Echoes at Dawn (25 page)

RIO
never left her bedside over the next two days. He sat with her, not sleeping except in fits and spurts. He tried to get her to eat, to drink, but as with the baby, it did no good. She lacked the strength and will to survive.

Rio knew that it wasn’t her. It wasn’t her wanting to give up. But she was having to battle not only the weakness and the illness itself but the child’s will. He could only imagine the hell she was enduring.

And so he stayed with her through it all, never once leaving her side. He held her through the night. Sat with her during the day. He spoke to her, mostly nonsense, but he was determined that she not think he left her even for a moment. If he could somehow lend her strength by allowing her to know that he was fighting with her, then he’d damn well do it.

He called Sam the morning after he’d retrieved Grace. In terse tones, he informed Sam they were short a man. When Sam asked, Rio would only say that it wasn’t because they’d engaged the enemy.

Sam was wise enough to leave the running of Rio’s
team to him. He trained his men. He trusted them. He dealt with any issues that arose. Rio’s men followed him and him alone. They didn’t take orders from Sam or KGI. They came from Rio.

“I’ll send someone to you,” Sam said.

“No,” Rio said shortly. “I need a few days here and then we’re going to move out. That gives Steele time to be back from his assignment unless you have him scheduled for something else.”

“No, we’re clear right now. I can provide all the backup you need.”

“I’ll need it when we bug out. I don’t want to draw attention by having you guys swarm in here. We’ll move out and then meet up with the teams at a different location.”

“Name it and I’ll make damn sure we have the manpower there,” Sam said.

“What’s the word on Shea? I’d like to be able to give Grace good news when she comes out of this.”

There was a long pause.

“What the hell happened, Rio? When we spoke last, Grace was doing better, or so you said.”

“She will be better,” Rio said, determination resonating from deep within. “I won’t let her be anything else.”

There were several more moments of silence and then Rio said grimly, “We’re going to have to fight, Sam. There’s no way around it. Titan’s not going to give up and we can’t run forever. I’m buying as much time as possible because I need Grace as close to a hundred percent as I can get her before the shit hits the fan. But it’s coming and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.”

“No pissant special ops wannabe group is going to get one over on us,” Sam growled.

Rio laughed at Sam’s arrogance. Titan was far from a special ops wannabe, but Rio liked the insult that Sam hurled out.

“Now tell me about Shea so I can give Grace something when she comes around.”

“She’s not happy with you or me at the moment,” Sam
said dryly. “When I told her that you’d called, she immediately wanted to talk to her sister. Telling her it wasn’t possible because I didn’t exactly know where you were wasn’t one of my more favorite moments in my leadership capacity.”

Rio chuckled. “No, I don’t imagine it was.”

“But she’s fine. Tell Grace she’s doing far better than Grace herself is from the sound of it. Nathan is taking very good care of her. She’s desperate to reconnect with Grace, and she asked me to pass along that she’s felt close to the path more than once. She wanted Grace to keep trying.”

“I will,” Rio said in a somber voice. “Grace has been trying. It hurts her that she’s been unable to forge that path again. If you could talk to Shea again, tell her…Look, I know Grace hadn’t wanted Shea to see what all she’s endured. But Grace needs her help. She wouldn’t want me to say it. She wouldn’t want me to involve Shea, but right now I’ll take whatever I can get. She’s not doing well, Sam,” he said bluntly. “If Shea can somehow break through to her, I think it would make a world of difference. I need…I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back.”

“What the hell happened out there, Rio?”

Rio hesitated a moment and then said, “Someone I trusted took advantage of what Grace is able to do. He put her in a position where she couldn’t say no, and she was in no condition to be healing another. She nearly died when I found her, and now she lies here hovering between life and death, fighting a battle that I can’t help her with.”

“You care for her. More than just in a capacity of the mission.”

Rio went silent, refusing to acknowledge Sam’s realization.

