Page 53 of Shadow Lies

The palest of blue eyes focused on Alexis now as Charley said, “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Yeah. You too. Although I wished it was under better circumstances.” Alexis struggled to sit up on the hard, waiting room style sofa she must have been unceremoniously dumped upon by the goons who’d grabbed her.

“Apologies for the execution. We’re breaking in a new team and they are a bit—enthusiastic.”

“Where’d you get them? Parole board?” She scowled.

Charley’s lips curled into a smile that sent chills down Alexis’s spine. “Let’s not forget your Kane was court martialed himself.”

A pattern was beginning to form so strongly that even Alexis in her still debilitated mental state could see clearly what kind of men Charley and her organization filled their ranks with.

The problem was, where Kane had been falsely accused, she wasn’t sure all of the men Charley hired were equally innocent. Or honorable.

Charley let out a sultry chuckle. “I can see your mind working, Alexis. Don’t strain yourself. If you have a question, just ask.”

Alexis snorted. “Will you answer?”

Charley dipped her head in a slight nod. “Perhaps.”

“All right.” She had so many questions and she was still so woozy, that now she had the all clear she couldn’t come up with a single one.

She needed to think harder. She needed a drink—water, whisky, whatever. She also needed to know what had happened at the event today.

With that thought, her question was clear. “Is Kane all right? And what happened with Wei?”

“Ah, of course. Priorities. Let me assure you Kane is just fine. Although I can’t say the same for one of our men. Your kung fu master boyfriend did some damage to him. According to the other team member, it was quite the show.”

Alexis tried to absorb all the confusing pieces of information Charley so casually tossed out. “Why would Kane hurt your men?”

“Why, indeed?”

She shook her head. She would have to ask him when she saw him.

God, she hoped she saw him again and Charley wasn’t as evil as she potentially could be. What if this organization disposed of loose ends? Was her body going to end up dumped in the sea off the coast? Kane’s too?

What had she gotten involved in?

“Don’t look so nervous, Alexis. You’re not in any trouble. We were all very impressed with your skills. Both on the computer and intuitively. In fact, we’d like to offer you a permanent position.”

“Permanent position?” she repeated, still wrapping her head around the situation.

At least that sounded less like she was destined to be shark bait. But taking a job for the scary woman in front of her didn’t seem much less dangerous.

“Um, can I think about it?”

“Of course.” Charley paused. “No more questions?”

Her brain still spinning, Alexis said, “Who are you? I mean really?”

For the first time Charley’s smile looked genuine. “Good question. I am you, if you accept the job.”

What the hell did that mean?

ChapterNineteen

Where was she?

Kane paced the small room he’d been assigned and pulled out the cell phone. He reread the text from Alexis. The notifications on the damn cell had been turned off and he didn’t find the text from her until after the encounter with Wei and Charley’s two guys.

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