, mostly, they were all certain, to keep his demons at bay.

Draden would protect Trap with his life, the same as Wyatt. The same as the rest of their team. Wyatt put both hands on his hips and smirked at Draden. “Take a good look at the ladies’ man there.”

“He sandbagging it?” Draden asked, putting one foot on the boat and peering down at Trap.

“Nope. He tried cuddlin’ up to that woman of his. Kissin’ her. Probably tryin’ to cop a feel and she took exception to his roamin’ hands. She don’ need a knife to keep her man in line.” He burst out laughing. “Give me a hand. I’ve got to lug his lazy ass to the lab. He wants a few blood samples. Figures we need to get them before this paralysis wears off.”

Draden’s eyebrow shot up. “He thinks he can come up with some kind of vaccine? Something to keep this from happening the next time she decides she doesn’t want lover boy to use his hands on her?”