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  Zoe smirked. “Sometimes! Don’t let the look fool you. I’m what we call a geek or a nerd. Dork is another good one. I’m a bookworm, with a big brain, and Spiderman underwear.”

  Zoe found it highly amusing to watch Gabrielle trying to wrap her mind around what she had said, trying to figure out if she was making fun of her, or not.

  Gabrielle stuttered a little, probably not something she did often. “Really? That’s a joke, right?”

  Beatrice sighed. “If only. Can we get back to business? Unless you want to stay here, Zoe?”

  “God, no! Where I am going?”

  Gabrielle blinked. “Would it be more relevant to know what you would be required to do first?”

  Zoe sat at the meeting table followed by the other two women. “I will be required to wear a business suit and not camo. It can’t be that dangerous or different from what I am doing here. Right?”

  Gabrielle lifted her hands. “Don’t look at me, I just got in. I’m in the same position as you are, meaning totally in the dark. I don’t even know what the mission is yet, or what your skill set is.”

  Beatrice put a file in front of her. “I’m sorry about keeping my cards close to my vest, Gabrielle, but I only had a few hours to turn things around. To bring you up to date, one of my dear friends, Lazarus King, is trying to bring his father down, a dangerous psycho in my opinion, with too much money and power for his own good.”

  Zoe pursed her lips. “We all have family problems. Who is he?”

  “Jamieson Finch.”

  It was Zoe’s turn to be speechless for a moment or two. “The big ass business man plastered in the papers every other week? Really?”

  Beatrice nodded. “Business man alright, but with megalomaniac tendencies to boot. And a darker side too. A couple of months ago, he tried to overtake the entire Chicago syndicates.”

  Whistling, Zoe leaned back in her chair. She only knew what was published in newspapers or on the Internet. Finch appeared polished and clean, a family man with political aspirations.

  “It may sound stupid, but the two men, don’t have the same last name.”

  Beatrice looked at Gabrielle before focusing back on her. “To put it diplomatically, Finch has many illegitimate children.”

  Zoe replaced her glasses, hiding a grin. “Pray continue, I’m falling in love with this adorable womanizer already.”

  “Wait, it gets even better. Finch isn’t too keen on his illegitimate offspring, especially Lazarus since he has made it his personal mission to stop his dear daddy.”

  Gabrielle snorted. “Yeah, and as Oz is smart and cunning, it makes him a difficult target for retaliation.”

  It didn’t take a genius to understand Finch’s next step. “And let me guess, if he can’t get little Ozzie, he will target his other kids. That’s sick.”

  “Family is Lazarus’s Achilles’ heel. And as he tried to get to his son, Aleksei Voronov, one of Oz’s half-brothers, and failed, he decided to target another one.”

  Gabrielle scowled. “What do you mean another target?”

  Instead of answering, Beatrice opened the file on the table and Zoe, curious, leaned forward. There, in front of her was the picture of a man in a three-piece black suit, coming out of a building. For the first time, Zoe was speechless, no smart-ass remark at the ready. She’d always disliked men in suits, maybe because she was surrounded by them and they were a pain in the ass most of the time. But there, in the picture, appeared a force of nature. The line of his powerful jaw was set with determination. The image was static, but she could imagine him moving. No nonsense, purposeful. His dark hair seemed ruffled a bit by the wind, and his eyes were an amazing gray. Like a pond reflecting a clouded sky. Something swirled in them, a mystery.

  Gabrielle missed Zoe’s unusual stillness, but Beatrice subtly shifted. Eyeing her as if asking her a question before dropping it.

  “After his mob flop, Finch started threatening Lazarus again, even more directly, before stopping abruptly. That’s when he went into full alert, and we started analyzing who might be the next target. And our most probable guess is Archer Blackwood. Archer is the same age as Lazarus, also born in Britain but on the wrong side of the tracks, as you Americans say. He married young, into money, and had an opportunity to buy oil rigs in the North Sea fifteen years ago. That was the first step of his empire. He’s one of the most powerful tycoons in the world.”

