Into the Mist

Chapter Thirty-One

Tyana’s room resembled an army training camp. Six men, well, seven, if you counted the mild-mannered Marcus, stood in various poses, from slouching against the wall to being draped across too-small chairs. And Eli was parked on the bed next to her, his body pressed against her side.

Black shirts, camo pants and combat boots. They looked like they were ready to go to war. While they’d refrained from carrying their rifles into the hospital, Tyana knew that Mad Dog would be sporting his knives.

This was verified when he laid a sheathed knife on the bed next to her. It was identical to the one he’d given her before. The one she’d lost in Buenos Aires.

She trailed her fingers over the polished hilt and smiled up at him. “Thanks, Mad Dog.”

“Don’t lose this one, okay?”

“She’s grown way too fond of those damn things,” Jonah grumbled.

“I taught her well,” Mad Dog said.

“So what’s the plan?” she asked pointedly. “Doc says I can get out of here tomorrow, and after three weeks in here, I’m ready to crawl out if I have to.”

Beside her, Eli stiffened. “Just cool your jets, sugar. You’re in no shape to do anything but what we tell you.”

“Uh oh,” Mad Dog mumbled.

Damiano cracked a grin while Ian and Braden glanced warily at Tyana.

“When I get out of this cast, I’m going to kick your ass for that,” she said darkly, and elbowed him in the ribs with her good arm.

“Well until then, I’d say you’re as helpless as a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest,” Eli said smugly.

She sighed. “I ask again. What’s the plan?”

Jonah’s lips worked as he suppressed a smile. What was the world coming to when the brooding bastard was actually lightening up?

“We go back to the island,” Jonah said. “We’re flying you home.”

She glanced up at Eli a little anxiously.

“Don’t worry, sugar, I’m coming too. Jonah even promised me a place at the dinner table if I mind my manners.”

She laughed then looked over at Ian and Braden. Jonah also looked questioningly at them.

“Braden and I are flying back to the States. We dug out the information on Gabe’s sister. If Gabe was telling the truth, then she’s probably in a lot of danger. I don’t know how much contact Gabe had with her so I don’t know how much, if anything, she knows, but we aim to find out.”

“Need back-up?” Jonah asked.

“No, it’s better if we do this alone. We want to attract as little attention as possible, and the last we heard, Falcon wasn’t exactly welcome in the U.S.,” Ian added with a grin.

“That’s what happens when you blow shit up in Uncle Sam’s backyard,” Mad Dog murmured.

“Will you be okay?” Jonah asked, and to Tyana’s surprise, he actually sounded concerned. Maybe her weeks in the hospital had resulted in a little male bonding.

Braden nodded. “Marcus has been monitoring our progress. We’ve only had one uncontrolled shift in the last three weeks. The injections seem to be working well, and we have the inhibitor as back-up, and in a worst case scenario, we have tranquilizers that would knock an elephant on its ass.”

“All right. If you need help, you know how to reach us.”

Tyana’s gaze found Damiano, who had been quiet throughout the entire conversation. “How are you doing?” she asked softly.

Marcus slid his hand over Damiano’s shoulder and squeezed in a gesture of support.

“Better,” D replied. “I won’t say great, but I’m working on it.”

“We’ll have plenty of time to work on it while you babysit me on the island,” she consoled.

“I thought that was my job,” Eli said as he slid his arm around her neck. He landed a kiss on her temple, and she scowled.

“Cut that shit out,” she grumbled. It was embarrassing in front of all the guys.

He chuckled softly in her ear then leaned in closer. “If that makes you uncomfortable, I probably shouldn’t tell you that Jonah has moved you and me to our own wing. I’ll leave you to figure that one out.”

Her cheeks warmed, and she fought the blush as it crept up her neck.

The entire room burst out laughing. She watched them in awe, her heart lighting up as the people she loved most in the world smiled and joked.

This…this was family. Her family. And that felt pretty damn good.