Read Online All or Nothing: A Trust No One Novel by Dixie Lee Brown - Free Book Online
Authors: Dixie Lee Brown
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shoulder.
“Shouldn’t Mrs. Dennelli be back from the ladies’ room by now?” he asked a few minutes later.
“Pretty sure she never intended to stop there. Don’t worry. She won’t get far. Thanks for breakfast.” Joe stood. “Get me that information as soon as you can.” He started to go, then leaned close to the other man. “And don’t call her that anymore. I don’t think she’s fond of the name.” He turned and strode from the diner.
Chapter Six
----
Saturday, 10:58 am
C ARA WALKED TOWARD the bathroom, skirted past the door at the last minute, and headed for the back exit. Once outside, she hurried through the alley to the end of the block and looked for a cab. Seeing none, she pulled the brim of her hat lower, tried to dismiss the feeling she was making a mistake, and started back toward city center.
She didn’t know where to go, but she’d had enough of Joe and Murphy manipulating her life. Let them fight over how they were going to use her until they discovered she was gone. Gradually, the outline of a simple plan formed in her mind. Get a rental car and drive to Portland, pack a few essentials, and hop a plane to someplace far away. Italy, maybe, or Greece. Surely she could hide herself there.
She rejected the plan almost as quickly as it came. If Brian really wanted her dead, he’d find her. He could trace her through credit cards or any number of ways. It was smarter to stick to the original plan. Find a way to send him to jail. Cara didn’t need Murphy or Joe. She could go in to the office and look for Brian’s notebook on her own.
Would he really kill her? He was her brother, for God’s sake. Bits and pieces of the tape replayed through her mind until she felt sick and wanted to scream out her frustration. If Joe was telling the truth, Brian had already tried to kill her once. What if it was too dangerous to go alone and unprepared?
About a mile from the diner, Joe’s car passed her and parked along the curb up ahead. She slowed her pace. He got out and leaned his tall frame nonchalantly against the car. His gaze followed her as she drew closer. There was no anger in his eyes, even though she’d defied his will, putting herself in danger after he risked his life to save her. He had a right to be upset. A few feet away she stopped, biting her lip, and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. He waited quietly, giving away nothing of what he was thinking, his thumbs hooked in his front pockets.
The same aura of power and control she first sensed in the casino hung over him now and, unexpectedly, some of her apprehension dropped away.
Slowly, she approached until she leaned against the car beside him. “Did you and Murphy come to an agreement?”
“Yep, we’re doing it my way.” He looked sideways at her. “It’s the best plan.”
“I know.”
He raised an eyebrow and a hint of a smile tugged at his mouth. “If you know, why were you so set on doing it Murphy’s way?”
Cara shrugged.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Can we go now?”
“Where’s this ranch of yours?”
“Kalispell, Montana. It’s not really a ranch. No horses or cows, but you’ll be safe there.”
Cara faced him for a moment and forced her eyes to meet his. “I should probably thank you… for saving my life.”
“Just don’t make me sorry.” His tone was gruff, but his eyes twinkled with humor.
“No promises.” A grin hid her certainty he would indeed regret helping her before this was finished.
Saturday, 2:04 pm
O NCE IN THE air, the cockpit of Joe’s Cessna Citation closed in around her, and the proximity of his body made Cara tense and claustrophobic. In the last ten minutes, she’d thought of a dozen reasons why this was a bad idea… not her worst bad idea, but bad just the same. She desperately needed to get up and move around. Surely she’d self-destruct if she didn’t get off this plane. As she opened her mouth, ready to say “take me home,” his hand touched
“Shouldn’t Mrs. Dennelli be back from the ladies’ room by now?” he asked a few minutes later.
“Pretty sure she never intended to stop there. Don’t worry. She won’t get far. Thanks for breakfast.” Joe stood. “Get me that information as soon as you can.” He started to go, then leaned close to the other man. “And don’t call her that anymore. I don’t think she’s fond of the name.” He turned and strode from the diner.
Chapter Six
----
Saturday, 10:58 am
C ARA WALKED TOWARD the bathroom, skirted past the door at the last minute, and headed for the back exit. Once outside, she hurried through the alley to the end of the block and looked for a cab. Seeing none, she pulled the brim of her hat lower, tried to dismiss the feeling she was making a mistake, and started back toward city center.
She didn’t know where to go, but she’d had enough of Joe and Murphy manipulating her life. Let them fight over how they were going to use her until they discovered she was gone. Gradually, the outline of a simple plan formed in her mind. Get a rental car and drive to Portland, pack a few essentials, and hop a plane to someplace far away. Italy, maybe, or Greece. Surely she could hide herself there.
She rejected the plan almost as quickly as it came. If Brian really wanted her dead, he’d find her. He could trace her through credit cards or any number of ways. It was smarter to stick to the original plan. Find a way to send him to jail. Cara didn’t need Murphy or Joe. She could go in to the office and look for Brian’s notebook on her own.
Would he really kill her? He was her brother, for God’s sake. Bits and pieces of the tape replayed through her mind until she felt sick and wanted to scream out her frustration. If Joe was telling the truth, Brian had already tried to kill her once. What if it was too dangerous to go alone and unprepared?
About a mile from the diner, Joe’s car passed her and parked along the curb up ahead. She slowed her pace. He got out and leaned his tall frame nonchalantly against the car. His gaze followed her as she drew closer. There was no anger in his eyes, even though she’d defied his will, putting herself in danger after he risked his life to save her. He had a right to be upset. A few feet away she stopped, biting her lip, and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. He waited quietly, giving away nothing of what he was thinking, his thumbs hooked in his front pockets.
The same aura of power and control she first sensed in the casino hung over him now and, unexpectedly, some of her apprehension dropped away.
Slowly, she approached until she leaned against the car beside him. “Did you and Murphy come to an agreement?”
“Yep, we’re doing it my way.” He looked sideways at her. “It’s the best plan.”
“I know.”
He raised an eyebrow and a hint of a smile tugged at his mouth. “If you know, why were you so set on doing it Murphy’s way?”
Cara shrugged.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Can we go now?”
“Where’s this ranch of yours?”
“Kalispell, Montana. It’s not really a ranch. No horses or cows, but you’ll be safe there.”
Cara faced him for a moment and forced her eyes to meet his. “I should probably thank you… for saving my life.”
“Just don’t make me sorry.” His tone was gruff, but his eyes twinkled with humor.
“No promises.” A grin hid her certainty he would indeed regret helping her before this was finished.
Saturday, 2:04 pm
O NCE IN THE air, the cockpit of Joe’s Cessna Citation closed in around her, and the proximity of his body made Cara tense and claustrophobic. In the last ten minutes, she’d thought of a dozen reasons why this was a bad idea… not her worst bad idea, but bad just the same. She desperately needed to get up and move around. Surely she’d self-destruct if she didn’t get off this plane. As she opened her mouth, ready to say “take me home,” his hand touched
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