Free Agent M4: Riordan by Joni Hahn Page A

his gaze shot to Riordan. “You’d damn well better listen to me. Her father is a senator. That’s an entirely different animal from these clowns. They’re lucky the girls settled for them.”
    Good-natured grumbling surrounded him.
    “Why is it different, Mitchell?” Riordan blurted it before he realized his brain had acted.
    Lowering his phone, Mitchell gave him a laser-sharp stare. “Because he can cause trouble for you.”
    Pulling in his lips over his teeth, he nodded. “Like he has in the past?”
    Mitchell crossed his arms over his chest. “Has he?”
    Riordan shrugged. “Natalie said he told her I was dangerous. I’m just wondering how he knew that. Sure, I worked for Naylor but, I work for you now. Doesn’t he trust your judgment?”
    After a long moment, Riordan realized he’d get no response.
    Dammit.
    “Okay, Saint,” Clint said. “Let’s give this a try.” Backing away to give Riordan room to rise, Clint motioned for the others to step back against the wall.
    Clint nodded at Riordan’s hand. “Lay the wrench on the bed.”
    Riordan set it on the mattress, at his fingertips.
    Nodding, Clint said, “I want you to hold your hand above it and make it hover between you and the bed.”
    Where the other agent’s systems involved their bloodstream, Riordan’s system only tied into his central nervous system. His solid hydrogen energy source powered a control module integrated with his magnetic hands to read his brain activity. Whatever he thought, it happened.
    Concentrating on the wrench, he lifted it off the bed with ease.
    Clint gave him a big grin. “Great. Okay, turn it to hover vertically in the air.”
    Raising his palm face out, the wrench followed it to hover inches in front of his hand.
    Clint motioned for everyone to press against the walls again. “Now, I want you to repel it across the room.”
    Glancing toward his teammates, gave an arrogant grin. “Don’t try this at home, kids.”
    Shoving out his hand to arm’s length, the wrench shot across the room and lodged into the sheetrock wall.
    “Damn…” Tristan gave him a fist bump.
    “Impressive control. Excellent.” Clint grabbed the wrench from the hole in the wall and set it on the bed. “I had anticipated a large learning curve with this enhancement but you’re already beyond my expectations.”
    Mind control had been the only thing he could work on while he lived in solitary. He’d learned to ignore pain, to remain silent when others screamed, to not… feel.
    That’s why this feeling of melancholy over Natalie Meeks irked him. She’d gotten beyond his devices, his defenses, despite his work to the contrary.
    Aidan said, “Now, if he could only control the other brain.”
    Dar laughed. “Hell, Monroe, he said the doc didn’t want to have anything to do with him. The only thing he’s got to control now is how cold his shower water flows.”
    Riordan couldn’t help getting in his own jab at Monroe. “Monroe knows my control is damned impressive, isn’t that right?”
    When Riordan dated Cass, she’d been a fragile, terrified woman. He’d had to take things slow with her and never had the chance to sleep with her before he’d left.
    She’d been a virgin when she met Aidan.
    “That had to be how you earned the name Saint.” Aidan gave him a knowing grin.
    Tristan laughed aloud. “So, how powerful is he, Robinson? Can he move buildings, cars…?”
    He gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Time will tell, Tristan. Realistically, I would say he’s only as strong as what his body weight can sustain. Right now, he can bench three fifty so he could control something that heavy.”
    Glancing at each of them, Clint held up a finger. “However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he could sustain a force much greater. While his hands are limitless, it all depends on the structural integrity of his bones and muscles. That’s why his physical fitness is so important.”
    He grinned. “Then again, if Saint wanted a crutch, he