Read Online Icon by Genevieve Valentine - Free Book Online Page A

looked herover skeptically as they waited in the lobby.
    â€œIt’s the best of bad options,” she said. “I wanted the work boots and jeans, but she begged me to look like I cared.” She tried a smile. “I’ll end up in a cocktail dress if she keeps going.”
    Magnus looked as though he wasn’t sure it could be worse, but he just smoothed his own lapel and said, “It will do. We’ll leave the jacket in the car. It will be more . . . subtle.”
    She nearly laughed before she caught it, and Magnus glanced at her, surprised, just as the car pulled up and Ethan and Stevens got out.
    â€œMorning, Samuelsson,” said Stevens, mostly to his tablet. “Morning, Suyana. Ethan, be back here by four, please. You have the dinner scheduled.”
    â€œRoger that,” said Ethan, scooping Suyana gently by the elbow, and she must have made a face she couldn’t help, because he said, “Don’t worry, it’s fine. I’ll get you back in one piece.”
    Suyana’s stomach lurched, and without thinking she leaned back to make herself heavier. “But Magnus—” she began, and looked behind her, where Magnus was beginning to move in her direction, though Stevens was stepping in front of him and saying something about security clearance that didn’t come through.
    â€œI’m not going either,” Stevens pointed out in the tonehandlers used when they knew they were talking about people they’d outlive.
    â€œThis is unacceptable,” Magnus was saying as Ethan helped her into the car, as it pulled away from the curb, and when she looked out the window as they turned the corner. Magnus was staring after her, one fist held tight to his side and his phone already to his ear.
    Too late, she thought, the queasy feeling settling and sliding into something else that felt far away. She calculated, briefly, the chances the Americans had arranged for something to happen to her on-site, and was comforted by the low number. She was less comforted by the chances that Margot had arranged for something to happen, but she concentrated on how unlikely it was that Margot would get rid of a perfectly biddable American Face in the bargain—because for Margot to keep clear of a disaster, they’d both of them have to go.
    â€œIs this your first time visiting one of these?” she asked, her voice so calm it must belong to someone else.
    â€œYeah, in person, but Margot and I did a bunch of funny-­looking photo ops they’re going to roll out in the news once these facilities are all established and there are results to publicize. Some of them went out with the first round of press announcements like we were actually working there. They’re so embarrassing. In one of them they made me look intoa microscope and make a really serious face, as if anyone would believe anything I had to say about microscopic anything.”
    â€œI saw that first picture. You looked very believable.”
    â€œWhy do you ask?” His smile had fallen off; his eyes were narrowed. “Are you not interested in this?”
    She wished there were cameras. She wished there were a dozen. Why weren’t there any cameras?
    â€œOh, no, I’m very interested. This is for the benefit of the country I represent to my utmost duty,” she repeated, as if it was something Magnus had told her. As if it bored her.
    His smile came back. “It won’t take long, I promise. We have the president’s dinner to get to, and I promised Stevens I wouldn’t be late.”
    That improved her chances, then; you didn’t kill people on the way to presidential dinners unless you wanted a bigger storm than this was worth. It was just smart planning on Margot’s part, to keep her off balance; Margot knew Suyana liked witnesses, and Suyana shuddered from the chill of being known. Magnus wouldn’t get there; they’d never let him reach her when he could