Julian's Jeopardy

Chapter Fourteen

As he stood behind Dawn Endeavor's mansion, hidden in the thicket of trees beyond the back of the house, Colonel Ricardo Montaña grinned. For too long, things had not gone his way. But now he was back in a position of power. As it should be. The bastards might have overtaken his jungle compound, but he'd been prepared for such an eventuality. Though he'd anticipated leaving the lab on his own timetable, he wouldn't bemoan his new fate. He did regret leaving Manoel behind, but anything worth having required sacrifice.

Most of the drugs they'd cultivated—which had been moved out of the compound before the raid—were even now being transported through the Amazon into prearranged shipping lanes. In another week, at most, the latest batch of Manoel's wonder drug would join the rest of their haul in the secret warehouse in Maryland.

Ricardo would have preferred a location farther west, but el jefe wanted things neat and closer to his headquarters in DC.

“He's coming.” Grayson nodded toward the direction of the mansion in which the Dawn Endeavor team lived. Though Ricardo hadn't stepped foot inside the monstrosity, he'd gleaned a description of the layout from his boss's spies. Ricardo also had his own sources, so he knew the players in their little game. Though many of the Dawn Endeavor security force waited in the woods out of sight, surrounding the mansion, the Circs remained inside, clearly visible behind the large glass windows to the left of a set of French doors. That was, until someone with a brain turned off the lights, leaving the house shrouded in darkness.

Alicia Sharpe, their ringleader, made him the most uneasy. The short, serious woman had stared at him through the glass window as if she could see him in the tree line, like he was the devil incarnate. He couldn't say why, but when he considered the whole of his adversaries, his instinct told him to focus on the petite black woman dressed to the nines.

Next to him, Grayson tightened his grip on Ava Belle's arm. Now there was a woman worth having. Such a sweet, fuckable body, one made to cradle a man's cock and answer any and all delights he could imagine. The woman had an edge Ricardo liked, a dangerous challenge in her light-colored eyes.

He couldn't wait to see what she could handle.

Which brought his thoughts once again to Sheridan. The little bitch had evaded him far longer than he'd thought she would.

“Let me go.” Ava swore when Grayson tugged her back with him into the shadows. “They can see in the dark, asshole. Doesn't matter where you go or what you do. When Gunnar sees this, he's going to kill you.” Her rage gave Ricardo a hard-on. “Gunnar? You mean Frederik Gunnar Tersch, that animal? We're ready for him. Don't you worry, Ava.” His men had specially calibrated darts to incapacitate the team before killing them, and extra-special ones for that behemoth. No sense in Ricardo losing his own Circs if he didn't have to. “Ava, you're so pretty. We're going to see what better uses I can find for that mouth than swearing. Maybe some time on your hands and knees will work that tongue till you're too tired to do anything but lick, hmm?” The rogue Circs around him laughed, their animalistic timbres so fitting for a war with creatures better off in a fucking zoo. Every damned one of his men had changed, awaiting a real challenge from the Circs inside the house. Five or six, counting Olivia, against twenty-four—odds Ricardo could well appreciate. He wasn't leaving anything to chance with today's mission.

Two dozen prime beasts were ready and willing to take apart anything Ricardo put in front of them, so long as he rewarded them with drugs and pussy come their victory.

Ricardo had promised them the moon, and he intended to deliver. Just as soon as he got his hands on Sheridan. He'd pretty much given up on Hawkins. After much discussion with Manoel, they'd agreed Hawkins would probably force them to kill him before being taken captive again. But Manoel's synthetic version of Hawkins's talent for invisibility held promise. It didn't completely change Ricardo's DNA, but it did work when taken every two hours. And Manoel had worked with it so that Ricardo could call on the ability to disappear and reappear at will.

Using his night-vision goggles, Ricardo watched as the Circs finally opened the door and fanned out in front of the back patio. Ricardo recognized Jesse Fallon, Kisho Hayashi, Morgan Reynolds, and Julian Hawkins. But no sign of Tersch, Sharpe, Olivia…or Sheridan.

Ricardo glared at the pricks he'd come to kill and fought to retain his calm.

“Julian, how nice to see you again. Where is Sheridan?”

“She's not coming.”

“That's a pity.” Ricardo snapped his finger, and Grayson did something that had Ava crying out. “I'll kill pretty little Ava if you refuse to hand over my fiancée.” A quick glance over his shoulder pleased him.

