by Kira Barker
God, but she was young, barely eighteen at that. And so fresh and naive. With some of the “dolls” it had been impossible to tell, but the later ones had at least all been in my age range, old enough to know better and still too stupid to run. But she? Helpless fawn caught in the headlights, if you asked me.
“Not my concern,” I murmured under my breath when I caught Adam’s look across the counter. Of course he knew that, but it still bore repeating. If not for him, then for me.
“Quite cold, that statement,” a wry, hard voice drawled from right behind me, making me jump. “Can you really justify letting such an innocent, sweet girl walk into the trap of such a monster?”
From the corner of my eye I saw Adam whip around, but two men in dark suits and sunglasses were already there to slam him back into the cabinet, cuffing him an instant later. Heads shot around, voices raised in alarm, but the viper at my back was quick to do crowd control.
“Agent Eva Smith, I’m with Homeland Security. There is absolutely no reason for concern. We have the situation under control.”
I remained standing where I was, my pulse racing in my ears, and waited until she stepped up to the counter and turned that non-smile of hers on me. She looked just as I’d remembered, dark hair cropped close to the skull, intelligent eyes fixing me with that I’ll-take-no-bullshit glare.
“Tell me…” she scrutinized the name tag on my uniform “… Anita, or Rachel, or Diane, or whatever else you call yourself nowadays. How can you justify waiting tables here, day in, day out, when you know that a man who killed almost a dozen prostitutes is still walking free?”
I knew that she was bluffing; if she’d had any concrete evidence, she would have had no need to track me down. Besides, if she knew, she would have used the exact number.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I started, but she forestalled me.
“Let me spare you the breath. You can stop with the bullshitting. Our old differences aside, I have a deal for you that you want to hear, trust me.”
Glancing at where Adam had stopped struggling against the ex-quarterback agents, I exhaled slowly.
“Why are you here?”
Agent Smith shrugged.
“Losing one of the CIA’s most valuable assets almost ruined my career, so getting him back has been my priority for the past few months, besides saving my ass. And what better way to accomplish the latter than give the brass an even bigger fish to fry?”
“I presume I should congratulate you on your promotion?” I said, not caring whether the switch from one branch of the law to the other had been a demotion or not.
As usual, she ignored me. At least that hadn’t changed.
“So are you going to let him rot in a deep hole forever, or are you going to listen to my proposition at least?”
Not like I had much choice there, I figured.
“I’m listening.”
“Complete immunity for both of you,” she explained, flashing me a toothy, hostile grin. “There’s no open investigation against you or your former madam, but information can be exchanged, and politicians are always happy to find a new scapegoat to prosecute that lets them look as if they were actually doing something. So it would also be in your best interest to listen.”
I held her gaze evenly, not having to pretend that I didn’t give a damn.
“Your threats have always been as toothless as they were boring,” I replied.
“Ah, but maybe the cause will change your mind, if not your friend’s plight? I’m opening an investigation into the disappearance and possible murder of Lilian Jones, Miranda Sanchez…” She kept on rattling off names for what felt like fucking forever, ending with the only one I’d known. “Juliette Imahara. I am going to expose Darren Hunter for the sick fuck that he is, and you are going to help me.”
Sweat broke out all over my neck, but I did my best to remain outwardly unperturbed.
“And what makes you think that I could help you there, even if I wanted to?”
Her gaze dropped to my right hand, half hidden in the folds of my apron. Even in the dim light, the diamond set into the white-gold band flashed briefly, my constant reminder. The vet who had fixed up my hand had wanted to saw it off, but I’d protested quite vehemently. I had taken nothing from my old life with me, except that.
“Because you are the one who got away,” Agent Smith was only too happy to let me know. “I don’t need to tell you that this girl right there is bait, nothing more, nothing less. And you are going to bite, and I will help you take down the bastard who did this to you.” Again she glanced at my hand, then raised her brows at me.
Holding her gaze steadily, I opened my mouth to reply, then hesitated. My first impulse was to tell her to just go to hell, but I simply couldn’t bring myself to utter the words. As if to underline her point, Agent Smith reached into her jacket and got out a photo, showing that girl and Darren together in another location, her wearing a light sundress, him smiling down at her. I felt a well of emotions rise inside of me, and for the first time in months, I allowed them to bubble over.
Rage. Anger. Frustration. But above all else, jealousy.
Looking up to catch Agent Smith’s gaze again, I held out my mangled hand to her.
“We have a deal.”
To be continued in Bait, coming Spring 2015!
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About the author
Kira Barker has always enjoyed telling stories. It has kept her sane through high school and college, and has become a true passion since. A geek gamer girl herself, she feels at home reading sci-fi and fantasy as much as writing romance. She likes her plots gritty, her smut realistic, and doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty when it comes to research. When she’s not writing, she loves annoying her cats or cruising country roads on her motorcycle.
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If you’re curious for more…
Caught in the Middle (We Kinky Three #1)
For years now, resident surgeon Erin Slater has been focused on her career, with no time left for a relationship. Sexual frustration has her on edge, and it seems like a wet dream come true when her best friend Jack and his roommate Simon offer to help her scratch that itch. Their afternoon of debauchery leaves her yearning for more—not just sex, but to explore her submissive and masochistic side with Simon, who has been living the lifestyle for quite some time himself. Soon, she is starting to embrace her new self, leaving her secure enough to enjoy watching the two men in her life deconstruct a few boundaries between them as well.
But when emotions factor into the equation, things get complicated, forcing Erin to make a decision which man she will choose – but why can’t she have both? After all, a love triangle might be just what the doctor prescribes.
Dive into this vivid tale of friendship, lust, love, bondage, dominance, and submission. Intended for mature audiences. Get it from amazon!
Acknowledgements
THANK YOUs goes to my wonderful editor and cover artist. This novel wouldn’t be such a pretty package without them!
I have the most wonderful beta readers—Shayla, Christina, Anca—I’d be lost without you. You held my hand and listened to me rant like a madwoman, and still you’re talking to me!
My gratitude goes to these wonderful people for their help and feedback: Liv, Caroline, Jane, Lotta, Toni, and Holly. I owe you big
time!
As always, I couldn’t do this without the phenomenal help of my street team! Everyone should get one!
This novel has been a long time coming. I feel truly blessed that I got the chance to not only share it with all of you, but write it as the best version of itself. Thank you for your endless support, I don’t think I would have dared venture out into the world of publishing without knowing that you’ll have my back. You rock!
