Read Online Crossing Lines: A gripping psychological thriller (Behind Closed Doors Book 3) by Erin Cawood - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Erin Cawood
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mean to put you in an awkward position. I'll talk to Dex tomorrow, and you have my word I'll tell him the truth.”
“Great.” He rolls his eyes and sighs, “I look forward to a week of listening to my bro whine about how my boss broke his heart. But consider yourself on a last warning. The next time I find out you’re preventing me from doing my job by lying to me, I walk!”
“Rylan!” She reaches for him again.
“No!” He spins on her. “This,” he waves a hand in front of her face, “was not an overzealous competitor, nor anything to do with training. Your stubborn pride won’t let you admit what’s actually going on. But he ,” Rylan points at me, “is a blatant disregard of what you hired me for in the first place. How do you know your stalker is not him ?”
“B-but,” her face visibly pales as she stammers, “y-you’ve cleared him.”
“I’ve cleared everyone!” he yells. "And I’m still no closer to finding the bastard. You know he’s fucking been here. You know this prick knows when I'm not with you. You have to start taking this guy seriously. You hired me for one reason and one reason alone, and you have to stop getting in my way. ‘Mad at you’ doesn’t even begin to cover how pissed I am right now!”
He walks away. Krystal calls after him, but he ignores her. He yanks open the door and disappears inside. “Rylan!”
At the same time, an aged golden retriever escapes the open door and comes bouncing down the half a dozen steps with the energy of a pup and its tail end wagging just as enthusiastically.
Krystal's eyes light up like a child on Christmas morning. “Luca!” She drops to the ground and coos and fusses over the fully grown dog like it was a child. “My baby!”
I lean against the rear side of the car and watch the ice queen melt into a puddle of soft gooey slush … over a dog? I file it away for a session when all this is over. But at the same time, I acknowledge there will be no more sessions with her after this. A line has been crossed, and it’s a step I can’t take back, which means that over the next couple of weeks I have to make the most of the limited time I have with Krystal.
“Mommy missed you so much!” Her nails scratch the dog's belly, “Yes, she did. Mommy hates leaving Luca behind.”
Melissa clears her throat. Krystal looks up and turns an interesting shade of crimson as she snaps her fingers. The dog instantly sits at attention, as though their moments of bonding had never happened. She doesn't move from her seat by Krystal's ankles as Krystal discusses her messages with her assistant, and discovers all of the other residents in the house have retired for the night. Mel looks nervously in my direction. “I'll leave you two alone.” She hovers awkwardly on her feet, as her gaze flickers between myself and Krystal. “I'm sorry, Dr. Hawthorne,” she says quietly, “that I was unable to make arrangements for you to travel with Krystal on her tour at the last minute.”
“Mel—”
As though Krystal senses my discomfort with lying to her assistant, she steps between us. “Don't worry about it. These things happen. Darryl will be fine on his own, won't you, D?” She sends a quick smile over her shoulder. “I'll only be gone for a few days. Besides, it will be good for him to see what our future together will be like, don’t you think?”
The assistant's jaw drops open and hangs loose for a few seconds before she composes herself. “Y-yes,” she stutters, “of course.”
I fight the urge to correct another lie. This sits more awkwardly with me than the conversation with Rylan about Krystal’s betrayal of Dex. There has to be an alternative to causing all this heartache. I don’t like her plan one bit, and I like the fact she expects me to join her in telling lies even less. But if I’m ever going to convince Krystal to find an alternative solution, I have to get rid of her super-efficient assistant. With the exception of
“Great.” He rolls his eyes and sighs, “I look forward to a week of listening to my bro whine about how my boss broke his heart. But consider yourself on a last warning. The next time I find out you’re preventing me from doing my job by lying to me, I walk!”
“Rylan!” She reaches for him again.
“No!” He spins on her. “This,” he waves a hand in front of her face, “was not an overzealous competitor, nor anything to do with training. Your stubborn pride won’t let you admit what’s actually going on. But he ,” Rylan points at me, “is a blatant disregard of what you hired me for in the first place. How do you know your stalker is not him ?”
“B-but,” her face visibly pales as she stammers, “y-you’ve cleared him.”
“I’ve cleared everyone!” he yells. "And I’m still no closer to finding the bastard. You know he’s fucking been here. You know this prick knows when I'm not with you. You have to start taking this guy seriously. You hired me for one reason and one reason alone, and you have to stop getting in my way. ‘Mad at you’ doesn’t even begin to cover how pissed I am right now!”
He walks away. Krystal calls after him, but he ignores her. He yanks open the door and disappears inside. “Rylan!”
At the same time, an aged golden retriever escapes the open door and comes bouncing down the half a dozen steps with the energy of a pup and its tail end wagging just as enthusiastically.
Krystal's eyes light up like a child on Christmas morning. “Luca!” She drops to the ground and coos and fusses over the fully grown dog like it was a child. “My baby!”
I lean against the rear side of the car and watch the ice queen melt into a puddle of soft gooey slush … over a dog? I file it away for a session when all this is over. But at the same time, I acknowledge there will be no more sessions with her after this. A line has been crossed, and it’s a step I can’t take back, which means that over the next couple of weeks I have to make the most of the limited time I have with Krystal.
“Mommy missed you so much!” Her nails scratch the dog's belly, “Yes, she did. Mommy hates leaving Luca behind.”
Melissa clears her throat. Krystal looks up and turns an interesting shade of crimson as she snaps her fingers. The dog instantly sits at attention, as though their moments of bonding had never happened. She doesn't move from her seat by Krystal's ankles as Krystal discusses her messages with her assistant, and discovers all of the other residents in the house have retired for the night. Mel looks nervously in my direction. “I'll leave you two alone.” She hovers awkwardly on her feet, as her gaze flickers between myself and Krystal. “I'm sorry, Dr. Hawthorne,” she says quietly, “that I was unable to make arrangements for you to travel with Krystal on her tour at the last minute.”
“Mel—”
As though Krystal senses my discomfort with lying to her assistant, she steps between us. “Don't worry about it. These things happen. Darryl will be fine on his own, won't you, D?” She sends a quick smile over her shoulder. “I'll only be gone for a few days. Besides, it will be good for him to see what our future together will be like, don’t you think?”
The assistant's jaw drops open and hangs loose for a few seconds before she composes herself. “Y-yes,” she stutters, “of course.”
I fight the urge to correct another lie. This sits more awkwardly with me than the conversation with Rylan about Krystal’s betrayal of Dex. There has to be an alternative to causing all this heartache. I don’t like her plan one bit, and I like the fact she expects me to join her in telling lies even less. But if I’m ever going to convince Krystal to find an alternative solution, I have to get rid of her super-efficient assistant. With the exception of
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