MERCILESS: An Option Zero Novel Read online

  The man was a demon in some people’s eyes, but in others’ he was a hero. She often wondered how he thought of himself. When he looked in the mirror, who and what did he see?

  She and Asher Drake would meet soon. There was no other option if she was to achieve her goals. He could never find out her real purpose. She told herself her reasoning was sound. It wasn’t pertinent to her quest. She told herself that this job, while quite different than any others, was still just a job.

  At some point, she hoped to believe it was true.

  Either way, until it was done, until she was satisfied she had done all that she could, she would be sticking to Asher Drake like glue.

  Ash drained the last of his coffee as he debated how to handle the situation. The lovely young woman following him obviously wanted something. He was used to being followed—he’d been under surveillance much of his adult life for one thing or another. He’d gotten accustomed to it, learned to accept it as a part of doing the kind of business he did. This was the first time he had wanted to introduce himself to his tail.

  He couldn’t say what made him want to detour from the norm, other than this woman was different. Attractive, yes. Bordering on stunning. Hair several shades away from true auburn fell past her shoulders in thick, soft waves. She wore a long-sleeved, boat-necked dress of deep blue, and before she’d sat down, he’d caught a glimpse of truly spectacular legs. Her skin was fair, and even from here he could tell she had freckles on her face, shoulders—probably all over her body.

  She looked altogether too wholesome to be doing this job. He supposed that’s why she’d been chosen—she looked like a fresh-faced innocent who might run at the first sign of trouble. He was quite sure that wasn’t the case. Innocents weren’t assigned to tail him. Didn’t matter what country or government was footing the bill, only a seasoned, well-trained operative would get this assignment. Which made her all the more attractive.

  That was an anomaly in itself. He didn’t date, not really. He had a few female acquaintances he would see from time to time. Other than companionship and a few steamy moments to take the edge off, he liked that they expected nothing from him.

  Since she had been assigned to follow him, this woman, wholesome or not, should know the score.

  Standing, he threw down a handful of forints and headed her way. He saw the widening of her eyes as they met his. Yeah, he definitely wanted to get to know this woman.

  Crap. Crap. Crap. He was coming toward her. Had spotted her. She had intended for them to meet, but not like this. And not this soon. She wasn’t prepared, wasn’t ready for their first meeting. How would she…

  Jules shut down the panic. Just because it wasn’t happening the way she’d planned didn’t mean she couldn’t use it to her advantage. She was no neophyte, and this wasn’t her first rodeo. She was a professional and knew how to play the game.

  Seconds before he arrived at her table, she stood and gave him a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts. “You caught me.”

  Appreciation gleamed in his eyes. “I certainly did.”

  “What am I to do now?”

  “I’d say that’s up to you.”

  Holding out her hand, she kept her eyes locked with his as she felt his large hand engulf hers. The description from his bio had been wrong again. Blue eyes? Not exactly. The color was the blue found in the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean. Unfathomable and endless.

  Jules felt her world tilt on its axis.

  Gathering her wits took longer than she had anticipated, as did retrieving her hand from his. He’d held on to it longer than was socially acceptable, and she found herself almost breathless from the small but obvious gesture of attraction.

  “Are you on holiday?” Cheesy opening line, but she was flummoxed for something more meaningful and intelligent right now.

  “You tell me.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’ve been following me for two days. I thought you might’ve already figured that out.”

  If she’d had any chance of getting back on even ground, he had just destroyed that hope. When had she gotten so complacent that she couldn’t tail a mark without getting caught? She refused to accept the whispering accusation in her head that told her she’d wanted the meeting to happen and therefore hadn’t been as invisible as she could have been.

  Regroup, Jules, before you ruin everything.

  Giving a self-conscious tilt of her head, she confessed, “A friend of mine told me about you. I wanted to observe you before we met.”

  “Is that right?” He waved his hand toward the chair she’d been sitting in, and with much less grace than she wanted, Jules plopped down.

  Pulling out a chair on the other side of the small table, he sat and then crossed his legs in a supremely confident manner. “Tell me who your friend is, what your friend told you, and then tell me why you wanted this meeting.”

  This part should be easy. With expert help, she had created this cover story. As much of it was true, the words should flow effortlessly from her lips. She hadn’t, however, expected to have these other feelings get in the way. The success of her mission required her to maintain as much emotional distance as possible. Being attracted to her mark was a very bad idea.

  The reminder was a good one, settling her nerves. Instead of answering his question, she glanced around and said softly, “It’s a delicate issue. Can we go somewhere more private and talk?”

  “Here’s fine.”

  She couldn’t blame him for his mistrust—it was well earned. But it did make things a bit trickier for her. Eyes and ears could be anywhere, everywhere.

  “Very well. My name is Juliet Stone. Jules to my friends.” The words, at last, came easily to her lips. “And the friend who told me about you is Kate Walker. She said you could help me.”

  His nod was almost imperceptible, as was the lessening of tension in that granite jaw. Someone else might not have noticed the change, but she had studied this man back and forth. She knew him.

