Impact Zone

by Cara Carnes

  “Fuck.” Jesse’s growled word on the com startled Fallon. He hoped to hell Edge had turned coms off for everyone except Operations.

  “For the longest time, I thought she’d died. He didn’t bother telling me she was a fighter, that she was fighting to live, because he expected her to die.” Rhea swiped at her cheek. “She was so tiny the first time I saw her.”

  “Rhianna?” Fallon asked.

  Rhea nodded. “I held her in my arms when Dad walked in and told me the rest. There’d been a complication during her delivery and the surgeon had had to—” She halted. “He told me she’d be the only baby I’d ever have, that they’d had to perform a hysterectomy on me.”

  “You were what? Sixteen? That’s nuts.”

  “He told me to accept what happened and move on.”

  “Rhea. Fuck.”

  “Rhianna was still fighting. Her little lungs had so many problems, but she was a fighter. She was in the hospital for months,” Rhea whispered. “So tiny and fragile.”

  “Rhea,” Edge whispered on the com. Fallon gripped the wheel tight. No, the woman who’d just spoken wasn’t the confident, emotionless Edge he’d worked with through the years. It was Mary, the woman. The mother.

  The friend.

  “Sweetie,” Edge said. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

  Fallon mentally cursed. Edge didn’t realize he’d removed Rhea’s com.

  Rhea continued. “Mom and Dad sat me down, asked what kind of life I wanted for her. Could I earn what I needed to care for her without a good education? I’d graduated early, but the illness and caring for Rhianna and… Julliard wasn’t going to happen because he wouldn’t pay for it. I could do Harvard or MIT, though.”

  “And they took Rhianna in as their own,” Fallon guessed.

  Rhea nodded. “I fought at first. I didn’t want her raised by a man who mandated everything, but I was so young and broken by what’d happened. I had no idea how to care for myself, much less a kid. Rhianna was beautiful, but she had breathing troubles. Still does sometimes. I…”

  Fallon cursed.

  “I wanted to tell her years ago, but Mom said there wasn’t any reason to. I know we can’t stop him from telling her. I’m okay with that fallout as long as they’re safe. We have to stop him and those missiles.”

  “We will.” Fallon clung to the mission rather than easing the pains she’d just shared. He was not qualified to undertake that task—not when it struck too close to his damaged soul.

  “Fallon, I know this isn’t your scene, but you need to help her work through this. It’ll be hours before she’s home with us. I need you to check in and deal with this,” Edge said.

  Fuck.

  “Give her what she needs.”

  How could he give her those words? She’d been too young to have a kid.

  But at least she’d had the kid.

  Not his business. Women had the right to choose. Moving on.

  The kid had a good home.

  Did she? Did she really?

  Fuck.

  The internal war continued a few moments. Fallon sighed heavily into the silence. “I grew up in the system. Someone dropped me off at a local church when I was around two, like unwanted trash. I bounced around from home to home to home—each one worse than the last until I landed at a group home. I cursed whoever had squirted me out.”

  “Not sure this is the approach to take,” Edge said.

  She didn’t get a choice, not when he’d been pushed into handling Doc. He’d never spoken to anyone about his past, but he would today for the beautiful woman quietly falling apart beside him.

  “I saw a lot of fucked up assholes in the system. Not one of them was anywhere close to as good as you. You had a lot of tough choices to make and you did. You did right by your kid however you could. I’m not sure what’s wrong with your asshole father, but I figure he couldn’t be nearly as bad as some of the monsters I was given to through the years.”

  “They were good with her. She…” Rhea looked down at her hands. Smiled. “She loves music too. She plays the guitar and piano. Such a natural.”

  “They’re okay with that?” They hadn’t given Rhea that freedom.

  Julliard. Fallon bet she was damn good with the cello. Did she play other instruments? Her natural love for music was so like his own. He grabbed his phone and thumbed through the playlists.

