Dawn Endeavor 4: Gunnar's Game (8 page)

“I'd like to know what you all think.”

Ava opened her mouth to reply, but Jules beat her to it. “Mrs. Sharpe, this is wrong. Admiral London has done more for us than I can say. I know we should be leery. Hell, what with our own captain and then Melissa and Jack turning on us, I get it. But I'm no fool. Geoffrey London is not what we're being led to believe he is.” Gunnar stirred. “Let Fallon question him. He'll get the truth.”

“You know, the Viking actually makes sense.” Ava winked at Gunnar. “I thought you'd recommend a little bit of bloodletting, at least.” He smiled, showing sharp fangs. “Oh, we'll get to that if it turns out our good friend is lying. If his answers aren't what we want to hear, I'll make him dance.” He flexed his fingers, and five sharp talons grew in seconds.

Ava quickly tamped down the arousal flaring at his show of strength. He never used to flash his abilities around her, but now that he knew she was Circ, Gunnar apparently didn't feel the need to hide himself. And God, he was so sexy when he turned mean.

She must have let something show, because Gunnar's eyes darkened. Jules coughed, and her grandmother sighed.

Ava purposely looked away from him, trying to gather her wits. “Grandma, I agree with Jules. Something feels off about this.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Gunnar asked. “Just how psychic are you, Ava?”

“I'm not a mind reader or an empath. I don't see glimpses of the future. I just know things sometimes.”

“But you haven't said that you
know
he's not guilty,” Alicia corrected her. “You just don't want him to be guilty.” To Ava's shock, her grandmother's eyes watered.

“I don't want him to be guilty either. But Kisho had a vision earlier. One with Lonnie and a gun. And I'd been shot.”

Crap
. Ava rushed to her grandmother's side and leaned down to hug her tight.

“Shit, Alicia. Dry up the waterworks, would you?” Gunnar's soft growl sounded more worried than annoyed. “Come on, we'll fix this. I won't let the bastard hurt you. I swear.”

Her grandmother's sobs continued. A quiet suffering made worse because she tried to hide it and couldn't.

“I'll get Olivia,” Jules murmured and left.

Ava turned to Gunnar helplessly. She'd never seen her grandmother so upset before.

Alicia pushed out of Ava's arms and stood with her back to them.

He looked as if he'd rather hug a cactus, but Gunnar gently took her sobbing grandmother in his arms. Like a giant bear hugging a doll.

Ava gaped, not quite sure what to think. The same man who sneered at her grandmother's orders, who called her Alicia instead of Mrs. Sharpe, and didn't seem to respect her authority when he dragged his feet over her every order, offered
physical comfort?

“It's not that bad, Alicia. Isn't that what you always tell me?” He patted her back with what Ava assumed he meant to be soft taps.

Her grandmother jerked under the blows.

The older woman stopped her tears and squirmed to free herself.

Torn between laughter at Gunnar's awkward assistance, surprised pleasure that he'd been so thoughtful, and concern that her grandmother might have shattered a rib, Ava pulled Gunnar aside.

“Better now?” she asked Alicia.

Her grandmother wiped her eyes, now filled with mirth.

Thank you, Gunnar.

“That was just what I needed, Gunnar. Thank you.” She gingerly made her way to her desk and sat, looking more amused than upset.

Not wanting Gunnar to feel embarrassed by his kindness, Ava tugged him with her. “I need to talk to him about Grayson. I have some ideas on how we might contact him.” She kept her shields up tight, just in case Grandma had a sudden urge to peek.

“That's fine.” Alicia chuckled and smoothed back her hair. Not a trace of sadness lingered on her face.

Ava could have kissed the stubborn Circ resisting her pull.

Alicia nodded at them. “Go on, Gunnar. I need to focus on a few other items right now. Ava, call Robert Anderson. Notwithstanding his participation in a congressional hearing that has bearing on our funding, he was the last one to talk to Grayson that I know of. And that was two days ago. I'll leave your brother in your hands…for the moment.”

“Good idea. Come on.” Ava released the hold on her strength and yanked Gunnar out of the office. She closed the door behind them.

He stumbled to a halt in the hallway and glared. “Jesus, you're a lot stronger than you look. Not to mention more irritating.”

No more Mr. Nice Guy. He'd probably spent his load of kindness back in the office. So much for their brief bonding moment consoling Alicia.

