Free Agent M4: Riordan by Joni Hahn

Plain and simple.” He lowered his voice. “Last night was fun, Meeks. You excited the hell out of me.”
    Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. The bastard. He knew Josie sat in the reception area.
    “How dare you-?”
    “No, Meeks. How dare you .”

Chapter 6
     
    “Well, if it isn’t the new bi- poler agent.”
    Aidan Monroe grinned at Riordan, Tristan Jacobs and Dar Naylor on his tail. It was the first day he could have visitors after the installation of his new enhancements. His D.I.R.E. hospital room resembled Grand Central Station.
    Not only had his new teammates stopped in to see him, Clint Robinson had come by to take a look at his new armbands. Doug, one of Clint’s assistants, stood across the room beside a steel cart filled with magnetic objects.
    The circus was about to begin.
    His new hands could create a north and south magnetic pole, allowing him to attract, repel and bend any ferrous materials he chose.
    Leave it to the ex-girlfriend’s main squeeze to take a jab at him.
    Holding out his hand toward the cart, Riordan concentrated on a large wrench sitting on top. It rose and hovered above the cart, causing Doug’s eyes to widen. It shot past Aidan’s head and into Riordan’s outstretched hand. Aidan’s gaze darted to him.
    “You were saying?” Riordan gave him a wily grin.
    “Holy shit.” Dar’s eyes were as wide as Doug’s a moment before.
    “You’ve been practicing.” Eyebrows high on his forehead, Clint smiled as he checked the areas on Riordan’s forearms where his armbands fused into his central nervous system.
    Riordan nodded toward the drawer of his bedside table. “Yeah, I think the cafeteria’s going to need more flatware.”
    Tristan went to the bedside table and opened the drawer. Riordan knew at least fifty or so pieces of mangled and twisted flatware lay in the drawer.
    “Damn, looks like pizza and burgers in the cafeteria for a while,” Tristan said.
    Aidan’s voice held a teasing lilt. “I’ve only seen shit like that in movies where people are possessed. We may need to call in a parapsychologist… or a priest.”
    “I heard he’s seeing a smokin’ psychologist already.” Leaning his forearms on the bedside table, Dar snatched a strawberry from a bowl and popped it into his mouth. “From the way Rose talks, she’s sweet enough to cure him.”
    Betrayal warred with melancholy inside Riordan. It’d been three days since he walked out of Natalie’s office. He’d missed her every freaking second, which irritated the shit out of him. How that could happen when he’d spent less than a week with her, went beyond his understanding.
    He should’ve known better than to trust her. The need, the desire to trust her had felt so strong that he’d given into the temptation. He’d told himself that she was different. That he lived in a new world now, where people – she - could be trusted.
    Instead, she’d proven his old beliefs valid. He could trust no one but himself.
    “The senator’s daughter didn’t want to have anything to do with the likes of me, Naylor.”
    Tristan raised his head from where he studied the computer screen on one of Riordan’s armbands. “What do you mean ‘the likes of you’? You’re part of this elite team now, Saint. I’d like to see her top that.”
    Riordan swallowed hard. Now, he had to learn to trust the men standing before him. Trained agents that would have his back regardless of the circumstances.
    He knew he’d have their backs in any given situation. However, try as he might to believe it, he needed proof of their loyalty.
    Mitchell walked in, phone in hand. “I gave Saint strict orders to leave Natalie alone.”
    A chorus of groans echoed in the room.
    “What?” Mitchell held up his hands.
    Aidan crossed his arms over his chest. “Mitchell, you told every one of us to stay away from the woman we’re now engaged to.” His gaze went to Riordan. “Just ignore him, Saint.”
    Mitchell glared at Monroe before