Armed Response

“Do you have details about how? When?” Jace asked.

Steve nodded. “Within the next two weeks. Our strong suspicions are that it has to do with a law-enforcement summit scheduled in Denver next week. It will have police chiefs and politicians in attendance from all over the country.”

“That would definitely make a good target.” Jace looked back at Ren. “And if you need an extra hand with a rifle, I’m more than willing to help out, especially since I’m headed out to Colorado anyway.”

“Still planning on breeding and raising dogs?” Ren asked. “Horses? Opening your ranch?”

“Hey, don’t mock my dream.” Jace had always wanted to own a small parcel of land where he could raise animals, particularly dogs, that could be trained for service members and veterans who suffered from PTSD. Maybe even make it into a place where vets could come and enjoy space and quiet for a temporary stay when they needed it.

Jace had made some savvy financial investments in his twenties that had given him the means to make this dream a reality now. He’d be able to cover himself financially until he was able to make a living from his business. He was looking forward to working outside, with the land and animals. He also looked forward to not having to be constantly worried about being in danger.

Although risk cognizance had been a part of his life for so long it was second nature to him now.

“I wouldn’t dream of mocking it.” Ren smiled. “Hell, I may be joining you before this is all over. But I was hoping you would help me out before you got out of the game for good.”

“We don’t need an agent,” Steve said. “We just need someone who can come in and pass for a SWAT team member. Somebody who has the qualifications and physical prowess to join the team. Because of attacks by Damien Freihof, we’re down a couple of members, so bringing in someone from the outside wouldn’t be unheard of.”

“And then once I’m in there?”

“Then there’s one person particularly under suspicion who we need you to get close to.” Ren leaned forward on his desk, watching Jace closely. “Lillian Muir.”

The name had Jace actually rising from his seat before he even knew it.

“Lillian Muir?” He looked from Ren to Steve. “Lillian Muir is a member of the Omega Sector SWAT team?”

“Not only a member, one of the best members. One of the most gifted SWAT personnel I’ve ever known,” Steve said.

Jace began pacing back and forth behind the chair he’d just vacated.

Lillian Muir.

He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t wondered what had happened to her over the years. He hadn’t seen her in twelve years, since he was twenty and she was eighteen. The day they were supposed to leave to join the army together, to get out of a pretty rotten living situation in Tulsa. To figure out their future together, which for Jace had always meant marriage as soon as he could talk her into it.

He hadn’t seen her since the day he’d found her in his brother’s arms.

Jace looked at Ren. “You know, of course, that Lillian and I have a history.”

Ren nodded. “You and I talked about a woman you cared about a great deal back when we served together. And you’d mentioned her name was Lillian. When I found out the Omega Lillian was the same as your Lillian, I thought we could kill two birds with one trusted stone.”

Jace shook his head. “You also know things didn’t end well between the two of us. I’m probably not the most neutral person. She decided she’d rather have my brother than me.”

Daryl had died in a fire not long after Jace joined the army, but that didn’t change the fact that Lillian had chosen Daryl, not him.

“I just want to say officially and on the record that I do not think Lillian is the mole,” Steve said, conviction clear in his voice. “As a matter of fact, I’m hoping you’ll be able to come in and clear her.”

“Clear her? Why me? There’s got to be someone better.”

“It’s a perfect storm of problems,” Ren said. “We need someone we can trust. We need someone who has the skills to infiltrate a SWAT team. And we need someone Lillian may be willing to get close to.”

Jace shrugged. “The first two I might fit. But Lillian won’t get close to me. There’s got to be someone else. Friend. Boyfriend. Somebody.”

“I recruited Lillian basically off the streets nine years ago.” Steve shook his head. “She’s got a tactical awareness and physical control of her body that has only improved over the years with training and education. But, despite being an excellent team member, Lillian has never gotten close to anyone since I’ve known her.”

Jace scrubbed a hand over his face. “Even more reason why she’s not going to get close to me. Some people are just lone wolves.”

Jace knew enough about Lillian’s upbringing to not be surprised that she kept to herself. She wasn’t ever going to be the life of the party. But never having gotten close to anyone? The two of them had been plenty close at one time. Or so he’d thought.

“Our division psychiatrist was killed by Freihof two weeks ago,” Steve continued. “Her case files are confidential, even with her death. But I do know for a fact that Lillian was seeing Dr. Parker regularly. And Dr. Parker believed there was a sexual trauma of some kind in Lillian’s history.”

Ren leaned back in his chair. “Honestly, we were hoping maybe you knew something about that and could use it to foster a closeness between the two of you.”

“I don’t. If that happened, it happened after she and I...separated.” Jace grimaced, tension creeping through his body. Despite her leaving him for his brother, Jace would never have wished something like that on her. Couldn’t stand the thought of someone hurting her that way.

