Endgame (Last Chance Series) by Dee Davis Page A

disarming. The first he'd ever graced her with. Of course, it was for all the wrong reasons—like the fact that he thought she wouldn't have the courage to use her gun.
    It was tempting to prove him wrong right then and there, but it seemed a little shortsighted to shoot one of the good guys, no matter how many buttons he pushed. She dropped the Glock on the counter and turned to face him. "Well, don't do it again. I live in a secured building for a reason."
    "Nothing is secure, Madison." It was the first time he'd used her name, and she found that she liked the way it rolled off his lips. "But I've got to say this beats the hell out of living at the Marriott."
    Cullen had set them up at the hotel for the duration. Harrison had even moved over there. "I'm sure Cullen would be happy to put you up somewhere else."
    "It still wouldn't be this." He waved his hand through the air to emphasize his point. "Some digs. I think maybe I missed the boat not working for the FBI."
    It was not an unusual reaction to her apartment, but somehow coming from h im it rankled more than usual. "Too bad you missed the memo."
    "Right." His smile held a hint of laughter, but any amusement was more than offset by the cynicism reflected in his eyes. Gabriel Roarke obviously had issues. Big ones. But thankfully, it wasn't her job to deal with them.
    "What's down there?" Gabriel had turned his attention to the view, and was pointing at something below him.
    She moved to stand beside him, her gaze following his. "Health club."
    The gym was located three floors below her, extending out from the building, its crowning feature a slanted roof of glass. From this vantage point, she could almost see the tenants below hard at work on treadmills and stair machines.
    " Wealth club is more like it. Are those chandeliers?" His tone was incredulous, and she smothered a sigh of irritation.
    "Just in the clubroom," she said, struggling to hang on to her temper. "The rest is pretty much your basic gym."
    "I'm impressed." His tone made it clear he was anything but, and she watched him as he dropped down on the sofa, looking for all the world as if he belonged there.
    Still frowning, she sat down in the chair across from him. "You still haven't told me why you're here."
    "I thought maybe we ought to get to know each other a little better."
    "And dropping by my home unannounced is the way to accomplish that?" She tried but couldn't keep the sarcasm from her voice.
    "Would you have welcomed me with open arms if I'd let you know I was coming?"
    She started to nod, but then thought better of it . This man would recognize the truth anyway. "No. Probably not."
    "There you go." He smiled, his icy gaze warming for a moment . "Part of espionage is knowing how to approach the target."
    "So what , now I'm a target?" Talking to him was like fencing—a sport she detested.
    "No." He sobered. "But you're an unknown quantity and I don't like undefined variables."
    "So you thought you'd just drop in and check me out."
    "Something like that." He leaned back and crossed his legs. "Mind if I have some win e?" He nodded at the open bottle on the table.
    "Help yourself." She'd be damned if she'd offer a glass, but that didn't seem to faze him a bit. He got up, walked over to the kitchen, found another glass, poured the wine, then returned to the sofa. After taking a sip, he reached for her glass, holding it out to her as if he were the host.
    She toyed with the idea of tossing it in his face, but hated the thought of what it would do to her cream-colored sofa. "Thank you." The words came out of their own volition, good manners overriding even the worst of situations.
    "Look, I don't know why Cullen was so red-hot to have you on the team, but judging by this apartment, I'd say the two of you must have a cozy little relationship."
    Anger shot through her, white-hot and razor sharp. "Cullen is my godfather, and the reason he wanted me on the task force is because I'm very good at what I