Whispered Words

Chapter Three

Chloe blinked into sunlight. Bits of dust floated through the hazy rays and settled over the thick comforter cocooning her in warmth.

“Finally. I thought something might be wrong with you.” Her trip to the cabin came back to her in startling clarity, and she stared at one of the twins, Josh or Xavier, she couldn’t tell which, sitting in a chair in the corner. He stood and crossed over to her.

The man had short black hair, brown eyes, and a square jaw. He wore jeans and a dark sweater, the same as what both men had been wearing when she’d happened upon them.

“To be honest, I was surprised you fell asleep this morning. I was sure you’d have taken off.”

She’d planned to. But the cold had gotten to her, and she’d pulled the covers over her, just to offer some respite from the low temperature while she made her plans to escape. Then she’d gotten dizzy and must have passed out. She didn’t remember much more than clutching the covers and inhaling the strong, soothing scent of man and soap on the pillow.

She wanted to kick herself for being stupid enough to fall asleep, unarmed, near strangers.

But to her confusion, the terror she should have felt at being nearly naked and vulnerable to these men didn’t appear. She’d been in dangerous situations. She knew what crazy felt like. Hell, Psycho Stan had scared the hell out of her. But this guy? She couldn’t feel anything but her heart beating like crazy because she wanted him to touch her. God, I am so messed up. Who the hell thinks about sex in danger?

And hell, there are two of them to lust over. Two sexy, large, handsome men she’d have to manipulate in order to go free. Her nipples beaded, and she stifled another shiver.

On a sigh, she asked, “Which one are you?”

“Does it matter?” He quirked a smile.

Charmed despite her intent to remain wary, she smiled back. “Xavier?”

“Good guess.” He tucked his hands into his front pockets. “So are you working for Werlin or not?”

“Not. I have too much on my plate to start working for someone else. My boss is enough of a headache.” Oh hell. She hadn’t phoned in yet. “What time is it?”

“Three. Why? Got a hot date?”

“Smart-ass.” She rubbed her eyes. “I don’t suppose you can get me my radio?”

“No.” He didn’t seem the least bit sorry. “But you can use our transmitter.

Smart of you to bring that instead of a cell phone. Cell reception is iffy at best up here, and with the storm, it’s gone.”

She thought about sitting up, but the cold air across her shoulders made her shiver. So she lay there, under his stare, feeling way too vulnerable. “Can you leave so I can dress?”

“Nope.”

She frowned. He smiled back. The jerk.

He’d thrown a gauntlet she had no intention of refusing, despite wanting nothing more than to burrow under the covers until the snow thawed in another couple of months. Being nearly naked in front of a man this hot made her want to puke, but she’d be damned if she’d let him see he’d rattled her. She cleared her throat. “Fine. Not like you haven’t already seen me nearly naked.”

“I’d rather see you totally naked. But I’ll settle for nearly.” He didn’t move.

Frustrated and embarrassed, yet not nearly as annoyed as she should be, she refused to concede he had the upper hand. Chloe tossed the covers back and hurried to her feet. “Bathroom?” She hugged herself and tried to pretend she wasn’t standing in her panties and bra in front of a stranger.

He nodded to his left, his gaze absorbing her from head to toe.

She raced in and took care of business, not surprised to see her toothbrush and other personal items laid out on the counter. It seemed the Cannons intended she stay for a while. She shrugged. It wasn’t like she had anywhere better to go. As she took a quick shower to clean the grime off her from her hike, she mused on her new circumstances.

She still couldn’t believe she’d fallen asleep after all the excitement earlier.

Not sure she could exactly trust them, she had to admit if they’d wanted, she’d be dead by now. Instead they’d let her sleep the day away, warm and snug in their bed.

A tingle of lust lit her from within, the thought of her and the Cannon twins, together, racing through her mind. How many times had she wondered how Rory felt, sandwiched between her buddies Keegan and James? A threesome—her secret fantasy—but not one she’d ever considered might play out. She was too aggressive, too short, too curvy, too everything for most men. Yet she hadn’t imagined their interest earlier. That kiss… Holy crap, Xavier knew how to use his mouth.

