MERCILESS: An Option Zero Novel

by Christy Reece

  “Short term?”

  “I don’t do permanent.”

  Okay, there was honesty, and then there was brutal honesty.

  “So it’s either one or the other?”

  It was an obviously rhetorical question, and he didn’t bother to respond.

  Even though there was only one answer she could give, for just a second she allowed herself the fantasy of giving a different one. What would it feel like to be with a man like Asher Drake? She’d already known he was a man of integrity and strength. And now, having met him and gotten to know him on a personal basis, the things he made her feel were unlike anything she’d ever experienced. What would it be like to have him touch her, kiss her? Give herself over to the kind of pleasure she’d never before felt?

  “Jules?”

  Jerked out of the hopeless fantasy, she gave him the only answer she could. “I want to work for OZ.”

  For just a second, she thought she saw disappointment flicker in his eyes, but if it had been there, he quickly covered it with the arrogant blandness she was coming to recognize as his standard expression.

  Without another word, he stood and held out his hand. She allowed him to pull her to her feet, wondering exactly what she had gotten herself into. By working with him, she was putting herself in a precarious position. She had her own agenda. If she didn’t get her head straight and remember exactly why she was here, she would mess all of this up. There was too much at stake to jeopardize her goals.

  They didn’t talk as they walked back to her hotel. For someone who rarely felt nervous, she was suddenly incredibly so. Just because they were attracted to each other didn’t mean anything, really. She had met dozens…okay, not dozens, but a few men she had felt attracted to. Not one of them had made her the slightest bit nervous. But this wasn’t just anyone. This was Asher Drake, a man she had studied like no one else.

  She wasn’t sure what she expected when they arrived at her room. She had admitted an attraction to this man, and they had both agreed it wasn’t something they could explore. He didn’t get involved with his employees, and she had an agenda that was in direct conflict with any kind of intimacy with her target.

  None of that mattered when they were standing at her hotel door. Her heart was racing like she was a teenager in the throes of her first crush. She held her breath, unsure of the next move.

  Asher Drake had no such problem. With a curt nod, he said, “I’ll be in touch.” The words were terse, his face expressionless as he walked away.

  She gave a laughing sigh. The man was nothing if not unpredictable, and despite all the whispered warnings in her mind, she knew she was going to have a difficult time controlling her response to him. She had never been so utterly fascinated by anyone as she was by Asher Drake.

  Her timing, as usual, sucked.

  The instant she entered her room, the musings of her mercurial heart abruptly ended. She was not alone.

  The intruder sat in the darkness of a corner. Jules could just make out an indistinguishable shadowy image. She couldn’t even tell if the person was male or female. She cursed softly. She had been distracted, unprepared. Two things she’d sworn would never happen to her again.

  “You failed the first test, Ms. Stone,” a female voice said, its owner sounding amused.

  “Who are you?”

  “Your trainer.”

  “For?”

  “Your new employment.”

  “I only agreed to work for OZ a few moments ago. How did you know?”

  “I imagine Drake anticipated your answer. He’s smart like that. You, on the other hand, I’m not so sure about. Drake told me you’re quick on the uptake. I may have to disavow him of his opinion.”

  Jules couldn’t argue with that. She was being slow in comprehending. “Ash didn’t tell me the training would begin so soon.”

  “Ash, is it?”

  The amused speculation in the woman’s voice was irritating, but again Jules couldn’t argue with her reasons. She was being uncharacteristically stupid.

  Regrouping, she took a breath and said, “That’s his name, isn’t it?”

  This time, a soft laugh came from the corner. “Yes, I do believe it is.”

  Okay, she had not only sounded defensive but just a little immature, too. Tired of the games, Jules reached back and hit the light switch. In an instant, light flooded the room, and she saw the woman was little more than a sprite.

  “Don’t let my size deceive you. I can kick your ass.”

  “I believe you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you wouldn’t work for OZ if you couldn’t.”

  “Good answer. And you’re right. But let’s talk about you. Think you can do the same thing?”

  “Do I think I can kick your ass? Am I going to have to?”

  “Mine and a few others.”

  “When does this training begin?”

  “It already has. We’ll travel back to the States in an hour. Get your things, and let’s go.”

  No. That couldn’t happen. For her plan to work, she had to be at least in the same city with Drake. Not being in the same country would severely limit her ability to do her job.

  Jules eyed the woman, assessing her words. “You’re bluffing.”

  “Oh, really? Why do you say that?”

  “For one thing, you’re obviously here in Budapest for a job.”

  “So? Drake has reassigned me.”

  “Then your job must not be very important for him to be able to do without you so easily.”

  A gleam of admiration flared in the woman’s dark eyes. “Not too many people have the guts to insult me to my face.”

  “You’ll soon learn that I’m quite gutsy.”

  “You’ll need to be.” She abruptly stood, and Jules noted that the woman wasn’t as small as she’d first thought. Maybe five-two, five-three, but she was thin, almost fragile-looking. She also had an unhealthy pallor. This OZ operative was apparently so valuable that Drake needed her even in her sickly state.

