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was never a good plan. The last thing she needed to do was get into yet another argument with Evan.
    Pressure had long ago started wrapping around her lungs, squeezing the air from them along with her ability to keep her temper in check. Mandatory fun had long ago petered out for all but the most devoted ass-kissers. Or, in Claire’s case, for those who were tailing the drunks while they continued to party. Reza was still chatting up the cute blonde, and he was the only reason Claire hadn’t left yet. At least he’d stayed away from Engle tonight. Evan already thought Claire was a shitty officer. If he found out she was covering for Reza, it would only cement her status as a bottom-rung captain who didn’t follow the rules.
    Claire just wanted to get Reza home and locked safely in his room before he showed his ass and got in trouble. At least two men who Claire would have bet money were command sergeants major were currently giving him the hairy eyeball. If she could just get him out of here, she had a snowball’s chance in Texas of getting him safely to bed and keeping Evan from seeing him piss drunk.
    Claire sighed and tried to figure out the best way to get him out without looking like she was babysitting him—or taking him home herself. This was turning into one of those pesky times when it would have been better if she were in uniform.
    “Crap,” she mumbled beneath her breath. She tossed her drink into the trash and started weaving through the picnic tables toward Reza and the giggling blonde. She offered up a silent prayer that he wasn’t going to make a scene. Though it wasn’t really aquestion of if he would make a scene. Only how big.
    Reza swayed on his feet as she approached, and the woman next to him laughed and leaned into him to help prop him up. Claire narrowed her eyes, wondering if the cute young thing even realized he probably didn’t know her name.
    Reza chose that exact moment to stagger into the tiny blonde, and the two of them went crashing to the floor. Claire rushed across the rest of the space and pulled the big man off the squirming female, who appeared to be enjoying herself a little too much. She bit back a horrified laugh as Reza mumbled, “Stop wiggling,” while Claire struggled to heave him to his feet.
    After she finally managed to get him upright, she jerked her chin at the small blonde, who was brushing off her white pants. “You okay?”
    “Yes, Ma’am.” She stiffened and looked at Claire as if she were stealing her date.
Not in this lifetime, sister
, Claire thought darkly.
    Trying not to look like she was staggering beneath his weight, Claire maneuvered Reza out of the pavilion. Silence hung around them as she struggled to get him outside without tripping over his feet or her own. She shivered, and it had nothing to do with the cold. No, the chill was laced with a slithering fear that Reza was closer to the edge of a breakdown than she’d ever wanted to admit.
    The full moon hung heavy and pregnant over the mountain, casting the snow-covered path in soft silver light. They were making steady progress when Reza shifted too quickly and Claire barely got out a “damn it, Reza” before the big man stumbled and went down, dragging her with him. Reza landed with an elbow in her ribs, knocking the air from her lungs. She barely managed to keep her head from smacking against the wall as they landed in a pile of limbs and muffled curses.
    “Get off me.” She struggled to keep the panic from her voice as the air fled her lungs and rational thought flittered for an escape route. Memories rushed in. “Reza, get off!”

Chapter Three
    Evan was moving before the last panicked words left Claire’s mouth. Not once in three years had he ever heard panic from Claire Montoya. He’d been watching with interest from a distance as she tried to maneuver the big platoon sergeant home but when they’d fallen, it was the panic in her voice that had his feet moving before he’d given it