Fighting Chance (Misty Grove Book 1) (12 page)

“I did.”

“What do you think of him?”

“I haven’t formed an opinion yet, sir.”

“Trent, I have a situation and I think for the greater good, we all have to compromise.”

Shit. Was he going to tell him to back off Montgomery? He couldn’t, in good conscience, let them run the town the way they wanted.

“I’ve put you in the position of sheriff for a certain reason. I knew you’d eventually meet Montgomery and only a person of your grit and background would be able to take this job on.”

“Are they doing something illegal?”
 

“No. No. It’s nothing like that.”

“You need to be more specific. I still don’t know what you’re asking of me.”

“Protect the town.”

“That’s my job.”

“But keep its secrets.”

Trent was starting to get frustrated with the governor’s riddles.

“Governor, what exactly do you need from me?”

“We’ll have to declassify your background in Delta Force at least to Montgomery.”

“Is this a quid pro quo? Are they going to tell me what the hell is going on in that town, because one look at Montgomery and I can tell you he ain’t no damned horse breeder.”

The governor snorted. “I knew that wouldn’t get past you. Yes. They will tell you what you need. So, do I have your approval?”

“You got it.”

CHAPTER TEN

Cassie hadn’t seen nor heard from Trent in forty-eight hours, and when he did make contact, it was with Colt, not her.

So much for figuring things out with her.

She sat on the front porch swing, fuming over one lying, albeit, sexy sheriff with clear blue eyes. Since when had she been blinded by good looks? It must be his talented tongue. He’d given her the most intense orgasm of her life and she’d been reduced to an anxious addict craving her next fix.
 

A minivan rolled down the driveway and parked right in front of her. She watched Millie’s elegant figure step out.

“Cassie, help me unload the food.”

“All this trouble because the sheriff is going to grace us with his presence?” Cassie scoffed as she hopped down the steps just as Millie handed her a pan of warm food.

Millie tutted, eyeing her with interest. “Hmm ... I guess Lucas is right. You’re not as indifferent to the sheriff as you used to be.”

“Oh, please, Colt is suddenly so psyched to bring him into our fold because finally he’s got a military buddy he could identify with. A D-boy to his Navy SEAL.”

The older woman raised a brow. “Not impressed, I take it?”

“I’ve dealt with military-type dudes before.”

“We all have, but don’t you think this would kind of level the field between you two?”

“There’s nothing between us two and there won’t be.” She had a lapse of judgment, which Matt had thankfully pointed out.
 

They ascended the steps, Cassie shifting the pan to one arm and pulling the door open for Millie. The older woman looked at her curiously before entering the house.

“What’s on the menu tonight?” Cassie tried to make small talk because Millie was still looking strangely at her. Besides, she was hungry. She’d slept through lunch and woken up to Colt informing her that Trent was coming tonight. Stuffing her face so she had an excuse not to talk to the sheriff was a great idea. But what if he didn’t want to talk to her anyway. Her stomach cramped. She must be really starving.

“Chicken parmesan and lasagna. We also have salad and some garlic bread. Figured you would want to indulge after that grueling three-week training.”
 

“Yeah. I lost so ...”

“I heard about Piper. Do you all have any leads?”

“Nope. Whoever has her wants to make a statement,” Cassie said. “They’ll come for me soon enough.”
 

Millie was still peering at her.
 

“Are you wearing lipstick, Cassie?” the older woman asked.
 

“It’s lip stain and some gloss,” Cassie answered, suddenly feeling self-conscious while touching her lips. While waiting for her prescription at the pharmacy yesterday evening, she’d checked out the beauty section. Lucas, who was with her, wouldn’t stop ribbing her all the way to the ranch about her “unusual” purchase.
 

“And you should wear your hair loose more often, the natural curls frame your face very well.”

“It covers some of the bruising,” she admitted.

Millie smiled at her gently. “We’re almost the same coloring and you know I always bring an arsenal of makeup with me, including some concealer. Do you want me to cover some of your bruises?”

Cassie nodded eagerly, surprised at how much she wanted to look good tonight.

