Page 38 of Fierce Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #3)

Jade checked the front door deadbolt, for the tenth time since she and DJ had arrived back at her condo, and turned back to the living room.

Outside, snowflakes danced in the glow of the amber streetlamp across the lot.

Inside, the condo felt hushed and relatively safe—though Jade couldn’t deny how much she missed Deke’s steady presence.

The air was thick with the scent of pepperoni and cheese.

They’d made a dent in the extra-large pie, but Jade calculated there was enough left for at least one more meal.

DJ sprawled on the couch, legs hanging off one arm, a game controller in his hands.

The TV flashed vibrant hues of some fantasy adventure, cartoon monsters bouncing across the screen.

Jade couldn’t help but smile at how quickly he’d settled in, despite this being only his first night here.

It was as though he instinctively claimed the couch as his territory, the worn blankets crumpled around him in a comfortable nest.

“Hey,” she said softly. “You all right? Need anything?”

He glanced up, half a grin ghosting his lips. “I’m good. This game’s weird but kinda fun. We can co-op if you’re brave.”

“Let me work up to that.”

Her heart gave a small twinge as she surveyed the modest space—a single lamp glowing on the side table, the small TV stand, and DJ’s backpack leaning against the wall.

She and Deke had never planned for this arrangement, yet here DJ was, perched on her couch while Deke was off somewhere in the wide unknown.

She inhaled slowly, telling herself it was only temporary.

All the same, she felt strangely protective of him, determined to do right by the trust Deke had placed in her.

Outside the windows, snow dusted the panes in rhythmic patterns, each flurry reminding her of the quiet emptiness she felt without Deke here. Still, Jade told herself, This is fine—just a few days, a week at most. Everything will be okay.

She mustered a smile and crossed to the kitchenette. “I’ve got plenty of snacks. Let me know if you get hungry.”

DJ arched a brow, eyes still on the screen. “Are we talking good snacks or that healthy junk my dad buys?”

She chuckled. “You can go either route. There are plenty of protein bars and muscle milk. Or?—”

“Please say, ‘real people food,’” DJ begged.

“I’ll do you one better. Real teenager food. Junk stuff is my secret vice,” she confided.

The boy lifted one hand from the controller to make a fist pump. “Yes.”

The banter settled a little of the unease swirling inside her.

She quickly checked the phone she’d left charging on the counter—no messages from Deke, not that she expected any.

He’d barely had time to board the plane or helicopter, whichever Knight Tactical had scrambled.

She sighed, stowing the phone again. No news was usually good news.

Returning to the living room, she sank into the armchair across from him, letting the warmth of the heater ease her nerves. “I’m ready to tackle this if you are.” She nodded at the controller lying nearby.

He paused the game, a playful grin crossing his face. “Totally. It’s hilarious watching you try not to die.”

She gave a mock groan, picking up the spare controller. “What can I say? I live to entertain.” Inwardly, she prayed for exactly that—a bit of laughter, an hour or two of normalcy for them both.

He grinned at that, passing her a second controller with a tangle of cords. “We can do co-op. You just have to press these two buttons to shoot.” He pointed them out, but the swirl of icons on the screen told Jade it was more complicated than he admitted.

“Press two buttons, right.” Jade arched an eyebrow. “I’m so obviously going to break the entire game.”

DJ laughed. “That’s the one thing you can’t do. It’s not possible. Trust me.”

The music piped through the speakers, upbeat and silly.

Jade tried to follow DJ’s instructions, but her character did little more than spin in circles, occasionally lobbing a bright projectile nowhere near an enemy.

Every time she fumbled, DJ let out a half-laugh, half-groan.

The repeated defeat screens made them both cackle—her from embarrassment, him from exasperation.

“I warned you,” DJ said, pressing pause after another comedic flop. “We might be at this all night.”

Jade set down her controller for a minute and rubbed her eyes, exhaustion tugging at her.

She’d spent the day juggling work, plus a thousand anxious thoughts about Deke’s mission and her own newly revealed past. But this bonding time with DJ was too precious to give up. She tried to refocus on the screen.

DJ leaned back against a pillow. “You’re better at this than you were an hour ago. You’re at least aiming at the enemies now.”

“That’s generous.” But just then, she died again.

