Read Online Project Genesis by Michelle Howard - Free Book Online Page A

sucking on the tangy
treat, Vin gave Harkum the honesty their friendship warranted. “A woman I used
to see.”
    A frown creased
Harkum’s brow. “Used to as in no longer?”
    Vin nodded and
unlaced his boots. He knew what was coming and might as well settle in.
    “No longer as of
six months ago?” Direct hit. Give the man a prize.
    Vin eased his
tired feet onto his table and finally faced Harkum. “Yes. Used to as in I
stopped things six months ago for obvious reasons.”
    “Well, shit, Vin.”
Harkum lowered his frame to a squat along the wall and still the giant had no
trouble meeting Vin’s eyes. “She know and bail?”
    Vin snorted. As
if. Not Helen. She didn’t run away, she tackled head on. But he hadn’t given
her the chance. “No.” Vin panicked and bailed before she could have the
opportunity to push him away and cast him in the unwanted pile. Been through
that already and not interested in a do-over.
    “No,” Vin repeated
with more force than necessary and ran his hands through his hair, wondering
exactly what he planned to do. Earlier it seemed so easy. Rescue the woman he
cared about and send her on her way. But he hadn’t directed Harkum to her
house. Instead, Vin violated protocol and brought her to Command Central. Still
not sure what he was thinking on that score.
    Harkum grunted and
finished off his beer. “I’ll head out. Seems like you got more to figure out
than I originally thought.”
    Vin could only nod
as Harkum made his way to the door leaving his empty on the table by Vin’s
foot. Harkum paused at the door. “For what it’s worth, I’d run into a burning
building too for the woman that made me light up the way you did when she ran
into your arms today.”
    Harkum had no
idea. The times with Helen had been some of the best in his life. Memories of
the dinners they shared and the mind blowing sex played havoc with his feelings
but he had nothing to offer Helen now. There was no telling what the long term
effects of Project Genesis would be and he couldn’t ask a woman, any woman, to
take that on without knowing that. Plus, thanks to the contract he’d signed, he
owed Slade and his team four and a half more years of his life.
    Once his friend
left, Vin reached up to disconnect his ear com but it dinged, signaling a
direct message. “Vin, here.”
    “Gather Alpha
Squad and meet in conference room A. We need a debrief on today’s attack.”
Speak of the devil. David Slade’s voice, though smooth, did not imply refusal
as an option.
    “Yes, sir.” Vin
sighed and dragged his tired frame to his feet. He pressed a finger to his ear
and opened the channel to his team. “Debrief in five, conference room A.”
    Groans and grunts
filtered through but Vin knew they’d all show for the meet. If they knew
nothing else, Alpha Squad knew to show for Slade’s meetings come hell or high
water. Vin tugged his boots back on.
    He stepped into
his bedroom long enough to confirm Helen continued to rest peacefully then
headed out. Bransen met him in the hall, face somber. An unusual look for Sen.
“What’s wrong?”
    Bransen ran a hand
down his face before straightening his shoulders. “Just got a call from my dad,
my mom fell and broke her ankle.”
    Sen was an only
child and his parents poured all their love and then some into raising him.
    “She gonna be
alright?”
    His man sighed and
nodded. “Yeah. Dad says it’s cool but I was hoping to get out and see them.”
    Sen’s parents
still lived at his family home in Virginia. No more was said as Harkum, Rock,
the twins and Curtis joined them when they reached the entrance to the familiar
conference room.
    The tight space
had enough room for the table and eight chairs. Their legs cramped together as
they all sat and waited. The tall black man who’d sucked him into his current
life, strode in wearing an expensive black suit that cost more than Vin had in
his account. His bald head gleamed in the light as his brown eyes studied