About Diamond: Double Cross
by Winnie Jerome
112 pages / 32700 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-194-4
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html, lit, Adobe and Sony optimized pdf, prc, epub
Twenty four years ago, naive trainee Randy Hughes lost his heart and
virginity to the mysterious Cain. Randy expected to build a life with Cain,
but his romantic dreams crashed down after he was abandoned.
Now an undercover paranormal investigator, Randy has the opportunity for
revenge when Cain resurfaces. A raid has yielded a strange magical artifact,
and Randy's ex-lover is the only one who has any information. He’s changed
in more than a few surprising ways, but Cain still has feelings for Randy, a
weakness Randy is ordered to exploit using any means possible. As the case
heats up, Randy discovers that emotions he long thought dead are threatening
one of the most important assignments of his life.
Sample
The office was innocuous, but that suited the birdlike
woman in her early sixties sitting at the desk. She read off the itinerary
to the people seated around her, going over several bullet points.
Erika Gettmore was very wealthy, and she had used that money to hoard
mystical treasures. Anything, from scrolls to wands to artifacts, had wound
up in her numerous caches. Some items she had acquired legitimately, most
were obtained by hiring thieves. She trusted very few people and ran an
extensive and sophisticated operation -- it had taken the Institute a while
to find an opening for a deep cover agent to use.
Even after Randy had insinuated himself into Erika's operation, it had taken
a long time for him to work his way through the ranks. Now, it appeared that
his patience was going to pay off.
Once the meeting was over, Erika dismissed the participants, but indicated
that Randy should remain. Randy knew that she wanted to check through her
paperwork first, so he busied himself with some documents on his laptop.
She glanced up after a while and said, "Grant?"
"Yes?" Randy replied, while he adjusted his tie. He looked at Erika from
underneath his glasses and shot her his warmest smile, which he knew made
her a little weak in the knees.
Her face remained impassive, but she was toying with the neckline of her
blouse, which she always did when she was trying to hide something. Randy's
expression didn't change, but inside, he felt a note of triumph.
Randy had deduced that underneath the diamond-hard persona she projected,
Erika was a lonely woman. She preferred the thrill of the chase, so he had
been working that angle whenever he dealt with her. He had always flirted in
a shy manner -- just enough to keep her interested but he had never taken it
any further. It helped that she had a weakness for men of Randy's type --
chisel jawed, mid-forties, and in excellent condition.
Erika was tapping her fingernail against her desk, which was an indication
that Randy needed to give her his full attention. He sat up a little
straighter in his chair and she said, "You've been very loyal to me. Always
there, reliable, you never complain about anything I ask you to do."
"Thank you, I try my best." He had also picked up quickly that she preferred
submissive men, so he always spoke in a softer voice than usual and
addressed her in a deferential tone when he talked to her.
"It was very fortunate that you were recommended by Oscar when I had an
opening. He's always had a good eye for talent." Getting past Oscar had been
one of the big hurdles. Fortunately, Randy was able to figure out the best
way to gain approval from him.
"I think it's time to reward your hard work. Come over here." Even though
the temptation was to probe, Randy assessed the situation and decided that
he had to hold his tongue.
He distanced himself so that he didn't react with anything other than a
raised eyebrow when she gestured and the desk started shifting, folding in
on itself and reshaping into a safe. Randy wasn't surprised at the
combination of magic and low tech -- Erika hated computers and used them as
little as possible.
She twirled a rather long combination, and once the door popped open, she
pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him.
It was a map of Europe, with certain cities highlighted. Addresses and
contacts were jotted down next to each circle. "These are where my caches
are located -- they're masked by the best spells money could buy. They're
getting quite large, and I need someone to help me out."
"Thank you, Erika," he said. Now that he had what he wanted, it was time to
signal his team. "Shall I get some tea? Rosehip and camomile?"
Erika looked confused. "Grant, you know that I always drink Earl Grey..."
Her face blanched when a wall of shimmering energy snapped over the
building.