Worth Dying For

"What do you mean?"

"Ron sent over a copy of the bank surveillance tape, and it"s obvious that Artie was set up."

"Are you sure?"

Laura nodded again.

Rheyna swallowed hard as she thought about the implication.

"And if he was set up, then that means-"

"The informant is still out there," Rheyna finished the sentence for her. "Why hasn"t Castrucci come after me, then?"

"I honestly don"t know. Unless, by some small chance, he really doesn"t know about you. Regardless, you still need to be careful. Your life could still be at stake."

Rheyna could see the concern on Laura"s face. It was not just concern-it was downright fear. "Don"t you think that some things in life are worth dying for?" Rheyna regretted the question the minute it came out of her mouth.

Laura looked at her as if she was crazy. "I can"t believe you just said that."

"I know it was a dumb thing to say, but if you really think about it, isn"t that what La Cosa Nostra is all about? They are a family that lives by their own values. They swear their allegiance to each other, to La Cosa Nostra, to this athing of ours". They"re willing to risk their lives for their beliefs." Rheyna held her hand up to stop Laura from saying what she knew would be coming next. "I know. It was a stupid thing to say and I promise I"ll be careful."

Laura slid off the stool and leaned against the counter. "I haven"t had a shower in two days and feel pretty grungy. If you don"t mind, I"m gonna jump in the shower and then get out of here."

"What"s wrong the shower at your hotel?"

"I can"t stand taking another cold one and I"m praying yours will at least be warm."

"Yeah right-your idea of warm is scalding to everyone else."

Rheyna laughed when Laura stuck her tongue out at her. She nodded toward the hallway. "Second door on the right, towels are in the bottom drawer."

Laura gave Rheyna a big hug and trotted off toward the bathroom.

Rheyna heard the water in the shower start and absentmindedly leafed through the pile of mail stacked on the counter. She had no idea of what her next move was, and depending on how fast the indictment came down, she might not have to worry about it. For all she knew, she could be back in Washington by this time next week.

The thought absolutely depressed her and she knew why. Her thoughts turned to Ron. She would give him a call later to see how he was doing. If she couldn"t be there, she could at least let him know he was in her thoughts and prayers.

The doorbell rang, and Rheyna felt her heart skip several beats and then catch in her throat. Oh no, not now, she thought. Now is definitely not a good time. She reluctantly scooted off the stool and went to the door. "Please don"t let it be her," she muttered under her breath.

She put her hand on the doork.n.o.b and thought about not answering it. Then she realized that wouldn"t work, since her Jeep, along with Laura"s rental car, was parked in the driveway.

She knew when she opened the door that Caroline would be standing on the other side. She swore under her breath and opened it. Caroline stood there with a blank look on her face; one that told Rheyna that the last twenty-four hours had been just as hard on her.

"Hi," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Hi," Rheyna said back. She was completely lost for words.

Caroline shifted from one foot to the other. "I know I should have called first, but-" She didn"t finish the sentence. Rheyna watched her eyes move and then come to a stop at some point just behind her shoulder. Rheyna heard her take in a deep breath and then felt the air leave her own lungs. She could tell by the look on Caroline"s face what she was looking at.

She slowly turned around. Laura was standing in the hallway, dripping wet, with her mouth hanging open in shock. Rheyna heard Caroline gasp and then she heard a guttural sound come from somewhere deep inside her own throat as Laura"s towel dropped to the floor.

Laura shrieked, quickly picked up the towel, and wrapped it tightly around her body.

Caroline turned and practically ran back to her car.

"Caroline, wait! It"s not what you think," Rheyna pleaded as she ran after her.

Caroline whirled around, gesturing with her hands toward the house. "You don"t need to explain anything to me, Rheyna," she spat back at her.

"It"s not what you think," Rheyna said as she tried to get some semblance of control over the situation.

"You"re an adult, you can do whatever you want with whomever you want and from what I can tell, that"s exactly what you"re doing!" Caroline yelled as she got in her car. She slammed the door shut, started the engine, and backed out of the driveway so fast; she sent gravel flying in all directions.

With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Rheyna watched the car disappear from view. Can this get any f.u.c.king worse, she thought as she went back inside the house.

Laura was still standing in the hall with a horrible look on her face. "Oh, Rheyna, I am so sorry. Talk about s.h.i.tty timing."

Rheyna smiled at her dear friend. "Maybe it was for the best." She said the words knowing she didn"t mean them. She felt her heart breaking into a thousand pieces.

"Can"t you just tell her that I"m an old friend, a stewardess, or something and that I just dropped by for a shower in between stops?" Laura asked, coming over to wrap her arms around Rheyna"s shoulders.

Rheyna hugged her back. Her brain was already in overdrive as she quickly tried to figure out a way to fix this. "It"s okay, Laura. I"ll think of something."

