Read Online Bound to Danger: A Deadly Ops Novel by Katie Reus - Free Book Online Page A

crowd at the hospital was growing, everyone was keeping a respectful distance from the accident.
    A team of men dressed in black retrieved the body before putting it in the back of the van. It all happened so quickly, as if they’d choreographed the scene. The news crew on the other side of the hospital hadn’t even arrived yet. The way these men moved in so quickly and efficiently told him they had to be working for some government agency in a clandestine capacity.
    As the van steered away, two police cruisers were pulling onto the street. One of the cruisers immediately blocked the van’s exit, a cop exiting and drawing hisweapon, though not raising it at the van. From the other cruiser, a uniformed cop exited and then cautiously approached the van. The window rolled down and after a few minutes of speaking to whoever was inside, the cop waved the van through. Just like that. There had been no questioning of the driver who’d hit the man, nothing. At least not from the men in black.
    That was . . . interesting. At the sight of a news van pulling up behind one of the police vehicles, he turned and headed back to one of the parking garages. The last thing he needed was to be seen on camera. He seriously doubted he would even be noticed, but right now he had to be cautious. He pulled his ball cap low and kept his pace steady as he broke away from the crowd he’d been using as cover.
    As he walked, he texted Mihails what he’d witnessed with one of his disposable phones. The Latvian would definitely want to know that his man had been killed and then taken away by unknown government men. And he had no doubt that it was the government. Which branch, however, was a mystery.
    •   •   •
    “I can’t believe you’re here. You need to be at home resting or . . . something. You just shouldn’t be
here
.” Leah Davis sat across from Maria’s desk, leaning back in the comfortable leather chair that had seen better days. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore her standard faded jeans and a V-neck T-shirt. Today’s color was blue. Like her eyes.
    Maria hadn’t actually come to work, but to escape. “I know. I just didn’t want to go home. Because as soon as I pack a bag, Nash is taking me to my parents’ house.” Which would be filled with constant reminders of her mother. Maria leaned back in her own chair and rubbed a hand over her face. She still couldn’t get the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach to go away. Maybe seeing Cade after so long had affected her more than she’d realized. Either that or there truly was something she desperately needed to remember. Because the truth was, the fact that she’d been outside during the blast was odd. She’d had no reason to be where she’d been found.
    “Honey, I know. It might be good for you to be surrounded by her things, but . . . if it’s too much you know you’re more than welcome to stay with me. God knows you’ve been there for me through bad breakups and my own mom . . .” Her voice and expression were gentle as she trailed off.
    It was true. Leah was more like a sister to her. They talked on the phone multiple times a day if they weren’t working together, and she couldn’t count the number of times they’d drowned their sorrows over glasses of wine because of some loser. Then when Leah’s mom committed suicide, Maria had practically lived with her friend until she’d gotten back on her feet. “Thanks, but no. I need to be there for my dad. I just can’t figure out
why
I was outside when the explosion went off. It makes no sense.” She’d been wondering about that even before the police, Homeland Security, or the NSA had asked her. She looked at Leah imploringly, as if her friend had any magical answers. The not knowing was driving her crazy.
    “It’s a miracle,” Leah said softly.
    Maria had no response. Sitting in her office at the center always made her feel better, more grounded. She