Distinguished Service & Every Move You Make (Uniformly Hot!) (12 page)

21

L
ARGER
THAN
LIFE
and twice as evasive.

Mace was beginning to really not like this guy. Not only had he made two attempts on General Norman’s life, he was proving harder to find than a glass of water in the desert.

“Sorry. He checked out sometime before the maids hit the room at around noon yesterday,” the motel owner said from behind the counter.

“Can we see the room?”

“There’s another couple in there. They checked in late last night.”

Mace pulled a hundred out of his wallet and placed it on the counter under his hand. “A call telling them the exterminator needs to get in there should help them decide to move to another room.”

The owner didn’t hesitate. He picked up the motel phone and dialed. A moment later he hung up.

“I’ll have them moved in ten minutes.”

Mace nodded then walked out of the office to join Reece where he stood under the entrance port.

“Anything?” he asked.

Reece shook his head and pocketed his cell phone. “The guy’s off the grid.”

The term meant the fingerprint hadn’t turned up an ID. The guy they were after wasn’t registered anywhere and had no arrest record that they knew of.

He watched the couple in Room 13 exit and the owner hurry out of the office to take them to another room on the other side of the complex.

But it was the sight of a baby carriage that caught his attention.

He stared at the simple blue fabric and then the baby within. The little guy couldn’t be more than a couple of months old. And it was all too easy to imagine the pretty blonde pushing the stroller as Geneva.

His throat choked off air.

“They’re clear,” Reece remarked.

Mace coughed, forcing himself to look at the room and not the baby. “Okay, I’m going to go check it out. In the meantime, I want you to ask for access to the surveillance footage from the night before last when the owner gets back.”

Reece nodded.

“See if you can get the names of the maids who cleaned the room and find out if they’re on the premises, as well.”

“Roger that. You want me to interview them.”

He’d thought of doing it himself, but he was coming to trust Reece nearly as much. “Yeah. Go ahead. See if the guy said anything, or was carrying anything of note.”

“Got it.”

With that, he strode in the direction of Room 13. The owner met him at the entrance.

“I can give you ten minutes.”

He didn’t argue the point; he only needed five.

He stepped inside, blinking against the dimness after being out in the bright daylight. He pulled the cord to open the curtains, careful to visually skim the floor under the window as he did so. The place smelled of baby powder. He tried to ignore it as he gave the room a walk through, then went around again, checking garbage pails. Baby wipes and empty formula bottles.

Damn.

He could have done without the reminder that Geneva was expecting…especially since he wasn’t sure where he stood on the idea of children.

Simply, he hadn’t given the idea much thought.

But to have the decision already made for you…

He dropped to one knee and checked under the first of two queen-size beds. He used the end of a pen to fish out a candy bar wrapper that was unnoteworthy along with a small slip of motel paper torn from a pad.

Now that was a little more interesting.

As he stared at the number written on it, he couldn’t help thinking that he couldn’t have gotten luckier had it said: “Answer here.”

He pocketed the paper then sat down on the chair near the door, squinting at the room. But even as he tried to concentrate on his thoughts and where they were leading, his mind drifted back to Geneva and what the immediate future held for her.

What was he talking about? Long-term was more like it.

He ran his hands through his hair several times then drew in a deep breath.

What was he doing?

More accurately, what were they doing?

In two brief days, he shipped out…

He heard footsteps approach the door. He looked over his shoulder to meet Reece’s gaze. If the other man found his sitting in the chair unusual, he didn’t say anything.

“The owner’s putting together a copy of the surveillance footage now,” he said. “And the maid on duty yesterday is off today.”

Mace got up. “Have him hold on to the footage for pickup later.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. We’re heading to Lazarus.”

Darius had gotten back into town that morning. He and his old friend needed to powwow…

* * *

“
A
SSIGNMENT
IS
DONE
. Successful. We were even paid an unexpected bonus.”