Even if the indictment came back today, there was no way she could leave Caroline under these conditions. It was bad enough to think how she would react when she learned that Rheyna was a FBI agent, but it was a completely different matter for her to think that she was sleeping with Laura. She couldn"t imagine the thoughts going through Caroline"s mind right then, especially after her screw-up at Jesse and Phil"s party. She thought about a past sting they had a few years ago on a lengthy fraud case.

"Do we still have the safe house in Palo Alto?" she asked.

Laura frowned, unsure of where Rheyna was going with this. "As far as I know, but why would you want to go there when you have this wonderful house on the beach?" she asked as she re-tucked the towel over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She looked at Rheyna, smiled, and then wagged her index finger at her. "I know that look in your eyes, Rheyna. What do you have up your sleeve?"

Rheyna ignored the question. "Can you do me a favor and watch Annie for a couple of days? Please?"

Laura shrugged her shoulders. "I guess that"s the least I can do for you, seeing how bad I just screwed up your life."

Rheyna threw her arms around Laura"s shoulders. "You didn"t screw up my life. Meeting you was one of the best things that could"ve ever happened to me and don"t you forget it."

Laura held her at arm"s length to look her in the eyes. "I have one condition though-actually, I have two."

Rheyna sighed. "And dare I ask what those conditions would be?"

Laura grinned. "One, that you be extra careful and two, you invite me and Stacie to the wedding."

Rheyna laughed. "Aren"t you jumping the gun a bit? h.e.l.l, I"ll be lucky if I can get her to talk to me again as it is. It"s gonna be real hard trying to explain why I had a naked woman, dripping wet from a nice hot shower, I might add, standing in the middle of my hallway."

"Nah, I have faith in you. If anyone can come up with a way to explain me away, it"ll be you. You"ll just have to use all that charm of yours on her." Laura turned to go back to the bathroom. "She won"t be able to resist," she said just before ducking through the doorway.

Caroline wiped away the tears spilling down her cheeks. She slammed her hand against the steering wheel. "I"m such an idiot!" she yelled. Who was that woman, anyway? Why had Rheyna never mentioned her before, and why was she at Rheyna"s house? Better yet, why was she naked? What was she thinking? What did she expect? That Rheyna would fall into her arms. She might not have expected to have answers to all those questions, but she sure as h.e.l.l didn"t expect to see her with another woman-a naked one, at that.

She was oblivious to the houses and cars pa.s.sing by her window in a blur. The next thing she knew, she was pulling into her driveway. She was like a zombie, moving on autopilot. She had gotten out of the car, opened the front door, and stepped into the foyer before it dawned on her that she was home. She headed toward the stairs and stopped. It was unusually quiet. It was odd that she didn"t hear anything, not even the staff. She listened for voices, but there were none. She turned toward the kitchen, and then she remembered it was Sunday. That explains it, she thought, looking at her watch. On Sundays, the staff doesn"t work past five.

She didn"t feel like talking to anyone, and was doubly glad to see that her mother was not home, either. She was probably playing bridge with a couple of her girlfriends at the country club as she did every Sunday. It was a good thing, too, because Terasa would have taken one look at her and known immediately that something was wrong, and Caroline wouldn"t have had any idea how to explain it.

How do you tell your mom that you have the hots for another woman and that you just caught that woman with another woman? She wanted answers to the question herself, but was terrified of the answer. She pushed the door open to her bedroom, closed it behind her, and flipped the lock. She wanted to be alone.

Obviously, Rheyna had been getting out and making a lot more friends than she let on. Where did she meet her she wondered as she tossed her keys and purse on the dresser. The loud ringing of the phone caused her to jump. She debated on picking it up and then decided to let the answering machine get it. She felt an ache in her heart when she heard Rheyna"s voice.

"Caroline, Laura is just a friend of mine and nothing more. I swear it"s not what it looked like. I owe you several answers. Please give me the chance to explain myself. I"m sorry. I don"t know what else to say right now to make you believe me. I need to see you face to face. I"m spending the weekend at a rental cabin in Palo Alto. Please come see me. I will leave a key and directions with your mom in case you decide to come. I hope you can find it in your heart to at least hear my side of things."

Caroline sat down on the edge of the bed. I am so confused, she thought. I want to go to her, but-but what, what are you so afraid of the little voice inside her head asked. She knew the answer. She was afraid that Rheyna did have someone else in her life but what if she doesn"t, and what if she doesn"t like me that way? What if she does and what are you so afraid of? Her mind continued to torture her with worst-case scenarios. I"m afraid that I just might like it and that if I liked it, I"d want more, she finally admitted to herself.

Jesus Christ, what is wrong with me? This is nuts, she thought as she walked into the bathroom and leaned against the sink. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her cheeks were tear-stained.

"I"ve really got to stop talking to myself," she said as she reached over and turned on the jets in the hot tub full force.

