Oath of Honor Read online

  professionals. Considering the event—Secret Service.

  Neither of them moved as Wes parked behind a long line of

  empty vehicles, exited, and walked toward them, but she knew they

  were following her every step. She couldn’t see their eyes behind the

  unnecessary shades. The sky was blanketed in a thick cover of gray

  clouds, and she doubted either of them had any trouble seeing in the

  flat midday light. Being able to observe without being observed was a

  power play. It probably worked on civilians.

  “I’m Captain Wesley Masters,” she said when she stopped a few

  feet away from them, stating the obvious, as the insignia on her dress

  blues, visible under her open topcoat, clearly indicated her rank. “I’m

  here to liaise with the Medical Unit.”

  “We know all the members of the WHMU,” the woman said in

  a surprisingly full, smooth alto. No intonation. Not aggressive, not

  challenging, not interested. Just the facts, thank you, ma’am. “You’re

  not on it.”

  Up close, Wes could see that what she had taken for glossy dark

  hair was actually a deep burgundy—as if the midnight sky was flaming.

  Barely tamed curls fell to below the crisp white collar and fanned

  artfully around what appeared to be a sharply drawn but distinctive

  face. She’d put the eyes at blue on a guess, but the opaque shades made

  it impossible to tell. The agent had a body under those clothes, despite

  the suit being cut, intentionally Wes would bet, to blunt her figure. The

  tailored lines couldn’t hide the curves of her breasts and thighs—she

  was fit and flinty and quite attractively female. The guy with her still

  hadn’t said anything. The redhead was in charge.

  “Your intel is out-of-date, then,” Wes said, and the agent stiffened

  perceptibly. “You might want to check with your boss.” She turned her

  wrist slightly. 1159. One minute. “If you could do that promptly, I’d

  appreciate it.”

  • 16 •

  Oath Of hOnOr

  One perfectly sculpted brow arched above the flat rim of the dark

  shades. “ID, please.”

  Wes slid her hand into the pocket of her topcoat and handed over

  her military ID card. She smiled. “Here you are.”

  The male agent’s lips lifted in a faint smile. The woman’s face

  remained blank. Beautiful and remote. Wes waited while the agent

  spoke softly into her wrist mic. A few seconds later, the agent held out

  her ID.

  “You’re cleared to enter, Captain.”

  The man turned to open the gate. Wes slid her ID back into her

  pocket. “Thank you, Agent…”

  “Daniels, ma’am,” Agent Daniels said formally. “An agent will

  meet you just inside the gate to escort you.”

  “Thank you,” Wes said. “I’m sure I can find—”

  “It’s protocol. Captain.”

  “Understood.” Wes stepped through the gates and they swung

  closed behind her. She had a lot to learn, and she was out of her element

  on every level. Hopefully the WHMU personnel would be a little more

  welcoming than Agent Daniels.

  v

  “She the one?” Gary Brown asked as the gates swung closed

  behind the naval officer.

  “Looks like it.” Evyn scanned the approach road and the dense

  underbrush growing right up to the shoulders. The advance team had

  been on-site for four days and had locked down the north half of the

  island. Fire roads and beach-access lanes that might provide curious

  onlookers and those with more serious agendas a way to get close

  to Whitley Manor had been barricaded and were being patrolled by

  agents, on foot and ATV. A two-mile no-fly zone had been established

  around the island. As protective details went, this one was fairly close to

  ideal. One access road, no surrounding buildings with line of sight, and

  the only other approach by sea. They had the Coast Guard patrolling

  that. There was even an expansive lawn big enough and clear enough

  to accommodate Marine One, so no motorcade route to secure. The

  nearest hospital was a short helo ride away. All in all, today looked

  • 17 •

  RADCLY fFE

  routine, but that wasn’t a word in her vocabulary. Complacency bred

  error. And she didn’t make mistakes.

  “That was pretty fast,” Gary said. “Getting her on board.

  O’Shaughnessy hasn’t even been dead two days.”

  “It’s not like they could leave the spot open,” Evyn said darkly.

  Except why the hell the powers that be had gone outside to bring

  in a complete novice was beyond her. They already had a field-

  tested, experienced battle surgeon who could have stepped into

  O’Shaughnessy’s shoes without a ripple in routine. Instead, they

  dropped an unknown into their lap. Hell, they hadn’t even been briefed

  she was going to show up today.

  “Is Pete pissed he got passed over?” Gary asked.

  “You know Pete. He’s a team player. But that job should’ve been

  his.” Evyn could be mad for Pete if he wasn’t going to be mad for

  himself. After all, that’s what friends were for, and even though they’d

  only worked together two years, they were tight. They shared a near-

  maniacal need to win at everything, which had been obvious the first

  time they’d played cards on an overnight flight to some now-forgotten

  destination. She came by her competitiveness growing up in a family of

  super-achievers, he by being the first American-born child in a family

  of immigrants. Pete had to be disappointed he didn’t get the job, but he

  didn’t let on. So she’d be disappointed and pissed off for him. “Who

  knows what strings got pulled? It’s a political appointment—probably

  someone somewhere knows someone who owed somebody a favor.”

