Read Online Tell Me No Spies by Diane Henders - Free Book Online Page A

off in the night.
    The door released at
last, and I sprang into the lobby. Kane was instantly beside me.
“Do you need to run?” he asked urgently.
    “Fuck, no!” My feet
were already carrying me rapidly toward the stairs. I grappled for
control of my voice. “I need… to… talk… to Stemp.”
    “That’s a good idea.
I’ll come with you.”
    “No.” I gained the top
of the stairs and spun to face him. “You stay out of it.”
    “Aydan…” His forehead
was creased with worry.
    “I said, stay out of
it!” I whirled and strode down the hallway.
    I forged into Stemp’s
office and slammed the door behind me without breaking stride. He
began to rise, but I was beside him before he could straighten, my
fist knotted in the front of his shirt and my gun grinding
viciously under his chin.
    He had obviously been
a good field agent before he took over as director. His
expressionless facade barely wavered.
    “To what do I owe the
pleasure?” he inquired, his voice slightly distorted by the
constriction of his shirt collar and the pressure of my gun.
    “You murdered my
husband, you motherfucking son of a bitch!”

Chapter 8
    His shoulder lifted in
a careful shrug. “Not personally. Kane did that.”
    “You…” I couldn’t
think of anything vile enough to call him, all my effort focused on
not pulling the trigger until I had the information I needed.
    “You… fucker! You gave
the order. Murdered him. In cold blood. And let me think. I’d
killed him. All this time.” I could barely breathe. “Two years.
I’ve been living with that.” Control shattered, and my voice rose
to a shriek. “ You rat-bastard !”
    The door latch clicked
behind me, and I caught a blurred glimpse of Kane’s shocked face.
“Fuck off, John! I told you to stay out of it!” I roared. I shoved
the gun into Stemp’s throat for emphasis and felt him tense under
my grip.
    “Kane. Leave,” he
grated.
    “Aydan, stop,” Kane
implored from behind me.
    “Leave. That’s an
order,” Stemp ground out.
    Seconds later, I heard
the door close again. I slammed Stemp back against the wall and
took a few quick backward steps out of his reach. As shreds of
sanity seeped back, I realized what a stupid mistake I’d made. I
kept the gun trained on him anyway. My hand shook so badly that
even if I had the guts to pull the trigger, I’d probably miss.
    Stemp straightened his
shirt and tie, his face still impassive.
    “ Fuck !” I flung
the gun onto his desk. “Just fucking shoot me. Finish this.” I
threw myself into the guest chair and slumped down hopelessly.
    He seated himself
behind the desk again, his flat eyes appraising me. “No, I don’t
think so.”
    “Because that would be
too merciful, wouldn’t it?” Bitterness scalded my throat. “Fine.
Put me in jail and watch me scream. Enjoy.”
    “No.” He picked up my
gun and pointed it at my face, squinting over the open sights. I
trembled helplessly in the chair, heart pounding. Fine. Just let it
be over.
    Stemp sighed and
reversed the weapon, holding it out to me by its barrel. “Take your
gun.”
    I stared stupidly at
him.
    He waved it
impatiently in my direction. “Take it.”
    “No. You’re just
fucking with me.”
    He sighed again and
laid the gun down in front of me. “No, I’m not. This never
happened.”
    “Why?”
    “For one thing, we
still need your decryption skills.”
    I felt my lips twist.
“For a little while. Until Sam figures out what makes me tick. Then
you’ll kill me just like you killed Robert.”
    He shrugged. “You
already knew that. Take what you can get.”
    “Fuck you.” Heaviness
descended on me. The heat of rage faded, leaving me icy cold. “Why
did you kill him?”
    “It was
necessary.”
    “Why? Just to fuck up
my life? How long have you been manipulating me?” Fury jerked me
upright in the chair. “You cocksucker! Do you have any idea what I
went through? Do you have any idea how it feels to think you’ve
killed somebody you love