Chapter 41
Ghost and Rachel stepped out of the bedroom, both dressed in clean clothes, hair still damp from the shower. Rachel had thrown on jeans and one of the Ghost’s shirts, and she was acutely aware that she probably looked exactly like what she was: a woman who'd just been thoroughly fucked.
Her heart was already racing before they even reached the hallway.
She could hear voices from the living room. Male voices. Lots of them. Laughing, talking over each other, that easy banter of men who’d been through hell together and lived to joke about it.
Ghost's hand found the small of her back as they moved down the hall. The touch was casual but grounding.
When they rounded the corner into the living room, Rachel stopped dead.
The entire team was already there, spread throughout Ghost's house like they owned the place.
Predator leaned against the fridge, sipping from a travel mug. He noticed them first, and his eyebrows rose.
The couch had been completely claimed by Brick, Reaper, and Bear.
Brick sat on one end, taking up more than his fair share of space.
Reaper occupied the middle, his leg bouncing restlessly.
Bear anchored the other end. They were watching some sports recap on Ghost's TV, but all three heads swiveled toward the hallway when Rachel appeared.
Torch stood at the kitchen island, halfway through a protein bar. Next to him, Rogue was thumbing through a manila folder, his expression giving nothing away until he glanced up and smirked.
At the dining table, Echo had set up what looked like a mobile command center, laptop surrounded by cables and three different external hard drives, his fingers already flying across the keyboard.
And Frost looked way too comfortable in one of Ghost's armchairs near the window, coffee in hand, boots kicked off like he lived here.
Eight men. Ghost's entire team. All of them here, all of them looking at her with varying degrees of amusement.
The room smelled like coffee, protein bars, and that particular scent of men who worked out regularly, clean sweat and deodorant and testosterone.
They all looked up when she and Ghost appeared, and the grins started immediately.
Rachel felt her face heat.
"Well, good morning," Predator drawled, his voice smooth and amused. He took a slow sip of his coffee, eyes dancing with mischief.
"Didn't mean to interrupt anything," Reaper added, and he definitely didn't sound sorry. His leg stopped bouncing and he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, grinning like a kid at Christmas.
Brick's smirk was absolutely wicked. "You always make that much noise, Parker?"
Rachel stopped cold in the doorway, her face going from warm to burning. Oh God. They'd heard. Of course they'd heard. The shower had echoed like a damn amphitheater and she hadn't exactly been quiet and,
Ghost kept walking like nothing was wrong, heading straight for the coffee maker. "If you heard anything, you were eavesdropping."
"Didn't need to eavesdrop," Rogue muttered behind his coffee cup, but she could see his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. "Half of San Diego heard it."
Frost raised one dark eyebrow. "Hell, I thought you were remodeling in there. Sounded like you were knocking down walls."
The other men laughed, not mean, but definitely enjoying themselves.
Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look annoyed instead of mortified. "You guys done?"
Torch didn't even look up from his protein bar. "Nope."
"Not even close," Echo added cheerfully, his fingers still flying over his keyboard.
She shot Ghost a glare. "You're just gonna let this happen?"
He poured himself coffee, completely unbothered. "They're not wrong." He glanced at Predator, his mouth curving slightly. "But they're also jealous as hell. What's it been for you, six months?"
Predator's smirk faltered. "Fuck off."
Ghost's gaze shifted to Brick. "Year and a half?"
"Lies and slander," Brick protested, but his ears were turning red.
"And you—" Ghost looked at Rogue. "You had to pay for it last time, didn't you?"
The room absolutely erupted.
Torch choked on his protein bar, coughing and laughing at the same time. Bear doubled over, his huge frame shaking with laughter. Echo had to grab the edge of the table to steady himself. Even Reaper cracked up, throwing his head back.
"Bullshit," Predator shot back, trying to recover. "Three months. Maybe four."
"Try eight," Reaper said without missing a beat, wiping his eyes.
Brick pointed at Ghost. "That is a complete lie. Total fabrication."
"Is it though?" Frost asked mildly, taking another sip of his coffee.
Rogue set his cup down hard on the counter. "I gave her cab fare. That's different."
That sent another wave of laughter through the room. Rachel found herself grinning despite the embarrassment still heating her cheeks. These were Ghost's brothers. His family. And they were giving him shit the way families do.
Ghost stepped over to her and she thought he was going to say something. Instead, he slid one arm around her waist, pulled her against him, and kissed her.
Not a quick peck. Not a chaste brush of lips.
