Read Online INTO DANGER (Secret Assassins (S.A.S.S.) Book 1) by Gennita Low - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Gennita Low
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destroyed, but the evidence was damning. Steve didn’t move or say a word, letting the tape run its course.
“She got you, man. How are you going to catch her if you’re doing your thinking with your gonads?” Harden asked, his voice laced with acid sarcasm.
Now wasn’t the time to think of Marlena’s betrayal, Steve told himself. He turned to face his chief. “I know what I’m doing,” he said levelly. “She’s just trying to cast confusion among her enemies. She knows you’re watching her.”
“Of course she knows. She placed that eye there herself.” Harden smacked his hand on the desk in disgust, showing his anger for the first time since Steve walked in. “She’s telling her watchers—me, specifically—that she’s got you, that we can’t fully trust you anymore.”
“Sir,” Steve reverted back to formality. There was no way to defend himself by being familiar. “Marlena Maxwell wants you to think a certain way. She’s good at this; I know, I’ve been around the woman long enough to experience her manipulative ways. That”—he pointed to the screen—“was meant to create problems for me. We just have to figure out why she did it.”
Of course Steve knew the reason, but he wasn’t going to admit it. It had to do with a bet they had made that day. It was just Marlena’s way of showing whose ass was being had. Another time he might even have found what she did amusing, but not tonight. He was too frustrated. And she’d so cleverly backed him into a corner with his own men. How could he tell them he knew her so well, that he understood her message here, without them turning suspicious? His own O.C. was skeptical of his motives, for God’s sake.
“You think I don’t know what she’s up to?” Harden asked in disgust. He leaned back and sank deeply into his chair, his eyes flint-hard as he looked at Steve. “I’ve been in this kind of stuff a lot longer than you. You’re used to playing Superman, McMillan. Don your gear and go out and fight the bad evil dudes. Well, that kind of mentality isn’t suited for TIARA. We use intel to fight the enemy, not firepower.”
Steve didn’t think it appropriate to point out that Superman always won. He might not have the kind of cloak-and-dagger training that Harden had, but he was a SEAL, and he held his team’s record in the BUD/S infamous O course, an obstacle course created not just to test mental toughness and confidence, but to teach the trainees there was always a better way.
“Each enemy needs a different approach,” he said. “I just think there are more things happening here than a quick assassination. Marlena is—”
“Playing hide-and-seek,” Harden cut in. “She hides and you seek, except that we don’t know what she’s hiding, and she’s picking things for you to find. That’s pretty obvious. What isn’t obvious to you is you’re falling for her. What isn’t obvious is every time she manipulates you, over here, on this end, it adds another nail into your coffin. I’m not the only one assessing these videos, and believe me, I’m only voicing the conclusions of those who are going to see this. One wrong misstep and it’s free fall, McMillan.”
“The order was to get close to the target,” Steve reminded. He no longer cared if he was stepping out of formal protocol. “I’ve been doing that.”
“And your emotions weren’t involved in your decision-making process?”
Steve straightened. There was more here than his being accused of impropriety, whatever the hell that meant. On some other level, Harden was being personal here, but Steve couldn’t figure out why.
“Of course emotions are involved,” he answered, frowning slightly. “Every decision always has an underlying emotion. The point is not to let it affect one’s better judgment. That is, sir, how I approach my job.
Steve caught the glint of something in the eyes of the man across the desk from him. Something else going on here . His instinct
“She got you, man. How are you going to catch her if you’re doing your thinking with your gonads?” Harden asked, his voice laced with acid sarcasm.
Now wasn’t the time to think of Marlena’s betrayal, Steve told himself. He turned to face his chief. “I know what I’m doing,” he said levelly. “She’s just trying to cast confusion among her enemies. She knows you’re watching her.”
“Of course she knows. She placed that eye there herself.” Harden smacked his hand on the desk in disgust, showing his anger for the first time since Steve walked in. “She’s telling her watchers—me, specifically—that she’s got you, that we can’t fully trust you anymore.”
“Sir,” Steve reverted back to formality. There was no way to defend himself by being familiar. “Marlena Maxwell wants you to think a certain way. She’s good at this; I know, I’ve been around the woman long enough to experience her manipulative ways. That”—he pointed to the screen—“was meant to create problems for me. We just have to figure out why she did it.”
Of course Steve knew the reason, but he wasn’t going to admit it. It had to do with a bet they had made that day. It was just Marlena’s way of showing whose ass was being had. Another time he might even have found what she did amusing, but not tonight. He was too frustrated. And she’d so cleverly backed him into a corner with his own men. How could he tell them he knew her so well, that he understood her message here, without them turning suspicious? His own O.C. was skeptical of his motives, for God’s sake.
“You think I don’t know what she’s up to?” Harden asked in disgust. He leaned back and sank deeply into his chair, his eyes flint-hard as he looked at Steve. “I’ve been in this kind of stuff a lot longer than you. You’re used to playing Superman, McMillan. Don your gear and go out and fight the bad evil dudes. Well, that kind of mentality isn’t suited for TIARA. We use intel to fight the enemy, not firepower.”
Steve didn’t think it appropriate to point out that Superman always won. He might not have the kind of cloak-and-dagger training that Harden had, but he was a SEAL, and he held his team’s record in the BUD/S infamous O course, an obstacle course created not just to test mental toughness and confidence, but to teach the trainees there was always a better way.
“Each enemy needs a different approach,” he said. “I just think there are more things happening here than a quick assassination. Marlena is—”
“Playing hide-and-seek,” Harden cut in. “She hides and you seek, except that we don’t know what she’s hiding, and she’s picking things for you to find. That’s pretty obvious. What isn’t obvious to you is you’re falling for her. What isn’t obvious is every time she manipulates you, over here, on this end, it adds another nail into your coffin. I’m not the only one assessing these videos, and believe me, I’m only voicing the conclusions of those who are going to see this. One wrong misstep and it’s free fall, McMillan.”
“The order was to get close to the target,” Steve reminded. He no longer cared if he was stepping out of formal protocol. “I’ve been doing that.”
“And your emotions weren’t involved in your decision-making process?”
Steve straightened. There was more here than his being accused of impropriety, whatever the hell that meant. On some other level, Harden was being personal here, but Steve couldn’t figure out why.
“Of course emotions are involved,” he answered, frowning slightly. “Every decision always has an underlying emotion. The point is not to let it affect one’s better judgment. That is, sir, how I approach my job.
Steve caught the glint of something in the eyes of the man across the desk from him. Something else going on here . His instinct
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