by Karen Foley
Agent Denton didn’t smile. “They brought it on themselves.” He glanced at his watch. “I have to get going. One of our people will be in touch with you. Maybe I’ll see you in court, okay?”
“Okay.” She took his proffered hand. “Thank you for everything, Agent Denton.”
“Good luck, Sedona.”
She watched as he climbed into his car and drove away before glancing at her watch. It was only midmorning. Had Angel already left for the airport, or was he still at the Lemoore hotel? She pulled her cell phone out and punched in his number, frustrated when there was no answer.
She stood, undecided for a moment, unable to deny the growing sense that she was being ignored.
Or dumped.
But why? When she had left Angel at the hospital, he’d been so determined to get released, to wrap up the loose ends of the investigation and get on the next flight east to be with her. He’d kissed her thoroughly, had told her he loved her. Not once, but several times. And when she’d finally had to leave, she could tell he didn’t want her to go.
She tapped her keys against the palm of her hand. If Angel wasn’t going to let her know what was going on, she would have to find out on her own. She stared across the parking lot to the building where the navy test pilots maintained their own offices. She debated with herself for maybe a second before she set off in the direction of the building.
She found two of the pilots in the office, preparing their flight plans for the afternoon. One of them looked up, surprised, when she entered.
“Miss Stewart.” He rose to his feet. “Can I help you?”
“Yes—” she glanced at his name badge “—Lieutenant Brodie. I’m here about Lieutenant Torres.”
She paused, and he looked at her expectantly. “What about him?”
“Well, it’s just that he’s due to fly into Logan this afternoon, and I was supposed to meet his flight, only I lost his flight number and I can’t seem to reach him. I was wondering if perhaps he contacted either you or one of the other guys with his travel plans. I’d hate to miss his flight and have him waiting at the airport for me.”
The pilot looked dismayed. “Miss Stewart, I thought you knew…I mean…”
“What? Thought I knew what?”
The man made a helpless gesture. “Diablo is gone.”
“What?” Fear gripped her, making her knees go weak. “What do you mean, gone?” She refused to believe it. Aside from his injured ankle, Angel had been fine the last time she’d seen him. The doctors had assured her he would make a full recovery.
The lieutenant glanced around desperately, clearly wishing he was anywhere else. “I mean he’s been reassigned. He came back two days ago, but didn’t stay. He just packed up his gear and said he was going back to the West Coast.”
Sedona stared at the man, unable to believe what he was saying. “No, you must be mistaken, Angel wasn’t even due to come back until today.”
Lieutenant Brodie looked down at the paperwork on his desk and shuffled it, avoiding her eyes. “He came back two days ago. I thought you knew…he said he was going over to your office. He wasn’t gone long, and he came back pretty pissed off.” He shrugged and looked chagrined. “I figured you two had words.”
“Words?” Sedona stared, bemused. “I never even saw him—are you sure it was two days ago? I mean, what time was it? How could I have missed him? Why didn’t he wait, or try to find me?”
“I don’t know, except he was pretty psyched to be back early. I think he wanted to surprise you.”
And then it hit her.
If he had come back two days ago, the only possible reason he could have for leaving without contacting her and for refusing to either accept or return any of her calls, was that he’d somehow discovered her confrontation with the Membership, or how she’d used the photos of him to entrap them.
“Oh, God,” she breathed. “I need to find him. Did he leave a forwarding address? Anything?”
The pilot shrugged. “Maybe, but not with me. You might want to check with his XO.”
“Okay. Where do I find the XO?”
“He’s located down in Newport. We only ever see him when it’s time for our evaluations, or when we’re due to transfer to a new assignment.” The lieutenant opened a desk drawer and took out a small planner. He flipped it open and scribbled a number on a sheet of paper, tearing it off and handing it to her. “Here’s his phone number. If anyone knows where Diablo is, it’s him.”
Sedona took the paper, feeling dazed. She walked to the parking lot, then sat in her car and stared blindly at the phone number, unable to accept that he’d come and gone without even giving her the opportunity to explain what had happened. He’d said he loved her, but apparently not enough to trust her.
Before she could chicken out and change her mind, she pulled her cell phone from her bag and punched in the XO’s number.
“Commander Schiffer.” The voice was deep and slightly distracted, as if the commander had other, more important things to do.
“Sir, I was told you could tell me how to reach Lieutenant Commander Angel Torres.”
There was a brief silence. “I’m sorry…who is this?”
“My name is Sedona Stewart. I worked on the recent Coyote investigation with Lieutenant Commander Torres.” She swallowed against the small white lie she was about to utter. “He…still owes me several flight-test reports, but I can’t seem to reach him. I understand he’s been reassigned to Lemoore Naval Air Station.”
“Yes, actually, he has. Sedona Stewart, you said?” There was a brief pause, as if he was looking through some paperwork. “Ah, yes. I see you were the lead engineer for the engine-calibration tests during the investigation. You say he owes you several reports? I was told he had completed his reports.”
“These are just some small, er, calculations that we somehow overlooked during our initial inspections.”
