a while in case the FBI agent woke up. That had been at 8:00 p.m.
She stretched and leaned closer to the bed, peering at the injured woman. In the dim light from the hall, Renees usually deep-coffee-toned skin seemed pale, almost lifeless
Quickly, heart racing, Stark reached for the hand that lay on the covers, folding it in her own. It was warm. She closed her eyes, drawing a shaky breath, as she rubbed her cheek against the backs of the long, slender fingers.
'Hey', Renee said quietly, closing her hand weakly around Starks.
Stark jumped. 'Hey. Youre awake'.
'Kind of. Is there any water?'
'Yeahright here. Wait a minute'. Stark hurriedly poured tepid water from a green plastic pitcher into a Styrofoam cup and fumbled the paper off a straw. Carefully, she tilted the cup and placed the straw between the other womans lips. 'Here you go'.
After a few swallows, Renee dropped her head back against the pillows. 'Thanks'.
'Should I call a nurse? Do you need something for thepain?'
'Nonot yet. Talk to me a little'.
Savards voice was faint but her eyes seemed clear.
'Okay. Sure'.
'What happened?'
Starks heart thudded with anxiety again, because shed already told her the story the day before.That was probably normal. Right?
Patiently, she recounted the tale from the beginning, leaving out the parts about the blood. And how fucking scared shed been, kneeling by Renees side with her hands pressed to her shoulder and the blood that just kept coming.
'Paula?'
'Huh?' she said too loudly, jumping again.
'Have you had any sleep?'
'Yeahlots'.
'You seem spooked'.
'No. Im fine'.
'Good'. Savard closed her eyes.
After a few minutes of watching her breathe, Stark figured she had fallen asleep. Gently, she disentangled her fingers from Renees laid the slumbering womans hand down on the covers. When she looked up, Renee was watching her.
'Are you leaving?' Savard asked.
'Not if you dont want me to'.
'I want you to'.
'Oh'. Stark looked away, swallowed.
'Paula'.
'Huh?'
'Look at me'.
Slowly, Stark brought her gaze to Renees. The room had lightened enough to see the brilliant blue of them and she couldnt help but smile.
Savard smiled back. 'Im going to get wellsoon as I can'.
'I know that', Stark said quickly.
'Noreally. And you cant sit here worrying while I do'.
'Im not worr'
'Go back to work if you dont want to take time off. Call me every day'.
'Every day, huh?' Stark grinned. 'Morning or night?'
'Either'.
'Both?'
'If you like'.
Starks voice was husky when she replied. 'Oh, I like'.
'Hovering'. Yeahpretty much, Stark finally admitted with a faint laugh. 'Yep'.
Blair turned her head in time to catch the smile that even the darkness couldnt hide.Ah ha. Our young Stark has a crush.I wonder
The phone on Starks belt trilled, breaking the silence, and they both jumped.
'Dont answer it', Blair said quickly.
Stark shook head, her hand already at her waist. 'I have to'.
When she heard the familiar deep voice, she was very glad she had.
Chapter Three
'Is she with you?'
Stark leaped to her feet, her body rigid-nearly at attention as she pressed the phone to her ear. 'Yes, ma'am. She is.'
'Anyone else?'
'No, ma'am.'
Stark heard a muffled curse. Protocol dictated that three agents be with Egret whenever she was outside the residence. Stark had known from the moment that they'd left the house that the President's daughter was seriously under-protected, and she also knew that it was her own fault for allowing it.
Thats it. Ill be back doing site prep and background checks by morning.
The process of gathering the information necessary to organize and coordinate any public outing for a high- profile protectee was desk work, and the assignment a death sentence for most agents who coveted the excitement of field duty.
'Put her on, please.'
Stark turned and extended the phone. Blair reached up from her seat on the sand and took it.
'Hello?'
'You turned your cell off.'
'I know.' She turned slightly away from Stark, although she knew that the agent would do her best not to listen.Its not as if she doesnt suspect. Not as if they all dont wonder. But suspecting and knowingare not the same thing.
It was fully dark, the water black now beneath a blacker sky broken only by shafts of moonlight and pinpoints of stars. 'I just brought it along it in case...just...in case.'If there was trouble, I could call for help.
'Thank you for that.'
'How did you know I was out here?'
Across the country, Cam shifted on the sofa, watching the lights of an airplane blink rhythmically as it banked over Washington D.C. on its approach to Reagan National Airport. 'I didn't knowwhere you were. I called the house and got Davis when you didn't answer your cell. She checked upstairs and discovered that both you and Stark were missing. You weren't in the bedroom.'
Blair laughed. 'You didn't really think -'
'No.'
'It's not her fault.'
There was no response, and Blair repeated, 'Cam, it's not Stark's fault. I didn't give her any choice.'
'No, you rarely do. However, that's no excuse.'
Blair ran a hand through her hair and got to her feet. She moved ten feet away and glanced back over her shoulder. The Secret Service agent had moved to within three feet of her. Whispering stridently, she said to Stark, 'Will you back off?'
'I can't do that, I'm sorry. There's just me here and I need to be close.'
'Im fine. Look aroundwere alone. So go away.'
