Page 27 of Swerve
“Was that what it was?” he asks.
“What the hell else could it be?”
“Sex, ma’am.”
The words drop between them. Her eyes widen for the briefest second, and he takes a small degree of pleasure in having shocked her at least a little.
“I repeat,” she says. “With a senator’s wife?”
He shrugs. “I didn’t feel it was my role to question her choices.”
“What about her motivation? Did you question that?”
“I really think it was the same as mine.”
Exasperation throws enough color in her Irish cheeks that her hair is a near reflection. “Well, I’m so pleased it was such an excellent match. Unfortunately, if Senator Hagan is made privy to the same surveillance video I was, you might need to rejoin the military.”
“Why is that, ma’am?”
“Because I can’t have that kind of heat in my department.”
“No one got hurt. We were both consenting adults.”
“No one got hurtyet.”
He raises an eyebrow,starts to stand, a hand on either arm of the chair. “If that’s all—”
“It’s not. Sit down.”
He eases back into the chair, reluctant, but he knows an order when he hears one.
“You know I had my reservations when I hired you, Helmer. My gut told me you were set on self-destruct. I was right, wasn’t I?”
He meets her gaze, holding it for a moment before saying, “Not with the intention of taking anyone else down with me.”
“Intention counts for shit. Stupid choices will get you there every time.”
“What exactly do you want me to say, Chief?”
“That you value this job. That you’re not going to make me regret hiring you.”
“That’s not my intention.”
“That intention thing again. Here’s what I see, Helmer. I know what your past looks like. My guess is you could have gotten yourself blown up in Afghanistan any day of the week. Living on that kind of tightrope would have to change your outlook on what a normal existence looks like. This job isn’t that. Are you trying to make it that?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“So maybe you need to be aware of it.”
“Noted.”
“And don’t think I’m not aware of your ability to pacify.”
“Pacify?”
“Say what you think I want to hear.”
“Is it working?”