DJ paused the game. “Another round?”

“I give up.” She tucked her feet under her. “Anyway, I’d rather watch you dominate these levels while I consider heating up another slice of pizza.”

He smirked. “Deal.” As the game resumed, his character lunged at an on-screen assailant.

She watched in awe while DJ performed some rapid-fire combo that made the monster stagger dramatically. “How did you pull that off?”

DJ shrugged, a confident grin spreading across his face. “It’s all about misdirection. The game tries to distract you with fancy lights and fake cues, so you’ll look at the wrong thing. If you keep your focus where it really counts, you can see through the flashy stuff and land a sneak attack.”

Jade blinked, impressed. “Misdirection, huh?” she echoed, letting the word settle in her mind. “That sounds ... strategic.”

He snorted. “Sure. Strategic is one word. But it’s basically tricking you into staring at the fireworks, so you miss what’s really going on. Exactly like magic tricks. Once I realized that, it got way easier.”

He grinned, launching another attack on the hapless digital foe. “You just gotta remember: whatever’s super obvious is probably a decoy. Look away from the sparks for a second and pay attention to what’s hiding in the corner.”

She studied his handsome face. The delicate features almost fully morphed into adult proportions. “You’re way smarter than you let on, Mr. Williams.”

His mouth dropped open in surprise. “That’s what my dad says.”

“Well, he’s right.”

“I guess.” He paused the game and fiddled with the edge of the blanket draped over the couch.

“It’s weird getting to know him now. He used to be gone all the time when I was little.

Mom—she kinda made me think he only cared about traveling the world with guns.

So I grew up with this … picture of him that wasn’t great.

Like he’d rather be the big bad SEAL than be a dad.

” He exhaled, eyes on the game, as if it might hold answers.

“But now—I kinda get it. It’s not that simple, you know? ”

Jade’s chest tightened at the honesty in his voice. “Your dad’s a good man,” she said gently. “He protects people. Maybe your mom had her reasons for being angry, but it doesn’t mean she was right about him.”

DJ nodded, face pinched. “I just feel bad that it took me this long to figure out he’s … cool, I guess. Don’t tell him I said that.” A small, almost shy grin tugged at his lips. “I know you guys talk.”

A wave of affection rolled through Jade. She forced herself not to dwell on how complicated her dynamic with Deke had become after revealing her own checkered past. “I won’t tell,” she promised, pressing a hand to her chest dramatically. “Scout’s honor.”

He snorted. “Thanks.” Then, carefully, as though crossing into dangerous territory, he said, “But, like, you and him talk a lot, right? I can see how he looks at you. He ... he likes you.”

Jade felt her face grow warm. She turned her gaze to the flickering TV, searching for a distraction. “He’s protective, that’s all. It’s his nature to watch out for people in trouble.”

DJ rolled his eyes hard. “Nah, it’s more than that. Trust me, I know Dad. He doesn’t do the big puppy-dog eyes for other girls. I mean, women. And you—” He trailed off but gave her a pointed look. “You like him, too.”

Her cheeks burned. She tried to laugh it off. “You sure you’re only fifteen? You sound like a meddling best friend from a rom-com.”

DJ shrugged. “I see how you guys are. People talk about it at the church, too.”

She gave a half-hearted shrug, eyes fixed on the swirl of game icons. “It’s complicated. He’s a warrior, a SEAL, a dad with big responsibilities. I doubt there’s room for me in that.”

He let out a theatrical groan, pressing the game controller buttons to flick through menus. “Why do adults make everything so hard? You either like each other or you don’t.”

For a moment, Jade thought about explaining that they did like each other but her past—and Deke’s complicated life—stood in the way. Instead, she forced herself to exhale slowly. “We do. Trust me, it’s just not that simple.”

He rolled his eyes again, turning back to the game. “Fine. Whatever.” Then, in a quieter tone, he added, “Just think about it. I mean, I’d be okay with it. Not that you need my permission,” he mumbled, cheeks pink.

A sudden surge of affection welled in Jade, so intense it hurt. “Thank you,” she whispered. “That means a lot.”

DJ gave a quick nod, as if embarrassed by his own sincerity. He resumed tapping at the game’s start screen, effectively ending the conversation. Jade cleared her throat, deciding a subject change was prudent. “You want more pizza or something else to drink?”

