Wilder Than the Rest: MacLarens of Fire Mountain Read Online Free PDF Page B

“Anxious, Mr. MacLaren?”
    “Pierce, and, yes, I’m ready to move this along.” His response was clipped, not rude, yet his impatience was clear.
    Eva opened her reticule and withdrew a piece of paper. She handed it to Pierce and watched as he read through it.
    “Mr. Theodore Crow?”
    “I met him a few nights ago. He’s wealthy, well connected, and has lived in San Francisco for many years. You, Mollie, and I have received an invitation from the mayor’s wife to attend their annual ball and Mr. Crow has offered to make introductions for us.” Eva shifted to look at a beautiful young woman who entered the library, closed the door, and walked toward her. “You must be Mollie Jamison.” She stood when Mollie came to a halt in front of her chair.
    Mollie said nothing at first, staring at the woman before her. She was taller than Mollie by at least two inches, slender, with black hair and striking features that gave her an exotic look. Eva was perhaps the most stunning woman she’d ever seen, and the way Pierce looked at the woman told her he agreed. For some reason, the thought of the gorgeous woman working alongside her partner irritated her.
    “Mollie, this…”
    “I know who this is, Pierce” Mollie cut him off, not taking her eyes from the woman before her. “Eva Gagnon, correct?”
    Eva’s brow arched. “That is correct.” She settled back in her chair and looked at Pierce. “The ball will be the perfect place to move about freely and meet the types of people we need to gather information.”
    “What ball?” Mollie asked, miffed that Pierce hadn’t sent for her when Eva arrived.
    “The mayor and his wife host an annual ball,” Pierce said. “It will be held later this month, and I was able to secure an invitation for us to attend.”
    Mollie understood the significance of an invitation to such a sought-after social affair. They could acquire more information in one night than they could learn through weeks of meeting people and searching for answers on their own.
    “What do we do in the meantime?” Pierce asked while keeping his eyes on Mollie, uncomfortable with her behavior toward Eva. He’d watched her scrutinize the other agent as if she were the enemy and not part of the team Noah had formed.
    “Pierce, you’ll go to the office each day while Mollie begins to make friends with some of the more influential women in San Francisco.”
    “And how do I go about doing that?” Mollie had taken a seat between Eva and her partner, effectively blocking Pierce’s view of the other agent.
    “You’re quite fortunate in that Torie MacLaren is well liked and accepted in the highest circles. She offered to send letters to some of her friends, asking that they accept you as part of her family. I would expect you to hear from most of the women quite soon.” Eva looked at the small enameled brooch pinned to her dress, popped it open, and checked the timepiece housed inside. “I should be going, but we’ll all meet again soon.”
    “I’ll see you out.” Pierce stood and glanced at Mollie. “I’d like a few words with you.” He didn’t wait for a reply before escorting Eva out. Within moments, he’d returned to the library and shut the door behind him.
    “Do you want to tell me what that was about?” He walked over to the small bar and poured himself a drink, not offering anything to Mollie.
    She watched him open the bottle and take down one glass. She didn’t want to answer. Not because she intended to appear obstinate, but because she didn’t know what had caused her to behave that way toward Eva. Granted, she’d never worked with another female agent and hadn’t expected one as striking as Miss Gagnon, yet that didn’t excuse her odd conduct. She hadn’t been outright rude, yet she’d offered no welcome to the woman who was only doing her job as part of their assignment.
    “Well?” Pierce had walked over and now stood a few inches in front of her.
    “Well, what?” Regardless