A few hours later, Cassie was helping Millie put the finishing touches on dinner by reheating the chicken parmesan when she heard male voices at the door. One of the voices belonged to Trent and she tried not to look up, but no luck. Colt, Matt, Lucas, and Trent stood at the threshold and it didn’t escape her that the four of them cut an amazing tableau of male perfection. It hadn’t escaped her companion’s attention either.

“Can you just imagine the four of them walking the streets of downtown Edington?” Millie whispered. “Panties would drop for sure.”

“You dirty old lady,” Cassie teased. “And since one of them is my brother, your statement skeeves me out.” She grimaced dramatically, causing Millie to laugh.
 

Trent scanned the house as if looking for someone. Their eyes met and he smiled at her. She looked at him all of two seconds before returning her attention to the chicken dish. As far as she was concerned, the chicken needed more cheese.

“Oooh, looks like your snub pissed him off,” Millie cackled. “He’s heading this way.” She paused. “Ease up on the cheese, honey, you’re going to ruin it.”

Great, now what was she going to pretend to do? Not much, because the person she was trying to ignore was standing right beside her.

“Cassie. Ms. Cross.”

“I told you to call me Millie, Sheriff.”

“Millie, then. Would you mind if I steal Cassie for a second?”

“I think you’ll need more than a second, young man.”

Finally, Cassie looked up and glared at Trent. “We’re preparing dinner. Can’t this wait?”

“No,” Trent replied tersely, cupping her elbow and dragging her out of the kitchen into the hallway.

“You’re making a spectacle,” Cassie hissed.

“And whose fault is that?” Trent snapped. “Which one is your room?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Don’t worry.” He lowered his voice. “I need more privacy than a wall when I fuck you, and I’d prefer it if your moans of pleasure would be solely for my ears. I’m possessive like that.”

This man could not be believed. “If I’m going to sleep with you.”

“It’s not a question of if, but when.” Trent paused between two rooms. “Which one?”

Cassie yanked her arm free and stalked to her room on the left. She turned, crossed her arms over her chest, and faced him. “Just because you’re Delta Force, don’t think I’m impressed.”

“Hell, I thought that would impress you.” He stepped into her personal space and cradled her cheek. “That’s why I was incommunicado for two days. I’ve kept my non-official cover hidden for six years, and it’s not an easy decision to let that go. I never thought I would have to once I returned to civilian life. But all this shit swirling around you, I realize I have to come clean about myself before you can trust me.”

“Just like you need to know exactly who it is you’re inviting into your bed.” Cassie ignored the scowl forming on Trent’s face at her words. She stepped back and nodded to the door. “What Colt’s about to tell you might change your opinion of me. I suggest you listen carefully.”

And maybe you’ll run like hell away from me afterward
. She didn’t add.

*****

After dinner, they retired to Colt’s office for drinks. Millie poured some whisky into highball glasses and handed it to everyone except Cassie, who Trent surmised was still on meds. For someone who’d appeared beaten up not four days ago, she looked surprisingly well. Bruises looked faded and the swelling was all gone. Her resilience boggled his mind. And her lips, did they look more plump than normal? He was annoyed, however, that she’d picked the seat farthest away from him. A nagging feeling crept into his consciousness.

“I guess it’s time we get this show on the road,” Colt sighed. “Want to tell him, Millie?”

Finally.

“Sheriff, we’re a town of ex-assassins.”

It was stated baldly. At first, Trent didn’t understand what Millie was saying as his eyes whipped around the room. Thankfully, he had not sipped on the whisky yet because it felt like some shrapnel had lodged in his throat. “Come again?”

“Ex-assassins.” Millie repeated.

“But Colt is a Navy SEAL,” Trent said slowly as his brain caught up. He could see Matt as one, but Millie? And Cassie?
 

Christ.

“Don’t worry, we were all CIA-sanctioned assassins, not some random assassin-for-hire on the Darknet,” Millie said. “We are law-abiding citizens—business owners who own a diner, the general store, and of course Matt owns a garage. We’ve been burned and forced into retirement by a corrupt official in the agency. We had to go into hiding for the past eleven years, and it was only last year when he was finally shutdown that we could finally experience some freedom. However, there are still remnants of his various projects that could cause us harm. Some of us have settled in small European towns, some in Southeast Asia. But there are some, like us, who refuse to leave the country we took an oath to defend, so we settled in the heart of the south. Not all the town’s citizens are ex-assassins. Some are our human assets, analysts, etc., and their immediate family. Through the years, our population has grown to include civilians who we do thorough background checks on. We co-exist and have had no problems thus far.”

