Radclyffe - Oath of Honor

She reread the transcribed message. Even without the audio to

accent the innuendo, Jennifer sounded like she was coming on to Wes.

The idea of Jennifer so much as touching Wes made her want to kick

down the town house door. She wasn’t jealous—she was furious.

Jennifer was a terrorist, and she’d do anything to achieve her goals—

sleep with Len O’Shaughnessy, seduce Wes, maybe even get rid of

someone she perceived as an obstacle to her mission. Right now, that

obstacle looked a lot like Wes.

“Can you tell where they are?” Evyn asked, her voice sounding

loud above the low steady hum of electronics.

Block said, “Huh?” and lifted the headphones from one ear.

Evyn gritted her teeth. “Can you tell where they are in the

building?”

“The GPS on the transmitter is pretty specific. With the blueprints

we have as reference, I can place them pretty close.” He dropped

the headphones back in place. “Looks like they’re still in the living

room.”

The living room. Good. The front door led directly into the living

room, so if Wes got into trouble at least Evyn could be inside in under

a minute. A lot could happen in a minute.

• 247 •

RADCLY fFE

Her phone rang, and she grabbed it off the narrow counter bolted

to the sidewall of the van. “Daniels.”

“It definitely sounds like a meet,” Cam said. “From what we

can get of the caller’s voice off the enhanced audio, definitely male.

Doesn’t fit the scenario unless Jones handed off the stolen specimen to

an intermediary.”

“That would be a reasonable plan,” Evyn said. “That way, Jones

protects her identity and there’s no link between her and the person

releasing the virus.”

“Except in this case, there is. Which may be exactly why they’re

using an intermediary. Could be they’ve been seen together before or

fear that some other connection might come to light.”

“I’ll buy that. So who’s the intermediary?”

“No fix on that yet,” Cam said. “And we don’t know how many

other intermediaries might be involved. Whoever’s funding this is

probably many degrees removed.”

“Invisible,” Evyn muttered.

“Unfortunately, yes. For now, our job is intercepting the virus.”

“What about Wes—Captain Masters. If Pattee gets suspicious—”

“Doubtful she’d attempt anything tonight—if Pattee was involved

in O’Shaughnessy’s death, she had to have planned it in advance.

The captain ought to be safe tonight, but stick with her until she gets

home.”

“Looks like they’re staying in for the rest of the evening.”

“Good—that makes it less likely Pattee will pick up on our

surveillance. Let me know if anything changes.”

“Roger that.” Evyn couldn’t find anything very good about the

idea of Wes being alone with Jennifer Pattee for the rest of the evening.

Wes had proved she could handle herself in tight situations, only Evyn

wished she didn’t have to prove it in this one. She totally trusted Wes—

she just didn’t trust Jennifer Pattee.

“Got a car approaching…slowing…” Block sat forward and

adjusted the video monitor. “He’s parking right across the street from

Pattee’s town house.”

“Food delivery?”

“Looks that way.”

“Can you shoot a still remotely?”

Block fiddled with some buttons. “Ought to be able to.”

• 248 •

Oath Of hOnOr

“Good. Get me a shot of him and let’s run it.” Evyn tossed her

cell back on the counter and silently sent a message to Wes, urging

her to leave as soon as she could. She’d done her job—more than her

job—and now it was time to let Evyn and the others shoulder the risk.

Somehow, she knew if Wes received her plea, she’d ignore it. Wes

didn’t run, ever.

v

Wes caught the Metro as she’d been instructed and got off at the

stop closest to her apartment. She let herself in and turned on the lamp

just inside the door. She was transported back to the last time she’d

walked in late at night. Evyn had been with her then—moving into her,

kissing her, taking her. Wes shuddered, her skin slick with nerves and

heat. She pulled off her coat and tossed it over the back of the sofa. Her

blazer followed, and she dropped that on the breakfast bar on her way

to get a beer from the fridge. She didn’t bother to turn on any more

lights. She just waited.

Ten minutes later a knock came on the door and she opened it

quickly.

Evyn strode in. “Are you okay?”