The brothers had an odd connection with that telepathy, but how deep and what that meant to her, she couldn’t tell. Not yet. She’d figured on using her time away from the others to center herself, yes, and perhaps prod her stalker out of hiding. Since her boss and friends still hadn’t made heads or tails of what had happened in that warehouse last week, they were all going on the assumption her stalker was alive and well. Yet what to make of the Cannons and their questions about Werlin?

She needed answers. Her stomach rumbled. Make that answers and something to eat.

After finishing in the bathroom, she wrapped a towel around herself and exited to an empty bedroom. A change of her clothing waited for her on the bed. She wanted to chalk up the pile as thoughtful on behalf of the Cannons, but she knew it to be a nosy examination of her things.

She dressed in a hurry and made due with jeans, wool socks, and a thick sweater. The chill in the air grew warmer when she entered the living room. A fire blazed in the hearth, and the aroma of something delicious filled the air.

“Evening, Chloe.” Xavier, or Josh, nodded at her. They both wore the same clothes. On purpose? To keep her off balance? One of them stood by the pot on the stove, the other hovered in the kitchen, just standing there.

She raised a brow at the one standing nearest her, asking without asking.

“I’m Josh.”

He seemed quieter, more sedate. But damn if she could tell the difference between him and his twin from just looking at them.

“Right. Josh. I need to contact my boss before he worries.”

“First you eat. Then you get the phone.”

She studied him. “Why do I get the feeling Xavier’s the troublemaker, but that you’re a lot harder to deal with?”

“You must be psychic,” Xavier said wryly from behind her.

“About that…” She looked from one brother to the other, trying to detect the subtle nuances setting them apart. They looked exactly alike, down to the parts in their hair, their height, and the expressions of humor, annoyance, and interest they wore. “You two are telepaths, right?”

“We’re twins who happen to share a unique closeness, yes,” Josh explained.

“So you’re telepaths,” she said again.

Xavier skirted answering. “Maybe. You’re awfully accepting of psychic labels for a civilian.” Xavier considered her. “But you aren’t just any civilian, are you, Chloe? You’re PWP.”

The Psychic Warfare Program was top secret. No way these guys should have known about it unless they’d been involved in the program at some point. “What’s that?”

“You want to pretend? Fine.” Josh shrugged. “The Psychic Warfare Program came into being more than five years ago. The government recruited a bunch of psychics, drugged them with something that mutated their genetics and strengthened their psychic abilities. Then they closed up shop a year ago. And here you are.”

“Here you are,” Xavier repeated, his gaze decidedly carnal. “Short, sexy, and looking good enough to eat.”

“Xavier.” Josh’s warning growl surprised Chloe.

“I just meant she looks hungry.” Xavier grinned and looked over his shoulder at the kitchen. “Josh made stew. Want some?”

“Sure. I’m in no rush to leave.”

The men looked at each other, and she could almost feel the communication between them. Josh glanced at her. “Tell me about this stalker of yours.” He stood and crossed to her while Xavier dished their food into bowls, which he placed on an oak kitchen table. Josh placed his hand against the small of her back to guide her toward the food, and the contact felt overly warm.

As if she connected with him on another level. His touch unnerved her, and she hurried to sit. “I’ll tell you about my problems if you’ll tell me how you know so much about this supposed PWP.”

Xavier snorted as he sat down. “Supposed, nothing. We know it’s true.”

“Yeah? How?”

“Can’t tell you. It’s classified.” Xavier looked smug and took a bite of stew.

“Damn, this is good.”

She ate some and had to agree. The hot meal warmed her stomach and eased her hunger. “This is. Thanks.”

Josh nodded. “Mom’s recipe. She insisted we learn how to cook before she kicked us out of the house.”

“Nice.”

“She was, actually. To this day, Xavier and I can fend for ourselves. We can cook, clean up, and defend ourselves from intruders bearing arms.” The look Josh gave her promised a need to know more.

“Hey, I was as surprised as you. Although you couldn’t have been that shocked.

You did meet me outside with a gun.”