Grayson held a knife to Ava's throat, and a thin line of blood trickled down her neck from where he'd stuck her. Grayson maintained his human form as a backup, a lethal surprise to use just in case Hawkins and his men got the jump on Ricardo.

The Dawn Endeavor team took a few steps closer. At their current distance of a few dozen feet, Ricardo could easily shoot each man before his rogues killed them.

Too far away to help Ava and too far away to reach Ricardo and his team. He had timed this perfectly.

Ricardo stepped back into the shadows and disappeared behind a tree. He removed his night-vision goggles and tossed them to the ground before stripping out of his clothes. But he held on to his gun as he focused, the way Manoel had instructed. Ricardo literally vanished, using his new ability to shift the alignment of his cells to refract the light around him, masking not only his body, but the pistol as well. The energy it took to keep himself and the weapon invisible was draining, but if Hawkins could do it, he could damn well do it too.

“You have no one to blame but yourself, Hawkins,” Ricardo shouted. “Grayson, do it.”

Except Grayson was no longer there. There was a loud, inhuman roar, and then several of Ricardo's rogues attacked in the direction of the monstrous noise.

More rogues joined the fray. Several started slamming into trees and each other, as if something tossed them around like puppets.

Ricardo raced away from the chaos to the house, bypassing Hawkins and the others as they ran toward the noise. Inside, another crew of Ricardo's men waited.

Strategist that he was, Ricardo had left nothing to chance. Unnoticed, Ricardo slipped into the house. He saw four of his rogues surrounding the Sharpe woman.

“Kill the bitch,” he ordered, startling several Circs who obviously hadn't seen him.

The largest one grinned and latched on to her arm.

Ricardo left them to join a rogue he'd seen standing by a door, glancing around.

The creature stopped looking around, apparently catching his scent, and narrowed his slit-eyed stare in Ricardo's direction as he approached.

“Where's Sheridan?” Ricardo asked.

“Downstairs with another female. I was told to wait here.”

“Good. Do that. When I'm finished, you can have the female with her.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ricardo passed him and descended one floor into a brightly lit corridor. Trust these idiots to put a friendly face on science. In Ricardo's world, there was no place for sentimentality or niceties. A metal table, chains, and a cave had served his purposes just fine.

With the drugs from his compound, as well as the cache of Circs he now owned, Ricardo could well afford to go into hiding, not to be seen again for years. He planned to maintain his wealth from a distance, using others to mediate while he worked on his own dynasty—namely, the sons he'd fuck out of Sheridan. With his brains and her natural ability to heal, he'd sire boys who would never die. A perfect scenario.

Lost in thought, he neared a room where the sound of voices lowered in argument could be heard.

An open door spilled blue light into the hallway.

He neared it then stood in the doorway, surprised. Both Olivia Fallon, a Circ in her own right, and Sheridan were hurriedly stripping out of their clothing.

“You aren't supposed to be here,” Sheridan said, glancing at the doorway. She looked right through him, and he decided to play with her while invisible. Her shock and fear would make fucking her even better when she tried to fight against a demon she couldn't see.

“Screw that. I'm not leaving you alone to that bastard Montaña.” Apparently his reputation preceded him. Ricardo smiled and stroked his mustache, reveling in the sight of Sheridan's full breasts, her tight nipples, and the pussy he'd soon discover for himself.

Olivia slowly changed, her features broadening as she grew several inches in height and packed muscle on to her enlarged bones. Her black hair touched her ass, and her bright blue-green irises now surrounded the feline pupils of a Circ. Despite her largeness, Ricardo found her sexy as hell. He wondered how strong she was, how much pain she might be able to tolerate. Perhaps he ought to watch the Circ upstairs take her down. It would prove interesting and most likely arousing.

Ricardo returned his attention to Sheridan, wondering why she had disrobed.

“Come on, already,” Sheridan snapped. “I don't like him looking at me.” Ricardo didn't understand. And then he did, a split second too late. Sheridan's features began to change just as a piercing pain slashed through his side, where large claws raked him.

Blood poured from his wound and interfered with his ability to cloak himself.

He looked down at his boots and swore. He did manage to jump out of the way of Hawkins's fist, just in time to avoid a crippling blow to his neck. When he glanced around again, though, he saw only Olivia and Sheridan. Hawkins had vanished.

“Get back,” Sheridan called to Olivia in a husky voice, and it was then that he saw her for the freak she'd become.

“No. I had plans for you!” he screamed, furious she'd yet again thwarted him.

Via the various breeding experiments he'd studied, he knew that a female Circ could only breed with a male of her species. Which meant she wouldn't be able to provide him any heirs. The bitch.

