Page 33
Ash kept running his fingers through her hair until she relaxed. “You might find something useful when you take a look at the corpse with Dallin.”
“If there’s anything useful to find, Dallin will discover it. The guy is a freaking genius.”
“He’s a freaking something,” Ash said. “Take care when working around him.”
Georgia lifted her head and rested her chin on his bare shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“You haven’t heard the stories about him?”
“I heard something about him being in an experiment, and it didn’t go to plan. He gets headaches because of it.”
“You should pay more attention to the locker room gossip.”
She frowned. “Dallin shouldn’t be the subject of anyone’s gossip.”
“Sometimes, you get the best intel from gossip. You know that.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Okay, maybe I get caught up in my own head and don’t pay attention to other people’s private lives. That’s hardly a crime.”
“No, but you’re only ever interested in the missions we go on.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“I didn’t say that, but you miss out on other things when you don’t take any down time and hang out with friends.”
“Like this, you mean?” She bumped her chin against his shoulder.
“This is great. And we should do it more often. How about every night for the rest of our lives?”
Her expression tightened. “That’s a long time. Tell me about Dallin.”
Ash’s smile was rueful. Georgia was an expert at dodging questions. “Dallin went into an experimental program. It jacked up his brainpower, made him super-smart, and now he can absorb information quickly. It also means he remembers everything.”
“So far so good.”
“That comes with side effects. I don’t think the guy’s had a decent night of sleep since the experiments. It left its mark, and he struggles.”
“Which is why he doesn’t go out in the field all that often?” Georgia said. “I’ve never met an Apexian who doesn’t like field-based missions. You guys live to fight.”
“He used to love it. And he’ll still do it when he has to, but he gets this weird short-circuit in his head that makes him freeze. He doesn’t think he’s reliable.”
“I’ve seen him black out a couple of times,” Georgia said. “Is that what you mean?”
“Yeah, exactly that. So keep an eye on him when you’re working together. And he’s prone to mood swings. Just keep things smooth and calm. Don’t put too much pressure on him.”
“You’re worried about my safety when I’m around Dallin?”
“The guy would never hurt you deliberately, but he’s not always in charge of his thoughts or actions. That can be damaging for anyone who gets too close.”
“Is Sloane safe around him?”
“You’re kidding? He’d kill anyone who tried to hurt her.”
“Huh! He’s into her?”
Ash shook his head. “You really don’t pay attention to the crew gossip.”
“Maybe I should if I missed out on that. Should Dallin be working on the ship if he’s a danger?”
