Look-Alike. Meredith Fletcher

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ know,” Sam replied.

      The man shrugged. “I’m amazed.”

      Sam arched an eyebrow.

      “You’re so gifted linguistically.”

      “What makes you think that?”

      Again the shrug, just a slight lift of the broad, leather-covered shoulders. “You speak French. You speak German.” He reached out slowly, without threat, and touched the pamphlet in her hand. “And you read English. Quite an accomplishment.”

      Glancing down, Sam saw that she was indeed holding an English language pamphlet. “Busted.” She smiled, but she was wary at the same time. The man was very observant.

      “I came over because you look like a tourist. This is a dangerous place for tourists.”

      “You just volunteer to wait with strangers in the train station?”

      He gave a slight nod. “It’s a hobby.”

      “Maybe,” Sam said sweetly, “you should seek counseling.”

      Perhaps he had a comeback for that, but Sam didn’t find out. At that moment the warning Klaxons went off, filling the station with noise and vibration. The crowd moved around her, getting ready for the train’s arrival.

      In that moment, Sam got a clue as to what the man’s real interest was. Two men dressed in casual streetwear moved toward the platform. They had short, military-style haircuts and wore light jackets. An air of danger clung to both of them.

      The big man, dressed in black, moved with them, shifting so that they stayed in his view.

      The two men kept their distance.

      Sam looked at the man in black. Are you hunting them? Or avoiding them? The situation intrigued her.

      The train stopped with a grinding screech of brakes. Seconds later, the doors opened and the passengers began to debark in a press of moving bodies.

      Sam stood on tiptoe to peer through the crowd.

      Elle Petrenko stepped out from a middle car. She was carrying a baby and chatting amiably with a woman only a little older than her, who was carrying another toddler.

      A baby? Sam was shocked. Elle hadn’t said anything about a baby. But then, there was a lot Sam didn’t know about her twin. Elle seemed outgoing and friendly, always willing to share her life, but Sam didn’t do that because of her upbringing. Naturally she assumed others held back things they didn’t want known as well. But a baby?

      Three meetings in person over the last eighteen months, combined with several phone calls that were, no doubt, monitored by their respective intelligence agencies, and off-the-grid e-mails—none of it could complete a relationship that had a twenty-three-year gap.

      Elle wore caramel-colored twill pants and a black, short-sleeved turtleneck that flattered her slender figure. Boots and a carry-on tote completed the ensemble. Unlike Sam, Elle wore her hair up.

      After a brief conversation, Elle handed the baby to the young woman, who waved goodbye and managed to head out under a full head of steam with both kids. Sam released a breath, but a bit of wistfulness tugged at her heart. She was beginning to understand what it felt like to be a sister, but what would it be like to be an aunt? Just the sight of Elle holding that baby had started a whole kaleidoscope of possibilities tumbling through Sam’s head. She’d never really thought about family before. Now she was seeing generations of it ahead of her.

      Glancing across the waiting area, Elle spotted Sam and walked over.

      “Hello, sis,” Elle said, sounding totally American instead of Russian.

      “Hi,” Sam replied.

      Elle glanced up at the man beside Sam. “Who’s your friend?”

      “You’re twins,” the big man observed.

      Elle smiled but didn’t take her ice-blue eyes off the man in black. “He’s cute, but has he always been this slow?”

      The man frowned at her.

      “I don’t know,” Sam admitted. “I just found him.”

      Looking a trifle uncomfortable, the man crossed his arms over his broad chest.

      “He’s big,” Elle said, grinning slightly. Her blue eyes sparkled. “Can we afford to feed him?”

      “He’s not staying,” Sam said. “Do you have bags?”

      Elle patted the carry-on. “Just this one. I knew you said we’d be on the go tonight, so I made arrangements to have my bags delivered to my room.”

      “Good.” Sam was already feeling antsy to be moving. She looked up at the big man. “Well, good luck finding another tourist to guard.”

      He nodded.

      Elle fixed him with the full force of her ice-blue eyes. “Do you have a name?”

      “Joachim,” he said, then looked a little irritated.

      Sam thought maybe it was because he’d answered before he could stop himself. Elle had that effect on men. Even though they were twins, Elle was able to do more with her looks and her personality than Sam was. She’s just more willing to take risks than I am, Sam thought for what must have been the thousandth time.

      “I’m Elle.” She offered her hand.

      Joachim took Elle’s hand and held it for a moment, then seemed reluctant to let go.

      “Are you going to be in Amsterdam long?” Elle asked.

      “A few days.”

      “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

      Sam didn’t think that was a good idea. Joachim was rousing her warning senses. Maybe it was the quiet way he moved, or the fact that he’d avoided the two suspicious-looking men who now seemed to have disappeared, or maybe even the fact that Elle was acting twitterpated over him, but Sam wanted him gone.

      “Perhaps,” Joachim replied. He offered a small wave. “Have a safe trip.” Then he was in motion, walking away from them.

      Elle watched him go.

      Despite her misgivings, and feeling a little guilty because Riley was back home missing her, Sam also watched the big man walk away. The tight leather pants hugged his firm butt in ways that Sam could appreciate even though she was spoken for.

      “Wow,” Elle said.

      “Wow?” Sam grumbled.

      “Definitely wow,” Elle replied. “He’s one of those guys.”

      “What guys?”

      “Those guys you hate to see go but you love to watch leave.”

      Sam grimaced. During the last year of getting to know СКАЧАТЬ