The next two days went by at a snail"s pace. Rheyna didn"t think the weekend would ever come. She hadn"t seen nor spoken to Caroline since the debacle with Laura, and she wasn"t sure she would show up. If she did, Rheyna had no idea what she planned to say, or how she could explain anything without jeopardizing the operation. They were too close to risk it, and Rheyna couldn"t do that to her team. She had already made way too many mistakes as it was. It was one thing to mess with her life and another to mess with theirs.

She figured she"d have plenty of time to think about it on the drive up to the cabin. She left Laura a note with instructions for Annie and then tossed her bag on the back seat of the Jeep.

She drove the short distance to Caroline"s house and was somewhat relieved when Terasa told her that Caroline was at Haven and wouldn"t be home for a couple hours. She didn"t know what she would have done if Caroline had been home and flat out refused to see her. She had a feeling that she would have just shriveled up and died right there on the spot.

She gave Terasa a key and the directions to give to Caroline and set off on her way to the cabin. The directions were easy, and the cabin was only about thirty-five minutes away. She found it with no problem.

It was tucked back away from the road on a tree-covered lot, and the nearest neighbor was at least a mile or two away. She got settled in first and then she unpacked the bags of food she had stopped to pick up earlier. She walked out onto the back deck and leaned against the rail, looking out toward the far end of the property, thinking how beautiful and serene it was.

A large lake, surrounded by a split-rail fence covered in ivy, stretched from one side of the property to the other. Large rows of Douglas fir trees ran across the back and along both sides, providing extra privacy from the neighbors. To the right and closest to her, a weather-beaten wood platform served as a dock for a small boat. It was tranquil and quiet and just what she needed. It was hard to believe that a thriving town existed only five minutes away.

She unconsciously shivered as the wind began to pick up, sending a pair of wind chimes hanging from the roof into a melodic dance. She glanced up at the sky and the fast-moving grey clouds. It was amazing how quickly the weather had changed. Two minutes ago, it had been warm with not a cloud in the sky. She figured the temperature had dropped fifteen degrees.

She shivered again and went back inside the cabin. She walked over to the fireplace and hit the switch to ignite it. She opened a bottle of wine and poured herself a gla.s.s, and searched around for a radio. She found one next to the coffee maker and turned the dial several times before settling on an easy listening station. She turned up the volume, took her gla.s.s of wine, and went back out onto the deck.

As dark ominous clouds raced across the sky, she felt light drops of rain hit her skin. In the distance, looking out toward Palo Alto, she could see sporadic bursts of lightening.

Out of nowhere, she felt her pulse rate quicken. She knew Caroline was standing behind her. Something in her sensed it. She slowly turned around.

Caroline stood in the doorway with tears running down her face. She wiped them away with the back of her hand. "I love you, Rheyna. I love you so much that my heart hurts. I don"t know if it"s wrong or if it"s right, but I love you with every part of my being," she said, half choking.

Rheyna closed the distance between them in less than a second. She cupped Caroline"s face between her hands. She wiped away fresh tears with her thumb.

"And I ... have loved you from the first moment I saw you. My sweet, sweet Caroline," she said, her voice just above a whisper. She lowered her head and this time, Caroline didn"t pull away. Their mouths met with the sweetest abandon, gentle, tender, and lingering.

Rheyna raised her head slightly. She kissed Caroline"s eyes, her cheeks, and then softly traced the outline of her throat with her fingertips. Caroline yielded to her embrace, pressing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s against Rheyna as she slid her hands under Rheyna"s shirt.

Oh so soft, and so, so gentle, Rheyna thought as she felt Caroline"s warmth permeate every pore of her body. Rheyna ran her hands through Caroline"s hair, gently tilting her head back. She brushed her lips tenderly over Caroline"s and then they kissed deeply, slowly, pa.s.sionately. She was shaken by her own excitement.

They kissed as if nothing else mattered, and for Rheyna, the world stood still as she let herself get lost in the velvety sweetness of Caroline"s mouth. She felt Caroline shiver and realized they were getting drenched. She had been completely unaware of the sky unleashing a torrent of rain.

Without taking her lips from Caroline"s, she maneuvered them back through the open doorway. Rheyna moaned as Caroline pulled away. Her head began to swim as Caroline"s lips did a dance up the sides of her neck, leaving love bites as she went.

Caroline ran her tongue over Rheyna"s ear, sending a sweet tingling sensation up Rheyna"s thighs. Caroline was making it difficult for her to concentrate. Her legs seemed to have a will of their own and were on the verge of giving out beneath her.

"I don"t think I can stand much longer," Rheyna whispered into Caroline"s ear as she fell back against the wall, taking Caroline with her.

Rheyna"s hands instinctively found their way inside Caroline"s shirt. She heard Caroline"s sharp intake of breath and felt her own excitement as she cupped Caroline"s breast in her hands.

