The Mercenary Read Free Page B

dropped
    down on the leather sofa opposite her and stretched out his legs, the drink balanced on his belly. He
    settled one arm behind his head and watched her.
    Christ, she was skittish. Her eyes slid away from his, then back. Her arrogant little nose tilted.
    The mugging story was bogus. There were many ways to detect a liar, even a good one.
    Marc hadn’t
    needed to see the pupils of her enormous green eyes dilate, nor did he have to hear the way her speech
    raced when she was telling him she’d been mugged.
    Victoria Jones was a lousy liar.
    Besides the broken arm she had contusions on her slender neck, and more bruises beneath the light
    application of makeup on her otherwise unblemished face. He was almost intrigued enough to dig deeper.
    Almost.
    “You know my brother.” She moved cautiously to the other end of the sofa and sat on the very edge,
    pulling her skirt down lower over her calves. When she leaned forward to put her glass on the coffee
    table, she exposed the vulnerable ridge of her collarbone below the lacy edge of her collar.
    “Alex—Alexander Stone.”
    Alexander Stone and VictoriaJones? He narrowed his eyes fractionally. “I don’t know anyone by that
    name. Sorry, honey. Try again.”
    “Lynx,” she said tightly. “You know him as Lynx. He was sent on a mission to Marezzo seven months
    ago.” She straightened and stared at him. “I’m his sister.” Her jaw tightened and something flashed in her
    green eyes. “And don’t say you don’t know him. He told me all about you.” Marc just stared at her.
    “I know, for example—” Tory kept her eyes fixed on a point behind his left ear “—that the organization
    you work for is an elite unit. A cloaked counterterrorist force beyond even the CIA. A highly secret
    group called T-FLAC. Terrorist Force Logistical Assault Command.” She licked her bottom lip. “I know
    there are members of your team who have infiltrated any number of foreign governments and military
    organizations all over the world.”
    A small triumphant smile curved her mouth when she detected the slightest tensing of his broad,
    impressive shoulders. His eyes bored into hers like burning ice. “Who the hell are you, lady?”
    She tried, God help her, she really tried, to say her name, but she was so terrified her lips barely moved.
    Her eyes darted about the room, looking for help; but of course they were alone. With a sinking heart
    she suddenly realized that other than Marc Savin’s people, no one knew she was here.
    He could do
    anything to her and probably would. He shook her and Tory’s teeth chattered. “My brother—”
    “Would sure as hell not turn rogue and give away so much information dead or alive.
    Try again, green
    eyes. I’ll give you two seconds to tell me who sent you, and then—”
    “Your code name is Phantom,” she said quickly, her skin going hot, then cold and clammy. Victoria
    smoothed her jacket down with a shaking hand. “My brother is alive and not well in Marezzo, Mr.
    Macho Spymaster. That’s fact. The only reason I know all this is because—” The eyes.Alex’s eyes. But—“He didn’t have any relatives.”
    “Try again, Mr. Savin.” She echoed his words. “I’m sitting right here. I’m his twin and I’m very much
    alive.” Tension radiated off her body. “And don’t talk about him in the past tense. Alex is alive.”
    Damn, was it possible? Was it even conceivable that Lynx was alive? Of course the canny Lynx would
    have kept a sister under wraps, hence the name difference. He was normally a closemouthed bastard and
    would have known she’d be an easy target for anyone with a grudge. Then again, she could be anybody.
    With familiar green eyes and access to him?
    Despite the evidence, Marc was still skeptical. If his enemies wanted to get close to him, sending in
    someone like Victoria Jones was a clever maneuver. She sure as shit didn’t look like an enemy operative.
    In fact she looked the exact opposite of