At the thought, she couldn't contain a grin. “So, Mr. Comfort, how come you never offer to hug my fears away?” She batted her eyes. “I'm
so
scared of the future.

However will I survive?” Actually, she did worry for her brother, but she'd rather laugh than cry about him.

“You really need a better use for that smart mouth.” He raised their twined fingers to rub them over her lips. Tingles suffused her entire body, and he leaned closer. “Next time you're hard up for a good fuck, I'll let you suck me off. A real treat for you. How's that?”

She swore under her breath. Ava truly was perverted, because his arrogance made her wet. And he knew it, by the look of that sly grin.

“Oh really?” Determined to have the last word, she stood on tiptoe and tugged him down to whisper in his ear. “I don't think so. But now that I think of it, the next time I'm 'hard up for a good fuck,' I'll look for someone to take my mind off it.” She deliberately nipped his earlobe, smugly satisfied when his breath caught. “Yeah, I'll just go find Keegan or James and let a
real
man take the edge off.” She pulled away from Gunnar and smiled. “Thanks for the idea.”

The laughter caught in her throat when he muttered a few swear words under his breath, hauled her over his shoulder—fireman-carry style—and strode down the hall. He dumped her in Jesse's hands and left without a backward glance.

Tersch grimaced. For two whole days he'd avoided Ava. He felt like a grade-A pussy, but the sexy little witch was driving him fucking crazy. He smelled her everywhere. His masochistic beast refused to let him change his sheets, where she'd made herself come. And damn if that image would leave his mind anytime soon.

He made sure Fallon kept her well away from him. Though he'd been dying to see her
change
, he didn't think he'd be able to help himself if he did. So when Jules and the others met with her to see just what she could do, he'd insisted on staying by Olivia's side. The sweetheart had known exactly what he'd needed and let him stay with her as she and Sheridan readied for their trip to Quantico.

He sat in Sheridan's lab at the moment, watching as she gathered her notebooks and downloaded files onto a portable hard drive.

“For Doc,” she explained. “I want him to see just what I've been doing. It's not much, but I think I might be able to help him with any new rogues his people find.

I'm developing an antibody with my research that needs a lot more testing, but it might actually provide some relief to the mating heats. The shots you guys were getting actually suppressed your instinctive senses, though Jules told me he never felt a difference. That's why Mrs. Sharpe took you off the meds, you know.”

“A decent tradeoff, I'm thinking.” He wondered how he'd handle his next heat.

Because after that incident with Ava in his bedroom, he didn't think anyone
but
Ava could relieve his sexual needs. And that worried the hell out of him.

Sheridan worked in silence for a few more minutes.

“Gunnar, when I'm gone, promise me you'll take care of Jules.”

“Of course I will.”

She patted him on the arm. “No matter what he says, do what you have to do to make sure he's all right.”

Tersch grinned. “Can I quote you on that? Because he's pretty sensitive about anyone actually trying to help him out. Has a stick up his ass about it the size of Texas.”

She sighed. “I know. But ignore it like you always do. He's as fit as ever, but I think he worries about me and the baby when he should be focusing on work, and he can't afford the distraction right now.” She leaned closer. “But don't tell him I told you that.”

Tersch liked Sheridan more every day. When he'd first met her, he'd thought her a troublemaker out to hurt Jules. Then he'd thought her a seductress bent on taking advantage of their team. It had taken some tough love, but she'd made him see the light. Oh boy, had she. The feral little redhead had sucked him off but good.

A twinge of guilt hit him at the thought. Did Ava know? Would she understand? And why did he feel a sense of shame for what they'd shared, the communion of his alpha's mate with him? A natural thing for the team to share loving, mates and all. Yet he suddenly sensed he'd done something wrong, and he couldn't have said why.

Hell, lately even the soft, flowery scent of Sheridan smelled stale to him.

“Gunnar, are you okay? You don't look so good. A little wild around the eyes.”

“I'm fine.” To his embarrassment, his voice sounded hoarse. He cleared his throat and took a subtle step back. His beast approved the small distance, but his stupid berserker wouldn't be satisfied until he sought Ava again. “Ah, make sure you take care of yourself and Olivia while you're gone. Don't stray from Morgan or Kisho. At all, Sheridan,” he warned with bite. “I'm not kidding. You can't chance that kid.” He nodded to her stomach. Jules's young, the continuation of their species. His beast nodded as well, pleased that their leader's strength would be passed on to future generations. The very reason for the mating heat to begin with.

