“That might be fun to watch,” Angie said.
Kerry gave them both pointed looks, then she exhaled, her shoulders dropping and losing some of their tension. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay, sis.” Angie put her arm around Kerry’s waist, and Michael did the same from the other side as they walked up the steps together. “Did you know the governor knows Dar’s father?”
No, Kerry hadn’t known that. “Really? Small world, I guess.
Oh, wait. He’s ex-Navy, isn’t he?”
“Yeah,” Mike said. “He said Dar’s father is one of the scariest people he’s ever known.”
“Mm.” Kerry shrugged. “I don’t think so; not now anyway.”
“I like him,” Angie said. “And I like Dar’s mom. She’s so funny.”
“Funny?” Michael snickered. “You didn’t hear her talking to Uncle Edgar. He had no idea who she was. I mean, he knew she was a famous artist, but he had no clue. I guess he didn’t make the connection because she doesn’t look anything like Dar. So he’s going on and on about how horrible everything is, and man, she took him to pieces.” He moved his free arm in a slashing motion.
“Whack...whack…whack. Just ripped him to shreds. It was great.”
He laughed. “She told him having met him only confirmed her theory that you should have a license to enter the gene pool.”
Kerry felt a tired laugh emerging and she allowed it. “She’s really sharp. I know that’s where Dar gets it from, but Dar isn’t wicked like that. Ceci goes right for the jugular in small words she’s sure are going to be very clearly understood.” She smiled briefly. “I’m sorry they decided to go back to the hotel tonight.”
She glanced at the top of the stairs. “Maybe we should have too.”
“Hey,” Angie gave her a squeeze, “I know it sucks, Ker, but don’t begrudge us the few minutes we’ve spent with you, okay?
We do miss you, regardless of what the rest of these jerks say.”
They were at the top of the stairs. Kerry stopped and regarded them both, then she pulled them into a hug. “I miss you guys, too. I’ve hated losing that part of my life.” She swallowed back tears.
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They stood blocking the landing in a clump for a long moment, then they all released each other and exchanged glances.
Angie pursed her lips and put a hand on Kerry’s cheek. “Get some rest, sis.”
“Thanks. You too.” Kerry managed a smile, then walked away.
THE RINGING OF the cell phone made her jump. Dar turned from where she’d been standing at the window watching the odd snow fall and went to the side table. She picked up the phone, opened it, and checked the caller id before she put it to her ear.
“Evening, Alastair.”
Alastair released a long breath before he spoke, and that alone put ice cubes in her gut again. “Evening, Dar. How’s everything there?”
“Sucks,” Dar replied succinctly. “Her family sucks, my shoulder sucks; about the only good thing I can say is that her damn father’s dead.”
“Saw the news. They sure put a show on there, eh?”
“Jackasses. I had the Wall Street Journal sniffing at me about those damn contracts. I sent them to Ham.”
“Good thought. Guess they wanted a sound bite.”
“Guess they wanted me to admit I was glad he was dead.”
Alastair remained silent briefly. “Ah. Well, then, I’m sorry it has to be me to add more misery to your night, Dar, but this call couldn’t wait.”
Dar sighed. “Now what?” Her mind ran over the possibilities and she didn’t like any of them.
“Just got off the phone with the general,” Alastair said. “It’s gotten public that Stuart had that information.”
Dar’s eyes closed. “How did that happen?”
“Someone told someone, who told someone else. You know how it is.”
“Shit.”
“Mm.” Alastair sounded more resigned than upset. “I’d say that describes this entire situation to a T. But regardless, the deal’s off if that stuff’s still out there, and apparently the general’s heard it is.”
Dar was silent, her eyes focused on the soft pastel wall opposite her. “Well, it’s there somewhere, since I gave it to him and I doubt he burned it. Want my resignation in person or via a letter?
I can’t change what I did.” Her throat caught a little on the words.
“I’m not even sure I could say I’d do it any differently, even now.”
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chance you could get those papers back? I mean, you’re right there, Dar. I’m sure he kept them close. If those were recovered, the general said he’d be all right, I think.”
“He probably made copies.”
“Dar, don’t make it more complicated than it is,” Alastair said. “If he said he’d be satisfied with the damn papers, then let’s give them to him, all right?”