“Did you get everything?” Wes asked.

“They’re working on the audio now, but you did good. How do

you feel?”

Wes pointed to the beer she’d opened and left untouched on the

breakfast counter. “Like I can’t wait to get back to the clinic. How the

hell do you do this on a regular basis?”

Evyn laughed softly. “I don’t. I’m protection, remember?”

“Yes, but you’ve been in the field too.”

“I never did much undercover.” Evyn slid her hand around Wes’s

waist and tapped the transmitter. “Come on, let’s get this thing off you.

We need to debrief—get your impressions. We can only get so much

from the audio.”

“Why did Roberts want me to come back here instead of reporting

directly to her at the White House?” Wes unbuttoned her shirt and

pulled her tank up. “Do you really think someone might’ve followed

me from Jennifer’s?”

“No sense taking a chance. This way, to anyone watching, you

• 249 •

RADCLY fFE

finished your date and went home. Anyone following would assume

you were in for the night.”

“Hell of a date,” Wes muttered.

Evyn carefully loosened the adhesive and removed the transmitter.

“What’s your impression?”

Wes sat on one of the bar stools facing out into the living room

and propped her elbows on the counter behind her. “She sent a lot of

mixed signals. She might have been trying to seduce me, but she was

also trolling for information.”

“What kind of information?”

“Mostly about Len. She’s a medical person. Sudden death is

something we’re familiar with. But she pushed a little bit where he was

concerned—maybe trying to see if we suspected foul play.”

“That makes sense if she was party to his death.”

“But why would she have wanted to get rid of him? Someone

would take his place—if not someone from the outside like me, one of

the other docs from the inside.”

“My working theory,” Evyn said, securing the transmitter in her

jacket pocket, “is that Len started to suspect her. Maybe he overheard

something. We’ll probably never know, but for some reason, they

wanted him out of the way.”

“Then I’m no threat.”

“Not unless she thinks you suspect something too,” Evyn said

quietly. “When you’ve killed once, it gets easier—at least for some

people.”

Evyn’s eyes were cloudy, troubled. Wes took her hand and pulled

her closer. “What’s wrong?”

“Sitting in that van listening to you with her—knowing you were

too far away for me to get you…” Evyn cupped Wes’s face and kissed

her. “Made me crazy.”

Wes’s pulse soared. Her whole life had been geared toward taking

care of others—she’d learned to be self-sufficient, learned to stand

alone. She’d never been so critically important to anyone before. Evyn

made her feel like she mattered—right now, in this moment—more

than anything else in Evyn’s world. She looped her arms around Evyn’s

waist and pulled her in tight between her thighs. “I’m sorry if it was

hard for you.”

• 250 •

Oath Of hOnOr

Evyn rested her forehead against Wes’s. “I knew you could handle

yourself—don’t get me wrong.”

“I think we both know we can do our jobs, no matter what.”

“I do. I believe that. But part of me, the part I shoved away a long

time ago so I could focus on getting where I wanted to get, that part was

just a little bit scared.”

“I suppose every time you’re away, in potential danger, I’ll be a

little bit scared too.” Wes kissed her. “But I’ll be damn proud too.”

“Wes,” Evyn murmured, sliding her mouth over Wes’s, kissing

her throat. “I should tell you—”

“Yes?” Wes arched her neck, gave more of herself to Evyn’s

mouth. “What?”

Evyn groaned, her hands trembling on Wes’s shoulders. “I’m

falling in love with you.”

Wes slipped her fingers into Evyn’s hair, drawing her mouth tighter

to her skin, wanting the heat of Evyn’s mouth searing her flesh. “I’m so

glad. Because I’m in love with you.”

Evyn shuddered. “I’m not making love to you again until we’re

in a bed.”

“I don’t have plants or a cat,” Wes whispered, “but I’ve got clean

sheets.”

• 251 •

RADCLY fFE

chapter thirty-One

Cam turned the bathroom light off before she opened the door

and walked quietly back into the bedroom. The room was

filled with a soft gray haze marking the transition between moonlight

and sunrise, that in-between time when night was all but gone and the

day not yet born—when reality dispelled the last lingering dreams.

