Kat Attalla Special Edition Read Online Free Page B

he refused to give in to the strange attraction he felt for her. Despite her transgression with Becker’s gang, she possessed an air of vulnerability that made her downright irresistible.
    Erik shook off the warm feelings. He rubbed his hand along the scar at his side, a souvenir of another seemingly safe woman who’d nearly cost him his life. Never again would he be taken in by the helpless-female-needing-a-big-strong-man routine. It didn’t take a set of balls or any physical strength to pull the trigger of a .22.
    He plugged in the wet vac and began the slow and boring task of removing the water from the floor. Not exactly the kind of work he envisioned when he joined the NSB, but he’d learned a few interesting trades in the course of his undercover assignments.
    Fifteen minutes later, Victoria ’s soft voice called from the top of the stairs. “Mr. Sanders?”
    “I’ll be right there,” he shouted over the drone of the vacuum. He switched off the machine and slogged through the remaining water to the stairs. On the bottom step, he removed his work boots before going up.
    Fine bone china and silver flatware rested on top of Victoria ’s teak dining table. The last time he’d dined with such formality … shit, he’d never dined with such formality. Why the hell did she want to impress him? Did she consider this a date?
    “Where should I sit?” he asked.
    “It doesn’t matter,” she called out from the kitchen.
    He chose the seat at the far side of the table, rather than at the head, just in case she took a tumble with a hot pan on her way in. He could see the headlines now: National Security Agent Taken Out With a Lasagna .
    She delivered the food without mishap and joined him. With a shrug of embarrassment, she offered him a boxed juice. “It’s the only thing I have in the house. I have to go food shopping.”
    Erik pulled a straight face. “Don’t worry. Very Berry Fruit Punch is my favorite.”
    “I keep it around for my nieces and nephews,” she explained.
    “Hey, beggars can’t be choosers.” Damn, she was so serious. Her huge brown eyes reflected a deep sadness. Or maybe loneliness. Why else would Dr. Jansen, physics professor, want to have lunch with the plumber?
    “Go ahead and eat.”
    He tipped his head. “Ladies first, ma’am.” “ Victoria ,” she muttered. She used the spatula to place a small serving of lasagna on her plate.
    “ Victoria ,” he repeated. “Do people call you Vikki or Tori?”
    “Neither.” She paused and then smiled sadly. “Well, except for my brother. He used to call me Tori.”
    “Used to?”
    She shrugged and looked away. “It’s a long story.”
    “I’ve got time,” he said. He wanted to keep her talking, but he got the impression Victoria shied away from talking about herself. However, he’d learned over the years how to get a woman to open up to him. And he’d had plenty of experience in his work. His assignments usually centered on cases where the principal suspect was of the female persuasion. Hence the codename, Romeo. “So what’s up with your brother?”
    She slid the aluminum pan towards him and waited until he filled his plate before answering. “It’s really not that interesting. Steven’s the oldest, I’m the youngest, and after our parents passed away, he sort of took on the role of parent. Suffice it to say, he’s more overprotective than necessary.”
    “He’s probably worried about his baby sister.” Especially if he knew what his baby sister had gotten herself involved in. He made a mental note to run a check on Steven Jansen.
    Her full red lips formed a frown. “If he stopped thinking of me as his baby sister we’d get along better.”
    Erik couldn’t imagine anyone treating a nuclear physicist like a child, but that could explain why she chose to get involved in corporate spying. She might feel the need to prove something to her brother.
    “I told you it wasn’t interesting,” she said.
    “You don’t have