Perpetuation of their kind.

“I'll be careful, Gunnar.” Sheridan smiled at him and moved closer for a kiss when his beast jerked him back.

What the fuck? He could bend over for the guys but not kiss the girls? To cover his uncontrolled reaction, he backed away and lied. “Uh, Fallon's calling me. I gotta go.”
“Fallon, get your ass down here and sit with Sheridan. I need a breather. She’s
getting all weepy and shit, but don’t tell her I said so.”

“Right-o.”

To his relief, Fallon didn't complain. A decent buddy, one who hadn't changed or softened because of Olivia. Then again, Tersch couldn't have picked a better mate for his friend than the dark-haired beauty. Olivia gave as good as she got, and she kept Fallon on his toes. Plus, she had a kink streak a mile wide.

A streak he no longer had any interest in riding.

Fuck. What the hell is my problem?

Tersch practically ran out of the room and hurried down the long hallway of the basement to the stairs. He passed Fallon on the way.

“Where's Ava?” Tersch didn't even try to hide his need to know the woman's whereabouts so he could avoid her. The guys found it hilarious, especially since Ava seemed to be enjoying her time trying to find him. She friggin' tied him in knots. He thought she'd be angry he wanted nothing to do with her. Instead, she treated it like another game.

“Your woman is currently sparring with Price and Foreman. I think they're in the gym—”

Tersch saw red. He bounded up the stairs and pushed past Jules, knocking him into the wall.

“What the fuck, Tersch?” Jules swore.

Tersch couldn't stop. He kept hearing Ava's teasing comments in his head.

“Yeah, I’ll just go find Keegan or James and let a
real
man take the edge off.”
Like hell she would!

He barged into the gym ready to rip Price's head off and fuck Foreman up in a bad way. He stopped at the sight of Ava sparring with Kisho while Morgan downed a bottle of water, watching. No sight of Price or Foreman to be seen.

“Oh, did I say Price and Foreman? I meant Hayashi and Morgan. My bad.”
The laughter layering Fallon's thoughts annoyed the shit out of him.

“I’ll get you back, you bastard.”
Tersch sent him.

“Bring it on, you lovesick ass. Dude, just surrender gracefully. It’s embarrassing
to watch her hunt you down.”

Tersch ignored the last part, knowing how it must look. A pint-sized sexpot stalking a man twice her size who could rip her in half. Then again, the way she threw her weight around lately, he didn't think tearing her in half would be easy. A good thing. Because he knew what a man with his strength could do to a woman.

How love could damage when it should have strengthened.

That in mind, he stared at the trio before him with a straight face. In control and calm. Mostly.

Morgan frowned at him but didn't move away from the match. The gymnasium was lined with thick blue mats. On the west corner free weights, benches, and a Nautilus system kept them in decent shape. But Tersch was partial to open fights and hand-to-hand combat.

Watching Hayashi battle Ava didn't bother him at all. He trusted Hayashi like no other—and not because his buddy was gay, but because the Asian understood him best. Hayashi had grown up on the streets, unloved by his family, unwanted by his relatives. Much like Tersch, also unloved and unwanted, who'd been raised by an abusive asshole who'd killed his sister and his girlfriend. And all because of him.

Ever reminded of the past, he shoved the brutal remembrance down and forced a wry grin. “Hayashi, you're getting your ass kicked by a
girl
,” he said with a sneer, hoping to break Ava's concentration as she met Hayashi kick for kick and punch for punch.

Sure enough, she glared at him. Hayashi took advantage and swept her off her feet. Except Ava didn't hit the mat when she should have. Instead, she somehow managed to move ten feet away in the blink of an eye. Now behind
him
, she knocked Tersch on his ass before he could block her. He drew in a deep breath and felt a long, sharp claw at his throat.

His cock hardened instantly.

Morgan laughed, the asshole. “Damn, that was incredible. Let him up and do it again, Ava.”

Hayashi joined him. “Nicely done. I thought for sure I'd break you down, but now I have a feeling you were just toying with me. Your speed is a huge advantage, Ava. You're even faster than Morgan.”