He was olive-skinned with white hair that was parted neatly to one side. His matching beard was short and well-groomed, and his dark eyes oozed of intelligence.
As he stood there, staring back at her with the same assessing glance she’d been giving him, Kat noted an air about him. One that said this was a man of power.
The guy orchestrated this entire, crazy situation in order to replicate a super-soldier formula commissioned by the U.S. government. So, yeah…he’s powerful.
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at herself, Kat kept her head held high, refusing to allow this man to see the fear threatening to destroy her.
“Doctor Marsh.” The other man greeted her. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Recognizing his accent as Middle Eastern, she gave him a tight smile. “Too bad I can’t say the same of you.”
Though he didn’t react with anger, Kat could see it brewing behind those terrifying eyes. Walker, however, didn’t bother to hide his smirk.
“Gonna have your hands full with this one, Bukhari.”
Bukhari. Why did that name sound familiar?
“I see you recognize the name,” the older man surmised.
Kat shrugged. “Sounds vaguely familiar.”
“As it should.” He came closer. “I am General Rajif Bukhari, leader of the most feared Iranian military force in existence.”
Of course, he was. Kat half expected a round of dramatic music to start playing in the background.Duh…duh…duhhhhh.
“I won’t help you,” she told him bluntly.
He smirked. “Yes. You will.”
“No.” Kat shook her head. “I won’t.” She was telling him the truth. She’d rather die than help this man do anything that could harm American lives. Especially those of American soldiers.
Bukhari continued closer until he was standing directly in front of her. His dark eyes smoldered with anger as he glared. “You will do exactly what I say, when I say it. Starting with making a list of chemicals or whatever else you need to make the serum.”
Though her knees shook with fear, Kat called upon her inner strength to keep him from seeing it. This man had manipulated Todd into helping him by using his wife’s horrible situation against him. He’d also ordered Kat’s murder.
When that failed, he’d then orchestrated a plan of attack on the day of her father’s funeral. His hired gun had killed a police detective, shot Matt’s teammate, and taken her hostage.
Kat wasn’t naive enough to think this ended with anything but her death. Because of that, she wasn’t going to play nice.
Lifting one corner of her mouth, she formed her best smart-ass smirk. “Or what?” she asked the arrogant prick “You’ll kill me? You do that, you’ll also kill your chances at the serum. Of course, you may be able to find another scientist to create something similar, but it will be years before that happens.” She looked up at his white hair and back at him. “Not sure you’ll still be around to see it.”
A muscle beneath his white beard bulged, his tanned skin becoming red with anger. “This is the problem with you American women. You believe you have the right to speak to a man this way.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the man’s ridiculous way of thinking.
“I also believe I have the right to not be kidnapped and held against my will,” Kat shot back. “This formula was created with the sole purpose of saving American soldier’s lives. If you think I’m going to help you use itagainstthe United States, you’re not as smart asyouclaim to be.”
Moving quickly, Bukhari grabbed her jaw in a painful grip. With his nose nearly touching hers, his hot breath hit her face as he said, “You will learn to watch your tongue while speaking to me, Doctor Marsh.”
Without thinking, Kat gathered as much spit in her mouth as she could and let it fly. Rearing back, the misogynistic asshole released her chin to wipe the moisture from his face.
Enraged, he swung his hand toward her head, the movement so fast and unexpected, Kat didn’t have time to move out of the way. Fire erupted in her left cheek and eye as he backhanded her. The force of the blow sent her flying to the side.
Her hip slammed into the edge of the metal counter, her body ricocheting down to the concrete floor. Kat groaned as she tried to regain her bearings. White stars flashed before her, and the headache that had started to dissipate returned with a vengeance.
“You will help me, or your father won’t be the only man in your life to die.”
Her father? She looked up at him, his image blurred from the tears in her eyes. “You k-killed my father?”