Mace walked through Lazarus headquarters with Darius, trading the offices for the outdoors. Recruits trained on the course but he paid them little heed. His attention was on his friend.

Dari looked at him when he didn’t immediately respond. “The guy’s still alive. That was our job. And we did it well.”

“The suspect is still at large.”

“It’s not our problem.”

Mace’s footsteps slowed. It took Dari a moment to realize he wasn’t keeping pace. Finally he stopped and turned back to him.

His friend grimaced. “Look, I understand how you feel about loose threads. But when we began Lazarus Security, I learned quickly that more often than not, it’s best to cut them rather than follow them through to the end.”

“Because there’s no profit in it.”

“Because there’s no sense in it.”

Mace stared out at the new recruits.

One of the biggest reasons he’s signed up for the Corps was because it was the only thing that made sense to him in a world that made none. There was structure and discipline, a chain of command and a clear enemy. If working in the public sector meant the type of chaos Dari was suggesting, perhaps he’d be better off signing up for another stint, going pure career.

Dari slapped a hand onto his shoulder and gave a good squeeze. “You’ve got two days of leave left. Why not spend it doing something you’d enjoy doing?” He grinned. “Or someone?”

It was Mace’s turn to grimace. Referencing Geneva that way was so off base, it was offensive.

“Aw, hell. Don’t tell me you’re still seeing that pregnant waitress?”

Now he was offended.

“Uh-oh. You are.”

“And if I am?”

“If you are…”

Mace’s cell phone rang.

He fished it out of his pocket even as his friend fished for words to complete his sentence.

Janine.

Damn.

He repocketed the phone, sending her to voice mail.

“That her?” Dari asked.

“No.”

He began walking again and Dari followed suit. Silence reigned as they skirted the training area, the autumn sun beating down on them, the report of gunfire from the firing range cracking the only sounds.

“I’ve released Reece from his temporary contract,” Dari said. “He’s heading back to Arizona in a couple of hours.”

Mace nodded. “Understood.”

He felt Dari’s visual scrutiny.

“Let it go, man,” his friend finally said.

Mace squinted at him.

“Norman has moved on. Job is done.”

He thought of the bit of paper he had in his pocket. The one that would sew everything up. He hadn’t had the chance to tell Dari what he’d found because he’d been cut off at the pass before he had a chance to try.

Maybe Dari was right. Maybe he should just cut his losses and move on. Visit his parents. Take his grandfather out. It would be a good six months before he’d have the opportunity again.

“I’d also suggest you let Geneva go.”

Mace stopped dead in his tracks.

Dari held his hands up. “Hey, I’m not saying anything any other friend wouldn’t.”

“You’re out of line.”

“Am I? Because I don’t think so.”

Mace turned and headed back toward the compound.

“Don’t get me wrong. Geneva’s a great girl.”

Great didn’t begin to cover it, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

“But…”

Dari drew in a deep breath. “But you’re fresh out of one relationship, Mace. At a career crossroads. You don’t know what’s around the next corner much less five years from now. If you hook up with Geneva, your fate is sealed for the next eighteen years plus.”

“That’s a shitty way of looking at it.”

“Maybe. And I sure don’t like saying it. But Geneva’s a package deal. You take her, you take her kid. Life and relationships are tough enough without that kind of baggage.”

“She’s not baggage.”

“Yes, she is. Heavy baggage.”

His back teeth locked together. Outside the choice of words, his friend wasn’t saying anything that hadn’t been hovering on the fringes of his thoughts for the past few days.

Still, hearing them come from Dari gave him a target to focus on.

“Continue seeing her and it’ll only get more complicated.”

He wanted to tell Dari about his and Geneva’s temporary arrangement. Their ruse to pretend they were dating during the length of his leave. But somehow he felt doing so would be a betrayal.

Besides, they’d gone beyond pretend some time ago, hadn’t they? What was developing between them now was very real, indeed.

