Firebreak (Jackson's Hollow #2)

Chapter 19

After a sound scolding from Diego, they were instructed to all cool off in their rooms for the night. There would be another team meeting in the morning.

Conveniently, it was apparently abnormal for a team to have six members, and there were only five rooms off the common area.

"Guess Ryker will have to bunk with me," Jo said cheerfully. She had a right to be cheerful considering this was the one good thing that had happened to her since she left the NC mountains.

Diego raised an eyebrow, looking like he wanted to argue, but he didn't really have much ground to stand on. Jo had heard of some of Cal's exploits that occasionally resulted in him bunking with someone from another team, and he had never been disciplined for doing that. So bunking together clearly wasn't against the rules.

Plus, if Diego wanted to actually convince Jo and Ryker he was a decent guy, he wouldn't force Ryker to sleep on the couch after spending all day being tortured.

As if he could stop me, Ryker scoffed into their link.

He sure could make life unpleasant if he wanted to. She hoped Diego wouldn't go there. But she still felt a little up in the air about Diego's character. He was the hardest one in the team to get a good read on. And she wasn't exactly a mind reader or a savant psychologist.

"Fine," Diego said, crossing his arms with the most resigned expression she'd ever seen cross his face. "Just remember, the rest of the team rules still apply." His brows drew together in a pointed look. "Quiet hours and all."

Again, Cal had never been reprimanded for that as far as she knew, but it also sounded like he was usually in another team's bunk, not theirs...so maybe quiet hours was more a Diego thing?

A challenge. Ryker gave her a side glance, his expression ironically wolfish. How long can you stay quiet? Even as a quiet thrill of desire ran through her, causing her to clench her hands for a moment–Jo snorted–as if she was the only one who'd have trouble staying quiet.

But also, whatever Ryker was hinting at, she suspected he was more worn out than he was pretending. She knew what a day of Diego hazing torture was like, and she doubted Ryker would be fit for anything besides passing out the moment he hit the bed.

"Wes, get some clothes for the wolf, will you," Diego said, looking at the tallest member of their team. "You're about the same height."

Oh, right. Whatever clothes Ryker had would have been left behind.

Wes sighed and stood up from the couch. He had been sitting there, still working on his computer, when the rest of them had trudged in after the fight. While Diego berated the rest of them, he had stayed quiet, probably glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of the lecture.

"Thanks," Jo said as he brought out what looked like a gray t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants and handed them to her.

"I'd give them to him, but I don't want holes in them," he said, glancing down at Ryker. He hadn't moved from Jo's side.

Ryker rolled his eyes and huffed. Like I want to put his gross clothes in my mouth...

Jo bumped her knee into his side and gave Wes a grateful smile. "I'm sure he's grateful."

I am not.

Be nice, you have to work with these people.

Only until I can get us back out.

Jo opened the door to her room and grabbed Ryker by the scruff of his neck to make sure he followed her into the room instead of staying behind to glower at her–their–teammates. "We'll see you guys in the morning."