The Wild Charge (Dartmoor Book 9)

Twenty-Three

"Thanks," he said, airless.

Fox said, "Reese. Status report." Voice professional, unforgiving.

Ooh, Tenny was going to deck him.

But then he saw Reese respond to that voice. To those words. He straightened up, pushed his shoulders back, and something in his face eased...No, it tightened. His awareness sharpened, and that return to life, that spark, eased some of the knot in Tenny's stomach.

"A laceration. Some bruises. I'm fine."

Fox nodded, hands folded behind his back like a CO. "How's the head? Nausea? Dizziness?"

"No."

"Good. Ghost wants to call church at nine sharp in the morning, so don't drink too much. That goes for both of you." He nodded once, sharply. "See you in the kitchen."

Eden rolled her eyes as she followed him.

Tenny let out a deep breath. Reese did look better: more alert, his eyes brighter, his face less slack. Fox had thought to snap him out of his fog with the direct speech of a commander; it had been a reminder: you answer to me, now, not him.

And Tenny had only thought to be gentle with him.

Christ.

He drained his glass in one go and went to get a refill.

"Tenny!" someone called from the kitchen. "You guys come on."

He made his second drink a big one.

~*~

It took some convincing to get Cassandra out of the room. Batting her lashes at Reese momentarily forgotten, she pouted, little jaw set at a stubborn angle. But Becca took a look at all the tense faces around the island, scooped Violet up, and said, "Come on, Cass. I promised Vi I'd play Breyer horses with her, and I kinda suck at it."

Violet leaned over to pat her father's cheek as they went past, and for a moment, Walsh's face softened. But when the three of them were gone, he was back to scowling. He didn't, as a general rule scowl, which spoke volumes about his level of intoxication at this point.

Fox turned to Raven, who'd stopped trying to smile the moment Cassandra was out of the room.

Footsteps and Becca's voice echoed from the stairwell, growing distant.

"Why can't Becca be here for this?" Shane asked, sounding more hurt that aggrieved. "The other old ladies are staying."

"Oh, so she's your old lady now?" Fox asked, maybe a little too cruelly. "You finally get brave enough to make it official?"

Shane scowled. "That's not fair."

"Life's not fair. These girls have been neck-deep in the shit." He gestured to the women in their ranks. "Call me when Becca's taking shots at the people who want us dead. I'm not dragging more innocents into this shitshow."

"They're already in it," Albie said, voice cold and sober. "Everyone attached to us, everyone who knows us, is now involved. Is in danger." His gaze shifted down the island. "That's why Raven's here." It wasn't a question.

Raven sighed. Lifted her glass and drained it. Tapped along its rim when she set it down. "Cassandra's been bugging her mother about this clinic for ages."

"There really is a clinic?" Axelle asked, surprised.

"Yes, and quite a prestigious one, too. Because she's young, I don't think her mother realizes how genuinely good she is. She's very talented, and she got into the clinic on her own merits alone. Her portfolio is–"