Hard Target (3 page)

“This is not a usual breech,” I inform him. “We have a situation.”

“Give me a minute to move to a more private location.”

While he finds a better spot, I open up the email program I created to search through company Internet and intranet communications. The program is rather simple. It searches for keywords that are constantly added and subtracted to a database by me. When a certain phrase or word is detected, then the communication is flagged for my approval. If it is via PharmGen’s intranet, the alert comes through my phone via text. In Dr. Clark’s case, outgoing emails can be delayed much longer.

“What do you have for me?” David asks.

“Dr. Clark again. He sent an email to three of our competitors via his mobile.”

“Are there specifics?”

I scan the email again. “Only to those in the scientific community.”

David laughs, but a sliver of unease creeps up my spine. “Not to worry. There is a NDA in place for a reason and not one single employee of PharmGen wants to be sued, not even Dr. Clark. Besides, it could be scientific mumbo-jumbo in order to get a bigger payout from us.”

“True enough. However, I’ll monitor his correspondences for the next month to be sure.”

“Thanks for doing such a great job for the company,” David replies. “Remind me to give you a raise.”

I don’t need the money. This job has never been about the money for me. It has always been about doing something right, something good for once. “Will do.”

He ends our call and I’m left staring at the screen, trying to decipher what Clark wants to tell the world.

“Benjamin, where are you?” Morgan calls out, her voice sleepy and confused.

“Coming, love.” I shut down the monitors and head to my bedroom.

Light from the hallway cuts through the room, highlighting Morgan’s exquisite body. The sheets pool around her waist as she yawns. Her breasts are marked with love bites and her dark nipples are tight.

Her eyes seem to brighten when they fix on me. She holds her arms open to me. “Come back to bed.”

I stop at the edge of the bed, wondering what game she’s playing. Then again, she is an American and they are notoriously affectionate. Only an idiot would ignore her siren’s call.

And I am far from an idiot.

Her arms drop and lips that I spent hours kissing start to curve downward. She glances away, then turns and swings her legs over the mattress.

Fuck.
She’s leaving and it’s entirely my fault.

In an instant, I’m in bed and pulling her to me. “Don’t leave.” Her body stiffens, but I begin to run my hands up and down her cool arms and she relaxes into me. “Work stuff distracted me,
mllaya moyna
.”

“Mllaya moyna
?”

My sweet. I have never called a woman this. Never fallen back on my first language to soothe anyone. “It’s Russian.”

“That’s nice.”

“You don’t sound pleased.”

“I’ve never done this before—have a one night stand, that is.” She sniffs. “Pretty sure there’s no crying in one night stands. I’m really botching this.”

“There aren’t any rules.”

“Well, if there were, then I probably broke all of them.”

“Like the rules on fraternization at PharmGen?” I ask lightly.

“Exactly—oh! No.” She turns to face me. Tears are at the corners of her eyes. Some have already fallen, leaving glistening tracks on her cheeks. “You knew I was lying the whole time, didn’t you?”

I consider my words for a moment. “I knew that I wanted what you insisted to be true, to be true.”

She eyes me. “You are super confusing.”

I lean my forehead against hers. “While you are super adorable.”

“I wanted to be super sexy,” she says glumly. “Super exciting.”

“Why don’t you just be you?”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

She sighs again. “I appreciate that you’re trying to make me feel better, but I want to go home.”

“If you’ll give me a few minutes, I’ll have my car brought round and—”

“No. I’ll text a cab.” Her silky hair tickles my nose as she moves to stand beside the bed. Moonlight highlights her graceful, supple body. More than anything, I want her to stay. “Thank you for a nice time. It was exciting to do something different. Get to be someone I’m not.”

Let her go. She needs to do this on her terms, not yours.

While I hate to let her go, I do understand the need to stand on your own feet. To dictate your own rules and to leave with your respect intact. I’d allowed Clark to leave with his and he was a criminal.

Morgan deserves much more than that.

Which is exactly why I follow her into the foyer, where our clothes are scattered like confetti across the floor.

“Are you available for lunch tomorrow?” I ask as she fastens her bra.

