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Chapter 1

“You’re standing in front of the grid, Jean-Pierre” Fiona Gaines tried to push her warrior away, her formidable Guardian of Ascension, but for all his leanness the man was a rock

“Because you do not listen to me, chérie And I need you to listen I do not think you should go to the christening today”

She finally looked up at hi she avoided as much as she could The vaaze herinto a pile of mush—not because of his enthrallment skills but because he ell, Jean-Pierre

He was tall, a beautiful six-five to her five-ten When she wore heels, she matched him so perfectly that her lips reached his neck, so of course she avoided wearing heels His eyes were the color of stor cheekbones and reckless long golden-blond hair, which he held back in sculpted scraps of pastel brocades, a leftover affectation from revolutionary days in France

But his body was one powerful thrill waiting to happen, a warrior’s body so ers tre hi her hands over every solid inch of him Every inch of him

Worse, however, was that he had a scent that kept her very female body in a state of almost constant arousal, a scent that was completely ridiculous He smelled like the best cup of coffee ever brewed on the face of torlds, yet at the sa so led

A smile touched his lips, those full lips with the upper points that were so kissable Da, since for him she had the scent of a French patisserie The universe could often show a surprising sense of huhnuts Okay, so he said she sht buttery croissants Still

“Fiona” A Militia Warrior across the grid called to her and, thank God, broke the spell

She had to step around Jean-Pierre to actually see Eric “What have you got?”

Her heart rate kicked up a notch She knew Eric well because of how much time she spent at Militia Warrior Headquarters in Apache Junction Two Three others worked the grid, at least four on deck around the clock With satellite hookups, the grid could be ht, searching for anomalies

Central Corid, but they kept theirs fixed on Metro Phoenix Two, hunting for death van

“Sokok Two Thailand”

She rounded the grid, which measured the size of a small car, to join Eric on the opposite side She wasn’t surprised when Jean-Pierre followed after her To his credit, he let her work She had no doubt, however, that the subject would rear its ugly head again

After her release froo, Fiona had been a wo Rith Do’onwa, the main instrument behind the heinous slavery syste home as many of her fellow slaves as possible Out of twenty-two known facilities, they had found six, and brought home a total of forty slaves, all women

Eric had already enhanced the grid and there it was, the signature, so hard to read but fast becoift, she knew that Eric and the other MWs could find the infinitesies that constituted an anoreen, the color of the inside dootten a hit

“Get Gideon on the com” She didn’t need to ask if Gideon and his teao That would have been an insult to one of the Thunder God Warriors, the nickname for all Militia Warriors