He kissed her thoroughly, his hand splayed across her lower back, his other hand coming up to cup her jaw. He kissed her like they were alone, like he had all the time in the world, like he wanted everyone in this room to know exactly who she belonged to.
When he pulled back, Rachel was breathless and her knees were weak.
Ghost looked at his team, his expression calm and certain. "Alright, ladies. We've got work to do. Let's move."
The atmosphere changed instantly. The laughter died. The easy banter vanished. In its place came something sharp and focused and dangerous.
The team moved with practiced efficiency, their movements suddenly economical and purposeful.
Torch pulled a data tablet from his bag and started scrolling through surveillance feeds.
Reaper unfolded a tactical map on the coffee table, weighted down at the corners with coffee mugs.
Predator began handing out comm units from a hard case, small earpieces and throat mics.
Ghost reappeared at her side with a slim black case. He opened it on the counter in front of her, revealing a biometric scanner with a small touchscreen display.
"Need your prints," he said.
Rachel looked at the device, then up at him. "For what?"
"Security system. Front door, perimeter locks, garage, internal override." His eyes held hers. "In case something goes sideways."
She stared at him. That was... that was access to his entire house. His sanctuary. The place he came to get away from everyone and everything. "That's a lot of access."
"Yeah." His expression didn't waver. "It is."
The weight of what he was offering, what he was giving her, settled in her stomach. This wasn't just about physical safety. This was trust. Complete trust. The kind that said this is yours too now.
Rachel placed her right hand on the scanner, her thumb first. The screen flashed green with a soft beep, then her index finger, middle finger, ring finger, pinky. She switched hands and did the left.
Ghost watched each confirmation light up green on the display, then locked the scanner back into its case and stored it under the kitchen counter.
Around them, the team continued prepping with military precision.
They'd all changed, or rather, they'd layered.
Tactical vests hidden under loose jackets.
Sidearms secured in concealed holsters. Brick checked his Glock, ejected the magazine, checked it again, slapped it back in.
Frost adjusted a shoulder holster beneath his leather jacket.
Echo secured his tablet and external drives in a reinforced laptop bag.
They looked like civilians. Sort of. If you didn't look too closely at the way they moved, the way their eyes constantly scanned exits and sightlines, the way they positioned themselves with their backs to walls.
Rachel felt something cold settle in her stomach. This was real. They were going out there to put themselves in danger, to take down armed men who'd already proven they were willing to kill.
One by one, the team headed for the door.
Reaper paused in front of her. "Don't burn the place down."
"She's already tried," Brick tossed back over his shoulder.
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Get out of here."
Bear gave her a surprisingly gentle nod. "Take care, ma'am."
"Ma'am," she repeated. "I'm like five years older than you."
"Yes, ma'am." His grin was unrepentant.
Predator stopped, his expression more serious now. "Lock the doors. Don't answer for anyone. Ghost's got cameras—" he gestured toward a small panel by the door, "—check before you open."
"I will."
Torch clapped her on the shoulder. "We'll bring him back in one piece."
"You better."
Echo was last, pausing to adjust his bag. "There's leftover Chinese in the fridge. Thai in the freezer. Don't let him forget to eat when we get back."
Despite everything, she smiled. "I won't."
Then it was just Ghost.
The house suddenly felt too quiet with everyone else gone. Just the hum of the refrigerator and the distant sound of waves outside.
Ghost stopped in front of her. His hands came up to frame her face, thumbs brushing along her cheekbones. He just looked at her for a moment, like he was memorizing her features.
Then he kissed her.
This one was different from the claiming kiss in front of his team. This one was softer.
When he pulled back, his thumb brushed her cheek. "I'll see you later," he said, his voice low and rough. "Text me if you need anything. Doesn't matter what."
Rachel nodded, her fingers curling into the front of his shirt, not quite ready to let go. "Be careful."
"Always am." He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger there, then stepped back, grabbed his own jacket from the hook by the door, and was gone.
The door closed with a solid click.
Rachel stood there in the sudden silence, surrounded by empty coffee cups and the lingering scent of too many men in one space. She walked to the window and watched Ghost's truck pull out of the driveway, followed by two other vehicles she didn't recognize.
Then they turned the corner and disappeared.
Rachel walked to the couch and sat down in the spot where Bear had been. The cushion was still warm.
She picked up her phone. No new messages. No unknown numbers. Just the quiet and the waiting and the sick feeling in her stomach that came from knowing the man she—
She stopped that thought before it could complete itself.
Instead, she pulled up the security camera app Ghost had shown her yesterday. Six different views of the property. Front door. Driveway. Back yard. Side gates. All clear.
All she could do now was wait.