Read Online Distraction: The Distraction Trilogy #1 by A. E. Murphy - Free Book Online Page A

eyes on his face for fear that I might never be able to tear them away from the rest of him. “I never put two and two together.”
    “I’m here to save you from that.” I motion to the next apartment door and wave my torch a little.
    “With a torch?”
    “Kind of.” I grin and shuffle on the spot a little as my face flushes with heat. I hate that piercing stare he has; it makes you feel warm in all of the wrong places. “Actually I can’t evict him myself, but I can stop the music. I just need your help.”
    “My help? Let me get my shoes.”
    I wait with my back against the wall as he disappears into his flat and comes back moments later with his shoes on, but no jacket. I’m so glad it’s not a cold night; covering up his chest and arms would be a tragedy.
    “Why do you need my help exactly?”
    “You’ll see.” I smile wickedly and practically skip along the hall. “There’s a maintenance room in the basement. We’ll have to take the stairs.”
    “I’m really sorry for calling you so late, it’s just… it hasn’t been a good day and I really needed my sleep. If I’d known you’d have driven out here at three in the morning, I never would have called.”
    I wave him off. His apologies are pointless, especially since I know his day hasn’t been great. I want to ask him about Mrs Price, but I’m worried I’ll be overstepping. “It’s a family business. One day I’ll be taking over a portion of it anyway, if that’s what I decide to do. It’s good practice and besides, I have a Taser if the bald headed guy stirs up any trouble.”
    We step into the cool stairwell and move to the door that leads down into the basement. I flick on the torch before unlocking the door and Mr Price uses the flash on his phone.
    “Aren’t there lights down here?” He takes the lead as I guide him down the dimply lit stairs.
    “Yes, but they are safety lights due to occasional damp and stuff. I’m not sure how it all works. I just know that it’s not very bright and extra light is never a bad thing.” This isn’t my first trip to the basement in this building. I spent my summer as a fifteen year old supervising builders and electricians as they touched the building up to standard.
    He stops in his track and I come very close to colliding with his back. “You don’t know how it all works?”
    “No, I mean yes… I know how… can we just get this done? I have classes in five hours.”
    “You’re not the only one,” he grumbles and moves to the side so I can unlock the final door.
    As expected, the room smells of damp and moss. It’s not the most pleasant smell in the world. It’s also very dimly lit, making me wonder why they bothered putting lights in at all.
    “Over here,” I say, moving towards the fuse box situated behind shelves of cleaning supplies and a large water boiler.
    “You’re not seriously going to mess with that are you?” Mr Price’s hand wraps around my bicep when I place my hand against the metal latch. His fingers are very warm against my naturally cold skin. I almost shiver at his touch, but quickly suppress it.
    “Relax.” I hand him my torch and open the lid. “See? Everything is numbered.”
    I look for the switch to flat number four and give Mr Price a wink before flicking it up.
    “You’re insane. Is this even legal?”
    I shrug. “Probably not, but he’ll not want to stay without electricity and I left a message for my dad telling him what I was going to do. If he doesn’t approve, he can blame himself for not evicting the arsehole three weeks ago when he gave him a final warning after plenty of other warnings. You’re not the first to call at this time of night so don’t worry.”
    “Fair enough.” He scratches at the slight stubble on his chin and waits for me to close the lid, before guiding me back around the shelves by my elbow. “Watch your step.”
    I do as I’m told, moving carefully around a discarded mop bucket that we somehow avoided on the way