How could she trust someone who played both ends to his advantage without a semblance of guilt or bad conscience?
She barged into his office to see Cross was on the phone, dressed in a sharp pin-striped navy suit with red power tie, looking impressively dapper. When he saw her, he ended the call in a hurry.
From the look on his face, Donovan Cross had been waiting for her.
“Ah, Marlowe. It’s good to see you. How was Mexico?” The man didn’t smile. He wanted her to know that nothing had escaped him. “Please . . . sit.”
“Aren’t you going to tell me how sorry you are about Garrett?” Alexa ignored his invitation to make herself comfortable. She’d never feel comfortable with this man.
“Yes, of course. That goes without saying,” Cross said. A corner of his lip curved into a faint show of smugness. “Sorry for your loss.”
“I’m having a serious déjà vu moment, hearing you say that. If this whole spy game thing falls through, you could always make a living as a gypsy, telling fortunes.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. “Your ability is uncanny. When you first told me about Garrett dying, had that been a prediction . . . or a promise?”
“Neither, but I doubt you’ll believe me.”
“Now you’re a mind reader. Truly amazing.” She raised her chin and locked her gaze on the man behind the desk, Garrett’s desk. “If I find out you had anything to do with what happened to him, there won’t be a place you can hide.”
Alexa didn’t wait for his clever comeback. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. She’d delivered the message she’d come to say. And she’d had her fill of smug.
“Are you quitting, Marlowe?” he asked, calling after her. “Because if you are, that would be a pity. I was really hoping we could work together.”
“Quitting? Not hardly.” She glared at him over her shoulder as she left. “Over your dead body. And I mean that.”
Walking out of Cross’s office, Alexa had a sly smile on her face. The word “quit” wasn’t in her vocabulary—not today. She had no idea what Cross’s agenda was, but she had every intention of finding out.
She’d do it for Garrett.
About the Author
Ripped from the headlines, JORDAN DANE’s gritty plots weave a tapestry of vivid settings, intrigue, and dark humor. Publishers Weekly compared her intense pacing to Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Tami Hoag—and named her debut book, No One Heard Her Scream, as Best Book of 2008. No One Lives Forever was a finalist for Best Intrigue Novel in 2008 by Romantic Times Magazine, and Evil Without a Face won the 2009 National Readers Choice Award. Jordan and her husband share their Texas residence with two cats and a rescue dog named Taco.
Resounding praise for the novels of
JORDAN DANE
“A fabulous new voice.”
New York Times bestselling author Cindy Gerard
“Her novels are twenty-first-century noir with guts and heart and a wicked sense of humor.”
Jonathan Maberry, multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Patient Zero
“Dane’s smooth style, believable characters, and intense pacing will remind readers of Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Tami Hoag. . . . Her tight plotting and male characters are exceptional, bad guys and good.”
Publishers Weekly
“Jordan Dane will make you think twice before you ever walk alone in the dark again.”
Robin Burcell, award-winning author of The Bone Chamber
“Thrills and chills that blend beautifully with human pathos and emotions. A wonderful author who sets you up on a roller coaster, rising, falling, twisting.”
New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham
“Jordan Dane will wring your emotions dry as she takes you on a wild ride . . .”
USA Today bestselling author Merline Lovelace
“Non-stop action, hold-your-breath suspense, terrific characters . . . what more could you ask? I cannot wait to have the next Jordan Dane in my hot little hands.”
Mariah Stewart
By Jordan Dane
Reckoning for the Dead
The Echo of Violence
The Wrong Side of Dead
Evil Without a Face
No One Lives Forever
No One Left to Tell
No One Heard Her Scream