Heat of the Moment (14 page)

Someone knew about the two of them and had reported them! The sole mission of the Inspector General was to investigate allegations of inappropriate behavior, including unethical relationships between officers and enlisted members. And the kicker was, even if she told the investigators that she was completely in love with Shane and intended to leave the military, it wouldn’t matter. None of that would matter. Shane would still be punished. But who could have reported them?

Panicked, Holly tried to think. Nobody in her unit knew anything about her relationship with Shane, and since they’d returned to the States, she was pretty sure that Pete Larson was the only person who might have guessed they were more than just old friends—but he would have nothing to gain by reporting them. None of it made any sense.

Holly hesitated, ready to creep back to the second floor, but it was too late. The two officers had seen her and were rising to their feet, hats in hand, watching as she stood motionless. Behind them, Shane made a helpless gesture of resignation.

Drawing a deep breath, Holly smoothed her hands over the front of her sleeveless top and slowly made her way down to where the men stood, acutely conscious of her bare feet and wet hair. She knew how damning the situation looked.

“Lieutenant Durant,” said the first officer, stepping forward to extend his hand. “I’m Lieutenant Commander Fowler and this is Lieutenant Harrington. Pardon us for disturbing you during your, ah, recuperation, but your father told us you were out here.”

Holly couldn’t help herself; her eyes flashed to Shane’s. She saw the warning in them and the subtle shake of his head, but there was no way she was letting him take the hit for anything. After all, she’d pretty much begged him to sleep with her. Drawing a deep breath, she turned to Fowler.

“I just want you to know that Sgt. Rafferty had nothing to do with this. I—I pulled rank to coerce him into sleeping with me, and he felt he had no choice but to go along with it.”

Lt. Fowler exchanged meaningful glances with his partner, but before he could respond, Shane stepped forward.

“Holly, stop.” His voice was low and urgent. “They’re here about Sgt. Martinez.”

For a moment, Holly had absolutely no idea who he was talking about. Then she recalled the sad-eyed supply clerk who had been riding in the supply truck with her on the day of the incident. Her mouth opened on a wordless ‘o’ of realization, and her face turned hot with embarrassment. At the same time, a tidal wave of relief washed over her, making her feel weak. This wasn’t about her involvement with Shane, although she’d certainly given the investigators sufficient cause to probe further into their relationship. She glanced at Shane, but he kept his gaze fixed resolutely on the opposite wall.

Struggling to maintain her composure, she sat down in a chair adjacent to the sofa. “What about Sgt. Martinez?”

Lt. Harrington leaned forward and opened the binder. Holly saw it was a dossier of sorts, with a uniformed photo of Sgt. Martinez, and an assortment of official looking documents and transcripts. He turned the binder so that Holly could look at it.

“Do you know this man?”

“Yes, that’s Sgt. Martinez.” Holly shifted her gaze between the two men. “Is this about the missing supplies and equipment?”

LCDR Fowler nodded. “That’s right. Before you were injured, you reported that you suspected Sgt. Martinez might be involved in stealing government property.”

Holly nodded. “Yes. I was in charge of all the supply operations for the Seabees in Iraq. Al Asad was the largest supply depot, but not the only one that I oversaw. When I arrived at the air base, one of the first things I did was to perform an inventory of what we had on hand, and to reconcile that with the hand-receipts for what we had received and distributed.” She paused, trying to recall the details of what she had found. “There were a lot of inconsistencies and missing receipts, and when I did a funding reconciliation, there was over a hundred thousand dollars that I couldn’t account for.”

Lt. Harrington leaned forward. “Sgt. Martinez was the supply clerk in charge of maintaining both the records and the funding. Did you speak to him about your findings?”

“Of course. He seemed to have a hundred different excuses for why he hadn’t obtained the required documentation for the equipment that was missing. Initially, they seemed like valid reasons but the more I dug into the paperwork, the more questions I had. When I asked Sgt. Martinez about the funding, he insisted there must have been an input error that had resulted in the discrepancy.” Holly paused. “I suspected something unethical was going on, but I couldn’t be sure. I thought that maybe he was skimming money from the funding pool, or working deals with the local contractors, but I just didn’t have the background or expertise to know for sure.”

“So you had him moved to Camp Fallujah.”

“That’s right. There’s a senior supply officer there whom I trust, and since he doesn’t maintain a huge inventory or a large cash fund, I believed Sgt. Martinez would be in a position to do less harm.”

“Based on your allegations,” said Lt. Harrington, “we initiated an investigation into his actions while in the supply position at Al Asad. We have reason to believe that during the eighteen months of his service on that base, he diverted more than one million dollars to various accounts, both here in the States, and offshore.”

Holly gasped. “What? How is that even possible? I mean, I know he had access to a supply fund, but one million dollars? That’s just not possible.”