“Pizza,” he said without hesitation.

“On it.” Jade hopped up, heading to her small kitchen.

She rifled through the fridge, pulling out the half-empty box and placing the remaining pizza on microwave safe plates.

The warmth of the moment stuck with her.

This fleeting sense of normalcy—she’d never pictured herself caring for a teenager and feeling …

like part of a family. A bittersweet smile tugged her lips.

I guess I should enjoy it while it lasts.

As she closed the fridge door, something outside the window caught her eye.

A quick flicker of movement, or maybe just swirling snow?

She paused, squinting at the dark glass.

Nothing but the faint reflection of the kitchen lights stared back.

She shivered anyway, a sense of unease prickling along her skin.

“Everything good?” DJ called from the living room.

Jade forced a smile, stepping away from the window. “Just me being paranoid. The wind, I think.”

He accepted that explanation with a shrug.

Jade microwaved the food and returned to the couch, setting the pizza on the coffee table.

DJ paused his game again, and for the next few minutes, they chatted about school—he asked for her help with geometry at some point, and she teased him about taking the long way to history class so he could walk past a certain girl’s locker.

Gradually, the conversation wound down. They switched the TV away from the game to a streaming service, half-watching a comedy movie.

Jade’s heart felt lighter each time DJ laughed or tossed a piece of pepperoni at her in playful protest. Despite the swirl of doubts in her mind, she loved these simple, heartfelt moments.

She’d miss him, she realized, once Deke came back. She was already attached.

Just as the movie’s credits began to roll, a loud pounding on the front door shattered the quiet. Jade jolted upright, nearly knocking over the empty soda cans on the table. DJ straightened too, the flicker of alarm crossing his face.

“Who would be here this late?” Jade murmured. Her pulse thudded, that earlier unease flaring.

The pounding came again, more urgent this time. Jade’s stomach twisted. She motioned for DJ to stay back, then carefully approached the door, flipping on the overhead entryway light. “Who is it?”

“Jade?” a familiar voice called, breathless. “It’s—Sarah. Please, open up. Hurry!”

Sarah?

Jade shot a worried glance at DJ, who rose from the couch, phone in hand just in case. The handle rattled under Sarah’s frantic attempts.

Despite the other woman’s urgency, Jade stole a look out the window. Sure enough, Sarah stood at the door, shivering in her down coat, stocking cap dusted with snow. Behind the woman, the landing was deserted. The guest parking lot, too.

Jade turned the lock and pulled the door open. Sarah stumbled inside, snow clinging to her hair, eyes red-rimmed and wild with fear. “Chad’s out—he’s out of jail. I … I swear he’s following me. I saw him outside my place and—” Her voice hitched.

Jade locked the door behind them and moved to steady her, pressing a comforting hand to her shoulder. “It’s okay, calm down. We can help. DJ, call 911?—”

Sarah jerked away, half-lurching behind Jade. Before Jade could react, Sarah’s hand dipped into her coat pocket and emerged gripping a handgun. Time slowed. Horror pulsed in her veins.

“Phone down, DJ. Now,” Sarah ordered, her voice no longer trembling. She kept the gun’s muzzle leveled roughly in DJ’s direction, though her gaze darted between them. “I’m sorry. I just—just do it.”

DJ froze, phone half-raised. Jade lifted a placating hand, stepping between Sarah and DJ without fully blocking his line of sight. The fear in Sarah’s eyes looked borderline manic, as though she’d reached some desperate conclusion.

Jade’s mind raced. Sarah, with a gun? Chad out of jail? None of this makes sense. She drew a shaky breath. “Sarah, put that down. We can call for help. You said Chad’s following you?—”

But Sarah shook her head wildly. “No. No police,” she choked out.

Jade swallowed, adrenaline spiking, panic clawing at her chest. If only Deke weren’t gone. If only?—

“I can’t—I need you both to come with me, okay?” Sarah begged, voice cracking. “Just ... trust me, Jade.”

Jade’s mouth went dry, her heart pounding.

Sarah lifted the gun a notch higher.

Though the woman still radiated brittle energy, her expression shifted from fear to determination in a heartbeat.

Expression flat, she stared Jade down. “Here’s how this is going to go?—”