Trent did the math in his head. “Twelve years, that would mean Cassie and Lucas—”
 

“Were eighteen,” Colt finished for him.

“What the fuck?” Trent hissed. “The CIA had operatives that young?”

“There’s more to that story, Sheriff,” Colt said gravely. “Cassie, Lucas, and Matt were part of project Chrysalis. A biotech program aimed at developing ES subjects—also known in some military circles as Enhanced Soldiers.”

“Fuck,” Trent whispered with dread. “That was real?” He’d heard talks of ES by some of his teammates at the Joint Special Operations Command. Some of them bragged about working with CIA operatives who had superhuman strength and senses.
 

“The project was totally clandestine and didn’t have CIA top brass approval,” Colt continued. “Funding for it came from the sale of guns to Colombia and other countries in Eastern Europe. I’m sure you’ve heard about the Specter Agent program—CIA operatives who were given something called the Berserker serum. I don’t have all the facts on that, but it’s my understanding that it was an offshoot of the Chrysalis project. Harold Baxter—the corrupt CIA official— apparently had his fingers in many pies, and one of his favorite is Human Genetic Engineering. His first attempt was Chrysalis. Together with his lead geneticist, Dr. Moses Devlin, they picked candidates from an ideal gene pool evaluated for strength, intelligence, and physical attributes. To put it plainly, the DNA sequence of the Human Growth Hormone was altered to enhance strength, stamina, and recovery. Everything was done through in vitro fertilization and later planted into a surrogate. Each ES pair were twins, male and female.”

“Matt has a twin?”

Colt nodded, a flash of pain crossing his face. “ES subjects had an expiration date. When they reach the age of twenty-four, they steadily lose their strength but not without a painful change in their body with the sudden depletion of HGH and fluctuating testosterone levels. Some die of pituitary tumors. Kate fought against being put down—”

“You mean they were put down like rabid animals?” Trent snarled in disbelief.

“Yes. Most had their first kill before they were sixteen and they were terminated at twenty-four.”

That. Is. Fucked. Up.
Trent was sickened to his gut. He glanced over at Cassie, feeling more protective than ever. She thought he would turn away from her because of this? Hell, no.
 

“Matt and his twin, Kate, fought against their execution. At that time, our SEAL Team was already aware of Chrysalis’s unethical practices. Our commander wanted it shut down. We extracted Matt and Kate first and planned the rescue of everyone else. The final extraction was three months in the making, but we didn’t anticipate a traitor within our midst. Chrysalis was tipped off. Kate perished in the explosion.” Colt exhaled briefly. “So did my brother, Eric.”

So much loss, Trent thought sadly.
 

“When they took Kate away to be put down, Cassie was there. She fought to keep her sister. That was when Cassie rebelled against Chrysalis and they had to use drugs to subdue her. That’s why she hates hospitals and anyone wearing a white lab coat. It’s a trigger for her and it’s never a good idea to take her to one. You witnessed it firsthand when she woke up from her coma.”

A flashback to her nightmare at Chrysalis. Jesus Christ.

“I watched the footage of what happened at the hospital,” Trent said carefully. “That’s some serious ninja shit, Cassie.”

“It’s our belief that Cassie has been injected with a recombinant DNA-HGH serum that triggered her body’s ability to return to previous strength levels.”

“What? When?” Trent growled. “You think Pia or Deuce did it?”

Colt was about to say something when Matt cut him off. “Is Pia the nurse who tried to stop us from going into the ICU?”

“Yep, that’s her,” Lucas joined in. “I thought it was strange that she seemed to be avidly interested in what we had to say.” He looked at Trent. “You say she’s your neighbor?”

“Was,” Trent said. “She cleared out the same day Cassie nearly got abducted. Why do they want to kidnap her?”

“We suspect some scientists connected with the Chrysalis project are still active and want to resurrect some facet of its technology. Cassie was targeted since she holds the genetic code in her DNA. Matt and Lucas do too, but it’s riskier to inject males with the serum. There’s a possibility that their strength might be too much for anyone to contain.”