Prelude to a Rumor, Part One by Melissa Schroeder Read Free Book Online Page A

that she was feeling inferior. Lassiter had found her and trained her. She was as good of an agent as Sean, but she did not have his reputation.
    She would soon though. Working with him on her way up would definitely help. Keeping up with Kaheaku would give her some points in other agents’ eyes. It stung that she had to play the game, but she understood. She was the unknown, the one person no one knew about.
    “Just remember, he likes to improvise. He’s good at it so follow his lead.”
    She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, then picked up her purse. “Don’t worry about me, love. I know how to handle myself.”
    She was almost out of the door when he stopped her with a comment. “This isn’t play time tonight, Jaime. Nicolai Letov will not negotiate if you two are discovered.”
    “I’m sure we’ll be able to handle it.”
    He shook his head. “Just be extra careful. He will get the information from you and then he will kill you.”
    “You think Kaheaku and I cannot keep our mouths shut.”
    His lips flatted and he made a sound of disgust. “No. I think both of you could handle it very well—at first. You are both stubborn enough. But, Letov has a particular forte.”
    “That being?”
    “He gets people to talk, and then he gets them to beg him to die. He was trained by some of the best ex-KGB agents around. Just make sure you listen to Sean.”
    With a smile she knew held very little humor, she said, “Don’t worry, sir. I can handle Kaheaku.”
    With that, she slipped out the door and shut it behind her. When she was alone in her room, she leaned against the door and closed her eyes. She had heard the rumors, knew of the man, but seeing him in person was a bit more than she had expected.
    At least six three or four, he towered over her, but he didn’t use it against her. She could tell he was a man who used his personality for that. She couldn’t fight the smile. She liked arrogant men, and Sean Kaheaku had that in spades. God, he was gorgeous. She closed her eyes and his image materialized.
    His inky hair was a tad bit too long, and he had the most amazing green eyes. What she wouldn’t give to have his sexy mouth on her flesh. His golden brown skin looked as if it had been kissed by the sun. It had been rainy the last month or so, and she knew he had been in England, which confirmed one thing for her. His skin was that shade from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. Jaime shivered.
    She pushed herself away from the door and tried to concentrate on what she needed to do. They had to look like a couple who belonged. It wouldn’t be a problem for someone like her. Jaime had been pretending to belong most of her life. Now, at least, she could make a living at it and not end up in prison.

CHAPTER TWO
    S ean straightened his bowtie in the mirror, then checked his cufflinks. The light flashed off the diamonds and he shook his head. It still stunned him that he had ended up where he was before the age of thirty. When he’d left Hawaii with nothing but the clothes on his back and orders to report to basic training, he had thought he would make a career out of the Army. Red tape had frustrated him on too many levels, and when Walter had found him, Sean had been only too glad to leave the military behind. Now, he drove cars that cost more than he had ever earned in one year, and wore clothes tailored to fit.
    He rolled his shoulders. He should be happier.
    Money does not make a man happy .
    He smiled when he heard his mother’s voice in his head. Money had never been important to her, but it had become a priority to him. When his stepfather had disowned him, Sean had set out to prove he could make it on his own. Of course, now, he couldn’t really tell his family he was working for MI-6—even as a contractor. He had to pretend to be doing something else…but that was okay with him. He hadn’t talked to his stepfather since he’d thrown Sean out of the house. Some people were just