The Midnight Hour - Brenda Jackson [33]
"Don't try and dodge my question, Drake. How are you doing?"
As much as Drake wanted to say that all was fine with him, he couldn't. Lucille had the ability to tell when he was lying, so he decided to tell her the truth… as usual. "I'm tired and feel like hell. I think I may have overdone things after coming off medical leave by taking on those two assignments back-to-back. I'm going to ask Casey for some time off before my next assignment, possibly as long as a month."
Lucille nodded in understanding as concern clouded her eyes. "I was worried about you taking on so much and so soon. And I agree that you should ask Casey for time off. He didn't change Hawk's policy about agents needing time off after an assignment to relieve themselves of the stress that went along with it. You won't have a problem getting the time. There hasn't been a lot of activity around here other than the usual."
Drake nodded. Hawk had operated with the belief that a well-rested agent was more valuable to carry out whatever mission he was called upon to do. A burnt-out agent, tired and under tremendous stress, made mistakes that could end up costing him his life.
Knowing Lucille kept up with just about every agent in Casey's operation, he rubbed his jaw and decided to ask her about the one person who had been on his mind constantly over the past couple of months, Tori Green. Even now he could vividly remember the lovemaking they had shared. Just thinking about it stirred so many unwanted and unexpected emotions within. He still didn't understand how Tori had done it. How she had been able to pull such strong feelings out of him and send them escalating through every part of his body. He didn't understand, but was determined to find out what was there about her that still touched him so.
He wanted to take her out to dinner, take her to a movie, dancing. In other words, he wanted to get to know her better. It had been a long time since he'd gone out on a date an in a way he was looking forward to actually spending time with Tori and seeing where things went from there. While in South America, he'd had time to think about a lot of things and he knew he'd been given another chance at life for a reason. Maybe it was time to finally put the past to rest and move on.
His attention was drawn back to Lucille when she walked back around to her desk. He tipped his head to the side and in a deep, rumbling voice said, "Since we finished the mission early and while I have some free time I'd like to check on a fellow agent; the one who partnered with me on that Costa Rica assignment, Tori Green. Is she expected back out of the field any time soon?"
Lucille halted what she was doing and a slight frown touched her features as she met Drake's eyes. The look in her gaze saddened. "Since you were in South America, I guess you didn't get the word about Tori."
Dread suddenly flared through Drake. He wondered what had happened. Had Tori been injured while on an assignment? Or even worse, had she gotten…? He didn't want to think of that possibility.
He felt a deep tightening in his throat and forced himself to breathe deeply. He raised his chin and forced himself to meet Lucille's troubled eyes. "What about Tori?" he asked in a hoarse voice, one that sounded almost strangled.
"She left."
Drake stood there stunned but relieved that at least Tori was okay. But still, he needed more information. "What do you mean she left?"
Lucille studied Drake. She couldn't help but recall the first time she had seen him. He had stepped off the elevator guarded and uneasy and mad at the whole world. That first year had not been easy in dealing with him. He had wanted to present himself as being the meanest and orneriest agent she ever had the privilege of working with. And for a while she had begun to think he didn't have one gentle bone in his body.
But her old eyes had been able to see past his rough defenses and had seen the hurt and pain he carried around. She had seen fear, real fear, of getting too close to anyone for fear of losing them again. Other