Bait: A dark erotic thriller (Hunter & Prey Book 2) by Kira Barker Read Free Book Online

Penelope, what have you done to your hair? I’m not even going to mention your skin.”
    I could tell that she was just teasing me—except for the hair—but not even that managed to draw a real smile out of me.  
    “I need your help. Or rather, I want your help, I don’t strictly need it. But your cooperation would save me weeks of time and a hell of a lot of effort.”
    Never one to be taken aback by someone cutting straight to business, Brigitte took that in calmly.
    “I expect this is connected to your recent taking up residence in the most expensive suite in the Peninsula? I haven’t checked their rates of late, but that must have set you back some.”
    I nodded, not wanting to clarify before I knew where exactly we stood. I left it at a simple, “It does,” and bit my lip in momentary hesitation as I tried to find the right words. “May I be honest?”
    “Beating around the bush never works, unless maybe in girl-on-girl kink,” she replied, her voice completely void of humor.  
    Exhaling slowly, I forced my mind to clear of all the rubbish floating around and just let her have it.
    “Back last summer you offered me a job, tied to the condition that I cut ties with Darren. I didn’t take the opportunity back then, but things have clearly changed. Is there even still an opening here, or am I wasting my time?”
    Another woman might have been taken aback by someone slapping her in the face, then coming back and regally demanding a second chance, but I had to hand it to Brigitte—where business was concerned, she could be perfectly levelheaded.
    “The position hasn’t been filled yet, if that’s what you want to know. Whether I feel like I should offer it to you again depends entirely on what you will tell me next.”
    I considered her words for a moment. “How is your daughter? I presume that by now she’s had the baby?”
    She seemed a little irritated by that almost-non sequitur, but nodded. “A boy. I never liked any small children except for my own, but he has stolen my heart like no other man ever could.” Her smile made something deep inside my chest ache, and I quickly stomped on that before it could bloom into something more.
    “I know this probably sounds ludicrous out of context, but I’m not sure I should even come to you for help. Or for a chance to take over from you. Just me being here could put you in danger, and also your family.”
    Brigitte’s warm smile was gone from one moment to the next, consideration heavy in her gaze.
    “Your concern speaks for you, but I think I can take care of myself and my own.” She paused, clearly overthinking her claim, but her conviction didn’t waver. “Why don’t you tell me what happened between our last phone call and today? Your warning is received and dismissed, so no need to hold back. And don’t even think about bullshitting me.”
    That had never been my intention, but it was good to know that she wanted the entire truth from the get-go. But while I was tempted to confide in her—as a friend more than a business partner or former employee—I simply couldn’t. So I stuck with the version that was close enough to the truth to sound probable, but would hopefully keep her out of the thick of the fray.
    “Darren and I had a fight. It didn’t go over well.” The understatement of the century, really. My dramatic pause obviously spoke for itself from how Brigitte’s gaze hardened. “I’ll spare you the details. My extended stay in his house revealed a few things about him and me that I could have done without knowing. Suffice it to say, when I finally got away, I fled to Adam. He packed up his stuff, and we disappeared. Two months ago, his former handler at the CIA tracked us down—I still don’t know how—and because I couldn’t let her dump Adam into a deep, dark hole and throw away the key, I offered to help her dig up some dirt on Darren. And that’s why I’m back. I get complete immunity if I manage to pull this off and