She nodded. “He’s probably asleep, but nevertheless, vehicles out here are unusual. He’s likely to be suspicious about anything he hears.”

Turning in the seat to look at Bri and Ashley in the rear, she advised, “I’ll take point, and when we get there, Nelson will circle around to cover the rear. You two watch my back. I’ll be going through the door first. Questions?”

No one had any.

It took them fifteen minutes climbing up and over sand dunes, skirting low cranberry bushes and scrub, before they reached the shack which they had been identified on the archival museum maps as once belonging to Albert Reims, Stanley Morris’s wife’s ancestor. There were no lights, no vehicle, nothing to indicate that the single-story building was occupied.

As they approached, Reese directed the small group with hand signals. She counted off five, holding up one finger at a time, indicating to Nelson that they would give him five minutes to get into position on the far side of the building before moving in. Once he disappeared from sight, she hunkered down, checked her watch, and drew her weapon.

When she checked her watch again, exactly five minutes had passed. She held up her left hand, the fingers closed. Behind her, she heard the faintest shifting as Bri and Ashley drew their weapons. Slowly, Reese extended three fingers, one at a time. On three, she was up and running.

Reese hit the door with her right foot, her weapon in two hands at shoulder height as she pushed through shouting “Police”. There must have been a sensor on the door, because a blinding light struck her full in the face the second the door flew open. She didn’t even have time to search for a target through the glare. The blow to her chest was so powerful her body was blown back through the doorway.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on her back, staring into the sky, completely unable to breathe. Her chest was on fire; it felt like her lungs were exploding. She couldn’t move her arms or legs, and when she tried to speak, she couldn’t make a sound. The sky tilted and she finally realized someone was dragging her over the sand. Distantly, she heard thunder. Incongruously, she wondered if it was going to rain.

Bri’s face came into view, white and terrified. Bri’s lips were moving, but Reese couldn’t hear her. Her vision was blurry and every sensation was eclipsed by searing pain. She was aware of her stomach and chest muscles straining, contracting violently, as she desperately fought for one breath. Suddenly, air blasted into her chest as if a vacuum seal had been released, and she groaned with a combination of relief and agony.

“Reese!” Bri shouted. “Jesus Christ, Reese!”

Reese had one thought. Only one. Struggling for air, she whispered, “Don’t…call…Tory.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Tory was awakened by the sound of the front door closing.

“Reese?” she said groggily as she sat up. Caroline stirred beside her and sat up as well. “Honey? I thought you’re going to call?”

“Thought…you might…be asleep,” Reese said deliberately as she walked carefully to the breakfast counter and deposited her keys. Bri was behind her, carrying a duffel bag.

“What time is it?” Tory said as she rose, running her hands through her hair.

“A little after 8:00,” Bri replied hoarsely.

Tory stared at the two of them, abruptly wary. Bri was white as a sheet. For some reason, Reese wouldn’t look at her. S he suddenly realized that Reese was wearing only the dark green T-shirt that she often wore beneath her uniform shirt. “What’s going on? Reese, where’s your shirt?”

“Tory,” Reese said gently. “We’ve all been up all night. What do you say we go to bed, and I’ll give you all the details later.”

“Fine,” Tory said sharply, her eyes riveted on Reese’s. There was something very wrong.

“Bri is gonna take me home now, right baby?” Caroline added quickly.

Bri glanced at her in surprise, but said nothing.

“Fine,” Tory said again, not looking at them as they headed for the door. She walked to Reese and rested a hand lightly on her lover’s back. “You’re hurt, aren’t you?”

“Just bruises,” Reese said firmly. It hurt to talk, and she was sweating with the effort to keep her voice level.

“How badly?”

“I’ll be fine after I lie down for a few hours.”

“C’mon then. Let’s get you upstairs.”

Once in the bedroom, Reese methodically unbuckled her belt, unzipped her trousers, and let them fall to the floor. She didn’t bother removing her briefs. The T-shirt was going to be a challenge. When she tried to raise her arms, she grunted involuntarily at another swift surge of pain.

“Let me do that,” Tory said stiffly, her stomach in knots. “Just tell me what happened.”

“He was prepared for us. I took a round, but I was wearing a vest. I’m okay.”

Tory’s heart clenched. I took a round.

“Just hold still until I get this off.” Tory’s voice rang hollowly as she finally managed to lift the shirt over Reese’s head. “Oh my God.”

