Copyright © 2006, Felicia Forella
Published by Whiskey Creek Press LLC

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Sample Chapter For CLASS OF '93 TRILOGY: DEADLY BRIEFS by Felicia Forella

Simultaneous explosions rocked Aiden Greene’s world.

A flaming orange and red fireball erupted around him, knocking him flat on his ass. Or more appropriately, catapulting him away from the inferno. The impact whooshed the air out of his lungs and scattered his wits. Intense heat singed the hair on his arms and melted the plastic buttons on his shirt. It heated his watch until the band burned his skin, and the zipper of his pants scorched him through his underwear. Pieces of burning debris fluttered in the air around him. His ears hurt, the raging fire and subsequent popping aftershocks pained his sensitive eardrums. The burning rubber assaulted his lungs with every gasp of air.

Dear God in heaven, what the hell was going on? He flashed back to memories of war zones, when he’d been an intelligence officer in the United States Air Force. Except this wasn’t some foreign country, this was the good old US of A and he’d just left his apartment to head to his office at the law firm to sneak in some extra time at work.

But all of that paled in comparison to the second shock to his system. A warm, feminine body pressed his to the ground. Long suppressed instincts, air force survival training from a lifetime ago, struggled to the surface as he laid prone on the asphalt with his eyes closed. Generous breasts bore into the muscle of his chest. Soft hips cradled an entirely different muscle, one much too happy, given the circumstances.

Her tiny hands searched his body with medical efficiency. She slid over him, her breasts bumping his chin. His mouth watered to sample the plump flesh through the layers of her clothes. Her fingers combed through his hair and checked his scalp before moving down his arms and sides. Her downward motion brought her hips in line with his again. Mr. Happy throbbed his thanks—it had been too long since he’d been even this close to a woman. Obviously, Mr. Happy didn’t give two shits about the chaos and confusion surrounding them. The sudden strength in those hands surprised him as she prodded and pushed on his abdomen, then moved down his legs.

“Oh, thank God.” She straddled his thighs, his errant fantasies filled with visions of her riding him. “It looks like you were far enough away to avoid any serious burns. You just have some minor injuries.”

That voice. He knew that voice.

Finally able to pry his lids open, Aiden found himself staring into the green eyes of Erika Dalton. The one that got away. Or more appropriately, the one he was too stupid to keep.

Ka-boom! A third explosion rocked his world. One that had nothing to do with flaming cars and raining metal.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m a little shaky.” Now that was an understatement.

“From what I can tell, aside from some cuts and some singed hair, you appear to be all right. Although you may be a little sore from the fall.”

Not an iota of recognition flickered in her eyes as he spoke. He stared at her, willing her to recognize him. Even battered and barbequed, he hadn’t forgotten a single thing about her. If anything, his memories failed him miserably. The woman perched over him was even more beautiful than he remembered.

What the hell was she doing here? In Ohio, on top of him.

“Come on. We have to get out of here. This place is going to be crawling with police and firefighters any second now.” Erika sounded tense. Well, hell, so was he.

She slung her leg over him and pushed to her feet in one smooth movement. She always had been as graceful as a dancer.

Extending her hand, she waited for him to get up. No sooner had his fingertips brushed her palm, than she began to tug him in the direction of the woods. Wait just one fucking minute. If she thought he’d just follow along behind her like some whipped puppy, she had another think coming. He clenched his teeth and remained on the ground, shifting only to a sitting position. She tugged harder on his hand, waging a losing battle.

“Whoa, honey. I’m not going anywhere with you until I know what’s going on.” His car was lit up like a Fourth of July bonfire and he wanted details.

“I’ll explain everything, I promise, once we’re clear of here. Everything’s been blown sky high, pardon the pun, and you’re no longer safe.”

“Not until you tell me what the hell is going on here. Do you even know who I am, or are you a good Samaritan who just happened to be walking by just as my car self-destructed?” He slowly pushed to his feet, more shaken than he thought, but he’d be damned if he’d let her know.

Her sharp intake of breath expanded her chest and pushed her breasts forward, a sight to behold. The glow from the raging fire bathed her face in warm tones, enough to allow Aiden to see the struggle on Erika’s face. “Of course I know who you are. Do you think I just happened to be here right now? You’re Aiden Cooper Greene.” She rattled off his Social Security number, his height, his weight, and his inseam. Ha! Showed how much she knew. His weight was off. “And your car was rigged to go off. With you in it.”

