Read Online Cold Pursuit (Cold Justice) (Volume 2) by Toni Anderson - Free Book Online
Authors: Toni Anderson
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sensitive and struggling son to his hard-core parenting methods. She hadn’t even kept his name, and he hadn’t objected when she’d changed Michael’s last name to Vincent too.
He was ashamed of his son, and she was ashamed of him.
She stood and caught sight of Michael’s red hair—darkened to auburn by the water—plastered to his skull. He was running toward the next slide with a big grin on his face.
“Don’t run,” she muttered, too far away to be heard over the rushing water even if she’d yelled.
Loosen the damn reins, Vivi, you’re going to strangle the kid.
Fuck off, David.
Great, she even argued with her ex inside her head, as if reality hadn’t been bad enough. She rolled her eyes and sat back down. She tried to relax, breathed deep, opened a book she’d pulled from her purse, and read the first line. Twice. Images of blood and death kept intruding and she put the book away.
Today had been hell, but it was over now. Tomorrow they’d head home to Fargo.
Fargo . Not where she’d thought she’d end up living. After her divorce, an old friend had offered her a partnership in her translation business. While Vivi didn’t need to live there for them to work together, frankly she had no reason to live anywhere else.
Plus, she liked the isolation. The excuse not to keep up with her old life in DC and NYC. Winters were hellish. Summers were buggy as all get out. Every January she contemplated moving somewhere more temperate but Michael loved it in North Dakota. His school, his teachers, his friends. She’d put up with almost anything as long as her son was happy. Hell, she’d sell her soul to figure out a way to get his voice back.
He hadn’t always been mute.
He had always exhibited behaviors on the edge of the autistic spectrum, maybe Asperger’s. He craved routine, liked his things in the exact right place and excelled at repetitive tasks. But he had no truly obvious disabilities except when stressed he zoned out and would often crawl into small, cramped spaces and stay there for hours.
It was exhausting. The search for answers. The constant worry.
She hunched up and watched Michael blast out of the biggest slide the pool had. Fearless. Brave. The grin that wreathed his face more than made up for the effort of having to drag him down here. She smiled back. Agent Brennan had praised Michael’s bravery earlier today. It had touched her deeply that he’d instinctively understood what her son needed, something she’d been too terrified to give him.
She spotted the guy who’d been staring at her through the window. He now wore neon green shorts that looked way too big for him. Reminding herself to breathe and that the world was full of good people just trying to get by, she closed her eyes and counted to ten. It wasn’t some movie where everyone was out to get her. This wasn’t some conspiracy plot to destroy her. He’d obviously been scoping out the pool and not her. He dropped a towel on a lounger, half-hidden behind a huge palm tree and headed toward the nearest slide.
Michael ran past and gave her a wave. His buddy looked perturbed, probably because Michael wasn’t actually talking to him, but he sent her a shy smile too and a little wave. She waved back, then checked her watch. She’d give him another half hour and then they’d go eat.
A shadow fell over her. She looked up and her mouth fell open when she saw Special Agent Jed Brennan looming over her. Her lack of make-up and limp hair tied back in a severe ponytail made her feel self-conscious, which was ridiculous. He hardly cared what she looked like.
“Where’s Michael?” he asked.
She pointed to where he was racing halfway up the steps of yet another slide. “Why?”
Brennan’s shoulders drew back and down as he looked up at the ceiling in relief. She turned sideways on the lounger. What was going on? Why was he here? He wore a thick, wool coat and it was so hot in the pool, perspiration already dampened his brow.
He was ashamed of his son, and she was ashamed of him.
She stood and caught sight of Michael’s red hair—darkened to auburn by the water—plastered to his skull. He was running toward the next slide with a big grin on his face.
“Don’t run,” she muttered, too far away to be heard over the rushing water even if she’d yelled.
Loosen the damn reins, Vivi, you’re going to strangle the kid.
Fuck off, David.
Great, she even argued with her ex inside her head, as if reality hadn’t been bad enough. She rolled her eyes and sat back down. She tried to relax, breathed deep, opened a book she’d pulled from her purse, and read the first line. Twice. Images of blood and death kept intruding and she put the book away.
Today had been hell, but it was over now. Tomorrow they’d head home to Fargo.
Fargo . Not where she’d thought she’d end up living. After her divorce, an old friend had offered her a partnership in her translation business. While Vivi didn’t need to live there for them to work together, frankly she had no reason to live anywhere else.
Plus, she liked the isolation. The excuse not to keep up with her old life in DC and NYC. Winters were hellish. Summers were buggy as all get out. Every January she contemplated moving somewhere more temperate but Michael loved it in North Dakota. His school, his teachers, his friends. She’d put up with almost anything as long as her son was happy. Hell, she’d sell her soul to figure out a way to get his voice back.
He hadn’t always been mute.
He had always exhibited behaviors on the edge of the autistic spectrum, maybe Asperger’s. He craved routine, liked his things in the exact right place and excelled at repetitive tasks. But he had no truly obvious disabilities except when stressed he zoned out and would often crawl into small, cramped spaces and stay there for hours.
It was exhausting. The search for answers. The constant worry.
She hunched up and watched Michael blast out of the biggest slide the pool had. Fearless. Brave. The grin that wreathed his face more than made up for the effort of having to drag him down here. She smiled back. Agent Brennan had praised Michael’s bravery earlier today. It had touched her deeply that he’d instinctively understood what her son needed, something she’d been too terrified to give him.
She spotted the guy who’d been staring at her through the window. He now wore neon green shorts that looked way too big for him. Reminding herself to breathe and that the world was full of good people just trying to get by, she closed her eyes and counted to ten. It wasn’t some movie where everyone was out to get her. This wasn’t some conspiracy plot to destroy her. He’d obviously been scoping out the pool and not her. He dropped a towel on a lounger, half-hidden behind a huge palm tree and headed toward the nearest slide.
Michael ran past and gave her a wave. His buddy looked perturbed, probably because Michael wasn’t actually talking to him, but he sent her a shy smile too and a little wave. She waved back, then checked her watch. She’d give him another half hour and then they’d go eat.
A shadow fell over her. She looked up and her mouth fell open when she saw Special Agent Jed Brennan looming over her. Her lack of make-up and limp hair tied back in a severe ponytail made her feel self-conscious, which was ridiculous. He hardly cared what she looked like.
“Where’s Michael?” he asked.
She pointed to where he was racing halfway up the steps of yet another slide. “Why?”
Brennan’s shoulders drew back and down as he looked up at the ceiling in relief. She turned sideways on the lounger. What was going on? Why was he here? He wore a thick, wool coat and it was so hot in the pool, perspiration already dampened his brow.
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