“I love you, too, Finn.”
“How’s the little one?” Elise was nearly at the end of her first trimester.
“I’ll be glad to get into the second trimester.”
“Everything’s going to be okay.”
“I know.”
“Take care, honey.”
“Right back at ya.”
Thankfully, Elise wasn’t the worrier type. And truth be told, he shared only a modicum of the concern he had about all their safety.
* * *
Scarlet loved Daisy’s condo. It was modern, with clean lines and perfect decor. But the best part was the huge screened-in lanai off the living room. “Wow,” she said as she followed Daisy out there. “This space is big.”
“Some people have pools in their screened-in area.”
“I like the treed lot, too.”
“Thanks.”
Finn and Elise came up to her. She kissed them both on their cheeks. “Hey, Scarlet,” Elise said.
“You’re gorgeous, girl. Even more than before.”
She put a hand on her belly. “I love being pregnant.”
“Except for the vomiting,” Finn said dryly.
“Which stopped. How are you, Scarlet?”
“I’m great.”
“No date?” Finn asked.
“No, not this time.” In truth, Scarlet wanted badly to ask Seth and Joe but ultimately decided against it.
Oliver pulled her away from them. “Want to help me grill?”
“Sure. Whenever you’re ready.”
The group had a lazy evening at the cookout. Everyone seemed to be a little bit happier when it was over. Scarlet decided being together calmed them. She treasured the group of people she considered more than colleagues. They were her family and she was going to be untroubled in their presence.
And then, everything changed!
* * *
Two days later, Jeff Marshall walked into the collective common area. The six members waited there for him. He didn’t even sit down. He said simply, “The FBI found the man with the medallion. His name is Lewellen Brock. He’s dead. But they’re creating a timeline and it’s looking like he could be the architect of these attacks on the collective.”
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Chapter 5
“Knock, knock.” Scarlet stood in the doorway to Joe’s small barn in the section reserved for the crops. He’d been checking out the long tray with sprays above it for cleaning lettuce to make sure everything was working for the future crops. Even in here, he could smell the rich loam of the recently planted crop.
