by Radclyffe
Wes smiled. “They’re used to me being away for holidays. They
understand. You?”
“Ah—I volunteered to take the holiday shifts too. Good overtime,
plus my sibs and I gave my parents a cruise for Christmas. They’ll be
gone until after New Year’s anyhow.”
“So we’re in the same boat again,” Wes said.
“Seems to happen a lot.” People around them began standing and
opening the overhead bins. Evyn realized she was still holding Wes’s
hand. She had to let go, and when she did, last night would really be
over. She slipped her fingers free. The cabin lights came on full and she
blinked. Passengers filed past. Wes released her seat belt and searched
Evyn’s eyes, questions in hers.
“So what’s next?” Wes asked.
“More of the same.”
“Hopefully no more water exercises.”
“No.” Evyn grimaced. “We’re done with those. Probably keep the
sims to half-days and finish up this week.”
“How am I doing?” Wes didn’t really expect an answer.
Evyn hesitated. “You’re doing fine, Captain.”
“Thanks.” Wes grinned wryly at the formality. “Seems I now have
quarters in a residential hotel off Dupont Circle, so I can use the extra
time to move. Got the text while I was in the shower earlier.”
“Need help moving?” Evyn asked.
“I’m fine—I don’t have much. But thanks.”
“Well, if you change your mind, let me know.” Evyn said.
“I’ll be in my office this evening if anything comes up.” Wes
pointed to the aisle as the last passengers streamed off, averting her
gaze. She was a little too tired and a little too sore at heart to hide her
sadness, and she didn’t want Evyn to misread sadness for regret. She
didn’t regret a moment of their time together. “Time to go.”
“Right. Don’t stay up half the night working,” Evyn said,
stepping out into the aisle and pulling Wes’s bag from the overhead
compartment.
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Oath Of hOnOr
“I won’t.” At Evyn’s skeptical look, she laughed. “Word of
honor.”
“I might call you to remind you of that.”
“No need,” Wes said, her pulse racing despite her best intentions,
“but feel free to call anytime.”
Evyn paused, her expression growing intent. “I’ll do that.”
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RADCLY fFE
chapter twenty-fOur
The cab stopped at Fifteenth and E streets, and Wes passed bills
to the driver for the fare and opened her door. Evyn had spent
the ride from the airport downloading mail and answering texts, and
Wes had been grateful not to make small talk. She couldn’t think of a
thing to say that wouldn’t ring false after the last thirty-six hours. “I’ll
see you. Take care, okay?”
“Yeah. I will,” Evyn said. “You too.”
“’Night.” Wes stepped out and dragged her go bag out after her.
The cab pulled away to take Evyn to her car. Wes didn’t watch it go,
although she wanted to. Instead, she hurried to the gate, showed her
ID to the officer, and made her way through the quiet halls toward her
office. The night had a surreal feel to it—everything was too quiet after
what seemed like a constant bombardment of emotional and physical
explosions for days. She nodded to the occasional valet pushing a cart
on silent wheels and to officers standing post, motionless but intently
alert. Suddenly craving the norm, a refuge from the chaos of her life,
she detoured at the last moment and headed to the clinic area. A middle-
aged man she hadn’t met was making notes in a chart at the desk in the
AOD’s office. She recognized him from his file photo. She tapped on
the door. “Evening, Colonel Dunbar.”
He finished a notation, put his pen aside, and closed the file before
looking up. He wore a dark blue button-down-collar shirt, a navy-
and-red striped tie loosened at the neck. His expression morphed from
questioning to friendly and he stood quickly. “Captain, glad to meet
you finally. Sorry our paths haven’t crossed before this.”
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Oath Of hOnOr
“Good to finally meet you. Sorry for the circumstances.”
“Damn shame about Len,” he said, shaking his head. His wiry
iron-gray hair was clipped military style, and his steel-blue eyes were
clear and sharp. “I was on leave—my oldest daughter just got married.
Couldn’t believe it when I heard the news.”
“I didn’t know him personally, but I know it’s a loss.”
He took a breath. “Well, new order of the day. Anything I can help
you with?”
“I think I’ve got things in hand, but I appreciate the offer. Anything
you think I need to know, problems, questions—stop by my office or
call me, anytime.”
“I’ll do that.”
“I’ll let you get back to those charts.”
He gave them a morose look and sank back into the chair behind
the desk. He’d already pulled the next from the stack and opened it
by the time she reached the door. Halfway down the row of patient
cubicles, she nearly ran into Jennifer coming out of one of the treatment
rooms. Tonight she wore olive green pants, tapered and just form-fitting
enough to accentuate her hips and thighs. Her shirt was cream silk and
unbuttoned a tasteful distance at the throat. Her glossy dark hair was
caught back at her nape with a simple gold clip. She managed to look
professional and sexy at the same time. Her lips parted in a wide smile.