  “Happens all the time on the Beltway,” Gary said.

  “Yeah, I know.” She rarely paid attention to politics—who had

  time? And if this appointment hadn’t affected her so personally and her

  job so intimately, she wouldn’t have cared.

  “Younger than I thought she’d be,” Gary commented casually.

  “Kind of…interesting.”

  Evyn didn’t react to his not-so-subtle probing. Hell. She

  couldn’t argue. The captain was younger—and way hotter—than

  O’Shaughnessy. She still couldn’t take in that O’Shaughnessy was

  dead. He’d only been in his early fifties and a good-looking fifty, still

  fit and trim. Ran five miles every day. Didn’t smoke, hardly drank.

  Who would have expected him to drop dead in the gym? She’d figured

  his replacement would be closer to his age, not almost two decades

  younger, like Captain Wesley Masters. The navy doctor was a lot

  • 18 •

  Oath Of hOnOr

  more than interesting too. She was five feet ten inches or so of sinewy

  grace, capped off by golden brown hair shot through with sunlight

  and wheat and cut a bit rough-and-tumble around her face and throat.

  The effect was a little casual and a lot sexy. And her eyes, even on a

  gray, overcast day, were heather green. Spring-kissed. Gorgeous. Evyn

  grimaced. She’d rather have to dislike someone wh
o wasn’t so damn

  good looking, but she’d manage.

  “You know,” Gary said, “it’s probably not her fault she got tapped

  for the post.”

  “Never said it was,” Evyn said sharply. Of course Gary would

  pick up on the slightest sign of attraction—the guy was a sponge when

  it came to reading people. Never missed anything. She had to stay

  on her toes all the time or he’d be watching the X-rated fantasies she

  occasionally played in her head to pass the time standing post.

  “Just saying,” he went on, “since we have to work together and

  all. Might be smart to play nice.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. I can work with her just fine.

  As long as no one expects us all to be one big happy family.”

  “Kind of works better when we are, considering…”

  Evyn folded her arms across her chest and made another visual

  sweep of the area. “Then they should have given Pete the job. After all,

  he earned it.”

  v

  The Secret Service agent who escorted Wes to the building was

  silent as they strode up the meandering flagstone walkway between

  snow-filled sunken pools. The manor house rose suddenly from the

  late-morning mist, a sweeping three-story stone edifice sitting high

  above cascading dunes that fell away to the ocean’s edge. A white-

  pillared wraparound veranda, which she imagined was the perfect place

  for summer entertaining, was empty now except for security posted

  at regular intervals along its perimeter. The muted rumble of voices

  carried through the carved wooden front doors as the agent opened

  them for her.

  “Thank you,” Wes said, stepping inside.

  A white-jacketed valet appeared instantly at her side. “May I take

  your coat, Captain?”

  • 19 •

  RADCLY fFE

  She shrugged out of it, said, “Yes, thank you,” and handed it

  over.She continued down a wide hallway, following the murmur of

  conversation into a great room with soaring ceilings and one entire

  wall of glass that afforded a view of the island and ocean. The sliding

  glass doors to the veranda were closed now, but in the summer the sea

  breezes would fill the space. She glanced around, taking stock of the

  guests. She was surprised to see—or rather, not see—many dignitaries

  in attendance. Some of the quietly milling crowd was in uniform, but

  many wore civilian clothes. She didn’t know much about the president’s

  daughter, other than what most of the world knew—Blair Powell had

  been by her father’s side on the campaign trail and, since his election,

  often stood in for him at political events where an official presence

  was required but the president himself was not needed. Blair was the

  unofficial first lady of the nation, and the nation loved her.

  She was also a lesbian, and today was her wedding day.

  • 20 •

  Oath Of hOnOr

  chapter twO

  Blair stepped into the hall with her father just as Cam and Cam’s

  mother came out of the room opposite. Cam looked even

  more handsome than ever—which was saying a lot. Blair’s stomach

  tightened as their eyes met. She’d seen Cam just the night before when

  they’d had a late-night supper with Tanner and Adrienne at Whitley

  Manor. She and Cam had slept apart the night before the wedding,

  agreeing the tradition added to the specialness of the occasion. Twelve

  hours or twelve days made no difference—every time they met after

  being apart, she was struck with the force of their connection. The air

  around her came alive and her heart beat faster. Cam’s gaze held hers

  for an instant, as firmly and certainly as a caress, before moving to her

  father.“Sir.” Cam nodded to the president.

  Blair’s father said, “Morning, Cameron,” and moved a few feet

  away to greet Cam’s mother.

  “Hello, darling,” Blair said softly, sliding her hand down Cam’s

  arm to clasp her fingers. They were warm and strong, fitting hers

  perfectly. Like Cam.

  “Hi, baby,” Cam murmured, stepping close.