“Look, I know what I’m talking about. Not that Megan’s pregnant, I don’t know if I’m ready to be a father. Frankly, the idea scares me spitless. And I went in with my eyes open.”

Mace listened.

“Are you really prepared to take on the role with a woman you just met? Be a father to a child that isn’t yours?”

His cell rang again, this time indicating a text.

Geneva.

Will I be seeing you tonight?

He put it back into his pocket without responding, feeling the slip of paper with the phone number on it as he did so.

“Just promise you’ll think about it,” Dari said as they continued walking back toward the main compound.

“Trust me, thinking is about all I’m capable of right now…”

22

T
HE
SINKING
SUN
SET
the autumn leaves of the trees opposite Geneva’s living room window ablaze while a cold wind blew the ones that had fallen around the parking lot, signaling the change of seasons.

She wished she didn’t fear the change of seasons wasn’t the only thing the wind was blowing in.

She’d texted Mace hours ago asking if she might see him tonight. He had yet to respond.

He was probably busy.

He was probably avoiding her.

She attempted to warm herself with herbal tea and sorted through emotions as varied as the color of the leaves outside.

Even when Mace was busy, he managed to drop her a text, no matter how brief. And she knew General Norman had moved on. National news said the guy was now in Chicago. Which meant Lazarus Security was no longer needed.

So the only answer she had for his silence was that he was avoiding her.

Her chest ached in a way that made it difficult to breathe.

Heartache.

She didn’t realize she’d come to expect so much from him in such a short amount of time.

She told herself it had been only a few hours since she’d heard anything. And she was likely allowing her imagination to run away with her. But given the limited amount of time they had left, well, every precious second counted.

She considered ways to distract herself. After all, it had only been a few hours. There was no need to think he wouldn’t call or come over tonight.

Still, for reasons she was ill equipped to identity, she sensed that she wouldn’t be seeing him before tomorrow.

Tomorrow…

Seeing how stirred up she was getting now, well, maybe she should cancel. After all, their original deal had outlived its purpose.

She closed her eyes. What an inappropriate way to refer to the bonds that had developed between them.

“I
love
you.”

His words still filled her lungs like a breath full of sweet, autumn air.

Of course, he hadn’t vocally said the words; he’d texted them. Still, in that one moment, he’d been experiencing the type of emotion that inspired the communication.

And she knew she loved him…

She was unsure when it had happened. She only understood that she did. Sometimes it seemed her body was incapable of containing the enormity of what she felt for him.

And the fear of losing him forever…

The battle raging within her stole her breath away as effectively as the wind.

She blinked to clear the moisture from her eyes. What did she know about battles? When compared to Mace…

The Navy Cross.

Wow.

The one word was still all she could manage when she thought of what he must have endured, what he’d done to earn the award. Not because she was surprised—far from it—but because he’d shared neither the importance of the award nor what acts had merited it.

Her cell phone chimed. She’d left it on her desktop to prevent herself from checking it every few seconds and now rushed to answer it.

“Hello?” she answered without checking the ID.

“Geneva?”

It was a woman. Not Mace.

She swallowed past the wad of sandpaper in her throat. “Yes.”

“Hello, dear. I hope you don’t mind my calling, but this is Mace’s mom? Sharon?”

“Oh, yes, yes. How are you?”

While it wasn’t Mace, she welcomed the distraction.

“I’m fine. How are you doing? And the baby?”

Geneva smiled, her hand automatically going to her belly. “We’re both fine, thank you.”

“Good. Good.”

It dawned on her that she likely shouldn’t welcome contact from Mace’s mother. It would only make things more awkward when they parted ways.

Parted ways…

Her heart swelled painfully against her rib cage.

Not only the reality, but the inevitability of their parting after tomorrow hit her hard.

But she’d known the deal going in, hadn’t she? She’d understood that what they had was only temporary.

Then what was she doing speaking to his mother? Surely she was only inviting disaster.

Especially since she didn’t imagine Mace would appreciate her continuing any kind of connection with his family.

