Read Online Bad Behavior by Cristina Grenier - Free Book Online Page B

brushed against the cut at her hairline and his jaw worked.
    “What happened?”
    She shrugged. “I got off the elevator and he grabbed me.”
    “Did he say anything? Demand any money?”
    Rei shook her head, trying not to vomit at even that slight movement.
    “I don’t know what he wanted or why he was here.” She said, wondering if Justin would be opposed to her taking a little nap while they waited for the cops to show up. “Where is he anyway?”
    “Supply closet.”
    “He’s not getting loose is he?” she asked, anxious and starting to shake at even the possibility.
    “Larry’s keeping an eye on him. Old man is pretty handy with a broomstick.”
    Imagining the 60 year old custodian beating off her assailant with a broom brought a smile to her face. It faded quickly however, and once again Justin asked,
    “Are you alright?” he shook his head. “You’re alright.” He said decisively. As if simply saying the words was enough to make them true. She opened her mouth to reassure him but the paramedics finally arrived. They were remarkably efficient, and soon they had her patched right up. They checked her vitals but wanted her brought in to the hospital to be sure that she didn’t have anything more serious than a concussion.
    “I’ll give a statement to the police.” Justin told her, and relieved, she allowed herself to be taken to the hospital.
    Hours later she was laid out in a hospital bed, a saline drip in one arm. They wanted to keep her overnight for observation and she tried not to chafe at the delay. She wanted to get back to the office, to finish what she’d gone in to do in the first place.
    Now, that didn’t seem so likely.
    She sighed and turned on the television mounted on the wall opposite her bed.
    The sight that greeted her did nothing for her headache.
    Tuned to a local channel, Rei found herself watching Justin announce to a room full of reporters that he would be married in three months time. 
    “My fiancé and I hope you can help us make July the 24 th a day we’ll remember for a long time to come.”
    The camera panned to focus on his beaming fiancé and Rei’s hand tightened on the remote. Bethany Marcus was beautiful and the knowledge was enough to make Rei sick to her stomach. If Bethany had been ugly, Rei might have felt a little better about the whole thing, satisfied in some way, but it was no dice. Scowling at the television she turned the set off and tried to get some much needed rest.
    A nurse was supposed to wake her up at regular intervals and like clockwork Rei felt a gentle hand shake her shoulder. Only, when she opened her eyes to look, it wasn’t a nurse she saw, but a man. He was dressed in a simple button down shirt and black slacks. There was a badge pinned at his hip and at the door of her room a woman dressed similarly to him leaned against the wall and regarded Rei sympathetically.
    Detectives.
    Rei straightened too fast in her bed and had to close her eyes until the room stopped spinning and the nausea passed.
    “Sorry to startle you Ms. Donovan. The nurses said it was time to wake you up and I told them I could do it since my partner and I wanted to ask you a few questions. I’m Detective Richards.” He pointed at the woman by the door and she waved. “And that charming young woman over there is my partner, Detective Warren. Do you feel up to talking to us for a few minutes?”
    “Of course.” She responded groggily. “Anything I can do to help.”
    Detective Warren stepped away from the door and smiled softly.
    “We talked to your boss earlier today. He told us what happened, but he only witnessed the tail end of the attack. We were hoping you’d have more to add.”
    “There really isn’t much else to tell.” Rei said. “I came off the elevator, and he grabbed me. When I started to struggle he slammed me against the wall a few times. Justin came and pulled him away when he started choking me again.”
    Just thinking about it, when her