She found the clothes she’d left out the night before and pulled on

underwear, pants, and a shirt. She slid her ID into her back pocket and

clipped her badge to her belt on her right hip next to her holster. Sheets

rustled behind her and she turned as Blair sat up in bed. “Been awake

long?”“A few minutes,” Blair said. “I like watching you dress almost as

much as I like watching you undress.”

Laughing, Cam sat on the side of the bed and stroked Blair’s leg

through the sheets. Blair was wearing another one of her old T-shirts—

this one with JJRTC stenciled across the chest. A few holes peppered

the front—spots she’d snagged running through the woods on one of

her training exercises. She leaned down and kissed Blair. “It’s pretty

early yet. Are you going to stay up?”

“I’ve gotten spoiled these last few weeks, having you around.

Knowing you weren’t going to be out in the field.”

“I need to be there for this.” Cam settled on the bed, swung around

until her back was against the headboard, and settled Blair against her

side. She kissed her temple. In her new job with Homeland Security,

she was riding a desk most of the time. She was a hands-on supervisor,

though, and sometimes she needed to be in the field. “Your father’s

• 252 •

Oath Of hOnOr

safety is our number one priority, but this kind of incident has the

potential to terrify the nation. We’ll stop it—I promise. But media

containment is almost as vital.”

Blair nodded. “I know. Which is why you’re leading the team

yourself and limiting the number of people who know the details.”

“Yes.” She’d put agents from the Washington field office on

Jennifer Pattee the night before after Daniels and Block left to

follow Captain Masters home. The other agents only knew they were

maintaining surveillance on a person of interest and didn’t need to

know more. The intercept this morning had to be carried out by a

small, select team in the know, and she needed to be there to assure the

details of the plan weren’t made public. Knowledge of a threat could

be almost as dangerous as the event itself.

“I’m not even going to ask how dangerous you think this might

be,” Blair said, running her fingers over the buttons on Cam’s shirt.

“I already know. And I understand why you have to do this. Just be

careful.”

“I will be. I’ll call you as soon as I can, but it might be a while.”

Blair rubbed her cheek on Cam’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about

me. Just do your job and remember, part of your job is coming back to

me.” “I won’t forget.” Cam kissed her. “It’s the best assignment I’ve

ever had.”

v

Wes judged the time to be nearing 0430. They’d need to leave soon

so Evyn could meet up with the intercept team and she could join the

surveillance team and provide medical containment if necessary. She’d

be in a van somewhere, safely observing. Evyn would be in the hot zone.

The virus, if released, would be as lethal as a bullet, although not quite

as rapid. The diner was a public place—and the agents’ body armor

would be no protection at all. She had nothing other than supportive

measures to counteract its destructive potential—no vaccine, no drugs.

Exposure could be a death sentence.

Evyn slept with her head on Wes’s shoulder. She fit into the curve

of Wes’s body as if she’d always been there. Wes stroked the slope of

• 253 •

RADCLY fFE

Evyn’s shoulder. Her skin was soft, warm. Her breasts were firm and

full, nestling against hers in a sensuous embrace. The brush of Evyn’s

nipple over her breast teased her clit, and she tensed with a sharp thrum

of arousal. She tightened her grip on Evyn’s shoulder and held her

closer.Evyn murmured and shifted above her, easing her leg between

Wes’s thighs. Her pelvis rocked into Wes’s and the tight knot of need

between Wes’s thighs grew. She’d come hard the night before—the first

time when Evyn had taken her with her mouth, then more slowly as

Evyn had stroked her, and now she was ready again. Cupping Evyn’s

ass in her palm, she guided Evyn’s leg to the place she needed her.

“I like waking up with you,” Evyn whispered, her lips against

Wes’s throat. She kissed her way up and tugged lightly on her earlobe.

The tiny points of pain sent pleasure streaking down Wes’s spine.

She raised her hips so her clitoris rubbed against Evyn’s thigh. “I like

sleeping with you. I like waking up with you. I like everything about