“I understand.” There was doubt in the commander’s voice. “Lieutenant Torres requested reassignment to Lemoore, and considering he is currently unable to perform his duties as a flight-test pilot, the navy has agreed to assign him as an instructor at the Top Gun school.”
“Oh.” Sedona couldn’t keep the shock out of her voice. “The decision was…very sudden, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, it was. But it made sense to send Lieutenant Torres where he could do the most good. I don’t yet have a duty number for him, but I do have his cell phone, which I can give you.”
Damn. She didn’t need his cell phone number; she already had that. She also knew he wouldn’t answer if he thought it was her calling.
“Actually, Commander Schiffer, I’m going back out to Lemoore to, uh, meet with the investigation team one last time. I could always meet Lieutenant Torres there and pick up the reports I need. That is, if I knew where at Lemoore he was located.”
There was a brief silence. “To the best of my knowledge, Miss Stewart, he’s residing at the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters until he can locate appropriate housing. He’ll be working out of the Top Gun training facilities at Lemoore. I’m sorry, but that’s the best I can tell you.”
“Of course. Thank you very much, Commander.”
“Would you like me to contact Lieutenant Torres and let him know you’re coming?”
“Oh. No, thank you. I’m not exactly sure when I’ll be leaving, so I’ll just contact him when I get there. Thank you again for your help.”
She closed her cell phone, tilted her head back against the seat and blew out her breath in frustration. It seemed there was no other option; she would be on the next available flight to Lemoore.
* * *
SEDONA STOOD BEFORE the closed door of the small apartment where Angel was staying. It was part of a complex of apartments built to quarter unmarried or unaccompanied naval officers.
She had arrived in California just hours earlier and had driven straight to Lemoore. All she’d brought with her was a change of clothes, stuffed into an oversize shoulder bag.
Was he home? What would she do if he wasn’t? And what would his reaction be if he found her waiting on his doorstep like some forlorn kitten? She drew in a fortifying breath. If he didn’t answer the door, she would simply go and check into a nearby hotel and return when he was home. But there was no way she was leaving without confronting him. He owed her the courtesy of telling her to her face that he was no longer interested.
Before she could change her mind, she raised her fist and knocked on the door. For one long, agonizing minute she thought he might not be in, and then the door swung open and he was standing there.
He looked disheveled and tired, with dark stubble on his jaw and lines of fatigue etched around his eyes and mouth. He wore a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, and except for the white cast on his foot, his hard-muscled, bronzed legs were bare.
In the brief instant before his expression changed, Sedona swore she saw pleasure in his dark eyes, and it gave her hope. Then his expression changed and his brows drew together. He raked her with one brief, contemptuous look before he swung away and turned back into the apartment, leaving the door open.
She followed him in.
“What are you doing here?” he growled, using one crutch to shove a duffel bag out of the way.
“I—I came because I had to,” she said, glancing around the tiny room. It was bare of anything warm or personal, containing only military-issue furniture and a small television that sat on the counter separating the living area from the tiny galley kitchen. “I think you may have gotten the wrong impression about what happened in that conference room the other day.” She paused, but he refused to turn and look at her. “Angel, why didn’t you tell me you were coming in early? And, for God’s sake, why did you leave without letting me explain?”
He swung to face her then and Sedona recoiled at the raw fury she saw on his face. “Explain what, Sedona? How you manipulated me? How you—what were the words you used—spent the entire time screwing some guy’s brains out?” His hands fisted on the crutches. “If all you wanted was some stud to help you get your promotion, why’d you have to pick me? We were on a naval base, sweetheart, with squadrons of horny guys, I’m sure any one of them would have loved to play the porn star for you. In fact, Larson seemed like a prime candidate.”
Sedona gasped. “Is that what you think?”
“What else am I supposed to think?” He took a step toward her, his expression harsh. “From the first night at Lemoore, you made it perfectly clear you wanted to have sex with me. I actually thought— Christ!” He scrubbed a hand over his face and turned away again. “Just get the hell out of here. I’m not interested in any more of your lies. Go on.” He turned his face partially toward her, and his voice was little more than a snarl. “Get out.”
Sedona flung her arms out. “So that’s it? You tell me to just get out, and I do it, and that’s the end?”
“What did you expect?”
“Well, jeez, I don’t know.” Her voice was rising and she knew she sounded more than a little hysterical, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. “I expected a little more than a ‘don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out,’ though. I guess I came all the way out here expecting you’d at least let me explain. Let me tell you that what you think you heard in that conference room wasn’t real.”
“It sounded pretty goddamn real to me.”
“It wasn’t! I swear to you, Angel, it wasn’t real. When I told you about the Membership and how they were illegally promoting people—men—based on their sexual exploits, I’d already decided I wanted nothing to do with them. It wasn’t until—” To her horror, her voice broke. “It wasn’t until you called me a coward that I decided I needed to do something about it. I already had the photos we’d taken that morning…” Her voice trailed off, grew small. “I—I was part of a sting operation to expose them. That’s all.”
“And you just thought you could use compromising pictures of me to really stick it to them, is that it?”
Sedona stared at him, and the full awareness of his disappointment hit her. She could see it in his eyes, in the weary sag of his shoulders as he faced her.