  “I’ll be here at seven a.m.”

  “Why?”

  “To brief you on the op.”

  “I’ll be on an OZ op already?”

  “OZ employees are on call from day one. We don’t bring people on unless they’re already fully trained.”

  “If that’s the case, what are you planning to train me to do?”

  “You need to learn the OZ way.”

  Before Jules could question what exactly that meant, the woman added, “If trainer doesn’t suit you, you can call me your watcher.” She tilted her head. “You come highly recommended—Kate doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but you damn well better be worth the trouble.”

  She paused as if waiting for a response. When Jules didn’t respond, she continued, “Drake gave you your conditions for employment, but I’ll give you one more. Screw this op up, and you’ll regret ever hearing about OZ.”

  Not waiting for Jules’s reply, the woman silently passed by Jules and opened the door.

  “Just one question.”

  The woman turned, arching a questioning brow.

  “You got a name?”

  “Yes.” Without another word, the woman walked out.

  With more determination than grace, Jazz McAlister made her way to the elevator. She had booked a room three floors below Juliet Stone’s. She figured she had just enough strength left to make it there before she collapsed. Drake would bench her if he knew how weak she really was. She didn’t intend for him find out. If she didn’t work, she didn’t function. Work kept her sane…well, as sane as people like her ever got.

  When the elevator doors opened, she waltzed in as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Even though the elevator was empty, she kept up the appearance. Bravado had been her mainstay for years, and right now it was the only thing keeping her on her feet. When she got to her room, she’d let her guard down.

  The instant she entered her room, her legs threatened to give out on her, and she managed
to make it to the bed before she collapsed. Never one to shirk her duties, she quickly texted her boss and gave him her opinion. Drake was right. As impressive as Juliet Stone appeared to be on paper, she was hiding something.

  She would definitely be keeping her eye on OZ’s newest operative.

  As soon as the door closed behind her intruder, Jules dropped onto the sofa. She felt like she’d lived a lifetime in just one day. Not only had she met the man who had fascinated her for years, she had agreed to work for him. If that were all, it would be more than enough, but there was something else…something monumental. They were more than mildly attracted to each other. The complications were endless and mind-blowing.

  In her heart of hearts, she wasn’t surprised at the attraction. How many times had she stared at his photo and wondered about him? She had built up Asher Drake in her mind, but she had assumed that once she met the real man, he wouldn’t live up to her expectations. She’d been wrong. He was more, so much more, than she had ever dreamed. Complicated, amazingly sexy, and bone-chillingly perceptive.

  She was playing with fire, and even though she knew she would get burned, she couldn’t stay away from the heat. For the first time in years, she felt truly alive.

  The ring of her phone drew her from her exhausted musings. Pulling it from her purse, she grimaced as she saw the name of the caller. Taking a deep breath, she slid her finger over the answer icon. She had some fast-talking to do.

  “What the hell, Jules?”

  Despite her friend’s tone, Jules couldn’t help but smile. Having known Kate for well over a decade, she knew the anger would come from concern. Kate Walker was at the top of an exceedingly short list of people she trusted.

  “And hello to you, too.”

  “You’re going to work for OZ? Are you insane?”

  “Oh, I think that ship sailed a long time ago, don’t you?”

  “Don’t be glib. How on earth do you think this is going to work?”

  “It’ll give me access I wouldn’t have from the outside, which should impress Turner. I need to be as convincing as possible. Plus, I’ll be a good operative.”

  “No question about that, but it’s going to put you in more danger, too.”

  “I’ll play it out for as long as I can. You said you thought you were close to finding what you need.”

  “I am, but ‘close’ is a relative term. It could still be months away.”

  “Then I’ll stick it out until then or until I no longer have a choice, whichever comes first.”

  “You know he’ll find out the truth eventually.”

  “Not necessarily. I’ve covered my tracks.”

  “He’s the best in the business of uncovering tracks.”

  Asher Drake had definitely proven that tonight. Not once had she anticipated that he would find out about her penchant for hunting serial killers. Still, she believed this cover was as solid as possible.

  “I’m worried for you, Jules. You might get more than you bargained for.”

  “I thought you trusted me to handle this.”

  “I do. Or at least I did until Ash texted me that you told him you want to work for him.”

  When Jules didn’t reply, Kate sighed and added, “You planned to ask him for a job all along, didn’t you?”

  “Yes and no. I didn’t start out with that intention, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made.”

  “I thought you were just going to observe for a while before you introduced yourself.”

  “He made me. I had no choice but to play it out.”

  “That’s because he’s the best there is, Jules. You know that. You’re playing a dangerous game with a very dangerous man. I know you don’t necessarily see him that way, but you don’t know Asher Drake like I do.”

  “I thought you liked and admired him.”

  “I do, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see him for what he is.”

  “I know what I’m doing.”

  “Guess it wouldn’t do any good to ask you to reconsider telling him who you really are.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “I think you’d be surprised at his reaction.”

