Page 31 of Deadly Hope
She resumed slicing, but her movements were more measured now. “There’s this ... perspective in certain circles that efficiency matters more than process. That if you have access to someone’s complete history, you can cut through thedefense mechanisms faster. Address the real issues sooner.” She slid the mushrooms aside, started on another batch. “It’s especially common in military settings, where time can be critical.”
“But you don’t agree.”
“I believe that what someone chooses to tell me—and when they choose to tell me—is as important as the information itself.” Her voice grew stronger as she spoke, and he recognized the conviction of a hard-won philosophy. “Trust isn’t just about what you know about someone. It’s about how you came to know it.”
Axel added stock to the rice, thinking of all the times he’d sat across from someone who already knew his worst moments, his darkest days, without him having chosen to share them. “Must make your job harder.”
“Sometimes. Often.” She passed him the mushrooms. “But I’d rather take longer to earn trust than break it before it’s even formed.”
He nodded slowly, folding the mushrooms into the rice. From the dining room, he could hear Zara cursing at whatever encryption she’d encountered, Kenji’s low voice offering suggestions. “And now we’re digging through your client’s life without permission.”
“Yes.” The word was barely audible. When he glanced over, she was gripping the edge of the counter, knuckles white. “I keep telling myself it’s necessary, but ...”
“But it feels like betrayal.”
“Yes.”
He turned down the heat, letting the risotto simmer. “Sometimes protecting people means making choices they wouldn’t make for themselves.” He faced her fully. “Doesn’t make you less worthy of their trust. Makes you more worthy of it.”
She looked up at him then, and something shifted in herexpression—a subtle ease in the tension she’d been carrying. Not gone, but lighter somehow.
From the dining room, Izzy called out another discovery. Olivia’s shoulders tensed again, but not quite as severe as before.
“Here,” he said, handing her the wooden spoon. “Stir this slowly. My grandmother swore the motion was meditative.” His lips quirked slightly. “Also, if you stop stirring, it burns, and then she’d come back to haunt us both.”
That earned him a small but genuine smile.
He’d count that as a win.
Axel moved through the cabin, gathering the team. Griff and Deke had just rotated in from perimeter duty, snow melting on their jackets. Ronan emerged from the back office, looking drained from hours of client calls. The way they all gravitated toward the kitchen spoke of countless shared meals, missions where breaking bread together had been their only moment of peace.
Deke tilted his head back, sniffing the air. “Tell me that’s your risotto,” he said, helping set the table without being asked.
“Not exactly MREs, is it?” Axel caught the subtle way Olivia watched them fall into their familiar patterns—Izzy automatically grabbing the water pitcher, Zara moving her laptops to another table to make space, Kenji distributing napkins with military precision.
When they were settled, Deke bowed his head. “Mind if I say grace?”
Axel saw surprise flicker across Olivia’s face, followed by something softer as Deke’s deep voice filled the space. “Lord, we thank you for this food, for safety, for the strength to protect those who need it. Watch over those we can’t be with tonight. Amen.”
The tension in Griff’s jaw was visible as he stared fixedlyat his plate. Axel exchanged a knowing look with Ronan—they’d both been where Griff was, wrestling with faith and purpose after everything they’d seen. Ronan’s slight nod said what they both knew: give him time.
“This is amazing,” Olivia said after her first bite, some color returning to her face. “Your grandmother taught you?”
“NonnaGiorgio believed food was the answer to most of life’s problems.” Axel passed the garlic bread. “She also believed no one should live alone, which is why I learned to cook for an army.”
“Speaking of armies,” Kenji piped up, “we still need a name. I can’t take ‘puppy crew’ another minute.”
“Yeah. That’s a no-go,” Ronan added firmly.
Zara aimed her fork at the handsome doctor. “It’s marginally better than STEAM Team.”
“Hey!” Kenji protested. “Strategic Tactical Elite Asset Management is a perfectly?—”
“If you finish that sentence, I’m putting you back on perimeter duty,” Axel warned, but without heat. These conversations were familiar territory, comfortable ground. He could see Olivia relaxing incrementally as the banter continued around her.
“My six-year-old still votes for Unicorn Candy Team,” Izzy offered, shooting Olivia a conspiratorial grin. “Chantal’s very invested in the decision.”
“I’ll take that over Kenji’s ideas,” Deke muttered.