“Excuse me? Who would want to blow me to hell and back? I’m a corporate compliance attorney. I bore people to death, I don’t make enemies.” Every muscle in his body ached from the impact of the jarring fall. His head spun, but whether from meeting the asphalt or seeing Erika again, he had no idea.

“Do you know who I am?” She invaded his personal space for the second time in minutes, leaning forward and treating him to a glimpse of cleavage. His mouth watered.

He stepped closer, their toes touching, his voice dropping an octave. “I’ve never forgotten you, Erika.” He watched her stiffen and her breathing become shallow. Interesting.

“Then trust me when I say that we need to get the hell out of Dodge.” She wrapped her fingers around his and pulled.

This time, he fell into step behind her, his gut telling him to trust her. His head and every muscle in his body thanked him for the effort with a chorus of aches and pains. Noticing his slowed movement, she wrapped her arm around his waist and supported him as they fled toward the woods.

Once the trees separated them from the chaos, they sat down on a log and he was able to catch his breath. Aiden watched as the flashing lights of the police and firefighters joined the dancing flames from the fire. Halogen lights illuminated the dark apartment complex parking lot as the yellow-clad firemen raced around their truck, unfurling hoses and shooting water on what remained of his car. His brand new Saab sedan. The scene was surreal. He felt as if he were watching a movie. Erika’s presence beside him on the log added to the sensation. He shook his head, hoping to snap back to reality. Now he knew how the witch felt when Dorothy’s house landed smack dab on top of her.

“What happened back there?” His voice came out a cracked whisper.

“Miguel Ramos happened back there.”

Aiden’s blood chilled in his veins. His heart skipped a beat and then stopped all together. When it started pumping again, it hammered in his chest. Miguel Ramos, spawn of the devil, the man responsible for images that continued to haunt his nightmares. “The bastard is in jail. I put him there years ago.” A lifetime ago, when he’d been a counter-narcotics intelligence officer with the air force. The man who ultimately cost Aiden his military career.

“He escaped.”

Surging to his feet, Aiden whirled and faced Erika. “Why the hell wasn’t I told?”

She leaped to her feet and stared him down. With her eyes shot full of anger and her hair escaping her bun, she looked wild and menacing. A force to be reckoned with. In her form-fitting jeans and snug t-shirt, she looked even better than when they’d graduated from the Air Force Academy thirteen years ago. But she still wore her hair in that damn bun.

“You know better than anyone that everything having to do with Sonny is on a strictly need-to-know basis.”

“So why the hell do you know?”

“I’m still with the Air Force Security Agency.”

Oh. She was still on active duty with the Air Force. And he was an ordinary civilian. But still— “And the United States government didn’t think I needed to know that Sonny was on the loose? Shit, I’m the man he threatened to carve into little pieces. In case everyone has forgotten.”

“No one’s forgotten. We’ve been watching you for a month now, Aiden. We thought you were safe.”

A month. He’d been followed for a month and he hadn’t even noticed. He raked his fingers through his long hair, pushing the strands from his face. His stomach clenched as he thought of Erika tailing him. Not that he’d done anything exciting or embarrassing. All he’d done for the past year was shuffle back and forth between his apartment and work, with weekly visits to see the twins thrown in. Still—

“Obviously, but despite changing my identity and being under surveillance for the past month, Sonny found me. How the hell did that happen?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.” She sighed in frustration.

She could join the club. “What happens now?” Aiden paced in circles.

“The police declare you dead, for starters. And you thank whatever higher power you believe in that you used your remote starter or your family would be arranging a real funeral for what was left of your body.”

“I can’t be dead.” Oh, no. He did not like this scenario one bit. “I have an ex-wife and twins. I have a job. I have—” What else did he have?

“We have to shake Sonny off your tail and keep you safe until we can recapture him. Do you have any better suggestions?” She paced in front of him.

As much as he wanted to shake loose of her, to walk away from this nightmare and back to his life, Erika had a point. He didn’t have a plan. He was going to have to trust her for now. But first—
“Can I at least let my ex-wife know I’m alive?”

“Absolutely not. I don’t know how he found you, so I’m not taking any chances. Your phone call could lead him straight to her. Do you want to make her a target?”

Score two for Erika. Whatever it was she was doing these days for the AFSA, she was fast on her feet.

He didn’t want to think about what his ex-wife would feel when the police knocked on her door. He’d never changed any of his legal papers, leaving her listed as next of kin, so everything would go to her first. He should have rewritten his will after the divorce, naming his parents.

