Black and Blue Read Free Page B

beyond the doors. “Icalibrated the poison to the target’s specific body mass and chemistry. If my calculations are correct, this mission will be over in three, two, one . . .”
    Someone screamed.
    Frantic footsteps sounded.
    Evie grinned, all hint of vulnerability gone. “The target is now bagged and tagged. All thanks to me. Good luck next time, Mr. Blue.”

“Work with Evangeline Black? I’d rather be slit open from navel to nose.”
    —CORBIN BLUE
    “Good thing I always carry a knife.”
    —EVIE BLACK

One

    FOUR YEARS LATER
    W HAT’S WRONG WITH ME ?
    Evie Black executed her fiftieth lap in the long, rectangular pool that consumed half of her backyard. The sun shone brightly, heating her skin as well as the water. Very precious water. Expensive. During the human-alien war, a good portion of the world’s supply had been contaminated.
    But then, she was obscenely rich and wanted for nothing.
    She also had a fantastic job. At twenty-six, she was the youngest surgeon at St. Anthony.
    It wasn’t the life she once envisioned for herself, but it was a good one all the same.
    So why did she feel so utterly unsatisfied?
    Fifty-one.
    Her heart thumped against her ribs. Her muscles burned from the strain.
    Fifty-two.
    Something had to be missing. Not a man. She didn’t have time to date. Besides, there wasn’t anyone she wanted to date. Her hormones were in hibernation, and had been for years.
    Fifty-three.
    Ever since Claire had—
    No. No, no, no. Not an acceptable thought path.
    Fifty-four.
    “Eden Black, requesting video conference,” a computerized voice announced.
    Perfect. A distraction.
    “Granted,” Evie said, and swam to the pool steps. As she emerged from the water, her sister’s hologram appeared in front of her.
    Eden Black was a beautiful woman. One of the rare Rakans to walk the earth, with golden skin, hair, and eyes. Adopted by Michael, trained as an agent. One of the best. Respected as much as John No Last Name, Solo Judah, and—as much as she hated to admit it—Corbin Blue.
    The males her father loved as if they were his own flesh and blood.
    That had always been a sore point for Evie, who had not met Michael until her eighth birthday. And for ten years after that, she had seen him only a handful of other times. Yet, he couldn’t seem to function without the Dynamic Trio.
    Why does no one want to keep me around? Was she really so terrible?
    Whaa, whaa, whaa. Baby! Stop whining.
    She blamed No Daddy Syndrome. For most of her childhood, she’d assumed Michael hated her, and it gutted her. Even now, knowing that wasn’t the case, she struggled with self-esteem issues. But at least she was on the road to recovery. Step one: admission of a problem.
    “Look at Miss Hot Stuff in her teeny tiny bikini,” Eden said, wiggling her brows. “I’m so freaking jelly.”
    Evie stalked to the chaise longue to grab her towel, her sister’s hologram moving with her, so that they were always in sight of each other. Before drying off, she struck a pose and said, “Thank you, thank you. I try.”
    Eden rolled her eyes. “Goofball.”
    Hardly. Everyone else called Evie spoiled and haughty, a party girl without a filter, who let daddy’s money buy her a career she didn’t deserve. Uh, try honest to a fault. And never mind the fact that Evie hadn’t been to a legit rager in years.
    “Headed for another job?” she asked, rubbing her hair between folds of the cloth.
    “Yep. Michael wants me to do a little recon from inside a Shanghai prison. I’m set for transport tomorrow morning, and I don’t know how long I’ll be there.”
    “Dude.”
    “I know.” Eden pouted for a moment, then brightened. “Hey, hop on the jet and join me. We can tag team the inmates hard-core.”
    She didn’t even try to hide her shudder. “I’d rather be cut up and sold for parts.”
    “Come on, Evie. It’s been three years since—”
    “Don’t go there,” she rushed out. Looking back hurt. Hurt bad.
    Unfazed,