Her Master's Collar (On the Hunt) Read Free

something, I just haven’t figured out what it is yet. What time do you plan on departing tomorrow?”
    At least she hadn’t mentioned his little hormone slip, which he undoubtedly knew she’d been fully aware of. She was too smart not to know the kind of pull she had on him. “Ten hundred.”
    She came to stand beside him, tapping a security code into control panel of the holotable . The display hanging over the table morphed so the plan he’d laid out vanished. The flight path and mission plans were replaced with horrific images that made his stomach churn. He’d seen the horrors of war firsthand enough times to think he was unshakeable. Turned out he was dead wrong.
    “We received these pictures three days ago. His name is—was—Joshua Sheldon. A twenty-two-year-old geologist. He joined the company last month, three days after he graduated top of his class from the University of Arizona. I have to be at his funeral at nine thirty tomorrow to bury those pieces of him you see on the screen. I need—”
    “Eleven hundred, then. Will that give you enough time?” He read about the entire incident when he’d been packing for the flight to the eastern side of the country. The gory fragments had been left on the front steps of Braddock Industries, inciting chaos and panic from those who worked here.
    Korene probably had enough on her plate without having to worry about soothing the agitated nerves of her employees. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for the company, because the protests for continued occupation of Mars had taken such a violent turn. Those clashes weren’t new, as protestors hadn’t wanted the World Government Organization to colonize the planet. Especially after the discovery of several viable water sources far under the planet’s rust-red surface. But like most political things in this volatile environment, the government had moved forward without waiting for the public’s blessing.
    This also meant small factions of rebels were out to see those working to make the planet hospitable didn’t have an easy job. The company was strong, however, he’d bet his last credit, and they’d recover well enough.
    A relieved smile spread on her lips. “Yes. Thank you for adjusting the departure.” She walked slowly to the wide spread of glass showcasing The Mall. Her thoughts were so conflicted, her eyes clouded as she stared off into the distance. She saw without seeing because her mind was so focused on the clusterfuck this situation had become.
    She didn’t know the half of it.
    But he didn’t intend to tell her anytime soon. The risk was too great and there’d been enough risks in his life to last him more than five lifetimes. He straightened his suit jacket before reaching down to erase the bloody images by keying the same code he’d watched her use. He didn’t need a reminder of the dangers they all faced. “If that’s all you need from me, then I have some preparations to make. I’d like to get started on them if you don’t need anything further.”
    “Yes, of course. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    He left in a hurry, ready to be far away from the only woman he’d ever loved.
    * * * * *
     
    That man is still walking, talking sex. Korene watched Roland leave, shaking her head at her thoughts. She’d expected him to bolt as soon as he’d realized she’d entered the room. No doubt the fact he’d given his word kept him in his chair as long as it had. A few things obviously hadn’t changed in the time he’d been gone—honor and integrity were still everything to him.
    Those traits were why she insisted on hiring him. The hostage situation on Mars had clearly gotten under his skin, visibly unsettling him. She was certain no one else in the room had noticed. Only her. Then again, they didn’t know him as intimately as she did.
    And that was the other thing she’d noticed the moment he’d acknowledged her presence. He’d had a hard time keeping his eyes off her, even though he’d