Read Online Blown Away by Sharon Sala - Free Book Online

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    Instinctively Mike reached for her hand, then stopped. He had to keep reminding himself that she wasn’t Susan. Unfortunately this was his housekeeper’s afternoon off. There wasn’t going to be anyone to temper the tension between them. Still, he’d offered his help in Susan’s honor, and he wasn’t going to go back on his word.
    “Hang in there,” Mike said. “We’re almost home.”
     
    The sun was setting as Lance pulled up to his house and parked. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically, but after witnessing all the devastation, never more grateful to be alive. It did not occur to him to feel guilty that he’d taken someone else’s life or had been willing to end three others to keep the secret. He’d been indulged all his life, and still expected the world to revolve around him and his needs.
    His gaze swept the storm-tossed area as he walked toward the veranda. There were things here to be cleaned up as well, but most of it involved downed tree limbs, some missing shingles and a corner off the barn roof.
    The only thing that had been pressing was the broken windowpanes inside Morgan’s Reach, and those had been dealt with while he’d been in Bordelaise. Jim Bob Greeley had come out and replaced the glass while Lance had been in town. The rest of the repairs could be dealt with as time permitted.
    He bent down and lifted the doormat, retrieving the key he’d given Jim Bob to use, grunting slightly as he straightened up to unlock the door. Remembering that there were four prisoners from the jail who were still missing, he turned around and locked the door behind him as he went inside. It did not occur to him that he was no better than they were—maybe worse. The men who’d been jailed had been arrested for drug trafficking. Lance had committed murder. Yet he’dalready justified his act as necessary and moved on, just as he hoped those prisoners had done.
    His steps were dragging as he walked through the house, taking off his clothing as he went. By the time he got to his bathroom, he was nude. The power was back on, which was good. He couldn’t wait to get into a hot shower and then some clean clothes. He turned on the water, waiting until it ran warm as he grabbed a bottle of shampoo. Just as he was about to get into the shower, his phone began to ring. He started to ignore it, then remembered Joe was on his way here, and stepped back into the bedroom and checked caller ID.
    When he saw the name Dominic Martinelli, his heart dropped. The Chicago loan shark. The nightmare of losing the family home was once again looming on the horizon. In typical Lance fashion, whatever he couldn’t handle, he ignored. He let the answering machine pick up and strode back into the bathroom.
    But the seed of worry had been replanted.
    Lance showered, then dressed in sweats and a T-shirt and made his way into the kitchen. As he entered the room, he remembered the broken windows and gave the repair job a closer look. Jim Bob had done well. He saw a broom and a mop in the corner of the kitchen, and realized the repairman had not only swept up the glass, but mopped, as well. It was satisfying to know he had such thoughtful friends.
    The light was blinking on the answering machine. When he checked and saw the only call was fromMartinelli, he deleted it without listening. Indignation grew as he checked for leftovers. Surely the chinchy bastard knew they’d suffered a terrible storm here in Bordelaise. Martinelli should have had the decency to wait a few days before dunning him for money.
    Lance wouldn’t let himself think of what kind of repercussions Austin Ball’s absence would have back in Chicago, but he knew what he was going to avow. He planned to say he’d never seen the man, so if Ball had planned to visit Bordelaise on Sunday, then it had been a poor decision, because he must have perished in the tornado. The rental car truly had been blown away. If it was found, he would have to explain his