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” LCDR Fowler said. “Not only did he have access to the supply funds in order to procure goods in-country, but he also had the authority to award contracts for other assets.”

“Has he been arrested?”

Lt. Harrington shook his head. “Not yet. He’s not even aware he’s the subject of an active investigation, nor will he be until we have enough evidence to indict him. We need to know the extent of the scheme, and who else might be involved before we make an arrest.”

Holly frowned. “I don’t understand how he’s benefitting from the contracts he oversees. I know that he oversaw a contract for bottled water. How is that lucrative?”

“We suspect that Sgt. Martinez steered a fifteen million dollar contract for bottled water to Haley LLC, and received over five hundred thousand dollars in payment for his actions.”

Holly pressed her fingers against her eyes. “Oh my God. I had no idea.” Lowering her hands, she looked at the two officers. “No offense, but Sgt. Martinez never struck me as being the brightest bulb on the tree. He had to have help. I just can’t believe he was capable of doing this on his own. For one thing, he didn’t have that kind of authority.” Holly gave a disbelieving laugh. “Even I didn’t have that kind of authority. Our procurements were limited to simple acquisitions.”

“We believe he and several contracting officers working in Iraq had an extensive network of contractors that they did business with. Questionable business.”

“Have you questioned any of them?” Holly asked, but her attention was momentarily distracted as Shane bent over the coffee table and swiveled the binder around so that he could better see the photo of Sgt. Martinez. His expression was troubled. “What is it, Shane?”

He frowned and scrubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “I don’t know. It’s probably nothing.”

LCDR Fowler turned toward Shane. “Do you know something about this individual?”

Shane shook his head. “I’m not sure. He looks familiar to me, but…no. I don’t know him.”

“What do you need from me?” Holly asked, drawing the officer’s attention from Shane.

“We want you to tell us everything you remember about your interactions with Sgt. Martinez and the supply operations. What made you suspicious, what the records showed, et cetera. We’ll need a full statement from you.”

Holly glanced at Shane. “This might take awhile.”

He nodded brusquely. “Right. I’ll be in the garage. I have a couple of projects I’m working on, and I want to take a look at the Jeep.”

Holly waited until Shane had left the house and then turned to the other two officers. LCDR Fowler arched a questioning eyebrow.

“He’s my brother’s best friend,” she finally said, but couldn’t prevent the heat that washed into her face. “We’ve known each other since we were kids.”

“How long have you been involved?” This from Lt. Harrington, who watched her closely.

“I’m guessing that if you have a dossier on Sgt. Martinez, then you have one on me, too,” Holly said, choosing her words carefully. “If that’s the case, then you know I suffered permanent nerve damage in my arm as a result of the attack on my supply convoy. Sgt. Rafferty was injured in that same battle, but he’ll make a full recovery, while I’m looking at a medical discharge. I can’t hold a weapon and I have no interest in a desk job. I’ll be leaving the military.”

She ducked her head, blinking back a sudden sting of tears. She’d known that she would likely leave the Navy, but this was the first time she’d actually allowed herself to say the words out loud. Hearing them was both terrifying and painful.

“I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that fraternization is prejudicial to good order and discipline, and violates long-standing traditions of the naval service,” intoned LCDR Fowler. “Even if your intention is to leave the military, that doesn’t excuse or mitigate any illegal conduct.”

Holly raised her chin a notch. “I understand. You do what you need to do, Lieutenant Commander, and I’ll do what I need to do. Now, how can I help you with your investigation into Sgt. Martinez?”

Holly looked toward the barn. Was Shane still working on the Jeep? He hadn’t returned to the house while the investigators had been there, for which she was grateful. Even if she hadn’t made the unfortunate blunder about coercing Shane into a relationship, Holly was pretty sure that her feelings for him were evident whenever he was near. The investigators would only have had to see the way she looked at him to guess what was going on. For now, they were just concerned about Sgt. Martinez, and that’s the way she wanted to keep it. Holly only hoped that once their investigation was complete, that they wouldn’t look more closely at her and Shane.

She still couldn’t quite grasp the enormity of the charges being levied against Sgt. Martinez, although it certainly wouldn’t be the first time a member of the armed forces had been found guilty of such crimes. She just hadn’t expected to find that going on in her own unit, with one of her own men.

Despite the warmth of the afternoon, Holly shivered. Suddenly, the woods that surrounded the lake house seemed too dark and dense, the house itself too isolated. Even the waters of the lake seemed somehow threatening. Folding her arms around herself, Holly hurried down the steps and across the sweep of lawn to the ancient shed that stood on the far side of the property, the only structure that still remained from the original homestead. Her mother had wanted it torn down and replaced with a modern garage where they could store the boat during the winter and keep the cars out of the weather, but her father had refused. Holly was glad.

