Read White Dawn: A Military Romantic Suspense Novel for Free Online Page B

for the
refectory. She hugged herself, feeling an odd chill even though the
night wasn’t especially cold.
    It was almost a relief to wake Angelo
and tell him what his orders were. She was doing something. She was
acting, rather than thinking. She wasn’t thinking about Garrett,
whom she didn’t want to think about.
    Angelo was sleepy and protested about
having to get up and dressed and head out into the night.
    “It’s an order, Angelo. Get up off your
lazy fucking ass and move it, soldier!” Carmen snapped.
    His eyes had widened, but he got up and
thrust his feet into his jeans. Carmen watched him dress and hated
the little voice in her mind that whispered that Angelo really was
skinny. His thighs had no muscle to speak of and his ribs stood out
clearly.
    When he was dressed, he tried to kiss
her goodbye, but Carmen stepped away from him. “Kiss me hello,
instead,” she said. “When we get back.”
    His expression was one of surprise, but
there was a touch of bitterness in it, too. He turned and walked
away silently. His pack and belongings were on the other side of
the fire. He would only come to her sleeping bag when everyone was
asleep, even though the whole camp knew they were together in some
tenuous way that even she wasn’t sure she could define.
    She watched him shrug on a jacket and
heavy boots, then shoulder his pack, pick up his rifle and slide
into the night. Once he was gone, she got into her sleeping bag and
hugged it around her for warmth.
    The bag smelled faintly of Angelo. That
should have comforted her, but it annoyed her, instead.
* * * * *
    The United States had not officially
recognized Nick as the President pro tem of Vistaria and diplomatic
relations had not been extended toward the Loyalists, so their
arrival in Washington was low key and almost the antithesis of any
official flight Olivia had ever been on. They flew economy on a
commercial flight to preserve the Loyalists’ dwindling funds, and
did not declare themselves in any way at the customs border.
    The customs and immigration officials
stared at Olivia and then at her hastily put-together Vistarian
passport with a deep puzzlement that she could understand. She
waited them out patiently, until they decided that there was no
reason why she should be denied entry and stamped her passport.
    Because neither of them were United
States citizens, both she and Nick were photographed and
finger-printed, which was a novelty for Olivia. It was interesting
to be treated as a complete nobody…and it was nerve-wracking being
back on American soil.
    They hiked through the airport to the
luggage pick-up area and Nick stretched hard as they stood waiting
for the carousel to start turning. “I’m surprised they didn’t hold
us up back there,” he said quietly.
    “Perhaps the calls are going through
now,” Olivia suggested. “I can’t see my father letting me walk free
around Washington when I’ve just declared myself a non-American. I
was counting on him trying to horn in and ask a question or
two.”
    “Someone will let him know,” Nick said
evenly. He glanced toward the exit and nodded. “I think someone
already has. Look.”
    There were five tall and very fit
looking men in suits, looking around the carousel area.
    “FBI?” Nick asked.
    “National Security,” Olivia said. “They
guard the White House . Dad probably sent them running here as soon
as the passports tripped everyone’s panic buttons.”
    One of the guards spotted her and turned
his head to talk to the others. Then they all strode toward her and
Nick. Olivia stayed where she was, but Nick turned to face
them.
    “Miss Davenport?” the lead man
asked.
    “Actually, it’s Señora Castellano,”
Olivia replied. “You’re…Jerry, right? I think we’ve met once or
twice before. You’re on my father’s detail.”
    Jerry didn’t react. “Señora Castellano,”
he acknowledged, “The Chief of Staff to the President of the United
States would like to have a word