Jigsaw (Black Raven Book 2) by Stella Barcelona Read Free Book Online Page A

her would have gone through Charles, who monitored her business phone. The only call that had come through on her business phone had been from President Cameron.
    “You called on my personal number?” She knew how Black Raven operated. She didn’t plan on relinquishing both of her personal phones to Zeus, so she pretended to have only one.
    Dark-as-night eyes glanced at her. Hard. Assessing. “On the number you provided.”
    She turned in the doorway, half in the room, half out of it, and glanced at Charles. Neither of her personal phone numbers should have been put on the Black Raven questionnaire. Charles’s eyes met hers with a silent apology. He’d answered most of the questions for her. The more probing, personal questions she’d directed him to leave blank. From firsthand experience with the company, she knew the questionnaire was only a formality. Black Raven had ways of knowing things about the people they were charged with protecting. Much of it involved taking full advantage of insecurity in cyber data that people expected to be private.
    “In the future,” she said, her eyes returning to Zeus, “please go through my business line.” It wasn’t his fault that she’d missed the message, but she was still annoyed.
    “From here on out we won’t be communicating by phone,” he said, his tone conveying confidence in his ability to dictate the circumstances of their interaction.
    “Smoke signals? Carrier pigeon?” As her blood boiled with frustration at her grandfather for putting her in this position, and with Zeus for signing up for the task, his dark eyes met hers for a second.
    The barest twitch of a smile, at the left corner of his lips, disappeared as fast as it almost materialized. “Unnecessary. We’ll be only a few feet apart, at most. For the duration.”
    Undercurrents?
    His flat, dark eyes, told her nothing. Sharks revealed more personality in their fathomless eyes. Perhaps he’d never felt the tug and pull of forces that she’d been powerless to control. Perhaps he’d never wondered, what if . If he had, he gave no indication that any memory of their time together existed.
    Bastard.
    His eyes slid away from hers. He looked over her shoulder and into the hotel room as he touched his ear, holding his fingertip on an almost invisible transmitter. “Repeat.”
    Seven years earlier, she’d learned to read him. Or so she’d thought. The to-the-ear gesture reminded her he was in constant communication with other Black Raven agents, both onsite and off. As he listened, he was stiller than still. His eyes focused on hers as he assessed the information that he was receiving, conveying with a flat, focused look and the hard set of his square jaw a message that didn’t need words. He was there early for a reason.
    Something was wrong.
    “Jesus Hernandez.” His attention shifted to her team, who stood behind her. His self-introduction came in the usual brisk, to-the-point manner that Samantha hadn’t forgotten. “Call me Zeus. Compliments of Samuel Dixon, Black Raven PSC is now in charge of your security. Each of you has a primary agent. Eric.” Zeus’s eyes went directly to Eric, confirming that introductions weren’t needed. “Meet Agent Stan Lewis. Abe, Agent Brad Lambert is yours. Charles, meet Agent Zane Axel.”
    Zeus glanced at Sam as each bodyguard shook hands with their charge. He didn’t need to identify her primary agent, nor did he offer to shake her hand.
    “We’ll provide more details on logistics upon arrival at your new hotel. Each primary agent works with other agents on a team dedicated to your personal security. You’ll meet your team members later. This,” he glanced again to his left, at the lone agent who remained at his side, “is Mark Small. He and his team handle logistics, analytical support, and backup. You each have a Kevlar vest. Custom fitted vests are on their way, but for now these’ll do the job. Wear your vest in all business meetings, whenever