“You tripped one of our sensors,” Xavier explained. “After last month, we upgraded the defenses around the place. So if you have any thoughts about checking out early, we’ll find you. And we’ll be a lot less pleasant the next go-round.”

Annoyed at the warning, Chloe forced a smile. “Gee, you’ve been awful nice so far. You stripped my clothes off, pinned me to the bed, and kissed me until you got your rocks off.” As if that hadn’t been the sexiest thing ever. But damn if she’d admit it.

A slight flush lit Josh’s cheeks. “Xavier went a little crazy.”

“Me? I’m not the one who…” Xavier turned back to her. “Look, Chloe, the fact is, we don’t have to answer jack shit. We helped you last week with that nutjob in the warehouse. And we’re now sharing our cabin, our bed, and our food with you.

How about a little common courtesy and answering some questions?” She blinked. “That was you two in the warehouse?” Josh looked annoyed, but Xavier kept his attention on Chloe. “What happened?” Josh answered. “We got word about something off at the warehouse. We scouted it and found you and a guy with a big knife playing hide-and-seek.

Unfortunately, he managed to get away from me in the dark.” His eyes narrowed.

“He a friend of yours?”

“Did you get a good look at him?” She leaned forward, eager for a lead.

Josh and Xavier shook their heads. Josh apologized. “It was too dark. What little we saw when the lights flickered was an average face. He hid a lot beneath his clothing. But that knife I’d recognize.”

“I guess that’s something.” Chloe sat back, disappointed. “I got a call about a missing watch. Belongs to a friend of mine. So I went to check things out.”

“At night, in an abandoned warehouse? Must be some friend.” Xavier just looked at her.

She frowned. “A great friend. The point is, I was there for information about the watch. Instead of info, I was attacked. The creep bruised a few of my ribs and was planning to do worse. You two arrived just in time.” She still didn’t understand how they’d gotten there. “So why did you? How did you know to go to the warehouse?”

They shared a moment of silent conversation. What interested Chloe was that she could feel them speaking, like a low-pressured hum that vibrated through her brain.

“We had a tip that someone might be in trouble,” was all Josh would say. “So tell me. You worked for the PWP, then it closed down. And you’re out here?”

“Working for a gym?” Xavier added. He studied her. “You’re obviously in shape. And you’re sexy as hell, but a gym? Please. We know it’s a front for whatever Keiser is running. Who’s his client, anyway?”

She didn’t like how much they knew. Jack wouldn’t either. “This sure is good stew.” She concentrated on eating.

“You don’t want to answer, hmm? I can respect that.” Josh nodded at Xavier.

“How about if I tell you about Werlin? Think that might help you decide to share with us, your new best friends?”

“Maybe.” She turned back to her stew and nodded her thanks when Xavier dished her more.

“My family and I work together, a kind of fix-it agency. We’re independent contractors, and we take on cases most people can’t bring to the authorities. We provide quiet resolutions to conflict.”

“He’s pretty when he talks fancy, ain’t he?” Xavier mocked.

She couldn’t help laughing.

“Shut it, moron,” Josh said to his brother. He gave her a quelling look, which stifled her amusement. “Anyway, we had a job in Idaho a few weeks ago. A family of bullies with shotguns terrorizing a town. Small-time thugs getting bigger. So Xavier and I stepped in. We shut them down and landed a few of them in jail after taking down the local sheriff—a Werlin cousin.”

Xavier continued. “The old man didn’t much like us. And he’s not a man to have as an enemy. The bastard was ex-military. A demolitions expert. Caught us unaware, somehow. And we were out of it for a little while.” Both of them looked at her, and the silence made her anxious. “What?”

“You sure you don’t know Otis Werlin? His brothers Arlo and Ken? Any of those names ring a bell?”

“I told you. I work here.”

“Right.” Josh didn’t seem to believe her. “We know where you work, where you live, what you supposedly do for a living. But that’s on the surface.”

“Where I live?” She hadn’t brought a driver’s license with her. She’d left it in the car. Just how much “checking up” had these guys done?

