TWENTY-FIVE

Leora

I woke up feeling sore and groggy, the aftermath of yesterday's ordeal still heavy on my body. As I shifted slightly, I felt Zarek's hand resting protectively over my belly. Turning towards him, I found him sleeping peacefully on his stomach, his face turned towards me. I couldn't help but smile as I admired his relaxed features. Almost as if sensing my gaze, Zarek's eyes fluttered open, meeting mine with a sleepy warmth.

"Good morning," I whispered, leaning in to plant soft kisses along his shoulder.

"Morning," he responded, his voice deep and husky.

My kisses wandered up to his neck, eliciting a low groan from him. Reacting swiftly, he propped himself up and caged me gently beneath him, his strong legs and arms framing my body.

"Don't test me, baby. You're hurt, and we're not doing anything until you've healed," he murmured, pressing a tender kiss to my lips before getting out of bed with a grin that left me staring after him in awe.

"You know, you can't look this good and not expect me to want to jump your bones," I called out playfully, propping myself up on my elbows.

He laughed, grabbing a towel and throwing it over his shoulder. "Shower time, baby. Get up."

"Do I smell?" I joked.

"Like soot," he replied, his smile faltering slightly as a shadow crossed his face. He quickly shook it off, scooped me up, and carried me to the bathroom.

After a lengthy shower, we dressed and joined the others for breakfast. Dylan, Kabir, and Amelia greeted us with warm smiles from the dining table, while Logan busied himself in the kitchen with a sizzling omelet.

"Hey, good morning, Leo," Logan chirped, too brightly for my current mood. I was still irked by his earlier behavior, and his cheeriness now seemed forced.

"My name is Leora, remember?" I retorted sharply.

Logan set the pan down and faced me, his expression faltering. "Fuck, I… I'm just…" He struggled to find the right words, a rare sight for Logan.

"I was an ass. I'm so sorry for that. I shouldn't have taken out my anger on you. I was wrong, Leo." He admitted, his gaze dropping to his feet.

Watching his sincere discomfort softened my frustration.

"That wasn't hard, was it?" I said as he quickly enveloped me in a heartfelt hug.

"I was terrified, Leo. I thought you were fucking dead," he confessed, his voice shaky. "I thought your last memory of me would be me icing you out. Fuck. I thought I'd lose the two people closest to me."

He pulled back slightly, smiling weakly. "Zarek wouldn't be the same without you. So, don't ever fucking die on us, Leo."

I smiled, touched by his words, and kissed his cheek. "Okay, then, no training for me for the next 48 hours," I declared, stepping back to drink my water, a smirk tugging at my lips.

He shook his head, chuckling, and playfully flicked my forehead. "Ow?" I feigned injury, rubbing the spot.

"Shut up, I didn't even flick you that hard," he retorted, rolling his eyes.

I laughed, joining the rest of the squad at the table, and sliding into the seat next to Zarek.

Kabir slid one of the Crazon devices across the table. "They used Crazon to hack our systems and block the alarms and cameras. I traced the connection back to Candor Imports Inc. servers. Jerome Tyson was behind this."

Dylan and Zarek nodded seriously, while Amelia and Kabir looked slightly surprised. Logan walked over to the table and set down six plates, then went back to get the omelets he had made for everyone.

I cleared my throat. "Uh, Kabir? You could've asked me too. I knew Jerome was behind the cameras going down. And Casteel had a new partner named Mason with him. He was short, with a crew cut, ginger, built."

Kabir smiled and turned his tablet towards me. " Could you have found out that Jerome is now in New York and not in Bali?"

The screen showed a blinking red dot over New York City. I pinched the screen to zoom out and saw a bunch of green dots near Woodstock.

"That's the squad," I whispered. Kabir nodded. "Are you tracking their phones?"

Kabir looked at Zarek, who nodded in approval.

"We all have a chip called RLM-I98, for remote location monitoring," Kabir explained, pointing to his chest near his heart. "It works until our heart stops. A private security firm called Blackthorn created it."