“Tory…”

“Oh my God, Reese!” Tory placed both hands on Reese’s shoulders, suddenly dizzy. There was a fist-sized bruise in the center of her lover’s chest, the skin, swollen and raw, already darkening to purple. “Why didn’t someone call me?”

“I’m okay,” Reese insisted, putting her arms around her lover. “C’mon, let’s sit down on the bed.”

Tory’s eyes were blazing. “Don’t you dare patronize me, Reese Conlon. Why didn’t someone call me?”

“Because I didn’t want you to be scared,” Reese said steadily. Wendy said you should take it easy. “The vest stopped it. It’s just a bruise.”

“Have you seen Dan?”

“No. I wanted to get home.”

“We need to go to the clinic right now.” Tory’s tone was frigid. “You need an EKG and a chest X-ray. For all we know, you could have a cracked sternum or cardiac contusion.”

“Tory, please,” Reese pleaded. “I just need a little sleep, and so do you. I promise I’ll go later if you still think I should.”

“For God’s sake, Reese, what were you thinking? Look at you!” For a moment, Tory was too angry and too frightened to think. She knew that it was only good fortune that Reese hadn’t been shot with something that would have penetrated her vest. From the location of the bruise, it would’ve been fatal. “I can’t stand this.”

Tory turned away, trembling.

Tenderly, Reese placed her hands on Tory’s shoulders and rested her cheek against the top of Tory’s head. “It’s okay, love. I’m fine. Let’s just go to bed. I need to lie down, and I need you beside me.”

“Yes, all right.” She couldn’t keep arguing with her when she was hurt. They were both too exhausted.

Together, they walked to the bed and slipped beneath the sheets. Tory settled into a comfortable position and Reese fit her body to her lover’s.

“I love you, Tory,” Reese murmured, her eyes already closing.

Tory found Reese’s hand and enclosed it in her own, drawing it between her breasts. Closing her eyes, she held the heat of Reese’s skin against her heart. Softly, she whispered, “I love you, too. You’re my life.”

At Nelson’s, Bri kicked the stand down on her bike and settled her right foot on the ground.

Caroline regarded her steadily, her hands still loosely clasping Bri’s waist. Bri’s blue eyes were almost black, wounded looking. “You don’t have to go right back, do you?”

Bri shook her head. “Not till this afternoon.”

“Come inside.”

Mutely, Bri followed Carre into the house and up the stairs to what was once her own bedroom. “Uh, I should probably take a shower…or something.”

“I’ll take one with you.”

“Okay.” Bri had this strange numb feeling, like her insides were frozen. “Sure.”

They hadn’t been naked together since the last time they’d made love, weeks before, and they were both quiet as they undressed. When Carre stepped close to her and wrapped her arms around Bri’s neck, Bri moaned faintly. “You feel so good.”

“Mmm,” Caroline sighed, resting her cheek on Bri’s shoulder. “Are you gonna tell me what happened?”

“Later,” Bri muttered. The sweet rush of arousal chased the horror from her consciousness. “I can’t think right now.”

“Are you sure you want a shower?” Carre’s voice was husky, and her hips had begun a subtle undulation that was totally involuntary. Her nipples tightened as she brushed her breasts lightly against Bri’s.

“Oh man,” Bri groaned, twitching with urgency. “Let’s jump in fast, because I can’t wait very long.”

Trying to stay connected, they scrambled into the shower and soaped each other quickly in a tangle of arms and legs. They stopped frequently to kiss, their hands hungry…touching, teasing, tormenting. Then, they hurriedly stepped out and grabbed blindly for towels, still exploring one another with their mouths. In another minute, they were in bed.

“I don’t want to hurry,” Bri gasped, grasping Carre’s hand as it slid down her belly, stopping her.

“I can’t do slow right now,” Carre muttered, opening her legs as Bri fit her thigh between them. “I’m already too excited.”

“So am I,” Bri groaned, her lips moving over Carre’s neck, bracing herself on one arm as she squeezed a stone-hard nipple with her other hand. “I’m so ready it hurts.”

Carre arched her hips, pressing hard against Bri’s thigh. “I wanna come.”

“Me too,” Bri gasped, but she rolled off her lover, breaking the exquisite contact.

Carre cried out in protest and turned on her side to face Bri. Her pupils were huge, unfocused, hazy with need. “Please, baby.”

Bri stroked a finger down Carre’s cheek. “Let’s hold on…as long as we can.”

“I can’t,” Carre pleaded, her lids flickering as her breasts heaved with each erratic breath.