Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong Read Free Book Online Page B

are you? That’s obvious from that preposterous story you told the girl. Working as an agent for the interracial council? I’m sure Aaron, Paige, Adam, and the other delegates will be thrilled to know they have a team of secret agents working on their behalf.”
    Marsten caught Tristan’s look and smiled. “Surprised I know their names? Your story probably works much better on those who don’t know the delegates personally. I could toss a few more names at you, including the werewolves, but I doubt you’d recognize them, and they wouldn’t appreciate me filling that void for you.”
    He paused, head tilted, feigning deep thought. “Oh, but I do have another name, one you might find infinitely more interesting. You know who Paige Winterbourne’s husband is, I presume. You can’t possibly be that out of touch.”
    Tristan stiffened.
    “Ah, you do know. A very nice young man. I did some work for him last year. Quite pleasant.” Marsten frowned. “I hear his father isn’t always so pleasant, though. A decent employer, I’m sure . . . unless he finds out one of his employees has been building his own little spy network behind his back.”
    “I haven’t been doing anything behind Benicio’s back. He knows all about my initiative. And he’s very impressed.”
    “Oh? So this is a Cabal-sanctioned hit? Funny, I could’ve sworn it smelled like personal revenge. Well, what do I know? A Cabal kills a Pack werewolf . . . that shouldn’t cause too much trouble. Or I suppose it won’t if the Cabal doesn’t know about it.”
    Tristan waved to the guards. “Get him out of here.”
    He turned, and Marsten started to follow. Then one of the guards spoke up.
    “Sir? What about the girl?”
    “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about her,” Marsten said. “She’s quite resourceful. I’m sure she’ll get herself free, if she hasn’t already. But the security guard? Now that’s a problem. You should—”
    Tristan turned sharply. “Hope’s still alive?”
    “Is that her name? Of course she’s alive. You didn’t think I’d—” Marsten shook his head. “I suppose, considering who I’m talking to, I shouldn’t need to ask. Oddly enough, I find the best hostages are the live ones. Yes, Hope is fine and, as I said, will almost certainly free herself, so there’s no need—”
    “Where is she?”
    “The question is: where’s the dead guard? The girl can take care of herself. That guard, sadly, is beyond—”
    “Where is she?”
    Marsten paused and rubbed his chin, as if realizing he wasn’t going to talk his way out of handing me over. I’m sure he had some self-interested reason for not wanting to do so, but I was grateful for the effort nonetheless. I didn’t know how I’d face Tristan, knowing the truth.
    Oh God . . . the truth.
    My stomach heaved. I’ve been tricked. The whole time I’d been up here, listening as the facts rolled out, I’d processed them without absorbing them. Without letting myself absorb them—
    “She’s in a janitor’s closet,” Marsten said. “Tied with her own handcuffs, which I thought was appropriate. I can take you there—”
    “You’ll wait here. I’ll come back for you when I’m finished with her.”
    Finished with me? What did he mean by—?
    I pushed the thought away and, as Marsten gave Tristan directions to the closet I’d used earlier, I scrambled for an escape plan. Yes, escape. Maybe I was being paranoid, and Tristan had only meant he’d return when he’d finished freeing me. Yet Marsten’s life was in danger. And I’d put it there.
    Tristan left with one guard. When he was gone, the second one backed up to the desk and, gun still trained on Marsten, slid his rear onto it.
    I eased the vent cover out. Marsten’s gaze shot up, but he looked away before the guard noticed, then flicked his fingers, telling me to stay where I was.
    As quietly as I could, I moved the cover into the shaft, and laid it down beside me. Marsten’s gaze met mine and he