Dawn Endeavor 1: Fallon's Flame by Marie Harte (book recommendations website TXT) 📕

then with Kisho kidnapped—well, I think it's time to batten down the hatches, right?'

“Um, okay.”

“Circle the wagons, up our defenses. You're a software expert, you should help.”

“I know intelligence systems, not security measures.”

“But Jack does. Melissa can write code, though she pretends she's forgotten how. Between the three of you, you could install a new security system only we can decode. I'll talk to the boss lady about it. In the meantime, Mrs. S. mentioned you're going to stay on as our own intelligence expert. So I thought it best if we started fresh.” Ava smiled, her swift change in subject mind-boggling. “It really is nice to have another woman around.”

“I haven't exactly decided to stay.” Or been asked.

Ava raised a brow in question, the expression an eerie mirror of Mrs. Sharpe.

“Maybe I'm thinking about it.”

“Right. Congrats anyway. And I want to be in the wedding.” Ava left Olivia standing with her mouth agape.

Melissa found her like that and laughed. “Ava strikes again. Come on. You can help me freshen up Kisho's room for his return. I found some flowers and a few books I think he'll like.”

Olivia let out a loud breath. “That I can do. So tell me. What's it like living around so much testosterone and Ava?”

Melissa grinned. “I thought Jack was bad. But the guys are a hoot. Slobs who curse like sailors.” She chuckled. “But I never feel as safe anywhere else but here. And poker nights are a blast.”

“Hmm.”

Melissa nodded to the hallway. “Come on. Help me bring some things up to Kisho's room.

There's never even so much as a speck of dust up there. Jesse's the only other one who's so neat, but he's dusty. I keep hoping Kisho will rub off on Gunnar and Jules, or heaven help me, Jack, but no such luck.” She paused. “I only know what the guys' rooms look like because I help Jack's nieces clean when they come.”

“Sure,” Olivia teased.

Melissa flushed. “Are you kidding me? Jack is pretty aggressive. He couldn't care less how the Circs are. One of them even looks at me funny, and he's in their face. You should have seen him and Gunnar go at it at first. Gunnar was just teasing, but Jack doesn't play.” She smiled.

“Unless it's with me.”

Olivia laughed and walked with Melissa.

Ava had a point. It was nice to be around women for a change.

Chapter Twelve

A week later

Fallon brooded while the rest of the team sat in the living room across from Mrs. Sharpe and Olivia. Despite the late hour, he didn't feel tired at all. Still wired from his recent trip to Virginia, Hayashi's near miss, and irritated as hell he hadn't been able to talk to Olivia for the past several days, he felt out of sorts.

He and the team had scoured the surrounding areas for any hint of Montaña or Delancey.

They'd turned up a few interesting leads, but nothing more. He had no idea what Olivia had been doing, only that she'd spent an inordinate amount of time with Ava and Melissa. Like some whacked-out girl-power group. Jack had been deliberately clueless about what Melissa did with the others and kept his mental shields up, though he'd admitted Melissa had sworn him to silence. The pussy.

Olivia kept glancing at him, aware of the aggravation he intentionally projected.

“What's wrong?” she sent him, but he didn't answer. For a week he'd been trying to get her to answer him with her mind, but she refused. Now she wanted to play like they were friends again?

He seethed, recalling the packed suitcases he'd seen in her room earlier today. How could she communicate on such an intimate wavelength if she had every intention of leaving him?

Olivia frowned and turned her attention back to Mrs. Sharpe, the ringleader of their Circus, as Gunnar had taken to referring to their group.

Mrs. Sharpe glanced from Olivia to Fallon but said nothing to either of them. Instead she acknowledged the group, minus Hayashi, who'd been ordered to remain upstairs in his bed. “Doc gave Kisho a clean bill of health. His bones have finally knit, and his organs have repaired themselves. Due to the extent of damage he suffered, he'll need just a little more time before he's back up to speed, no matter what he thinks. I'd remind all of you to continue to take it easy on him.

“And if I catch any of you sneaking him food or alcohol I didn't authorize, there will be hell to pay.” She centered her stare on Tersch.

“What did I do?” he growled.

Mrs. Sharpe looked over the group. “As for what we've recently discovered about the abandoned laboratory, Admiral London is concerned. What should have been an easy sweep has become complicated. The reappearance of Captain Delancey was unexpected, but only because we'd anticipated his return after the drug infecting Admiral London's men was perfected.” Jules straightened in his seat. “You're telling me you knew Delancey was in on this?”

“No. I'm telling you we suspected he had some ties to those planning the destruction of the admiral's new project. That he helped fund that laboratory came as a shock.” Olivia frowned. “I read about Delancey. So he was the team's commander before you all became Circ?” Fallon and the others nodded. “And now Montaña works for him, is that correct?” Mrs. Sharpe nodded. “Unfortunately yes. What's worse, we can't find him. It's like all traces of him vanished into thin air.”

“I'll find him,” Jules muttered. “And I'll make him lead us to Delancey.”

“Yes, well, that's what I wanted to talk to you all about. Though this particular mission didn't succeed as I'd hoped, it has brought us a step closer to a new group we need to monitor.”

“The PPA?” Fallon asked. Just a year and a half ago, the Project's Protection Agency had consisted of rogue Circs and Elliot Pearl's henchmen, assholes who did whatever the scientist thought necessary to perpetuate his bastardized version of Project Dawn.

Fallon and the others had