  “Mom learned from what happened with me,” she said. “Rhianna is free to live life however she wants, within reason. I get to offer my opinion when there’s a really bad argument. Mom calls them family meetings. They Skype me whenever something bad happens. It’s been a while since we had one of those. Dad doesn’t like the fact Rhianna is getting older. He’s afraid she’ll make the same mistakes I did.”

  “Bullshit. Nothing you’ve done is a mistake. You’re one hell of a woman.” He hit play on the phone and silently willed the Eagles to work their magic on Rhea. “Relax, sweetheart. I’ve got you.”

  “There’s a diner one hour outside Boston,” Jesse said. “Everyone else will meet you there. You can eat, then proceed to the airstrip.”

  Rhea listened to the soft Eagles serenade from the speakers for three songs. It was during “Peaceful Easy Feeling” when her mind entered a quiet acceptance of what’d happened. Accept and move on.

  Dad would be so proud.

  Foster homes. Group homes. Fallon was everything Rhianna could’ve become if she hadn’t had a loving family willing to step in and help when Rhea needed them most.

  Rhea flip-flopped a lot since she was sixteen when it came to the decisions she’d made back then. Although she intellectually accepted she’d done right by Rhianna and given her the life she deserved, a part of her still mourned the decision. Another raged out, so angered by the fate that’d struck her so hard that nothing could console her.

  She never has to know, baby girl. Don’t put that on yourself.

  Her mom’s words from the last time they’d been at The Arsenal echoed in her mind. She’d intended to tell Rhianna back then. She shouldn’t have listened to her parents.

  Rhianna was a bright, amazing young woman on the cusp of a new life—one she’d get to decide fully because Rhea’s parents had learned from their mistakes with her.

  They’d worked hard to include Rhea in Rhianna’s upbringing as much as possible, despite the strained relationship she still had with her father. As much as Rhea hated what she was about to do, she knew it was necessary. “I need to see my family.”

  Her cell phone rang a second later. She yanked it from her pocket and flicked on the speaker. Her gut tightened.

  “Rhea.” Mary’s soft tone surprised her.

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you all years ago.”

  “It’s okay. We all have secrets we’ve locked away. None of this is your fault. You know that, right? That bastard is using this against you because he’s running scared. He’s been on the phone since you left the building. You did good, sweetie.”

  “Mary, I need to tell her before he does. She can’t find out like that.”

  “And you will. On your own time, which is not right now.”

  Rhea squeezed her eyes shut. She’d trusted Mary and Vi and Bree without hesitation since they’d first met. The past couple of years had been stressful to say the least, but Mary had always, always had Rhea’s best interest at heart.

  “She needs to know. I don’t want her finding out from Stan.” The statement bore repeating until her friend understood. Would she?

  “And she won’t. I know you and your father don’t always get along, Rhea. I understand more of why now, but there’s no way he’ll let Stan get anywhere near her. Call him, warn him. He’ll keep Rhianna safe.”

  “I’m literally within thirty minutes of them, though. Shouldn’t I go there? Do it in person?”

  “Honey, you aren’t in a good place right now. You show up like you are now, it’ll end bad ‘cause Rhianna is as brilliant as you. Don’t scare her, not whe
n you aren’t in a place where you can see to her.”

  Damn.

  “She’s right,” Fallon said. “Don’t give it to her like this. That’ll give Carlisle power he doesn’t deserve.”

  Stan. He would go down.

  Brick by brick.

  Get your shit together, Rhea. Listen to your friends. You aren’t in a mindset to make decisions, not of this magnitude.

  The self-talk focused her. She had neutralizing agents to create. Weapons of mass destruction to destroy.

  “You’re right.” Rhea took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

  “Call him. Let him know. We’ll do it if you want, but it’ll be best coming from you.”

  Rhea hung up. Took a deep breath. Made the call.

  “Rhea. This is a surprise.” Her father’s voice was loud, strong. Confident.

  “Hey, Dad. You got a second? Something important has come up.”

  “Sure, but I’m about to meet someone for drinks so it’ll have to be quick.”