  “Any second thoughts?” Blair asked playfully, but some tiny part

  of her was still amazed Cam wanted her, body and soul, forever. Her

  head might have little niggling insecurities. But her heart never did.

  Cam always made her feel completely and totally loved.

  “Not a one.” Cam answered with absolute conviction and gave

  her a look that said she wanted to kiss her. For a fleeting second, Blair

  • 21 •

  RADCLY fFE

  wondered if it wasn’t too late to elope. When Cam got that smoky look

  in her eyes, all Blair wanted was Cam inside her. She supposed there

  was no way off the island without being noticed, though, and tried

  not to sigh in frustration. Cam’s eyes sparkled with amusement and a

  promise. Blair smiled. Cam knew her too well.

  “Okay—it was just a passing thought,” Blair said. “I really am

  looking forward to this.”

  “You look beautiful.” Cam lifted her hand to kiss her fingers.

  “So do you.” Blair was surprised to hear her voice shaking. The

  wedding was important for a lot of reasons, not all of them personal.

  She loved Cam and wanted to say so to the whole world. She wanted

  to wear Cam’s ring and put hers on Cam’s hand. But more was at stake

  today than just their private celebration. Even today, she was not just

  any woman. All her life she’d been her father’s daughter, and she

  wouldn’t change that no matter how hard the public scrutiny had been

  at times or how often she’d chafed under the restrictions. He was the

  president of the United States and his daughter was about to marry

  another woman—with his blessing. Their wedding was historic. Blair

  squeezed Cam’s hand, putting everything but Cam from her mind. “Just

  to be clear, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  “I’m yours, forever. Count on it.”

  “I do.”

  “I do too,” Cam said.

  “I’ll see you downstairs, then, and we can say it again for the

  whole world to hear.” Blair released Cam’s hand and rejoined her

  father. “Ready, Daddy?”

  “Absolutely,” her father said.

  Blair glanced back at Cam and raised her brow. “Commander?”

  “Anything you say, Ms. Powell,” Cam called after her.

  Her steps as light as her heart, Blair laughed.

  v

  “Wes!”

  Wes spun around, caught sight of Emory Constantine hurrying

  toward her, and opened her arms. “Hi, Em.”

  “Hi yourself!” Emory’s arms went around her neck and warm lips

  brushed her cheek. Emory hugged her hard.

  • 22 •

  Oath Of hOnOr

  “It’s great to see you,” Wes said gruffly, her throat tightening.

  Why was it so hard to keep in touch with the most important people

  in her life? She hadn’t seen Emory for months, about as long as it had

  been since she’d been home. She missed Emory like family. Emory

  was family. Wes had acquaintances at work, colleagues she liked and

  respected, people she talked with every da
y. But no one she shared

  with. Emory, and her mother and her sisters, were the ones she trusted.

  “You look beautiful.”

  Wes stepped back, keeping Emory’s hands in hers. Emory’s

  shimmering blue dress brought out the highlights in her dark eyes and

  glossy shoulder-length black hair. She was, as always, utterly stunning

  while radiating complete confidence and self-assurance. Some people

  probably thought her ease, even when surrounded by some of the

  most influential people in the world, came from being lauded on the

  covers of Time and People for her lab’s stem-cell breakthroughs, but

  Emory had been certain about everything as long as Wes had known

  her. Emory never lost sight of what she wanted, where she was headed,

  what she would accomplish. Wes loved her single-mindedness and total

  confidence. Emory had always said the same thing about her, but Wes

  suspected she only looked self-assured on the outside as a result of her

  height and her athletic build and the lessons she’d learned early in life—

  never show fear, never show weakness, and never, ever be ashamed of

  who she was. Poverty had a way of creating dignity; at least it had in

  her house. But she knew it was camouflage. Even all these years later,

  she still wondered where she fit in the world and was always aware of

  what she had to do to secure her place. Her work was her lifeline—her

  security and her satisfaction.

  Emory brushed her hand over the fruit salad above Wes’s heart, her

  fingertips making the ribbons and medals sway against the immaculate

  blue material a shade darker than Emory’s dress. “Look who’s talking.

  You’re downright dashing in this uniform, Captain. I fear I might

  swoon.”

  Wes laughed, and a sandy-haired, sharp-eyed woman in a dark

  suit and coffee-colored shirt coughed discreetly at Emory’s elbow, her

  body language possessive without being proprietary. “I’m standing

  right here, babe.”

  Emory’s face lit up with an expression Wes had never seen there

  before. Pure joy. Emory grabbed the lanky newcomer around the waist

  • 23 •

  RADCLY fFE

  and pulled her close. “Wes, this is Dana. She’s my”—Emory glanced at

  Dana, an eyebrow raised—“fiancée?”

  Dana laughed, a deep throaty chuckle. “Proposal accepted.” She

  held out her hand to Wes. “Dana Barnett. I’m with Emory.”

  “Yes,” Wes said. “I believe I’ve heard your name mentioned a