Singed Read Online Free Page A

It wasn’t a suicide mission then. Not unless he chose to make it one.
    His blood pressure equalized and he tucked the papers back into the envelope. He’d have to burn them once he memorized the information and studied that photograph until it was burned into his brain.
    The elevator dinged from down the hall. The old lady was still standing there, waiting for the ancient doors to open. He tucked the envelope into his coat’s inner pocket and jogged down the hall, excited to embark on his first true mission and prove himself worthy of the cause. “Mrs. Grandham, wait up. I’ll ride up with you.”
     
    ****
     
    Claire checked her phone for messages on the way down the elevator to the lobby and found a curt text from Danny.
    I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.
    Sure he was, she thought with a spurt of annoyance, not about to believe him. She’d already planned to go over and see him, but that seemingly innocuous message threatened to suck the remaining energy out of her. She’d had a hard enough day already without dealing with one of her brother’s moods.
    Coming over. Be there soon , she responded and put her phone away. What she really wanted was to climb into her car, drive to her favorite takeout place and bring dinner home so she could curl up on the couch for the evening in front of a good movie. But family duty called, just as it always did, so the takeout would have to wait.
    Outside the sky was lit with streamers of orange and vermillion, the sun painting the undersides of the clouds in blazing red as it sunk toward the horizon. The air was cool, the breeze rich with the scent of damp fallen leaves. She breathed it in and rolled her head from side to side to ease the tension in her neck and shoulders. As she straightened she looked over the rows of cars for her silver compact SUV—and came to a halt so abrupt she had to grab her purse strap to keep it from sliding off her shoulder.
    Gage was leaning against a black SUV parked beside hers, his ridiculously sexy tattooed arms folded casually across his muscular chest. To anyone who didn’t know him he probably looked like a thug. In reality Gage was a people person with a good heart and a strong sense of loyalty, which was why he’d had such a successful career as a Green Beret. Apart from being some of the best soldiers in the world, they were first and foremost teachers who worked with local populations and trained foreign forces. People naturally gravitated to him no matter where he went, men and women alike. And lord knew, all the ladies loved Gage.
    The dark shades he wore prevented her from seeing his eyes but she knew he was watching her intently. She could feel the weight of his gaze from halfway across the lot and it sent an unwanted frisson of warmth through her. Which was the last damn thing she needed.
    Head up, spine straight, she strode across the asphalt and wove her way between the rows of parked cars to her own. She’d be polite and civil, nothing more. Because she couldn’t afford to be anything more. As she approached she nodded to him. “Hey.”
    “Hi.”
    She hit the keyfob and unlocked the driver’s side door, every cell in her body hyperaware of him standing so close. She struggled to find something to say, something pleasant yet not personal, since she couldn’t just hop in and drive off. Their breakup hadn’t been hostile and it had been her decision so she didn’t hate him or anything. No, unfortunately her feelings ran more in the opposite direction and she couldn’t let him know it. She had to play this casually. If given the chance, she was afraid he might try to change her mind since he’d done that a few times early on in the breakup.
    Tossing her purse on the passenger seat, she held the door open and half turned to face him, the gesture letting him know she wasn’t planning on chatting long. “So, how was your first day on the job?”
    He tilted his head. “Not bad. I’m more interested in how your day was