Mission: Out of Control by Susan May Warren Read Free Book Online Page B

mowed that morning. “I got hired to protect her during her tour. I’ve spent the week watching her rehearse. And we leave tomorrow.”
    Derek flopped down next to him. “Wow. Is she as hot in person?”
    In person? Not exactly, but at the senator’s house, she did have a sort of class that had stunned him.
    In fact, he felt like he chewed on his tongue all the way through dinner at the Wagners’. Until, of course, she pitched the roll in his face. Now, that was a little hot.
    No. Not hot—good grief, he sounded like a teenager.
    â€œI don’t know. I’m just protecting her.”
    â€œOh, come on, dude.”
    He still couldn’t merge the split screen between Vonya and Veronica. But he didn’t especially like either version, thanks. “Naw, she’s not my type.”
    Derek grabbed the ball, spinning it on his finger. “What’s not your type? Have you looked at her?”
    Brody pushed him over. “Please tell me that you’re really not a moron, and I don’t have to hurt you. There’s more to a woman than how she looks.”
    â€œYeah, sure there is.” Derek grinned at him, setting the ball between his knees. “Okay. I’m just kidding. So what’s she like?”
    â€œYou don’t even like me.” Again Brody heard pain in her voice. What did she care if her bodyguard liked her?
    Brody combed through the grass, picking up theremnant cuttings. “From what I can see, she’s totally out of control, flamboyant, stubborn, ungrateful, selfish and a waste of exceptional talent.”
    Derek smiled at him. “Uh-huh. Wow. Yeah, it’s a good thing you’re working for her because, you know, you’re definitely not interested .”
    Brody glared at him.
    â€œThen again, maybe you don’t know how to get a girl’s number. It’s not like you’ve been around any women for the past ten years. Last time I checked, they don’t let women into Special Forces.”
    No, not the Special Forces, but he’d been around women.
    Or rather, a woman.
    Brody looked away and, just like that, Shelby was there in his thoughts, her hand over her eyes to keep out the dirt churned up by the chopper, the wind whipping her brown shirt, waving to Brody as he touched down on the dusty pad.
    Brody reached for the ball. “I think it’s time for a game of Horse.”
    But Derek was looking at him strangely, as if he’d seen right into his brain. “There was a woman, wasn’t there?”
    â€œSeriously, you might have me in one-on-one but I can still outshoot you.”
    â€œWho was she?” Derek moved the ball away, out of reach.
    Brody pursed his lips. Well, it wasn’t like Derek was the CIA, or even a psychologist. “A doctor I met at a refugee camp in Africa. We were evacuating patients and helping with food distribution.”
    â€œWhat was her name?”
    â€œDr. Shelby Marks.” He’d so rarely spoken her name over the past year, just letting it form on his lips elicited ache. And it also had the power to conjure. She lingered in his mind, long blond hair held up in a ponytail, wisps around her face, big green eyes filled with compassion, hands that could heal.
    And way too much determination in her expression for her own good. His own good.
    Especially when that determination had turned into desperation.
    â€œWhat happened? Did you two break up?”
    Brody looked away, toward the bruised sky. “No. We were really never together. I met her, she had something about her—probably I had more feelings for her than she did for me. But we never really found out.”
    Derek stayed silent beside him.
    Brody shook his head, almost willing the words back, but his chest flooded with an urge to tell someone. To breathe it out, with the hopes that in the telling the pain would loosen its hold, even fly into the atmosphere.
    â€œShe was killed while trying to