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But first...
“That’s the surprise? Job connections?” She knew it sounded paranoid, but she couldn’t help it.
“Nope. That’s just something I figured I should tell you. Especially since the opening on base is only taking interviews tomorrow. I pulled strings to get you an appointment in the afternoon. I figured you might want to go shopping for interview clothes or something earlier.”
“Interview clothes?” she echoed faintly, looking down at her favorite jeans.
“Yeah. Something girlier than jeans, but not quite as girly as your feathers.” He grinned.
Lara wasn’t sure if that was a commentary on the way she dressed or if he was just worried about what his peers thought of her. All of a sudden a little voice whispered in her mind, wondering if duty had canceled their outing the previous night or if he’d decided to fix her up first. She mentally rolled her eyes at the paranoid voice. Seriously, was she that insecure?
“Dominic, I really appreciate it. But...” She frowned. “If that’s not the surprise, what is?”
“You ready?” he asked, looking almost as pleased with himself as he’d been the night of eight orgasms.
“I don’t know,” she said slowly.
“Sure you are.” He wrapped one huge hand around hers and pulled her to the door. “C’mon.”
Since digging her heels into the carpet smacked of immaturity, Lara let him pull her along. Slowly.
“What...” Her question trailed off as they stepped into the sitting room.
He had to be kidding.
Little black dots danced in front of her eyes and a buzzing filled her ears. Lara’s feet did dig in now, as much in anger as to keep herself from falling.
Without realizing it, she shook off Dominic’s hand so she could cross her arms over her chest.
“Hello, Lara.”
Heart pounding, she lifted her chin in a nod of sorts.
He looked so different.
But so much the same.
He was taller. Broader. Handsome, naturally, but with a harder edge than he’d had at twenty. Maybe it was the way the white uniform set off his dark hair and gold-kissed skin.
His gaze was guarded, green eyes so like her own cool and assessing.
“Phillip,” she finally said, furious when her voice broke.
This wasn’t sentiment pounding through her, she assured herself.
She didn’t want to cry because her brother was standing in front of her, a reminder of so many painful memories. She didn’t feel horror seeing the healing bruises on his face.
Nope, all of this was righteous fury.
She tore her gaze off Phillip, aiming her glare at the other man in the room.
She’d made it clear that she didn’t want a family reunion .
But apparently Dominic thought he knew better than she did what was good for her.
Lara felt light-headed, which was a good distraction from the nausea churning in her stomach.
Holy crap.
Here she was again.
Life must have a permanent parking spot labeled Lara’s Screwup just waiting for her to settle in again.
A hot guy, great sex and some crazy promise of a better life and what did she do?
Run, not walk, away from every damned thing she’d worked for. And this one had not only turned her life upside down and relocated her—hello, déjà vu—but he had the unbelievable audacity to parade her long unlost brother in front of her?
Lara pressed her lips tight as she looked from one man to the other. It took all of her hard-learned control to keep the tears in the back of her throat and not pouring down her face.
Why did betrayal always surprise her?
“So?” Castillo gave a pleased nod. “What d’ya say? You want me to leave you two alone for a while?”
Deep breath.
It didn’t do squat to calm her down, but Lara wasn’t looking for calm.
“Lara?” Castillo’s smile dimmed a little, a frown creasing his brow as he glanced from her to her brother.
Phillip, on the other hand, hadn’t changed his expression—bland—or his stance—poker straight—since she’d walked in. He just stood there like a perfectly polished statue, his uniform crisp and his eyes distant.
She frowned at the bruise on his face. It wasn’t fresh, more like a week or so old.
“When did you know he was free?” Her eyes didn’t leave her brother’s damaged face as she asked Castillo the question.
When he didn’t answer, she arched her brow at Phillip.
“The team pulled me out two weeks ago,” he said quietly.
“Two weeks.” She swung her gaze to her lying lover. “You knew. Before we came here, you knew he was safe? That I wasn’t in danger?”
“The mission was classified,” Castillo said uncomfortably.