“I should have seen it when you jumped on this mission the way you did,” Sam murmured. “I’m sorry things aren’t good, man. I’ll talk to Shea immediately. She’d want to know. Nathan won’t be happy about it but he can’t very well tell Shea she can’t help her sister out. Particularly when
Grace helped Nathan and Swanny when Swanny was injured during their escape.”

“I appreciate it, Sam,” Rio said in a low voice. He hated asking for anything, but for Grace, he’d set aside his pride. He’d do anything to get her back. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Tell me when, Rio. I’ll have everyone in position on your go.”

“I’ll contact you in forty-eight hours. Hopefully the situation here will have changed for the better by then.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Sam said. “We all will be.”

Rio ended the call, and then returned to where Grace lay so quiet and still on the bed. He sat on the edge, angling his body so that he could see her face. He reached out to touch her, flinching at the chill of her skin and how pale and translucent her face was.

She looked so vulnerable and defenseless even though Rio knew her to be far from it. She had the courage and resiliency of the strongest of warriors. He’d never witnessed anything like it.

“Come back to me, Grace,” he whispered. “I won’t let anything hurt you. You’re safe here. Just come back to me. Fight this, baby. Fight one more time. Come back to the people who love you.”

GRACE
knew she was dying and it pissed her off. Her body just sort of accepted it, lying there like it was already dead and her brain just hadn’t gotten the message.

It was as if it had endured enough and finally just shut down. Her natural ability to heal wasn’t responding as it normally did.

The dark shadows of death clung to her, enveloping her in their uncomfortable embrace. The longer she drifted as she did, the more the darkness crept in until she existed in that dark place. A world with no lights. It was the ultimate dark room, the bedroom with no night light. It was scary and overwhelming, and the longer it went on, the more
she seemed to drift farther away from where she knew she wanted to be.

It was hard to separate herself from the child she’d saved. She no longer knew where one began and the other left off.

She was so tired. It would be so easy to just let go and drift away to a much more comfortable place. The shadows whispered to her. Beckoned her gently, a soft lullaby that soothed her soul.

But each time she thought that she would give in, she was pulled back by an unseen force. A will much stronger than her own in its current state.

It was uncomfortable. Stark. Unyielding. And yet she gravitated toward it because she sensed that it was where she needed to be. Not this other dark, quiet place.

And then, in the dark, a gentle presence. A sliver of sunshine. Warmth stole over her, replacing some of the bone-deep cold that had invaded her body.

Grace.

She stirred, hearing her name. She tried to respond but lacked the knowledge of how to. She waited, wanting to hear her name again, but silence settled around her and the cold crept back in.

No! She wanted to weep. For just a moment, she’d known true comfort. She’d felt warmth and gentleness. She’d felt love and known it was for her, aimed at her, that someone was fighting for her.

Grace, goddamn it. Don’t you fucking give up. I have no idea if you can hear me. I don’t know if I’m doing this right, but don’t you dare leave me.

She frowned because that was someone entirely different. It confused her, being pulled in two directions and yet they both beckoned from the same place. There were two distinct people fighting…For her.

Grace. I know you’re out there and that you need me right now. I’m here. I love you. Please fight.

Shea.

Hearing her sister’s voice after so long devastated Grace.
Crumbled her heart to pieces. Stripped her down to her very soul. Tears were wet on her cheeks. Warm tears against cold skin.

Can you hear her, Grace? Is Shea talking to you? You’re crying, baby. I know you can hear at least one of us. Fight this. We want you back. Fight, Grace. Don’t you dare give up. You’re stronger than this. There is nothing that can beat you down. Do you hear me? Nothing can defeat you except your own will.

Rio.

Grace, please talk to me. Let me know how to help you. You’ve always been so strong for both of us. Let me be the strong one now. Let me help you.

Shea?

She put everything she had into reaching out to her sister. Fear paralyzed her because if she couldn’t reconnect, if she couldn’t respond, it would devastate her.

Grace! I hear you. I hear you, Grace. Barely. You sound so weak, but you’ll get stronger. Talk to me. Don’t let go. Tell me what you need.

Didn’t want you to see me like this.

The tears were strong in the message she sent back to her sister. Her best friend in the whole world. The one person she loved and who loved her unconditionally.

