Chapter 292 Chapter 292
“How long have I been asleep?”
Her husky tone hit him right in the groin. She stretched and made little noises as she woke slowly. Deacon gripped the steering wheel with white knuckle focus. “A few hours.”
Unclipping the seat belt, she leaned over the reclined seat and reached into the cooler.
Deacon looked at her stretched over the seat and sucked in a breath. Forcing his head to look back to where he was driving, he blew it out slowly. Being this tired was not helping him at all.
She sat up and righted the seat as she shook the juice slowly. “They need to equip us with travel coffee makers,” she said in a sleepy voice.
“I could use a coffee.” He said, even though he’d never been so alert in his life.
“It’s so pretty, the frost shining in the moonlight.” She said softly. “I’d offer to drive, but I have no idea where we are.”
He looked over as she took a long drink, his animal prowled under his skin as he looked at her neck with her head tilted back.
“I hope there’s a shower where we’re going.” She capped the bottle and looked at him.
He cleared his throat, hoping that his voice didn’t sound more animal than man when he spoke, his creature was that close. “I’ll have to start the heater for the water,” and pump the water into the tank, he thought, “but it won’t take too long.” He rarely bothered with hot water when he was there. He’d lived most of his life without the comforts of a home, so it didn’t bother him if the water was cold. Maybe he should explain his home before they got there, then the shock might not be as bad. “My place is rough,” he glanced over to see her looking at him. “It’s not finished by a long shot,” he shrugged, “I’m not there much since I joined the team.”
“I’m liking living on the road.”
She smiled and his animal settled, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, the moonlight highlighting her face and with her hair down and not hidden under a hat. He cleared his throat and tried to remember what he was going to say. “Everything is run off a generator.”
“Really? So, you literally meant you have to heat the water.”
He avoided looking at her, not wanting to see how disappointed she was.
“That’s pretty ingenious.” She set the drink down and reached for her boots, “I wouldn’t know the first thing about doing something like that.”
Deacon was momentarily stunned by her comment. “Well, to be honest, neither did I, Calum helped me come up with it.”
“You’re pretty close to him.” It wasn’t a judgemental tone, just a statement.
“I am. Actually,” he looked over at her and smiled, “the land I run on is his property.” He shrugged, “when I didn’t know anyone or what my life plans were,” he looked back to the road, “Cal helped me find that spot and get on my feet.” That was a complete understatement. He had literally saved Deacon’s life.
“I can’t imagine what it’s like to make those decisions,” she did up the second boot and then shifted in the seat, so she was looking at him, “to not have your life planned for you.”
Her tone had a hint of resentment. “You’re making your own life, now.” He clarified.
“Yes. Yes, I am and it’s not going over well with the fam.” She smirked, “as you may have noticed with Nox.”
Deacon nodded, “I may have detected a bit of that.” He looked over at her, then back to the road quickly, “he, uh, isn’t going to be working with the team from now on, our team,” he looked over to see the surprised look on her face, “Calum and Jesse’s call, I guess what you do overrode his necessity.”
“Oh,” there was no hiding the surprise in her voice, “Jesse said something about it, but I didn’t realize his reporting to your team leader meant he was out now. Will another from the incursion team be assigned with us?”
Deacon nodded, “yeah and hopefully they check to make sure there are no brothers or sisters on the team this time.”
Giana smiled, “don’t misunderstand, I love my brothers, all of them, but my life has been overshadowed by their opinions since as far back as I can remember.”
“There’s no time for squabbling in the middle of an operation.”
“I noticed.” She sat forward and stretched her arms out in front of her. “I still can’t believe we found eight of our own and freed them.” Dropping her arms down she looked back at him, “maybe even more if those men turn out to be okay.”
Deacon nodded slowly, “there’s nothing better than the rush of seeing the faces of those we get out.”
“Is this what you do all the time?”
“More or less.” He slowed down so he wouldn’t miss the hidden path to the yard. “Guarding officials as well, keeping the peace if there’s been an unlawful transition of leadership,” he shrugged, “things like that.”
“I think it’s wonderful. I had no idea what Nox did.”
He turned the corner and drove carefully along the rough path, “I was surprised when I found out he was Alpha and on the team.”
“He’s the second oldest and,” she put the window down and inhaled the fresh air, “what was it my mother said, oh, he doesn’t do well with diplomacy, so he was allowed to pick his path.”
“Diplomacy isn’t his strong suit.” Deacon grinned.
“He’s good at his job though?”
“He is, I trained with him for six months before I was on the team.”
“Well, it’s good to know he’s not an ass all the time, I suppose.” She looked out the window. “Are we here?”
Shaking his head, he motioned to the lone shed with the fence around it. “No, this is where Calum and I keep our vehicles when we’re home.” He motioned around them, “it’s a little too rough for Cal’s car and I prefer my truck.”
“Yes, I don’t see his cute little car doing well on the roads here.”
Deacon chuckled, “I dare you to tell him his car is cute.”
She turned and grinned at him, “I don’t think that’s necessary.”