Then again, Sharon believed them only to be friends. So anything that did develop…well, would be between her and Sharon.

Right?

“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting something…”

“No, no.” Geneva hadn’t realized she’d gone silent until Sharon spoke again.

“I can try back again later if this is a bad time.”

Geneva walked back to her spot in front of the window, telling herself it was to enjoy the fall foliage and had absolutely nothing to do with her hope she’d spot Mace pull up. “Now is just fine. How’s Mike?”

“Oh, he’s well. He’s in the other room reading the paper. I just cleaned up the dinner dishes…”

And suddenly, the two of them settled into a pleasant conversation about nothing and everything.

Fifteen minutes in, Sharon circled back. “Anyway, the reason I called was to ask if you’re attending the ceremony tomorrow?”

Geneva briefly bit her lip, wondering what her answer should be. While Mace hadn’t retracted the invitation, his silence might be exactly that. She didn’t know if it was a good idea to continue a ruse that had already snowballed into so much more.

“Yes,” she said softly, unable to deny herself any chance of seeing him.

“Good! I was hoping you would be there. You see, I’d like very much for us to sit together…”

And just like that, Geneva found herself tumbling straight down the rabbit hole…

* * *

M
ACE
SAT
IN
HIS
RENTAL
CAR
outside Geneva’s apartment building, staring up at her dark windows. It was after midnight and he’d spent the better half of an hour trying to figure out what he should do.

An hour? Try the past day.

His earlier conversation with Dari left a bad taste in his mouth.

Had he been irresponsible for getting involved with a mother-to-be?

Mother-to-be…

Such a narrow term to describe Geneva. She was so much more. But the fact that she would be a mother soon, very soon, should have played a larger role in his decision to see her. Strangely, it hadn’t.

Then why was it such a big deal now?

He imagined her in the coming months growing plumper, rounder, softer, sexier. Saw her holding a tiny infant, smiling. But somehow he couldn’t insert himself into that picture. When he envisioned her, her future, he saw only her.

He rubbed his face as if trying to rid himself of his skin.

Still, she deserved better than his silence.

He should have called her. He’d started to several times.

Tomorrow… Was it really his last day in Colorado Springs?

Yes. He left on the first transport out, first thing Sunday morning.

He knew such an acute sensation of…was it sadness? Yes, he suspected it was.

Never before had he not looked forward to heading out. Not because he wanted to escape anything, but because being a Marine was his job, what he did best. And that job required traveling to where he was needed.

And now?

Now the idea of stepping onto that plane left him feeling…reluctant.

Perhaps it was simply because he’d be leaving Geneva behind. There was so much change laying on her horizon that he wouldn’t be a part of. Was that why he was feeling this way?

Whatever it was, he wanted to shake it off. Put on his sweats and run until he wasn’t merely physically exhausted, but mentally, as well.

He should call her now.

He wanted to call her now.

What he really wanted to do was go up there, kiss her senseless then lose himself in a way no run would ever match.

But to do so would prolong the inevitable.

It would give her cause to hope there was going to be more.

Damn. When had something so simple grown so very complicated?

And what was he going to do about it?

His cell phone beeped.

He took it out of his pocket and stared at the text announcement, not realizing he was hoping it was Geneva maybe having spotted him, taking the decision out of his hands.

It wasn’t.

It was Janine.

I’m at The Barracks. Meet me? We need to talk.

He sat for long moments after putting the phone back into pocket. Geneva’s windows remained dark.

Janine.

Not a day went by since his return when she hadn’t tried to contact him, talk to him. Their brief exchange at the bar the other night apparently hadn’t been enough.

So much unfinished business.

He started the car and began backing out of the parking spot. Maybe Janine was just the distraction he needed right now. Meeting with her might help him decide one way or another where his path lay.

As he drove away, he looked up at Geneva’s windows one last time. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw her bedroom light switch on, her silhouette against the glass.

He kept driving…