Armed Response. Janie Crouch

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      Lillian took her turn at the bag. “Fine. I’ll bring the next one around for approval, okay?”

      She wouldn’t. Roman was right, she didn’t have boyfriends. She had sex with random guys, probably too often, but she tended to check out mentally in the middle of the act itself. Then immediately left afterward. Not being able to remember any part of the sexual act did not lend itself toward building a relationship.

      She and Grace Parker had been working on some of Lillian’s issues before Grace had died. Lillian’s triggers. The fact that she’d never been able to have sex and remember it clearly afterward.

      Disassociation due to acute sexual trauma. That was what Grace had told Lillian was the clinical term for it. And that it was treatable. That they would continue to work together so that Lillian’s mind didn’t try to escape every time she became intimate with someone. They’d made progress over the last year.

      And now Grace was dead.

      Lillian attacked the punching bag with renewed vigor. “I just want SWAT to be ready for when we get the call to go take out Freihof. I’ll even date the new guy if he can help us be ready for that.”

      Roman chuckled. “Hell, I’ll date the new guy if he can help with that.”

      “I’m sure Keira won’t mind, considering Freihof nearly got her killed.”

      “If Steve vouches for this guy, then that’s all I need to know,” Roman said.

      Lillian trusted Steve completely also. “Yeah, me, too. What’s the guy’s name? I promise I’ll make an effort at learning it.”

      “Jace Eakin.”

      Lillian’s head snapped up and she glared at Roman, about to make him repeat the name.

      Roman gestured to the door. “Here he is.”

      It could not possibly be. There was no way. She turned, slowly. No. Way.

      Yes way.

      “Jace. Jace Eakin,” she whispered.

      “You know him?”

      “I did. A long, long time ago.”

      She felt like her heart had completely stopped beating. Jace was the new guy? Part of her wasn’t surprised that he was qualified. He’d been strong, fast and smart when she knew him twelve years ago. Evidently the army had turned him into someone even more dangerous.

      And he was particularly dangerous for her. He knew every secret she’d gone to such lengths to keep hidden from the team. He knew how she used to steal and run illegal items all over town for the gang they’d both been in. She’d been fast, trustworthy and had looked innocent. She’d never once gotten caught.

      Jace Eakin knew every secret she’d made sure no one else at Omega Sector knew.

      Except one. And he would never know that one.

      She kept him in her peripheral vision as she returned to her assault on the punching bag.

      “If you know him, don’t you want to go talk to him?” Roman asked, grabbing the bag.

      She shook her head. It was all she could do to not run from the room. And Lillian was known for not running from anything.

      She saw Jace put his bag on the floor and talk to Derek. A few minutes later he was headed toward the locker room.

      Fifteen minutes after that Derek was calling the entire team together, including Jace.

      “Everybody, this is Jace Eakin. Eakin, the team.” Derek looked around at everyone. “They’ll all introduce themselves individually.”

      So far Jace had avoided looking at her directly, but Lillian had no doubt he was aware of her presence. She could almost feel his awareness of her.

      The same way she was aware of him.

      “Jace is coming in to help us with the Law Enforcement Systems and Services Summit next week in Denver,” Derek continued. “The LESS Summit, as everyone knows, is going to bring in the bigwigs from all over the country. Our job is to provide internal protection for that event.”

      Ashton Fitzgerald, team sharpshooter and general smart-ass, spoke up. “LESS is more.”

      Everybody echoed Ashton’s statement, the slogan for LESS, as they always did. LESS was a system that would link together law-enforcement-agency computers all over the country, providing valuable instant connectivity and the ability to share data.

      “Denver is also expecting a number of demonstrators and protesters, so if needed, we’ll help out with that. Everybody knows we’re a little undermanned right now. Roman and Lillian are both coming off injuries. Jace is joining us as temporary replacement for Liam. Saul is also going to be joining us as a full member for the LESS Summit.”

      Everyone was quiet at those words. Building the cohesion needed for the team to run smoothly in just a week wasn’t going to be easy. Lillian shifted restlessly. She wasn’t the only one.

      Derek looked at each one of them. “You’re angry at Damien Freihof. All of us are angry after what happened to Grace Parker, not to mention our team. We all want to get our hands on Freihof and make him pay. And that time is coming. But our focus right now is on the LESS Summit. It’s about keeping those attending safe. So I want everyone to stay frosty and focused. We have a job to do.”

      Lillian raised her hand halfway. “What about the rumor that there’s a mole inside Omega providing Freihof intel?”

      She wanted to nail that traitor bastard just as much as she wanted to nail Freihof.

      “I know a mole is suspected,” Derek responded. “But to date, no official evidence has been found to support that rumor. We all know Freihof loves to play head games. Getting us to turn on each other, go on witch hunts, is exactly what he wants. So we’re not going to do that. If you see anything suspicious, you report it to me, but we don’t go around accusing each other of anything.”

      Lillian nodded. She glanced over and found Jace openly studying her. Their eyes met and she was determined not to look away first. Jace, damn his still gorgeous blue eyes, seemed to have the same determination.

      Derek saved them both from their battle of wills.

      “We’re going to get into training immediately to get us working as a team. And this week we’re going to put in long, team-building hours.” Derek turned to Jace, who had changed into workout clothes from the khakis and collared shirt he’d arrived in. “Eakin, although you come recommended from a man we all highly respect, if you don’t mind, we’d like to see what you’re capable of.”

      Jace nodded. “You’d be a fool not to.”

      Lillian froze at the sound of Jace’s voice. The deep timbre still did something to her. Nudged at parts of her that had been sleeping so long she’d thought they were dead. The most feminine parts of her. For a moment she couldn’t breathe as her mind attempted to figure out what she was feeling.

      Desire.

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