Rebel Charm by Patricia Rice

Author:Patricia Rice
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ePublishing Works!
Published: 2013-02-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

"McCloud?"

The gruff voice sounded as commanding as ever. Standing beside his desk, TJ relaxed his grinding back teeth enough to respond. "Colonel. I'm a little short-handed down here, but my new assistant said you called."

He ignored the wadded paper napkin Mara flung at him from the worktable.

"Your family told me where to find you. What in hell are you doing in that back hole? I thought you were in Africa until I saw you on the news the other night."

Well, that explained why the colonel hadn't called until TJ's little contretemps with Mara hit the television news. Grimacing, TJ flung the napkin back. "A little R&R, visiting the family. Needed a little time off."

"Can't say I blame you. I'd like a little of the same if I could get these damned media hounds off my back. Saw you've got some movie set down there, so you must know what they're like. Anything for a story. They've been on my doorstep night and day."

The colonel was never this loquacious. TJ tensed again. "The film crew brings them in," he agreed cautiously.

"None of them bothering you about me, are they? I'd hate to see a friend dragged into this."

"Looks like you've got yourself a little mess," TJ answered evasively. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Not that I know of, boy. Stay out of it, if you can. Go back to Africa where they can't find you. It will all blow over soon."

"Right. I'm considering a Mexican contract, down in Yucatan, so I'll be out of touch. Let me know if I can do anything before I leave."

TJ let the colonel hang up first, then slowly lowered the receiver. Concentrating on his thoughts, he almost jumped when Mara covered his hand with a warm palm.

"Is he still your friend?" she whispered anxiously.

TJ wrapped his callused fingers around her manicured ones, glad to have a real friend to help him through this. Mara might have changed physically, but he trusted her innate honesty. Perhaps he'd gone ballistic over the court order, but once he'd calmed down, he'd believed that it was her ex's fault, not hers.

Filling his lungs, he processed his conversation with the colonel a second time. Confirming what he'd thought the first round, he shook his head. "He was telling me to get out of town."

"That means he's protecting you, doesn't it?"

Gad, even after all these years, she was still a cock-eyed optimist. He didn't want her involved in this. But he'd never been less than honest with her, either. "No, that means he's protecting his ass. A few months ago, he ordered me to destroy boxes that might contain evidence against him, and he doesn't want me testifying to that."

He'd trusted Martin, admired him, followed him into the hell of war zones. He still couldn't believe the man had been using the power of his position to rake money out of the pockets of rapists and murderers, but the possibility that criminals had gone free because of him had become one step closer to real.

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