Solving the Mysterious Stranger by Mallory Kane

Author:Mallory Kane [Kane, Mallory]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780373693535
Google: jtv3yV-AurAC
Amazon: B001EP8OB2
Goodreads: 3997169
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2008-08-02T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

When Cole and Amelia arrived in Chien Fou’s suite, he was in his usual position in the sitting room of the upstairs master suite, flanked by his personal guards. His black eyes glittered above that sinister smile.

Amelia was still shaky from her fainting spell earlier, even though Cole had marched her straight into the kitchen as soon as they got to the house.

Mrs. Winston had made her eat a plate of pasta with Parmesan cream sauce and drink a glass of sweet tea. The food made her feel better at the time, but now it sat heavily in her stomach. It didn’t help that Chien Fou’s suite was stifling hot. She took a deep breath but it didn’t help, it was like breathing in a sauna.

“Miss Hopkins, tell me how you plan to secrete the C-4 in the boats.”

Chien Fou’s oily voice sent fear skittering down her spine. Before she could force enough breath to speak past her constricted throat, Cole answered.

“We’ve determined that the best place to hide—”

“Silence!”

Amelia jumped. In the three days since this nightmare started, she’d never heard Chien Fou’s voice raise above a murmur.

“I did not ask you, Cole.”

“Yes, Leader.”

Chien Fou gestured, and a guard moved to stand between Amelia and Cole. A second slid into place on Cole’s other side.

Amelia’s pulse thrummed in her temples as she sent Cole a silent message. I can do it. Don’t get into trouble.

“Miss Hopkins, do you have the blueprints for me?”

“Sir, there’s no need to make structural modifications. We’ve decided to put the C-4 in the starboard hold.” Her pulse beat even faster—so fast it threatened to steal her breath. “We’ll have to counterbalance it with lead on the port side, but using the hold will reduce the amount of work involved. This afternoon I discussed this with my ballast crew, without going into specifics. I put the supervisor in touch with your munitions expert. They should have the seven boats done by tomorrow afternoon. Then all you’ll have to do is make sure the boats are positioned with the starboard side toward the tanker’s most vulnerable point.”

Dear heavens, she sounded like one of them. She clamped her lips shut but not before a small moan escaped.

“Miss Hopkins? Is something wrong?”

She laughed—an odd, unamused exclamation. “Is something wrong?” Beside her, even with a burly guard between them, she felt Cole stiffen.

But her fear was morphing into something else—frustration at the helplessness of her position. Anger at the amoral fiend sitting so calmly in front of her.

“I’m harboring of one of the most bitter enemies of the United States in my home. I’m giving you the recipe for using my father’s boats to cripple our country, and you ask me if there’s something wrong?”

The guard beside her moved, and suddenly she felt the unmistakable circle of a gun barrel pressed into the side of her neck.

Chien Fou gave the guard a slight shake of his head and the pressure disappeared immediately.

“Regrettably for you, what you’ve just said is entirely true.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.