She accepted the fact that he hadn’t rejected her offer of resignation with a curious sense of personal loss, mixed with a rueful pride that at the very least, she’d done it her way. “I doubt I could find them, Alastair. People are crawling all over this place. I’m sure my rummaging through his office won’t be a viable option.”
“I see.” Alastair sighed. “Well, tell you what, Dar. Why don’t you come see me after this whole thing is over, hm? Just let Bea know when you’re headed out.”
Dar’s chest tightened. “Okay.” She managed to keep her voice even. “I will.”
“Goodnight, Dar. Take care.” Alastair’s tone gentled. “And give Kerrison my sympathies, too, hm? She looked a bit put upon on the tube.”
“Okay. I will. Thanks, Alastair.” Dar closed the phone and stared at it, then she simply shook her head and tossed it onto the table. Now what? She’d thought they were okay, and now…
Well, hell. “Screw it. Screw them, screw Gerry, screw it all.
This is one damned decision I refuse to regret,” she announced to the uncaring green walls. “All of them can kiss my ass.”
She walked to the window and watched the damn snow fall as she waited, trying to dismiss the conversation from her mind.
Kerry didn’t need to deal with all this now. Neither of them needed to. They’d get out of there, and go home and then…
There’d be plenty of time for them to think about it later.
KERRY TRUDGED DOWN the hallway and reached the door to their room with a sense of definite, finely drawn relief. She turned the knob and poked her head inside, finding pale blue eyes alertly watching her from the bed. “Hey.” She entered and closed the door, then leaned against it. Dar was sprawled on one side of the plush, canopied bed, her laptop resting on her thighs and her dark hair in appealing disarray.
“Hey,” Dar replied. “I was about to come looking for you.”
Kerry had to smile. “Like that?” She indicated her lover’s state of undress.
“Mmhm.” Dar nodded. “Barefoot and all. I figured I couldn’t possibly attract any more attention than I already had today, so
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what the hell?” She held out a hand. “C’mere.”
Kerry shed her shoes on the way to the bed as Dar shifted the laptop, and they somehow ended up in a warm tangle of limbs and bedding in the middle of the comforter.
“Uhrg,” Kerry groaned.
Dar pulled her closer and rubbed her back with her fingertips. “Kerry, Kerry, Kerry,” she murmured on a breath. “It’s over, sweetheart. It’s over and done with.”
Kerry kept her eyes closed and went almost limp, just absorbing the feel and scent of her lover. “We’re leaving in the morning.
We’re going back to the hotel, getting Mom and Dad, going to the airport, and getting on the first plane larger than a crop duster headed south.”
Dar smiled faintly. “You got it.”
“And I’m never coming back here again,” Kerry whispered.
“Ever.”
Dar just hugged her closer.
“Ker?”
“Mm?”
“You want to take that dress off?”
“No. Do you?”
Dar studied the figure curled up in her arms, her face buried into Dar’s nightshirt. “Well,” she smoothed Kerry’s hair a bit,
“normally I’d jump at the chance, but I’m kinda handicapped on that side.”
Kerry slowly lifted her head, her eyebrows scrunching together as she blinked in the dim light. “Oh, damn. I’m sorry.”
She peered at Dar’s chest. “Why didn’t you say something? I must have been killing you.”
“Nah.” Dar shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt when you press there.” She patted the front of her shoulder. “Only when I lift my arm up.”
“Mmph.” Kerry raked her hair back out of her eyes, rolled onto her side, and gazed down at her now rumpled clothing with a look of sleepy displeasure. “Yeah, I guess I’d better. Damn thing’s uncomfortable as heck anyway.” She squirmed off the bed and stood up, then unzipped the back of her dress and pulled it over her head.
Dar merely sat back, enjoying the view. Kerry had a gorgeous back, a cute little V shape that sloped cleanly down from her compact, but smoothly muscular shoulders, then flared lightly through her slim hips and powerful, lean legs. She had a faint golden tan, and the low lamplight caused shadows to form across her skin as the muscles moved visibly under it.
She could see tension there, too, though. “Aspirin’s in the 156
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right front pocket of my bag, if you want.”
Kerry paused in the act of pulling on her Tweety T-shirt. “Did you take your drugs?”
Dar nodded. “Oh yeah.”
