Darkest Hour Read online

  “We did 5K last time,” he said.

  “How far is that in miles?”

  Jackson smiled. “Pretty far.”

  It wasn’t that far . . . But it was a lot farther than his couch. Or his backyard. His old life.

  Jackson held open the main door for her, watching her pass by in a sleek black business skirt and a white dress shirt, a beautiful yet unattainable young lady. Watching her there, he knew he’d have to find different hobbies other than running. Other than her.

  “5K is probably boring for you, huh?” She spun around outside on the sidewalk, waiting for him, smiling again.

  “No, it’s been good.”

  They had been walking a downtown street in Washington DC, happy for once to blend into the crowds. Happy to be in fresh air. Just happy.

  “By the way,” Jackson said, “Jasper’s in town again. He wants to join us tonight.”

  “Well, good. Maybe it’ll pressure me to do 6K.”

  Jackson chuckled. “Yeah. We’ve got quite the running club now.”

  “So,” she said, waiting next to him at a corner for the light to change. “How are things going with your little club?”

  “It’s not so little anymore. I had another meeting with the guys. All of them now.”

  “Good. Are they all in?”

  “They would have been, even before all this, I think. But now it’s just the icing on the cake.” Jackson crossed the street with her under a chirping crosswalk. “I mean, what the hell else are we going to do?”

  “You’ve got a point there,” she said, striding across the street in her heels.

  When they reached the other side, they sort of just stood there aimlessly. Annica turned to him, confused. “Where the hell are we going?”

  “I don’t know.” He was looking down the street.

  Restaurants.

  Bars.

  Places he’d been to hundreds of times, a few of those times with women.

  “I don’t know,” he said again, sighing. “Your pick.”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Coffee?”

  She turned, walking away. He wasn’t right for her, nor she for him, it seemed, but what they’d been through together still meant he had another lifelong friend, at least. Even if it wasn’t meant to be, she’d opened his eyes to life again, and for that he owed her.

  26

  DARC OPS

  “So, what do you think?”

  Jackson had them standing in a row on the sidewalk, all four of them looking across the street to a vacant commercial space that used to be a law office. Single-story, shabby stucco facade, windows that needed replacing. All of it located in one of D.C’s worst neighborhoods.

  “Well,” Matthias said. “It looks affordable.”

  It was something of an eyesore, as was its old tenant. Word had it that the law firm there went belly up after some disgraceful conduct of its now-disbarred staff. When Jackson viewed the property himself, he saw the angry remnants. Shattered windows, slashed carpet, ripped-out phone wires leaving slanted gashes through the drywall. But he wouldn’t mention any of that today. Instead, he’d let Matthias, Jasper, and Tansy stare at the possibilities. The future.

  “It’ll only get better from here,” Jasper said.

  “How could it not?” said Tansy. “The place is a dump.”

  Jackson was still looking at their potential office. “It’s a start, Tansy. If you can hack as good as you say you do, then it should only take us a few years for some swanky skyscraper on Connecticut Avenue.”

  “We’ll have the top floors,” Tansy said without any hint of sarcasm.

  “Good,” Jackson said.

  “I’ll be happy if we make it till the end of this lease,” Jasper said.

  “So you’re okay with this one?” Jackson asked.

  There was a brief silence. Jackson looked at the men. Matthias in particular was smiling.

  “We’ll support your decision,” he said. “Right, guys?”

  Another brief pause. And then Jasper broke out in laughter.

  “Sure,” Tansy said, joining in. “Like that’s never gotten us in trouble before.”

  “No guts, no glory,” Jackson said, grinning. “That’s what DARC Ops is all about.”

  Who is the woman who will steal Jackson’s heart? Click here to read Dark Secret - DARC Ops Book 1 and find out!

  ALSO BY JAMIE GARRETT

  Marked By Desire - Romantic Suspense Series

  Books 1 - 5

  The Dreamcatchers Series

  Emily

  Keila

  Payton

  Lainey

  Sienna (coming soon!)

  DARC Ops Series

  Darkest Hour

  Dark Secret

  Dark Web

  Dark Heart

  Riley Reid Mystery Series

  Books 1 - 3 (first book free!)

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  A huge thank you to you—all my readers, subscribers, and social media followers. Thank you for choosing to read my books!

  Thank you to my ARC team, for all your support. You’re all amazing!

  A special thanks also to Anette King and Kristine Piiparinen, for all that you do. You are both incredible ladies.

  Come and hang out with me, plus authors Lisa Ladew and Adele Huxley, along with the fabulous badass babes in our Facebook romance group, Books, Babes, and Badasses. We talk about anything and everything, and there’s plenty of yummy eye candy too. Stop by and say hello anytime! You can also subscribe to my newsletter, send me an email, find me on Facebook, or visit my website.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Hi, I’m Jamie. I live with my husband, two beautiful children and three cats. I loves to read almost as much as I loves to write, and can’t imagine anything better than getting to be an author and writing every day. There is at least one cat draped over the keyboard at all times.

  I love hearing from my readers, and feedback is what makes these books better. Please reach out on social media, or send me an email through my website. To be notified about my upcoming release schedule, upcoming promotions and sales, sign up for email updates at http://www.jamiegarrett.com/newsletter/.

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  www.jamiegarrett.com

  Table of Contents

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  1. Jackson

  2. Tansy

  3. Jackson

  4. Jasper

  5. Jackson

  6. Jackson

  7. Matthias

  8. Jackson

  9. Jackson

  10. Jasper

  11. Jackson

  12. Tansy

  13. Matthias

  14. Jasper

  15. Tansy

  16. Jasper

  17. Matthias

  18. Jackson

  19. Matthias

  20. Jackson

  21. Tansy

  22. Jackson

  23. Tansy

  24. Jasper

  25. Jackson

  26. DARC Ops

  Also by Jamie Garrett

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

 

 

 
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