* 2022-12-14

I'll try my best to have another chapter up by next week if not sooner as my eldest is riding my back for the next chapter. As is, imagine a full-grown teen pulling a tantrum, just to get me writing… The extremes our kids go to, to get their way… For which she is not sorry but at least you'll benefit!

Also, for all of you following this story, thank you, immensely! As it's not a typical romance or adventure story, I'm grateful to you for taking a chance on it.

Now that the setting is set, let's rumble! Or not… Either way. Enjoy!

Scout Special Ops Security Firm

Commander/intelligence: – Serena A.k.a. Cresc / Crescent

Assistant Commander / weapons: – Mina A.k.a. V / Venus

Medic/Hacker: – Amy A.k.a. Merc / Mercury

Muscle / transportation : – Lita A.k.a. J / Jupiter

Snipper / infiltration : – Rei A.k.a Mar / Mars

Small town Heroes

Doctor / Head of emergency department: Darien Shields (35)

Firefighter / former MMA champion: Maxfield Stanton (29) A.k.a Neph / Nephrite

Psychologist / pub owner: Keith Caine A.k.a Kun / Kunzite

Cop / former marine: Jack Danielson A.k.a. Jed / Jadeite.

Lawyer: Zack

I'm trying hard to keep this PG16 but be warned that my stories contain mature subjects. There is graphic violence, coarse language, sexual situations/scenes, and triggers as my characters deal with past or present emotional, physical, or mental traumas.

The Arrangement

Chapter 04

Serena

"Ouch!" I groan as I stretch my wounded side. That is not how I planned to start my day.

A chuckle escapes against my better judgment, hurting my side again, but it's too hard to hold it in as I look at the girls sleeping around me. Lita's sprawled on the left side of the sectional; her right arm hangs off the couch while her feet are on the back. How she finds that comfortable is beyond me. On my right, Amy is sleeping like the dead with a puddle of drool on the throw pillow supporting her head. I suck in my lips to keep from laughing just imagining the moment she wakes to the splitting migraine awaiting her. Bye-bye, miss stoic. Good old Amy will be making an appearance today. The Amy before…

Nope. Not going there. Reigning in my thoughts, I force myself to sit up and examine my wound as I peel off the bandage. It's red, inflamed, and has some pus, not to mention burns like acid. Fuck. The damn doctor was right. It's infected.

Taking a huge step over Rei's sleeping form on the floor, I head to the bathroom. I grab Amy's medic backpack but freeze before my hand touches the handle. My eyes scan the room until they land on the huddled form of Mina. She's curled on herself, wrapped tightly in a blanket on a lazy boy, in a corner far from any window or door. I ease out a long breath as relief floods me. Taking a moment longer to look back over the girls, I'm grateful yesterday's Bday was a success.

As I enter the bathroom, I'm met by a rustic hand-crafted décor that surprisingly isn't tacky. Instead, it's cozy. I turn the dimmer on low to see better only to be met by my reflection in the mirror. There's a light sheen of sweat on my skin. 'Darn it! Darn it! Darn it!' Now my pain is compounded with frustration at not being able to go for a run this morning.

Staring myself down, my unease returns. Not that it wasn't thanks to waking in a stranger's house, slash pub. On a forced vacation. With no timeline or directive or explanation…

Peeling off my shirt, I disinfect, treat the wound, and reapply a new dressing. Combing my fingers through my long messy strands, I pile my hair up in a messy bun before splashing my face with freezing water to cool my skin. In less than ten minutes, I'm out the door, and down the stairs. Only to find the psychologist slash pub owner sleeping on a hammock on the big back porch. As quietly as I can, I make my way to the pub deck on the water needing privacy for what I know I can't put off any longer.

Goosebumps cover my arms at the cool early morning breeze as I reach the edge and take a moment to lean on the railing to enjoy the view. The weather should warm soon as the sun breaks over the horizon lighting the small waves on the lake. There's a thick mist hovering over the forest and mountains surrounding the lake. The water is gently lapping against the deck, the air is crisp, and birds are singing. It's nothing like the rush and noise around the shelter. This place is beyond serene, quiet, almost magical.

It's the kind of peace I've only dreamed about or seen in movies. And yet, here I am, taking it all in, falling for it though I should know better.

