Page 32 of Final Sins

“Yup,” Alex replied, her tone clipped.

There was clearly a lot of baggage behind that wound, but now wasn’t the time to pry.

Alex set down her mug. “Your turn. Tell me about BlackOut Squadron.”

Jason’s jaw tightened involuntarily, but as he met her gaze, he was surprised to find genuine curiosity there. No judgment. No ulterior motive. Just ... interest.

“It was supposed to be the elite of the elite,” he began, sinking deeper into the armchair. “Ten years ago, they recruited us—told us we’d be answering only to a deep, secret-level NSA sub-group.”

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, as he delved into BlackOut Squadron’s sordid history. “Turns out, after the first couple years, we were nothing but glorified hitmen for the Consortium,” he said, bitterness seeping into his voice.

Alex’s eyebrows shot up, her body unconsciously mirroring his posture. “The Consortium? I thought this Seven-Five group was the one after you.”

“Same evil billionaire overlords. New branding. Seven-Five’s the next evolution of the Consortium. Or should I say devolution?”

That drew a snort of laughter.

He nodded, noticing how she hung on his every word, her green eyes wide with a mix of shock and sympathy. “Once westarted questioning the chain of command, they ‘retired’ the entire team. Forcibly.”

Alex’s hand twitched, as if she wanted to reach out to him. The gesture, small as it was, didn’t go unnoticed. Jason felt an unexpected warmth bloom in his chest.

“That’s awful. To believe you were serving our country when … I’m so sorry,” she murmured, her voice soft and sincere.

He shrugged, trying to play it off, but her genuine concern was disarming. “It is what it is. We’ve moved on, started Redemption Inc. Trying to balance the scales, I guess.”

“And blow Seven-Five apart,” she added.

He took a long sip of java, eyeing her over the top of his mug. “And that.”

Jason swallowed, acutely aware of the diminishing space between them. He could smell her shampoo, a light, citrusy scent that was unexpectedly intoxicating. “This new Seven-Five iteration is deeper in talent, and way more ruthless.”

As he finished speaking, he realized he’d been so caught up in Alex’s reactions—the furrow of her brow, the way she bit her lower lip in concentration—that he’d shared more than he’d intended. He felt exposed, vulnerable. But strangely, he didn’t mind as much as he would have thought. There was something about Alex that made him want to let his guard down, just a little.

He liked her.

The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. And judging by the way she was looking at him, all soft eyes and understanding smile, the feeling might be mutual.

The air between them suddenly felt charged, crackling with an intensity that made his skin prickle. He cleared his throat, leaning back in his chair to put some distance between them.

Alex seemed to sense the shift, her posture stiffening as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve, uh, heard ofthe Consortium before,” she said, her voice losing its earlier warmth. “Helped disappear a few people running from them. But I never had a personal stake in the fight.”

Jason nodded, grateful for the return to more familiar territory. “And now?”

Alex’s eyes flashed, a steely determination replacing the earlier softness. “Highly personal. Whether this Consortium or Seven-Five or whatever came after me originally or not, they’ve messed with my family. And RAVEN. They’re going down.”

The vehemence in her voice matched his own. He found himself admiring her strength of will, the fiery spirit that burned beneath her cool exterior. She’d be a dangerous opponent.

Like him.

Their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them. They were two predators circling each other, wary but intrigued.

He broke the tension, standing abruptly. “So, we stay put and dig deeper?”

Alex nodded, visibly relieved to be back on solid ground. “Starting with Gravy’s father. If there’s a connection to Seven-Five, we’ll find it.”

As they moved to their respective workstations, Jason couldn’t help but steal glances at Alex. Her face was a mask of concentration. All business now. But he couldn’t shake the memory of her earlier warmth, the way she’d looked at him with understanding and something more.

He turned to his own laptop, pushing those thoughts aside. They had work to do. But a small part of him, a part he wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge, hoped that once this was all over, they might have a chance to explore these resonating frequencies.

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