Hearths of Fire Read Online Free Page B

Instead, she drank more of her coffee and realized that she actually tasted the flavor this morning. She turned her head, catching sight of the jogger as he kept running down the beach. His form was incorrect, and before too long she knew that his back would start to hurt within a mile. She hadn’t stopped using her workouts to relieve stress, but she’d been afraid to do her daily run in the morning for fear she would keep going and never come back. The itch to resume again was just under the surface—that lingering taste for the endorphins she craved.
    Taking a deep breath, Catori didn’t know whether to be happy or sad that some of those long ago, everyday urges were returning. Instead of feeling either, she closed her eyes and raised her face toward the early morning sun and soaked up what warmth it was providing. It was still early spring and Mother Nature seemed to be having trouble acclimating. She knew exactly what she was experiencing.
    Catori wasn’t sure if she sat on the bench enjoying the early morning peace for one minute or one hour, but either way her coffee was now cool. Putting it aside, she finally picked up the dossiers and placed them on her lap. She traced the outer edge with her finger, wondering what waited on her inside this file. Crest wouldn’t have picked anyone but the best, yet she already knew before looking inside at their resumes that she would nitpick their credentials all the way down to the way they tied their damn boots. She quickly pulled back the front cover of the manila folder before she could change her mind.
    Hours later, Catori shuffled the papers back in order and placed them inside the folder. Eight names, five slots. The more she read about them the pickier she became. Three men were a given—Kane Taylor, Aaron Scott, and Daegan Murphy. The other two slots would have to be chosen upon a personal meeting. That wasn’t to say that she wouldn’t catch the other three in their personal environment. The thought brought her up short. Did that mean she was going to go through with this? Did that mean Red Starr HRT would once again be open for business?
    The missions would never be the same. Catori wouldn’t have Red to bounce ideas off of or tell her that she was being too conventional. He had always told her that she had trouble thinking outside the box, which was why they had made such good partners. He’d been the risk taker as an elite operator and she had been the one with common sense as an operational planner and logistics specialist. Red had teased her endlessly over that and he would be the first to ask her where her good judgment had gone. She wanted to wail at him that had she been with him on that last mission it might not have gone so terribly wrong. What ifs could drive a person to a brutal end.
    As if Red were sitting next to her and urging her on, she thought through everything that would be needed to resurrect Red Starr HRT. The camaraderie would be different and Catori would need to spend time with the men, training them to Red’s specifications. Crest was right when he said that Brendan had been the brawn. She’d need a lead operator, an Alpha male that led from the front, although one who knew his place. He would need to be an apex predator that could take orders and yet exercise initiative when needed. The success of this endeavor would, in large part, rest in whom she selected in this role—if in fact she even followed through with it at all. She would be the one to make any ultimate decisions. The edges of the thick file dug into Catori’s skin as she held it tight with her fingers, oscillating in her decision. Was she ready? Could she do this by herself?
    A large raven flapped his wings as he softly landed on the back of the bench, joining Catori in her indecision. She looked over at the black-feathered bird, usually in search of prey. Was he as tired as she was? Did he need a break, like the two years she’d given herself? She’d been taught at