Pulling out my cell from my back pocket, I sit on one of the beautifully carved chairs as I start the call. I don't get a chance to go back inside to get a blanket as Doc answers on the first ring even if it's the middle of a busy afternoon in India.

"Wasn't expecting this call so soon," she answers smiling affectionately on the video call.

"Oh please, Setsuna. You knew I'd call first thing this morning."

"Is that Bunny? Put her on speaker!" voices called over in the background of the call.

"All right. Stop the fussing," Setsuna snaps as two other heads appear on the screen.

"Bonne après-midi, Michelle. Nice to hear your voice, Amara." I shake my head and laugh as my two adoptive aunts get on the call. "Now that the formalities are out of our way, how about we get to the point? What the hell!?" All the affection is gone from my voice as I don't appreciate being blindsided. And I'm totally blind since yesterday's grounding phone call about our situation.

"Now, now, Serena. Watch your tone," Amara reprimands.

"Did something happen? Are you guys in danger," questions simultaneously Michelle in her pronounced French accent.

"I'm no longer a kid, Boss. If you care to remember. And no, nothing happened other than Amy stumbling drunk in with a local at oh five hundred hours."

"Seriously?" Michelle questions, biting down on her bottom lip to prevent the smile that's trying its best to surface.

"Don't distract me. You guys know exactly where we are. Amara, you might not be as good as Amy but I bet you've checked this place out. Why did you ground us here? And more importantly, why now?"

Setsuna sighs deeply and then muffled voices come over the phone as she drops the phone out of sight. I wait them out. Not like I have a choice. Well, yes. I could go against their orders and have Amy book our flights back. But I rather not. There's always a reason behind everything they do.

"I would rather do this in person, but both Amara and Luna checked out the location. Yesterday, you took out the only crap in that area. Your location, it's off the radar. Literary the perfect small-town setting. You're safe there and so is your anonymity. That's why I'm asking you to stay there." Setsuna pulls off her glasses and methodically folds them before hanging them on the breast pocket of her doctor's coat.

"As for why now… I left my medical career in London in my thirties after my husband passed away to create this shelter. To fulfill my dream. To help people where it's needed. As for Michelle, she's always loved volunteering in third-world countries as a nurse. When Amara retired from the army, she still wanted to protect people. We all followed our passions and goals. I got lucky when they both ended up partnering up with me to run this place."

"But we also ended up happily married," Michelle smiles at Amara, her love for her partner shining brightly in her gaze.

"What Doc is trying to say is, what are you passionate about Kiddo?" Amara asks, her teasing tone gone. Instead, she's looking at me like a drill sergeant.

"You know what I'm passionate about!" I reply defensively because all three of them helped me achieve it.

"I'm not asking why you're running the security firm. I'm asking what are your interests. Your hobbies? What do you like to do on your days off? Basically, who are you when you aren't working?" Amara presses and I feel my brows scrunch up.

"We get it, Bunny. We get why you and the girls did what you did and why you do what you do. But it's been almost fifteen years. Your life is only starting… And the question we want you girls to ask yourselves is, what do you want to do with the rest of your life?" Michelle calmly states, holding Amara back by the shoulder.

"But why do we need to change? Why should we? After what happe…" I try only for Setsuna to cut me off.

"Serenity. Can you honestly, one hundred percent, tell me straight up you want to dedicate your life to fighting human trafficking?" she pauses. "You survived, you got free, and you have dedicated your life to helping and saving others. You are as selfless as they come, honey. But I don't want you to wake up one morning and realize you missed out on the things you wanted." Now it's her brows that scrunch as unshed tears try to surface in her eyes that hold me captive.

"You only get one chance at life sweetheart. Do you think I can't see the way you take care of the young ones? That I don't see how many nights you stay up cradling and humming to the babies. You do realize we all witness you reading or watching cheesy rom-coms. Let's be honest, they're not just an escape. They're your most secret dreams. And, your biggest fear as you've never experienced them."

"Kiddo. It's okay for you to find someone to fall in love with. To want a family. We're blessed to have found each other and more so when we adopted Hotaru. It doesn't detract us from our work. Our goals. Our vision. It means we get to share our good and hard times and have support when we need it," Michelle explains.

"I get it… I do… It's just, if I consider that as an option, what…" I can't finish this sentence. The guilt of leaving the girls is unbearable.

