Chapter 113: Diogo
Stubborn woman.
I could easily kill her man and force her into Sanctuary. Give my wife the gift of her sister. But looking at the determined tilt to her chin and the glint of defiance in her grey eyes, I decide to leave her alone for now. She is so much like Taran the resemblance fucks with my head. Not just physically, but in her compassion for others and her determination to help, even if she's on the losing side of that battle.
Skye is not Taran though. It's not my job to protect this woman. If she chooses a path that leads to her death, then that's her decision. I don't have time to deal with her right now, I have bigger problems brewing on the horizon.
I nod toward Wolfe. "What's your combat experience outside of a Sanctuary? You any good at fighting on the move? I've lost men recently and need some good people for a mission. I'll pay you in weapons and ammunition."
His gaze grows shrewd. "I was born and raised a warrior. Know plenty about battle in the field and behind a wall. I have experience with sharpshooting, explosives, mission planning and hand-to-hand combat."
Pretty much exactly as I'd expected. Wolfe is one dangerous motherfucker, but if his skills help the success of the mission then I'll use him any way I can. "You're hired. Meet me here at 05:00 tomorrow morning. I'll supply the vehicle and weapons. We'll be gone about two days."
Wolfe glances toward a frowning Skye and says, "Throw in some food resources and I'll do it."
"Done," I agree, hoping I'm not wrong in my assumption that this man will make an excellent asset to my team.
"What's this about?" Skye demands, interjecting where she shouldn't. Can't seem to help herself. She's a planner, a doer and a general busy-body. If she'd been born a man and had a little more combat experience, I'd be inviting her along too.
Without another word I turn on my heel, motioning to my men and head toward the vehicles. I'll fill Wolfe in on the situation in the morning. As for Skye, well, the refugees outside of Sanctuary don't need to know that their situation is even more tenuous than they thought. Their current predicament is grim and not looking to get better without intervention. I'll hold a meeting with my advisors, see what we can come up with. Maybe we can do more to help them.
When I arrive back in Sanctuary, I go straight home. Though I don't have the news Taran will want to hear, I can at least tell her I've set eyes on her sister.
She's been busy settling into our new home. Taran was disappointed that we left Emery's place, but she understands that we need to be in a home that's more central and secure. We've taken over a building in Sector One, not far from where the Tower used to stand. This one isn't quite as high or impressive, but it's somewhat newer and easier to secure. After the fire, I insisted we look at every angle and every possible danger when moving into a new place. This one has multiple escape routes. It also has a rooftop that's easily accessible from the penthouse suite. Something both Taran and I appreciate. The freedom of our rooftop Sanctuary was invaluable to us and, of everything we lost, our greenhouse and view of the city was the most devastating.
Our new home was once an upscale apartment building and it doesn't take much to put the place in order. Emery has been helping Taran make it homier by moving Taran's old bed and furniture over. They've also been setting up a baby room. In a few short days we've managed to create a place that's even better than our last one. A home for our small family.
I nod toward Grayson before entering the suite. His face is set in stern lines. He takes his job very seriously and only lets Taran out of sight when ordered. When he lost her in the greenhouse attack, and then again during the fire, he started questioning his ability as a bodyguard. Neither incident could have been prevented by him, but I won't complain about his hyper-vigilance.
I open the door and walk directly into an argument.
"This is none of your business," Taran snaps, hands on hips.
"The future Warlord is everyone's business. You need to rest more, take better care of the baby."
I look at Stryker in surprise. Since when did the big grizzled soldier care about babies? He seems to have become protective of Taran since the fire, but somehow his vigilance is different from Grayson's. Stryker hovers around Taran, watching, following and trying to direct her if he believes she's doing something she shouldn't. Though borderline obsessive, his behaviour hasn't crossed a line yet.
"The baby is my business until and if he decides to become Warlord." Taran is practically growling at Stryker in annoyance. Her tolerance for him has waned over the past few weeks. Again, I can't argue with the extra layer of protection Stryker provides for Taran, but I can't have him upset my wife.
"Get out," I tell him, jerking my head toward the door.
Taran heaves a sigh as he leaves and shakes her head. "I don't understand what his problem is."
"He feels responsible for you, that's all. When you save a person's life it creates a bond."
Taran shakes her head again. "No there's something else. Something about this baby. He doesn't seem quite stable. Like something's set him off. He's always been argumentative with me, but this is different. As though he thinks he knows best and gets angry when I contradict him. He follows me everywhere. He doesn't even leave the room if I'm in it unless you order him out."
"Are you afraid of him?" I'll tear his head off if he scares Taran, I don't care if his attitude comes from a place of wanting to protect. If he's gone too far with her, I'll finish him.
She thinks about it for a moment and then says, "No, he's fine. I don't really get what his deal is, but he seems harmless."
I don't tell her that Stryker is far from harmless. I've seen him execute prisoners without blinking. He's fast and he's brutal. There's a reason he was selected for my elite military team.
"Just say the word if you feel uncomfortable around him. I can have him removed."
She nods her head and then asks the question she's been dying to ask since I walked in. "My sister?" There's a sliver of fear in her voice.
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