Betrayed by Trust Read Online Free Page B

“It is when you set me up for this in the first place!” I hopped off the bed to square-off with him, heedless of my nudity. “You only slept with me because Kincaid asked you to, not because you liked me, or even because you found me particularly attractive. Maybe that changed over time, or maybe it didn’t, but Foxworth is right. This needs to be done, and short of assassinating Altesse and every member of his extended family, this is the only way to free Aldwyn. Pull out if you want to, but I’m going through with this.”
    “You want to be a Mata Hari,” he said, shrugging into his shirt with quick angry movements.
    “No, actually I don’t. I’d rather not be betrayed by the people I’m trying to help.”
    Barry just shook his head, made a disgusted noise, and left.
    Fury rose in my throat, and a second later I snatched Michener’s Chesapeake from the bedside table. It flew across the room, slamming into the door. Barry had duped me again, sweet-talking his way back into my bed only to pull the sheet out from under me. Only this time his agenda wasn’t for the Trust, it was purely selfish.

CHAPTER FIVE

MARIANNE
    M r. Mackson tells me that you’re having second thoughts about your mission, Miss Benton.” Mr. Kincaid’s hands were folded on the surface of his desk, but the tension in his jaw belied his calm demeanor. He’d summoned me to his office before I’d even had a chance to get a cup of coffee. Now I stood facing him like an errant child in a principal’s office. Barry sat off to one side.
    I glanced at my erstwhile lover where he sat in one of the leather chairs. He’d just guaranteed himself a one-way ticket out of my bed. “Mr. Mackson is mistaken.”
    Kincaid glanced at Barry. “I see.”
    “You might as well tell Mr. Kincaid the truth, Marianne. I told him everything.”
    This was going to get ugly. What was Barry thinking? How could he expect to succeed with me directly contradicting him?
    “I have told him the truth, which is more than I can say for you.” I looked directly into Mr. Kincaid’s eyes. “Mr. Foxworth knows how committed I am. Unless he pulls the plug on this, I intend to go through with this.”
    “Very good,” Kincaid said. “But that still leaves us with a problem. Mr. Mackson is no longer willing to be your contact with the Trust on this project. Without someone to be that relay, the mission cannot go forward. Our plan will have to be put on hold until someone else can be brought up to speed.”
    “How long will that take?”
    “A few weeks.”
    That would put us near the end of the semester. I wouldn’t have much time to seduce Conrad before finals, and then he’d be going home to daddy in France for the summer. “Why do I need a contact at all? It’s not like I’ll be pumping him for state secrets. I just want to get into his bed. That’s a solo job. We can figure out the marriage thing later.”
    Kincaid shook his head. “This is something Mr. Foxworth was very firm about. You must marry, both to protect your reputation and to conceal the parentage of the child. In addition, he wants you to have recourse to assistance during your mission in case something goes wrong, without risking direct contact with the Trust. Conrad and his security must not suspect your association with us. Your safety, and the safety of the child, are of the utmost importance.”
    A cold shiver raced down my spine. Yes of course—the child. What would the Golden Path do if they knew I’d conceived Conrad’s firstborn?
    “Who can we get on short notice who understands the mission?” As soon as I asked the question, the answer was obvious. “What about Dan?”
    Barry snorted. “Dan? Are you kidding? He’s a research guy, not a field agent.”
    Anger flared. “Yes. Dan,” I snapped. “He’s up to speed on the plan and he knows more than you do about the Golden Path—and he’s certainly more dependable!”
    Mr. Kincaid cleared his throat. “I believe this will be an