Katherine Brandon

With ground-eating strides, Lucien headed for the kitchen, shoved open the door and found Marisa inside.

Her head bent, she stood over a long wooden table and rolled out a lump of dough.

"Give me his name, Marisa."

"Oh!" Obviously startled by his intrusion, her head shot up, and she slammed the rolling pin onto the table.

Flour flew into his face and onto his crisp, clean shirt. Did she know how much the miniscule spots annoyed him? Her
smile and luminous eyes suggested she'd known exactly how her sudden action would result. He prided himself on his
impeccable state of dress at all times. But she'd managed to gain the upper hand at an opportune moment. Again.
Well, not for long.

He brushed the flour from his clothing with a flick of his fingers, then lowered his tone and his head. "Who is La
Venganza?"

"Why, Major." She fixed him with an arched brow. "Are we no longer continuing the pretense you're here on
business?"

From behind him, Ethan pointed an accusatory finger. "You knew! You knew General Jackson sent us to find La
Venganza."

Her laughter washed over him like a hot bath. "Of course I knew. Do I look like an idiot?"

Now he leaned forward, his face a breath away from hers. "I want the villain's name."

Taking a step back, Marisa folded her arms over her chest. "What villain?"

"You know exactly what villain." His tone grew deadly, each soft syllable laced with a hard edge. "Who is La
Venganza?"

"Ask your questions elsewhere. You'll get nothing from me." She waved a hand as if to shoo him away.

In one smooth arc, Lucien grabbed her hand in his right fist. His left hand cupped her chin, forcing her to look into his
eyes. The velvet of her skin, like a rose petal, seeped into his fingers. He'd never touched her bare flesh before now.
Never felt her warmth or known such incredible softness in anyone.

But the anger that blazed in her eyes reminded him of stable fires, alligators, and blood streaming from a comrade's
forehead. Besides, she had a lover. A lover who was a criminal.

"I will find La Venganza."

With a shake of her head, she simultaneously broke out of his grasp and his gaze. "You'll find nothing." She flashed a
superior smile. "You don't even know where to look. La Venganza could be standing before you, and you wouldn't
know."

"Oh, but La Venganza isn't standing before me," he drawled. "La Venganza's whore stands before me. And I shall
use the whore to catch the villain."

Her face colored as rosy as her skin had felt in his hand. "I'm not a whore, Major St. Clair. Have a care, or you might
incur La Venganza's wrath once again. I promise you, this time you won't appreciate the consequences."