Free Jordan’s Deliverance by Tiffany Monique Page A

day.”
    “Okay, first of all, yes, the world is on the brink of war, somewhere, every day. Two, can we say losing perspective ? Clearly your hormones have overridden all your common sense. If your fiancé is ex-FBI and your dad has senior level FBI clearance and your father flew in from Massachusetts upon Michael’s request yesterday, something big must be happening. Michael’s leaving his flagship office in DC to his VP of Operations and moving to New Orleans to open a satellite office—for you , I might add—in two months. That’s kind of a big deal. Then last and definitely least, Riordan ‘pain in my ass’ Deliverance is CIA, so you are always going to have the entire captain-save-a hoe club messing up your best-laid plans for a normal life. There will always be a bad guy to catch or a client to protect. Just get used to it now. Be glad that your dad and Michael have patched things up after hearing how your dad kept the miscarriage from him.”
    “It’s a wonder what a little counseling can do, huh?” Audra sighed. “Yeah, maybe I’m being a little too emotional about cake. It’s just that I want things to go perfectly the first time. When I lost the baby years ago, I never thought I would have Michael in my life again—that we would have the happily-ever-after. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s a little too good to be true and I’m scared, I think.”
    “Aww, sweetie, you have nothing to be scared about. You and Michael were destined to be together, and now things are finally falling into place. You’re getting married in DC, which conveniently enough is the city I live in, woo-hoo for me. You’re honeymooning in the food capitals of the world: New Orleans, Rome, Lyon, Istanbul, and Hong Kong. Um, le sigh. And since preggers newlyweds can’t drink, he’s gonna feed you and fuck you into a blissful, international stupor! That’s amazing! I will even admit I’m a little jealous. I can’t wait for my knight in shining armor... I’m going to shut up now before I fall into the single-woman hell that is loneliness,” Jordan said wistfully.
    Audra smirked, checking her make-up in the rear-view mirror and touching up her gloss. “Riordan seems to be very attentive.”
    Jordan turned, slack-jawed, in the passenger seat.
    “Has the baby sucked all the nutrients from your brain? I want nothing to do with that blond lothario with a chick in every port. Besides, he does everything he can to get under my skin and thinks it’s funny. Being a clown is not the way to my heart. I’ll keep giving him the same side-eye I’ve been giving him for the last four months. Trust me.”
    Audra laughed as she dropped her gloss back into her purse.
    “Well, if you change your mind and find six feet, two inches of blond, Nordic godliness with a great sense of humor and massive guns sexy, you let me know. I’ll see what I can do. Now, let’s go attack this butter cream and chocolate challenge.”
    Jordan rolled her eyes and threw her car door open.
    “I repeat, Barnum and Bailey, grade-A clown… Wait, did you say butter cream? Does it have strawberries…?.”
     
    ***
     
    Washington DC–Across Town
     
    “Pick up the phone, Sin,” Riordan whispered harshly into the cell phone. “Where’s your friend when you need him?”
    He quickly dismantled the high-powered sniper rifle and slammed his case closed. They were in the elevator, and that meant he had two minutes to make it out the east window. Shit ! He tossed the gun case over his shoulder and swung his leg over the window sill. The hotel room door slammed open with a crash.
    “Drop your weapon!” the officers yelled.
    Riordan looked back, and with a cocky smirk, rolled a smoke screen canister into the center of the room.
    “Catch me if you can, gentlemen,” he called out, as he dropped out the window.
    By the time the officers raced to the window to see what direction the mystery sniper was running, Riordan had leapt off the fire escape and