Darkness Unknown by Alexis Morgan

from some of the best.”
    â€œWe’re always looking for fresh meat.” Jake’s grin was wicked, coaxing a tentative smile from Chase. “If you work hard, you’ll be able to hold your own in no time. And if you lose it with us, at least we’ll understand.”
    â€œSounds good.” Chase shuffled his feet a bit. “I’ve got to do something about my temper. Gwen worries too much as it is.”
    She’d worry even more once they brought Chase into the organization—and hate Jarvis for doing it. He wasn’t the one who threw the dice that cast Chase’s lot in with the Paladins, but that wouldn’t matter to her. All he could do was make the transition from civilian to Paladin go as smoothly as possible for the boy.
    â€œDo you think your sister will object if we use the barn for a dojo?”
    â€œHalf of it is her workshop, but we should be able to use the other side. When can we start?” There was a note of excitement in his voice. Both dogs picked up on it and were dancing around his feet, tails wagging.
    â€œNow, if you’d like. Jake and I brought some workout clothes. We’ll change in the barn.”
    Just that quickly, the shadows haunting Chase’s eyes faded. “I’ll go change and be right back.” He took off toward the house with both dogs at his heels.
    Jarvis watched him go. “That went better than I’d hoped.”
    â€œYou’re doing the right thing for him.” Jake moved up to stand beside him. “You know that, don’t you?”
    â€œFor him, yeah. And for the organization, because we’re stretched so damn thin everywhere.” He stared at the kitchen window, where he could see Gwen talking to her brother. “But try telling that to her.”
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    The muffled sounds of male bonding fueled with heavy doses of testosterone seeped through thewall separating her workroom from the makeshift gym that the two men had helped Chase set up. They’d carried his weight set down from his room and hung up a heavy punching bag from the rafters. Jarvis had assured her that it was an old one that the gym he normally worked out in was getting rid of. It had some sizable patches of duct tape on it, so maybe he was telling the truth.
    But it didn’t matter. She was prepared to turn a blind eye to a little charity if it helped Chase. From the occasional burst of laughter next door, whatever they were doing was working. Every so often, the connecting wall rattled and shook, but she did her best to ignore the noise.
    She finished packing up the orders she needed to take to the shipping office the next time she went into town. After setting the boxes by the door, she cast around for something else to do—something that would keep her wayward mind from thinking too much about the glimpse she’d gotten of Jarvis when they’d been carrying things into the barn.
    Seeing him without his shirt on, his sleek muscles shiny with sweat! Jake wasn’t half bad either, but there was no comparison.
    Another thud against the wall startled her.
    â€œSorry, Gwen! Didn’t mean to shake the rafters that hard!”
    It was at least the sixth apology the three guys had called out. She smiled as she approached thewall, well aware that it was Jarvis standing so close to the thin wall. “That’s okay. Just give me some warning if you think the barn’s going to collapse.”
    â€œYou okay in there?” His voice had dropped, making the question sound more intimate than he probably realized.
    â€œI’m fine.” She put her hand on the wall, as if she could feel his warmth through the wood and drywall. “How’s it going?”
    Silence. Then Chase’s boom box began spewing out music loud enough to scare the bejeezus out of the alpacas.
    After a second or two, she made herself walk away, intent on getting back to business. Then the door to her workshop opened and Jarvis