Oh, Grace. Don’t you know how much I love you? How much you are loved? We’ve both been so intent on protecting the other that we’ve forgotten that we’re best when we’re strong. Together. Side by side. No more shutting each other out. Do you hear me? From now on, it’s you and me against
the world.

Grace smiled at the ferocity in her younger sister’s words. Warmth was spreading through her mind and heart. Sunshine replaced the darkness, chasing away the shadows that stubbornly clung, unwilling to relinquish their hold just yet.

I’m just so tired, Shea. So cold. I’ve never felt this weak. I don’t want to give up, but I don’t know if I have the strength left to fight.

And then she felt another presence. Warm but different. So strong and overpowering. It surrounded her from every angle. Lifting her up, lending her the strength she so desperately needed.

I’m here. We’re here. I can feel him there with you. Can you feel him? I can sense him through you, and he’s strong, Grace. He’s strong enough for both of you. Lean on him. Lean on us.

Rio.

She sent out the one word, releasing it from the deepest part of her soul. It was a cry in the night, chased by the promise of dawn.

I’m here, Grace. Right here, baby. I won’t let you go. Take what you need. You’ve been alone for so long. Never leaning on anyone else. This time be strong enough to ask for help.

She soaked up every bit of comfort. Absorbed the light, embracing it to ward off the dark. She grabbed hold of the hope and the love so readily offered by the two people who loved her.

Warmth spread to every part of her body. It was an electric current arcing through every muscle, ridding her body of the lingering effects of illness, madness and the loss of hope.

I’m so glad you’re here.

She sent out the message to both Rio and Shea, bridging the gap, forming an irrevocable pathway between the three of them.

Don’t let me go. I don’t want to go.

This time, the voices were stronger. Louder in her mind. So very close.

No one’s letting you go, honey.

I’m here, Grace. I’m always here. Always with you
, Shea said fiercely.

And then some of the pain and despair simply began fading away. Absorbed by Shea, who had the ability to take people’s pain and emotions and absorb them into her own body. Just as she’d done for Nathan when he’d been tortured.
Just as she’d done so many times since. This was why she hadn’t wanted Shea to know. Hadn’t wanted her to see the depths of Grace’s pain and despair.

No! Shea, stop it! Don’t you dare take this. It’s enough that you’re here. Don’t do this. Do you hear me? Don’t suffer this for me. You’ve been through enough.

Tears of frustration burned her eyes. This wasn’t what she wanted.

Let her help you, Grace.

Rio’s command was strong. Compelling. He was firm and unyielding. He had a tight hold on her and he wasn’t letting go, almost as if he had a part of her captive.

I don’t want her to ever feel this
, Grace choked out.

She has people to support her. She has Nathan there. She isn’t alone. And now neither are you. Don’t be so stubborn. Lean on us. Allow us in. Allow us to take it for you until you’re strong enough to bear it yourself.

More warmth and love poured into her through the connection to Shea. Grace felt herself enfolded by her sister, held tight and rocked back and forth as if she were a child in need of comfort.

She clung to her sister, hugging her back, afraid to let go for fear the connection would be broken. Shea pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and smoothed away the hair from her face.

Sleep now, Grace. Rest so your body can heal, so that when you awake, you’ll be stronger and yourself once more.

Then she felt the kiss of another. More intimate. Loving. The kiss of a lover. A warm caress. A gentle touch. His arms replaced Shea’s, pulled her into his embrace. Strong. Protective. A barrier between her and all the darkness.

It’s okay now, Grace. I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay. Sleep now and know that I’ll be here when you wake.

WHEN
Grace opened her eyes, she wasn’t entirely certain where she was. The ceiling came into focus and then she saw the high window and the soft light pouring into the bedroom where she and Rio had made love.

She then became aware that she wasn’t alone. Not only was she not alone, but Rio was wrapped around her as if he was shielding her from the world. His leg was thrown over hers. His arm lay possessively over her midsection and his other arm was beneath her head so that she was cradled into his side. And she was completely naked.