  Before Rhea could second guess her decision, she launched into the problem. She summarized as briefly as she could but added all the pertinent bullet points—including Stan’s involvement with very dangerous people. Her father preferred succinct, informative data without extraneous emotional diatribes.

  “How confident are you, Rhea? All this sounds so preposterous.”

  “I know, Dad. It’s very, very real.”

  “And that group you’re with now, they’re involved in this mess? I swear, you’ve taken ten years off my life by signing up with them. Why couldn’t you be a surgeon? It probably pays better.”

  Rhea heard the concern in her father’s voice. No matter their troubles, she knew her parents loved her dearly. They’d all made a lot of mistakes along the way, but they’d moved on.

  “I’m sorry you’re getting dragged into this,” she said.

  “I expected we’d get dragged into something else at some point after the last time. I’m more worried about you.”

  The last time had been an assassination attempt by The Collective. Everyone’s family had been pulled in and secured at The Arsenal. Rhea’s father hadn’t been thrilled that A) she was in so much danger and B) they’d been dragged into said danger.

  “It seems I’ll be cancelling my plans. That son of a bitch was going to throw this in my face, wasn’t he?”

  “Probably, though I’d suspected he’d bypass you altogether and go directly to Rhianna. He implied they are close.”

  “They are most certainly not,” her father spewed. “He won’t come near her, baby girl.”

  “We just left his office, warned him to turn himself in. Dad, he’s very, very dangerous.”

  “I’m getting that, Rhea. I’ll phone your mom, get her to pick Rhianna up. I’ll make some calls, hire a security firm.”

  “You’re more than welcome to come to The Arsenal. We’ve got cottages built. You’d be left alone, like a vacation.”

  “Afraid I can’t, my schedule’s too packed. Besides, seems like you have enough on your plate.” He paused. “You’re going to be okay, right?”

  “Yeah, Dad. I’ll be okay.” She paused, taking a breath. “You should know, we have teams on you.”

  “I’m sorry, what?” His voice rose.

  “We dispatched operatives to watch over you, Mom, and Rhianna. We’re sending more tonight. You won’t see them, but they’ll be there. If you want them on a closer detail, one you see, let us know and they’ll make contact.”

  “I can protect my family. I don’t need strangers doing it.”

  “You wouldn’t let an unqualified person perform surgery, would you?” She tossed the question out and waited. Her father was smart. He’d understand he was not as qualified to protect himself and his family.

  “You were always so damn stubborn, Rhea.” He sighed heavily. “You’re too much like me, you know? That’s why we butt heads. I’m the son of a bitch who has to see to his girls, keep them safe, but you’re a fighter. You face your own battles. I pray every night you’ll come to your senses and stop this nonsense. But you aren’t going to.”

  “No.” She blinked back tears.

  “How much trouble will I be in if anyone finds out I know this?”

  “A lot. Dad, you can’t confront Stan about any of this. Cancel, but blame a scheduling conflict or something. Draw back slow so he doesn’t get suspicious. He doesn’t know we patched things up after I left MIT, unless you told him.”

  “I never discuss you, not with him. I may not like what you do, Rhea, but I understand it’s dangerous. After seeing that new crew of yours at work firsthand, I know you’ll be protected. But you’re in more danger than ever. Promise me you’ll stay smart.”

  “Always.”

  “And call. Let me know you’re okay. I don’t always show it, but I love you, Rhea. I worry.”

  “I love you, too, Dad.” Rhea glanced over at Fallon.

  The tidbits he’d shared rattled around in her mind. She’d been so deep into her own troubles she hadn’t reacted, conversed with him about what he’d shared.

  “I gotta go, Dad.” She clicked off. “Thank you, Fallon. For everything.”

  “Don’t mention it.” He gripped the steering wheel. “Let’s get to the diner, eat, then get you back home.”

  “About what you said,” Rhea started.

  “Don’t, Doc. Not now.” His jaw twitched as he looked straight ahead. “I meant what I said. You’re a hell of a woman and did what you could for your girl. Everything else will wait.”

