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“Yes, but we can’t let that happen,” said Moose. “Believe me, when we were in the military, it was exactly the same. You’re out there with the adrenalin pumping and moving at a thousand miles per hour, and then suddenly it stops. They tell you mission over, and you’re supposed to rest and relax. It’s not really possible. Your brain keeps going no matter how much you tell it to stop.”

“I think that’s what makes all of you so good at your work,” said Jill. “You don’t just finish a job and wash your hands of it. You finish and then say, ‘What’s next?’ You’re asking yourselves all the time, ‘How do I make the world better?’”

“That’s pretty good insight for being new to the team,” smiled Georgie.

“I might be new to the team, but your reputations were known at the Pentagon. Remember, I was friends with Ham. I’ve known him for years, so I knew a bit about what you guys were doing and who and what you are. I never spoke about it with anyone, but I knew.”

“Why?” asked CJ.

“Why? Why what?”

“Why didn’t you speak about it with anyone?” he asked.

“I knew that it would be detrimental to your safety if I did. No one even knew that I knew Ham, and if they did, I didn’t say anything about what he did for a living.”

“Not even Tim?” asked Moose.

“Especially not Tim,” said Jill. “I know that sounds terrible, but Tim didn’t like that I had male friends outside of his circle. I could be friends, and I use that term loosely, with his teammates but not anyone else. Old friends from the Academy or law school would call for drinks or dinner, and he’d get mad because I would always accept. I wasn’t willing to cut off my past friendships for him.”

“Sounds like he was insecure,” said Moose.

“I think he was in a lot of ways. Maybe that’s why he came back to the house that night. Maybe he heard that I was interviewing out of town or that I’d met CJ.” CJ frowned at her, looking at the others.

“How would he know that? I mean, we were neighbors, but how could he know?”

“I-I don’t know,” she said with a puzzling expression. “Maybe he was watching the house.”

“Beside your camera, there was another camera,” said Moose. “The neighbor’s camera caught him at your door, but someone else had a camera that was catching CJ’s door. It would have seen the two of you going in and out of one another’s homes.”

“But why? He left me. Why would he care if I was seeing anyone?” asked Jill.

“Maybe it wasn’t about whether you were seeing someone, but more about who it was you were seeing.”

“A SEAL,” whispered Jill. “He knew you were a SEAL.”

“I don’t know if he did or not, but he should have picked up on the fact that we were both Special Forces when we met the first time. It wouldn’t have been all that hard to figure out. I mean, I knew who he was from a Marine at Quantico.”

“I think we have to get into my house tomorrow,” said Jill. “I need to get my things packed up anyway, so we can use that as an excuse. The house should have been processed by now.”

“Sounds like we’ve got a plan for tomorrow,” said Georgie. “Tonight, I’m going to eat my smothered chicken and indulge in a piece of peanut butter pie.”

“How do you stay so thin eating like that?” smiled Jill.

“Oh, honey. I have so many Belle Fleur secrets to share with you. Eat up. From now on, you get to enjoy your food, not count the calories in it.” Jill laughed, kissing CJ in front of the entire group.

“This relationship is definitely going to work out.”

“Hey, are you using me for free calories?” he smirked.

“Free calories and great sex. Don’t forget the great sex.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

When they pulled into the parking space for Jill’s condo, CJ, Moose, Dan, and Brix got out first to check the door and the property. The doorknob had already been removed and replaced. They wiped it down to be safe, but there was nothing other than a little dirt.

Sor was standing at the rear of the vehicle, looking around the parking lot, then walked toward a tree close to the street.

“Sor? What’s up, brother?” asked CJ.

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