Evidence of Passion (Shadow Agents 7)

A flight she wasn’t taking.

“You got close to me because that made you close to Jack. You wanted his attention.” Judging by that bomb blast... “You got it.”

Dylan stalked toward the door. “I’ll get Thomas to take you back to your place. He’s going to have guard duty until your flight leaves tomorrow—”

“Do you still love her?” She hadn’t meant to ask, but the question whispered from her.

She saw his shoulders stiffen.

“This isn’t just about Shannon,” Dylan told her.

“No,” she agreed, sad now. Because she grieved for what could have been. “Because she’s gone, and I’m right here. Only you can’t even look at me.” That was fine. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to look at him right then. “Don’t worry about calling Thomas. I can find my own way out of here.”

He turned toward her. Rachel tried to shove past him.

He caught her and held her in a tight grip. She twisted her wrist. She’d break free easily enough. He wasn’t dealing with some—

“Don’t.” The word broke from him. Pain. Fury. Grief.

So much emotion, but Rachel didn’t think it was for her. It was for a woman long dead.

She’d read the file on Shannon Morgan. Shannon had been working at the Pentagon when she was killed. A woman with a bright future, plenty of friends...

The report never mentioned Dylan. Why? Because he’d been EOD? Had Mercer made sure that Dylan’s name stayed out of that nice, neat report?

“You know I wanted you.” His hold tightened on her. “You know I still want you.”

But he’d managed to keep that desire in check easily enough. Until he’d needed them to be lovers.

Now she knew why he’d reacted so strongly when she’d told him that she and Jack hadn’t been lovers.

Jack and Shannon had been.

“I thought I was so careful.” She wouldn’t let him see how much she hurt then. “But I guess we all make mistakes.” She just kept putting her trust in the wrong men.

“You didn’t make a mistake with me.”

He should try explaining that to the heart that felt as if it were breaking.

“When this is over,” Dylan said, giving a hard nod, “we’ll move forward. We can see where this relationship goes—”

She laughed then. The sound was bitter. Hollow.

Then she pulled her hand from his. “It’s not going anywhere. We are over, Dylan. No more being on a team. No more being lovers.”

He swallowed. “You’re angry. I get that—”

“No, you don’t. I thought you actually knew me, but I was so wrong about that. If you really knew me, you’d realize that angry doesn’t come close to how I feel.” There was too much pain for her to even touch the anger yet. “You’re looking for justice for a woman who’s dead. I wanted justice for myself.” Justice, not revenge. “And you took that away from me.” All of her training. All of her work. “You took it all from me.”

Then, because she would not break in front of him, Rachel headed for the door. With one foot in front of the other, she walked down the hallway. She went straight to Mercer’s office.

Mercer’s assistant, Judith, rose when Rachel approached. Judith’s pretty features slackened with worry. “Rachel, what’s wrong?”

Rachel just shook her head. “I have to see him.”

Judith was normally Mercer’s guard dog. If you didn’t have an appointment, she didn’t let you pass into his sanctum.

But Judith was also Rachel’s friend. She opened Mercer’s door.