King's Crusade (Seventeen) by AD Starrling Read Free Book Online Page A

‘Well, I won’t tolerate this bitch—’ The bullet hit the headboard next to her right shoulder with a muffled thud. A sharp cry escaped her lips.
    ‘What the—’ Jackson’s smile slipped from his face and he stared at the gash in the oak wood frame. He turned and watched Alexa as if she were a rabid dog.
    She lowered the Sig. For the sake of discretion, she had put a suppressor on the end of the gun.
    The woman in the bed opened and closed her mouth soundlessly. She stumbled out from under the covers, wrapped one of the sheets hastily around her, grabbed her clothes and shoes, and ran from the room. The sound of the front door slamming shut came seconds later.
    Alexa’s eyes never left the man in the bed.
    ‘Who the hell are you and what do you want?’ said Jackson. He folded his arms and leaned back against the headboard, his face stony.
    ‘My name is Alexa King. Dimitri Reznak wants to hire you for a job.’
    ‘Reznak? I thought that guy never wanted to have anything to do with me again.’ His face darkened. ‘In fact, the last time I spoke to him, he threatened to sue me.’
    Alexa watched him steadily. She wished he would put some clothes on; his nakedness was starting to irritate her. ‘He believes you’re the only one who possesses the necessary knowledge and skills to assist with this particular assignment,’ she said in a flat tone.
    Jackson looked singularly unconvinced. He kicked off the sheet, grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor, and stepped into them. She did not avert her gaze from his naked body. ‘Look,’ said the man in a disgruntled tone, ‘tell Reznak I’m busy. I have a hundred other things to do, and I really don’t have time for one of his games—’
    ‘The fee is five million dollars,’ said Alexa bluntly.
    Jackson froze in the act of zipping up his jeans. He turned slowly and stared at her. ‘What?’
    ‘Reznak is willing to pay you five million dollars if you take the job,’ said Alexa.
    ‘That’s more than…’ he looked at his fingers dazedly, ‘a hundred times what he paid me for that dig ten years ago!’ He sat down heavily on the bed. The mattress springs creaked beneath him. He gazed blindly at the wall.
    Alexa shifted impatiently. ‘So, what’s it to be?’
    Jackson looked at her with a glazed expression. ‘What exactly is this “assignment”?’
    ‘I can only tell you that after you’ve accepted and signed a confidentiality agreement,’ she replied.
    His blue eyes grew more focused and the frown returned to his face. ‘He wants me to put my name to one of those convoluted legal documents again?’ he said darkly.
    She shrugged. ‘That’s the deal.’
    He rose and walked past her. Alexa caught his scent as she turned to follow him out of the bedroom. It made her think of campfires and expensive bourbon.
    She stood in the doorway to the kitchen and watched him turn the coffee machine on. He leaned against the sink, his expression thoughtful, seemingly oblivious to her presence. Sunbeams slipped through the blinds of the window behind him and shone on his skin. He had a golden tan. She wondered whether he worked outdoors—or maybe he liked running without a shirt on.
    ‘Can you at least tell me where it is?’ said Jackson.
    Distracted by the scattering of freckles above his collarbone, Alexa looked at him blankly. ‘Egypt,’ she said, successfully masking the irritation darting through her. She must be more tired than she thought.
    Jackson’s eyebrows rose. ‘Egypt?’ he said skeptically. ‘That’s kind of a broad statement.’
    She stared at him impassively.
    He sighed. ‘How long is this likely to take? I’ve got work commitments that I’ll need to reschedule if I accept Reznak’s offer.’
    ‘Two weeks at the most.’ Alexa would be surprised if it took them longer than that to find the missing artifacts.
    Jackson watched her silently. ‘Okay, I’ll bite,’ he finally said gruffly. ‘But tell Reznak the deal’s off if I see