"Do you think it's healthy for Mina to continue this line of work? To be reminded again and again of her trauma. Shouldn't Rei actually start living? Choose for once what life she wants as a free woman. Does Lita need more violence? Doesn't she deserve some peace? Didn't Amy get sucked into this world when we all know she could be doing something brilliant? I'm still praying she'll consider going to medical school. She'd make an excellent doctor," Setsuna huffs, frustrated that we're still tied to the underworld, instead of being free of it.

"Sure, except she doesn't have any social skills," I try to deviate from the conversation.

"That's why we want you to take this time. For yourselves. To think things through," Amara pointedly looks me down, scolding.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I get what you mean. You girls are a lot of things but you aren't a danger to others. Just make sure no one touches Mina," Setsuna's words calm my greatest fear. Knowing me better than I do myself. It's why I'm beyond grateful to her for adopting us. "I want you guys to live as normal girls for a while. Fret over silly problems, make friends your age, think about going back to school, or maybe choose different careers. I don't know. Just experience what else life has to offer. Now that you're all old enough to take care of yourself, it's time to figure your lives out."

"Why couldn't we do this at home?"

"Because you need to do this on your own. Without distractions. And if you need help, you can always ask that nice man walking toward you with… Is that a mug of coffee? See, already a good start!" Amara teases, a wicked grin on her lips as she eyes whoever is behind me through the video call.

"How long?" I ask, voicing my other worry.

"I can't tell you that. It could take a month like it could take a year. Each one of you will know when you've figured things out. Take your time sweetheart. Keep us posted or I'll send Artemis," Setsuna shakes her finger at me, looking nothing like the strict mother she's always tried to be with us.

I can't stop the laugh as I nod and disconnects the call. The idea of Mr. Artemis in the countryside is just preposterous. I just can't picture him in his Armani suit and thousand-dollar shoes on these dirt roads.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," apologizes Keith as he hands over a huge mug of coffee and a plate with sugars and creams. "Heard the murmurs and thought you might need this."

"Thank you. And no, I'm done. Sorry I woke you. And for the house invasion."

"It's no problem. You guys are a rare novelty around here," his genuine smile calms slightly my unease about hanging out with a stranger.

"It's hard to tell if that's a good or bad thing."

"Depends on the circumstance," he winks at me before settling down beside me to enjoy the view. "You girls staying then?"

I take a moment to reflect on this. But honestly, there's not much to think about. It's about time we deal with and think about the future.

"Looks like it…"

"You missed quite a show last night. Zack, that's my lawyer friend, and Amy were taking shots for every weird law fact they could remember. Mina, Rei, and the guys tried to keep up… But those two went all out! Zack passed out in his car after he threw up all over my lawn." He mumbles as he remembers the spectacle.

"Not always fun running a pub, huh?"

"Nah. I love it. It's always entertaining."

"Not many psychologists run pubs."

"You're right! One-of-a-kind," he laughs, pride puffing his chest as he sips his coffee. "However, a ton of bartenders are psychology students!"

"Dare I ask why?"

Keith gets a faraway look as a mirage of emotions filters through his eyes, but all too quick to catch. He shakes his head, before crossing his arms behind his head and stretching out his legs. "Personally, rough childhood. Violent father. Long story. This pub is the only place that brings back good memories. I started working here as a teen with my Ma. Talking to people and learning how to deal with my baggage got me interested in psychology. The rest is history."

"Thank you for the frankness. Not what I was expecting. But if you didn't have a good life here, why stay?"

He turns to me all serious now. "Because I have good friends who have my back here; because my mom loved this place; because I do love the small-town vibe. And most importantly, just because I had bad memories, didn't mean I couldn't make great new ones to take their place."

I can't help but ask. "Have you?"

"Work in progress," he winks again, sipping his coffee. I wonder if it's spiked since he had to close the bar late and it's not even seven yet.

"Damn. You really are a shrink down to the bones. You sure you studied psychology and not philosophy?" He laughs raising an amused eyebrow. "You studied both!?" At his nod, I join his laugh.

It's amazing how talking to a normal person doesn't feel as awkward or intimidating this morning. Or maybe it's just him.

