Check Mate by Beverly Barton Read Free Book Online

should accompany us upstairs to make sure he doesn't give me any trouble. Once the medicine takes effect, I should be able to handle things myself."
    "What are you going to give him, some type of truth serum?" Les asked, his lopsided, yellow-toothed grin difficult to stomach so early in the morning.
    "What type of medication I use on Mr. Ingram is none of your concern. You're here strictly to follow my orders and I'm ordering you to mind your own business."
    "Humph!" Les glowered at Mariah, but he didn't respond verbally.
    She looked at Burgess. "I'm going to set things up in the bedroom and I'd like for you to bring Mr. Ingram upstairs in a few minutes. I'll let you know when."
    "Yes, ma'am." With a nod of his head, Burgess motioned for Les to leave the room, which he did immediately, if somewhat reluctantly. "I'm sorry Les is giving you a hard time, Dr. Brooks. He thinks he's a damn ladies' man."
    "I appreciate your keeping him in line," Mariah said. "But I do plan to report his behavior to our superiors."
    "I understand."
    "These corn flakes could use a little something," Jake said.
    Both Mariah and Burgess snapped around and glared at him.
    "Maybe a banana or some blueberries or—"
    "You're lucky you're getting breakfast," Mariah told him. "Some forms of therapy use deprivation as a tool. No sleep. No food. No privacy. I'm being very lenient with you, Jake. I expect you to appreciate my kindness."
    Jake stared at her, puzzlement in his eyes, then suddenly he smiled. Damn the man. It was as if he could see right through her, as if he understood what motivated her, why she was treating him so coldly this morning. He might suspect that she was protecting herself from her unwanted attraction to him, and he'd be right. But he didn't know the half of it, had no idea why she couldn't allow either Burgess or Lester to think she was going easy on him. And with the Coalitions' two goons nearby all the time, she couldn't risk explaining herself fully to Jake because she didn't know how he'd react. For that they needed totally privacy, which meant she had to find a way to get Jake's bodyguards out of the house for a few hours.
    "I'd like to speak to you privately," Mariah said to Burgess. "Would you mind stepping out into the hall for a few minutes."
    "Les, get your ass back in here and keep an eye on Ingram," Burgess bellowed.
    Les came running like an obedient dog. Burgess motioned to Mariah to walk into the hall, which she did. He followed right behind her.
    "Yeah, what's up, Doc?" Realizing what he'd said. Burgess chuckled.
    Mariah laughed, faking amusement. "If everything goes the way I think it will today, Mr. Ingram will be exhausted and I'll be putting him to bed early tonight." Mariah looked directly at Burgess, keeping her tone friendly yet commanding. "Unless something unexpected comes up, I don't see why you and Les shouldn't get out of the house for a few hours, maybe drive into town to the local bar. According to the weather forecast, they aren't predicting any snow for a couple of days, so this evening might be a good time to take a break, in case we get snowed in here later."
    "We just might do that. Les is already antsy. Maybe if he finds him a woman tonight, he'll stop pestering you."
    "Soothing the raging beast in Lester sounds like a good idea."
    "Are you sure you'll be all right alone with Ingram?"
    "I'm positive." She faked a wide smile. "I plan to give him a sedative this evening and it will knock him out for the night."
    "Okay. You go on and get things ready. Then just let me know when you want me to bring Ingrain up to the bedroom."
    Mariah nodded. "Thanks."
    She hurried upstairs, all the while thinking about the act she was about to perform. She knew enough about hypnosis to realize that it worked on about twenty-five percent of the general population, those individuals known as a "suggestible person." The other seventy-five percent could be made susceptible to mental manipulation by the use of drugs. She