Page 52 of Burning Secrets

Crew stilled. “First the salmon, then the wolves, and then the attempt on the Refuge.”

“My guess? If they’re wondering if it can affect food supply, they might target the homestead community next,” JoJo said quietly.

Crew’s mouth tightened, and he turned away, walked to the window, looked out at the grounds. A couple hotshots were building a fire in a pit out front. A guy threw a frisbee to a dog, who caught it in his mouth, ran back, wiggling with joy. He spotted Hammer in the workout area doing pullups. A couple other guys and a woman seemed to be cheering him on, counting.

Skye had pulled up an Adirondack chair beside another woman.

Listen, the sooner you get back, the sooner we finish this.

“Okay,” he said, sighing, turning. “I’ll do it.”

Rio nodded.

JoJo shook her head. “No. That’s not the way. We go warn the village and wait. Then we catch them in the act and then…” She looked at Rio. “Then you have what you need to take down their operation. And no one”—she walked over to Crew, slid her hand into his, turned back to Rio—“no one has to die.”

What she said. But Crew just met Rio’s gaze, held it.

Finally. “Okay.” But Rio pointed at JoJo. “But I hope, for Crew’s sake, that you’re right.”

NINE

I hope,for Crew’s sake, that you’re right.

Rio’s words played in JoJo’s brain, thumping as the campfire sparked into the hazy dim-lit night. She sat on a half-hewn log facing the campfire, wrung out but wanting to linger.

Wanting to watch Crew as the firelight shimmered in his dark eyes, glinting against the gold inside, while a slight smile tweaked his face. Wanting to enjoy the way, over the last couple hours, he’d seemed to unwind.

Belong.

He threw a frisbee to Jubal, the scruffy brown labradoodle that had made his home with them from parts unknown, and maybe, in a way, they were all strays, now pack animals.

And the pack stuck together. Maybe another reason why she had stuck with the crew when they’d headed north for the summer.

Tucker was clearly their alpha male leader, although Jade certainly played alpha female. Her boyfriend, Crispin, had shown up for the night too, all tight smiles and secrets. To JoJo’s knowledge, he still skirted the edges of the bigger three-letter organizations, some of whom might still believe him dead.

He might be the future look of Crew, a mysterious warrior who silently saved the world.

Oh brother. Her Batman version of Crew had clearly gone to her head.

A log fell, and she picked up a stick, moved it back into the center of the fire ring.

Are you in love with Crew?

Oh. She feared the answer. It felt too quick, too much like she might be losing a piece of herself. And yes, every time he looked at her, something shifted inside her.

Aw, it had to be joy.

Crew leaned back, and for some reason looked over at her, something in his eyes, and for a moment, she stood in the office, him holding her hand as if they stood together.

Two, better than one.

I know you’re scared, Jo. I get that. Love is being willing to get hurt, believing that no matter what happens, God will never leave us.

A couple of the hotshots were talking about climbs they wanted to take on their off days. And Vince and Cadee had gotten up, walked away from the crew, holding hands.

She spotted Crispin, his hand woven with Jade’s. They’d gone from zero to dating so fast that people hadn’t even realized Crispin was back from the dead before he’d announced he was following Jade back to Alaska.

Maybe it didn’t matter how quickly she fell for Crew. Maybe it only mattered how much of her heart she’d give him.

---