Given his ex’s lack of feelings for him, she’d probably do a little jig when she learned she wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. At least his parents would mourn him when they got the news. He didn’t want to think about how the twins would react when he didn’t come for his visit. They were only three, but Christopher and Samantha were always so excited to see their daddy.

Still, there was no way in hell he’d risk their lives to spare them the grief of his alleged death. His shoulders slumped as Aiden followed Erika, putting distance between himself and the crime scene. And his kids.

* * * *

All she had to do now was get him safely to her rental car. Her parked-way-too-far-away rental car. Damn, it hadn't seemed that far away when she’d left it there earlier in the day. At least the descending darkness helped conceal them, shielding them from discovery. As long as Aiden kept moving, they’d be all right. He hid his pain from her, but she knew he’d taken a beating. He winced with each step when he thought she wasn’t looking in his direction, uncomplaining. Hell, she was sore, and she’d been the one on top.

Bad image.

The drive from Cincinnati to the safe house outside Wright Patterson Air Force Base should only take an hour and a half. A couple of aspirin, a steaming shower, and some ointment for his cuts would do him a world of good. Once inside the secure Air Force Security Agency facility, he’d be protected. From there, she’d arrange transportation for both of them back to AFSA headquarters at Bolling Air Force Base, outside of Washington, D.C.

With any luck at all, she’d be able to maintain her professionalism and objectivity long enough to see him tucked away safe and secure in the nation’s capital. Heck, if they drove straight through, they’d be staring at the Washington Monument in less than ten hours. Then she’d plead her case yet again to the colonel to go after Miguel Ramos, instead of babysitting Aiden Greene.

For her piece of mind, she had to get away from him—the sooner the better. Tomorrow night would have to be “soon enough.”

If she were really lucky, she’d manage to convince someone else to come and get him, and escort him from Ohio to Washington, D.C.

When she’d tackled him to the ground as his car exploded, her body remembered what her mind had spent thirteen years trying to forget. She’d put him behind her after graduation from the Air Force Academy; she’d moved on with her life, becoming one of the best damn officers, male or female, in AFSA history. Seeing him again, feasting her eyes on his well-developed body, breathing in his unique scent, took her back to some of her darkest days. To a time when she’d chosen her version of her future over his plans for their future. Just that fast, all the memories flooded her senses.

It was part of the reason she’d argued against being the officer assigned to watch him, protect him, and bring him in if necessary. The other part was she didn’t want to act as a glorified babysitter to a pampered civilian lawyer; she wanted to be in on the hunt for one of the most dangerous drug lords of all time. She’d lost that particular battle with her commanding officer, who wanted someone on the case that Aiden Greene would follow if it came to that. Her CO felt the odds of gaining Aiden’s compliance were better with one of his fellow academy classmates. If only the Colonel knew that she was the last person to whom Aiden Greene was likely to listen.

Unfortunately, Miguel “Sonny” Ramos made an unexpected move, leaving Erika little choice but to bring Aiden in for his own protection. His safety was no longer guaranteed with only a covert babysitter. He needed to be on a military installation.

How the hell had Sonny managed to plant a bomb in Aiden’s car?

Erika had watched Aiden leave his apartment, probably to go to the office on a quiet Sunday evening, and press the fob that remotely started his car. It had been a nice car, too, a beige Saab with tan interior. Aiden had done well for himself since leaving the air force.

Then she’d smelled it, the telltale odor of sulfur and phosphates of a pipe bomb. She’d rushed Aiden to keep him from getting too close to the car, the explosion knocking both of them off their feet.

Landing her on top of his sculpted body.

Even now, tingles raced along her nerve endings at the thought of all that hard male muscle sprawled out beneath her.

The heat of his body so close to hers distracted her. She needed to concentrate on reaching the shopping center on the other side of the copse of trees. She tried to focus on the crunch of dead leaves and the night noises echoing around them. Anything to keep her from thinking about the ripple of muscles she’d felt when examining him for injuries, from remembering the fear she’d felt at the thought he’d been hurt.

They broke through the cluster of trees and Erika spotted her car less than a hundred yards away in the parking lot of a grocery store. For the first time since her surveillance began, she was glad the apartment complex had assigned parking spaces, forcing her to park in East Jabip. She would never have been able to slip out with Aiden undetected if she’d been parked in the lot.

She hadn’t even realized her heart was racing until it began to slow to a more normal pace, her breathing returning to slow and steady. Adrenaline still flooded her system. She’d stay on high alert until they reached the safe house. Hell, she’d probably stay hyper-vigilant until she completed this leg of the mission.

