Darkest Before Dawn

“We honestly don’t know where Hancock is, but I just might know someone who can help. Give me two seconds to make that call?”

She studied him a moment, saw that he was all business now. Finally someone with some damn sense. She nodded.

Sam picked up the phone and punched one digit, obviously a contact.

“Eden, honey? This is Sam. I need you to come to the war room as soon as possible. Can you do that? It’s important.”

There was a brief pause and Sam smiled. “Thanks, Eden. You’re the best.”

“Joe, step out and meet Eden so she won’t feel awkward coming to the war room,” Sam instructed.

Donovan glanced at the surveillance cameras that gave viewpoints of over thirty areas. He gri

“God save us from newlyweds,” Joe said in disgust.

Everyone in the room shot him knowing grins from all directions.

“Oh your time is coming, baby brother,” Garrett said smugly. “And I predict you’re going to fall harder than all of us put together.”

Joe lifted his middle finger amid laughter from everyone else.

P.J. and Skylar, the two female members of KGI, had made their way to where Honor stood, either out of solidarity so she wasn’t surrounded by so much testosterone or because they were simply being nice.

“How are you doing, Honor?” P.J. asked quietly. “Really.”

There was something in this woman’s eyes that told Honor she’d seen and endured horrific things and that she knew what Honor was going through and had gone through.

She smiled, though it felt more like a grimace. “In the begi

Skylar hooted with laughter, drawing suspicious stares from her male teammates. She just gave them an i

P.J. still regarded Honor seriously. “No matter how it goes, what happens, whether you’re able to make Hancock see reason, that man loves you. Every person in this room can tell you how much he loves you. Hancock is a hard man. No one here would have thought he was capable of loving anyone, but over time, we began to see bits and pieces of humanity and we realized that Hancock was a product of his training, and he’s lethal, but he has a heart. He’s a good man, Honor.”

Honor smiled. “I know. And thank you.” She touched the other woman’s hand. “That meant a lot to me. And I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees past the facade.”

The door opened and Honor’s heart jumped when an absolutely stu

Eden’s eyes widened when she saw that all of KGI was assembled, and she glanced fearfully at the man at her side, who Honor assumed was her husband. He pulled her into his side and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“It’s okay, honey,” he reassured.

Sam walked over and gave Eden a warm hug. “Thank you for coming so quickly. There is someone here who is very anxious to run Hancock to ground, and we wondered if you could be of any help to her?”

Eden’s brow scrunched in confusion, but before she could scan the room for the source of the “she” who needed her help, Sam pulled her to the side and spoke to her in low tones that didn’t carry to the others.

At first Eden looked stricken. Then tears glittered brightly in her unusually colored eyes and then she smiled, relief so stark in her expression that Honor wondered what on earth Sam was saying to her.

When Sam started to lead Eden to where Honor still stood, Eden flew around him and then threw her arms around a stu

When she finally pulled away, she was smiling broadly, a sheen of tears in her eyes. Honor looked at her in complete bewilderment when Eden took both Honor’s hands in hers and held on nearly as tightly as she’d hugged her.

“You have no idea how long I’ve prayed for this day,” Eden said, emotion thick in her voice. “Guy was so lost as a young boy. My mother and father took him in. He was every bit as much their son as my two older brothers, Raid and Ryker. My family is the only family Guy has ever known.”

She turned and beamed at the rest of KGI, and they all groaned. She turned back to Honor, a smug smile on her face.

“They’re just pissed because Guy is my family and now KGI is my family, which makes Guy and KGI family. A fact that neither are particularly thrilled about. But they’ll get over it,” she said cheerfully. “Especially now that you’re here. You’re going to change Guy’s life.”

“She’s already changed it,” Conrad said, speaking up for the first time.

The other members of KGI scowled at Conrad as if only just remembering he’d accompanied Honor. Honor scowled just as fiercely at them.

“Don’t you ever look at him like that. He’s my family and Guy is going to be my family, which will make Eden family and by proxy you as well. Therefore Conrad is now also your family.”

Conrad looked poleaxed. His look of astonishment was comical. KGI just chuckled, and she heard mutters about women ruling the world.

“I know you’re in a hurry, so I won’t delay you any longer,” Eden said to Honor. “Guy is at my father’s house with my two brothers, and according to them, he’s been in such a black mood ever since he arrived that they’re ready to murder him in his sleep.”

Honor looked to Sam, her heart in her throat, and his entire gaze softened.

“Will you take me to him?” she asked hesitantly.

Sam closed the short distance between them and enfolded her in a hug. “Of course, sweetheart. Just as soon as the jet can be fueled and ready to go.”

Then he turned and gri

A chorus of whoops, hooyahs and oorahs exploded through the room, and Honor looked at Sam with even more bewilderment. Were they all crazy?

He smiled. “Don’t mind us. We’ve waited a long damn time for Hancock to prove he’s goddamn human after all.”

He turned to Eden. “Call your father, honey, and tell him to sit on Hancock and not to let him out of his sight until we get there.”

Then he barked a series of orders so they could be in the air in no more than a half an hour.

•   •   •

BIG Eddie Sinclair got off the phone and turned to his sons, Raid and Ryker.

“That was Eden,” he said in a puzzled voice. “She wants us to sit on Hancock and make sure he goes absolutely nowhere until she gets here. She says she has the cure for what ails him.”

“Well, thank fuck someone does,” Raid said darkly. “I’ve had all the self-loathing and pity a man can take.”

“A-fucking-men,” Ryker said in a fervent voice.

CHAPTER 46

EDEN led the way to the front door of her family’s home. It was a good thing dusk had fallen, because there was no way they wouldn’t have drawn attention with over twenty badass operatives trailing Honor, Eden and Swa

The door opened before Eden could even knock, and standing in the doorway was a man Honor assumed was her father and her two older brothers. Guy’s family.

The three men’s gaze swept from Swa

The older brother shook his head. “No way,” he murmured.

“No fucking way,” his younger brother agreed.

Eden’s father smiled when before his features had been etched with worry and grief. He suddenly looked younger, the deep grooves easing as he stared at Honor.