Absolution (Honor Guard 1)

She entered and nodded. Yup, all boxed up. The closet doors stood open, and she went to the one on the left side of the room and closed it. Turning to Joseph’s closet, she frowned.

Empty. Just like her life. Why hadn’t he called?

She wished with all of her heart that he hadn’t come back and made her remember how much she loved him. She wished she could go back in time and say the right things in their damn hotel room. Wished she could make him forget her angry words and kiss him until he threw her on the bed and made love to her. Or she’d let him explain the circumstances behind him and the stripper long ago.

But, really, who wouldn’t have thought he’d cheated when he lay naked in bed with another woman? She’d asked her father if he’d done all the things Joseph had accused him of doing six weeks ago. Turns out, her dad had done even more. He’d gone so far as to threaten Joseph with a drug test—and a sure failure of said test—if he didn’t leave her alone.

Yet, Joseph had kept attempting to get to her—until her father had pulled some strings with his buddies in the US and had him sent to Afghanistan on a covert mission requiring deep undercover activities with no access to phones or Internet. He’d left Joseph to suffer over there until he had use for him in Mexico—protecting her. Ironic that Joseph had been sent away so that he couldn’t see Eva but brought back for the very opposite reason.

She hadn’t spoken to her father since he’d admitted the truth to her. He’d left her a message, letting her know he’d checked into the story about the stripper, and it turned out she was in jail right now for drugging and robbing over twenty unsuspecting men all over the country. Just as Joseph had deduced she’d done to him. So, he had told the truth about that, as well.

But why the hell hadn’t he called now that the truth was out?

She stalked toward the closet door, ready to slam it shut, but a shadow caught her eye. There, in the corner of the closet, a floorboard stuck out of joint. She tilted her head and bent her knees, prodding it slightly. The wood plank lifted, and she hesitated before reaching a hand into the dark space below.

Her fingers closed over a square shape, and she plucked it out. When she saw the small, velvet box that unmistakably held jewelry, she gasped. Had Joseph hidden a present for her long ago and left it behind? In her mind, an image of his guilty face emerged as he hovered in front of the closet, and how he’d shut the door when she’d entered. Had he been checking on his secret hiding place?

Dare she open it? Her fingers itched to do just that…but her conscience screamed not to invade his privacy. She sighed and slipped the box in her pocket before searching for her cell phone—the replacement cell phone Joseph had sent her just as he’d promised.

She dialed her father.

“Hello?” he said, picking up after the first ring. “Are you talking to me again?”

“For now.”

“Eva!” His voice bellowed at her through the phone way too cheerfully. “What a great surprise! Are you finished packing all of your stuff for our move tomorrow?”

“Dad,” Eva moaned. “I’m not deaf, remember? And you know I hired movers to handle all of the hard work.”

“You’re all ready to leave, then?” he barked in her ear.

She flinched and held the phone away from her head. “Yes, like I said.”

“Great! I’m pretty much ready, too.” He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “Sorry, must have had a frog in my throat. Anyway, what’s up, dear?”

With caution, she returned the phone to her ear. “Do you know how I can contact Joseph? I have something of his, and I’d like to return it before we leave.”

“Joseph?” he yelled.

She frowned and held the cell at a safe distance once more. Why did he continue to shout? “Yes. I know you don’t like him, but I have to get a hold of him. Help me, please?”

“I have his number, but I have to talk to someone first. I’ll give it to you in a few minutes. Love you, bye.”

He hung up on her, and she shook her head in confusion. That had to be the weirdest conversation she’d ever had with her father. And they’d had a lot of odd discussions over the years.

***

Joseph entered Hugo’s study, eyebrow arched in amusement. “I take it your sudden need to speak as if you were deaf was for my benefit?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, son.”

“Yeah, okay. Eva called? How is she?” Joseph had avoided asking this question, but damn it all to hell, he missed her. He’d sworn to her he would leave her alone, promised not to press his unwanted attentions upon her, but he hadn’t expected it to be so damned hard. Maybe it seemed so hard because this time he knew he couldn’t get her back. He’d told her the truth, and she’d still pushed him away.

Now, he had to ask random people how she had been doing. Had to rely on secondhand observations of how well she recovered from the attack. He knew if he dared to approach her, he would grab her and never let go. No matter if she agreed or not. He’d tried to make it through the whole day without approaching Hugo about Eva, and had almost accomplished it. He’d been on his way out the door when he’d heard Hugo on the phone with her.

Unable to stop himself, he’d approached Hugo’s office, needing one last bit of news about Eva before she moved away from him.

“She’s okay….”

Joseph tensed. “What’s wrong? Is she having headaches? I heard headaches after a concussion are fairly common. Maybe she should lie down and rest instead of worrying about moving.” He ran a hand through his hair, pacing. Images of Eva sitting down, rubbing her temples and grimacing in pain, flashed before his eyes. Her nose probably remained black and blue. “She needs to take it easy. Tell her to calm down and rest.”

Hugo laughed, and Joseph scowled at the man’s obvious enjoyment.

“Joseph, perhaps you should tell her yourself.”

“I told you, she wants nothing to do with me. I would think you’d be happy about it.”

“A few months ago, I would have been. However, I’ve changed my mind. It’s obvious to any idiot—which I am not—the two of you are in love. You only have to make her see it.”

Joseph tried to ignore the hope rising within his chest. Could it be possible she believed him? “She still doesn’t trust me. Even after I told her the truth about that night. Did she tell you?”