Free The Hunter by Gennita Low Page A

something. Why not them? They were in the position to do it, and if they were extremely careful, who would know?
    So a CIA boy playing cat-and-mouse games with her good friend didn’t bother her conscience. It should. Sometimes she thought she didn’t have any feelings left, even about caring for Amber’s well-being. She would protect her, even kill for her…but she wasn’t sure whether it was because that was the thing to do or because she was just programmed that way. She just liked protecting people, she supposed.
    Sixty seconds. Not that she was doing a good job protecting Amber at this moment, she admitted with a wry smile. A stranger in the bedroom with her friend. What was she thinking, allowing him fifteen minutes? That was enough time to do a lot.
    She started toward the room. She supposed if she blew away another CIA agent, she would be forgiven this time if he happened to be naked and on top of Amber. The door was ajar, so she just pushed it open and walked in with her weapon.
    A quick glance told her that Amber was alone. He was gone.
    Wow. He was damn good.
    Lily looked at her friend again, who was tucked in bed like she had gone there herself. Nothing around to show what McMillan had done. Oh. Amber’s weapons were laid out neatly at the foot of the bed. Lily smiled ruefully. Ooops. She knew where those were kept.
    That man was in so much trouble. That was good. “Keep distracting her for me,” she murmured. “I’d hoped Brad would, but you’ll do.”
    But she wasn’t going to think about Brad. And what she didn’t want him to do with Amber. She couldn’t feel anything anymore, remember? No feelings. Not a damn one.

5
    “Dobro. Call me back when the shipment arrives. I’m counting on you.” Dilaver shut his cell phone and turned to Hawk. “Finally, some good news.”
    Hawk raised his eyebrows questioningly. He was sitting on the new sofa Dilaver had bought last night, his feet resting on the new coffee table. An entire suite of furniture to replace the destroyed one. He wondered how long they would last before they, too, became the victims of their owner’s displeasure.
    “I tell you, everyone wants a piece of the action, you know? It used to be they respected the different militias in charge and no one would contemplate going after anything that belongs to us, but lately…” Dilaver paused, shaking his head in disgust. “They even dare to rob me. In broad daylight! The last few months have been killing me, man, what with the missing shipments. Not enough income and too many damn lazy fuckers to feed, you know? What the hell’s this world coming to when even the petty thieves don’t respect us?”
    Hawk almost laughed aloud. He was sitting with one of the most reviled men in the criminal world and the latter was complaining about his illegal activities like some businessman facing a market downturn. That the piece of action had to do with kidnapped girls being trafficked across borders like so many cattle was sickening enough, but Dilaver talked of them as shipments and income, not registering that these were human lives that he had destroyed. And it was ironic humor that struck Hawk because it didn’t seem to occur to Dilaver that he was the biggest robber of all, as he sat there complaining about petty thieves.
    “Yes, I’ve been watching all the bad news happening lately,” Hawk said now. Here was his opportunity to plant some ideas. “You’ve been losing a lot of money since I met you. You need help.”
    “You think so, huh?” Dilaver eyed him thoughtfully. “You know, I’ve been thinking about how I could use you.”
    “You only paid for my guiding you out of Asia,” Hawk reminded him. “My boss gave me orders to run my errand and then head on back.”
    “What if I become your boss? How much does Stefan pay you?” Dilaver asked. “You did a great job protecting me and getting my men and me through the borders with hardly any problems. I’m very impressed by your