On Her Master's Secret Service (Masters and Mercenaries #4)(28)

Adam opened his arms, and Eve walked in for a hug.

She gave so much to the other men in her life but nothing for the man who had loved her, who had waited for her.

But he would do one last thing for her. He would take Michael Evans down and then she would be safe.

Then the game would be over, but Alex already knew he’d lost.





Eve glanced up at the clock. How many hours had gone by since she’d told Alex they were through? Eighteen? Nineteen? It seemed like forever and yet she could still see the look on his face.

She leaned back in her chair. The conference room was full, and she was the only woman there. Grace was working half days for the time being, and Eve felt her loss.

Ian walked in, dropped the folder he was carrying, and slung his massive body into the chair at the head of the table. “Who’s presenting today?”

“Just me,” Alex said.

“Fine. Give me updates before Alex goes.” Ian glanced around the table. Alex had been right. If she hadn’t known to look for the slight reddish tint to his eyes, she wouldn’t be able to tell anything had been wrong with Ian.

Jake passed him another file, this one thick with paper. “We cleared up the McConnell Systems case. Adam nabbed one of the vice presidents for selling the latest software upgrades to a rival. So the good news is, we’re free for a few weeks. We’re evaluating security for a firm in Houston, but that job doesn’t start right away.”

“Weston?” Ian asked, never looking up.

Simon looked absolutely perfect in his Brooks Brothers suit. “I’ve got two cases running, and I’m working security for Lyle Benson’s trip through Dallas. I’m just coordinating, of course. He has his own small army of bodyguards, but I’m checking his routes and the places he’s planning on staying.”

Ian frowned. “Yeah, well, keep the billionaire happy. He keeps us on retainer, and we train that small army of his. So, let’s get on to the non-moneymaking portion of my day.”

“I told you, I’ll handle every bit of this.” Alex stood, his eyes not quite meeting hers as they moved past her and focused on Ian. “I just need a short leave of absence. As I’ve never actually used a vacation day in the last five years, I think I’m due.”



“Oh, and if I thought for a second you would go and hang out on a sunny beach, I would happily send your ass on its way,” Ian grumbled. “But you’re not going to do that, so I’m left with helping out. What’s the setup?”

She’d done nothing all night long but worry about the setup. What exactly had Alex found out and what was he planning on doing about it? And why the hell should she care? He was picking his own revenge over her again.

When would she learn that she would always come second? That what had happened to her mattered more than who she was?

She just prayed this was a distance job. Maybe he would just watch the club from a distance and wait to tag Evans. She could handle it if he was out of harm’s way.

“I’m going to work for a club that we suspect is a front for Evans’s business. It’s all in the packets.” Alex looked tired, like he’d stayed up all night working. She suspected that if she looked in his office, she would find his clothes from yesterday. He always kept a spare set in his desk in case he pulled an all-nighter.

She slowly sipped her coffee, careful not to give away the fact that her heart pounded at the thought of him going undercover.

“How are you gaining access to the club?” Ian asked, opening the folder. “Did you follow up on the reporter?”

Simon nodded. “I pulled up everything I could on her last night. She graduated from Columbia with a Master’s in Journalism. She worked at two small papers and then started doing some freelance work. She hit a couple of big stories, and now she works freelance full time. Comes from money as far as I can tell. She’s the only daughter of a couple of wealthy socialites. When they died a few years back, they left her everything. I tried to find a good picture of her, but all I could get is this grainy shot of her in Pakistan when she was reporting on the Kashmir district.”

“Odd. You couldn’t even find a Facebook picture?” Adam asked.

“Nope. She’s very private. No social media. Her driver’s license is in there, but she’s due to renew next year.”

Alex shrugged. “Looks enough like her. Anyway, Kristen has been working there for a couple of months, and she thinks Evans is going to show up soon.”

“What proof does she have of that?” Eve asked.

“She’s heard word that he comes in every six months to check on operations and keep his flunkies in line. He’s due in anytime. I’m hiring on as the Dom in Residence.”

She felt her skin flush. Evans was a bastard. Maybe Alex was right that Evans hadn’t forgotten about them. There was only one reason to use BDSM as a theme and that was to send Alex a giant middle finger. “He’s set his new network up as BDSM clubs?”

“They’re fetish themed nightclubs,” Alex replied tightly.

Well, Michael Evans always had a sick sense of humor. “Why can’t Ryan go in? He runs Sanctum.”

“Ryan isn’t trained. If I need someone to pose as a CEO, I’ll send Ryan in,” Alex shot back.

“Whereas it’s so much better to send in someone who’s emotionally involved and who could be recognized at any moment. Yes, that’s a much better idea,” Ian said with lazy menace. “Would you like to explain why I’m not going in?”