  Rhea nodded and turned the Eagles back up and hit the back button until the song from before queued. Fallon didn’t want to chat about it right now, but she’d circle back. For now, she’d let “Peaceful Easy Feeling” take them both away.

  12

  The entire Arsenal had gathered at the hangar. Fallon cursed as the plane halted at the end of the tarmac. He glanced at Rhea, whose gaze locked on to the gathered horde.

  “Doc.”

  Her pale face turned his direction. Eyes wide, she looked around.

  Dallas’s jaw twitched. “My team will run interference and cull the herd.”

  “I’ll help,” Sanchez said.

  “They mean well,” Dallas offered as he grasped Rhea’s shoulder. “If you need a place to hide, I’ve got the keys to Jesse and Ellie’s place. Say the word.”

  Fallon grunted. Everyone had been busy sneaking around the new couple and getting her family’s old house ready for move in. While he understood the sentiment, he thought Ellie should know at the very least. Her mother had lost the house because of high medical bills she’d been determined to pay off. Cancer sucked. The asshole banker who’d intentionally over-extended credit so she’d lose the property was an asshole—one under investigation.

  “I’m okay.” The haunted expression in Rhea’s gaze pained Fallon.

  “He’s right. They mean well. You want them to back down, or you need a step back, say the word. I’ll make it happen.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be okay. I’ve got to get to the lab. Everything will be ready to mix.”

  “Take a night off,” Donovan suggested. “It’ll be there in the morning.”

  “He’s right,” Spade said. “You kicked ass today, but you were dragged through the wringer. Decompress.”

  Fallon appreciated the way everyone treated Rhea when they’d arrived at the diner. No one offered opinions or made comments about what they’d heard. The op was done. They’d moved on and given her the space she deserved. They’d eaten greasy diner food and inhaled pie.

  Dallas, Spade, and Donovan exited the plane before Rhea and fanned out in a half-circle that prevented the advancement of the remaining people. Dallas’s team and Sanchez had gotten rid of more than Fallon expected.

  “I sure as fuck miss never having to deal with this bullshit,” Walker muttered as he stopped beside Fallon.

  Fallon stroked Rhea’s back and remained at her side. Walker was right. As lone wolves, they hadn’t
dealt with well-meaning friends and fellow operatives after a particularly challenging mission. They didn’t have debriefs or chats about psychological fallout and hug out their worries.

  Bree shoved past Dallas and powered into Rhea with enough force to drive them back two steps. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. God. I had no idea. That rotten son of a bitch. We’ll get him. I swear we will.”

  “I’m okay.”

  Fallon wondered if “I’m okay” were the only words Rhea could speak right now. She’d been very quiet at the diner and had curled up and pretended to sleep on the plane ride home. He wished to hell he knew what to say. He scanned the crowd but didn’t see Sinclair. The compound’s head shrink would have the right words.

  Rhea separated from her friend as the other women closed in. The Masons, Jud, and Gage rounded out the gathered crowd. Fallon locked gazes with Edge. She needed to make this shit go away so Rhea could process whatever was in her head however she wanted.

  He’d rather walk through minefields than contend with this bullshit if he was Rhea. He’d shared more than he intended in the car. No one had known about him being in the foster system. People like him didn’t reminisce about what they’d endured. He survived, then moved on. The past hadn’t defined him. It’d strengthened him.

  The girls were all tight. He’d noted as much since the beginning, back when he’d arrived at The Arsenal after Mary’s rescue. Incident after incident had struck since then, a seemingly never-ending war. The chaos, destruction, and hell everyone faced head-on only made the friendships stronger.

  Fallon didn’t understand relationships like the ones Rhea had with Mary, Vi, Addy, Bree, and the other women. Maybe if things had been different, if he hadn’t walked away from his Graveyard Justice crew…

  Nah. Men didn’t hang tight like that.

  But they did.

  He glanced at the Masons, the way they huddled near the women, but somehow close to one another, as though an invisible bond held them together.

  Jesse.