Code of Honor

Chapter Twenty-eight

Blair walked Cam to the door and took her overcoat from the closet. She held it to her breasts as if that might keep Cam with her a moment longer. She’d wakened with a heaviness in her chest, as if the air had thickened during the night, pressing in around her with malevolent intent. Foolish, she knew. She just didn’t want their private time to end, and that was natural enough. For a few days they’d been blessedly alone—even Lucinda had been quiet. But paradise was temporary. “Call me when you get there?”

“Of course.” Cam took Blair’s hand. “What are you going to do?”

Blair sighed. “I might as well head back to DC. I need to find out what Lucinda has planned.” She laughed. “She’s actually scarier when she’s silent.”

“Then I’ll see you in a day or two.” Cam kissed her. “Don’t let her talk you into anything crazy.”

“I’ll do my best.” Blair folded Cam’s coat on top of her luggage. “One more thing.”

Cam caressed her arm. “What?”

Blair threaded her arms around Cam’s neck and leaned into her. “I don’t know. Nothing. Just…I love you.”

Cam kissed her. “I love you too. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, you’re always there.”

“For me too.” Blair smiled shakily. Telling her to be careful was needless—Cam would do what she needed to do. “So. You’ve got a plane to catch. I’ll be waiting.”

Cam kissed her again. “Good. Because I count on it.”

*

Sky pocketed her cell phone and walked into the garage where Loren was offloading their gear from the bike. “The meet is set for tomorrow afternoon at a tavern called the Timberwolf Bar and Grill. Know it?”

Loren set the carriers she’d just removed from the motorcycle onto the counter. “Yes. It’s a little out-of-the-way place about twenty miles from here. Why there?”

“Dan set it up. He figured it would be easy for me to get to, and I wouldn’t be gone too long. Plus, in the middle of the day, the likelihood of any bikers being around is slim.”

“I ought to be there,” Loren said.

Sky understood. She’d feel the same way were the situations reversed, and she’d be complaining just as loudly. And Loren, no doubt, would be saying exactly what she was about to say. “No, you shouldn’t be there. It’s doesn’t make good tactical sense.”

Loren jammed her hands into the pockets of her jeans and leaned against her workbench, as if trying to keep from losing what remained of her temper. Sky picked up a rag from a bucket by the bike and started to wipe the snowmelt and salt from the chassis to give Loren a few minutes to get a grip. When she heard what sounded like a growl, she sighed and straightened. Guess not. “Look. You know the reasons why both of us being potentially exposed is unacceptable. I’m not going to repeat them. But, bottom line—I’m your handler, and ordinarily I’d be the one to meet with this Homeland agent anyhow. Just because I’m here doesn’t change anything.”

“Bull.” Loren stalked over, took the rag from Sky’s hand, and tossed it onto the counter. She gripped Sky’s hips, her hold gentle despite the raging storm in her eyes. “Your being here changes everything. You’re a cop, and if anyone in the Renegades, or the militia, or whoever is funding them gets the slightest whiff of that, you’re dead.”

“And the same is true for you.” Sky shook her head, relying on procedural arguments so she didn’t have to admit how much the thought of Loren disappearing one night terrified her—and that’s just what would happen if Loren’s cover was blown. She’d be executed and her body buried somewhere no one would ever find it, and Sky would be left empty and searching for the rest of her life. This was the safest way to ensure Loren’s safety and her own sanity. “The chance of anyone getting on to me is practically zero, but even if it were to happen, your cover would be protected. I could pull out and the mission—”

“Fuck the mission,” Loren said flatly. She tangled her fingers in Sky’s hair and kissed her. “I don’t care about the mission right now. What I care about is you.”

The intensity of Loren’s words, the fierceness in her eyes, left Sky breathless. She wanted to protest, wanted to argue, but how could she when all she could think was Loren cares. Sky forced herself to think, pushing her feelings aside. “I’m not the one who matters right now.”

“The hell you don’t. You matter to me,” Loren said, tracing Sky’s jaw. “And not because you’re brilliant at what you do and tough when it counts.” She kissed Sky softly. “You matter because you’re stubborn and tender and brave and trusting. And because you don’t let me hide. You matter to me.”

Sky pressed her forehead to Loren’s shoulder, feeling anything but competent and in control. No one had ever said the things Loren had said before. She’d known respect and begrudging appreciation from other agents, but she’d never experienced the joy of being special to someone. “I don’t understand why.”

