Double Dare Read Free Page B

justice done?” Kate hiked a shoulder, but the glib expression on her face had turned sober.
    “I wish,” Maggie confessed. “God, how I wish.”
    “Well, what’s left, then?” Kate asked.
    “Shame.”
    Obviously Kate had no idea what to do with that, so did what she always did when something cut too close to the bone. She changed the subject. “Okay, then.” Nodding, she leaned back in her chair. “So, Amanda, when Mark asks, are you going to marry him, or what?”
    “Let’s just wait and see if he asks.” She honestly looked hopeful. “Maybe he won’t. I do and don’t want him to, you know?”
    “Good God, you’re neurotic.” Kate huffed and dug into the doughnut box, this time opting for a long-john with chocolate frosting.
    Maggie grabbed a dart, still unnerved by the discussion and the phone call. How Jack could put Karen through that, she had no idea, but after hearing her crying in the background on a call last Christmas, Maggie had resolved not to take another call from either of them—ever. Woman to woman, she knew the pain of betrayal, and no way was she going to be a party to inflicting it on anyone else—noteven on Karen. Though she couldn’t help but wonder why Karen tolerated this in Jack. It wasn’t her nature…or was it? Hell, Maggie couldn’t figure out herself half the time, much less Karen.
    “Amanda,” Darcy said. “I just can’t believe it. You’ve been with Mark a year, for pity’s sake. You still don’t trust him?”
    “I—I love him. Of course, I do.” Her words came out in a rush.
    Darcy stared at her, quiet and still. “I didn’t say love, I said trust.”
    Amanda squirmed, then sighed.
    “What woman ever truly trusts men?” Maggie spared her and tossed the dart. It stabbed Thomas Kunz right in the snoz. “We know they practice deceit for years, most of them from the cradle. By the time they become men, they’re so good they believe their own lies. Women don’t stand a chance. We have to doubt them.”
    Kate folded her arms back, behind her head. “Spoken like a bitter woman who doesn’t trust men and doesn’t trust her own judgment about them.”
    Bitter, yes. Because she’d allowed the worst in her to run amok. Maggie cocked her head. But how could she trust her judgment when she’d been so wrong about Jack? “You could be right, Kate.” Bitchy to point it out, but right. “Let’s just say I prefer working with women I can trust to throw their knives in my face but never stab me in the back.”
    Kate split her lips in a toothy grin. “Why I do believe that’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said to me.”
    “Considering how grumpy you are—” Amanda pulled out a file and cracked it open “—I can believe that.”
    Katherine Kane had more bristles than a hairbrush andabout a thimble’s worth of faith in Maggie’s abilities. Typical anti-rookie bias, but seeing is believing, and her lack of confidence would resolve itself soon enough. Maggie had only joined the S.A.S.S. eight months ago and had just completed her initial training.
    Someone cleared her throat.
    “Colonel?” Darcy said, surprised.
    Everyone turned to look at the hallway door, including Maggie. Colonel Sally Drake had dyed her hair blood-red, which meant she was ticked to the gills about something, and her expression proved she’d been standing there awhile and had heard far more than she’d wanted to—especially considering there was a man standing beside her.
    A sexy-as-sin, gorgeous and unfortunately familiar man who was biting back what would be, at the moment, a very unwelcome smile, considering the women had been trashing his gender. In his mid-thirties, he wore steel-gray Dockers and a dove-gray shirt and tie.
    Maggie’s stomach clutched. Dr. Justin Crowe, owner and chief researcher for Crowe Pharmaceuticals. Now what the hell was he doing here? And why did he have to be here now?
    Crowe nodded in Maggie’s direction. Her stomach clutched again, knocking