Shane had opened the doors to the front of the shed, and sunlight streamed in, revealing the fully restored, WWII era Willys Jeep that had been in Holly’s family for as long as she could remember. Her parents had driven that Jeep in more Fourth of July and Memorial Day parades than she could count.

Shafts of light streamed in through chinks in the plank walls, and dust motes swirled lazily in the shifting light. Beyond the Jeep, the interior of the shed lay in shadow, but Holly could make out the shape of her father’s workbench and various carpentry tools and implements hanging on the wall.

Stepping inside, she breathed in the familiar smells of her childhood—gasoline and dried grass, oil and wood shavings, and the musty smell of canvas and aged leather. A noise attracted her attention, and rounding the front of the vintage Jeep, she found Shane bent over the workbench, the muscles in his arms flexing as he manipulated something on the work surface. She stood and watched him for a moment, recalling the times he and Mitch had worked on the Jeep together. Having him at the lake house with her seemed natural, and for a moment she wished that everything could be as simple as it had been when they were younger. He turned as her shadow fell across him, and his hazel gaze swept over her in one assessing glance. Holly felt her entire body warm under his regard.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yes. Just a little creeped out. I’m glad the deputies are still here.”

Shane gave a noncommittal grunt.

“I don’t think the IG is interested in us, Shane,” she continued after a moment. “They just want to find out what Sgt. Martinez is doing.”

Leaning back against the workbench, he rubbed both hands over his face. “Holly,” he groaned. “What the hell were you thinking? You told them you coerced me into sleeping with you. How do you think that sounds? Jesus, it’s only a matter of time. Once they finish investigating Martinez, then they’ll start looking at us. You could be court-martialed.”

“I don’t think that will happen,” Holly replied, running her finger along the hood of the Jeep and hoping that she sounded convincing. “Why should they care about us? They’re more interested in fraternization between direct reports. We’re not even in the same unit.”

“Do you really want to take that chance? To have your career end in disgrace?” Turning away from her, he braced both hands on the workbench and spoke to her over his shoulder, his voice bitter. “Trust me, it’s not worth it.”

Holly stood uncertainly for a moment, trying to quell the panic that surged through her. She knew he referred to his own father, whose career as a horse trainer had nearly been ruined because of his relationship with Shane’s mother.

“So what are you saying?” she finally asked, her heart beginning to thud hard. “That we should end this?”

Holly could almost see the muscles in his body bunch, as if he braced himself for a physical blow. “I don’t know what the answer is anymore,” he finally admitted. “I’ve spent so many years trying to do the right thing by avoiding you, but quite frankly, I don’t think I can go back to that.”

“Then don’t.” Holly stepped close to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself against his warmth and strength. “Being with you feels right. I don’t want to go back to the way things were before, either. I knew you wanted me. Even then, I knew.”

She felt his body tighten and he gave a soft huff of laughter. “I tried to hide it, but you were so freaking determined to break me down.”

“No,” she murmured, rubbing her cheek against his back and splaying her hands across the layered muscles of his stomach. “I didn’t want to break you down. I just wanted you to let me in, to let me see the real you.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he admitted huskily.

Hearing his words, Holly thought her heart might stop beating. Slowly, she took his arm and turned him to face her. His expression was shuttered and he wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“You think I won’t like what I see?” she asked softly.

“Holly…” His voice sounded anguished. “You could have any guy you want, and I know there were dozens at the academy who would have suited you perfectly. Guys with good names who came from old money. Guys who could give you stability. Respectability. Everything I can’t.” When he finally looked at her, she saw the combination of defiance and misery in his eyes. “I never understood what it was you see in me.”

Holly stared at him, unsure whether to feel flattered or insulted. “What? You think that’s all I care about? A guy with a pedigree and a balance sheet?”

“
You’re an admiral’s daughter.
Even you can’t pretend that your father will be thrilled to see you hook up with me.”

Holly stared at him, aghast. “Do you honestly believe that? My father has nothing against you and you know it. He’s always liked you. Even when you ditched high school and joined the Marines, he never said a critical word about you. He said you’d been through some rough times, but you were a man who knew what you wanted and that you’d do okay. He believed in you, Shane, and so do I.”

She thought he would push her away and say something sarcastic, the way he might have done when they were both younger. Instead, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.

“Thank you,” he said, tipping his forehead to hers. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but…thank you.”

It wasn’t a declaration of love, or even a commitment, but Holly would take it. She’d take whatever Shane had to give her and try not to want more than that. She kissed him, savoring the intensity of his response before pulling away with a breathless laugh.

“Okay, then.” She peered over his shoulder. “What have you been working on down here? Is that my camera bag?” She turned to Shane with a puzzled smile. She realized she must have left it in the boat the previous day. Until that moment, she hadn’t even missed it.

On the worktable itself was a set of vises, and she saw her camera had been clamped into one. She watched as he loosened the vise and removed the camera, handling it with care.