She ran her fingers slowly over Caroline"s nipples and felt them harden through the thin material. She wanted Caroline out of her clothes.

She removed her hands and slowly unb.u.t.toned Caroline"s blouse, reaching around to unhook her bra. Her breath caught in her throat as she slid the garments over Caroline"s shoulders.

"Oh, G.o.d ...You are so beautiful," she groaned as she bent her head, gently taking Caroline"s nipple in her mouth. She kissed the soft spot between Caroline"s b.r.e.a.s.t.s before taking the other nipple in her mouth.

Caroline moaned; with her hands in Rheyna"s hair, she pushed against Rheyna"s mouth, her own excitement growing as Rheyna"s tongue made circular motions around her nipple.

Rheyna was vaguely aware of leaning back and letting Caroline pull her shirt over her head. She dropped her hands down to Caroline"s hips, her fingers resting just inside the waistband of her shorts. She traced a line around Caroline"s lips with her tongue as she slid her shorts and panties off.

She took Caroline by the hand and led her over to the area rug in front of the fireplace. Her hands trembled as she held Caroline"s face between them. She softly brushed her face against Caroline"s cheek.

"Do you have any idea how long I"ve wanted to do this?" Rheyna whispered hoa.r.s.ely against Caroline"s skin.

"About as long as I"ve wanted you too," Caroline answered. She lightly caressed the side of Rheyna"s face with her hand.

Rheyna closed her eyes, inhaling the fragrance that was Caroline. She gently lifted Caroline"s chin to look directly in her eyes.

"You are the most beautiful woman I"ve ever seen and I do believe that I could get lost in you forever." Her voice was so thick with desire, it sounded foreign to her ears. She needed to know that Caroline was feeling it, too, that Caroline wanted her as much as she wanted Caroline. She studied Caroline"s face. She watched her eyes as she traced the curve of Caroline"s lower lip with her index finger.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Caroline? Are you absolutely sure?" she asked, silently praying that Caroline"s answer would be yes. "Because once I start, I don"t think I can stop."

Caroline"s eyes were pleading, telling her everything she needed to know, but Rheyna wanted to hear her say it. "I"ve never been surer of anything in my life," Caroline said seductively, leaning in to run her tongue slowly over Rheyna"s bottom lip.

"Please make love to me, Rheyna," Caroline whispered against Rheyna"s mouth, her eyes watching Rheyna"s reaction as her fingers sensuously danced across her stomach. She shyly moved her hands to Rheyna"s jeans and unfastened the b.u.t.ton, pulling the zipper down. "You need to take these off," she said, pushing Rheyna"s jeans and panties over her hips.

Rheyna kicked the clothes out of the way. She took Caroline"s hands in hers; dropping to her knees, she pulled Caroline down on top of her so that Caroline"s legs straddled hers.

She sighed as her leg slid against Caroline"s wetness. She wrapped her arms around Caroline"s waist, rolling over so that she was now on top.

"Caroline," she groaned as her mouth hungrily sought Caroline"s. Their tongues met in a fiery search, their pa.s.sion for each other mounting. Rheyna shivered as Caroline"s nails raked across her back and then her hands pulled Rheyna closer, their bodies melting into each other as if they were one.

Rheyna kissed the base of Caroline"s neck and then her lips moved over Caroline"s skin as if they had a mind of their own. She pushed herself up on her knees, her hands resting on either side of Caroline"s head. She gazed into Caroline"s eyes. The reflection from the fire made them a deeper blue. Her eyes moved to Caroline"s mouth. Her lips were swollen. They parted slightly, as if begging to be possessed. Rheyna leaned forward and took Caroline"s bottom lip in her mouth.

Caroline groaned as Rheyna gently sucked on it, tracing the outline with her tongue.

"You"re driving me crazy," Caroline panted as Rheyna did the same thing with her top lip. Rheyna tried to calm the throbbing in her groin, squeezed her legs tightly against Caroline"s leg. She continued to tease Caroline with little kisses as she worked her way down to Caroline"s b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She encircled each breast in her hands, taking one nipple in her mouth, and then the other. She felt Caroline squirm as her tongue made circular motions.

She groaned as she felt it grow harder with each lick. Caroline"s hands in her hair guided her downward. She caressed Caroline"s skin, her mouth following a trail where her hands had been. She ran her hand up the inside of Caroline"s thigh, almost collapsing as her hand brushed against a mound of soft, wet curls. She was on the verge of going completely insane with desire. She couldn"t take much more. She had to touch Caroline now. She laid her head against Caroline"s belly and gently parted Caroline"s lips. She felt her breath catch in her throat, her fingers covered in a pool of wetness beyond her wildest imagination.

Caroline moaned as Rheyna slid her fingers slowly back and forth across her c.l.i.t.