On the Job Read Online Free Page B

lush Tahoe City villa.
    Walker wasn’t really seeing the stunning Tahoe scenery on the other side of the windows, though. An equally riveting—and even more powerful—image crowded into his mind’s eye: a naked Madeline staring up at him as defiance, fury and hurt warred behind her huge, dark eyes.
    You fucking liar, she’d said.
    Walker may be in Tony Hallas’s house under false pretense, but he hadn’t been lying when he told Madeline he had come back to Lake Tahoe for her. He could have started his security firm almost anywhere, but he’d chosen Tahoe at least in part because of his memories of her. The sharp pain of regret of having left her had grown into a dull ache over the years. When he’d seen the glossy surveillance photos of a Madeline all grown up, it’d been like a slug to the gut.
    Tony had seemed so eager to change the subject when Walker asked him about a wedding date that Walker had wondered if one or both of them were dragging their feet about final commitment. If it was Madeline hesitating, she’d probably elope with Tony tonight just to spite Walker. Handcuffing her and having sex with her out in the changing rooms earlier hadn’t exactly been the smoothest of moves on his part. When he’d volunteered to head up this assignment, he’d forgotten the full effect of Madeline.
    The past eleven years had only made her more difficult to ignore.
    Barry came over to the desk where he worked. “I’ll take over here. You might as well watch out for Ms. Friendly. Tony told me to ask you to have dinner with them. They’re waiting for you on the terrace.”
    Tony stood and shook his hand a few minutes later when Walker stepped outside to join the others. The particular terrace where they’d gathered was another example of architecture mimicking nature. The floor and surround consisted of the type of huge, smooth granite boulders found all over the Tahoe area. They’d been artfully arranged not to distract from the main attraction, the cerulean blue alpine lake. Natural pine outdoor furniture echoed the surrounding forest.
    â€œWhat do you think, Walk? Can you make this place into a Camp David?” Tony asked.
    â€œThat might take a little more than twelve hours, but we’ll get you in good shape quick enough. The perimeter of the lake is going to take some doing to seal, but I have the equipment I’ll need arriving tonight. I was just running some diagnostics on your system.”
    Tony gave a mock frown. “I’m sorry I asked. Enough about work. I don’t come to Tahoe to talk shop.” Walker’s gaze flickered to the right and landed on Madeline reclining in a lounge chair, looking like a vision in a white halter dress that set off her tan.
    â€œIt’s what you asked me here for, Tony,” Walker said wryly.
    â€œOnly partially. I asked you to Aspen Lodge because I wanted the company of a good friend.”
    â€œAnd to pick your good friend’s brain about his government security secrets,” Hal Margrave added with a booming laugh and a wink. “Tony acts so nonchalant, but I bet he’ll be looking for your opinion on how to convince the senate that U.S. banks are at high risk for hacking threats. Tony’s looking for any morsel he can get to help convince those politicians the banks are as vulnerable as the country would be if we disbanded the military. That recent hackjob into American ATM accounts that was done from Moscow certainly has the politicians sitting up and taking notice.”
    Walker studied Tony’s reaction to his friend’s reference to the recent high-profile case of bank hacking. He suspected his old friend of creating the havoc in order to make his company’s latest product all that much more appealing to the powers that be. Tony looked anything but guilty, however. He flashed a grin that hadn’t changed much since he was a seven-year-old dreamer and