Immortal Ops: New & Lengthened 2016 Anniversary Edition Read Online Free Page A

best. All I know is, the higher-ups want her eliminated . You have your orders. Make it happen.”

Chapter Three

    Peren sat and listened to her friends go on and on about their stressful week. They’d been trying to outdo one another for the greater part of an hour, possibly more, but she’d been successful in blocking them out to some degree. They were going on this outing for her benefit but she couldn’t seem to muster the energy and will to be happy. She’d been doing her best to avoid social interactions for months now.
    And her best friends had had enough of her behavior.
    She turned her attention to the window and stared out at the night sky. Her gaze flickered to the crescent-shaped moon , and she had to fight the urge to trace the edges of it with her fingers. She’d always been obsessed with the wonders of night. As a small child she’d sit in her window and long to be among the stars. They seemed so peaceful, so free from care or concern. That had been what she wanted most as a child—peace. Now, on her twenty-fourth birthday, she sat in the back of Melanie’s cramped Ford sedan and tried to wish herself somewhere serene. She found little amusement in the fact that she’d come full circle.  
    She shifted awkwardly in the seat and pushed the pile of used tissues away from her feet. Melanie was far from a neat freak , and the lipstick-stained tissues on the floor told her that Mel had a habit of tossing trash behind her as she drove.  
    Missy fixed her dark brown eyes on Peren and looked dismayed. “Girl, you need to lighten up—it’s your birthday.”  
    Peren let a fake smile creep onto her face. Yeah, because it’s so easy to lighten up knowing Kyle’s gone and he’ll never be back. It’s wrong to be celebrating with him not here. She tried to hide the emotions on her face, but Missy’s expression told her she’d failed.  
    She couldn’t get angry with Missy or Melanie. They were only trying to help. Since Kyle’s disappearance, they’d gone out of their way to try to help her deal with her loss and move on. “You need to climb back up on that dick again, darling…that’s bound to make you feel better.” Mel had told her this on more than one occasion. Sure, she still had the same desires as the next woman, maybe even more, but moving on was the last thing on her mind. She just wanted to go home, curl up, listen to sad music , and wallow. She didn’t need or want their planned interventions.  
    “Let’s go to that new country music club…you know…” Melanie said, eyeing Missy in a way that said they’d already picked the destination long before the conversation started, “the one that has the line dancing. Maybe we could find some hot guys there tonight . ”  
    Peren sighed. She was committed to them for the rest of the night—their prisoner until dawn. She’d agreed to be a willing captive, and they’d agreed to leave her alone about dating other men. Most of their blind-date choices had been disasters. The first two were your typical college guys. They had one thing on their mind, and that was to get into her pants. Melanie was upset that Peren hadn’t given in to their advances. Sure, they were hot and she could have used a good fuck, but she wanted something more.  
    The third guy they’d fixed her up with, Ben, had been decent enough. His short black hair and light blue eyes had made for a fantastic combination. His conversational skills were far better than any of the men she’d been out with before. That wasn’t the best thing about him, though. The best thing had been his smell. As silly as it sounded, he smelled like musk and fresh morning air. Kyle had had that very same natural scent. It drove her wild with lust.  
    Missy had been most surprised to find out that she’d gone on multiple dates with Ben. She’d really enjoyed his company, but felt guilty about betraying Kyle and cut it off. The nameless, faceless other dates meant so little to her that