Texas Stand-Off: The Omega Team Novella (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read Online Free PDF

“What do you want to drink?”
    “Water.” She selected a couple pieces of brisket and a slice of turkey, leaving most of the meat for him.
    “Ice?”
    “No, from the faucet is fine,” she answered, arranging the meat on a piece of bread, then anointing it with a few drops of sauce. “What are we going to do next? Target practice?”
    She sounded so eager. He had to admit she was nothing like he’d expected. Deacon almost wished he could change his mind about recommending her. But he couldn’t…he just couldn’t live with the responsibility. He set the glass of water in front of her and sat down with a glass of iced tea. “Disabling a bomb.”
    Her eyes widened. “Really?”
    “Yes. Problem?” He was moving this test up in the rotation. The quicker he could get her out of here and tell Grey she wasn’t Omega material, the better off he would be.
    “Not at all.” She narrowed her eyes and studied his face, chewing a bite of sandwich slowly. Once she swallowed, she leaned a bit closer. “Do I get a suit?”
    She was referring to an ABS, a very thick, very heavy Advanced Bomb Suit designed to protect the body from a blast. “No, this is an exercise in quick thinking.” When she started to ask another question, he just held up his hand. “Just wait and see.”
    Taz nodded. “This is nice. Athena was wrong, you’re not scary at all.”
    Damn. “Don’t jump to conclusions, Levin. You’ll end up hating me before our time is up.”
    Shaking her head, Taz declared. “No. I’ve only hated one man in my life and the energy I devoted to that negative emotion was wasted.”
    “Does this have something to do with your missing…?” He stuck out his little finger as if her were sitting down to high tea.
    “Yes.” She shrugged her shoulders. “When my father defected, my mother and I were to flee the country by being smuggled out on a cargo ship. The day before we were scheduled to leave, I was snatched from the safe house where we were staying.” Seeing his confused expression, she elaborated. “An American operative was helping us.” She glanced down. “He was killed that day, my mother sold us out. They wanted to use me to make my father give himself up.” She looked down at her own hand. “My finger was part of the incentive.”
    “Part?” Deacon felt anger rise in his chest. He’d seen enough torture in the Middle East to know there were endless cruel things people could dream up to hurt one another. “How old were you?”
    “Thirteen.” She shook her head. “That part of my life is over and I now live in a free country. Let’s talk about something more pleasant.”
    He wanted to know more, but held his tongue. “Can I have another?” Deacon asked politely pointing at the BBQ.
    “Oh, please, take it all.” She held up her remaining half of sandwich. “This is all I want.”
    “You’ll need to eat more than that if you plan on keeping up with me.” He let his eyes rove down her body. “Don’t tell me you think you need to watch your weight.”
    Taz laid down what was left of her sandwich. “I need to stay fit.”
    He was surprised she was so reasonable. Most women were more concerned about meeting some idealized standard of feminine beauty. His wife had been obsessed with being model thin. He’d tried to tell Sylvia he much preferred how she’d been when they first met, soft and curvy. Natasha appeared to be soft and she was definitely curvy, but she had an underlying strength, an iron-will to push beyond anyone’s expectations–especially his. “I agree, but your body has to have calories to burn.”
    “I drink protein shakes. And you like the BBQ, I can tell.”
    Ah, now he understood. She was being nice to him. Maybe she thought since he was unmarried and lived alone that he didn’t eat well…or maybe she was trying to butter him up. “I see through your smokescreen, Levin. Let’s both have another sandwich, there’s plenty to share.”
    “I don’t smoke, that’s