Beloved Beast. Karyn GerrardЧитать онлайн книгу.
case. But using sex as a weapon to get what you want from a person is distasteful.”
Fred laughed. “This coming from you, the dissolute rake of the Victorian age?”
Luke closed the folder and tossed it across the desk. “You may find the irony amusing, but I am no longer that man. I am the furthest thing from a prude, but it is a low, devious way to secure information.”
Fred reached for the folder. “Well, it is an effective weapon and all part and parcel in the world of spying, a human weakness easy to manipulate. If her efforts helped speed along the code breaking work being done at Bletchley Park, then I applaud her for it.”
Luke felt a little sheepish. Miss Browning deserved his respect, not his censure. To be blunt, he was jealous. He envied the man for being the recipient of her attentions. A disturbing thought. Luke shook away the overwhelming emotions. “Perhaps you should find her another protector. She is stirring up forgotten…. Forget it. Let me tell you what happened last night after I left you.”
He told Fred of the air raid shelter, the exchange of conversation, and him walking her to the end of the street.
“Ah,” Fred said in a soft voice. “She moved you. I can assign someone else, but I’d rather it be you, Luke. I trust you implicitly. Besides, the arrangements should not take long. We will temporarily relocate her at one of our safe houses nearby until we can see to her secure move to Canada. I can’t see the assignment taking any more than two weeks, three at most.”
Luke didn’t want to disappoint his nephew. Surely he could control his wayward and unpredictable emotions for the length of the assignment. “All right. I will see the job done. I will stay detached and professional. One more thing, she acted nervous and wary, not sure the reason behind it.”
Fred crossed his arms again and smiled. “Maybe you affected her.”
About to protest even though he knew he affected her, Fred’s intercom buzzed. “Miss Browning to see you, sir,” Fred’s secretary trilled.
Luke jumped from his chair and stood at the window, looking out onto the street, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Send her in.”
The door opened and the sensual scent of Chanel No. 5 slammed his senses, causing his breath to hitch. “You wish to see me, Mr. Parker?” Her soft, feminine voice affected him afresh. Due to her presence, trying to stay detached and professional became more difficult.
“Yes. First, let me introduce you to Special Operative Luke Newman.”
Luke slowly turned to face her. Gillian stumbled, her hand flying to her mouth in shock.
Then she screamed.
Chapter 4
It was him. Robert Taylor from the air raid shelter. But this man standing before her was not what she thought he was. More like Boris Karloff. How unkind, and not accurate at all. What a shock to see him in full daylight. The perfect profile stood in stark contrast to the rest of his face. Gillian’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment for screaming. What had got into her? Taking deep breaths then exhaling, she made herself meet Mr. Newman’s gaze. Or was he even looking at her, hard to tell from the dark shades. “Apologies, gentlemen,” she murmured.
Luke Newman crossed his arms. She had never seen anyone with such a strange shade of skin. Light gray, like the turbulent skies of a winter storm. Or someone who was…dead. What made her think of such a morbid thing? No doubt the exaggerated Karloff comparison. The left side of his face was covered in scars running along his hairline and down his left temple, spreading out across his cheek like streets on a city map. His lips were perfectly formed and a light pink color, made all the more evident by the strange shade of his flesh.
He was immaculately dressed in an expensive gray suit. His raven black hair fashionably cut with long, tapered layers trimmed close to his head and around his ears. To have such handsomeness still evident, yet noticeably marred, touched her deeply.
“It has been quite some time since anyone screamed at seeing my face, but I am well used to it.” His words were clipped. He was annoyed and Gillian could not blame him.
She stepped forward and held out her gloved hand. “Again, please do accept my apologies, Mr. Newman. Lately I am acting more like a startled rabbit than a woman in firm control of her nerves.” He gripped her hand and gave it a brisk shake before letting go. His touch was cool. She felt it clear through her glove.
“Take a seat, Miss Browning.” Well. He didn’t acknowledge her apologies. Fine. She could act as chilly and impersonal as him. Gillian unbuttoned her wool coat and removed her gloves, then took a seat in front of Mr. Parker’s desk. Mr. Newman remained standing next to Mr. Parker, his arms crossed once again.
“There is not much in your file. In fact, the records were poorly kept,” Mr. Parker stated as he flipped between pages. “Tell me. Do you have any immediate family?”
Gillian never told SIS about her sister or of any other members of her family, deceased or not. “No, I don’t.”
Several moments passed. “She lies,” Mr. Newman stated, his tone even.
Small beads of perspiration broke out at her hairline. How did he know? How could he possibly know? She was well-schooled on how to lie, as she had done nothing but lie the past several years.
Mr. Parker leaned forward and clasped his hands on top of her file. “I think the time has come for you to be completely honest. After your assignment came to an end, we made sure you were returned safely even though it placed those who assisted in your escape in grave danger. We gave you an undemanding but well-paid position as a German and French translator and head clerical assistant with a high security clearance. You earned it. And you earned our trust. Was MI-6 mistaken in our assessment of you?” Mr. Parker’s gaze was as officious as the tone of his voice.
“You must already harbor doubts about me for why am I being followed by this man?” Gillian pointed at Luke Newman who stood as straight and still as a statue. She could feel the frost in his shaded gaze. Her hand trembled, and she pulled it away.
“Luke was following you for your protection,” Mr. Parker snapped.
“Protection? Why?” she whispered. Gillian’s insides tumbled in apprehension.
“The Nazis have discovered your affair with Kroger and German spies here in England are now searching for you,” Mr. Parker replied.
The blood chilled in her veins. “How can that be? I was careful. I left before I was discovered.”
Mr. Parker opened the folder again. “It says here Kroger became suspicious, and because of it, you requested to be removed from your assignment before you were compromised. Did you tell him about yourself? Your true identity? The details of your mission? The report in this file is shockingly spare on details. I will have them now.” Mr. Parker sounded deadly serious with thinly concealed anger evident in his tone.
“No. I never told Otto anything. I swear,” she replied firmly.
“She’s being truthful,” Luke Newman relayed in a flat, emotionless voice. Uncanny, how could he know? Gillian glanced nervously between the two men. Both of them were intimidating in different ways and both wary of her. How could she blame them?
“Why did you believe he was suspicious?” Mr. Parker asked.
“He questioned me in detail about my family, where I was from. He wished to meet them. Otto claimed he would leave his wife, obtain a divorce in order for us to be married. Things had gone too far. He asked me outright if I was using a false name. Perhaps he was checking up on me already. I had no choice but to leave immediately.”
Mr. Parker flipped through the papers. “None of the information is here. Damned annoying.” Clearing his throat, he laid the file flat on the desk. “What members of your family are living in the immediate area? Or anywhere in the