"Oh, for goodness sakes," Kate sighed. She went to the basement and found a change of clothes for Brian--a pair of jeans and a white cotton shirt. She brought them back upstairs and took them to him. "Are we safe now?" she asked him, feeling more compassion for him than anyone else had shown.
"We're safer than we were," he said quietly. He knew his job. This wasn't the first he had to kill to protect the innocent, but it was still never easy. "He swore he worked alone. But I don't know how you know for sure."
"Well done," she said, caressing his cheek for a moment, needing to be his mother again to reassure him. "It was necessary, then. Perhaps some sun and sand will do us all good. I'll get you some coffee while you're in the shower."
"Is she okay, Kate?" He asked quietly.
"You're here, aren't you?" she smiled. Se could see in his eyes that he wasn't sure he'd done enough, and that what he had done had been done soon enough.
"Kate, if he'd touched her or if he'd touched my kids..." he began. He had been pointlessly trying to hide it--the fear of losing her and his kids, but Kate saw it in his eyes. "I swear,..." he didn't know how to find the words.
"He couldn't," she said with a smile. "You had it covered. They're safe." He hesitated. Then he went into the bedroom and closed the door.
Khaat had heard the stress in Brian. She understood. He had had no choice but to kill one of their own guards, probably a friend, in cold blood, to keep her safe.
"Its not just about you," Marcus reminded her. "Blood wants you, your kids, your father, anyone he can use as a pawn. He had no choice."
"Have you ever killed? Like that?" she asked.
"Yes," he said quietly. "Sometimes its the only choice we have. Would you like me to talk to him?"
"Please?" she asked. He nodded.