Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann Read Free Book Online Page A

inside,” Jules continued. “Peggy Ryan has been working as a live-in housekeeper at the Burns estate for the past two months.” And wasn’t she going to love it when she found out that Jules had just been assigned agent-in-charge of an investigation she was working, when just last year he’d been working for her? Especially when she’d transferred down to Florida to get away from him. “As of yet, she’s found nothing, but she’s one of our best and—”
    “Cassidy doesn’t know this yet, but I was notified about an hour ago”—Max interrupted him—“that Agent Ryan missed her last check-in.”
    And
that
was not good news. Peggy may have been homophobic, but she was a good agent—always meticulous with safety procedures such as check-ins. Although, good agents missed check-ins all the time, for a variety of reasons. Support staff generally waited to panic until an agent failed to file two consecutive reports.
    “Under other circumstances,” Max continued, “we’d obtain the necessary warrants and shut Burns’s operation down. But apprehending Tango Two is a higher priority.” He was still addressing the President, but his message was also aimed at Jules. “As much as we would like to provide assistance to our missing agent, we can’t risk doing so at this time.”
    Those words weren’t easy for Max to say. Jules knew that. Although he and Peggy had never gotten along, she and Max were friends.
    “If we merely shut down Burns’s operation,” Jules added, “it’s likely that Tango Two will find a different route into the country—a route we may not know about.”
    “Can’t we just continue to track him?” the President’s chief of staff asked.
    “Well, we could, sir,” Jules said, “provided we knew where he was. Last report had him heading for Spain.”
    Due to its proximity to Algeria, Spain had been, in the past, one of the jumping-off points for terrorists heading into the United States—a fact that the President and his staff knew well.
    Jules stood. “If there are no other questions, please excuse me. I need to get to work, locating my missing agent.”
             
    As Annie went into the dank darkness of Screech’s, she said a silent prayer of thanks to the unlikeliest pair of patron saints—Tommy Fista and, yes, Lillian Lavelle.
    Alvarado Private Investigations’ newest client had swayed into the outer office early this morning, like some kind of stereotypical private-eye film noir fantasy.
    Auburn hair surrounded a heart-shaped face with full lips. Predatory heat simmered in cat-green eyes. Painted nails, do-me shoes, and matching condom-size handbag—she had all her accessories in order. As for that skintight dress from Cleavage “R” Us…It was almost too funny for words.
    Almost.
    Ric, the big dick, didn’t exactly laugh as Annie showed Lillian—if that was really her name—into his office. In fact, his eyes appeared to have glazed over.
    And Lillian, upon first sight of Ric rising to his feet to greet her, had actually gasped.
    And okay. Yeah. With his tie loosened and the top button of his white shirt undone, long sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms, Annie’s new boss—and her brother’s best friend from their high school days—was scary handsome. With his thick dark hair, deep brown eyes, and that face like a movie star, he was TDH to the max. But he was also about twenty years too young for someone as overripe as Lillian Lavelle.
    Ric offered the woman his hand, they shook, and of course she held on way too long. Not that he particularly seemed to mind. Annie settled in, leaning against the filing cabinet in the corner, ready to take notes, but Lillian aimed her artfully made up eyes in her direction.
    “This problem I’ve come to discuss—it’s a very delicate matter,” she told Ric in her hint-of-Southern-honey voice, focusing now on her hands, clasped demurely in her lap. “If you don’t mind, I’d prefer at least the illusion of