“Like I said, I don’t have any details. And it may not even be accurate. But I know Dr. Parker had suggested that finding someone from her past, someone she knew before the trauma, might be the key to helping her overcome it.” Steve gestured toward Jace. “Maybe you could be that person. Help us find the real mole. Help her work through whatever is in her history.”

“What if she is the real mole?” Jace asked. He didn’t want to believe it. He didn’t believe it. But it could still be the truth. He’d known her twelve years ago and she cheated on him. Had that developed into even darker tendencies as she’d gotten older?

Steve took a step forward. “She’s not.”

Ren held his hands out in front of him in a soothing gesture. “Steve, you’re too close to this. You know you are.”

Jace jerked his chin at Steve. “You involved with Lillian?”

“No, happily married and a new father.” Steve’s eyes narrowed. “Plus, did you not just hear what I said about her not getting close to people? That particularly goes for men.”

Jace shrugged, studying Steve with hooded eyes. “Thought maybe you might be the exception to that.”

“Steve cares about the entire team,” Ren insisted. “He wants to catch Freihof and the mole more than anyone else, especially given the people they’ve lost. And the mole doesn’t know that we’re on to him. Or her, as it may be. So we want to use that to our advantage. Steve poking around will draw attention. Not to mention he’s not neutral.”

Jace sat back down in the uncomfortable chair. “And you think I am?”

Ren stared him down. “I think I would trust you with my life—and have—multiple times over. I think you have an innate situational awareness that was only honed in your years as a Ranger. I think you will be fresh eyes and able to pinpoint specifics others may have missed.”

Ren leaned back in his chair but didn’t lose eye contact as he continued. “And I think this is a chance for you to finally put your history with Lillian to rest and move on. She’s not the only one who hasn’t gotten close to anyone else in the last twelve years.”

Jace was also a loner. Lillian hadn’t had anything to do with his choice not to settle down with anyone. But that was irrelevant to the situation at hand.

Ren was right—it was time to leave Lillian Muir behind for good.

“Fine. I’ll do it. Another couple of weeks isn’t going to change my plans for the ranch. I just hope I’m able to do what you guys think I can.”

Ren nodded. “Your best has never once not been good enough.”

Jace just shrugged. That wasn’t true. They’d lost men in the line of duty whom Jace wished he could bring back. “I appreciate the sentiment.”

Steve stepped up and shook his hand. “Welcome to the team.”

Chapter Three

Lillian had been quick and wiry her whole life. Not just fast with running, although she could average a six-minute mile for ten miles in a row, but swift with everything. Her hand movements, her body movements, how she processed info.

A lot of it probably came from early in her life, when if she wanted to eat, she’d had to steal food from the grocery store or local market. And if she wanted to sleep safely, away from her mother’s drunken wrath or boyfriends’ wandering hands, she’d learned how to move quickly and silently out the window.

Those lessons might have been hard to come by, but each of them had made her into the woman—the warrior—she was today.

Whatever didn’t kill her had better start running.

The SWAT team was sparring and doing some general workouts in the training area until the new guy got there. Another new guy. Evidently this one had a little more experience than Saul, the friendly yet trigger-happy newbie who had been filling in for the last couple of weeks. Or anybody was better than Philip Carnell, the computer whiz who had been working with them as an analyst in hostile situations for the last two months.

Carnell had a mind like a steel trap, but the personality of a horse’s ass. Which was probably an insult to the hind end of a horse. Nobody liked Philip and he had a bone to pick with everybody about seemingly every damn thing. Lillian avoided him whenever possible. Hell, everybody avoided him whenever possible, unless he was acting as Tactical Command, as he had been a couple of days ago. Carnell was great at finding fast solutions in dangerous tactical situations, but he wasn’t physically adept enough to be a part of the tactical team.

He’d only sulked about that fact and gave his opinion about “the unfairness of elitist practices” of the SWAT team about once every hour. Lillian was glad to not have to deal with him in training or in the field.

Saul wasn’t so bad. He tried to get a little too friendly, and grinned a little too much for her taste. But at least Surfer Boy didn’t make her want to lock him in a trunk, like she did with Carnell.

Right now she brought her leg around in a vicious roundhouse kick and hit the punching bag. Roman Weber, her teammate holding the bag for her, took a quick step back.

“Trying to take out all your aggression on one poor defenseless piece of canvas?” He chuckled as he grabbed the bag more firmly.

“Too many new people, Roman. I don’t like change.”

“Oh, yeah? Try finding out you’re about to be a dad. Now, that’s change.”

Lillian grinned at him. “Yeah, every time that happens to me I swear it’s not gonna happen again.”

Despite his wounds from an explosion two months ago, she knew Roman couldn’t be happier about Keira being back in his life and the baby they had on the way. Hell, it seemed like just about everybody on the SWAT team had found romance-novel-type true love within the last year.

Lillian was thrilled for them, she really was. She liked each and every one of the women her teammates had fallen for. But love and marriage weren’t in the cards for her. She’d long since accepted that. Emotional attachment just wasn’t her thing.