She sneered. “Please. I've seen all of you, Ricardo. And none of it's pretty.” She dismissed him with a look. “I much prefer a man who can satisfy me. A masterful lover, like Julian.” The bitch purred, literally purred like a cat, and Ricardo launched himself at her.

Instead, he bounced off something solid and crashed over a metal table holding several sharp instruments. Picking up a scalpel in one hand, he removed the gun tucked into his belt with the other and fired two times at Sheridan.

A heavy thud sounded before Hawkins reappeared lying on the floor. Ricardo had shot the bastard twice in the gut. He looked down at Hawkins bleeding on the floor before the fucking Circ disappeared again. Fuck.

Sheridan slapped the gun out of his hand. Her next slap broke Ricardo's nose, and the third jarred a few teeth from his mouth. Though they now stood at the same height, the woman had the strength of a Circ, and she didn't mind using it. Behind her, Olivia Fallon had picked up his pistol and now aimed it at him.

“Enough, Ricardo.”

Sheridan's husky voice aroused him, and he wanted to crouch with shame.

That a woman had beaten him, that Sheridan had chosen someone else over him…

It was bad enough that she was no longer human. How? Why?

“You bitch. A monster like them, eh? Are you in heat, you filthy whore? Don't you need me to make it all better?” He laughed, a shrill sound of desperation he couldn't help. Ricardo sensed his own death spiraling closer. “Now you'll only make brats that turn into fucking monsters. A waste of fine pussy. Puta.” He spit. “You're nothing but a dirty, stupid whore who can't—”

He choked, suddenly unable to breathe. A glance down showed a pool of dark red liquid running down his body.

Hawkins grunted and pulled his hand from Ricardo's chest, then fell over.

“Not…supposed…to be…” Ricardo could no longer speak. He collapsed on the floor. The bleak, black wash of death carried him away in a current of nothingness.

“Fallon is going to paddle that ass,” Jules rasped to Olivia and tried to rise.

“You're not supposed to be here, Olivia.”

Sheridan swore and shifted back into her human form. Uncaring of her nudity or Ricardo's blood staining her feet and knees as she knelt in it, she laid her hands on Jules and pushed herself into him. The healing took a lot out of her, and she would have fallen over Jules had Olivia not been hovering nearby, waiting to catch her.

When Sheridan next opened her eyes, it was to see the Circs clustered around her in Jules's bed. Ava and Gunnar were present as well, though they seemed to be avoiding looking at each another. Now what’s that all about?

“About damned time,” Jules said on a relieved breath as he bent over and scooped her into his arms. “The baby okay?”

“Yes, she's fine… What?”

“Oh, a little girl. She can play with our boy,” Olivia whispered loudly to Jesse, who groaned and rubbed his eyes.

Tersch growled, “Shit. Two kids running around this house are more than enough. It's not Romper Room.”

Mrs. Sharpe smiled. “You're showing your age, Gunnar. I for one am ecstatic that Olivia and Sheridan are carrying. Strong mates will breed strong children.” The room grew silent, and Mrs. Sharpe rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Jesse. The things you think about. I'm not behind any attempt to get these women pregnant. Blame yourself, young man.”

Jesse flushed. “That's not my point, Mrs. Sharpe.”

“He's probably afraid you're tampering with other people's lives, forcing them to do things they don't want to do,” Ava said in a bitter voice, one Sheridan hadn't yet heard from the beautiful young woman.

Gunnar finally looked at her.

“Holy crap. That's a lot of, ah, lust there, Gunnar.” Olivia fanned herself and stared from Gunnar to Ava and back again. “On both sides,” she murmured.

“Can't help that, Olivia,” Tersch growled. “Not when we have another Circ in the house, one who's been waving her fine ass at me since day one.”

“No shit.” Fallon's mouth dropped open.

“Ava. I should be more surprised,” Jules murmured and glanced at Tersch.

The others stared at Ava in shock, though Sheridan thought it interesting Morgan didn't look more surprised. Nor did Mrs. Sharpe. Go figure.

Ava straightened to her less than imposing five foot four and opened her mouth to retort, but Mrs. Sharpe beat her to it. “If you can't be cordial, Gunnar, you should leave.”

He stomped away, muttering under his breath. But before he left Jules's bedroom, he stopped, turned around, and muttered, “Welcome to the family, Sheridan.” Then he tore out the door without a backward glance.