"I don't mean to pry but last night, no matter how the guys asked, your girls didn't divulge any information on themselves other than your first names. Which I'm not even sure are your real ones. Can I ask why? And why did Lita ask Mina if she could touch her to carry her upstairs?"

Now it's my turn to look away. How to answer that? I look back at him, considering. His eyes don't waver, he doesn't shrink from my scrutiny, just waits me out.

"Sorry I asked. I didn't me…"

"The answers to those questions died the day we were either sold or kidnapped into the human trafficking world with our old identities. As for Mina, that's her story to tell."

He sits up, his relaxed aura vanishing. He opens his mouth only to close it several times.

"Now I'm sorry I asked… I didn't mean to bring bad shit up..."

"Nah. It's cool. You shared some basics with me, just returning the favor. But can we please keep this to ourselves? I don't want our past to affect how people see or interact with us."

"Yes. Of course. Again, I'm…" his hand brushes through his loose white strands as he shakes his head trying to grasp what happened to us.

"Don't apologize. If I didn't feel like sharing that info, I wouldn't have."

"So how exactly did you go from that to running a security firm?"

"Got away. We formed it as a means to fund and cover up what we really do."

He frowns when I won't elaborate. Then as if the answer came to him, he sits closer to the edge of his seat. "You take down trafficking rings."

"We try. Save and free as many as we can. But more surface…"

"Then, what exactly are you doing here? Is there a…"

"God, no! We came here because our lawyer's client needed her daughter extracted and at the same time, she wanted the underage porn distribution stopped in her voting demographic. The reason why we stayed is that the women, who saved and raised us, want us to figure out what we want to do with the rest of our lives. We've been so focused on payback that we lost track of the bigger picture, I guess. We got free but stayed in that world. And now that we're all getting close to the big three o, it's time to see what else life has to offer."

"Shit. No pressure there," he tries to lighten the mood. "At least you'll be doing it in beautiful surroundings. Although Jed's chalet is nothing more than a shack. I don't think you girls will be comfortable there. Wish I had spare rooms…"

"You know you're weird, right? Here I am just talking to you about human trafficking, and you're worried about where we'll sleep."

"I like to focus on the here and now. I get the shit past. I do. Been in it, lived through it. But what I learned is that shit circumstances can either build a person, destroy, or warp them. So no, it's not weird that I'm worried about where you'll sleep. It's the right thing to think about. You're one of the ones that build. As a survivor, who became a fighter, you deserve a break."

"Does the break involve food?" Lita asks as she sprawls herself over two chairs, yawning widely.

"As you ladies left me a huge stack of bills in the locked office," he gives me a pointed look, "feel free to use up any ingredients in my fridges. I've enough now to fill them three times over. Just please down burn my kitchen down and clean up after yourself."

I can't help but laugh hard at the indignation on Lita's face, grasping my side as pain flares at my outburst. "Don't worry. Lita here is an excellent chef and a clean freak." I scratch my chin thoughtfully. "Which is weird as it's only her kitchen, cars, and weapons that applies to!"

I get a smack at the back of my head as Lita huffs away, mumbling something about poisoning my food. She won't as thank God I'm already injured. But poison is another of her specialties. And her twisted humor means she's cool with storing poisons and liquors in the same cabinet. Another reason we stay in her good graces. She's a mean fighter, a better cook, and a drink-mixer extraordinaire.

Shit. The drink mixer is Mina, and Lita is our fitness guru but the two are inseparable, so their skills overlap sometimes. Just like Rei and Amy are both the silent type. But for different reasons. Amy is lost in thought and ponderation, while Rei scans and counts everything for details. Talking about the girls, my other three teammates join us, except Amy shields her eyes as she wavers on her feet only to drop into a chair.

"I hate B-day," she mumbles massaging her temples.

Everyone tries to hold back their smiles, even Lita as she comes back holding a tray of steaming cups of coffee and tea. The girls don't hesitate, but Lita pulls Amy's tea out of her grasp and replaces it with kombucha.

"You'll thank me later when the food stays down," she chimes cheerfully at Amy's resentful glare. "This guy knows his food. So what will it be, egg benedict, fruit salad with waffles, or an American breakfast that'll take a day to digest?"

Mina, Rei, and I stare each other down, having a silent conversation. But as our eyes lock on Amy, we all grin mischievously. "Def the American. Lots of bacon and sausages! And don't forget the beans! Maybe with maple syrup!"

