Benny angled his body slightly between Karma and Logan. Oh, Logan would never lift a hand against a female, but he was freaking out right now, and Benny didn’t want Karma’s feelings hurt.
The protectiveness he felt for her was surprising, although the desire was not. Her marking from the Kurjan mate was completely gone, as was the recording device in her head. She was free. He could touch her without repercussions or witnesses, if she wanted. The idea made his hands shake, and he smacked himself out of it. They had to find Sam first.
Karma cleared her voice, tilting her head to look past Benny at Logan. “They have dossiers on all of you. They’ll know Sam is your brother as well as the demon king’s brother. It would make no sense for them to kill him.”
Oh, the little sweetheart. She was trying to reassure Logan while using logic and reason to keep him calm. Benny flashed her a smile. Some might call it manipulation, but with Karma, the words came from experience and kindness. What would she be like if that kindness was allowed to bloom with freedom? She probably didn’t even realize how muffled she’d been by the Kurjans and their rules and hierarchy. “That’s a good point,” he said, wanting to encourage her. “What else?”
“Oh.” She sat straighter in the chair. With her blond hair falling down to the middle of her back and her eyes clear of the pain that must have been caused by the device, she looked like a lady from days gone by. One of the fancy ones who wore tiaras and silk. “They would’ve already scanned him, so if he isn’t tagged, they could take him anywhere.”
Logan growled low but otherwise didn’t move. “Any idea where?”
She sighed. “They like heat and the desert, so my guess would be southern Utah or even Nevada.” She looked beyond Benny, and her eyes glazed over, talking to dead air. “How did you follow me here? Do you have some sort of homing device on me?”
Benny jumped and turned to find empty air. He slowly turned back to Karma. “Who are you seeing?”
“What the hell?” Logan muttered.
“It’s Linda. She’s a human who hasn’t crossed over yet, and I see her often,” Karma said.
“Why?” Mercy asked, standing up and scrutinizing the empty area with narrowed eyes. “I don’t see anybody. Are you saying you can channel?”
“Yes,” Karma said. “I’ve used the skill to help people who need a nudge, but sometimes spirits visit me just before they cross over. Often they want something, and sometimes I can help, other times I cannot.”
“What does Linda want?” Mercy asked, turning to focus on Karma.
Karma’s gaze darted around as if she was deciding whether or not to trust them. Not that she had a choice. Apparently, she reached the same conclusion, because she answered. “Linda was the mother of my daughters,” she said quietly.
Benjamin turned to face her. “What?”
She swallowed. “Terre and General Jaydon killed Linda and kidnapped her twin daughters, who are enhanced females. They’re around three years old now, and they’re mine. I’ve adopted them.” Then she stood and faced Benjamin directly, having to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. “I have to return for them. There is no choice here, Benjamin. None whatsoever.”
One of his dark eyebrows rose. “The Kurjans are extorting you with those girls. Well, at least your behavior makes sense now. I couldn’t figure out why you’d work for them while you were free.” He rubbed the shadow along his jaw. “Okay, then.”
Joy and hope leaped into her eyes. “You’ll let me go back?”
“Of course not,” he said, frowning. “But I’ll get your girls for you.”
“No,” she said softly. “It’s too much of a risk. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to save them. Just stay out of my way.” She wrung her hands together even as she faced him so bravely. “My best hope of getting the girls out is to play along with Terre. Any other approach, and he will harm the children out of spite. Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
Logan stepped into her line of sight. “How good is Linda’s intel?”
Karma paused. “I do not know. I’ve never had a reason to gain information from a spirit.” Her eyes darkened to nearly black. “Until now.”
Chapter Twenty
Benny piled a heaping serving of spaghetti on his plate and strode across the deck to a seat next to Karma. “Stop trying so hard.”
She looked out at the rushing river. For autumn, the day was surprisingly warm, so they’d chosen to get some fresh air while eating a late lunch. Or early dinner. She’d borrowed a skirt and sweater from Mercy, and the pale green wool brought out the delicacy of her skin. “I don’t understand it. Ghosts are jerks.”
Benny grinned. He’d never heard her say a bad word about anybody. “Maybe Linda is just scouting since you asked her for information. She’ll be back when she has information for us. Right?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never asked one to work at a distance like this.”
Benny missed the cami and short set. The woman had a pair of legs on her—that was for sure. They’d been working all day to trace Sam’s location, and she’d even tried to talk Linda into helping. Logan and Mercy were still in the computer room, while Haven and Quade had made sure everything was fine in the residences before whipping up a feast of spaghetti, bread, and some sort of canned bean thing that Benny had walked right past.
Quade and Haven joined them outside on the deck, sitting over at the table. Haven held a bottle of white wine, while Quade carried what looked like Jägermeister.
“Damn it, Quade,” Garrett bellowed, stomping through the kitchen area and out to the deck.
Benny groaned.
Quade stood and moved away from the table. “What’s your problem, nephew?” He looked innocent.
“Just wonderful,” Benny muttered.
Haven dropped her head and shook it. Then she poured herself a generous glass of chardonnay.
“You need a few ‘greats’ before ‘nephew,’ you old bastard.” Garrett barreled up to Quade and grabbed the tee stretched tight across his chest. “You checked out my house while I was in the main computer room, didn’t you?”
Quade’s eyes sparkled and his lips remained tightly pressed together.
Garrett shook him. “Say something.”
Karma looked over at Benny and then turned back to watch the interaction. Tension rolled off her.
Did loud voices bug her? Benny placed his hand over hers on the table, and it was trembling. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” he murmured. “They’re fine.”