was only trying to be of assistance."
"Well, stop it. No one asked for your help." She masked her fear with anger.
He remained blissfully unruffled by her outburst. "I doubt very much you would ask for help. Even if you needed it."
Red opened her mouth to refute his words, but he cut her off before she could.
"He's okay for now, but I don't know how much longer that will remain true. Unseen danger nears," Juan said, then shook his head. "So much pain. So much loss. He's traveled far, but he won't find what he's looking for."
She frowned. "Who?" It was difficult to keep up with his various methods of communication.
"Morgan. That is the name of the man that you love. Correct?"
Red's heart jumped in her chest. She wanted to ask how he knew. Hell, she wanted to ask him a million questions, but this was not the time or the place to ask them. "That's none of your business," she said defensively.
He laughed. "Sorry if I hit a nerve."
"You didn't."
"If you say so." His expression grew solemn. "If you ever need to talk, just call. I'll hear you whether it's by vidcom, navcom, or other less obvious means of communication." He stood to leave.
"Mr. Sanchez," Red called out, stopping him.
"Yes?"
"Report to training tomorrow morning."
He grinned and gave her a brisk nod, then strode to the door.
"And Mr. Sanchez."
"Yes?" He looked back over his shoulder.
“Thank you," Red said, then quickly dismissed him.
"Anytime, Ms. Santiago. Anytime."
* * *
Morgan sat in the personnel office of Santa Fe Cloning Laboratory, bouncing his knee. He'd submitted his application a week ago. They should've had time to run his information and approve him for the open security position by now.
He'd been lucky. The job had just opened up two weeks ago and several candidates had already applied. Fortunately, none seemed as well suited for the position as he was, or so he thought. So why weren't they offering him the job?
His mind drifted to Gina. God, he missed her. He missed the smell of her hair first thing in the morning. The feel of her skin when he caressed it. The sound of her soft moans when he entered her. Her boisterous laugh. The way she never backed down from a fight. The fire in her hazel eyes. He missed everything about her.
He closed his eyes and pictured her sitting in his office on the first day they'd met. She'd been a handful, with her black hair and long legs. She'd strode into his office like she owned the place and demanded his cooperation with her murder investigation. He couldn't have known then the murderer she sought would turn out to be his cousin, Kane. Or that her appearance would turn his world upside down and inside out.
He loved her. There was no question in his mind about that. But his feelings for her didn't squelch the doubt that seemed determined to linger. Was he truly committed to their relationship? He thought the answer was a resounding yes, but if that were the case, why had it been so easy to leave? The pain in Morgan's chest increased. He pressed a palm against his ribs and rubbed to ease the tension.
"Mr. Hunter," a voice behind him called out, wrenching Morgan out of his disturbing thoughts.
"Yes." He dropped his hand and turned to face the personnel officer.
"Sorry it took so long. We had a satellite malfunction and your credentials didn't arrive until today," the man said, taking a seat behind his expansive desk. He removed his glasses and looked at Morgan. "May I ask why you'd want to leave a position of command for one of subordination?"
Morgan met the man's beady gaze. Like most republic-clerical employees, the man wore a drab brown suit that enhanced the color of his sallow skin. He'd combed his hair over to disguise the balding patch on his head. If anything, the move drew more attention to the man's pale crown. Morgan forced his eyes back to the man's face before he
"Well, stop it. No one asked for your help." She masked her fear with anger.
He remained blissfully unruffled by her outburst. "I doubt very much you would ask for help. Even if you needed it."
Red opened her mouth to refute his words, but he cut her off before she could.
"He's okay for now, but I don't know how much longer that will remain true. Unseen danger nears," Juan said, then shook his head. "So much pain. So much loss. He's traveled far, but he won't find what he's looking for."
She frowned. "Who?" It was difficult to keep up with his various methods of communication.
"Morgan. That is the name of the man that you love. Correct?"
Red's heart jumped in her chest. She wanted to ask how he knew. Hell, she wanted to ask him a million questions, but this was not the time or the place to ask them. "That's none of your business," she said defensively.
He laughed. "Sorry if I hit a nerve."
"You didn't."
"If you say so." His expression grew solemn. "If you ever need to talk, just call. I'll hear you whether it's by vidcom, navcom, or other less obvious means of communication." He stood to leave.
"Mr. Sanchez," Red called out, stopping him.
"Yes?"
"Report to training tomorrow morning."
He grinned and gave her a brisk nod, then strode to the door.
"And Mr. Sanchez."
"Yes?" He looked back over his shoulder.
“Thank you," Red said, then quickly dismissed him.
"Anytime, Ms. Santiago. Anytime."
* * *
Morgan sat in the personnel office of Santa Fe Cloning Laboratory, bouncing his knee. He'd submitted his application a week ago. They should've had time to run his information and approve him for the open security position by now.
He'd been lucky. The job had just opened up two weeks ago and several candidates had already applied. Fortunately, none seemed as well suited for the position as he was, or so he thought. So why weren't they offering him the job?
His mind drifted to Gina. God, he missed her. He missed the smell of her hair first thing in the morning. The feel of her skin when he caressed it. The sound of her soft moans when he entered her. Her boisterous laugh. The way she never backed down from a fight. The fire in her hazel eyes. He missed everything about her.
He closed his eyes and pictured her sitting in his office on the first day they'd met. She'd been a handful, with her black hair and long legs. She'd strode into his office like she owned the place and demanded his cooperation with her murder investigation. He couldn't have known then the murderer she sought would turn out to be his cousin, Kane. Or that her appearance would turn his world upside down and inside out.
He loved her. There was no question in his mind about that. But his feelings for her didn't squelch the doubt that seemed determined to linger. Was he truly committed to their relationship? He thought the answer was a resounding yes, but if that were the case, why had it been so easy to leave? The pain in Morgan's chest increased. He pressed a palm against his ribs and rubbed to ease the tension.
"Mr. Hunter," a voice behind him called out, wrenching Morgan out of his disturbing thoughts.
"Yes." He dropped his hand and turned to face the personnel officer.
"Sorry it took so long. We had a satellite malfunction and your credentials didn't arrive until today," the man said, taking a seat behind his expansive desk. He removed his glasses and looked at Morgan. "May I ask why you'd want to leave a position of command for one of subordination?"
Morgan met the man's beady gaze. Like most republic-clerical employees, the man wore a drab brown suit that enhanced the color of his sallow skin. He'd combed his hair over to disguise the balding patch on his head. If anything, the move drew more attention to the man's pale crown. Morgan forced his eyes back to the man's face before he
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