“Captain! I didn’t expect to see you back so soon.”
“I just came in to get some paperwork done,” Wes said. “How are
things going?”
“Very well. I was just restocking after our last walk-in left.” As she
spoke, she brushed her fingers over Wes’s arm. “Just the usual today—
seasonal illnesses, a sprained knee from a stumble on the grounds, run-
of-the-mill aches and pains.”
“Sounds like a good day to me.”
She laughed. “I guess you could say that. I prefer something with
a little more action.” She accentuated the last word with a squeeze to
Wes’s forearm.
“How did you come by this duty, then? Somehow, I see you as a
field medic.”
“Thank you.” She colored, her eyes sparkling with pleasure. “I
volunteered, actually. I thought the job was an important one, and the
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RADCLY fFE
experience of being this close to the president is a once-in-a-lifetime
thing.” She moved an inch closer and her hip brushed Wes’s. “And of
course, I get to work with the best medical team in the world.”
Wes leaned back, wanting to telegraph her lack of interest without
insulting someone she’d be working with every day. She wasn’t put
off by Jennifer’s not-too-subtle feelers—workplace assignations were
common enough, even between individuals prohibited by rank. But
even if she’d had a sliver of interest, she’d know better than to act on
it. Yet as attractive as Jennifer was, Wes was unmoved. The m
emory of
Evyn’s body curved into hers, of Evyn drawing her close in the dark, of
Evyn devastating her with pleasure was too fresh in her consciousness.
She’d just sent away the only woman who’d ever made her wish she
didn’t always have to stand alone. She backed up, putting space between
her and Jennifer. “It was good to see you again. I hope the rest of the
night is quiet. Enjoy the holidays.”
“I’ll see you Christmas Eve.” Jennifer’s tone made it sound as if
they’d run into each other at a party.
Wes frowned, calling up an image of the duty roster she’d reviewed
several days before. “I thought you had leave.”
“Oh, I did,” Jennifer said dismissively. “But at the last minute my
sister couldn’t get away, and she’s my only family. I’d just as soon work
than spend the holiday in my apartment. I’d only end up cleaning.” She
laughed. “And my apartment isn’t all that big.”
“Well, I’m sorry to hear your family plans were disrupted.”
“I’m not—I saw the new roster and the substitutions. I’m looking
forward to working with you.”
“I’ll let you get back to work, then,” Wes said.
“Have a nice night.”
Jennifer gave a little wave and walked away. Wes went the opposite
way toward her office, mentally shaking off the disquieting sensation
left by their conversation. Maybe her read was off—maybe Jennifer
was just friendly and outgoing. Wes didn’t quite trust her assessment—
she’d been off target for days. Apparently, she wasn’t nearly as good at
interpreting personal signals as she was at evaluating trauma.
She’d ended up in bed with Evyn Daniels and still wasn’t sure
how she’d let that happen. Oh sure—extreme circumstances often
made people act out of character, but that was a convenient excuse
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Oath Of hOnOr
and she knew it. She’d wanted to be close to Evyn and she’d enjoyed
Evyn taking care of her. She’d wanted to kiss her—wanted more than
that, and she’d made the first move. Evyn had put it very clearly—brief
physical interludes on the job were common, and then it was back to
business as usual. Maybe for Evyn that was true.
Nothing wrong with two adults sharing a few hours of pleasure
and then moving on. Too bad that didn’t seem to be the case for her.
Even now, she couldn’t forget the pleasure that filled her from having
Evyn near, from knowing Evyn cared. She wanted to touch her again,
wanted to be touched. She wanted the peace and certainty that steadied
her when she thought of Evyn. She’d learned long ago not to want that
kind of comfort, and Evyn had made her forget those hard lessons.
Evyn scared her, and that was the real reason she was headed to her
office alone.
v
At the tap on her partially closed door, Wes expected to see one
of the WHMU staff. She half rose when she recognized Cameron
Roberts.
“Sorry to bother you, Captain,” Cam said.
“No—please come in.” Wes walked around her desk and extended
her hand. Roberts, dressed casually in gray trousers and a black sweater,
entered and shut the door behind her. Her dark eyes bore the same
intense focus Wes had seen in every photo of her. Remembering her
from the wedding, Wes suspected the only time her gaze ever softened
was when she looked at Blair Powell. A flare of envy caught her by
surprise and she quickly doused it. “Wes Masters.”
“Cam Roberts. Do you have a moment?”
“Of course. Have a seat.” Wes indicated the chairs in front of her
desk and sat down.
“What do you make of O’Shaughnessy’s autopsy report?” Cam
asked.Right to business. This was ground she understood, and after the
upheaval on the personal front, welcome ground. She needed to get
her head back where it belonged. “On the surface, there aren’t any red
flags.”
