Read Online How Spy I Am by Diane Henders - Free Book Online

must be a
terrible shock for you,” Stemp said silkily. “You and he were so
close.”
    I turned my choke into
a snicker and tried for a cynical sneer. “I told you Kane wasn’t in
love with me.” I cuddled closer to Hellhound and slid a hand up his
thigh. “He wouldn’t waste his time. He knows I’ve been screwing his
best friend for months.”
    I had to admire
Stemp’s self-control. He managed to keep his reaction down to the
tiniest twitch of his eyes, but I could almost see him reassessing
and regrouping at light-speed.
    Hellhound’s arm
tightened around me, and I gave Stemp a bland look, hoping Arnie
was doing the same.
    Stemp’s eyes narrowed
fractionally. “You’re lying. Kane investigated all significant
relationships in your life. He didn’t report that.”
    I shrugged. “Probably
because it’s not a significant relationship. I said I was screwing
him. I didn’t say I was in love with him.”
    The silence was broken
by sound of Richardson’s strangled cough as he ducked his head to
rub the back of his neck.
    Hellhound chuckled.
“What, ya never heard of a fuck-buddy before?”
    “This is irrelevant.”
Stemp’s deadpan mask was firmly in place. “Helmand, a piece of
advice. Stay out of our operations unless your involvement is
specifically requested. Interference could prove hazardous to your
health.”
    Hellhound snorted.
“Fuck that. Your shit ain’t exactly been good for my health so far.
Interferin’ ain’t gonna make a difference.”
    Stemp continued as if
he hadn’t spoken. “However, since you’re here anyway, you can stay.
It saves me the trouble of briefing you. Ms. Kelly, here is an
overview of your new cover. You’ll receive a complete dossier
tomorrow when you report for work at Sirius Dynamics.”
    He withdrew a folded
sheet of paper from his shirt pocket and handed it over. I opened
it slowly, hope rising. Work at Sirius Dynamics? So maybe I
wouldn’t be relocated?
    I scanned hurriedly
down the page, my jaw sagging as I absorbed its contents. The paper
rattled in my trembling hand.
    I had to open and
close my mouth a couple of times before a croak emerged. “You’ve
got to be kidding me.”

Chapter 8
    I thought I detected
malicious glee in Stemp’s eyes as he responded, “On the contrary,
it’s a perfect cover. It allows you to remain here, it assures
Fuzzy Bunny that you’re dead, and thanks to your own activities
this summer, it’s already established. Completely plausible.”
    I peeled my tongue
away from the roof of my dry mouth. “I’d prefer to be relocated,
please.”
    “Not an option,” Stemp
said. “All the paperwork is complete for your new identity, and in
any case, Sirius Dynamics is the only installation in Canada that
contains the necessary technology to support your project. I
explained all of this in our last interview.”
    “I… uh… I… missed that
part…” My mind spun its wheels frantically. Come to think of it, I
did vaguely remember Stemp’s lips still moving after he’d dropped
the bomb about Kane and my car and my reported death.
    Shit, shit, shit!
    “What, darlin’?”
Hellhound’s impatient rasp jarred my attention back to the room.
“What’s wrong?”
    I pulled away to stare
at him, feeling as though the blood had been drained from my body
and replaced with water.
    I couldn’t even say
it. I handed him the paper.
    His gaze zigzagged
rapidly down the page, and he let out a bellow of laughter. “Jesus
Christ, that’s fuckin’ perfect! Literally!”
    He fell back on the
couch, still laughing. At last, he struggled upright again, gasping
and wiping his eyes. “My dream’s come true, darlin’. I always
wanted to bone a porn star.”
    “ What ?”
Richardson snatched the paper out of his hand and did some
speed-reading of his own, his mouth slowly dropping open as he
scanned.
    I turned to meet
Stemp’s inscrutable gaze. “There’s no way this will work,” I
implored. “I’m pushing fifty, for chrissake. Nobody