“It's official, then. If Tersch approves, you're in. He still hasn't welcomed me yet, so good on ya.” Morgan teased and leaned forward to kiss Sheridan on the forehead. “And a baby to boot. Jules as a father. Sca-ry stuff.” Hayashi elbowed him out of the way. “I can't wait. I'll be Uncle Kisho.” He kissed Sheridan, then Olivia, which had Jesse growling. “Down, boy. Come on, mate. Let's leave the new lovebirds alone and grab Tersch before he picks a fight with the security guards. Like it's their fault they followed Mrs. Sharpe's orders. If they hadn't, Montaña never would have gotten onto the grounds.” Morgan brightened. “Stellar idea. Come on, Ava. You can explain to all of us how long you've known you're Circ.”

“Oh, count us in,” Olivia said and nodded at Jesse. Ava groaned but let the pair drag her after Kisho and Morgan.

“I knew it all along,” Morgan bragged as he followed them out.

Only Mrs. Sharpe remained behind. Sheridan felt ridiculously pampered, held tight against Jules's broad chest.

“I trust you're going to stay on with us, Sheridan?” the older woman asked, a twinkle in her eye.

“Yes,” Jules answered before she could. He tightened his hold around her, and she huffed out a breath. “Sorry,” he muttered. “So Ava's Circ, hmm?” he asked of Mrs. Sharpe. “Why is it that you're not surprised?” Mrs. Sharpe smiled, showing more teeth than Sheridan had ever thought to see in the petite woman's mouth. “Blood will tell, Jules. Blood will tell.” She winked, and Sheridan swore she saw a hint of red in the woman's warm brown eyes before the flash faded. “Now I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about. I'd recommend a September wedding, to at least let us get the young bride ready and get her parents here. But then—”

Sheridan squeaked and shot up in Jules's arms. “My parents! In all this mess, I nearly forgot. How are they? Where are they?”

“They're fine, dear. Just visiting with their friends Jaime and Belinda Esteves.”

“The pair that sent her to Ricardo Montaña?” Jules growled.

“The very same. But it wasn't their fault, Jules. They couldn't have known Ricardo Montaña, one of their benefactors for years, was a drug lord. He used a false name and a front company to launder his money. Think of all this as fate, Jules. In a way, because of Montaña, Sheridan found you.” Sheridan and Jules glanced at each other, then at Mrs. Sharpe.

The wheels turning in Sheridan's mind gave her the answer. “Right place, right time.”

“Exactly.”

“I still have the feeling you somehow manipulated this. You hired Sheridan on purpose, knowing who she was, didn't you? Always playing games, Alicia. Someone want to tell me why I shouldn't go a few rounds with the kindly old lady in front of me?” Jules bristled with frustration.

Mrs. Sharpe scowled, not so thrilled with him herself, apparently. “Who are you calling 'old,' Lieutenant Hawkins?”

He opened his mouth to reply, but Sheridan put her fingers over his lips. “He was just teasing. Naturally, we'll wait until September to say 'I do.' And we'd be honored if you'd be my baby's godmother.”

Mrs. Sharpe beamed. “I'd be thrilled. Now let me go make peace between my hotheaded granddaughter and her mate before the two kill each other.” She left them staring after her in shock.

Sheridan gaped like a fish out of water, but she couldn't help herself. So many coincidences that looked like conspiracies. She thought back to Grayson's timely arrival. “Did she just say granddaughter?”

“And did she mean Ava?”

“When she said mate, the only Circ left is Gunnar.” Sheridan started putting the pieces of the puzzle together and smiled. “Who knew?”

“We've all known he has a thing for Ava. We just didn't think it could go anywhere with her being human. Gunnar and Ava. And she's Circ. Holy shit.” Jules groaned and lay back on the bed, pulling Sheridan down with him.

“What's wrong?” She kissed his chin, then his lips. But before he could deepen the kiss, she pulled back. “Jules?”

“Leading this team of egomaniacs, pigheaded warriors, and obnoxious Circs who always seem to have emotional troubles, gives me a headache. So as my mate, you're hereby ordered to deal with the mess that will be Ava and Tersch.”

“Ordered, hmm?” she asked in a silky voice. She rubbed against the hardness growing under her belly and smiled.

“Yeah, ordered,” he repeated in a gruff voice, the scent of earthy vanilla and man growing stronger. “You like it when I boss you around. Makes you wet.” He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her tighter against his erection. “Besides, you went down on Ava's man. You're going to have to make peace with that shrew.” Sheridan blushed. “Oh, God. I did. I had sex with Gunnar,” she whispered, completely embarrassed, while her beast preened. “She's going to kill me when she finds out.”