The name Blackthorn sounded familiar.

I frowned. "What if someone hacks into it? Wouldn't you all be in danger?"

"Good question," Kabir grinned, turning to the team. "That's why I propose using one of the Crazon devices to secure our systems. It has the capability to hack us, so why not use it to secure us instead?"

Dylan and Logan immediately nodded. Amelia shrugged, indifferent, and Zarek looked thoughtful. After a pause, he spoke.

"I think we shouldn't. We're trying to get rid of these dangerous devices, not use them."

"We need better security, Ghost," Kabir insisted. "I can ask Sebastian from Blackthorn to help. But, right now, Crazon is our best shot. I've already isolated this unit from the server."

"I think we should do it," Dylan supported.

"Yeah, we could ask Alpha One to approve the security protocol," Logan added.

"Alpha One?" I queried.

"Head of Alpha Program, Chief Robert Callahan," Zarek explained. "I agree we need to address these attacks. I'm just not sure Callahan would agree. I'll try to convince him, but don't get your hopes up."

"Should we move again?" Amelia finally spoke up.

After a brief silence, I jumped in. "I think we should stay. Moving is what they'd expect from us, and Crazon is equipped to track us. They might intercept."

Zarek looked at me, his expression a mix of pride and curiosity. Logan grinned. "Look at you, chiming in with expertise. I agree with her."

"We don't move," Zarek decided. "I have a call with Callahan soon. I'll bring all this up."

Kabir added, "We should also chip Leora with the cookie."

"I like the name, ‘cookie'," I chuckled.

"Okay," Zarek agreed.

"She'll be sore for a day, Zarek. Can you handle that?" Logan teased, earning a slap on the arm from me.

Zarek winked at Logan and kissed my cheek before starting on his omelet.

???

"There you are," Kabir smiled at his tablet after implanting the chip in me. It was small, about half the size of a grain of rice, but the area stung and was starting to swell.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"It's fine. This hurts more than getting blown up, though."

Logan snorted from the other end of the table.

"You'll be okay. Look," he showed me his tablet where a new blinking dot had appeared, "Now I can track you if you get kidnapped again."

"I think twice was enough drama for a lifetime," I joked, fanning the sore spot and taking a painkiller with some water.

Zarek was pacing back and forth in the warehouse, talking to Alpha One on his tablet. He stopped and looked at me, continuing the conversation without breaking eye contact, "She's a psychologist, sir, experienced with criminals. She could be an asset to the Alpha Program. Bridgewood will need to approve, but—," he glanced at his tablet and frowned, "Adding to my team is my choice, sir. You never objected to Gill."

Oh lord, he is asking about me joining the squad!

He then walked off to our bedroom and closed the door. I could hear his muffled arguments for ten minutes followed by silence for twenty.

I asked Kabir about Bridgewood and learned it was a discreet name for the United States' new experimental paramilitary operations wing. The Alpha Program was created by Bridgewood and led by Alpha One.

The door finally opened and Zarek emerged with a slight smile, "Mateez 41556, welcome to the Alpha training program. Squad Six is your active-duty location. Carlton 35543 is your training officer."

I just stared at him. I wasn't sure if my jaw survived the fall to the floor. He did it. He finally heard me.

Logan wrapped his arms around my shoulders from behind. Kabir ruffled my hair, smiling, while Dylan nodded at me with his piercing gray eyes.

Zarek looked at me, clearly proud.

"Welcome to the squad, Leora," Amelia hugged me tightly.

"Training starts at 0700 hours, day after tomorrow, Leo," Logan teased.

Zarek parted the group, wrapped his arms around my waist, and kissed me passionately. When he finally let me catch my breath, he flashed a devilishly handsome smile. "Congratulations, Mi Corazón."

The squad dispersed, laughing and joking, and I realized I was exactly where I belonged. I decided I would get rid of my downtown Toronto apartment tomorrow. Today, I'd just make love to my bunkmate all day and night.