We watch as Amy changes shades of color but keeps sipping her cool drink giving us the death glare.

"Please leave me some, I'll be dying for food after getting back from the gym! I won't have time to make something that appetizing before my first appointment," Keith pleads to Lita as he gets up, finished with his coffee.

"Depends. What kind of gym?" Lita folds her arms, getting serious.

"Uhm, the usual… It's a boxing studio turned into a mixed martial arts gym, but it's also got all the machines and fitness classes. We train there every morning with the guys."

"What time is your appointment?" Lita demands.

"Nine AM, why?"

"I'll have breakfast ready in half an hour, you can pack some for later before the vultures descend on it."

"Hey!" Mina calls outraged.

"Call it as I see it," Lita answers indifferently. "Then you can show me to the gym, I need to get that out of the way before we head up to god knows where."

"Fine by me. I'll start taking things out," Keith offers.

"Sure, be right there, just give me two minutes," she calls out after him, gaining another frustrated grunt out of Amy. But then she and everyone else's gaze lands back on me. I crack my neck, then rest my elbows on my knees before breaking the news to them.

"You serious?" Mina asks, as her chest rises with deep inhales and longer exhales. At my nod, she gets up to pace by the railing. Rei looks off to the mountains, a pensive expression on her face. Amy, well it looks like she passed out again after hearing the news. Which doesn't surprise me as she probably already figured out a plan to occupy herself. Lita is grinding her jaw. Not a good sign. I'll have to pay to replace a punching bag in that gym. But other than that, they're taking the news not too badly.

"Please tell me someone has Tylenol or Advil, or better yet, morphine," Zack or whatever they called the lawyer mumbles as he makes it up the steps of the deck and heads in our direction.

"I'll bring some down after I'm done making food," Lita answers as she heads inside not meeting my gaze.

"You're an Angel," he calls after her to which we all laugh.

"That's not something she's called often," Mina supplies.

"Doesn't matter. That's what she is this morning. I need to get my head on straight as I have mediation between a divorcing couple at eight this morning."

"Will food and painkillers help you through that?" Amy lifts her pounding head long enough to quelch her curiosity. When he nods, she examines him a minute longer before dropping her head back and covering her ears.

"I think dealing with bickering couples is easier than trying to outsmart you," he tries to tease her, but only gets flipped off. Yup. There's old Amy! I smile brightly at his shocked face and enjoy the rest of my coffee as I wait for Lita's scrumptious breakfast.

Within half an hour, Lita, Amy, and I follow Keith toward the gym in one of our Jeeps as Mina and Rei head out shopping for supplies to bring to the cabin.

"You could've thanked the receptionist for the free hand wraps," I mumble as I follow Lita into the gym.

"What for?" Lita huffs as she gets on the mat and starts her warm-up with push-ups.

"Oh, I don't know." I drawl, leaning on a metal beam behind her. "Play nice, perhaps?"

"She didn't offer them out of kindness," she answers without interrupting her reps. "Just hoping to get a commission on a new subscriber."

It's in these moments I wish I had Setsuna's tack, patience, and wisdom. She'd have a quote that would make Lita see how being nice could benefit her. But all I want to do is punch my teammate's head and knock some niceness into her thick skull.

As if sensing my frustration, Lita holds herself up and gives me a pointed look. "She gave you the stink eye. No cookie points for her."

"Lita…"

"What?" she snaps glaring up this time, frustrated with the chitchat interrupting her Zen time. I give her a stern look back knowing we're going to be at this for a while. If we're going to survive this town and prevent any scenes or incidents, I have to make sure she'll be on her best behavior. And hopefully not take her frustration out on any civilian.

"I'm working on it! K? Isn't that what we're supposed to be doing here!?"

"From your answer, I can tell you'll be working the punching bag. That's not the same thing. Since you're frustrated, you're going to wreck it. Stuffing vomiting all over the floor. Get where I'm going with this?"

"No. It won't. They have the good old tough shit here. I might not approve of the personnel but they have great equipment."

I don't move or respond. It'll take a better distraction to get me off her ass about being nice to people here. And she knows this because she gets up to her full height to glare down at me. I wait her out, switching my scold to the sweetest smile.

