Authors: Rebecca Zanetti
But no.
The commander had been waiting for Nate to make contact because of the kill chips.
Nate and his brothers were the best at tactical maneuvers, but even they weren’t invincible. While Nate
had avoided the guards the previous night, he couldn’t take on the commander alone.
A rustle sounded by Audrey’s doorway, and Senator Nash loped inside followed by Ernie Rastus, his
chief of staff. “You disappeared quickly last night. Everything okay?” The senator dropped into the vacant
chair and tugged at the red-striped tie fastened around his white dress shirt.
“I’m afraid I ate a bad shrimp,” Audrey said, one eyebrow lifting.
Ernie grimaced. Small and lean, the brilliant man shoved wire-rimmed glasses up his nose. “That’s why
I never eat seafood.”
“Good point.” Audrey smiled and glanced at the senator. “That’s a nice tie.”
“I hate ties.” He gave up the fight and smoothed long-boned hands down the faded dress pants that led
to his customary black cowboy boots. “But we’re meeting with those tech-genius folks today, and I figured
I should dress up a little.”
“Did you bring a suit jacket?” Audrey asked.
His bushy gray eyebrows rose to meet his gray hairline. “Do you think I need one?”
Probably. “No, I’m sure you’re fine.”
The senator shrugged a fit shoulder. “You can take the cowboy out of Wyoming, but—”
“The boots and hat go with him,” Audrey finished with a smile. There were very few people in politics
she actually liked, and the senator topped the list. A rancher, he’d been widowed a decade previous and had
run for office to keep living, having been left with no family. Now he’d found his own mission.
One she shared. “I think I’m being followed.”
The senator leaned forward. “Do you think the commander knows our agenda?”
“No.” Audrey trusted her boss but wouldn’t expose Nathan. “I’m sure that now my medical treatments
are finally finished, they’re worried I’ll run for the hills.”
Ernie coughed. “What if they find out the senator is actually playing them? Do you really think they’re a
threat to a United States senator?”
Oh, these men had no idea. “Yes. I don’t think the commander would think twice at taking out either
one of you.” Audrey rubbed her thigh.
“Unbelievable,” Ernie muttered. “Maybe we should close him down now.”
“How and why?” the senator asked. “We don’t have any proof that he’s done anything wrong, and it’s
not like he’ll just hand evidence to us.”
Ernie frowned and focused back on Audrey. “I saw you dancing last night. How is your leg?” he asked,
smoothing back his graying hair.
“Much better, but I’ll always have the limp.” More importantly, all of the internal damage had been
repaired, and she might even be normal someday. In the distant future, when she ran far away from her
mother and the commander.
But first, she had a job to do. “How close are we to shutting them down?”
“Soon.” The senator rested muscular forearms on his legs. “I’ve gained the commander’s trust, or what
there is of it, and as soon as we get the information on the newest studies, we’ll go public and end their
reign.”
Audrey swallowed. “Are you sure the commander has continued his experiments?”
“Yes. I’m fairly certain there’s a brand-new crop of soldiers he’s created that are training right now. We
need to find out where before we shut him down.” The senator’s blue eyes sizzled with passion.
Audrey nodded, tempted to tell her friends about Nate. But only Nate could take that risk, and she
wouldn’t take it for him, although she trusted the senator and Ernie. The senator was no dummy. When the
commander had begun buttering him up in order to get funding, Nash had hired investigators, who’d
uncovered a little bit of the truth.
Not much, though.
However, they had discovered the commander’s maneuvering to get Audrey the job with the senator.
Instead of turning her in or trying to manipulate her, the senator had approached her with his suspicions
about the covert military group.
Just like an honorable man would.
He treated her with dignity and respect… and most important, trust. She couldn’t envision any other
angle he might have but honestly trying to destroy the covert group, and she wanted to help. “I’m glad you
trusted me enough to tell me your real agenda,” she said.
The senator nodded. “I’m thankful you agreed to help us after the commander sent you here
undercover. Without your knowledge of the group, we wouldn’t be so close to fixing everything.” His
clean-shaven jaw clenched. “I’ve insisted upon seeing the commander’s training facility before I push for a
vote for more funding. He’ll have to show me.”
Audrey’s heart thumped. Hard. “You’re sure there’s a secondary facility besides the one right outside of
DC?”
“Positive.” The senator stretched his neck. “I’ve been to the Virginia compound, and while the security,
computer, and medical facilities are impressive, after seeing the last budget report, I know there’s another
training compound. Somewhere.”
Dread forced Audrey to sit up straighter. “I’d hoped the experiments had stopped.”
“No.” The senator shook his head.
An aide appeared around the doorway. “The group from the technology corporation is waiting in the
conference room.”
The senator stood. “Here we go.”
Ernie stood as well, his head barely reaching the senator’s chin. “I have to bow out of this one—
meeting with Darian Hannah, the lobbyist for Red Force.”
Audrey lifted an eyebrow. “I have a meeting with him coming up.”
Ernie sighed. “I know. He’s coming at us from every angle to gain funding. He works hard, and he’s a
good guy. Not sure about the group he represents.”
“They’re not as bad as the commander’s organization,” the senator muttered.
“Perhaps.” Ernie shrugged a slim shoulder. “But how do we know for sure? Maybe his group is
conducting the same asinine experiments as the commander.”
“I hope not,” the senator said on a strong exhale.
Ernie turned on a shiny Italian loafer and headed out.
The senator groaned. “Are you ready for this meeting, Audrey?”
“Of course.” Audrey pushed to her feet and retrieved several manila folders. “TechnoZyn represents the
biggest technology firm in the United States, and it wants military funding.” She walked around the desk to
follow the senator through the office and into the large conference room.
