The Promise of Love Read Online Free Page A

a plane into enemy territory he’d ever made.
     

Chapter Two
     
     
     
    “There are ten things in this world I can’t live without,” Savage said and tapped his cigar on the crystal ashtray. “Duke is messing with the top two. Money and Sex. Tell me you have some answers for me, Martinez.”
    Juan Martinez blew smoke out on a big exhale and shifted the bleach-blonde with jugs the size of cantaloupes he had on his lap to reach his drink. His enormous belly interfered with the move, but he managed to keep the woman in place while he sipped his vodka. No one would have guessed Martinez had once gone through the toughest Special Forces training on the planet—the Russian Spetsnaz . They’d been hand-picked then given training that wouldn’t be allowed in the U.S. where everything was ruled by law and order. Human rights and blah, blah, blah.
    They’d both survived and look at them now. Living the American dream .
    “I have more than that. I’ve set up a team outside of Duke’s location. He shuts us out of his deal, and we simply take what we want.”
    Savage narrowed his eyes to see Martinez through the dim interior of their private club. The strobe lights out on the dance floor lent a soothing background for him, but made it difficult to gage his long-time partner’s expression.
    “You’ve set up camp in Wyoming?”
    Martinez grimaced. “I didn’t set it up. My men are camping out with a group of gun crazy lunatics, but”—he laughed—“they are a perfect cover. If anyone finds our location, we simply blend in with them.”
    “America. Only here can such men exist,” Savage muttered in Russian.
    “True. They have a few AK-74M rifles.”
    “Really?” Savage murmured, impressed. Weapons like that were highly sought after and highly illegal. He stroked the back of his own woman at the memory of the power in such a weapon.
    “When do you meet with Duke?”
    “A few days,” Savage replied, not happy with the time it was taking to get a meeting with the elusive billionaire. “He will send someone to DC in a few days. Then he will meet with me personally.”
    “If Duke pulls out, then we simply take it.” Martinez lifted his glass and Savage joined him. “Then we even a few scores, brother. I have word from sources that the men we want are in the area. They’re undercover, hovering over Duke, ready to take him out.”
    Savage clenched his fists. “We can’t let that happen before my scientist gets his hands on the formula.”
    “Oh, we won’t. Your scientist is also there, waiting for his chance to get a sample.” Martinez made a face and tapped his cigar on the floor. “He is an odd one, no?”
    Savage agreed. The young MIT graduate wasn’t normally the kind of man he would ever associate with. But money talked and oddities could be forgiven—to a point.
    “He can make us richer than our wildest dreams, brother. Remember, money first, then we settle some scores,” Savage cautioned. “Duke will come here. He’s too greedy and too much of a show man not to parade his genius for us to see. If he does not”—Savage shrugged—“then we will still gain what we want with your men. But first we wait. Remember, always the money first, then the scores.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Paris laughed and shook her head at David’s joke. He was a surprisingly fun guy, and way more honest than anyone she’d ever met. His friend, William—Will—was nice too, but David had a way of saying things most people just didn’t. She liked that about him. And, she just liked him.
    They surprised her. Not half a day ago she’d been lecturing her friend and telling her she never wanted to be near men again, and now she was in a restaurant downstairs from her hotel room with two of them and didn’t want dinner to be over.
    Or the night. Specifically the night.
    It was as if all the time she’d been alone had suddenly become unbearable, and she wanted to make up for it now—immediately with them or, if she were