  “How is Kate? Still fighting the good fight in Washington?”

  Her smile was genuine, as was her admiration. “Good try, but you know full well that Kate wouldn’t be caught within a hundred miles of DC again.”

  “And how do you know Kate?”

  “I interviewed with her when she was at the FBI.” Not technically true, but close enough. “I didn’t get the job, but we stayed in contact.”

  And because it was one hundred percent true, she added, “Friends like Kate don’t come along very often.”

  Well, hell. He liked her. And he couldn’t say that about many people. But there was something about Juliet Stone that made him want to smile. Since smiling had become as rare as unicorns in the last few years, that in itself was an anomaly he wanted to explore.

  Using Kate’s name was a powerful move. Kate Walker had been his mentor when he’d first started with the FBI. Though she had left the agency before his life fell apart, their friendship had remained solid. He owed her for many things, but mostly for saving his sanity. Outside of OZ, she was the only person he completely trusted.

  “And what is it you need help with, Ms. Stone?”

  She hesitated, looking around at their surroundings again, showing that she really was worried about someone overhearing.

  “If you’re concerned about eavesdroppers, don’t be. The couple sitting to our left works for me. The older gentleman on the right is a regular at the café and comes here daily. He has four cats, is an avid reader of historical fiction, and lost his wife of forty-five years two years ago last summer.

  “The people at the other tables aren’t close enough to hear you. Also, I’ve noticed you move your head and tilt your face often to avoid anyone being able to read your lips.”

  The tension in her shoulders lessened somewhat. “Okay. Good. I’m a freelance security specialist, specializing in corporate and government espionage. I’ve been hired by a small think tank out of California. Their job is to analyze and an
ticipate terrorist threats against the US before they can happen. They believe they have a mole within their organization. One who could take the information they’ve discovered and sell it to one of our enemies for the sole purpose of creating a terrorist attack they’re trying to prevent. I’ve been asked to identify the traitor.”

  “Why you? Seems like this would be something the government might want to handle themselves.”

  “They want an independent, nonpartisan person to evaluate the threat. I’ve developed a reputation for such things.”

  “I see.” He inclined his head. “Go on.”

  “I’ve thoroughly investigated each member of the team. They’re a small group of thirty-four, so it should be easy to narrow it down to find him or her. So far, I’ve had no luck.”

  “How is Kate involved?”

  “She’s not…except to suggest that I contact you. She told me about you…about your organization, Option Zero.”

  “What did she tell you?”

  “That you are a straight shooter. You won’t stop until a job is finished. And through your organization, you have contacts and ties most intelligence agencies only dream of having. She said you see things in intel that others can’t. And you’re one of the few people she trusts.”

  “How is it you think that I or my organization can help?”

  “I know that OZ doesn’t always abide by the rules. It’s going to take some rule-breaking to find the culprit.”

  “And you don’t break rules?”

  For the first time since they’d met, a genuine, full-blown smile curved her lips, and Ash caught his breath. He had suspected that this woman could be stunning, and she had just proven him right.

  “On the contrary. I’m an avid rule-breaker. However, this particular job will require specific rule-breaking skills.”

  “And you think I’m your man.”

  Her eyes widened slightly, and he was gratified to realize he wasn’t the only one feeling the tug of attraction.

  Oh yeah, he definitely wanted to break some rules with Jules Stone.

  Chapter Seven

  Jules eyed the man sitting on the sofa beside her. They’d met just over an hour ago, and now here he was in her hotel room, helping her. She hadn’t expected him to agree so quickly and certainly hadn’t expected him to be available immediately. She had thought she’d have to do a lot more convincing. Thought that he would do a more thorough check on her before he made a commitment. He’d texted with someone on the walk to the hotel, but that couldn’t have given him much information.

  Even though she had studied everything about him, there were certain things she couldn’t know. Not only did the man make quick decisions, he wasn’t one to do so unless he was sure of the outcome. To know that he trusted her meant more to her than she wanted to accept.

  Meeting Asher Drake was one of the most surreal moments of her life. Working with him was even more so.

  The elevator ride had been another thing she hadn’t expected. Being in an enclosed space with him—only him. There were things she wanted to say, questions she longed to ask. But she couldn’t. They were personal and not germane to her set tasks. To maintain the professionalism she’d worked so hard for, she had to keep her distance.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  She had already decided she would be as honest as possible. That didn’t negate the lies she would have to tell, but every time she could give him the truth, she would. “I didn’t expect you to help me so quickly. We’ve already cleared three employees, and you’ve been here less than an hour.”

  “It helps to have a variety of contacts who have connections.”

  “You mean a variety of people who owe you something.”

  “Doesn’t hurt.”

  “Do you enjoy what you do?”

  “What is it you think I do?”

  She knew exactly what he did—or as much as anyone knew outside of his organization. Most of his work was classified. She knew that OZ took jobs no one else would take on or were often deemed too dangerous. Kate had once told her that Asher Drake had a lot in common with Saint Jude, the patron saint of lost causes.