Loren laughed softly. “Maybe that’s one of the reasons.” She kissed Sky again, none of the temper that had been in her eyes apparent in the soft, reverent glide of her mouth over Sky’s. “You’re beautiful and I trust you. With everything.” Loren paused, kissed her again. “I love you, Sky.”

Sky jerked, the words as piercing as a blade. “I—what?”

“I know. I didn’t expect it either.” Loren smiled. “But I do. I love you.” She caressed Sky’s cheek, traced her thumb over Sky’s lower lip. “I think I could be happy with you in my arms for the rest of my life.”

Sky caught her breath, stepped back. “This is…I don’t know what this is.”

“I don’t expect you to say anything, and I know it’s crazy.” Fire flared in Loren’s eyes again. “But no matter what is or isn’t between us, it’s still dangerous for you to meet with a high-profile agent like Roberts right now. Too many eyes on us. Too many people want a piece of this big gun buy coming up.”

I love you, Sky. I love you… The astonishing words, the tender touches, the burning passion in Loren’s eyes threatened to unravel her, and Sky panicked. By instinct she clung to what was safe, what was known—the mission, the protective cloak of the job. “I think we can trust Homeland Security.”

“Really? I never took you for naïve.”

Sky laughed shortly, staying far enough away that Loren couldn’t touch her again. Another caress, another intimate glance from Loren, and her barriers would crumble. “All right, point taken. But in this particular instance, I can’t see how they could have any interest in what we’re doing. I believe Roberts is really here for information, and we certainly can trust her. If you know anything about her—”

“Who doesn’t?” Loren said impatiently. “And I’m not saying we can’t trust her. But we don’t know who else might be read in on this.”

“And I’ll make that clear to her. I know how to protect my operatives.”

Loren’s jaw tightened. “Are we back to that again?”

“That’s never changed.” Sky wanted to tell her that she was so much more than just her operative now, had been since the first, but the timing was so wrong. Loren’s life was still on the line, the entire operation was more complex than they’d ever expected, and there couldn’t be a worse time for them to become involved. And they were, she knew it, but she couldn’t think about it. Right now, the success of the mission was more important than ever—because if something went wrong, Loren could pay the price. Sky wasn’t going to let that happen, and if it meant ignoring what she wanted, what she needed, she would. “You know I came here because this is a critical mission that I’ve spent months, years, overseeing. This is bigger than you and me, and we can’t jeopardize it for anything, including a little personal diversion. I’m meeting with Roberts alone, and you need to concentrate on your job in all of this.”

Loren stiffened. “Well, I guess that makes things clear.”

“Good. Because we do need to be clear.”

“Oh, we are. Crystal.” Loren reached for her jacket and keys. “I’m going to the Rooster. Don’t wait up.”

Sky had made her choice and she had to play her part now. The sound of the motorcycle engine, an angry solitary roar, died into the distance, leaving the garage silent and nearly as barren as the emptiness that filled her chest. She gathered her clothes and few personal belongings from Loren’s bedroom and carried them out to her car. Better to make the break official, especially since she’d be leaving as soon as the operation was over. Since Loren was known not to stay with anyone for long, no one would be very surprised that their short-lived relationship had burnt itself out. She climbed into the car and sat behind the wheel without turning on the ignition. She’d made the right decision for Loren and for the mission, and she didn’t regret it. She just needed to hold on until the pain relented enough for her to breathe again.

*

Arms shaking, Jane pushed the barbell up for the fifteenth time and let it drop into the cleats. Sweat ran into her eyes, and she kept them closed as she groped on the floor beside the weight bench for the towel. She looked up when someone pushed the towel into her hand. Her father stood over her.

“Sir,” Jane said, quickly sitting up.

“I got a call. The federal agents are meeting tomorrow afternoon.”

“You have a location?”

He smiled. “I do, and our local contact was able to suggest a meeting place that will be to our advantage. We’ll brief in my office in thirty minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” Jane said, getting to her feet. “I’ll be there, sir.”

Her father turned abruptly and left the gym. Hurrying toward the shower, Jane glanced at the big clock on the far wall. Less than twenty-four hours. Less than twenty-four hours, and she would have all the ammunition she’d ever need to free her sister. Sometimes wars were won without bloodshed, and if her plan worked, she might avoid it. But nothing was going to stop her from freeing her sister.