“The blue Dodge minivan is mine.” She gestured toward the parked vehicle under a lamppost.

“Where are we going?”

Thank God he no longer questioned the necessity of following. She couldn’t pull rank on a civilian. But she could use a little force if she had to; in his injured state, she’d stand a chance. He’d never been a follower, not when she’d known him. “The first order of business is getting you to Wright Patterson and updating my CO on the evening’s events.”

“And then?”

Of course he’d ask. The Aiden Greene she’d known at the academy had always been in charge, a leader. She didn’t doubt the lawyer he’d become preferred to be in control, too. If she didn’t keep a tight grip on things, he’d take the reins of this situation, as well. She had no intention of allowing that to happen. Nope, he needed to keep right on following. This was her assignment, her baby, and she’d keep it in her own capable hands. She kept walking, matching her pace to his. Staying slightly ahead of him, she managed to avoid looking in his eyes. Her nerves were still too stressed for that.

“I make arrangements to get you to Bolling.”

“So, you’re still with the Air Force Security Agency.”

It wasn’t a question. He remembered what she’d told him earlier. “I went there straight out of the Academy and have been there ever since.”

She wished she could see his face to judge his reactions. Dammit, she wanted to see his expressions, see what he thought about her being a part of the ultra-secret branch of Air Force Intelligence. After all, her ambition to join the AFSA was part of what drove them apart. Instead, she had to stay alert. Their lives depended on it. This was not the time to gloat that she had made the right decision when she’d turned down his proposal.

“When did you make major?”

Interesting guess. He didn’t doubt that she’d achieved the rank. And surprising. Given his attitudes when she knew him, she expected him to question her ability and her qualifications to lead this mission. Not assume she’d been promoted. She chalked it up to shock. Once he recovered and regained his equilibrium, she had no doubt he’d be right back to his “women belong in supporting roles” mentality.

“Three years ago.”

He moved beside her as they walked, which allowed her to observe him up close and personal for the first time since she’d begun her tail. Just as she’d thought from a distance, the years had been kind to him. At six feet tall, he only topped her by four inches. The shoulders that had been broad during their academy years had become impossibly wide, along with the expanse of his chest. He still sported a narrow waist and trim hips. An ever-present suit jacket had prevented a glimpse of his once tight butt. When he’d left his apartment without one this evening, she’d been anxious to sneak a peek at his ass in casual pants. It had probably improved with age, just like everything else.

She’d been shocked by his hair when she’d seen the surveillance photos during her initial briefing. Gone was the conservative buzz cut from his days at the academy and presumably on active duty. Instead, he wore his wavy hair, so dark brown as to be almost black, in a neat ponytail. She’d loosened his hair earlier as she checked for head trauma, so now those thick waves brushed his collar and framed his face. Her fingers itched to tangle in them again, this time with passionate intent.

What the hell was wrong with her? Her job right now was to see that he arrived at Bolling safe and sound, not to drool over him like some teenaged groupie. Hell yes, she needed to get as far away from him and her purely physical reaction to him as possible. The time had come to call in some favors and get someone else to escort him to Bolling.

Digging the key to the rented minivan out of her front jeans pocket, Erika thumbed the button to unlock the doors. Visions of what had happened when Aiden attempted the same gesture minutes earlier assaulted her; she turned to watch him, to ascertain if he experienced any sense of déjà vu. Aiden strode to the passenger side as if he either hadn’t noticed or wasn’t bothered, which she doubted. She didn’t question the action, thankful she didn’t have to argue with him again.

“It should take us just over an hour to get to the base.” He reached across his body to click the seatbelt buckle.

Figures he’d know how long they’d be trapped in a car together. “Maybe less. Rush hour traffic should be over by now.” She glanced at the clock—nineteen hundred.

Shoving the key in the ignition, Erika started the car and headed in the direction of the highway. She headed north, bound and determined to reach Dayton as soon as possible.

“You have plenty of time now to tell me what the hell is going on with my life.”

From the corner of her eye, she noticed him roll his head and press the heels of his hands to his temples. She’d taken him down with an impressive flying tackle. She’d be surprised if he didn’t have a few bruises in the morning.

She’d known this conversation had to take place—she’d promised him it would. She’d only given him the barest of details back at the scene of the explosion, enough to get his ass in gear. Drawing a deep breath, she plunged in at the beginning.