  Zoe shook her head. “I never heard of him before.”

  Gabrielle agreed with her and analyzed the picture even more. “How can a man so rich and influential stay under the radar like that?”

  “It stems from more than ten years ago. Blackwood was suspected of killing his wife for her money. The accusations were dropped, but that was when he ceased all media appearances or social functions.”

  “And why would he be the next target?”

  Beatrice continued. “Blackwood is in the process of selling most of his installations and refineries. He has set up meetings with many potential buyers in Chicago next week, many from the US, but most from the Middle East and Russia. Finch’s name popped up, almost completely hidden in the multiple layers of one of these companies and we know he has ties with many of them. It can’t be a coincidence. Finch is about to strike, we just don’t know who and what yet. That’s where you come in.”

  Gabrielle turned toward Beatrice, but her eyes were on Zoe. “And where does Zoe come in exactly?”

  “Blackwood is searching for an assistant and interpreter, and my dear Zoe has a talent for languages. She’ll fit right in, keep an eye out, and report to us. If Blackwood is ever physically in danger, we will intervene.”

  Zoe lifted her hand as if asking a question. “Wait a minute. Why doesn’t Lazarus ask his brother to be careful, warn him of Finch’s threat?”

  “Blackwood doesn’t know about Finch being his father or that he has siblings for that matter. Lazarus only wants to protect him, make sure he’s alright. However, Archer Blackwood is suspicious of any strangers in his surroundings, that’s why Zoe must appear to be a usual hire. The timing is perfect for her to infiltrate his life.”

  Beatrice pushed the official job offer in front of Zoe. Gabrielle who peeked over her shoulder whistled at the long list of requirements. “Whoa. Have you seen the list of languages Blackwood requests? Some of them are obscure tribal dialects. How will you be able to fake all of those?”

  Zoe almost flinched at the remark. She wasn’t keen at admitting her freakishness, the more people knew, the more dangerous it became. And Beatrice was deeply aware of it too.

  “I know most of those on the list. And if need be I can manage with the others.”

  Gabrielle’s blue eyes popped out. “You can’t be serious?”

  It was Beatrice who came to the rescue. “She is, Gabrielle. Zoe has a peculiar talent for languages. It’s as if she can decipher most of them like a computer. One of the many reasons she’s working as a consultant for the Department of State, the Army, the Navy, the Marines, and many embassies.”

  “Wow! And I thought having to learn more than three was a pain in the ass. You’re so lucky!”

  Zoe sighed. “Yes and no… Let’s say that if I didn’t have that peculiar skill, I wouldn’t have met Beatrice.” And before more questions poured out of the blonde, her gaze flitted back to the man in the picture. Zoe was obsessed by puzzles, and something about the image made her wonder what kind of puzzle the man was.

  “So? Where do I apply for the job?”

  Beatrice slipped another sheet from the folder and pushed it in her direction, a smug smile on her face. “Everything is done, all you have to do is present yourself to that address on Monday morning for the final interview in Chicago with Archer Blackwood. Bring your suit and your kickass heels. And if what is said is true about the man’s temperament, put on your Hulk underwear. You’re gonna need it!”

  ###

  ***

  Don’t miss Archer and Zoe’s story in the next installment of th
e Dark Sparrows Series.

  ***

  About the Author

  Writing for me is like being caught in the eye of a storm and loving every single minute of it.

  Dear courageous readers, who dared to thread inside my wild imagination, filled with adventures of amazing women and courageous men, welcome to my world. When all seems to be lost, strength, intelligence, and love will help my heroes fight back darkness, and find their way to each other. And you know what? That’s my favorite kind of story!

  When I’m not writing about sexy thieves, dashing soldiers, and cunning villains, I’m traveling the world to find inspiration for my next story. Human nature is the greatest muse!

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  India xx