"Fine! Fine. I'll thank her when we leave," she tries to pacify me, but my stoic smile remains. She growls before stretching her arms up in exasperation. "I'll try not to knock anyone out today! Are we done, Mom?"

"Yes, love," I drawl back using her fav nickname for us. Which earns me an eye roll.

"You should have stayed behind and rested…"

I laugh, giving her a pointed look.

"That's it! I'm done arguing with you!" I watch as she stomps off toward one of the bags in the back. The way she attacks the bag is not vicious, although she's more than capable of that, it's calculated. The bag must weigh twice or three times her weight as it barely moves at first. But she prowls while punching from different angles until it starts to slowly swing. That's when she throws in the strategic kicks, knees, and elbow attacks.

And what I dread happens. Eyes turn in her direction with admiration, disbelief, and sheer stupidity. Because yes, some of these guys either suddenly want a round in the ring or a round somewhere else with her. And my girl here would break them in either round. This is why I'm sitting on the floor by her, my earphones in but no music playing, watching everyone under my eyelashes, ready to interfere.

"I see that she has nobody to let her animal out with. She's taking it out on my punching bag instead," Nephrite comes to stand next to me, observing Lita's workout.

I pull out my earphones before turning to him. "You can volunteer. But I doubt you have what it takes."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he smirks. "I guess there's only one way to find out."

"Are you looking to worsen your shoulder?"

He stares me down in the same way Lita does and I can't stop my laughter from bubbling up. "God, you two are two pees in a pot!"

"What!?" he snaps as if I insulted him.

"You mean, hit first, talk later. Yup. I agree." Keith dries his sweaty face with a black towel. "They think with their muscles more than their heads. But that's why we love them. Under all those growls and bites, they're mushy teddy bears."

"That's it. We're done. Get out!" Max snaps pushing Kunzite toward the exit.

"Fine by me. Can't run another mile anyways. And, with all that mouth-watering food Lita made this morning waiting on me, there's no point in sticking around here listening to your sour ass. See you later, ladies."

I tap my lip thoughtfully as I watch him leave. "Guess some men were taught manners."

Dragging my ass off the cold hard floor, I crack my knuckles as I follow Lita to the machinery, ignoring Max who's still glaring at me as if I spit on his puppy. As I round the corner, a hand grabs my bicep. I swallow and take a deep breath, forcing my natural fight response down before turning around.

"Sorry, I forgot about your injured side," Jack offers having caught my flinch. He's still wearing yesterday's clothes and looks like he's spent the night in the woods.

"Rough night?" I offer as I lean on the wall, crossing my arms.

"Nothing new. Prepped the place for you girls."

I step back involuntarily dropping my arms. His gesture takes me completely by surprise. He stayed at the pub last night until everyone crashed then headed up in the dead of night to open and get the cabin ready for us. Everything in me is on high alert. The distrust must be apparent on my face because he takes a step back and lifts his hands up slowly.

"Look. It's nothing weird. I have a hard time sleeping sometimes. When that happens, I rather keep busy than twist and turn. Plus, Keith needs his space and alone time," he mocks, copying my stance against the wall as I relax.

The silence stretches between us but neither of us breaks eye contact.

"What are you? First graders? Quit the staring contest, it's creeping my customers out," Max quips as he passes us with an injured fighter.

"Says the man who glared at me for fifteen minutes."

"It wasn't… Fuck… You've been here for like a day and you girls are already proving to be real pains in the ass."

"Takes one to know one."

This makes Jack smile. "How about I take you girls up after I check in at the station? In the meantime, is there anything else you need?"

"Before you leave, Keith said Amy's came with you. Mind if she just takes a look at his sprained wrist?" Max asks though I can tell he isn't happy about it. But shows where his priorities are.

"Sorry, but you'll have to look elsewhere. She's in no condition today."

He sighs disappointed but turns to Jack. "Can you give us a ride to the hospital?"

"Sure," he throws the keys of his vehicle to the firefighter. "Get in, I'll be right there. And don't let the kid push any buttons." The glare that accompanies the statement is a giveaway. He doesn't like people turning the siren on for kicks. "I'll meet you back at the pub in say… two hours. Works for you?"

