Page 19 of Fierce Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #3)

The rhythmic thud of fists against leather echoed down the corridor behind Deke. An hour with the heavy bag had eased his stress, but it was time to get back to work. Griff and Axel could spare another hour to work out, but he had to get back to it.

Sweat trickled between his shoulder blades as he headed back upstairs. Seven o’clock at night, and they were all still grinding.

His team wouldn’t quit until they had answers.

Muffled laughter filtered through the walls—a stark contrast to the tension that had gripped them all day. His shoulders ached from hours hunched over surveillance footage, mind ping-ponging between Jade’s haunted expression during her confession and DJ’s anger from their last argument.

He pushed the door open, hit by the scent of sports drinks and determination.

Kenji sprawled across their worn leather couch, methodically demolishing a bag of chips while thumb-scrolling through his phone.

Zara perched on a nearby chair in workout gear, massaging her temples with small circular motions. The headaches again.

And Jade. Standing before their evidence board like it held salvation itself. Even exhausted and stressed, she carried herself with quiet determination that twisted something in his chest.

“Finally, Dad’s here to keep us in line,” Kenji drawled without looking up.

He arched an eyebrow. “You realize I outrank you in more ways than just the chain of command, right?”

“Relax.” Kenji waved his phone. “I’m only losing money on sports bets tonight. Did you know competitive duck herding was a thing?”

“Please tell me you’re joking.” Zara’s lips twitched despite her groan.

“What? The Northeastern Duck Herding Championship is very prestigious.”

“If we could focus on actual leads ...” Moving to stand beside Jade at the board. Close enough to catch her subtle scent—something floral and clean beneath the stress of the day.

His phone buzzed. A text from Izzy alongside a photo of Chantal beaming in sparkly mermaid pajamas:

DJ’s in a mood. Says he’s fine, just gaming. Letting him be for now.

His jaw tightened. That relationship needed repair, needed time. But right now, keeping Jade alive took priority. He typed back quickly:

Deke: Thanks. If he acts up, call me. Let him know I said goodnight.

Izzy: Will do, boss. Also, mermaid vs. unicorn décor for this weekend?

Time-sensitive question.

A half-smile tugged at his mouth despite everything.

Deke: Both. Don’t know much about little girls, but even I know they want ALL the glitter.

“I can’t believe we’re going from life-threatening conspiracies to glitter mania in half a second.” Kenji peered over his shoulder, breathing chip dust.

Jade’s soft laugh caught him off guard—tension bleeding from her shoulders for just a moment. Something in his chest unclenched at the sound. Wanted to hear it again.

“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got.” Gesturing at notes pinned to the board. Three main leads stared back: potential corporate espionage through offshore accounts, another messy divorce case, and a name from Jade’s father’s old circle.

“The business angle’s dead.” Kenji finally set his phone aside, straightening. “Did some deeper digging. They’re actually boringly legitimate.”

Zara nodded, swiping through her tablet. “And that divorce case? They reconciled. Posted happy family photos two weeks ago. No motive there.”

He watched Jade’s reaction as they zeroed in on the third lead—the name from her past. Her fingers twisted together. Shoulders hunched slightly inward. Protective posture.

“Brendan Bolton.” Zara named the man. “Looks like one of your father’s associates, as far as I can tell.

From over fifteen years ago. He got swept up in a Federal RICO case, ended up doing eleven years in prison.

The only recorded address we have after his release was Hollywood.

Then he skipped out on parole and disappeared. ”

The way Jade hugged herself, drawing inward like a turtle seeking its shell, spoke volumes. He wasn’t fooling himself. Her confession about her background had been minimal. Part of a larger story. At best.

“Something about the name Brendan Bolton ring a bell?” Deke asked.

“No.” She paced, clearly frustrated. “But it’s a common name, right? And Dad kept his … partners … away from the house. Mostly.”

Made sense. So while the name sparked a reaction, it didn’t set off any specific alarm bells.

Still, it was a place to start. Maybe the guy wanted revenge on Jade’s father. If not, the man might know who would.

“I say we set up a digital net.” Kenji stretched, joints popping. “Ping the guy’s last known location, track movement patterns.”

Zara shook her head. “Old school might work better here. Someone’s got to have eyes on this guy in person.”

The phone buzzed again.

Izzy: BTW – party prep is on track. Got the confetti bombs hidden where Chantal can’t find them.

Deke glanced at Jade. “Fair warning. You’re about to experience the full chaos of a six-year-old’s birthday party this weekend. No getting out of it while you’re under our protection.”

“You haven’t lived until you’ve seen the D-Man covered in glitter.” Kenji’s smirk widened. “Last year’s party, he looked like a disco ball had exploded on him.”

“Thanks for the heads up.” Jade managed a small grin, and for a brief moment, the tension lifted as chuckles rippled through the team.

Then her eyes drifted back to the board. Her expression shifted, light dying like a snuffed candle.

“I know someone who might help locate Bolton,” she said quietly, voice barely above a whisper.

The team fell silent as she continued, “There’s ... someone from my past. Sebastian Deveaux.” Her throat worked as she swallowed. “He was like an uncle to me—my father’s partner in cons. They had a falling out, but he might know where our suspect is.”

His jaw tightened immediately. “We’ll handle contacting him. It usually goes better that way.”

Relief flickered in her eyes, a flash of vulnerability that hardened his resolve. No way she’d face the ghosts of her past without backup.

“Think Deveaux will cooperate?” The question came out softer than intended.

“Maybe.” She wrapped her arms tighter around herself, fingers digging into her own biceps. “If we can convince him we’re not trying to cause trouble. He always had ... a soft spot for me, even after everything went wrong.”

Kenji’s usual playfulness vanished, replaced by focused intensity as he pulled up databases. Zara already making notes, mapping surveillance scenarios.

Axel and Griff clomped up the stairs, gym towels around their shoulders.

“What’s the sitrep?” Axel asked.

Deke checked the internet search displayed on Zara’s oversized monitor. “Looks like we’re heading to Palm Springs, kids.”

Griff actually smiled. “Nice.”

Kenji raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Griff blinked. “I could use some vitamin D.”

“For sure,” Axel jabbed Griff with an elbow. “You are running pale, little man.”

Griff toweled off his face. “You should talk, blondie. You’re so white I need to wear shades.”

Ignoring them both, Kenji pressed back from his desk. “Oooh weee. This Deveaux guy’s got an impressive résumé, and by résumé, I’m talking quite the collection of federal and state indictments. We better pack extra Kevlar for this one, yeah?”

“Seb won’t hassle anyone who’s with me,” Jade insisted. “Besides, he retired more than fifteen years ago. Dropped his money into legit enterprises. Now he sits back and watches the stock market rise.”

Deke hoped.

He moved to stand beside her. Close enough that their shoulders almost touched.

“We’ll get answers. Whoever’s behind this is going to regret ever coming after you.”

She turned, gratitude and worry warring in her eyes.

As the team outlined their approach to interrogating Deveaux, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were about to uncover something much bigger than any of them had anticipated. Something that had been waiting in the shadows of Jade’s past.

Patient.

Watching.