Always Read Free Page A

threatened because he was a virile male and she was merely experiencing a very natural sexual chemistry. “You said something about cooperation?”
    He dropped into the chair she’d indicated. “In my search for Martin Baldwin,” he said bluntly. “I think you can deliver him to me.”
    She stiffened. “You’re a policeman?”
    He shook his head. “I’m with the Sedikhan Security Service. Your ex-husband and his ‘company’ have been running guns to a group of terrorists based across the border from Sedikhan in Said Ababa.” His expression hardened. “I don’t like men who make money off of that terror any more than I like the terrorists themselves. I want very much to find Baldwin.”
    Lisa moistened her lips. Oh, dear Lord, would it never end? “Then go find him,” she said quietly. “It has nothing to do with me.”
    “I need you. Baldwin knows I’m looking for him and has gone underground. The only person who can make him come out of hiding is you.”
    She lowered her lashes to veil her eyes. “We’re not married any longer. I have nothing to do with Martin these days.”
    “Not willingly, perhaps.” Clancy shrugged. “But he still wants you. Would you like me to quote a few instances of Baldwin’s pathological jealousy? You lost a very good job in Las Vegas because Baldwin made a scene and threatened to cut a customer’s throat. That was about ayear ago, wasn’t it? There have been two other ugly scenes since that I can think of offhand. I have the dossier in my suitcase if you’d like to review it.”
    “No,” she said numbly. Of course he would have a dossier on her. All policemen had their damned dossiers. She should know that by now. “I just want to be left alone. I’m not involved in Martin’s activities. I never have been.”
    “I know,” he said in a gentle tone. “But you’ll remain involved as long as he’s in your life. Give him to me and I’ll promise to remove him.” He paused deliberately. “Permanently.”
    Her gaze lifted swiftly to his. She smiled with an effort. “You sound quite lethal. The last I heard, gun running wasn’t a capital offense.”
    “Perhaps not in the U.S., but in Sedikhan it’s a different situation entirely.” He smiled with a touch of cold ferocity. “Alex leaves judgments of that nature up to me.”
    “Alex?”
    “Alex Ben Raschid, the sheikh of Sedikhan. Alex is a very busy man these days. I assureyou I have full power to act for him. Is it a deal?”
    “You’d kill him?” Lisa whispered.
    “Perhaps; I haven’t decided as yet. In any event, he won’t be around to bother you again. Isn’t that what you want?”
    She shivered. “Not that way. I could never be that cold-blooded.”
    His lips tightened. “Baldwin is a hell of a lot more cold-blooded than you could ever dream of being. What kind of man do you think would furnish hand grenades and dynamite to terrorists when he knows damn well they’ll be used to blow up schoolbuses and supermarkets? Two children were killed last year in Marasef and several more were injured. I can’t touch the terrorists as long as Said Ababa is protecting them, but I can stop their flow of weapons.” He paused. “I can stop Baldwin.”
    “Children were hurt?” She felt suddenly sick. How could Martin do these things? It was unbelievable.
    Clancy nodded curtly. “Will you help me?”
    She drew a deep breath. “I can’t.”
    “You can. But you won’t. Perhaps you’re one of those women who get some sort of kinky thrill out of being desired by a bastard like that. Maybe it’s a little game the two of you play.”
    “A game!” Her brown eyes were blazing. “Do you think I enjoy having my career slowly destroyed in the most humiliating way possible? That I like being afraid every time I hear a knock on the door that it will be him and the whole sordid mess will start again? You’re a very stupid man, Mr. Donahue.”
    “Then give him to me,” Clancy said relentlessly.