She glances over her shoulder at me. Shock is evident in her expression. “What about the fraternization thing?”

“I can be fast.”

Her mouth drops a little, then a glimmer of a smile makes my heart flip in my chest. “Thanks, but I already have plans.”

She’s giving me a way out and I really should take it, but apparently, I can’t stop myself. “If they should change, then let me know.”

“Sure.” After she finishes getting dressed, she waves her phone at me. “Cab’s already here. Happened to be in the area.”

“Let me walk you down.”

She shuts her eyes, then opens them. “You’re going way beyond the whole nice guy routine and I appreciate it, but at the same time… it feels like a pity thing.”

I take a step back, opening the door for her. “At least text me when you get home.”

“Are you sure?”

I hold out my hand. “Give me your phone.”

“Fine.” With only a little reluctance, she allows me to take it from her.

Quickly, I text myself before she can change her mind. “I have your number and you have mine.”

“Thanks,” she mumbles, then slips out the door.

Rubbing a hand over the back of my neck, I wait until she’s safely in the elevator before closing the door, then I sprint to my office and check the cameras I’ve installed along the perimeter of the roof.

Since London is one of the most watched cities in the world, it’s relatively easy to jump on their security system and virtually follow Megan home. Perhaps that makes me a stalker, but a woman traveling alone at this time of night can be a target.

Once she enters her apartment building, I breathe a hell of a lot easier.

Morgan

I
’m such an
idiot.

The UPS driver smiles at me while I sign for a package. It’s one of a hundred I’ll get during the day. Unfortunately, Oliver is off today so I have to take everything to mail the room myself as well as deliver any time-sensitive packages.

Normally, I enjoy the opportunity to chat with familiar faces and meet new people at PharmGen. The company is so large that there is an endless opportunity to do so. Except I just had to go and sleep with one of the higher ups, and ruin everything. Now he’ll probably fire me for harassment or being a clingy chick after sex.

Why couldn’t I leave well enough alone?

Because you don’t have the sense God gave a gnat
, my grandmother’s voice whispers in my head.

I had enough sense to get the hell out of Georgia.

Because you defrauded two governments and lied on your PharmGen job application.

A little lie never hurt anyone.

Besides, the woman’s identity I
borrowed
didn’t need it anymore… and I pay my taxes like a good little ex-pat.

“This one needs to be taken straightaway to Dr. Clark.”

With an internal wince, I nod. “No problem.”

The driver gives me a wink and I smile back before forwarding all calls to the head receptionists on floors two through eight. Gathering the small box, I move to the private elevators in the back.

It’s not easy with every muscle in my body aching from last night’s escapade with Benjamin. I even had to wear flats today instead of heels. Plus, with all the hickeys that man put on me, I darn near wrapped my body up like a mummy.

Tugging at the scarf at my neck, I attempt to loosen it and almost send it flying. Using my elbow, I stab at the up arrow and wait for the elevator while praying that I don’t run into Mr. Romanov. No use in calling him Ben or even Benjamin now.

I’m positive I can avoid him for as long as it takes me to find another job. Now that I have experience working in London, especially at such a prestigious corporation, I should have no problem finding another position.

Only I don’t want to find another position. This is my favorite position. Along with riding Ben like a cowgirl in a rodeo.

Stop thinking about him.

The door open with an almost silent
whoosh
and I step inside, silently praying that it’s empty. Thankfully, it’s is. Must be my lucky day. So far.

“Only forty floors to go,” I mutter as the elevator starts to ascend. It travels so quickly that my stomach does this funny little flip, reminding me of when Benjamin had flipped me over on my stomach and taken me from—

A wave of heat flash over me, making my entire body tingle from head to toe. I should have known the best sex of my life would happen with a man I’ll never see again. But Lord, what a man. Coal black hair and eyes the color of a blue glacier I’d seen in a National Geographic once… only his gaze was never cold. It was white hot. Just like the rest of him.

Last night that long, lean body belonged to me and I explored every muscled part of it. Kissed it, licked it… wrapped my mouth around his—

The elevator dings and I jump.