He had the nerve to laugh. “Honey, we've all done Tersch. Trust me. Fucking him was the only thing saving him from having a coronary because we wouldn't let him randomly kill the bad guys.” He paused and took her cheeks between his palms.

“Everything will work out for the best, baby. Because with you by my side, I'll never have to worry about being alone again.”

She smiled. “Don't you mean with 'us' by your side, future father of a baby Circ?”

His light gray eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I'm not crying. And I'm not pussying out just because I'm totally, completely in love with you. Tell Tersch I cried, and I'll spank you for a week.”

Sheridan kissed him again and crossed her fingers behind her back.

She thought about it for a few days, but in the end, the spanking was totally worth it.

A week later, Ava glanced around the parking lot of the small diner to make sure she hadn't been followed. She leaned forward and rested her forearms on the ledge of the Jeep's open window. “Do you have to go?” Eyes a mirror image of her own regarded her with resignation. “You know I do.

But don't worry. I had a long talk with Gunnar about you. You're set, sweetheart.”

“Don't 'sweetheart' me, Grayson Alexander Belle,” Ava snapped. “Grandma's been a pain in the ass about my mate, and I'm tired of waiting. Now's my time, and if you said anything to screw up my chances with that boy, I'm going to gut you, shave your vain head bald, string you up by your balls, and—” The bastard had the nerve to laugh. Ava decided then and there not to speak to her brother again for the next fifty years.

“I love when you get all cranky. No wonder Gunnar's half in love with you.”

“Yeah, right.” Ava's heart pounded. Her beast moaned to be let free and find the male that she needed.

It had been so long since her beast had tasted a true fight. That night in the woods a week ago wasn't nearly enough to sate the animal inside Ava begging for another bite of freedom. But it had been a thing of beauty to change, to see Gunnar's gorgeous berserker killing the enemy Circs left and right through eyes that could track in the night. Such a strong mate, a worthy male to respect and love.

If only the stubborn bastard would stop avoiding her.

The minute he'd laid eyes on her in her beastly form, after he'd pulled her from the men she'd been battling, he'd treated her like poison ivy. Staying far, far away.

Grayson gave her a shit-eating grin. “Fucker spent that night at the Islander warning me away from you. For some reason, he was convinced I was doing my sister. Uh, ew.”

She flushed. She'd hinted to Gunnar that she might be having an affair with one of the psychics working security around the mansion. Hell, he never gave her the time of day, yet he screwed anything Circ, to include Sheridan! Boy, did she have a bone to pick with the new little pregnant lady. Though she'd known Gunnar needed the release he found with his team, she didn't have to like it. And by God, all that nonsense was coming to an end.

Ava contained a snarl and said to her brother, “I don't know where Gunnar gets his odd ideas. But I do know that if you're going to leave, you need to do it now.

I can't cover for you anymore. Sheridan knows you're Circ, but she promised not to tell. The shielding exercises we taught her are helping her hide the truth from Fallon and Olivia. You know, it's a good thing you look like Dad.”

“And you look like Mom.” He grinned. With a white father and black mother, the two had never been mistaken for siblings, until they changed. Then they looked almost identical, with the exception of their obvious gender differences.

Ava continued, “The other psychics newly assigned to the place will think you went back to DC. Tell Lonnie I said hi when you see him.” Lonnie, what the family had always called Admiral Geoffrey London—good friend and faithful companion to her grandmother for more years than Ava had been alive.

“Will do.” Grayson frowned.

“What?”

“I don't know. I've been getting weird vibes from Lonnie lately. Probably the stress of the new platoon. Psychic soldiers and sailors can be a pain in the ass. They make the Circs look like prima donnas. Oh, that's right, they are prima donnas.” Grayson smirked. “Your Gunnar is a high-maintenance dude. You sure you want him?”

Ava smiled through her teeth. For two solid years, she'd waited and watched her wild man. The time had come to finally claim him as hers. Now, since they'd conquered Montaña, she just had to battle Tersch's inner demons. She had no doubt they'd soon find the worm Ricardo had worked for. She could feel it in her bones.

Her Circ bones.

She flashed her canines at her brother and blinked at him through eyes that now saw in shades of heat, to better ferret out prey. “Trust me, Brother. Your sister is going hunting, and I won't quit until I've bagged my man.” One way or the other, Frederik Gunnar Tersch, your ass is mine.