Read Online Blindside by Jayden Alexander - Free Book Online Page B

months of the academy and a year on the job. In a couple of hours, she would know if she passed probation after a full year on the street.
    “You don’t eat, you get brain fog. I sure as hell wouldn’t want you armed without food and too much coffee.”
    He leaned against the doorframe, his recently adopted Mastiff grinning at her with brown happy eyes. “I ran across a bakery uptown. They swear it’s the real deal. I figured you could put it to the test.”
    From behind his back, he whipped out a paper bag, and the delicious scent of fresh baked bread had her mouthwatering.
    “You didn’t.”
    He unwrapped the bread and with his other hand, presented her with a tiny container of butter. “Somebody has to babysit your ass. Mom worries you don’t eat.”
    Telling Big Al to lie down on her daisy welcome mat, Nick made his way into the kitchen. “Come on, young lady, time for breakfast.” He drew out one of her cobalt plates and, with a flourish, snapped open a citrine colored napkin. “Nothing but class at Chez Rossini.”
    “Dork.” But she broke off a hunk and brought it up to her nose, savoring the smell, the thick unmistakable scent of rye bread.
    “So?”
    Expectant looks, both from her brother and the dog. She stalled, making a show of spreading whipped butter on the torn-off piece, then taking a small savoring bite.
    “Yeah. It’s the real deal.” And nearly impossible to find. She took another bite and with her mouth full, tore off another chunk for Nicky who shook his head.
    “I still don’t know how you can eat it.”
    Knowing full well Nick got pissed when she fed Big Al from the table, she whistled for the dog.
    Instead of bitching, Nick simply shook his head. “He filches something from the counter, it’s your fault.”
    The nerves inside her belly settled. “Good thing the big goof ain’t my dog.”
     
    Next door, a slap broke the silence. Something shattered against a wall, loud and obnoxious, the sound so clear she ran her hand over her pillow expecting shards.
    Lava coiled and hissed under her palm in tandem with Al growling into the darkness.
    Nothing she could do, Lana thought and padded barefoot to the bathroom, bumping into a chair on the way. Sometimes, she hated this apartment, this thick, colorless darkness, the dense iron shutters on the windows keeping the light at bay.
    The argument next door grew louder, the male screaming something about money. The dog a comforting presence beside her, Lana snagged a carton of ice cream from the freezer, her fingers going numb until she rummaged in the back for the emergency non-sugar-free stash.
    Another slap, then unmistakable sound of a woman weeping.
    Since there was nothing she could do, Lana ignored them the same way she ignored the drab gray room illuminated by the laptop.
    “You got into the system?”
    The hacker known as Crash didn’t bother with a greeting, nor did he request she turn on the video portion of a program that let them communicate without needing to type. “I need specific details to search for.”
    Another crashing noise came from next door, maybe a lamp or a cheap vase. Big Al pushed his nose under her armpit, probably waiting for a chance to snag the ice cream while she wasn’t looking.
    “I’d rather have full access.”
    “That wasn’t our deal. I give you exact data or the transaction’s off.”
    The argument next door escalated to curses, the female screaming inventive expletives. Big Al snuck a quick lick over the carton lid and, despite the burn under her skin, she had to smile.
    “Fine. Search for Rossini. I need police case files, everything you got. HR reports, complaints.” She waited a beat, fortifying herself with dairy and sugar and strawberries.
    “There’s a number of them. Got a first name?” The way he asked made her skin itch.
    “Nicholas Andrew.”
    A tap of keys followed by a soft grunt. “Give me an hour. Stay online.”
    Ice-cream forgotten, she ran her own searches, trying to