Page 54 of Freedom Fighters
“Do you know her?” Carmen asked, for there was a quality about his smile that made her think he did.
“She’s my wife,” Nemesis said.
Garrett turned to look at him and even though his expression was neutral, Carmen knew he was surprised.
“I thought Olivia Davenport was the daughter of the President’s Chief of Staff,” Carmen said. She had met Colonel Davenport years before, when Richard Menzies had taken her on one of his political forays to Washington. Davenport kept a photo of his daughter on his desk.
“Sheisthe daughter of the Chief of Staff,” Nemesis said, the same smile on his face.
Garrett frowned. “Why on earth weren’tyou in Washington with her?” he asked. “A cadre of Navy SEALs would achieve far more in Vistaria than all the radio transmitters in the world.”
Nemesis shrugged and got to his feet. “I’m better at the sneaky stuff. Olivia is better at the diplomacy…so I supposed we’re both good at the sneaky stuff, although she is easier on the eyes.” He picked up his pack and shrugged into it.
Carmen thoughtNemesis was easy on the eyes. He was broad across the shoulders and his eyes weren’t the typical Vistarian black. In fact, she would have said he was exactly her type…except she didn’t feel any draw toward him at all.
She looked back down at the laptop, hiding her confusion, as Garrett got to his feet and walked Nemesis to the perimeter. She pulled up her email account and wasn’t surprised tofind hundreds of emails had accumulated. She scrolled through, looking for anything important. After being away from email for weeks, none of it would be urgent anymore.
Then she set up a new email account, one the Insurrectos wouldn’t be watching, and started an email to Nick.
Garrett came striding back from the perimeter and settled on the block next to her. “Nice guy, that Nemesis.”
Sheshrugged and kept typing.
“You were studying him pretty closely,” Garrett added.
She stopped typing, but kept her eyes on the screen. “So?”
“He’s married.”
“I figured that out when he said Olivia Davenport was his wife.”
“You do like your men unavailable,” Garrett pointed out.
Carmen looked at him, startled. “I do not,” she said hotly, because the observation didn’t sit well with her. Itmade her sound shallow and selfish. “Besides, you’re not my type in any way at all.”
Garrett smiled. “Carmen, I was themostunavailable man you’ve ever met. You hated me into the bargain.”
Carmen looked around for listeners, for privacy around the fire pit was non-existent. No one was within hearing distance. She looked at Garrett again, at his scars and his eyes, which had become more familiarto her in the last week than she had ever thought would be possible.
Familiar…and dear.
“Youwereunavailable,” she agreed, keeping her voice low. “You’re not anymore, are you?”
Garrett studied her. “Does that scare you, Escobedo?”
She wanted to say ‘yes’, only it wouldn’t be the truth. “You’ve gotta understand, Garrett,” she said. “I grew up as the President’s daughter. Every man with politicalaspirations saw me as a handy stepping stone. I learned fast how to spot a fake coming at me.”
Garrett nodded. “So…you picked the ones with zero long term prospects.”
“It wasn’t that calculated. It wasn’t even a conscious choice until you said it just then. But yes, men I knew would never commit, who were married or married to their job, or so self-absorbed it would never occur to them to fallin love…I learned to like that sort of man. I suppose because that meant I could control the relationship.”
“And walk away when you wanted to,” Garrett finished.
She let out her breath. “Yes.”
“Do me a favor, Escobedo. Give me some warning if you’re planning to walk on me.”
Carmen shook her head. “I’m not thinking about it.”