“Back on the island, I noticed that you had some trouble holding the camera with your left hand,” he said quietly. “I made a modification that I think might help. Here, try this.”

Holly narrowed her gaze at him, but took the camera and studied the slim bracket that he had mounted on one side of the body.

“It’s nothing fancy,” he said, “and it won’t get in the way of changing the lens or removing the memory card, but it will allow you to hold it with your left hand without worrying that you’ll drop it. Let me show you.” Leaning toward her, he took her left hand and slid her fingers through the bracket so that they were tucked firmly against the body of the camera. “You see? If you tip your hand this way, the weight of the camera will hold it in place and you can use your other hand to change the lens without having to balance it on your lap.”

Holly tested his theory and found that she could hold the camera securely in her left hand without having to curl her fingers around it. She raised her eyes to Shane’s, hoping he didn’t see how much this small gesture meant to her.

“Oh, Shane. You did this for me?” Her voice sounded small and shaky and she cleared her throat. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He hesitated. “It’s nerve damage, isn’t it?”

Holly nodded. “At first the doctors thought it might be temporary, but now they believe the damage is permanent.”

“Does it hurt?”

She shook her head. “Not really. My hand and fingers tingle, sort of like the pins and needles you get when your foot falls asleep. And sometimes my hand won’t do what I want it to do, like grip things.” She shrugged. “I’m not complaining. It could be a lot worse.”

“So that’s why you think you’ll leave the military?”

“I
am
leaving the military. I go before the medical board in three weeks to determine if I’m fit for duty, but even if they say I can return, I don’t think I will. I’m ready to get out.”

Shane blew out a hard breath. “Holly, leaving the Navy isn’t your only choice. There are plenty of guys with injuries worse than yours who have returned to duty.”

“Yeah, to desk jobs,” she said bitterly.

“Not just to desk jobs,” Shane argued. “You’re in the Navy and you’re an officer. Your assignment in Iraq was an exception to what most Naval officers do. You could go to sea and possibly have your own command. But you’re never going to do that with a defeatist attitude. Jesus, Holly. You could do anything you want.”

“Maybe I
want
to leave the military.”

“Then that’s something entirely different.”

Holly looked at him in despair. “There’s a part of me that does want to leave, but I know it’s going to kill my dad.”

Shane gave her a tolerant look. “Now who’s not giving him enough credit? He just wants you to be happy, Holly. If leaving the military will make you happy, then I’m certain he’d support your decision. But you have to leave for the right reasons.”

Holly groaned in frustration. “That’s just it. I’ve never really considered anything outside of the military. I don’t have a clue what I would do. The military is all I know. But if I stay, I’ll always feel like I’m not living up to my potential.”

There was silence. “Jesus, Holly…”

She looked sharply at him, detecting the self-loathing in his voice. “None of this is your fault, Shane.”

“You say that, but you could have been killed.” His voice sounded strained.

“You very nearly were,” she rejoined. “You may not remember, but I do. I was there. I saw you after the explosion, with bits of steel poking out of your body and every inch of you covered in blood. I was there when you stopped breathing and they didn’t think you were going to make it.” She stared at him through the dust motes. “I never want to go through anything like that ever again.”

He drew in a deep breath and rolled his shoulders, as if to ease some strain. “I’m sorry you had to see that.” He hesitated. “But I have to go back, you know that.”

She nodded and pretended to study the workmanship on her camera, staring blindly at it. She was close to tears and even closer to begging him not to return to the military. “I know. You’re a good soldier.”

He dipped his head to meet her eyes. “I don’t feel as if I have a choice about it, Holly. My unit needs me.”

I need you.

“I understand,” she said, struggling to keep her voice level. And she did understand, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. But she couldn’t keep talking about it, or she’d lose what little composure she had left. She turned the camera over in her hands, examining how he had fastened the bracket. “How did you learn to do this?”

Shane chuckled softly. “I’m the MacGyver of our unit. I did a lot of modifications to the armored vehicles in Iraq, and even to our personal equipment. Your dad keeps some tools out here, so I used those. It was pretty easy, actually.”

“You did a great job.”

“Thanks.” He pushed away from the work bench and held his hand out for the camera. “I know I said we’d head back to Chatham today, but the deputies said everything has been quiet. We can stay another night, unless you’d rather not.”

Holly didn’t particularly want to remain at the lake house, not after what had happened the previous night, but Shane would keep her safe; she knew that. Although common sense told her it would be wiser to return to Chatham immediately, her heart couldn’t resist spending one more night alone with Shane. Just one more night. With the deputies still on site, she had to believe nothing bad could happen.

“Okay.” She nodded. “Another night.”

“C’mon inside and I’ll fix us something to eat. Just remember, you don’t have to make any decisions yet. You still have a few weeks to think about it, okay?”