Assassin's Promise, The Red Team Series, Book 5 Read Online Free

quit.”
    Selena didn’t hide the shock that offer sent through her, but reality quickly chased it away. “And do what? Come to resent me for burning your bridges and forcing you to leave the team?”
    “I would never resent you.”
    “I want to be friends, Val. I don’t want to cross this line.”
    He stared into her eyes. She could almost see the doors to his heart and his soul slam shut. He dropped his hands and stepped back. “Got it.”
    She lowered her head and nodded. She had not expected this to hurt—him or her—as it did. “Okay.” She flashed a look at him. “Okay.” She sighed, then headed out of his room.

Chapter Three

    Greer’s phone vibrated. The caller ID showed it was the professor. “Hi, doc.”
    “Greer.”
    “Did you find Sally in your census?”
    She took an audible breath. “No. I’m sorry. But I did find something interesting. Can you come to my office?”
    “Sure. I’ll be there in a couple of hours.”
    “Where are you?”
    “I’m camping. Up in the Medicine Bows.”
    “How are you getting reception up there?”
    Greer knew Owen had pulled some strings to get additional satellite relays deployed, but that was need-to-know info. “Who knows? I just am. Couple hours, doc. You gonna be there still?”
    “Yeah. Call me when you’re here. I’ll let you in. They lock the building down early in the summer.”
    Greer folded his campsite and loaded his things into the SUV he’d hidden in the woods. He’d been camping near the Friendship Community to observe its behavior. He wanted to see how often the WKB members came onto Friendship property, what the Friends did during the day, during the night.  
    Once he was on the road to Wolf Creek Bend, he phoned Max to let him know where he was headed.  
    “Need a shotgun rider?” Max asked.  
    “She’s just a professor. What the hell do you think she’s gonna do?”
    “How would I know? I never expected a certain blond mechanic to drop me to my knees, and yet here we are.”
    “Yeah, well, you’re lucky for that, bro.” Greer listened to the silence that met his words. The bastard was probably trying to tune up his wait-for-the-right-one speech. Which was all bullshit. There was no right one for a guy like him. He had thought there was, once. But he knew better than that now.  
    Fuck, they just had to go there, didn’t they?  
    “You should get off the phone and go be with Hope.” Greer didn’t mean to snap, but it came out that way.
    “Right. Anything happening at the Friends’ place?”
    “Nada. They’re up with the sun and down with the dark. I haven’t seen any unexpected visitors. Just hardworking residents doing their thing.”
    “Roger that. Check in after you see the prof.”

    * * *

    Greer phoned the professor as he walked toward her building’s stairwell door. There were only a handful of cars in the parking lot. He was glad the campus security protocols were in place. She opened the door about the time he reached it.
    He nodded at her. She smiled and blinked, then stood a little longer than expected, looking up at him. Those dark green eyes of hers did something to him. If he still had a heart, it might have banged out an extra beat.  
    He raised a brow, hoping to snap her back to the moment…and himself out of it. He wasn’t looking for an entanglement. He’d loved once. That was enough. That shit was toxic.
    “Right.” The doc cleared her throat and slapped the flats of her palms against her thighs like he was a dog or something. “Follow me.”
    They went up a few flights of stairs. Greer fixed his eyes on her ass, which was fine—rounded but slim, filling out her jeans like they were sewn on. He imagined those cheeks in his hands, white and soft, her legs spread across his hips…  
    When they reached her floor, Remi looked back at him. His face flamed. He grinned at her by way of apology.  
    She should have slapped him for the thoughts he didn’t try to hide from her. Instead, her face