“Honey, while you were asleep, we ran your prints.” Xavier grinned. “But I’m betting you weigh a pound or two more than what’s on your license.”

“Hey.” So she’d fudged the numbers. What woman didn’t?

“Xavier.” Josh sighed.

“What? Look at her shape. And no way she’s five foot five.”

“I’m close.”

“If you’re more than five three, I’ll eat my hat.”

“Your point?” She fumed.

Josh interrupted before Xavier could open his fat mouth again. “His point is that we have resources. We know things, and we’re not your enemy. The question remains, are you ours?”

Chloe glared at them both, wishing they hadn’t put her on the spot. “So you two just want me to trust you because, what? You’re handsome? Because you’re both bigger than me? Because without your okay, I’m out on my ass?” They answered “Yes” in stereo.

“Oh hell.” She blew out an exasperated breath. “I’m not working for Werlin. If you know all that other stuff about me, then you know I’m telling the truth.” They didn’t speak. “It’s not like it’s a huge secret. Well, I don’t advertise it or anything, but if people ask, I’m honest.” But no one had thought to ask her about her abilities in years. Until the PWP. Until now. “I hear voices. Not crazy-town voices, like mental-case voices. Real voices. I’m a clairaudient.” The men leaned closer, their gazes intense.

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve heard them. Most of them want me to do things. Tie up loose ends for the dead. Fix things for the living. Share useless information. But some of them direct me to right wrongs.”

“Which is why you became a cop right out of college.” She frowned. “Yeah. Should I be flattered you know so much?” Josh’s expression softened. “We had to be sure, Chloe. If Otis Werlin has his way, we’ll be dead. For all we knew, you were working for him.”

“Knew? So you don’t think I’m working for him anymore? What did I say to convince you?”

Xavier took their bowls and spoons to the sink and returned with an answer.

“We already pretty much knew you weren’t working for Werlin. We just wanted to know more about you.”

“Asshole.”

He laughed. “That would be me.” He reached for her hand and squeezed it tight.

“We’ve missed you.” She heard the voice loud in her mind. But it still took her a moment to read the satisfaction on his face and connect the dots. “Oh my God.

You?”

Josh frowned. “You’re sending now? She can hear you?”

“Yeah.” Xavier’s grin widened. “I told you she was our girl.”

“Wait a minute. Hold on.” Chloe had a hard time understanding. “You knew it was me all along?”

“No. What we told you about Werlin was true. He wasn’t happy we stopped his stranglehold on the town. He’s old-school. Country. A real frontier-justice kind of guy.” Josh sighed. “I should have seen it coming, but for some reason, I didn’t.

Xavier and I were caught by one of Otis’s special concoctions. Bomb knocked us on our asses.”

Xavier continued. “And a concussion rattled me a bit. It’s screwed with my abilities to contact you.” He let go of her hand. “If I’m not touching you, I’m still having a harder time sending than I should.”

Josh nodded. “My visions are spotty since the bomb. Unless I really struggle to see something. But it’s getting better. At first, I couldn’t see anything. Now I can see little bits but nothing about our future.” He paused, his gaze intent. “I used to see things about you all the time. Like the vision of you in the warehouse. Except since the bomb, I didn’t realize the woman in danger was actually you. I had no idea the stalker was yours either.”

“If he had, I would have done everything I could to let you know. I should have tried harder,” Xavier said and closed his hand around hers again.

She couldn’t look away from him and Josh. For so many years, she’d heard the voices. But it wasn’t until she’d hit puberty that one particular voice had sounded louder than the others. Though at first just a cold, lifeless voice, it had nevertheless directed her from danger and along the path to success. She’d gotten so accustomed to it being with her—a voice that took a personal interest in her, wanting nothing but to see her do well, or so it seemed. Losing it had really hurt. So to find it now, here, in all places, with these two larger-than-life men, was hard to fathom.

Xavier stroked her palm, and butterflies raced through her.

She pulled her hand back, both disappointed and relieved when he let her go.

“I—I don’t know what to say.”

Xavier seemed ecstatic, and he had yet to take his eyes from her. Josh didn’t look as happy. He seemed almost haunted.

