defiant. She did not look back. “She doesn’t look at all frightened.”
B ureaucratic bastard.
There was no question Crane had wanted to scare her. How dare he use Frankie’s safety as a bargaining chip to get his way. She wanted to strangle him. No, that was too good for him. Roast him over a slow—
“I take it that it didn’t go well.” Robert was standing in front of the stable. “Crane’s pretty much of an asshole.”
“You’d better call them and tell them to come back and pick you up,” she said curtly. “I told them to get off the farm.”
“I drove my own car. I didn’t want to be any closer than I had to be to Crane.” His lips twisted. “That was fine with him. He doesn’t like dealing with us peons.”
“He’s not in touch with the human race. He wanted to stake me and Frankie out. Frankie!”
“Shit.” Robert frowned. “As God is my witness, I didn’t know anything about that, Grace. I guess I should have suspected something when North brought him into the picture. But North’s not a bad guy. I didn’t think he’d go along with—”
“Well, he did,” she interrupted. “And you’re probably out of an assignment. Do me a favor and say good-bye to Frankie before you leave. She’s had enough loss without you disappearing on her.”
“I wouldn’t do that. And I wouldn’t go along with Crane shafting you. You should know better than that. I care about you guys.”
A little of her anger faded as she looked at him. This was Robert, her friend. He wasn’t to blame for Crane’s decisions. “I know,” she said. “But you’re an agent and you have to go along with them. It’s hard for me to forget that.”
“Then work on it. Now, how can I help you?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. Where’s Frankie?”
“She’s still in the stable with Kilmer.”
She froze. “What?”
“He came into the stable right after you left and said he’d take over putting up your horse.” He made a face. “I made a token protest, but you know I’m really not into working with horses. I knew Frankie would be safe with him and he seemed to know what he was doing.”
She nodded. “Yes, he knows horses.” But she didn’t want Frankie around him, dammit. She knew how magnetic the bastard could be, and she didn’t want Frankie influenced.
Robert was studying her expression. “It seemed okay. She is safe, isn’t she? I called a buddy in Washington this morning and did a check on Kilmer. There wasn’t much on file, but Stolz said he heard rumors Kilmer used to be hot stuff with the agency.”
She glanced at him. “Used to be?”
“He severed relations with the CIA eight years ago.”
“What?”
“You didn’t know?”
“No, I didn’t want to know anything about him except that he was out of my life. The CIA took care of that. They gave me a new identity and you.” She glanced longingly at the door of the stable. She wanted to go running in there but she had to be more composed before she faced Frankie again. She was still angry with Crane and she didn’t want Frankie to sense her urge to jerk her away from Kilmer. She’d stay here with Robert until she was calmer. “What’s Kilmer doing now?”
“Search me. You know him pretty well. You guess. What’s he qualified to do?”
Anything he wanted to do. She’d never met anyone more capable of manipulating circumstances to suit himself. He was a natural commander and his people were fanatically loyal. “When I met him, he was running a special commando team for the CIA. He specialized in guerrilla raids and complex operations. The CIA sent him in when the situation was too hot for the usual commando teams.”
Robert gave a low whistle. “Impressive.”
Yes, that’s what she’d thought when she had first met Kilmer. His manner was quiet, offhand, but his presence dominated effortlessly. “Occasionally, North would send him an agent he wanted to season.”
“And he sent
B ureaucratic bastard.
There was no question Crane had wanted to scare her. How dare he use Frankie’s safety as a bargaining chip to get his way. She wanted to strangle him. No, that was too good for him. Roast him over a slow—
“I take it that it didn’t go well.” Robert was standing in front of the stable. “Crane’s pretty much of an asshole.”
“You’d better call them and tell them to come back and pick you up,” she said curtly. “I told them to get off the farm.”
“I drove my own car. I didn’t want to be any closer than I had to be to Crane.” His lips twisted. “That was fine with him. He doesn’t like dealing with us peons.”
“He’s not in touch with the human race. He wanted to stake me and Frankie out. Frankie!”
“Shit.” Robert frowned. “As God is my witness, I didn’t know anything about that, Grace. I guess I should have suspected something when North brought him into the picture. But North’s not a bad guy. I didn’t think he’d go along with—”
“Well, he did,” she interrupted. “And you’re probably out of an assignment. Do me a favor and say good-bye to Frankie before you leave. She’s had enough loss without you disappearing on her.”
“I wouldn’t do that. And I wouldn’t go along with Crane shafting you. You should know better than that. I care about you guys.”
A little of her anger faded as she looked at him. This was Robert, her friend. He wasn’t to blame for Crane’s decisions. “I know,” she said. “But you’re an agent and you have to go along with them. It’s hard for me to forget that.”
“Then work on it. Now, how can I help you?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. Where’s Frankie?”
“She’s still in the stable with Kilmer.”
She froze. “What?”
“He came into the stable right after you left and said he’d take over putting up your horse.” He made a face. “I made a token protest, but you know I’m really not into working with horses. I knew Frankie would be safe with him and he seemed to know what he was doing.”
She nodded. “Yes, he knows horses.” But she didn’t want Frankie around him, dammit. She knew how magnetic the bastard could be, and she didn’t want Frankie influenced.
Robert was studying her expression. “It seemed okay. She is safe, isn’t she? I called a buddy in Washington this morning and did a check on Kilmer. There wasn’t much on file, but Stolz said he heard rumors Kilmer used to be hot stuff with the agency.”
She glanced at him. “Used to be?”
“He severed relations with the CIA eight years ago.”
“What?”
“You didn’t know?”
“No, I didn’t want to know anything about him except that he was out of my life. The CIA took care of that. They gave me a new identity and you.” She glanced longingly at the door of the stable. She wanted to go running in there but she had to be more composed before she faced Frankie again. She was still angry with Crane and she didn’t want Frankie to sense her urge to jerk her away from Kilmer. She’d stay here with Robert until she was calmer. “What’s Kilmer doing now?”
“Search me. You know him pretty well. You guess. What’s he qualified to do?”
Anything he wanted to do. She’d never met anyone more capable of manipulating circumstances to suit himself. He was a natural commander and his people were fanatically loyal. “When I met him, he was running a special commando team for the CIA. He specialized in guerrilla raids and complex operations. The CIA sent him in when the situation was too hot for the usual commando teams.”
Robert gave a low whistle. “Impressive.”
Yes, that’s what she’d thought when she had first met Kilmer. His manner was quiet, offhand, but his presence dominated effortlessly. “Occasionally, North would send him an agent he wanted to season.”
“And he sent
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