Oath of Honor

just getting started, and he’d need Hooker’s services again. “You’re

right, of course. What news do you have from DC?”

“Not much. So far the transition hasn’t been a problem.”

Russo grunted, irritated by the unexpected speed with which the

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usually slow White House bureaucracy had replaced the WHMU chief.

“The inevitable disruption may work to our favor.”

“If we move fast.”

“Then by all means, let’s move forward.” Russo glanced at his

desk calendar. December was more than half over. Soon the holidays

would be in full swing. “You have his itinerary?”

“Updated as of this morning.”

Russo smiled. “We might want to advance the timetable.”

“I just need time to brief the deliveryman.”

“Very good. I’ll be in touch. And nice work.” Russo disconnected

and locked the phone back in his desk. His plan was bold and some

would say extreme, but they lived in extreme times. The American

people had become complacent, with economic woes taking center

stage in the public’s awareness and fading memories of a terrorist attack

smothering patriotism. The public needed a wake-up call, and nothing

stirred national fervor like an attack at home. The time was ripe for the

right leader to lead them on the path to moral redemption and renewed

power. He was ready.

v

“Please fasten your seat belts, we’re beginning our descent into

Washington Reagan National Airport,” the flight attendant announced.

“Hey,” Evyn said softly. “Wes, we’re landing.”

Fuzzy-headed, Wes opened her eyes and concentrated on orienting

herself. Airplane. Cramp in her shoulder. Her cheek on Evyn’s shoulder.

She pushed up quickly. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay. You went out fast as soon as we were airborne. You

needed the rest.”

“I slept most of the morning.” Evyn had booked them a late

afternoon flight, and after they’d taken turns showering, Wes had fallen

asleep watching CNN. She’d awakened after noon on top of the bed with

a blanket over her. Evyn had covered her while she slept. Remembering

that small gesture made her shift in her seat until their bodies no longer

touched. She wasn’t used to relying on anyone, and discovering she

liked the feeling of being cared for wasn’t entirely welcome. Especially

when the caring came from Evyn.

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RADCLYfFE

“How are you feeling?” Evyn asked.

“A little stiff,” Wes said, stretching out in the cramped space. She

didn’t want Evyn to worry—or to think she needed looking after. Evyn

had done enough. “I’m okay. I think the downtime this morning really

helped.”

“You were shivering this morning—still chilled?”

Wes couldn’t answer that question. Physically, she felt warmer—

the pervasive cold that had lingered in her body long after Evyn had

pulled her out of the ocean had finally disappeared, but a glacial

throbbing had taken up residence in the center of her being. She ached

inside in a way she never had, even when she’d been a child uncertain

of the future, even when she’d been physically and psychologically

depleted after weeks in the desert. The closer they came to DC—the

nearer the moment when she and Evyn would go back to being only

professional colleagues—the more pervasive the sense of loss. She

didn’t regret the decision. They couldn’t work together and be anything

more than colleagues, even if they’d wanted to be more. And Evyn had

made it clear what they’d shared had been an isolated occurrence.

Wes had made hard decisions all her life and accepted the

consequences, even when they hurt. Pain wasn’t deadly—even though

this hurt as much as anything she’d ever experienced. “Thanks for

handling everything. I owe you.”

“No, you don’t.” Evyn’s voice shook. “I wanted to do everything

I did—including last night. You know that, don’t you?”

Wes covered Evyn’s hand where it rested on the armrest between

them. “How could I not know? You speak beautifully with your

body.”Evyn caught her breath. “You always surprise me in the most

amazing ways. No one has ever said anything as wonderful to me

before.”

“Then they weren’t paying attention.” Wes smiled, steadfastly

refusing to think of the other women Evyn had known. Jealousy was

a foreign sensation and, rationally, totally unfounded. Irrational or

not, she still didn’t want to imagine anyone touching her. She seemed

to have lost the ability to reason when she’d first become aware of

wanting to kiss her.

“Maybe I was the one not paying attention.” Evyn searched her

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memory for a time she’d felt this connected—and feared it so much. She

gripped Wes’s hand. The lights of DC came into view. A wave of panic

slid over her—she couldn’t help feeling as if they were running out of

time, as if she was about to lose something vital without even knowing

it. “Wes—I don’t want you to think last night wasn’t special.”

“I don’t think that. Why would I?”

“I know you must think I do that sort of thi—”

“Whoa—hey. What I think is that we both wanted last night to

happen.”