“Why wasn’t I where?”
“At the park. With us.”
“You know why. My flight got in just after nine and —”
“No.” Alex shook her head. “No. Why didn’t you come with us? Why did you go to Washington instead?”
Teren took a deep breath. “Alex, I —”
“NO!” Alex was shouting now, the anger inside demanding a target. “Why weren’t you there? You were supposed to be there. You wanted to be part of this team, and I agreed, even though you said it would be dangerous. But when the danger showed up, you weren’t there. Why not, Teren? Why weren’t you there?”
“I had to go to Washington.”
“Why? Why? If you had been here, David wouldn’t be dying. Damn you, Teren, you should have been there!” Alex swept her good arm across half the table sending her plate and glass flying into the wall. “You should have been there!”
Alex stood and walked away from the table, anger seeping from her. Teren waited, knowing what would come next.
“I should have demanded you come with us. I should have made sure we had more back up. I should have insisted on waiting until morning, or at least insisted on a different location. I should —”
“Alex.” Teren stood and crossed the several steps to the smaller woman, placing a hand on her good shoulder. “Alex, you couldn’t have changed anything. This was a set-up, just like when Perry was killed.”
Alex turned on her. “I know that. But I should have been able to stop it. I should have known, and I shouldn’t have let it happen.”
“Alex, you couldn’t stop it.”
“Yes, I could. I should have. I should have kept David safe. I promised Miri I’d keep him safe, and I didn’t. I didn’t.”
The tears finally came, and Teren pulled Alex into her arms. They sat on the bed, Teren rocking the younger woman. She let Alex cry, knowing that the release of emotion would allow the agent to think more rationally. After this, Alex might be able to see that there was no way they could have known it was a set-up. They couldn’t have known they would be ambushed. Most importantly to Teren, Alex might be able to see that there was no way she herself could have prevented David being shot.
Rational acceptance would eventually allow Alex to slowly release the guilt she was feeling, Teren knew, but that would take much longer.
After several minutes, Alex’s sobs became hiccups, then deep sighs, and then normal breaths. She still clung to Teren, and the darker woman continued to hold her, gently rubbing her back, and occasionally stroking her head.
When Teren was sure the tears had fully stopped, she took a deep breath, and kissed Alex on the top of the head.
“Alex, do you want to get the men behind the shooting of your partner?”
The blonde head tilted back until green eyes were inches from Teren’s blue ones. Alex studied Teren’s face for a moment, then whispered her answer.
“Yes.”
Teren could feel the word on Alex’s breath as it left her lips. Without thinking, she leaned down to kiss those lips, surprising herself and Alex. Then she pulled away and stared back into Alex’s eyes.
“Then we will.”
This time it was Alex who brought their lips together, pushing up and back as Teren fell against the mattress. Alex tangled her hands in the dark tresses and pulled Teren’s mouth tight against hers even as she pressed down with her body. Teren ran her hand up Alex’s back, stroking her neck, and weaving her fingers into the golden hair.
For Alex, there was nothing left but this. There was no more pain, no more anger, no more fear. Only Teren, and the feel of her body as Alex pulled her clothes from her. Only Teren’s lips, and her hands, as they teased Alex further into this vacuum of sensation. There was only the touch, the taste, the smell, as Alex felt herself wound tightly in this cocoon of warmth and safety.
Teren had been surprised at the intensity between them, almost afraid of letting it build too high. But this joining was less about desire, and more about healing. Teren felt Alex’s body begin to relax, the rage inside her beginning to calm. As it did, the flames between them rose, becoming a firestorm of sensation that Teren could feel sweeping across both of them. It was a warm and welcoming sensation, as warm as the body on top of hers, and Teren let herself slide deeply into it.
The explosion, when it came, was too much for Alex, and she cried out, arching her body, and holding tightly to the dark woman who tenderly stroked her neck and back, whispering soothing words into her ear. Exhausted, she let her blond head drop onto Teren’s chest, trusting that Teren would hold her, and keep her safe. She was asleep before either of them realized it.
Teren rested one hand against Alex’s back, and used the other to wipe the tears from her own eyes. There was a gentle peace that had settled over her, and while she knew it wouldn’t last for long, she craved the comfort it could give her. After a momentary struggle with the bedspread, she managed to pull it over their heated bodies, wrapping them tightly together. Then she closed her eyes and let herself drift into that peace.
Chapter Twenty-one
Teren awoke with the sun in her eyes. She tried to put a hand up to block out the ray of light, and realized she couldn’t. When she looked down, she found one arm trapped under Alex, and the other hand clenched against Alex’s chest.
Sometime during the night, they had rolled onto their sides, with Teren spooned behind the blond. Alex was still asleep, and Teren didn’t really want to wake her. She looked like she was sleeping peacefully, and that was good. Teren had worried that the younger woman would have nightmares.
The light that had awakened Teren was coming from a small crack between the drapes. It was just enough to tell her she needed to get moving. Today they would have to think about what they were going to do. They had hard decisions to make, and would need to form their plans of both attack and defense. Teren smiled. Once again, it would be a chess match.
But the first thing she needed was a shower. After that she’d see about a rental car. Getting around the city in taxis would be too much of a hassle.
Even as she recognized all this, she still lay in the bed, gazing at the woman who had so recently become her lover. She wondered how Alex would react when she woke up.
Teren wondered how she, herself, should react. She wasn’t really sure. The events of the very early morning had not been planned or even looked for. But they had happened, and they would have to be dealt with. But she hadn’t the foggiest notion how to do that.
With a soft sigh, Teren began the process of extricating herself from Alex. When she was finally free, she went back to her own room and retrieved the soft blanket from her bed. She spread that over Alex, making sure to cover the woman’s shoulders. She stood and watched Alex sleep, wanting to climb back into the bed.
But there were things she had to do. With a shake of her head she walked toward the bathroom in her own room to take a long shower.
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Teren took a taxi to the car rental place, and rented a two door sedan under the name Chris Fleming. It was the same name she’d used at the hotel the night before. From there she stopped into a salon for a haircut. She had been trying to let it grow, but she decided the easiest way to avoid the police would be to not look like herself. If she had to, she could use a blond wig, but she didn’t see the necessity at the moment.
After the haircut, she stopped into the hospital, using the back entrance. Instead of going to the emergency room, or even to the information desk, she got on the elevator and went to the third floor. She pretended to look in several rooms, and when a nurse asked if she could help her, Teren put a relieved look on her face.
“I hope so. I asked about a friend of mine down at the desk, and they said he was in 314, but there are only two ladies in there.”
“Well, they might have made a mistake. It’s a huge hospital, and sometimes we have to change a person’s room, and the note never gets down to the information desk.” The nurse gestured that Teren should follow her. “What’s your friend’s name, hon?”