Stolen Vengeance: Slye Temp book 6 by Dianna Love Read Free Book Online Page B

through the phone with a honed edge. “What you should understand is that we have a mission and new intel to sort out. We’ve received information that leads us to believe at least one of the targets is in southern California, which means I’m taking teams to the West Coast. We’re wheels up in an hour. Your job is to be in LA ahead of us and set up safe house number four.”
    She was giving him an out and that last part had been said overly loud, probably for the benefit of Tanner and any other team members nearby.
    He pushed off the support beam. “I’m on it.”  He took a step and stopped. “I really appreciate–”
    Sabrina cut him off. “I’ll expect you to have reviewed all the material forwarded to the safe house computer and have everything we need ready to go.”
    Hearing the sound of her moving around, he waited for her last words and that didn’t take long.
    The sound of a door closing meant she had to be in her office. She said, “There’s no solid information that proves this Satan’s Garden Club is in any way connected to the original group. What would you be telling me if the tables were turned and I went off half-cocked to protect Gage?”
    He hated Gage Laughton, and she had too, at one time. “We’re talking apples and oranges. Valene did nothing wrong, technically. Gage, on the other hand, was your CIA handler who let us get burned in the UK.”
    “I don’t have proof of that in hand.”
    “So you’re arguing on his behalf?”
    “No, but I’m telling you I’m just as open-minded about Valene as you are about Gage. You want understanding? Here it is. Find your man Pete. Get Eklund out of the way and get your head into the game by the time we arrive.” The call ended.
    Only Sabrina could give him an impossible task and make it sound as though she was helping him out.

 
    Chapter 6
     
    Valene glanced around the restaurant where patrons were involved in their own conversations. No one was watching her and the mysterious Mr. Smith. No visible threats.
    He watched her, expecting Valene to admit she was having second thoughts.
    “I must move this along, Ms. Eklund,” Smith said. “Now is the time to stop this meeting if you’re intimidated by a project of this caliber.”
    Intimidated? Not in this lifetime.
    She dismissed everything except locking this deal down. “I’m listening, Mr. Smith. You lost something from the Vatican that you’re willing to pay a quarter of a million dollars to have returned. I can’t mention to anyone, now or ever, that this is connected to the Vatican. I’m assuming someone slipped the scroll out without your security realizing it, which would point to an inside job. Does that pretty much sum it up?” 
    Smith nodded, but offered nothing more. He sat perfectly still, watching her.
    If he expected her to fidget, he’d be disappointed.
    Some people talked to fill in a conversation void. If she stayed quiet long enough, they’d talk even more, trying to convince her to take a contract.
    Because some contracts were losers.
    Dingo had once told her she could afford to pass up ten good jobs, but she couldn’t afford to take one bad one.
    Since her mind was determined to bring Dingo to this meeting, she tried to look at this the way he would. Dingo would start by trying to figure out more about this guy.
    Valene asked, “Who are you, Mr. Smith?”
    “I’m a part of the Vatican’s security.”
    If she asked him for ID beyond Charlie’s recommendation, she’d get about as much out of this guy as she’d ever gotten out of Dingo. A phony ID that was a hundred percent authentic looking and someone to verify him when she called the number he gave her, which would be the only number for him.
    Valene skipped the exercise in futility and asked the question that would determine whether she was ready go for this deal. “How about being straight with me. Why did you choose me and not one of the other two ?”
    “Three,” he corrected.
    Did he do that just