  “Let’s not do this again, Kate. If I tell him, you know what he’ll do. He’ll want to know everything, and we’ll be right back where we started.”

  “All right. I’ll drop it for now. Now tell me what happened.”

  “I figure you know most of it. Ash said he checked in with you.”

  “Ha. That just shows you how little you know about the man. His text was five words. Your name and then ‘Tell me everything.’”

  “Whatever you told him must have worked.”

  “I just told him that I think a lot of you and he can trust you. I imagine I’ll hear from him again.”

  “Considering he caught me in a lie, he might question your judgment from now on.”

  “Uh-oh. I told you he’s got some kind of sixth sense when it comes to lies. How angry was he?”

  “Enough to threaten that if I do it again, I won’t like the consequences. Not angry enough to walk away.”

  “I just hope you don’t regret this decision.”

  So did she. “I didn’t expect him to know about the serial-killer cases.”

  “I warned you. The man is good. Do not, at any point, underestimate him.”

  No, she wouldn’t. She’d learned her lesson about that. The other issue, she wasn’t quite sure how to handle. “There’s another complication.”

  “What?”

  “There’s an attraction I didn’t anticipate.”

  “For you or for him?”

  “Both.”

  “Oh, Jules.”

  Those two softly spoken words held a wealth of meaning.

  “I know. It’s stupid. Nothing will come of it. We both agreed if I went to work for OZ, we couldn’t pursue anything. It’ll pass.”

  “For your sake, I hope so, but let me ask you this. What’s your endgame here? Once this is over and you’ve done what you need to do, what happens?”

  “I’ll leave. You know the reason I’m doing this.”

  “Yes, but I also know that your emotions are tied up with this case. And when emotions are involved, things don’t always turn out the way we planned.”

  “You’re right, but right now I just need to get this done. What happens after that we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  “You know I’m only a phone call away.”

  “Thanks, and I love you for it.”

  “Love you, too. Get some rest. You’ve got to be exhausted.”

  “Yeah. And my day might be longer tomorrow. One of OZ’s employees was waiting for me in my room. She says she’s my trainer.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “She didn’t say. She’s petite, has short, ink-black hair, dark brown eyes, and looks like she might have been sick recently.”

  “Jasmine McAlister, or Jazz. She was injured on an op a few months back. Don’t let her size or weak appearance fool you. She’s a tough one.”

  “So she told me.”

  “Believe her.”

  “I will. I’ll do fine. Remember, I’m a tough cookie, too.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “Night, Kate.”

  “Night, Jules.”

  After ending the call, Jules sat for a while and just appreciated the silence. The day had brought more challenges than she’d expected. When she’d set out on this quest, she’d had one goal. That hadn’t changed. And what she’d told Kate was the truth. Working with Asher Drake would assist her in achieving that goal even better than she had hoped, but it also complicated things. She had no real exit strategy. And if her new boss found out who’d sent her here, she had a feeling complications would be the least of her worries.

  Chapter Twelve

  The flight to Timisoara, Romania, would be a short one. Ten minutes after takeoff, Ash stood at the front of the plane’s cabin to brief his people. Five OZ operatives had traveled to Bud
apest with him. The sixth, his newest hire, sat in the second row of seats. Judging by the slight stiffness of her shoulders, he discerned that Jules Stone was feeling a little out of her element.

  This op in Romania had been planned long before Humphrey’s meeting with Omar Schrader had been scheduled. He hadn’t mentioned it to Jules last night. One of the requirements of an OZ operative was to be ready for anything at a moment’s notice. There were still things she needed to do to prove herself, but this would be a good starter test.

  Despite her seeming uncertainty, Ash had every confidence that Jules was a good fit for OZ. Not only did she have the required skills and drive, she had the leadership qualities needed to head up a mission. That she didn’t like rules, as she’d confessed, wasn’t an issue. He could work around any problems on that front. His biggest concern, admittedly a large one, was that she still wasn’t being entirely truthful. Even though the stories she’d told him yesterday had checked out, his gut told him she was hiding things. Until he was completely certain of her, he and Jazz would be keeping a close eye on her.

  “Okay, listen up. This is a brief flight, so we’ll need to be ready to hit the ground running when we land. We’ll do a quick run-through now to make sure we’re still on the same page and one last review once we’re on the ground. Before we get started, though, let me introduce you to OZ’s newest team member, Jules Stone. She can get you up to date on her background later. Till then, be assured she is well trained and ready for action.” He glanced around at the other operatives. “Any questions?”

  When there was no response, Ash went on. “Jazz, I need you running point on communications. Stone will be with you.”

  He didn’t expect any argument. Jazz didn’t think he was aware of how weak she still was. He had been there when she was injured, and he knew full well she wasn’t physically healthy enough to be on the job. He also knew that she needed to work. Downtime for Jazz was a dangerous thing. If she didn’t work, she went places in her mind that she needed to avoid. Her assignment on this op, while important, could have been done by one of the others, but this would keep her busy and involved without any undue stress on her body. Besides, he knew how it felt to need something to concentrate on other than your own tortured thoughts.