Kerry finished pulling down the soft cotton fabric, then fished the bottle of aspirin out of Dar’s bag, along with her bottle of water. “Did I ever mention how much I love how prepared you always are?” She swallowed a few tablets and took a sip of the water. “How did everything work out with the lines in Chicago?”
Dar grimaced. “Maybe we should change planes there tomorrow instead of Detroit, so I can go and kick that bastard’s ass in person.”
Kerry smiled as she trudged back to the bed and climbed back into it. “No, sweetie. You’re going back to Miami with me, and right to Dr. Steve’s.” She laid a finger on Dar’s nose. “He’s going to spank you.”
Pale blue eyes mildly regarded her. “All right, but you’re coming with me. While he’s taking pictures of my insides, he can run some tests on yours.”
Kerry took a breath, obviously caught by surprise. “I don’t think I…”
Dar lifted an eyebrow and smirked.
Kerry sighed, dropping her gaze, then she returned the smile.
“Okay.” She crawled over Dar’s body and nudged her to the left.
“Move over. I don’t want to take chances.” She waited for Dar to comply, then snuggled against her lover’s right side and put her head on her shoulder.
Dar gently massaged the tight muscles in Kerry’s back. A warm puff of air penetrated the fabric on her chest, and she glanced down to see a somber, bleak expression on Kerry’s face.
“Hey.”
Kerry blinked, and a few tears rolled down her cheek to soak Dar’s shirt. “I’m so tired,” she breathed. “My soul hurts, Dar.
Those people trampled all over it.”
At a loss for words, Dar relied on touch instead. She pulled Kerry closer and cuddled with her, wincing as she brought her other arm over to stroke Kerry’s face with light fingertips, catching the tears that continued to fall and brushing them aside.
“Don’t let them get to you, Ker,” she finally said, very softly.
“They’re just assholes.”
Kerry drew in a shaky breath and sniffled. “I know. I just feel like I spent the day as an archery target.” She spread one hand out flat against Dar’s stomach and absorbed the warmth of her skin as it moved with Dar’s breathing. “I feel as bruised as you look.”
“Well,” Dar tenderly kissed her on the head, “we’re both
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gonna head south to heal, then.” Kerry relaxed against her as the tension eased from her body. “You know I felt like taking out a fire hose and spraying that room tonight, doncha?”
Kerry remained very quiet for a moment, then she gave up a surprising giggle.
“Yeah,” Dar went on, her voice a low drawl, “I would have loved to just blast those suckers right down and watch them slip and slide and crack their asses on that parquet floor.”
That image elicited another giggle. Kerry sniffled, rested her chin on Dar’s chest, and gazed up at her through tear filled eyes.
“Can I tell you something?”
“Sure.” Dar gently wiped her face.
“I love you.”
Dar hugged her again. “I love you, too.”
Kerry exhaled and put her head back down. “You know what the worst thing was?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“Kyle?”
Kerry nodded against her shoulder. “Yeah.”
“The rest of them are just ignorant bastards. Him, I’d like to put a rifle bullet through.” Dar’s temper rose a little, and her nostrils flared.
Kerry slid her hand under Dar’s shirt and stroked her thigh.
The muscles were tense, and she rubbed her thumb in a tiny circle over them as she considered Dar’s words. Seeing Kyle had been a definitely unpleasant shock. It had brought back a lot of bad memories she’d consciously pushed out of her consideration after she’d broken most ties with her family and thrown herself into her new life with Dar.
It had been easier that way. After all, she had in truth left that part of her past behind her, and the reassuring solidity of her relationship with Dar, along with her ever expanding new job, had filled her wants and needs quite nicely, thank you.
It hit her suddenly. Kerry went very still and almost stopped breathing.
He was gone. Her father was gone.
Her world reversed and turned upside down as an unseen weight came off her. She was aware of Dar’s snug hold, but she floated in limbo for a long moment as she adjusted to a new reality.
He was gone.
Kerry closed her eyes, and all the tension drained out of her, leaving her limp as a dishrag draped comfortably over Dar’s tall frame. Sleep gently overtook her, refusing to erase the smile that now shaped her lips.
THE STUDY WAS full of frazzled looking frustrated men and women. Kyle entered, closed the door, stripped off his coat, and tossed it over the tall back of the chair near the desk. “Anything?”
he asked the two men behind the large, square desk.
“No, sir.” The younger of the two looked up. “Sir, is there any point to this anymore?”