“Are you shitting me?” Trap couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Wyatt was brilliant. How could a woman get it in her head he wouldn’t amount to much?

Wyatt shrugged. “I went off to the university and came back a doctor. I came back. To the swamp. To the bayou. She didn’ like that. She thought I should be a big city doctor. Make the bucks. She still wouldn’ go out with me. Then Vicq and his buddies got ahold of her. My brother and his wife rescued her, and I guess she wanted company. She strung me along for a while. I didn’ touch her because she was so fragile. I just wanted to take care of her after what they did to her. That lasted until I found out she was sleepin’ with a big city boy with tons of money.”

“Women fuck up a man’s life,” Trap said.

“I thought so until Pepper came along. She suits me in every way. I’m a wild man and I belong here. I’m stayin’ here and raisin’ my family. I love Nonny, and Pepper does too. Joy didn’ like ma grand-mere at all. She pretended to, and of course our families were friends, but she didn’t like that Nonny smoked a pipe and generally didn’t have the manners Joy thought she should. Pepper doesn’ mind my team runnin’ in and out of the house. Joy would have despised that. She would never, under any circumstances, have taken in my daughters. I’m well shed of her.”

Wyatt slowed the boat as they turned off the river into a narrow canal. Saw grass rose up on either side of the boat and both men were careful not to touch the tall long leaves of the shrub. Razor-sharp, the leaves could easily slice a hand or arm. The boat barely moved through the water, and Trap could see fallen trees beneath the surface Wyatt had to maneuver around. The water was extremely shallow. Because of the constant erosion, the path boats took through the water was continually changing.

Wyatt lowered his voice. “All kiddin’ aside, Trap. I have to ask you this question, and you have to really think about it before you do this. You certain you know what you’re doin’? You take on this woman, you can’ just walk away from her when the goin’ gets rough or you’re caught up in the lab workin’ on some project that takes over your mind. She’s real and human and will need help adjustin’ to life outside a lab. She’ll have gaps in her knowledge you won’ think about. Pepper still has to fight feelin’ inferior because of what they did to her. As her partner, you’re goin’ to have to give her that confidence and protect her from outsiders.”

Trap sighed. He couldn’t blame Wyatt for asking. He was asking himself the same thing over and over. He had his uncles somewhere out there, and he knew they would try to kill Cayenne. He knew that with every certainty. If he were at all a decent man, he’d turn away from her. He also knew he wasn’t nearly as easygoing as everyone thought him. He knew he wouldn’t be the least bit laid-back with her. Not when he hadn’t had anyone of his own since his aunt had been taken from him.

It didn’t matter that he had all the money in the world, not when he didn’t have anyone to share his life with. Cayenne was his chance. His only chance. She was lethal. His uncles came at her, they’d be in for a nasty surprise. More, they had no idea what he’d become. He could protect his own now. He wasn’t the boy who had picked up a gun and shot his own father, but was too weak to follow up. This time, no matter what shape he was in, he could take them. He was a GhostWalker, and even running on empty, he could continue with his mission. He knew, he’d been practicing for a while now.

“I’m not giving her up, Wyatt,” Trap said. “I go back and forth in my mind, but seeing her, kissing her, looking into her mind and her eyes, she’s worth whatever it takes.”

“It’s not goin’ to be easy.” Wyatt stilled the engine, stepped into the shallow water and dragged the boat to the edge. “She’ll probably fight you every step of the way. Pepper did a lot of runnin’ before she settled down and committed to me. Your woman’s likely to do more than run, you scare her too much.”

Trap found himself grinning for no reason. “Maybe the crazy Cajun is rubbing off on me. We’ve been friends for so long I guess I started thinking I’ve got Cajun in my blood. I don’t think a shy, retiring kind of woman would suit me, although I have to admit, I do insist on what I like in my bed. I like that she’s got skills, though, and that she’s dangerous. I wouldn’t take the chance otherwise. Not to mention, I find that dangerous side of her sexy.”

Wyatt shot him a grin right back. “Yeah. You’ve got Cajun in you, bro. Gator’s woman has this knife she put right to his throat when he stole her motorcycle. He thought that knife was the hottest thing and once she showed it to him, seriously, she was done for. Pepper had one as well, not to mention she’s got that bite of hers. Makes things interestin’.”

“I thought both of you were crazy until I met Cayenne,” Trap agreed. “She used her voice on me, and I knew I was up for the challenge. Admittedly, I fought it, but sometimes I woke up and smelled her scent in my room…”

“You what?” Wyatt, already on land, spun around and faced him. “And you didn’t tell us? We have holes in our security if she’s slippin’ through. We can’t risk that. Whitney has his own army of supersoldiers, Trap. We don’ know their abilities, but you can bet, since Whitney knows ours, when he decides to come after the girls, he’ll know what kind of enhanced soldier to send.”

Trap stepped out onto the spongy ground. He knew to follow in Wyatt’s footsteps to minimize the risk of discovery as well as to keep from falling through if the ground wasn’t completely firm. He paused and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I wasn’t certain whether I dreamt about her or if it was real. Not until tonight.”

Wyatt’s eyebrow shot up. “I don’ believe a word you’re sayin’, and if you believe it, you’re foolin’ yourself. This woman has you actin’ out of character, and you and I both know that will get someone killed – her included. One of the boys will take her out if she comes sneakin’ around.”

Trap swore under his breath. Wyatt was right. He’d known. He hadn’t wanted her to stop coming. He liked that she needed to be near to him. Yeah, he’d been vulnerable with her coming in while he slept. He’d never slept when someone was near. Not ever. Not since his father murdered his entire family. When he worked out in his lab before he’d joined the GhostWalker unit, he had all kinds of hidden sensors scattered throughout his house and the laboratory to warn him if anyone came near. He knew it was insanity to allow her into his room, but still, he hadn’t stopped her.