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RADCLY fFE
“He was fifty-one. His last physical exam four months ago included
a stress test. That was normal,” Cam said.
“Yes. That bothers me too.” Wes frowned. “On the surface
things look straightforward. An arrhythmia, on the other hand, could
account for sudden death, and there are often no precipitating signs or
symptoms.”
“And no way to tell on the postmortem?”
“Exactly.”
“Could an arrhythmia be drug induced?”
“Of course—although the most effective way would be by
injection, and he’d likely be aware of that. You suspect his death was
a homicide?”
Cam shrugged. “I don’t like coincidences. Len’s unexpected death
happening when we have a security breach is a little too convenient to
ignore.”
“What would be the goal? The WHMU has other capable medical
team members.”
“Could be something as simple as disrupting the flow so any move
against POTUS would be handled less than efficiently.”
Wes had used much the same reasoning when she’d agreed with
Evyn they shouldn’t mix business with pleasure. Considered rationally,
the argument was weak. “Seems like a big risk for small gain.”
“Agreed. The more likely scenario is that Len noticed something,
or suspected something. Assuming he wasn’t our leak and his contacts
decided to eliminate him.”
“Do you suspect him?”
“I suspect everyone,” Cam said flatly. “Except you. But Len—not
really. I’ve been running extended checks on every member of PPD, the
WHMO, and the WHMU. Nothing turns up for Len other than a quiet
affair with one of the nurses.”
Wes straightened. “Who?”
“Jennifer Pattee.”
“Really.”
“What?”
Wes laughed wryly. So much for gaydar. “Never mind.”
“Do you trust your instincts, Wes?”
“Professionally, yes.” Wes thought of Evyn—she trusted her
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Oath Of hOnOr
instincts about Evyn too. Evyn was totally worthy of trust and
confidence, in all ways.
“So tell me what you think about Lieutenant Pattee.”
Wes hesitated, then decided her personal embarrassment was
unimportant. “I had the feeling the lieutenant was more interested in
female partners. I could be totally wrong in that—or maybe she’s bi.”
“Has she expressed a personal interest in you?”
“I thought so. As I said—”
“I’m just gathering information, Wes. As a newcomer, you’re
more likely to make an unbiased observation. Anything that seems off
to you might be important.”
“I understand.”
Cam sat forward. “A puncture site is pretty easy to miss in an
autopsy, isn’t it?”
“Yes—very. And we won’t have the tox screens back for another
week or so. Without some evidence of drug administration, we don’t
have any reason to exhume his body. I’d hate to put his family through
that.”“I don’t want to do that either if it isn’t necessary. I’ll see about
expediting the tox results,” Cam said.
“Excellent.”
“Could the injection go unnoticed by the recipient—say if he was
distracted?”
“Possibly. Airjet injection is nearly painless.”
“Peter Chang was working out with Len the day he died. He would
also have been Len’s most likely successor if Lucinda hadn’t insisted
on going outside for a new chief.”
“I didn’t know that.” Wes tried to see Peter Chang as a traitor.
She couldn’t, but she didn’t see anyone in the WHMU as capable of
betrayal. “This is ugly.”
Cam’s mouth hardened. “We just have to see it doesn’t get
uglier.”
v
“You can pull over here,” Evyn told the cabbie, pointing to a spot
up the street from Louise’s. She paid the fare and got out, jumping over
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RADCLY fFE
a mound of slush at the curb. The snow had stopped but the streets were
still a mess. The wind was wet on her neck—the miserable weather
fit her mood. Her life had gone from orderly and uncomplicated to
confusing and crazy-making overnight. Literally. Hell, she’d gone to
bed with Wes Masters. Worse, she wanted to again. Right now. Her
body hummed like a live wire looking to ground out on the nearest
surface. If she so much as brushed a hand over herself, she’d probably
come. That was a first. She’d always had great control—being sexually
in charge was like being captain of the team. Calling the game, knowing
just when to pull the trigger for the perfect score.
Not so with Wes—all Wes had to do was look at her and she
was ready to explode. The whole airplane ride had been torture—the
sweetest torture she’d ever experienced. Wes had slept on her shoulder,
something Gary had done a million times. Andrea too—a smoking-hot
blonde who usually worked a different shift. Andrea had also slept in
Evyn’s bed a few times, when they’d been coming off a detail in the
ass-end of nowhere and killing time until they could get home. She
didn’t get hot and sweaty and ache to come in her jeans when Andrea
nestled her cheek against her shoulder. She didn’t long to slide her arm
around Andrea and run her fingers through her hair either. Hell, she
didn’t want that with Louise, which was maybe why she was standing
in the foyer of Louise’s building right now.
She pressed Louise’s buzzer. Louise opened the door and gave
Evyn a curious look. “Hi. Come on in.”