Impulsively (Dante's Nine MC) Read Online Free PDF Page A

neck is red, holding up a big shaved
head. He doesn’t even turn around to see if I’m OK, let alone to apologize.
    “I’m fine, thanks,” I call after him, disgruntled by his
rudeness.
    “I don’t remember asking if you were,” he snarls back, not
even bothering to glance over his shoulder. “Learn to stay out of the way,
Princess.”
    “Learn some manners, ogre ,”
I snap back. But the man disappears into a waiting elevator before I can go on.
“There’s always one,” I mutter, pulling myself to my feet. Luckily, no one else
caught sight of my less-than-graceful entrance. I brush off the embarrassment
and continue upstairs in search of Mitchell’s office.
    The main floor of the FBI field office is alive with activity,
even first thing in the morning. I feel my pulse pick up as I survey the place.
The excitement in the San Bernardino resident agency never peaked beyond the
dull enthusiasm that arose when someone brought in bagels for the team. It’ll
be so thrilling to work in such a vibrant place. My heart swells with
satisfaction as I realize what a good decision it was to come here.
    “Collins!” I hear Mitchell shout across the crowded room. I
look over to see him waving from an open doorway. “Good to see you, Agent. Come
on in here and I’ll get you up to speed with the case.”
    I stride purposefully across the room, watching as curious
eyes dart my way. The people here don’t eye me with suspicion, merely interest.
Maybe this new job has boosted my confidence in a way they can detect just by
looking at me. The thought only brightens my already sunny outlook.
    “Happy to be here, Agent Mitchell,” I smile, giving my new
boss a firm handshake.
    “Glad to hear it,” Mitchell replies, showing me into the
room. “First things first, let me introduce you to the agent you’ll be working
this case with.”
    I look up, eager to meet my new partner. But that eagerness
sours into disdain as I see who is waiting inside to make my acquaintance.
    “You?!” I exclaim, staring at the bullish asshole who
barreled over me in the lobby.
    “You’ve got to be kidding me, Mitchell,” the big man groans
through gritted teeth. He’s got to be close to six feet tall, and built like a
wrecking ball. His shaved head makes it hard to say for sure, but I’d guess he’s
about forty years old. He certainly has the jaded, miserable grimace of someone
who’s been working the same job for a while.
    “Do you two...know each other?” Mitchell asks, closing the
door behind him.
    “We just met in the lobby. Well, collided, more like...” I
say, crossing my arms.
    “You’re sticking the new girl on my case?” the gruff man demands. “What kind of
bullshit is this?”
    “How you two have already managed to get off on the wrong
foot is a mystery to me,” Mitchell says coolly, clearly not giving a damn about
our mutual discomfort, “but let’s start fresh, shall we? Quinn Collins, this is
Agent Jeff Bruno. Bruno, Agent Quinn Collins.”
    I boldly hold out my hand to Bruno, leveling my blue eyes at
his red face. He scoffs, gripping my hand tightly for half a second, before
roughly dropping it. I don’t know what I’ve done to get on this guy’s bad side
already, other than attempt to enter the building in an orderly fashion, but
his opinion of my presence here is pretty apparent.
    “Fantastic,” Mitchell says, pressing ahead despite our
furrowed brows, “let’s get Agent Collins caught up on the particulars of the
case.”
    Mitchell and Bruno look up at the wide wall, and I let my
gaze follow. Plastered there is an array of information, carefully collected
and arranged. Photos, news articles, names and locations make up the tangled
web I see before me. The question is, what does it all mean?
    “Welcome to Operation Inferno,” Mitchell says, sweeping his
arm over the intelligence spread out before us.
    “Operation Inferno,” I repeat, tasting the words for myself,
“catchy.”
    “We’re gathering