“Two months ago, Cancuen elected a new president. Mr. Montoya didn’t like the fact Miguel Ramos lived like a king in his own mansion, under what could loosely be considered “house arrest.” One of his campaign promises was to move Sonny to a real prison. During the transfer, he escaped. About a month ago, intelligence picked up some chatter that Sonny was out for revenge. Against you.

“AFSA wasn’t overly concerned, since you’d taken a new identity when you left intelligence. But they sent me to keep an eye on you just in case. So you’re going to Bolling to keep you safe until he’s caught.”

White-knuckled fingers gripped the wheel as she waited for Aiden’s response. She kept her eyes on the road as she skirted around Cincinnati.

“That’s it? That’s the everything you promised me back there?” The anger pouring off of him filled the suddenly small interior of the minivan.

“There’s nothing more to tell.” Sometimes, her job sucked. Whether he liked it or not, she’d told him all there was to tell.

“Sonny almost turns me into a crispy critter and all you can tell me is that the bastard escaped on the way to a real jail and is gunning for my ass.” His irate tone grated on her nerves.

“That about sums it up.” She’d tell him more if she had it to tell.

“That about fucking sucks.” He rubbed his temples with his fingers.

“You know as well as I do that sometimes there isn’t much intelligence to go on.”

He made a rude sound and she could almost hear his thoughts, No shit, not much intelligence. She wished they had more information, but they didn’t. Not yet. A serious conversation with the CO was in order when they reached the safe house. How had Sonny or his organization managed to find Aiden when they had so little knowledge of Sonny’s whereabouts? The air force and the United States government had no records of Aiden Greene after his discharge six years earlier. No tax records, no medical records. Nothing. With the help of the AFSA and the Witness Protection Program, he’d changed his name to Cooper Bartholomew, got a new Social Security number, and moved on with his life.

So what the hell had happened?

* * * *

When the hell had he lost control of his life?

Aiden watched the mile markers tick off as Erika cruised north. Had it been when his car, his beautiful Saab, burst into a ball of flames? No, it happened long before that. Tonight was just the icing on the fucking cake. Once again, life as he knew it had somersaulted beyond his control, with Sonny choreographing his gymnastic routine. And who should turn up in his ass-over-brains tumble, but the one who got away. She looked amazing—better than amazing—sitting there with the soft glow of the dashboard light reflecting off her skin looking too damn fine in the green haze. Her t-shirt skimmed her generous chest and flat stomach. Faded jeans molded to her perfect ass and long, long legs. He should know, he’d spent enough time staring at them as he panted along behind her through the woods like some wimpy little puppy dog with his tongue hanging out.

He’d spent the entire trek trying to keep the blood from leaving his brain and filling his cock. The sexy wiggle in her walk threatened to give him a hard-on. The Technicolor circus behind him drove home the seriousness of their situation and kept his big head in control of his little one.

Now, all bets were off. Not even thoughts of Sonny Ramos and his threats of revenge kept the blood from flowing south. She was still the stunning beauty she’d been at the academy, if not more so. She probably had a pretty-boy jet jockey boyfriend and a string of broken hearts to her credit. Starting with his all those years ago.

Morbid curiosity made him break the silence. Maybe if he kept his tone light enough, she’d think this was all idle chit chat. “What have you been up to since graduation? Are you married?” He didn’t want to know the answer to that question, did he? Yeah, dammit, he did.

“I’ve been with the AFSA since graduation. Not much else I can tell you, which isn’t classified.” She flashed him a quick smile. “And, no, I never married.”

His heart and his cock kicked up a beat at her response. He might as well have a huge scarlet “L” for loser on his forehead. His life was in danger and all he could think about was peeling those jeans off her body so he could dive in deep.

“What about you? What have you been up to?”

“Like you don’t have an entire file on me in this car.” Sarcasm hung on every word, not that he cared if he was being rude. After the evening he’d had, he deserved it.

She bit back a laugh. “I’d like to hear it from you.”

“Fine. Even before I got out of the Air Force, I’d already planned on attending law school. I met Nancy at law school. She was dating one of the guys in my study group. We got married at the end of my first year.” Although, looking back, he had no idea why they were in such a big rush to marry. Even now, several years later, he could only chalk it up to stupidity. “When I graduated, we moved to Cincinnati to be near her family and I began practicing. She didn’t go back to law school, because we decided she needed to be a stay-at-home mother to the twins.” A band tightened around his chest at the thought of his children and how they might never know their father if Sonny had his way. “We divorced about a year ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m not. It’s what was best for both of us. I couldn’t be the man she wanted.”

Right about now, he wished he could be the man Erika wanted for a night or two.

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