The Midnight Hour by Brenda Jackson Read Free Book Online Page B

dump me in the jungle to twiddle my thumbs while you go off and play soldier alone. You heard what Casey said and you know what rebels are quick to do with female prisoners. Robin Thomas might need me and I intend to be there if she does."
    A growl automatically erupted from deep within Drake's throat. Instead of taking a step back like any person with good sense would have done, Tori Green merely placed her arms across her chest and stood her ground. He frowned. Even Sandy had known when to back off and leave well enough alone.
    "You'll do as I say, Tori."
    "If you think that then you have another thought coming. We'll work together as a team and that's final. I'm not someone you can push around."
    He could see that. His frown deepened and he tried to Use another approach. Like Sandy she had a huge amount of self-confidence but unlike Sandy, Tori was displaying an inner strength that almost matched his own. The woman was tough but still, she wouldn't be tough enough. "I've worked in this area before. I know the terrain and I know the minds of those revolutionaries."
    Tori rolled her eyes in frustration at the powerfully built man standing in front of her. "Why do you think you're the only agent who knows anything about dealing with the bad guys? What make you think you're all-knowing and all-doing and that no other operative can measure up to you?"
    "I never said that!"
    "You don't have to because you're insinuating it and I resent it. Whether you choose to believe it or not I don't care, but I can hold my own against anyone, including you. Knowing the importance of this mission, do you for one minute think Casey would have sent me if he didn't believe I wouldn't be useful?"
    Drake tightened his lips. He wanted so bad to tell her that he thought she could be useful all right, plenty useful in some man's bedroom but he didn't think she would appreciate hearing that right now,
    Tori saw Drake's face darken and recognized his facade for what it was. He was trying to scare her off, at the least intimidate her with his boorish attitude. But what he didn't know was that she wasn't easily scared or intimidated. Besides, she knew that hidden behind his mean and rough demeanor was a man with a sensitivity that would astound most people considering everyone thought there was nothing soft about him. But she happened to know another side of him. He was loyal and dedicated to those he loved and at one point in her past life she had been one of those individuals. Although she knew that losing Sandy had taken away some of his warmth and kindness, she refused to believe that part of him was eradicated completely. A part of her had to believe the human side of Drake Warren still existed even if he thought that it didn't.
    "Look, Tori," Drake said, interrupting her thoughts. 1 have nothing against you personally, and to be quite hone^ a part of me does believe that you can hold your own, but 1 prefer doing the solo act for reasons I prefer not to share. I don't like having a partner, especially one who's a woman.
     
    "Because of Sandy Carroll?"
    Stunned, taken aback by her question, Drake's eyes darkened. He took a step closer. "What do you know about Sandy Carroll?"
    Tori forced herself not to squirm under the intensity of Drake's gaze and the hard sound of his voice. She had thrown out the question before thinking about it. But now that it was out there, she had to answer it and tread carefully while doing so. The last thing she wanted was to raise his suspicions about anything.
    "Only what I heard."
    "And just what did you hear?" he asked, taking a step closer to her, his face almost turning to stone.
    "I heard that the two of you were close. Some say you were engaged to be married. I never met Captain Carroll although we were in the marines about the same time but I did know of her. Most female marines credit her with proving that a woman can hold her own against any man as a Recon."
    He lifted a brow. "Sandy was never a Recon."
    "No, but