Mystique Rogue Read Online Free

latest conquest. Carmen discounted all of the gossip as creative imaginings of a bored people.
    Her team had selected the best accommodations they could find in a short amount of time. The result was a small cabin in the middle of the sleeper car. Carmen was lucky in her choice of accommodations.  Ski season was in full swing and apparently, the mountains of Northern Scotland was ‘the’ place to be when winter arrived, apparently. The train had been packed with passengers the moment it left the London station. Some of them were even sleeping in the spaces between the cars.
    Once in her cabin, Carmen flipped open her laptop to send out a few e-mails to the team, letting them know her location. After she finished answering a couple messages, she clicked to a website which hosted long term chess games. The game she was playing had already lasted four months. Her opponent’s handle was Scam. They hadn’t spoken, just traded moves in a slow dance of strategy. As she logged in, her account registered he had made his latest move. Smiling, she settled onto her bunk to contemplate the chess board and what move to make.
    The miles rolled by as Carmen looked at the chess board, occasionally pausing to answer a query from one of her team. It was eleven o’clock by the time Carmen finally made her move. Outside her window she could see stars sparkling in the inky velvet sky and the sign welcoming visitors to Scotland was easily visible as the train went past.
    Sighing, Carmen made her move before turning off her computer and shedding her clothes. Grabbing an oversized gray t-shirt from her duffel. It hung down to mid-calf and gave her ample room to move freely, yet be modestly covered at all times. If she were at home, she would have slept naked. Unfortunately, it wasn’t wise to do so on a train. Besides, Carmen had had too many nightmares of waking up in the slimy hands of Prince Ahmed. Being nude and having bad dreams was not what she needed right now. There was too much chance someone would get hurt trying to wake her up unexpectedly. Suddenly, the train jerked violently, catching her off guard. The force of it sent Carmen  careening into her bed, smacking her forehead against the edge of the overhead storage compartment. There was just enough time to feel the flow of blood down the side of her face before the whole compartment became swallowed in darkness. A quick glance out the window told her the lights were out everywhere as the train jolted to a full stop. “Damn,” she muttered to herself. “just what I need.”
    After putting on her robe, she grabbed a towel to cover the cut on her head and opened the door.  One of the attendants was making his way down the corridor, assuring people everything was fine. “Excuse me,” Carmen waved. 
    The young man approached her, a small flashlight lighting his way. “Yes, Ma’am?”
    “ Is there a medical person on this train? The sudden stop caught me off guard. I'm going to need at least a band aid.” Carmen lifted the towel away from her forehead.
    Then his flashlight illuminated her scarred face, he backed up. His eyes grew wider when he noticed her forearms. 
    “Yes, there is. Please...” He swallowed hard. “Please, stay where you are , and I’ll bring them to you.  If you can’t wait, there’s a bathroom at the end of this car.”  
    Carmen gave him a half smile.  “I didn’t mean to startle you. Trust me, the scars only look horrible at first glance. Once you see them on a regular basis, they're not so bad. It also makes for a great laugh at Halloween.” She shrugged. W hen mothers aren’t dragging their children away from me. The bitter thought made her wince slightly.
    The comment drew a small laugh from him. “I’m sorry, Miss. I didn’t mean to offend you by staring.” He bowed his head.  “I’ll be back in a few moments. The light from his flashlight bounced off the walls as he hurried to get someone, returning a few minutes later with a