"Sure." I'm trying my best to not mistrust these guys, but it's not something that comes easy. The more time I spend around these guys, the more they remind me of my stepmom and aunts. Is this what normal people are like? People who help each other out because they haven't had their world shattered around them. I steer my unease as far back as I can to think of what I need to keep the girls in line.

"Do you have a public library or museum or anything like that around?"

"The library is pretty small, but there's a book club, and that group shares books all the time. As for museums and things to visit, not really. We're more of the outdoorsy tourist spot."

"Do you have any water activities other than fishing?"

"It's a little cool still for swimming… And no, most people just come to their chalets to relax, so not really."

I rub my forehead with my thumb and forefinger. Shit, I need to find something for Amy. Lita's good with this gym. Mina can hike all she wants. And Rei. I doubt he's going to like the sound of this…

"Do you have a long-distance firing range around here?"

"Why," his voice drops an octave with suspicion.

"Rei practices every day to keep her skills sharp."

"But aren't you on leave?" The pointed look he gives me calls my bullshit.

I ground my teeth, and study him. He still holds himself straight like an officer. Might as well give it to him straight and see how it unfolds. "It's her therapy."

"How long have you served?"

"I'm not at liberty to answer that."

"You don't trust anybody." It's a statement, not a question.

"Yes, I do. But trust is earned."

"Can't earn it if you never take the risk," his pointed look is rubbing me the wrong way. The guy can't be much older than me, but his tone is patronizing. Before I can respond, he moves away, calling over his shoulder. "See you at ten hundred hours."

"What was that about?" Lita asks when I finally reach her, and stand behind her to spot her on the bench press.

"Nothing, they were just asking if we needed anything."

"Your expressions suggest otherwise."

"I should have worked harder with Amara on masking my emotions."

"We're not on a mission. Don't be so hard on yourself. Aren't you the one who told me to play nice a couple of minutes ago?"

"Who's playing mom now?"

"Ugh! Nope. I'm not turning into Setsuna anytime soon."

"Amara is the most tomboyish person we know, even more than you, and she loves being a mom. What's the problem with that?"

"That's not what I was saying." Lita shakes her head, and I get the distinctive feeling I just aired out my insecurities because she doesn't continue to argue.

Darien

"Thanks for checking Tom out. He should have mastered his focus by now," Max's frustration is almost palpable. He doesn't like to leave the gym unattended for long when he's in charge. But his frustration seems a little more pronounced, and that has me curious.

"What distracted him then?"

"You mean who!" His tone tells me everything I need to know, but my morbid curiosity takes the reigns instead of letting this go and getting back to my patients.

"And I thought they were in your good graces?"

"They are. Or were. Until they showed up at my gym. Serena and Lita. I think Amy stayed in the car or something. Anyway… Of course, they distracted the guys because they looked hot in their sports bras, tanks, and loose sweatpants. But that wasn't enough. Get this! Lita, the one that choke me yesterday picked my bag! Mine! The heaviest fucking bag and started drilling into it like a fucking pro. She made the guys I'm training look like amateurs. So yes! Distracted!"

"Maybe she can give you some pointers," I tease. But the death glare he sends my way tells me I better tread carefully. A flash of red hair has me gripping Max's arm and pulling him to the nearest room reminding me of the call I just had with my father. Demanding I have lunch with him and Beryl's parents today.

The room I hide us in has the patient I just treated half an hour ago. A suicide attempt. Although, I find that questionable as she's covered in bruises. The young girl is only in her mid-teens. And I'd give anything to make whatever happened to be the last of her problems. But unfortunately, all I could do is save her life, treat her wounds, and hope for the best. And that just doesn't sit well with me. I've already called Jack about her situation, and he'll probably involve child services…

"Darien… I word please." The strain in Max's voice startles me.

"I'm sorry, I'll be back in two minutes to check on you. My colleague is on his way to take down your statement." I try to reassure the young girl but she won't even meet my eyes.

"I'm not going to talk to a cop, so don't bother." Her voice is hoarse. From the marks around her neck, she was probably strangled…

I don't have time to ponder as Max shoves me out the other door.

"That's one of the girls from yesterday." He lowers his voice and steps closer to me so no one hears. "The kids rescued by Serena and her team. That girl didn't look like that when they got her out of that house."

A thousand questions flash through my head, but I don't have time for them. "Call Jack. Ask him to bring her team. Maybe they didn't catch all the people involved…"