Killing Game (Veritas Book 2) by Chandler Steele Read Free Book Online Page B

happier.
    Tuning them out, Brannon found himself watching Cait’s back, her muscled arms and her firm butt. If he’d met her anywhere but on a mission, he’d definitely be trying to get her in the sack, despite her aloof behavior.
    She stopped paddling, then stripped off her hat and T-shirt, revealing a sleeveless camo tank top beneath. She replaced the ball cap, pulled her ponytail through the back, and began paddling again.
    Now, not only was the tattoo completely visible, but Brannon could see a long white scar running down the side of her shoulder to the upper portion of her left arm.
    A knife wound .
    His eyes moved to the tat again, and he realized what it represented: the distinctive tread on a pair of combat boots. Between the treads, running vertically, were the initials JDS, and a small red heart. He knew what it was in an instant: a memorial for a soldier who had fallen in service to his country. Or her country, because death didn’t respect one sex over the other.
    JDS . The last of the initials didn’t match Cait’s last name. Maybe she hadn’t kept her married name after the divorce, or this was in honor of a family member. Was this an indication that she had an axe to grind with the military or U.S. government?
    Cait looked over her shoulder to catch him staring at the tat. When she recognized what he was doing, she turned back toward the water without offering an explanation. Her way of saying it was none of his business. Brannon knew when to back off, so he refocused on the journey, paying attention to the snippets of conversation behind him. So far, everyone was acting as he’d expect. But he knew it was only a matter of time before someone made contact; the fifty thousand dollars in his rucksack would prove the ultimate lure.

Chapter Six
    Even though Cait had rested the group as often as possible, it’d been a long four hours for those unaccustomed to exercise. She could have easily covered three or more times the distance and still not been tired. The slow pace drove her nuts. She found herself gritting her teeth more often than was healthy as the others talked amongst themselves. It was everyday chatter, the kind she normally didn’t have time for. The kind that usually had her bitching at someone to shut the hell up.
    The problem wasn’t them, it was her. This was what real life was like, and she worried she’d never be able to find her place within it, despite Mike’s assurances that she would. To her relief, Brannon had willingly switched to the front of the canoe after the bio break. Steering might take more mental energy, but it took way less physical energy, and her arms were pleased with the rest.
    Cait found herself watching the man more than was necessary, trying to figure him out. He was quiet, observant, like a coiled snake. Maybe he was an outdoors junkie and this trip was just another chance to unplug from his day job. Or maybe he had some other reason for heading out into the swamp. Something to do with shipments of guns, perhaps? Or Mike was being overly paranoid and the accident was just bad luck. No matter what, Hardegree was too much like her, which meant he was a helluva threat.
    “Are we there yet?” Patti called out, for what had to be the third time.
    “Yes!” Cait called back, pointing toward the wooden platform in the distance. That announcement spawned hearty cheers from the others. Despite her not wanting to be out here with these people—near anyone for that matter—the group had done well for their first half day out.
    “Thank you, God!” someone said. It sounded like Bill. He’d been the most fidgety of the group, but not everyone was cool with sitting for hours at a time, even if they were paddling.
    “Race you!” James shouted.
    “Go!” Cait shouted, and they dug their paddles into the water, working in tandem, never breaking rhythm. No surprise, she and Brannon reached the platform way ahead of the others. She found herself grinning, and that