“Angel, listen to me.” She reached a hand toward him, but when he flinched, she jerked it back. “Okay. You’re right, I did want to sleep with you, but it had nothing to do with the Membership or proving anything to those men.”
A muscle in his jaw worked convulsively, but he didn’t say anything, just continued to watch her. The fact that he didn’t physically throw her out gave her courage.
“I wasn’t lying when I told you I had a—a thing for you from the first time I saw you,” she hurried on. “But my being with you had nothing to do with the Membership and their disgusting promotion requirements.” She paused and looked away, unable to meet his eyes. “You see, I’d fantasized about being with you, but…” She allowed her gaze to drift back to his.
Angel’s attention was riveted on her, but his voice was cool. “I’m listening.”
Sedona drew in a deep breath. “But I never thought it would ever amount to anything more than that—a fantasy. The reality of being with you was like a dream come true. I was glad to finally tell you about the Membership and why Larson kept harassing me. It was a relief for you to know the truth.”
Angel snorted. “You just conveniently left out the part where you planned to use our relationship to nail them, huh?”
“No! Of course not.” Sedona laid a hand on his arm, and this time he didn’t pull away. “I never wanted to hurt you, but the photos were the only way I could get the Membership to believe I wanted to be part of their club. I should have told you what I intended to do. I wish to God I had.” She gave a small laugh. “Regardless of the Membership, I would have given my right arm to be with you, even though I knew it couldn’t last.”
Angel frowned. “Why couldn’t it last?”
“Well, look at you. You’re every woman’s fantasy, while I’m—well, look at me.” She smiled ruefully.
Angel took a step toward her. “I’m looking, mina.”
Sedona’s breath caught at the expression in his eyes, but she determinedly forged ahead. “The entire time we were together, I knew the day would come when you’d fly off to bluer skies. I just wanted as much of you as I could get in the short time we had. I was glad we took those pictures. I was so sure that eventually, they’d be all I had of you.”
“Sedona—”
“No, please. Let me finish.” She stared up at him, letting her love for him show in her eyes. “When you were up in that jet, and I thought I might lose you forever, I realized how much I loved you. I still do. So if you want to end what we have together, let it be because you don’t have feelings for me, but not because you think I used you.”
To her utter amazement, Angel leaned his weight on his crutches and reached out to cup her face in his hands. “You think I don’t have feelings for you, mina?” There was no laughter in his eyes. “When I heard you in that conference room, reducing our relationship to the equivalent of a quick screw in a dark alley, I couldn’t believe I’d misread you so completely. I freaked.”
Sedona covered his hands with her own, pressing her cheek against his palm. “I wish you had let me explain. You see, I was wearing a wire. There was a federal agent hiding in the room right across the hall, and three more waiting for those men to incriminate themselves before they could move in and arrest them.”
Angel stroked a thumb over her cheek, and there was both regret and relief in his eyes. “I’m sorry, mina. I didn’t want to hear that what we’d had was nothing but sex. You see…I fell in love with you, and I didn’t think I’d have the strength or courage to see you, knowing you didn’t feel the same way.”
“So you left.”
“Yes.”
“But now you know…”
“I know I can’t keep flying solo, mina. I need a copilot, a navigator. But, more than that, I need someone to keep me grounded.”
Tears blurred Sedo
na’s vision as she hugged him fiercely. “I love you so much, Angel. And I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about my plan to expose the Membership.”
“Shh. It’s okay. I should have trusted you. I shouldn’t have left without at least talking with you first.”
Looking up at him, she ran a hand across his stubbled cheek. “You look like hell.”
Angel laughed, and this time there was real humor in his eyes. “I haven’t eaten or slept since I first got on that plane to Boston. First because I couldn’t wait to see you again, and then because…because I thought I’d lost you.” His hands where they cupped her face tightened, and he ran a thumb over her lips.
“You haven’t lost me.” She searched his eyes, letting him see the truth. “In fact, I’m sort of between jobs right now, so if you know of a place where I could hang out for a while…?”
“What happened to your job?”
Sedona smiled into his eyes. “I handed in my resignation before we left for Lemoore. I knew I couldn’t continue to work for the agency, but agreed to complete the inspection of the jets before I left.”
“So there was never going to be any promotion for you, whether you brought back photos, or not.”
“No,” she agreed.
“Then, yes, I can think of a place for you to stay.” He tossed away one crutch and used his free arm to pull her in close. “Right here with me. I love you, Sedona Stewart. I also know that the senior brass here at Lemoore were pretty impressed with the work you did while you were here. I’d be willing to bet they might have a job for you, if you’re interested.”
“Actually,” she confessed shyly, “I applied for a position as senior illustrator for a military magazine.”
Angel pulled back just a little and looked at her with admiration. “I’m impressed.”
Sedona smiled. “I’m just taking the advice someone once gave me, and grabbing my dreams with both hands. All of my dreams.” She reached up to run her fingers over his firm jaw. “I’ve got you now, flyboy, and I’m not about to let you go.”
Angel smiled at her, a seductive slanting of his lips that caused a slow, melting warmth to spread along her veins. “You don’t have to, mina. This flyboy has fallen, and hard.”