But she had a career she savored and kicked ass at. That was enough.

“I hear this new guy is actually qualified to be on the team. An Army Ranger. Steve Drackett vouches for him personally,” Roman said.

Lillian punched the bag again. “I just wish Liam was back in action.” Their teammate had almost been killed by a biological weapon three weeks ago.

“He’s alive and going to recover. That’s what matters.”

Omega Sector’s casualty list at Damien Freihof’s hand was getting too damn long.

Liam Goetz, SWAT team member: seriously injured via chemical inhalation. Hospitalized two weeks.

Roman Weber, SWAT team member: seriously injured via explosion. In a coma for more than a week.

Tyrone Marcus, SWAT team member-in-training: killed in action via explosion.

Grace Parker, Omega psychiatrist: murdered in cold blood.

And those were just the worst of the worst.

Especially Grace. Damn it. Lillian forced herself to push away the grief that threatened to suck her under at the thought of losing the other woman and the close friend she had become.

She switched with Roman and held the bag as he went through a series of kicks and punches, at a slower speed and with less force because of his recent injuries. As soon as the new guy came in, they’d be doing some training with him. Running the SWAT obstacle course, some sparring, throwing him immediately into the mix.

“Hopefully this new guy won’t crush on you like Saul,” Roman said between punches.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I don’t think Saul understands that I don’t date work people.”

“You don’t date anyone.”

This was an old argument. “I do date. I just don’t announce it around here like all you lovesick fools. There’s enough swooning going on around here without adding me to the mix.”

“I’d like to meet a boyfriend of yours just once.”

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.

It had been so long—twelve years, in fact—since she’d felt clear, untainted desire for a man.

And she was feeling it for the man who, with just a sentence or two about her past, could destroy the rapport she’d taken years to build with her team and probably cost her her job.

Omega Sector generally frowned upon employing people who were once part of an unofficial gang in the streets of Tulsa. While their gang hadn’t had turf wars and drive-bys, she’d definitely broken the law multiple times throughout her teenage years.

“We’ll hit the team obstacle course this afternoon,” Derek continued. “But I thought we’d begin with some sparring.”

“Sounds good to me.” That deep voice again.

“Who would you like to start with?”

Jace’s full lips were turned up at one corner as if he knew some private joke. “Why don’t you just pair me with your best close-quarters fighter and I’ll go from there.”

Everybody chuckled at the new guy’s guts.

Even Derek smiled. “Even better, why don’t you tell me who you think our best close-quarters fighter is?”

Surely Jace would pick Roman or Derek. Both of them were big—over six feet tall with biceps the size of tree trunks.

Lillian could take down both of them. Had done so, in fact. She was pretty damn fast, stronger than she looked, and had spent the last twelve years making sure no man—no matter what his size—would be able to force her to do something she didn’t want to do.

Never again.

“Sure.” Jace looked at everyone around the circle, as people started stretching and warming up while listening. “There’s a number of people who I think could give me a run for my money. But if I had to guess who’s most capable of kicking someone’s ass, I think it would be this one.”

He pointed straight at Lillian.

She could hear the soft chuckles of her teammates, and felt Roman pat her on the shoulder. They didn’t know why Jace had chosen her. Because he really thought she was the best close-quarters fighter? Because he thought she’d be easy to take down? She wasn’t.

Damn it, she didn’t want this. Didn’t want to touch Jace Eakin in any way. But she’d never been one to back down from a fight.

She wasn’t going to start now.

Stretching her shoulders, she put on the sparring mask and gloves and met Jace in the sparring ring. They gave each other a brief nod and then began.

They spent the first couple of minutes dancing around each other, throwing a jab here and a few kicks there. Lillian felt herself loosening up. She excelled at close-quarters combat. Her body knew what to do from muscle memory.

Jace got a little more serious, sending a spinning back kick in the direction of her head. She dropped low and hooked the back of her leg behind his, bringing him to the mat with a thud.

For just a moment they were face-to-face near the floor.

“I taught you that move,” he whispered.

She leaped up to her feet and he followed, pushing off from his shoulder and straight onto his feet.

Lillian didn’t let him get resituated. She used her greatest advantage—her speed—and flew at him with a series of punches and kicks. Jace was forced to go on the defensive, and did a damn good job of it.

She stepped back as he nearly backed out of bounds, ending her attack. “You didn’t teach me that.”

He grinned. “I sure as hell didn’t. Impressive.” Without warning he came at her, forcing her to go on the defensive this time.

All in all, they were pretty evenly matched. Derek eventually called the match to a halt when it became apparent neither of them was going to win easily. “Let’s save some energy for the rest of today’s training. There’s a lot of hours still left.”

Jace took off his gloves and held his hand out to shake hers. “Nice job, Tiger Lily. Although I’m not surprised.”