  So yes, she knew what he did, but she wanted to hear it in his words.

  “Kate told me that you right wrongs.”

  His shout of laughter was both startling and massively appealing. This man could charm a snake with his wit and calm the devil with his cunning, but his laughter was a game changer. Not only was the sound deep and rich in timbre, his sensuous mouth tilted invitingly, and his amazing eyes glinted, turning them an even more mesmerizing shade of blue.

  Jules’s breath hitched in her throat. She had honestly never been this attracted to anyone. The inconvenience alone was mind-boggling.

  “Kate has blinders on when it comes to OZ.”

  “So you don’t right wrongs?”

  “Sometimes. Other times, we destroy.”

  “How so?”

  “That’s classified.”

  “Do you break laws?”

  His mouth twitched with a wry grin. “Occasionally, yeah. You got a problem with that, maybe you don’t need to be working with me.”

  “Do you hurt people?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “Good people?”

  “You think the lines are that distinct? Good people, bad people?”

  “You don’t?”

  “I think there’s good and bad in almost everyone.”

  “Almost? So you think there are some who are irredeemable?”

  “Without a doubt. Don’t you?”

  Oh, most definitely, but they were getting into territory she needed to avoid at all costs. “Yeah, I do.”

  “What else do you know about OZ?”

  “Kate said you take broken people and give them purpose.”

  He shrugged. “We’re all broken in some way. Some are just better at hiding it than others.”

  She refused to get pulled into this particular discussion. No one knew better than she did just how broken she was, but like Asher Drake and the people at OZ, she had reinvented herself and found a purpose.

  “You’re right.” She made her answer short, hoping he’d leave the subject behind. Handing him another file, she hurried on, “This is Angelo Rodrigo. He was my first suspect.”

  Even though she knew he was looking at her very closely, she didn’t meet his eyes. If she did, he would see things she wasn’t prepared to address.

  Thankfully, after several taut seconds, he took the file from her. “Why was Rodrigo your first suspect?”

  “He’s the newest member of the team. After reviewing his file, I felt his background wasn’t as thoroughly investigated as it would have been if he weren’t so talented. He has three doctorate degrees and is only thirty years old. We have plenty of enemies that would pay top dollar to someone with Rodrigo’s talents. He has a young family and lives in a modest two-bedroom apartment.”

  “No indiscretions?”

  “Only one that I could find. When he was thirteen, he hacked into his school’s network and changed some grades. He was suspended and had to do some community service.”

  “So you think that’s where he started on his life of crime.”

  Even though she detected no humor in his expression, she got the idea that she had amused him somehow.

  “Possibly.”

  “Tell me more.”

  As Ash listened to Jules give her opinion on Rodrigo, another part of his mind concentrated on her. She had secrets, that was a given. Everyone had them. But he sensed hers were more complicated than most.

  Agreeing to help find a criminal for this type of crime was a no-brainer. He had people who could dig out intel that only God himself knew. Finding out if a man or woman in a group of thirty-four was a double agent, or worse, should be a couple days’ work at the most. That wasn’t the reason he’d agreed—at least not the only one. He wanted to know more about Jules Stone. What made her tick? What secrets lay behind those crystal-clear gr
ay-green eyes? Was her creamy skin as satiny-soft as it appeared? And would her lips taste as sweet as they looked?

  Ash moved uncomfortably as desire stirred. Not the time or the place.

  Already knowing Rodrigo was not the culprit, he wanted to know why Jules had changed her mind. “You no longer think he’s the one. Why’s that?”

  “How’d you know I changed my mind?”

  “You implied it when you said he was your first suspect. Also, your tone of voice. It grew warmer as you described him.”

  Her eyes flickered down, and he knew his words had disturbed her. Why? Because he could read her? In his line of work, reading people was as natural as breathing. She would be glad to know that she was tougher to read than most.

  He could tell her that. Maybe it would make her lower her guard. With anyone else, he probably would have done so, but not with this woman. Not yet. For right now, Ash found himself wanting to get to know her on her own terms.

  Not that he wouldn’t check her out thoroughly before they became any more involved. There were way too many people who wanted him dead. While his death would happen someday, he’d prefer that it not happen because of his stupidity or carelessness.

  Even though he’d vetted her with a quick text to Kate on the way over here, his thoughts still surprised him. That was definitely not his usual style, but then again, neither was Jules Stone. Kate had given a glowing recommendation. That endorsement went a long way in easing his initial concerns, but caution, as always, was his number one ally.

  “You’re right about Rodrigo.” She gave a small shrug. “While none of them give off vibes of being anything other than dedicated to the job they were hired for, he’s one of the few who completely blew me away.”

  “How so?”

  “He’s so authentically humble, almost as if he’s embarrassed by his brilliance. I can no more see him betraying his country than I can see myself doing so.”

  “And the hacking charge?”

  “He changed only one person’s grades, a girl he had a crush on. He did it to impress her.”