[BAD 07] - Silent Truth by Sherrilyn Kenyon Read Free Book Online Page A

Hunter could tell no one his plans. “I did Rae a favor.”
    Korbin’s harsh laugh was vacant of humor or understanding. “Forgive me if I don’t see the generosity in your argument, amigo.”
    Can’t let it go, can you, jerk-off? “If she tried to enter as a guest, someone in tonight’s crowd would nail her as a poser and lacking. Her presence would draw the kind of attention we can’t afford. The minute one woman got a hint of any shortcoming the rest would turn on her faster than a pack of cougars at a frat house.” Hunter cringed internally against the snick of guilt his lie triggered. His job required lying, but he hated doing it at the cost of a teammate’s pride.
    Rae and Korbin were fairly new to BAD, on board for just over two years now.
    Both had proven to be elite agents.
    At five-eight with a buff body, one hell of a brain, and sharp feminine features, Rae would have actually been the perfect companion and made Hunter’s job a whole lot easier this evening. As it was, she’d still be on-site tonight, but as part of the catering staff. Any other time, Rae would have had no issue inserting as a servant, butshe didn’t care for being snubbed publicly.
    Hunter sympathized. He didn’t care to be the asshole doing the snubbing, but he had a personal agenda that would put his neck in a noose if he got caught.
    And might pressure an assassin to act even if Hunter didn’t get caught.
    That could put Rae in a sniper’s crosshairs without any warning.
    Not going to happen.
    And if anyone at BAD knew what he was up to he’d get yanked out of the field so fast he’d have vertigo. He could live with the team pissed off at him for openly dissing Rae, but he couldn’t live with putting any agent at an unfair disadvantage in a dangerous situation.
    Neither would he pass up the chance to find Eliot’s killer.
    Which made him the scourge of this mission.
    What the hell.
    Most agents at BAD didn’t like him on a good day. They respected his skills and intelligence-gathering capacity, but no one would partner with him after Eliot’s death.
    Maybe because he told them he had cut Eliot’s rope, using cold logic when he explained how Eliot couldn’t climb so getting him down would have been impossible.
    Would it have been possible?
    Hunter’s gut contracted. Don’t replay what-ifs again.
    His lie to Joe and Retter had been the simplest way to prove he was still the ruthless agent BAD expected him to be. Sad to recall how easily everyone at BAD had accepted it as truth, that Hunter could cut the rope on a friend and teammate.
    They’d taken an internal step back, eyes judging him as soulless. Which suited Hunter.
    He’d never trust another person as much as Eliot.
    Never get that close to anyone again.
    Never allow someone else to sacrifice their life for him.
    Korbin’s dark gaze shot into the rearview mirror, the black eyes stirring with an unfinished battle. “You screwed Rae this morning.”
    Didn’t think you’d give up yet. Hunter shrugged callously.
    “She fooled everyone as the wife of an American diplomat at the queen’s shindig in Great Britain last year. Rae’s damn good—”
    “—at handling weapons and neutralizing threats,” Hunter cut in, getting tired of sounding like a bastard. “But she’d be culled the minute she walked through the door. Plus, no one would believe I was involved with her.”
    Let it go, Korbin.
    Black eyes continued to damn him via the mirror.
    Hunter drew a breath of resolve and added one final slam he was glad Rae couldn’t hear and doubted Korbin would share. “She might fool world leaders attending tonight, but not those raised with old money. The Wentworth guest list is based on financial power first, political markers second. All the training in the world doesn’t cover the tiny nuances these women learn from birth.”
    “Men bring trophy brides to these things, right? I think she could handle walking around looking gorgeous. Looking happy to be with you