Page 4 of Lethal Game

“Unsuccessful?”

“Most people look at her and see a young woman who looks as if she’d have trouble with breaking a nail. Coddle her in any way and she’ll find a way to make you miserable.”

The bottom of Con’s stomach grew cold. “So why me?”

“Growing up with sisters is part of it.”

This interview was a personality test.Fuck.

“You’ve also been through some challenging combat situations and I think that will give you a level of experience she’ll respect.”

Con had to work to keep a growl out of his voice. “I’m not going to sit around the campfire telling her war stories.” What he’d seen wouldn’t instill confidence in anyone.

“I don’t expect you to. She works best with people who are highly competent, whodon’tbrag or try to impress.”

First time he’d been complimented on his ability to keep his trap shut.

“Another issue is her age. She’s young, she’s a genius, and she has absolutely no idea how to talk to anyone who isn’t a scientist or doctor.”

That didn’t leave a whole lot of people. “Genius, as in graduated from medical school really young?”

“She’s twenty-four and is the youngest physician in the USA to have a double speciality in virology and hematology.”

“Virology, I get. Hematology?”

“The study of blood cells.”

If she was an overachiever, he could work with that. “So, work is her life, and before that, it was school?”

“Exactly.”

“S’okay. My second-oldest sister is married to a physicist. He speaks math, and we get along just fine.”

Maximillian quirked an eyebrow. “You speak math?”

“Nope. I speak barbecue. Everyone has something to say about properly grilling a steak.”

The colonel laughed. “You’ll do. Time to meet her.” He stepped out of his office and led the way down a hall. “Oh, and call me Max. It’s shorter.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Max sighed as he punched in the code to open the door and preceded Con inside.

The room they entered was part office and part lab, with a couple of desks and two tall microscopes set up on the end of each. Papers and boxes of slides littered both surfaces. Only one of the desks was occupied.

A woman sat looking through the lens of one of the microscopes. Her hair was white-blonde and pulled back into a severe bun. She wore an army uniform with a lab coat over top. When she saw Max, she pushed away from the scope, stood and moved to meet them.

The blonde from last night. With her hair pulled back, she could have passed for even younger than twenty-four.

Fucking gorgeous.He took that thought, hog-tied it and shoved it into a dark corner. His personal mission left no room for anything beyond a professional relationship.

She also looked ready to rip someone’s head off.

“Sophia,” Max said. “This is your new partner, Communications Sergeant Connor Button.” He turned to Con. “Connor, this is Dr. Sophia Perry. She is one of several contractors working for us, a civilian subject matter expert.”

Her mouth, pressed into a thin line, convinced him to pretend last night hadn’t happened. He nodded at her respectfully. “Good to meet you, ma’am.”

“Ma’am?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and displaying a huge bruise on her right hand.

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