As soon as the doors part, I hightail it out of there. Already, I feel like my life is becoming unraveled. My scarf floats to the floor and I glance upwards.

The irony of it all doesn’t escape my notice.

“I’ll get you when I get back,” I tell the scarf, kicking it out of the way. I can’t afford to stop and pick it up.

Like a spy on a mission, I check the hallway before I enter. In order to get to the lab, I have to go right by Mr. Romanov’s office and I can’t take the chance on him seeing me. While I know he knows everything that happens in this building, I’m counting on him being out for lunch or using the restroom at the very moment I pass his door.

My heart leaps into my throat as I force my legs into a run. My muscles protest, but I ignore the pain, promising to soak my body in a hot bath as soon as I get home tonight.

Glancing over my shoulder, I half expect to see him step out, but nothing happens, so I turn my attention back to my mission and make a beeline for the lab.

I open the door, calling out Dr. Clark’s name, but no one answers.

Strangely, the lab is eerily quiet. The times I’ve come here before, music is playing in the background and usually a tech is nearby to chat with me. It’s cold as anything in here, so I grab one of the white lab coats hanging by the door and put it on then shove my hands into the large pockets and let the small package rest inside.

Walking further into the room, my footsteps are barely echoing as I try to find someone to give the package to. When it comes to the lab, I’m not allowed to simply leave a delivery on a counter in the hopes that it will be seen. These lab types barely know the rest of the world is still going because PharmGen’s lab is their world, so I’m required to physically hand it over to one of them.

“Dr. Clark?” I call out again. Dr. Clark is the only one who requires that we address him by his title while the others are very laid back. Not even Tansy has me call her by Dr. Bhamra and she’s the assistant lead scientist here.

“Tansy? Farooq?” I wait another beat before finally trying again, calling out the name of the woman I like least. “Olivia?”

No one answers me.

My skin pricks. Foreboding rakes its sharp claws down my spine. With every step that leads me further inside, my body screams at me to leave. Finally, I listen. I have no desire to end up like a girl in a horror movie, so I start to hightail it in the opposite direction.

Suddenly a hand appears in front of my face. I suck in a breath to scream, but the hand covers my mouth, and then I’m being dragged backward. Shock turns me into a ragdoll. I can’t scream for help. I can’t even move. Fear paralyzes me.

“You wasted your time trying to alert the media,” a low voice says. It’s heavily accented but I can’t tell if he’s German, French, or even Middle Eastern.

Do something.

I bite his hand and he jerks it away.

“Bitch!” He kicks the back of my legs and I hit the floor hard. Pain shoots up through my kneecaps. Tears spring to my eyes as my survival instincts finally kick all the way in.

“Help me! Help!” I scream, scrambling to my feet.

The man shoves me back onto my knees.

“No one will hear you. The lab is soundproof.”

The unmistakable sound of a gun cocking makes me almost wet myself. “Someone will see you,” I insist.

“No one will see you die because the windows are frosted, you stupid girl. It’s only you and me.”

I whimper. “Can’t we talk about this? Make a trade or something?”

“There is nothing to talk about. Nothing to trade.”

“Sure there is. There always is,” I babble.
Keep him talking. Make him do a bad guy monologue so that somehow the hero shows up and saves you.
“Like a helicopter. Money. Your own island.”

“Shut up.”

“Don’t you want to tell me how you’re going to kill me?” Frantic and desperate, I scan the room, looking for something to hit or stab him with. “All the best villains give a detailed description.”

He nudges my head with something hard. The gun, probably. “It’s simple. You didn’t follow protocol, so now I have to kill you.”

Protocol? Oh crap. “You’re going to kill me for sleeping with Ben?” I all but shriek.

“Shut up.” He kicks me in the back.

I fall forward with a cry, my head narrowly missing hitting the floor. Squeezing my eyes shut, I begin to pray.

A shot rings out and my body jerks, and I’m sure I’m dead. Except there’s no pain. There’s a thud. My eyes open to find a man staring back at me. Only after a moment do I realize it’s a dead-eye stare—his forehead has a smoking hole in the center of it, and it’s trickling a thin line of blood.