“Josh?”

He pushed back from the table. “I need some space. I’m going out. Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”

Xavier and she sat in silence. His coat, gloves, and hat in place, a gun tucked into his pocket, Josh left the cabin.

“This doesn’t seem real.”

Xavier blew out a breath. “You’re telling me. Chloe, you have no idea how hard it’s been not talking to you. Especially after what happened in Brownville.” She blinked. “You know about that?”

“Yeah. I wanted to tell you more, but Josh told me if I had, I’d have killed you.

He sees the events that unfold, and he normally tells me what I can and can’t tell you. Knowing there was a psychopath who had every intention of slicing your throat and ra—uh, doing other things to you, was killing me. But I couldn’t tell you. If I had, he’d have killed you and your friends, Noah and Lara, right?” She nodded, stunned. “So Josh sees my future, and you tell me all about it?”

“Yes.”

“But why? Why me? I’ve never met you before.” Another thought occurred to her, and she blanched. “We’re not related somehow, are we?”

“Hell no,” he denied with a vehemence that startled her. “My family is straight up the only family I have. I can trace relatives back for generations. And you’re nowhere close to family.”

Annoyed now, she leaned into his space. “Why? Don’t want that pretty white-boy blood getting muddied up with mine?”

His smile surprised her. “Honey, I’d be more than happy to be a part of you.

Hell, it’s all I can do not to get up close and personal with you right now. But I’m not into making out with my cousin. You get me?”

“Oh.” She blushed, understanding a lot more. “So you don’t mind that I’m a little darker.”

His lethal grin raised the temperature in the room. “I like the way you look against me. That tanned belly looked real good against mine. And I can’t wait for you to wrap those fine legs around my waist.” He licked his lips. “I’ve had a hard-on for you since I saw your pretty face. For a long time, you were just a person I had to speak to. I could feel you were female but not much more than that. But as the years passed, you felt more intimate. A part of me. A part of us.” He closed the distance between them and loomed over her.

“Xavier?”

“Just let me kiss you, honey. Now that you know, let me show you how I feel.” She couldn’t have stopped him if she’d wanted to. Her body was on fire, her lips tingling with the need to feel him. He held her close, his overpowering frame no longer threatening but protective.

And then he kissed her. Unlike before, this kiss promised care, tenderness, and a sense of belonging. His lips moved over hers with a hesitance as he learned what she liked. Then his tongue slid over her lower lip and pressed into her mouth.

She gasped and groaned as he swept through, taking possession as he pulled her further under his spell. Before she could deepen the kiss, he pulled away on a groan.

“Shit. Chloe. Oh man, I’m so fucking hard right now.” He placed her hand over his erection, and she squeezed, amazed at how large he felt. “See what you do to me? And it’s not just me,” he said. “It’s us.”

The cryptic words made an odd kind of sense, but before she could ask him to explain, the door banged open. Xavier closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, his body trembling.

“Dammit, we talked about this,” Josh swore as he slammed and locked the door behind him. He ripped off his boots and outdoor gear before striding into the bedroom.

“I have to talk to him.” Xavier took a few more deep breaths and let them out slowly. “You are so pretty, Chloe. You have no idea what I want to do to you.” She knew what she wanted to do to him. But how would Josh react? Would he feel left out? Abandoned?

Would he want to join in?

Her entire body cried yes at the thought. Then Xavier pulled away.

He kissed her lips once more. “The HF transmitter is over by the fire. If you call through on the frequency listed, it’ll patch you through to one of my brothers.

They can send your message to whoever you need to talk to. I’ll be out in a minute, okay? We have a lot more to say. All of us.”

She nodded and watched him walk away. He closed the bedroom door behind him, and she wished she could have joined him. But maybe the bedroom wasn’t the right place. A big-ass bed. Two handsome men. And Chloe.

Fanning herself, she found the transmitter and asked someone named Sam to pass a message to Jack. Time to get her head on straight and back on track. But after she signed off, she couldn’t help wondering what Josh thought about all this.

And if he still wanted her, or if he wanted her gone.