The senator paused before entering and turned toward her to speak quietly. “Computer companies now
want military funding. Crazy. But they are willing to build factories in Wyoming, which will help my
economy.”
Brokering deals like this made her stomach hurt. It was so wrong on so many levels. Unfortunately, she
needed the leverage to take down the commander. She comforted herself with the thought that the
commander and her mother would never actually see the money, because the senator would shut them
down first.
The senator popped his knuckles. “I hate this crap.” Forcing on a down-home smile, he turned and
headed into the conference room.
Audrey stifled a chuckle and followed him, smiling for the two men and one woman already seated at
the table. They all stood as she and the senator entered the room. Her gait faltered as she took in the second
man.
Nathan
.
Once again he wore the colored contacts and facial hair.
Recovering quickly, she nodded as introductions were made, a roar filling her ears. Was he crazy? How
had he infiltrated the technology group? The fact that it was in competition with the commander was way
too close to home for him.
He stood and leaned to take her hand in his much larger one. “I had the pleasure of meeting Ms.
Madison at the ball last night.”
She tugged her hand free. “Yes, but I thought Mr. McGovern worked as a lobbyist for the Neoland
Corporation?”
The other man, George Fairbanks, a top executive at TechnoZyn, smirked. “He did. We acquired the
Neoland Corporation three days ago but haven’t gone public with the information yet.”
Audrey lifted her chin. So Nate had somehow chosen a cover in a company a mere week ago, and then
it had been bought out by TechnoZyn? Impressive contacts and information he had developed. How had he
known about a secret industry takeover before it had happened? That was the only way he could’ve put
himself into place so perfectly.
She glanced at him, and he had the gall to grin. That smile. Her body reacted as if the last five years of
separation hadn’t occurred. Heat flared between them and zinged through her body to settle between her
legs.
How did he do that?
Digging deep, she yanked her gaze from him and focused on the senator.
The senator frowned at Fairbanks. “While I appreciate the plan to invest and make a fortune before
going public, it’s risky for you.”
Fairbanks shrugged and sat. “Maybe, but it’s not like you’re going to turn us in, are you, Senator?”
“Of course not,” the blonde sitting between Nathan and Fairbanks said with a smooth smile. She shook
the senator’s and then Audrey’s hand. “I’m Lilith Mayes.”
The woman had a surprisingly strong grip. “I’ve read your last income projection report—very
impressive,” Audrey said as she was released to sit. The creative blonde manipulated numbers to the point
of committing fraud. But now was the time to deal with the lesser of two evils, and the commander was all
evil.
“Thank you,” Lilith said, sitting down close to Nathan as he also sat. Very close to Nathan. She patted
his muscled arm. “I had help.”
Audrey’s teeth ground together, and a sharp spear sliced into her heart. What in the world? After all this
time, jealousy decided to rear up? No. Her life had become a risk just to survive, and she didn’t have time
for anything else. “That’s good to hear.”
Nathan’s upper lip quirked, and he kept his focus on her. “So. How can we do business together?”
Nate ignored the blonde playing footsie with him under the table and focused on Audrey. She was good
at hiding her feelings—but not good enough. The second she’d noticed him, her heart had sped up, and her
rate of breathing had increased.
Good. He needed her off balance.
Her blue eyes shot sparks at him, and he hoped nobody else noticed the pretty flush covering her
cheekbones. Tearing her gaze from his, she handed a bunch of manila folders to the senator.
The senator looked more like a farmhand than a powerful lawmaker. His background seemed clean,
and he appeared to want to make things better for his state, even if he had to break a few rules to do it.
Nate respected him for that and had no problem breaking rules himself.
Unfortunately, even after all this time, he’d figured Audrey would be above such things. The thought
that she’d break the law in order to gain more funding for the commander hurt. Shit, it pissed him off
beyond belief.
The senator rubbed his shoulder. “If you build your two newest factories in Wyoming, Audrey has
outlined the tax breaks and subsidies for you.” He pushed a file folder across to Nate, who slid it to Lilith
and read along with her.
“This all works assuming we receive military funding.” Finally, Nate lifted his head, his gut swirling.
“The plan is very impressive. Where did you learn to move money around like this?” The proposal certainly
violated several laws but would be hard to detect. Of course, he knew exactly where she’d learned her
skills.
She met his gaze without flinching. “I learned from the best, Mr. McGovern.”
“Not exactly something you can put on a résumé.” He spoke with heat, instantly irritated with himself.
Why did he care that she’d learned manipulation from the commander? Even so, aggravation ticked along
his spine. Tension filled the room.
Lilith glanced at him and slid her hand along his thigh under the table. Her fingers were strong and not
nearly as delicate as Audrey’s. “We appreciate the senator and his staff working with us, don’t we?” Lilith
said smoothly, sharp nails digging in.
“Yes.” He needed to get himself under control even as he covered his surprise at Lilith’s forwardness.
He’d met the woman only a week ago, and she decided to make a move now? In a business meeting?
He’d been trained to seduce women, to learn their needs and wants, and yet, he couldn’t figure any of
them out. It was like they played from a different game plan.
Audrey wasn’t the person he’d thought, even five years ago. So he turned toward Lilith and smiled,
wanting nothing more than to seize Audrey and tear her out of the room for an explanation. “You’re the
smart one here. What do you think about the proposal?”
Lilith preened under his compliment and turned back toward the graphs, her palm sliding toward his
dick. “I think we have some negotiating to do, but this is a very nice start. And you’re the smart one here.”
She had no idea. He halted her hand before she could get even more inappropriate.