Sheridan tried to keep her mind and her thoughts her own, aware of Jesse's scrutiny on everything she said and thought. But she couldn't possibly tell him the truth—that she'd started to fall in love with him and wanted him to have it. “At the time, I didn't know Grayson or Raul, and that ring means a lot to me. You'd proven yourself trustworthy, and I thought I'd have a better chance getting it back from you than from them if they proved criminal.”
“But you went with them,” Tersch pointed out.
“I had to. Jules was in no shape to help me. He'd almost died. That…thing he killed was alien. That mutant? It had rows of teeth. It…it nearly chewed his arm off.” She shuddered just thinking about it. “And I could feel that Grayson and Raul needed healing. I offered to help them in return for taking care of Jules.”
“What was wrong with those Circs?” Olivia asked.
Sheridan expelled a breath. “I can't explain it. Grayson called it the thing that turned Circs rogue in the first place. Something Ricardo had perfected and injected into the Circs on the compound who weren't suffering from the initial Circe serum infection. I just”—she shrugged—“burned it out of them. It actually took some time to help them, because the malignant cells reformed after I'd burned them out a few times. But we got to the point where their bodies stopped making the foreign cells.
“We stayed far away from Ricardo's compound, deep in the jungle. I know both men wanted nothing more to do with Ricardo, so I don't understand why Raul would have done what he did. Why he shot Morgan. Then again, he was the one who told me lies about your team to begin with,” she mused.
“Let me guess, that we're all thieves, murderers, and mercenaries?” Kisho glanced at Morgan with a half smile.
Morgan muttered, “Ass.”
Sheridan nodded. “Yes. You wanted to know why I'd come here if I was so scared of you. I wanted my grandfather's ring. It's priceless to me.” The truth, for so many reasons. “What Raul told me didn't fit with what I'd known of Jules, but then, we were in danger, and I didn't really get to know Jules that well.”
“Well enough, I'd say.” He glared at her. “So you took Raul's word. And you took a job here in Circ central. Why?”
She sighed with frustration. “I don't know. I guess I wanted to believe that Raul was wrong, and I thought if I could spend some time here among you, I'd figure it out. I didn't like thinking I couldn't trust my own instincts, which had told me to trust you. And if I was wrong, I just thought I could convince you to give me my ring back. Then I'd take it and disappear.”
Tersch snorted. “Not likely.”
“Oh?”
“Jules has had a hard-on for you since the minute you stepped through that door. You really think he'd let you walk off without his say-so?”
“Gunnar, language,” Mrs. Sharpe reprimanded.
“Jeez, Gunnar.” Ava coughed to hide a laugh.
Jules surprised Sheridan by agreeing with him. “He's right. No way are you leaving without my permission.”
“Excuse me?” Sheridan scowled.
“Now this is where it gets good. We need popcorn,” Jesse said in a loud whisper to Olivia.
“I thought the whole point of this discussion was to learn about Ricardo Montaña.”
“And you, Sheridan Keyes. It's very important we know as much about you as we can,” Mrs. Sharpe said.
She didn't miss the satisfaction on the woman's face…or on Jules's.
“There's not that much more to know. My name is Sheridan Keyes. I'm a botanist who can heal injury with my hands. But other than that, I'm actually pretty boring.” Sheridan wanted nothing more than to escape all the drama. She didn't like being the center of so much attention, even if the winds of blame had finally shifted from her.
“You're far from boring, Sheridan,” Jules said in a low tone that made her entire body take notice. “You sated my mating heat with those hot little hands. And the rest of you…” His study left little to the imagination.
“Jules,” she hissed, more than discomfited, especially since she recalled what she'd been trying to ignore. Tersch had witnessed her slutty behavior earlier. Could she possibly be more embarrassed than she was right now?
“Now that is something special, Sheridan. Did you help the other Circs with their mating heats as well?” Jules asked, his voice suspiciously quiet.
“No!” She wanted to sink through the chair in humiliation. “Grayson and Raul didn't want that from me.” Well, Raul had wanted it, but she hadn't desired anyone but Jules.
“I called it,” Jesse murmured.
Olivia nodded in agreement. “I feel it. Can't understand why Jules doesn't, though.”
Sheridan wished she could just up and leave. “What more do you want from me? I told you the truth. I have no idea where Ricardo's compound was because we traveled at night. And when I left, it was under Grayson's guard. Raul just took off one day, and I hadn't seen him until he showed up and shot Morgan. Melissa is your traitor, not me. So why don't you just let me out of here.” She glared at Jules. “And give me back my ring.”
He shook his head and stood. “No can do, baby. We have a few more things we need to discuss in private. I'll talk to you guys later.” In a heartbeat, he'd hauled Sheridan out of her chair and into his arms.
“Quit it. You're always grabbing me.” Sheridan felt as if she were drowning in a sudden wave of sexual desire.
“Oh, man, not again.” Tersch groaned and practically leaped out of the way when Ava reached for his shoulder. “I'm out of here.”
“Wait, Gunnar. I want to talk to you.” Ava followed him out of the study.
“That girl has no patience,” Mrs. Sharpe muttered. “Go talk some sense into Sheridan, Jules. The rest of you, stay here. There are some things we need to do.” Sheridan protested, but no one listened. In minutes, she stood in Jules's locked bedroom with nothing but time, and a rapidly receding distance, between them.
Chapter Eleven
The cell phone felt cool against her ear. “We did it. No, she didn't follow us.
And I just know she healed that asshole Morgan Reynolds.” Melissa Ramirez, previously known as Melissa Keiser, frowned at Raul, not pleased at the way this had panned out. Melissa was supposed to just disappear, not look like she'd been involved in her capture. Now the chance existed that those dickheads at Circ central might believe Sheridan Keyes was the innocent she claimed to be. And if that happened, Jack might put two and two together and not play his part.
And she really didn't need Jack Keiser on her tail. Posing as his wife had been one thing. The sex had been great, but she feared she'd let him get too close. He knew things about her, the way she thought, how she'd react in certain situations.
Having a scarily psychic badass after her might screw everything up, especially since she'd never bought Jack's cover story about quitting the Feds. Too bad her boss hadn't believed her suspicions. As if Jack Keiser would betray his country.
Yeah, right.
Raul and his friends stared at her with hunger bright in their eyes. But nowhere in her contract did it state she had to fuck animals to earn her paycheck.
She hadn't wanted to work with another Circ in the first place, but Lonnie—the great jefe—had insisted. And what Lonnie wanted, Lonnie got. She missed her man, but he had important things to do.
He answered her with a pleased chuckle. “Good work, Mel. From what I've gathered, our security forces are headed down there to help. Sharpe is blaming Montaña for your kidnapping.”
“Then the plan is working out better than I'd hoped it would. Montaña's men burned down the house and tried to use me as a messenger to deliver his threats, personally. Your boy Ricardo wants Sheridan. He's playing with Dawn Endeavor now, but he's going to go for their throats soon enough. According to Raul, he wants the invisibility trait Jules possesses, and he wants to use Sheridan as a brood mare.” Which made sense to Melissa.